5 things you don't know about me

I love learning fun facts about folks in my community, so today I thought I'd share five things you may not know about me. 

1. I used to be a personal trainer

Yup- you read that right. I used to be a personal trainer. I have 3 fitness certifications. If you've followed me for a while, you know I've had a complicated journey with diet culture and the fitness world. Today, I'm starting to understand that physical activity can be part of a mentally healthy lifestyle. Instead of using exercise to change or punish my body, I'm learning to enjoy movements that bring me joy. 

2. I love singing 1940s jazz

I listen to Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald pretty much every day. Their music speaks to the deepest parts of me. My mother says I came out of the womb singing, it's been an important part of my life on and off for many years. So, if you ever wonder what living with me is like, just imagine me singing old fashioned jazz music 24/7 and that's pretty much accurate. haha

3. I wasn't popular at school

I never fit in. I've always struggled with anxiety and social situations made it so much worse. I was fortunate enough to have a handful of really great friends though. A lot of whom I keep in touch with to this day. Friendship isn't about quantity it's about quality. And I'm so fortunate to have the most high quality folks as my closest friends today. 

4. I re-watch The Gilmore Girls every Fall

Every. Single. Fall. The hues of burnt orange and yellow, the images of Suki's messy kitchen piled high with fresh fruits and vegetabes, the almost-too-fast to follow dialogue from Lorelai and Rory. It's my quintessential autumn habit. In re-watching it recently I've noticed there's some pretty problematic issues with diet culture. It's disappointing to see. I still feel a lot of comfort and joy from the show though. And I'm grateful it's there every year beckoning me to get ready for pumpkin patches and hot cider. 

5. I use my phone for 85% of my food photography

YOU DON'T NEED FANCY EQUIPMENT TO PHOTOGRAPH FOOD! I use my phone for almost all of my shoots. The key is in knowing a few tricks of the trade. You'll get to learn all of my trade secrets in my upcoming food photography course. If ya wanna get in on the action now, you can go ahead and take my FREE MINI COURSE: Spiffy Angles. I'll teach you my top 3 angles for food photography.