monday morning

Little things always add up to big things. My morning routine is engrained with little habits that all add up to the bigger picture. I always change out of my pajamas and make my bed, no matter what. But coffee and sunlight are always number one. My morning walk around the yard ensures I start my day with a moment for myself. Sometimes I just end up sitting on the front stoop watching traffic go by while I drink my coffee and enjoy the sun on my face. Other days it looks like dance parties in the backyard while I take pictures and try not to trip or spill my coffee everywhere. It all adds up to this, though: there is a moment every morning where I am electing to take time to nourish my soul. To sit with the prospect of having a whole day out in front of me and saying, "Enjoy this moment, right here."

My #annalovesmornings series started on the couch in our old apartment. February 2014, I took a picture of my morning coffee on a day where I was feeling particularly anxious, as a coping mechanism to try and calm me down. Everything has snowballed from there. I genuinely look forward to getting up and drinking coffee every morning. This series started as my chance to take pictures, to do what I love to do, before going to work at a job that I felt stuck and underappreciated in. Now it's habit, a routine that injects joy and inspiration into my day right from the start.

This morning was one of the quiet ones. Sit in the sunshine, drink coffee and breathe. Put on the coffee leggings and a shirt the color of the sun, throw your hair in a messy bun, and get ready to put your head down and work. I have a wedding to shoot this weekend, 2 shoots booked next week that I'm preparing for, another picture day event with Next Stop Kids Shop that I need to promote, and a slew of other administrative things I need to do. Let's GO, Monday.