Boisterous laughter surrounded me like the overflowing knit of my favorite sweater as I sat at the table. The twinkling of the warm Christmas lights softly falling on every smiling face. Our plates long since empty and stomachs full, we sat for the simple purpose of filling our hearts with each others company. Quietly I sat back, watching the communion between friends and time began to slow. I memorized each loved one's expression and reveled in their joy, slowing down my mental pace to consume every detail... and there was peace.

It's important to slow and appreciate a moment. My spirit always finds deep refreshment in doing so. It's like sitting in a river, being fully part of a current but pausing to watch the droplets of every splash and notice every bubble as it swirls in the current.

There's been so much excitement and positive connection through Jasper & Fern lately that I've been thrilled to immerse myself in. Today though, I've found it necessary and refreshing to slow my mental pace, fill my spirit with pure appreciation and revel in each shared moment that has flowed into this moment in time.

Especially in a time where human connection is minimal and one of the best ways to care for each other is from a distance, I am most appreciative of all the people and business owners with whom we've found new ways to meaningfully come together and build relationships.

You are appreciated.
You are loved.
You are seen.

I'm looking forward to dinners and in person connections with you when the time is right.

~ With gratitude ~

Alyson

This morning I woke up groggy. My shoulders pushed against themselves down into the mattress and my legs were revolting against my brain’s encouragement to get up and move. It's trudging days like today when I'm reinforced, when the support I know I have around me shows up and hugs me. Some of these days I am more the receiver of support and on others I am more the giver of support. This life is an ecosystem filled with symbiotic relationships - parasitic, communal and mutually beneficial. It helps to recognize our role and the roles of others around us, nourishing the ecosystem we are in.

Through my years as a photographer, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with many wonderful people. Through pain, celebrations and growth I’ve started to settle into a lush garden of vibrant, complementary people from the bold and vibrant, to the essential and hidden. The occasional weed pops up and, of course, non-complimentary plants are encouraged to uproot (or be uprooted) and exist in a place more fit for them - but that’s just life, yeah? I’m so thankful for the integral relationships in my own ecosystem. It’s a beautiful connection we share with others - where we can allow someone to step in where their strengths fit our vulnerabilities and we can step into their vulnerabilities with our strengths, it's amazing.

I love connecting with strong women who take negative experiences and turn them into positive opportunities in which they can help other people who are where they have been. Life is full of inspiring redemption stories, all pointing up.

My heart is full.

Wishing you all peace and health in this upended state of life we’re living in.

A portrait of debutante Taylor of the Greensboro Symphony Guild during their debutante season. | Winston-Salem portrait studio Jasper & Fern

About this time of year I’m amidst a rush of holiday gift sessions, charity galas and events and debutante sessions right before the big debutante ball. It’s always a flurried season, however, it’s also the opportunity to allow extra joy filter into my life. It would be easy to become stressed, frustrated even - thought don’t get me wrong, this happens too. Moreover, I see this time as an opportunity to grow, for my team to lean on each other, to serve customers with extra joy and maybe even relieve a little bit of their stress. My favorite part of this time of year though? Taking stock of the year for everything it has been.

Yes, I’m a sucker for nostalgia. I daydream and reminisce. And last night I had quite the unique opportunity to do so. You see, there was a woman in the studio who, uncharacteristically, I’d never met in person until her session. She’d found me on Google and wanted photographs for her significant other for Christmas. As we’re in rush season, the sooner we got her in for her session the better and our limited availability didn’t allow for us to meet in person beforehand. So, there she was, sitting with Kirby getting her hair and makeup done in our glam room while Bre and I finished setting up lights and testing them. She began to discuss her nerves about her session. Then, what she said next brought back a flurry of memories.

She began to describe the women she saw on our website in detail; “The woman in the video with the glasses and blond curly hair who had a warm smile” - I knew that was Jill immediately as her smile lights up the room. This woman who now sat in our chair found encouragement that she could be herself and be beautiful like Jill. Then there was “the woman with the dark, long hair and bright eyes who wore a long sleeved black dress with sparkles on it” - I knew this was Chandni - who, when seeing her photographs gave this woman a sense that she could be casual and elegant. Her list went on! She described what each of these women on our site did for her - just by seeing their photographs! And it was such a special gift to listen to how these portraits encouraged this woman, all the while knowing the stories of each and every woman she described. It was beautiful and I was thankful for the opportunity to walk through our year through someone else’s perspective.

And so I want to thank each woman who has shared her story with me, who has let down her walls in front of our cameras, and for every woman who will do the same. You are amazing and you are making waves in the world just by being you.

With love,

Alyson

Alyson, head photographer and owner at Jasper & Fern, a Winston-Salem based photography studio that specializes in portraits - from headshots and personal branding to beauty sessions, debutante portraits and dance portraits

I never used to be one for journaling - hah, just kidding. I've always had a pencil in a book scribbling away my thoughts and feelings. When that lead hits the paper, a doorway opens that helps me process. It's rather wonderful. My mind gets to be cleared and all that tension inside my head and chest dissipates as I work through my thoughts. While journaling was never a foreign concept, the first time I heard about Gratitude Journaling, I was a bit puzzled. My initial thought was that it must be just listing out everything you're grateful for in a book and, honestly, that sounded kind of disengaging. I've since learned that it's nothing like that and, now, gratitude journaling has become one of my favorite self care practices.

Karen Perry, a vibrant woman with a curious gaze and warm heart that overflows into her joy-filled nature, was the wonderful woman who introduced me to the concept of gratitude journaling. I had the opportunity to get to know her through a monthly meeting she hosted for women where we met to speak joy into eachothers’ lives. This is where she shared her concept of gratitude journaling with me and I got hooked. Through her time as a life coach, she crafted a simple gratitude journal that provided the opportunity for you to allow yourself to go as deep or as uncomplicated as you needed while also helping you grow and appreciate your life. She calls it the Peace Pages. 

Now, you may be wondering why we're talking about something that doesn't seem like a "self care" practice. Our take on self care is slightly different. We fully believe that self care goes beyond your standard "refreshing" practices. We believe that self care also helps you be restored. A grateful mindset spreads joy, relieves stress and helps you build stronger, healthier relationships.

Whenever I stop practicing my Peace Pages, I inevitably notice a drop in my mood and motivation after a few days. And, because I'm true to pattern, my brain always asks "What changed?" Many times, I can link the slow decline to my neglect of gratitude - because, transparently, I'm not a grateful person by nature. This is exactly why I love adding the Peace Pages to my self care though. They help me keep my perspective where it needs to be - aiding in the restoration of my heart and mindset. 

Now, remember that self care is personal. What works for me, might not work for you. If journaling isn't your cup of tea, that's okay. Find another way more suitable to you to fit more gratitude into your life, something that can get your heart and head in the right place. Find your equivalent to lead hitting the paper.

Now, go LOVE HARD!

P.S. If you come up with an awesome idea of how to do incorporate gratitude in your life, we'd love for you to share that with us!!