Top 20 Reasons Maui is My Favorite Place on the Planet — [Guest Blog Post by Cheryl Ford]

Miggy and I arrived in Hawaii on Tuesday afternoon and all this week we are busy bees running around the island looking for cars, houses, delicious local food & opportunities to practice taking pictures in the crazy bright Hawaiian sunlight. While we're off on this first week of our tropical adventure, my beautiful friend Cheryl Ford has stepped in to write today's blog post. Take it away Cheryl.....

Woohoo! I get to do a Guest Blog Post on Chamonix's blog. And in honor of she and her husband, Miggy, moving to Maui this week, I am writing my blog post about Maui and giving you the top 20 reasons Maui is my favorite place on the planet.

20. Palm trees. I know you can get these lots of places, but I love a palm tree and they are bountiful on Maui.

19. Penguins. The Hyatt Kaanapali has tons of penguins right in the hotel. I learned from going to Maui that actually on a small number of penguin species live in cold climates and the rest live in warm climates. The penguins at the Hyatt hang out in the hotel lobby or in their little penguin houses. They're so cute and I have to go see them every time I'm there.

18. Glow Putt. Lahaina has a indoor miniature golf place called Glow Putt. They have neon paintings of animals and trees like a jungle on the wall and have black lights throughout so everything glows - including the golf balls. They play tunes and it's just a fun place to take your family.

17. Lahaina. It's just fun to go down into Lahaina and wander around. I don't even go into the stores or buy things. I just like to mosey through the streets and soak up the atmosphere. Walk down to the Banyan Tree and then back.

16. Mountains. The mountains of Maui are incredible. Beautiful greens and browns, lush and lovely. Even if you want to save a little money and stay someplace with a "mountain view" versus an "ocean view", the mountains are still gorgeous!

15. Rainbows. You get to see a rainbow almost every day. They make me so happy.

14. Hard Rock Cafe. I know it sounds cheesy, but I really enjoy the Hard Rock and the one on Maui has the most beautiful location right in downtown Lahaina on the water. You can watch the sunset while you enjoy my favorite drink called the Pickled Tink and then get their Twisted Macaroni and a brownie sundae. Mmmmmmmm. We have a Hard Rock here in Seattle but it's not special to go to one in your own town.

13. Sunsets. Every night there is a beautiful sunset on Maui and they are often just spectacular. I have a theory that you cannot fully capture the beauty of a sunset with a camera. Sometimes I still try but you just have to be there.

12. Music. I'll admit it . . . I thoroughly enjoy a cover band or just a guy sitting at a hotel bar playing Jimmy Buffet and Bob Marley covers. They're everywhere on Maui and I love them every time. It's such a pleasant way to spend an evening.

11. Breezes. I'm actually a person who can't stand it when it's windy. Especially in the Northwest where it's cold and windy a good part of the year. The wind hurts my ears and makes me cranky. But the breezes on Maui are soft and warm and cool you off just enough when it's hot out. 

10. Chamonix is there! Now when I go to Hawaii, I'll get to see a wonderful friend. Extra bonus.

9. Spas. Maui has some amazing spas. My favorite is the Spa Grande at the Grand Wailea in Wailea. It is beautiful and all of the treatments are amazing.

8. ABC Stores. I love a convenience store, mini mart, snack shack as a general rule. But the ABC stores in Hawaii are so much more than just a snack shack. They have everything you could possibly want. Towels, sunscreen, snacks, drinks, back scratchers, souvenirs, jewelry, t-shirts. And they're everywhere. They're like the Starbucks in Seattle.

7. The Weather. Did you know that the average temperatures on Maui only fluctuate about 15 degrees from when it's the "coldest" to when it's the "warmest"? No matter when you go, you're bound to have great weather.

6. Kaanapali. The most beautiful beach and hotel area. I love the path that runs the length of the beach from the Sheraton all the way down to the Hyatt. It's a beautiful walk and you have everything you need right there. PLUS, there is a STARBUCKS now at the Marriott! BONUS!

5. Umalu. This is a pool bar/restaurant at the Hyatt in Kaanapali. It's my favorite place to eat in all of Maui - and they have THE best chicken nachos in the world.

4. Lahaina Lemonades. Sure I can make this drink anytime I want at home, but it's a special Maui drink. Basically it's lemonade with vodka and Chambord (raspberry liquor) in it. Hot day, hanging by the pool, reading magazines, sipping a Lahaina Lemonade . . . nothing is better. Nothing!

3. Pool time. I'm not a huge beach girl. I like looking at beaches. They're beautiful. But you get sand everywhere and it can get a little annoying. I love pools though and anytime we book a vacation anywhere, the hotel has to have a nice pool. We can sit out there all day long, the kids jumping in the water, swimming around, and we're lounging, reading, or not reading, chatting, or not chatting, but mostly just enjoying some down time. Also - see #3 above for additional pool time benefits.

2. The air. If you've never been there, you don't know that the air actually feels and smells different on Maui. It's clean, fresh, warm (but not too warm), floral. It has a gentleness to it that you don't get anywhere else.

1. Island time. That no rush, relax, easy living feeling of being on the island. Just chill out, don't worry or stress. A lot of people go on vacation and go and do and see and explore. One of the best parts of Maui for me is that I don't have to do any of that. It's a relaxing place, a place where you can really have a vacation away from all the going, going going.

