Leila Wylie Photography » Capturing seriously awesome memories

I’m doing something a little different here. My blog can be a great place to see my work and get to know my style, but I’d love y’all to also get to know me as a person and not just as a photographer.  So I’m starting a new series that I’m calling “About Me Mondays”. I’ll be posting random bits of who I am, such as my favorite album right now, what kind of TV shows I like, stuff about my kids and family, what I was like as a kid, etc. If that sounds boring or horribly narcissistic, be sure to stop by Tuesday through Friday from now on! Otherwise, enjoy getting to know me the way that I often get to know you during our photo sessions. =)

I’m going to start the series off with a bang! Er, well, a list, really. Taking my inspiration from Melissa Jill, I’m posting my 101 in 1001. That is, 101 things I hope/plan to/WILL do in the next 1001 days. I’m technically not going to start until May 1st, so think of it as an early bonus. 1001 days from May 1st is Jan 24th, 2014, so I have quite a bit of time to work on these. If anyone else would like to start on May 1st with me, let me know!

Okay, here’s my list, in no particular order. I left a few open at the end to accommodate how I, my life and my goals might change in the next couple years.  If you see any that you might like to do with me or can help me with, please let me know!!!

1. Declutter our kitchen.
2. Go to the Ethiopian Heritage and Culture Camp one summer.
3. Go on vacation with our extended family.
4. Rearrange our master bedroom.
5. Make curtains for Eliza’s bunk beds.
6. Finish making the kitchen curtains.
7. Make cloth napkins.
8. Make a profile of my ideal client.
9. Improve my product packaging.
10. Create a welcome kit.
11. Rewrite Leila Wylie Photography website copy for more personality.
12. Rewrite Seriously Sexy Boudoir website copy for more personality.
13. Write an article about why I think every woman should have a boudoir session.
14. Shoot my first wedding as the primary photographer.
15. Enter photos into a print competition.
16. Read 12 business books that will help strengthen my weaker areas.
17. Read 6 nonfiction books that AREN’T about business.
18. Take a road trip to New England to visit family and friends.
19. Pay off all of our debt.
20. Hit my monthly sales goal every month for 6 months.
21. Go to SUUSI.
22. Go to an in-person boudoir or pin-up workshop.
23. Make a photo book for each kid.
24. Have a cookout for my birthday.
25. Paint my studio (it’s currently a horrible green).
26. Fully outfit the studio with furniture, wall prints, props, etc.
27. Sponsor a child in Ethiopia.
28. Make my 100th Kiva loan.
29. Get my left half sleeve (tattoo) finished.
30. Get my right full sleeve (tattoo).
31. Get my “for better or worse” tattoo.
32. Take a vacation with just Stephen (no kids!).
33. Have friends over for dinner once a month for one year.
34. Help Nimora write a letter to his Ethiopian father (if he wants).
35. Go strawberry picking.
36. Go apple picking.
37. Run a 5K. Yes, I said RUN.
38. Spend a quiet afternoon in a photo exhibit at an art museum.
39. Hang an installation of pictures from Ethiopia in the house.
40. Have a professional family session now that Nimora’s home.
41. Hang an installation of family photos from said session in living room.
42. Frame and hang our art for the living room.
43. Develop an “after booking” gift.
44. Create “thank you” cards for Seriously Sexy Boudoir.
45. Attend an Ethiopian Orthodox church service.
46. Form (co-form, really) an Ethiopian adoption support group.
47. Get up before 8am 5x per week for one month.
48. Send out studio New Year’s cards to clients.
49. Send out thank you cards to friends/family for their adoption support.
50. See Gogol Bordello in concert.
51. Start savings account to go back to Ethiopia as a family.
52. Second shoot 13 weddings.
53. Write one personal post on my blog per week for three months.
54. Have a family session with heavily tattooed parents.
55. Have a boudoir session with a heavily tattooed lady.
56. Start a personal photography project.
57. Get at least a few good photographs of the kids each month for a year.
58. Have a themed boudoir/pin-up shoot.
59. Buy the perfect coffee table for the living room.
60. Sell the old living room tables.
61. Hire a housekeeper to come twice a month.
62. Hang art in the downstairs bathroom.
63. Make a style plan for master bath.
64. Hang curtains in master bedroom and bath.
65. Find five ways to continue differentiating my businesses.
66. Post on a photography forum at least twice a week for three months.
67. Shave my legs twice a week May through October (yeah, I know…it’s sad).
68. Write new bios for my websites.
69. Start a monthly desktop calendar photo series.
70. Make an Ethiopian meal from scratch, including injera.
71. Plant flower beds in front yard.
72. Paint the house.
73. Build a patio out back.
74. Buy swing set for kids.
75. Paint kitchen cabinets.
76. Work out three times per week for three months.
77. Make nightgowns for Eliza.
78. Make PJs for Nimora.
79. Make and add two videos to YouTube every month.
80. Revamp Leila Wylie Photography website to include senior model program.
81. Lose 10lbs.
82. Subscribe to 2 inspirational magazines.
83. Conquer Shootq for both business divisions.
84. Turn half of my home office into reading area.
85. Audio record my mom telling family stories.
86. Make a family meal plan and stick to it for one month.
87. Upgrade Photoshop.
88. See African Children’s Choir again.
89. Make a “watch me work during a shoot” video for the website.
90. Buy an iMac for the studio.
91. Watch Lost Boys of Sudan.
92. Watch A Walk to Beautiful.
93. Implement surveys and gather customer feedback from clients.
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