Michael Guccione Photography

Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to take some photos of my co-worker and friend, Emily. We spent the morning around the Asbury Park boardwalk exploring funky colored buildings and graffiti covered walls. Emily is in the process of launching a new food and fashion blog named Freckles 'n Ginger. She's been making some drastic and positive changes in her life around diet and lifestyle and she is planning on sharing her recipes, experience, and story. I'm excited to get to be a part of it! Links are forthcoming! In the meantime, enjoy some photos from our shoot!

Sooooo...this week I turned 30. If I live to a typical life expectancy, my life is anywhere from 1/2 to 1/3 over. I've never been huge on my birthday. I've truly believed that age is just a number. And that number can put undue pressure on people to act a certain way. "Act your age." How am I supposed to act my age if I've never been this age before? However, I do look on birthdays or anniversaries as benchmarks; a way to compare myself year over year. And in this case, decade over decade. My 20's were a mixed-bag. Many amazing things happened, but many painful and challenging things happened as well. Not that I don't think that bad and challenging things won't happen in my 30's. I started out my 20's really having no concept of myself and who I am. It took the full duration of my 20's to really become comfortable with myself and accept myself for exactly who I am. And that process is still unfolding. I am not afraid turning 30. I