As I'm writing this post, I leave for Maui in 5 days and this is making me so excited to do and see all of these things!!!! Chicken Nachos and Lahaina Lemonades, here I come.

Cheryl Ford

{My Happiness Project} Treat Everyday Like a Celebration

Food — Clothes — Music — People
Those are the four things that I've found in common with all the major celebrations around the world.
Whatever the holiday, there's always good food (usually a special dish you wait for all year long), fancy costumes or dressing up, seasonal music & special songs, and it's all about being with family, friends and loved ones. If you want to throw a spontaneous party, you will probably think about including all of these elements (or at least most of them) — otherwise, it doesn't feel like a real party, right? So it occurred to me that if we want to turn everyday into a celebration, maybe we should give more thought to incorporating these four "elements of celebration" into our daily lives. 

These four things are already a part of daily life but we don't make a big deal about them until a holiday rolls around. I think we need to look at how we can utilize these everyday things EVERY DAY to boost our mood and help us feel more life celebrating. If these four things are what make big celebrations so special and so much fun, why can't they lift our celebratory spirits the rest of the year 24/7? See below for my ideas on how to break it down....

[Cheryl Ford photographing (a.k.a. celebrating) our GIANT appetizer at Buca di Beppo for my going away dinner w/ Hanna Mazur]

Food
Food that gives you energy so you feel like celebrating — nobody wants to celebrate when they feel like crap. Present your food in a prettier way. Serve it in pretty dishes. Include special treats once a week (like on Hump Day!). Reserve special treats or dishes for different days of the week so you look forward to them.

Clothes
Put more thought into your outfit— an outfit that makes you feel good about yourself (in a happy celebratory mood) — clothes that make you want to dance because they swish around or feel good on your skin! Incorporate more jewelry, makeup or hair styling. Oh and don't forget about nail polish — a nice manicure does so much for your daily confidence and happy mood. (little things, remember?!)

Music
Surround yourself with music that makes you feel good — music that makes you want to sing and dance and celebrate. Music that creates the 'right' happy mood in your home, car or office (remember, happy can be perky or mellow). Silence can be celebrated too but if you're not celebrating silence, turn up the beats!

People
Whether you wish you had more people in your life or you wish you had more solitude, make sure that you are getting the type of social life that you need — that makes you feel happy. I'm trying to celebration of my relationships everyday. One day I have tea with a friend, the next day I write a letter, the day after that I hop on Skype, the next day I have dinner with my family etc.... Mix it up but keep it regular. Oh and I'm think that if you're in grave need of a 'me day' (R&R, to sit and read in silence) that's totally ok because you are celebrating that. ;)

Resolution 3: Celebrate Everyday by Intentionally Choosing Your Food, Clothes, Music & People
Happy celebrating & Happy Hump Day!

Sales Tips Series Part 1: Start Selling from HELLO

Today, Miggy and I are catching an airplane to Hawaii on a ONE-WAY ticket (crazy heck yes!!!) ... and on an even more exciting note haha I'm starting an 8-part blog series — in fact, it's my first series ever! Every other week for the next 4 months, I'll be sharing some fabulous sales tips that I recently learned from my friend Alex — she's a sales expert and she gave me a two hour lesson on simple ways to massively improve my sales techniques, boost my confidence with customers & increase those profits!!! I couldn't keep this valuable info to myself so I've created bullet points & videos for you! Buckle up...here we go!!!

Don't wait until your clients are holding their checkbook with their eyeballs popping out of their head to tell them your prices or talk about products. Start selling from the moment they send you an email.

• Attach that price list! Whenever you email them, always include a link to your pricing so it's easy for them to access.
• Remind your clients to look at the price list! So many clients overlook it. Ask them to refresh their memory about what products are available before the shoot or the sales session.
• When they arrive in your studio, take a moment to 'introduce them to the products in person. Let them hold them like the beautiful precious babies they are.
• Ask them if they know what products they'd like. You want to know so you can create images that cater to this vision. 

• If they don't know what they want, reassure them that you'll take a variety of images. When they see the photos, it will make it easier for them to decide on a product.
• Remember... you're not pushing a sale, you're helping them buy exactly what they want! This will give you confidence and help them feel relaxed.
• When you're in that sales session, start by referring back to the products they said they liked. Say, "I know you're interested in a framed print. Let's have a look at the images and see which one will be perfect for that?"

How do you prepare your clients for their sales session?

Check out Sales Tips Part 2: Salesmanship Begins at NO 

Ian's 21st Birthday Party

Last weekend we celebrated my brother's 21st birthday. It all started at our local British-themed pub where I overdosed on Root Beer and Ian downed a Seahawks themed mystery beverage. We migrated to an Indian restaurant where the boys competing in 'who can order the spiciest dish.' We gave him a nice watch + cufflinks + a cameral apple + super chocolate cake + a bottle of Fireball Whiskey. Back at home we set the whiskey shots on fire with a blowtorch (ha!) and even grandma threw back a shot! After a spontaneous family photo session in the kitchen we played drinking games for a couple hours. My favorite drinking game was definitely 'Animal Noises' — each person has an animal noise & action and you have to remember everyone else's noises as you go around the circle — grandma got involved at the end (she was a duck — I was a jellyfish — Miggy was an albatross) haha. It was a fabulously fun night with my family - especially before we left for Hawaii!

 

Happy Birthday Ian! :D