minding my nest

practicing the art of an ordinary life

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About Me

Hi There! I’m Kelly. I am a wife, mom, light seeker, homemaker, and storyteller. From an empty nest to an abundant life, all it took was a little time, a lot of faith, and the courage to see my life differently.

You can read more about my story here.

So now, armed with my trusty Canon camera, here is where I share my journey to live an inspired and intentional life.

Welcome to my little corner of the interwebs!

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I wholeheartedly believe that there is beauty and magic to be found in my ordinary life and I would be honored to share it with you. Enter your information below to receive my blog posts via email, and I will share with you some free resources to help you find the light and the magic in your own photography!

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AROUND THE WEB

Regular Contributor to Focusing on Life.

Story Teller for Ali Edwards Design Team

Currently Teaching at Big Picture Classes.

My Portfolio - Kelly Ishmael Photography

the latest on instagram

Morning light and open doors. It’s everything I

Morning light and open doors. It’s everything I love about this time of year. ✨

I had a new to me garden visitor this past week! T

I had a new to me garden visitor this past week! This is a female eastern tiger swallowtail (papilio glaucus) and I was delighted to follow her around my butterfly bush for a few minutes. This beauty gets her name from the faint tiger stripes visible on the ventral view of her wings.

Female eastern swallowtail butterflies are “dimorphic” meaning that they have two distinct dolor forms. Depending on where you live, you might be more accustomed to seeing the more common yellow form of this lovely creature. In my neck of the woods though, we tend to see this dark morph a little more often because we tend to have more pipevine swallowtails (which are poisonous). And since the yellow forms are palatable, by using this “Batesian mimicry” the female protects herself from vertebrate predators.

I never get tired of geeking out about butterflies and learning more about these fascinating creatures. And I hope this lovely butterfly starts your week with a smile.

Today I shared the last lesson in my Empty Nest +

Today I shared the last lesson in my Empty Nest + New Stories class with @aliedwardsdesigninc. As I wrapped up my class content, it dawned on my that I have never actually documented my empty-nest transition in this way. Sure, I’ve shared bits and pieces of my story in the projects I’ve created over the years, but never like this. And I am just filled with so much gratitude for this little notebook I created.

I am also filled with gratitude for the students who have taken my class and shared their stories with me. What an honor it has been to walk alongside these courageous, wholehearted individuals.

In the end, this transition in my life wasn’t learning how to cope with being an empty-nester - this was a journey in self-discovery. And all along the way, I had the Grace of God guiding me and working in me to bring me to wholeness and healing. Because of this journey, I have found the meaning in my life that I was always searching for. 💛

I’m bidding farewell to summer with a bounty of

I’m bidding farewell to summer with a bounty of bold, beautiful blooms from my garden. I say it often, but this year especially, my garden has blessed my life in many ways - from the beauty it brings to my life to a place to work with my hands and get out of my head. I hope these lovelies bring you as much happiness as they do me. 💛

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