If you need a last minute gift idea for a special someone on your list, here’s a simple craft I did for my girlfriends this year: cup cozies! They don’t take long to make and you probably have most of the supplies around the house.

You’ll need:
-felt
-buttons
-needle
-thread
-scissors
-marking pen
-paper cup sleeve (mine was left over from Starbucks)
-mug

Start by taking apart the paper cup sleeve and tracing it on to your felt with the marking pen. I made mine just a little bit longer because my mugs were larger. Cut along the traced lines.

Wrap the felt around a mug overlapping the two ends to determine how big it needs to be. Pick a cute button that fits your friend’s style. I dug into my grandmother’s button collection. Use the button to hold the two ends of the felt together by sewing through both layers.

Fill your cup with fun treats! Candy canes, chocolate, a Starbucks gift card or VIA are just a few ideas. I’d love to see pictures of what you come up with!

Merry Christmas!

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway! I’m so excited to share such an awesome resource with you and only wish I had more copies to give! If you know anyone that has attended the Fast Track Workshop, help them be a “Beth” by hitting them up for a copy! Wondered why I asked you all to share a word describing ME (not the photography, website, etc.)? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

For the winners, don’t set this aside to read later in your “free time.” Make the time now to begin your year and business in the best possible way. Feel free to email me anytime if you have questions!

And now for the winners! *drumroll*

• Pilar
• Stephanie
• Kimberly

Congratulations!  Your ebook will be arriving soon to your inbox!

If there has been one book that has changed the photography industry recently, it has been Dane Sanders‘ Fast Track Photographer. For the amateur and professional alike, Dane makes clear what many people have missed. Pretty pictures do not a good business make. You are not your photography, and YOU are what sets your business a part from every other photography business out there!

With Dane releasing a new and updated version later this year, the original edition of Fast Track Photographer is no longer available from his store. As I attended his workshop back in May and got a sneak preview of some of the new content, I know it will be good and can’t wait to read it! For those of you who cannot wait until then, I have three copies of the original in the ebook format that I am giving away to three blog readers! To enter, simply leave a comment sharing one word you think best describes ME and some way to contact you (ex: lydia[at]lydiaphotography[dot]com or a link to your own blog). The giveaway will end on Tuesday midnight PST and the winners will be randomly drawn from all the qualifying entries. Feel free to spread the word and leave another comment sharing how for an additional entry!

Contact Lydia | View Portfolio | Join the Facebook Page

It’s those vague hints of something cooler to come that sometimes bug me. It causes me to be discontent with the here and now and just eager and impatient to see the future cool. That’s why I’ve tried to hold myself back from sharing the awesome things coming to Lydia Photography. “Tried” being the key word.

You may have notice my blog being down last month. A new site was supposed to have taken its web address, but it never showed up due to user error. I’ve been working on a real website for awhile now. It has gone through many redesigns, and I know will never be totally done. Life changes, and my site will change to reflect that over the years. So instead of waiting for something that will never come, I did it. The official Lydia Photography website 1.0 is now online! So much more is being added to it, but I couldn’t keep the hints back any longer and just had to share it!

 

You can still see my latest weddings and happenings on the blog at its own special link. Be sure to change your RSS feed to keep updated!

If you’re interested in creating a website for yourself, be sure to check out Showit. As of this week, they now giving it away for free! You can:

• publish up to five pages
• use their templates and graphics or completely make something new
• easily upload 10MB of music, pictures, slideshows, and more
• share your site on blogs, facebook, twitter, and iPhones

I crawled into bed and laid my head down on the pillow determined to sleep in and enjoy being home. Everything went well until I woke up the next morning three hours too early–my body was still on Eastern Standard Time. And so this has continued each and every day since then. Weirdly enough, I was excited to leave home again on Tuesday and embrace the motel black out curtains. This was just one of the many benefits to attending Dane Sanders‘ Fast Track Photographer Workshop.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I went (what’s up with that lately?). I had read and loved his Fast Track Photographer book. All the free goodies I’d receive from going didn’t hurt either. Now on the other side, I’ve come away with new friendships, confidence, and plans for the future. The interaction was a big help. Dane laughed because I kept coming up to him with questions, but I’ve learned that I need to seize the opportunities in front of me so that I don’t regret missing them later. Dane was willing to give us the time and tools to have those big conversations–the ones that are going to lead to even bigger changes in our lives and businesses.

Since coming home I’ve made some big steps. No, I’m still having trouble sleeping, but the extra hours awake have been put to good use. I’ve set up and sent out two proposals using the more than handy dandy ShootQ. Clients are now able to purchase their prints online in my new gallery! There’s more to come, but I think it’s time for me to take a nap!

Picture by our awesome group leader, Jules Bianchi