So here’s an update on two major milestones I don’t want to soon forget. At the end of April, I welcomed my sweet friend Tina to my place for the weekend. Here’s the awesome thing about our friendship: Tina and I met back in 2009 at Melissa Jill’s MJ2 Day Workshop. Attending that workshop taught me so much about my craft (I adore Melissa with a capital “A”), but more importantly, it introduced me to someone who has become one of my closest friends. Someone I know I’ll still be in touch with when we’re old and grey. I visited Tina in her hometown of Philadelphia back in 2010 and it was during that trip we decided life’s too short for us to go years without seeing one another. Which is how she came to visit me this year, and how we reached a decision to grab a plane ticket every other year or so and make time for one another, circumstances be damned.

Here is Tina and I, bundled onto my living room couch. I surprised here while she was in town, inviting a few other of my dearest photo friends over for a night: That’s Betsy King on the left, Maya Laurent beside her and, to the right of Tina and then me, April Smith (whose family you might have spotted on this blog before). We girls put on our PJs, opened up a few bottles of wine (sparkling grape juice for me!) and talked until 4 a.m., old-school slumber party style. And it was perfect. Love these women so much and my heart fills with gratitude to know photography brought all of them into my life (and just a heads-up, all of them are gals worthy of your blog readers )

I told Tina her visit made me think of a line from one of my favorite essay’s in Shauna Niequist’s “Bittersweet” (if you’ve never read Shauna, her books are like chicken soup for your soul): “Share your life with the people you love, even if it means saving up for a ticket and going without a few things for a while to make it work. There are enough long lonely days of the same old thing, and if you let enough years pass, and if you let the routine steamroll your life, you’ll wake up one day, isolated and weary, and wonder what happened to all those old friends.”

And speaking of plane tickets and people I love, I myself hopped a plane the first weekend in May to head out to Los Angeles and visit the ever-sweet Jasmine. Last summer when I visited her and her hubby, JD, I joked in an email, “What do you think the chances are Coldplay is playing at the Hollywood Bowl while I’m out there?” and we laughed and made a wish for just such a show and agreed that, if it ever were to happen, we owed it to ourselves as fans to go. Fast forward to this month, when (thanks to the incredibly thoughtful JD), Jasmine and I found ourselves doing that VERY THING. (Seriously Internet, my mind is sometimes blown at the way wishes can come true). As we sat under a full moon, the Hollywood sign in full view, Chris Martin crooning “Yellow” to us way up in the stands, I had a pinch-me moment for sure. And the realization that life can be as beautiful as you allow yourself to dream it.

It was a short trip—just a long weekend—but plenty of time to squeeze in an AMAZING concert, lots of wonderful conversation, good food and relaxation with a California girl whose got a piece of my heart residing in her guest bedroom.

So if you have been wondering what I’ve been up to, like I said before—I’ve been soaking up moments with the people I love as much as I can. Before I get ready to welcome into Nick and I’s lives somebody who’s going to demand my full attention this fall—not to mention make me fall head over heels in love in a whole new kind of way. Can’t wait!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

2) Summer Jean Jacket: Tina and I also went shopping over the weekend and I scooped up a new, cropped denim jean jacket for summer. I figure it will be the perfect accessory for all the maxi dresses I envision wearing in this pregnancy (two of which were purchased on the same shopping trip) To me, summer is all about Americana (baseball, apple pie, Fourth of July) and I feel like denim just slips right into that stereotype!

3) Salt and Vinegar Chips: Salt and vinegar chips have LONG been a weakness of mine but lately (and again, I’m chalking it up to my pregnancy) I can’t get enough of this salty snack! Definitely watching my intake of these (so I can watch my waistline…or, what’s left of it these days ) but give me a handful of these with a veggie sub from Jimmy John’s and you have my once-a-week lunch indulgence. What’s your favorite potato chip?

4) The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey: I’d been so eager for a good book and a dear friend knew I’d been wanting to get my hands on this one and sent a copy my way. Eowyn Ivey’s debut novel, about a couple in the 1920s who move to Alaska to escape their inability to have a family, did NOT disappoint. On a snowy evening, Jack and Mabel build themselves a snow child and the young girl who enters their lives shortly after keeps you wondering what is real and what is fairy tale. I finished this book DYING to talk to someone else about it as it’s one that begs for discussion. One that will leave you two parts enchanted and one part perplexed.

