The Face Behind MGP; Your Sigourney, Iowa Photographer

January 14, 2019 • Leave a Comment

CherishedMoments

It's been a day or two since I have seen you all here. And I am almost positive you all are getting sick of reading that as my opening blog line. I always intend to be better at blog posts, but those kids of mine demand to be fed. Weird, right?

So, to kick off 2019 and for all of the new faces following Marie Grace Photography, I am going to throw out a, "Get to Know Me" post.

Because I know how much you guys LOVE to know everything about me.

Anywho. For the new kids on the block, I am Alley. Legally, it's Alexandra, but most people mess that up and since eye-rolling is considered rude, I have to keep my name manageable. Some of my nicknames include Bone (and all forms of Bone you can think of; Bone-yo, Bonehead, etc), Side-eye (ok, so maybe my eye rolls aren't managed), Alex, Alerandra, etc.

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(Super cute photo of me by one of my greatest friends in the industry, Mariellen Youngdahl of TruYou Photography and Design).

I am married to Justin and we have three girls together. Ashtyn is 8, Abigail is 4 and Amelia just had her first birthday! We live on a teeny, tiny farm south of Thornburg, Iowa.

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(Another cute photo of my tribe by Mariellen - she's talented, yo!)

I am not going to get into my past or my "why" right now. Been there, done that. Ya'll are over it.

So this will be random nonsense about Alley.

Most people that know me know that I love all things food. I didn't get this curvy figure by starving myself. :D But what a lot of you don't know, is that I used to be MUCH bigger than I am now. It was a short time in my life that I would like to pretend didn't happen, but it keeps me motivated to keep my body in check (while still living a happy life). So I also workout. You can see me around town jogging when it's nice out. Sometimes I get passed by the random snails and turtles, but I'm ok with that. Slow moving is better than not moving at all. I also have a few machines at my house (in my scary basement) to help me with my goals while still trying to juggle parenting.

I love to be outside if I can though. Nature is my friend.

My favorite color is purple.

I live vicariously through my senior girls. My favorite part about their session is picking out their outfits.

I love God but I am a poor Christian.

I LOVE traveling.

I am selfish. And sometimes I am unkind. And I hate that about myself.

I love a good Bloody Mary.

Cool Basil is one of my favorite restaurants right now. And I would really like to go there soon. Or now.

Leggings and big comfy sweaters are my favorite things.

And hats. I LOVE hats.

The Lion King is my favorite Disney movie.

Lean on Me by DC Talk is my favorite song.

Netflix is my best friend.

I cry when I'm angry.

Photography was always my dream. I just never realized until my mom told me. Cause moms, right?

I believe I have the right to make enough to retire someday, just like everyone else.

Hypothetical thoughts get the best of me more than I would like to admit.

I am always looking for ways to do better, both personally and professionally.

I am human, just like you.

This business has been a huge roller coaster for me. One of the biggest of my life. But it's my home. It's where I belong.

My goals in 2019 align with what I had hoped for in 2018 both personally and professionally. To be more present and in the moment with my family and my clients. To be creative and to think outside of the box. To offer the best experience I possibly can. To be strong in my faith and know my self-worth.

I am BEYOND thankful for those that have stuck it out on this ride with me. I am sure I have given some of you a serious case of whiplash. To my future clients, I am SO excited to have the opportunity to work with you! I hope that the MGP experience is everything you will ever need!

In ending, here are some behind-the-scenes from 2018 for you to enjoy and giggle at:

(Again, all photos by Mariellen Youngdahl)

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