minding my nest

practicing the art of an ordinary life

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Here’s where you can find me on the web

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!

December Daily® 2020

2019 Memory Keeping

Week in the Life™ 2019

2018 December Daily

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Memory Keeping 2019
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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

For the past several years my intention for the mo

For the past several years my intention for the month of December has been some version of wanting to be present to the magic and joy of the season. But often this time of year, my overachiever and perfectionist tendencies push me to try too hard and do too much. And trust me when I tell you that there is nothing that can suck the joy right out of the holiday season more than me trying to make things special.

The other thing I’m finding lately is that the feeling of joy is getting harder and harder to connect with and hold onto. And I think that’s because sometimes I feel guilty for feeling joy. Like it’s selfish or turning a blind eye to the suffering of the world.

Then I remember the words of Henri Nouwen. “Joy is not the same as happiness. We can be unhappy about many things, but joy can still be there because it comes from the knowledge of God’s love for us. . . . Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.”

And so this year I will choose joy by saying yes to wholeheartedly embracing and enjoying the sights, sounds, and simple delights of the season. I will choose joy by giving myself permission to slow down and experience the magic that comes from paying attention and being present. I will choose joy by allowing myself to be swept away and filled up with the wonder of God’s grace, mercy, and love. ✨

Before we switch gears and move into everything ho

Before we switch gears and move into everything holiday-related, I am indulging myself in one last photo of the glorious fall color we’ve have enjoyed this year. What a joy it has been to take in all this beauty on my evening walks with Daisy.

Did I ever tell you that I took a Botany class? It was years ago - not long after Tripp and I bought our very first house. I was really getting into gardening, and in my quest to learn ALL. THE. THINGS. I signed up for a class at our local community college. So while Kelsey was in four-year-old preschool, I was learning everything about how plants work.

At any rate, I’ve probably forgotten more than I learned in that class, but the one thing that has stuck with me all these years was the fact that the glorious colors of fall leaves are there, present, in the leaves all other times of the year as well. It’s only as the tree begins to go dormant for the winter that the masking affect of chlorophyll diminishes. And therefore allows the brightly colored pigments of xanthophylls, beta-carotene, and anthocyanin to emerge.

Hello my name is Kelly, and I am a science nerd. 🤓

Besides the obvious wonder and joy in the brightly colored leaves around my neighborhood, this phenomenon also speaks to me on a personal level. because I can see in my own life how, once my obligations and day to day responsibilities of raising a child (a vocation that I wholly embraced and am eternally grateful for) started to diminish, other colorful interests started to emerge.

And so today, I would just like to pay tribute to the season of fall. To the magic and wonder of course. But also to the idea possibility and hope. And for all of the gifts and blessings that have brought so much color to my life.
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#asseenonmywalk #ethereal_moods #still_life_nature #dofnature #dof_brilliance #bokeh_bliss #bokeh_and_blur #transfer_visions #tv_depthoffield #tv_allnature #tv_closeup #jj_justnature #raw_allnature #moody_tones #moodforfloral #moodyflorals #inspirenaturenow #charming_nature_ #nb_nature_brilliance🔸

Well, I managed to get all of the food cooked and

Well, I managed to get all of the food cooked and ready to serve, all at the same on Thanksgiving. The only thing I managed to forgot to do is take pictures. 🤦🏼‍♀️ But I still have the big warm fuzzy of having our family gathering around the table and lots of good memories. 🧡
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#gatheredstyle #foreverfaffing #loveliest4 #astilllifestyle #floral_faffery #still_life_gallery #tv_stillife #jj_still_life #tv_living #global_ladies #transfer_visions #tv_neatly #tv_flowers #tv_retro #etherealmoods #moody_tones #moodforfloral #moodyflorals #curated_nature #ihavethisthingwithflowers #stylingtheseasons #petalsandprops #floralperfection #thefolkpr0ject #blissfulphotoart #creative_florals #kaigarden2021

Earlier this year I set memory-keeping on the back

Earlier this year I set memory-keeping on the back burner. The first half of the year I was delighted to devote my creative energy to all of the awesome wedding plans and projects. Then afterwards, I found myself in a bit of a creative slump. Knowing that this is just a part of the ebb and flow of a creative life, I let it be without stressing over it too much.

But I have missed the tactile connection that memory-keeping brings to my photos and memories, and lately I have been feeling to the tug to get back into it. December Daily® feels like the perfect project to jumpstart my creativity and storytelling mojo.

Inspired by the @decemberdaily Prep Day, I decided to look back through my previous albums. Not only did this give me a giant warm fuzzy, I also loved seeing how my style has progressed through the years. Plus revisiting my these past albums revealed the kinds of creative techniques and page layouts that feel really fun and inspiring to work on. (I have shared these in my IG story if you would like to check them out.)

These past few weeks I have been working on getting my album set up for this year. I don’t do foundation pages per se, but I do love playing around with the products to see what kinds of stories they might inspire. Plus I have also loved trying out some of the amazing techniques and creative ideas in the December Daily® Product play class. You can swipe through to see some of the pages and ideas that I have in progress.

Also I thought it might be fun to go live around 11:00 am CT to share a little bit more about my plans and ideas for this year’s album. I would love for you to come hang out with me for a bit if you have time. I’m also happy to answer any questions you might have.

As always, thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to share my stories and my projects with you. ❤️
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#craftthestory #aedecemberdaily #decemberdaily2021 #decemberdailyalbum

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