5) Alabama Shakes’ “Boys and Girls”: Ooooh this band! I know it’s only April, but I’m telling you what…I think it’s going to be hard to beat Alabama Shakes’ debut album for best of the year. You can scoop it up now for only $5 on Amazon. And come the Grammys next February, at which these boys (and lead girl) will NO doubt be performing at, you can say you were among the first to fall in love with their sultry retro sound. I’ll be seeing them with my man later this summer and already can’t wait. I promise you, it’ll be the best $5 you spend all year.

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

In addition to being blessed with a baby girl, these two are parents to the adorable 1 1/2 year old, Bradford, who made a few appearances during his sister’s session. Hope you enjoy this peek into their sweet family life!

A little man who loves his daddy—and his daddy’s baseball cap All that pink! Oh Kerry, this shoot made me wishful for a baby girl! FAVORITE!!!That face! We had to let Bradford take center stage for a few shots … Daddy-daughter time. Definitely a melt-worthy moment!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

Cara and Brent, it was a treat to photograph your wedding. I always love working with couples that feel like fast friends. You two most definitely did and I wish you guys the best on your marriage to come!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

Because these seem to be the questions I get asked most, I can tell you I’m due in mid-October (October 13, if we’re being “precise”) and we do want to know the gender of the baby and hope to find that out at my ultrasound appointment in late May.

So much feels right to the timing of this pregnancy—we have spent our 20s enjoying many wonderful memories together as husband and wife, from following business pursuits to traveling places we’ve only dreamed of—and it feels great to focus now on fall and spend this year anticipating this little one’s arrival as we excitedly think about what it means to become a family of our own. Oh, and not to mention, SLOWING DOWN. Such a hard concept for someone who loves to be on the go, but one my body is deciding for me and I’m OK with that for a change!

I don’t envision my blog becoming a “mommy blog” any time soon, but with today’s announcement, I just wanted to share a few quick first-trimester thoughts:

• Every pregnancy is different: I’ve loved hearing so many women share their own pregnancy stories but some filled me with DREAD for my own (just how sick was I going to get?) I’m grateful that my morning sickness was kept to the annoyance of feeling nauseated and nothing more (which started around week 6 and thankfully has subsided now in the last week or two) and having an aversion to certain foods (I can’t even look at a rotisserie chicken and I used to top my lunchtime salad with one almost daily!)

• Lethargic much?: I DO have to agree with pregnant women who told me about “pregnancy brain”. While I can’t say I’ve felt overly tired during the day, there have been many moments where I’d just stare at my computer and think, “You’re supposed to type something” and then blank on what I was going to write. I think growing this baby’s brain is stealing some of my own brain cells! I’ve also slowed down with one of my favorite pastimes—reading. Come nighttime, all I want to do is lay on the couch and watch mindless television. Nick likes to tease me about this (“Gail, welcome to being normal”) but I look forward to regaining some of that mental energy to expend on a good book again!

• One surreal moment after another: My sister-in-law told me at Easter, “You can have people tell you about pregnancy but you’ll never know what it’s like until you experience it.” Right now? It all still feels pretty surreal. I’m almost four months into this journey and still fitting into my clothes. I can’t feel the baby yet and with the exception of hearing that little heartbeat for a minute, there’s few other indicators there’s this little person inside of me (so crazy!) But, I am so so looking forward to all the milestones to come. And every now and then, I’ll share a snap of the bump with you all. Given I keep a self-portrait series on the blog, it’s going to become apparent pretty soon anyway, right?

Thanks to all who’ve already shared their congrats and best wishes! We can’t wait for October to come!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

I haven’t decided yet if this is going to be a monthly or more of an “as I feel inspired” series, but I do know April is a perfect time for me to write about a topic I’ve wanted to explore more with all of you: TAXES.

Ooohhhh, such a dreaded word, right? Well, here’s what I know about taxes:

• There is—and always will be—a lot I DO NOT KNOW about taxes.
• There is a lot I wish I WOULD HAVE KNOWN about taxes before starting my business.

Before I jump in, let me get honest with you for a minute: In December of last year, the state sent a letter notifying me I was (cue the scary music) going to be audited. I can give you a few ideas of how I felt in that moment but “punched in the gut” and “I’m going to throw up” are pretty accurate. Me? My little business? Audited? WHAT DID I DO WRONG?

I stayed up late for two nights, stressing out over every receipt, making myself sick in fear of the “big bad government”. Finally, after a crying jag on my husband’s supportive shoulder, I turned to prayer, letting go of the worry and realizing whatever was going to happen was going to happen. I just had to stay strong, put my head down and work my way through it.

