Wedding Wednesday

A Small Christmas Display & Target Clearance

Wedding Wednesday

filed in:

needs a hobby. My hobby used to be photography. In college, my favorite thing to do in my free time was hangout with people, take pictures and then post them to facebook. I literally have hundreds of personal albums on my facebook account! But after Photography became my career….. it started to feel less and less like a hobby. I have to be really careful that I shoot for ME sometimes and not JUST during sessions and weddings. After doing this for three years, I’ve realized that there are other creative outlets in my life that give me a break from photography.  I love to sing Adele and play the piano (by ear, I have no idea how to read music… I wish I did!).

I also LOVE TO DECORATE!!!! I told Michael that decorating has officially become my new “Hobby” since photography is my career. And since it’s healthy to have hobbies… I see nothing wrong with wanting to redecorate the living room!! I think his response to that was a slight eye-roll. Anyway, I love to decorate and there is SO much more to decor than just some pretty pillows and a few lamps. Decorating revolves around all the same design concepts that go into creating a great image, designing a good album, etc. There needs to be balance and contrast and good lines, etc. This is all so interesting to me! But to those of you out there that could care less about decorating….this post is going to bore you and I apologize!

 

So last year, one month after Christmas, I was walking through Target and I “just happened” to walk down the decor aisle and found the clearance. There were so many red tags stacked one on top of the other that it was hard to tell how much these items even cost! This hurricane vase that you’re about to see was $3.99 and the original tag read $29.99! So OF COURSE I had to get it!  Then the little wood chip rose bouquet was $2.99 as well so I added that to the cart. Little did I know that with these two pieces, a new rustic Christmas display was going to be born!  Until THIS year, I had totally forgotten that we had a red wreath that matched the bouquet and some red beaded garland that was unused. After decorating the mantle at 2am, I was still on a roll and I found enough bits and pieces to put together this small rustic Christmas display in our living room. It’s not much, it’s tiny. However, I was proud of myself for actually using my  awesome bargain finds from Target and creating something with those left behind clearance items that no one wanted!! So have a happy Wednesday and if you happen to stop by Target any time soon, be sure to checkout the clearance section… you never know what goodies you may find!!!

 

Thanks for reading!

— Katelyn

Podcast Art Marriage

54 | How to Talk with Your Spouse About Your Vision with Julia Woods

Have you ever tried to sit down with your spouse to talk about dreams, goals, and vision—only for it to turn into frustration or misalignment? If so, you’re not alone. Vision casting in marriage is hard because it brings up deeper fears, beliefs, and unspoken dynamics that many couples don’t even realize are at play.

READ MORE
The Doing Life Differently Podcast

Success—it’s a word we hear all the time. But what does it really mean? Is it about financial security? Status? Owning a dream home or taking extravagant vacations?

FAITH AND FAMILY PODCAST BLOG
READ MORE

53 | How We’re Redefining Success for Our Family Teaching our kids a different way

The Doing Life Differently Podcast
FAITH AND FAMILY PODCAST BLOG

52 | Viewing Your Business as a Ministry Opportunity and not just a business!

When you think about your business, do you see it as simply a job—or something more? 

READ MORE
The Doing Life Differently Podcast
DLD WELLNESS

51 | The Unexpected Gifts of a Digital Detox It didn't go as planned!

Today, I’m diving into an experience that was nothing like I anticipated: my digital detox in December. If you’ve ever considered taking a break from the noise of the online world, you might relate to my journey—the good, the surprising, and the, well, completely unplanned.

READ MORE
The Doing Life Differently Podcast

The wedding industry has faced unique challenges recently, with inflation affecting budgets and couples cutting costs. If you’re a wedding photographer feeling the pinch, don’t worry—2025 doesn’t have to be a slow year.

book more weddings in 2025
READ MORE

How to Book More Weddings in 2025 5 practical tips to do today

Youtube
DLD WELLNESS

50 | What Alpha Gal Taught Me About Healing & Living Fully

Life has a way of surprising us, doesn’t it? Over the last few months, I’ve been on a medical rollercoaster that I never saw coming.

READ MORE
The Doing Life Differently Podcast

READER FAVORITES

"Best money I have EVER spent on education! ... and I've spent a lot!”

- Kara Abbey, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER

"I love all the lessons I'm learning from KJ All Access! Thanks Katelyn!”

- Shannon Drummond, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER

"I find very few educational resources worth it ... this one is!”

- Kate gansneder, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER

"Recently signed up for KJ All Access and it's EVERYTHING!”

- Kassidy Mowery, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER

"Being able to see behind-the-scenes of Katelyn interacting with her clients has been SO impactful!”

- Angie mcpherson, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER

"Recently signed up for KJ All Access and it's EVERYTHING!”

- Kassidy Mowery, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER

"SO worth it! It's amazing the amount of knowledge you get out of them!”

- Brittany Lowe, ALl ACCESS MEMBER

"I learned just as much in one All Access as I did in a whole course! SO GOOD!"

- Joanna Krueger, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER
10 Steps to Starting Your Photography Business
Helping a friend survive a season of Infant Loss
How to photograph a first look in Harsh Light
OUR KJ COUPLES REUNION
A Lake Como Destination Wedding - Greg and Kate
A Letter to the Go-Getters fearful of Motherhood

The KJ blog
must-reads

The KJ Blog is where you get to know me, where you meet our KJ Couples and see their beautiful wedding days, where I have been building an archive of education for over a decade and where I let you see a peek into our life, our home, and hear about our purpose! 
don't miss the
Arrow KJ
Arrow KJ
Arrow KJ
Arrow KJ
Arrow KJ
Arrow KJ

YOUTUBE

Join 100,000+ others and learn, grow and get connected via our Youtube Channel! This is where I'm constantly sharing new content, talking all things gear, business, tips, tricks and letting you into the behind-the-scenes of our everyday life! 
MORE FREE EDUCATION + CUTE BABIES ON
WATCH NOW

The KJ Learning roadmap

If you're a visual learner, this real-life, behind the scenes training was created just for you!

Create clients who can't help but rave about how you made them feel in front of your camera!

A 4-step educational preset process that will make Lightroom seem like a friend instead of a constant frustation.

The only thing you'll need as a beginner to kick start your photography journey.

The most popular, most transformational KJ Course of them all! Learn how to find great light in any location no matter how challenging!

The course that teaches photographers how to master Lightroom, find their unique style and trasnform their workflow!

Not only can artificial intelligence edit your images in minutes, it can now edit your work exactly the way KJ would if I was editing it myself!

Create polished, scroll-stopping images!  If you’re tired of “normal” and are ready to access the “Next Level”, this course was designed for you! 

"I have invested in all of KJ’s education!

The way she teaches makes so much sense and I’m so grateful for her! My business will be forever changed!"

- Renee Nicolo

"KJ education has been life-changing

 It has elevated my work so I could quit my day job and work from home with our baby boy!"

- joanna k.

"I'VE INVESTED IN SO MANY RESOURCES... 

and none compare to what I get from KJ!"

- LAUREN M.