After coordinating plans with my accountant, I soon got a follow-up letter from the auditor. It turned out, because my business had only been registered with the state as an LLC (limited liability company) for a year, they were not going to pursue the audit at this time. Are you kidding? Talk about THE BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER!

The audit scare forced me to take a REALLY hard look at the way I was handling my books and to clarify a few things with my accountant I had—unknowingly—been doing wrong. I swore if I made it through to tell about it, I’d do so shamelessly, willing to share what I learned. So here goes:

• Hire an accountant you can trust: This seems like such a no-brainer but I know of many photographers shooting on a small scale who have yet to really talk about their photography as A BUSINESS with an accountant. If you are serious about taking people’s portraits or shooting people’s weddings, you need to sit down with someone to review the financial considerations of what that entails (like considering becoming an LLC, learning how to file with the state to collect state sales tax, etc.)

• Make sure you properly understand your state’s tax laws and what items should be taxed by your business: Reviewing my books, here is where I found myself in need of reconciling a mistake. While I had been collecting sales tax for print and album orders, I had not for DVD orders with digital files. In Indiana, you can give someone digital files over the Internet and not have to pay state sales tax. Give it to them on a DVD and you have to pay state sales tax. (Yeah, I know, it doesn’t make sense). The problem is, EVERY state is different with these “digital file” rules, so it’s CRUCIAL to understand what’s taxed (and how) where you live. It wasn’t fun to pay those back state sales taxes, but, at the same time, it was a valuable lesson (and now my conscious is free and clear over such a naive error).

• If you do get audited, it’s not the end of the world: My accountant shared with me I wasn’t the first (or last) client of hers to get audited (though, I was the first to be un-audited ). I admitted to her I felt like SUCH a failure for my error with the state sales taxes and I’ll never forget what she told me: “I have clients who’ve been unknowingly making mistakes for 20 years. It can happen to anyone. Don’t beat yourself up over this.” Permission to no longer feel like a failure? YES PLEASE.

• Big changes in your income from one year to the next? Expect to owe more—PLAN on it: Let’s say you made $10,000 from your small business in 2010. In 2011, you likely would have paid federal quarterly taxes based on that 2010 income level. But if you found yourself making MORE money than that in 2011 (say, $25,000), just know you’re going to owe quite a bit more than what you’d already been paying for the year in your quarterly taxes. Does that make sense? This is something I unsuspectingly had NO clue about and so it was a jolt to learn how much more I owed this month in both federal and state taxes for 2011. (Those numbers above are purely hypothetical, by the way, but I hope I’m making the point clear). Let your accountant know about big shifts in your income and be prepared for those types of swings by setting aside the proper funds to make sure you can pay off the extra taxes you owe.

• Invoice everything: This is an area where it’s easy to get lazy about or to play dumb (wait, what? I have to invoice everything?) but seriously, DO IT.  It’s financially necessary but also will make your life easier if you are ever audited.

• Set up schedules on your calendars (with alerts) to remind yourself to pay your sales and federal tax on time: Twice in 2011, I paid state sales taxes late (for no other reason that I just forgot by a few days, which is easy to do when filing electronically). To this day, I’ll wonder if that was the “red flag” that sent that audit letter my way. Now I know the importance of filing everything on time.

• We are creatives, not number punchers: In the depths of my “Woe is me”-ing last December, I pointed out to my husband that I should have been more on top of things, should have known better. But Nick (just like my accountant) reminded me of two important things: 1) I haven’t been in business very long—I still had (and have) a lot to learn and 2) I was born to excel at creative pursuits like writing and photography NOT being an accountant (said to a girl who uses a calculator to balance her checkbook). This was an area of my business where I definitely couldn’t “do it all myself” and while a part of me knew that already, going through this experience cemented that understanding.

OK, that’s it! I know it’s a lot to say—and remember, I’m no expert here (find your OWN accountant for that)— but this is an area of the industry I’ve LONG felt people have stayed silent about (and as a result, there’s a grey area to it all that rivals the size of the Grand Canyon). If any of you have any questions I might be able to answer (or your own tax lessons to share), please do so in the comment section!

Hannah and Garrett, thank you SO much for the privilege of capturing your wedding day. From start to finish, everything went off perfectly and I wish you two the best as you continue living the dream in New York City. Next time I’m in the city, I’ll have to look you up!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

Kerry and William, this new beautiful (teeny tiny ) girl of yours is SUCH a blessing! It was a pleasure to get to spend an afternoon with your family — can’t wait to share the rest of these photos!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.