me.

well, it has been over a YEAR since i last blogged. a lot of changes have occurred in the time that i haven’t been writing. our baby boy was born, i temporarily(?) retired from the photography biz, i found a love for working out and nutrition and lost 55 pounds of baby weight, my husband started a political campaign, i quit social media for a few months and LOTS more. i’ve been itching to get back into writing but just like with anything else, once i get out of practice it’s hard for me to start back up! so to assist me in dusting off my keyboard and getting the bloggin’ juices flowing again, i’m going to write a few facts about myself...

my photography clients and social-media-only friends know me as ‘holly B.’. my middle name is beth and my grandma always calls me holly B. i had a lot of other nicknames growing up but ‘bubble butt’ photography didn’t have as good of a ring to it... 

my husband and i have been together for over 14 years, married for seven of those years. he’s a police sergeant and politician. when i met him, he was on the SWAT team and i only knew him as “Rios”. we were pretty much opposites in personalities and interests, but somehow have grown to be more of the same throughout the years. 

being a travis county sheriff officer’s wife is a big part of my identity. i also grew up as a daughter of both a travis county sheriff’s employee and officer so it’s all i’ve ever known. it’s a culture in and of itself... a lifestyle, an extended family, a unique bond. something i’m super proud to be a part of.

i’m a stay-at-home mom to two children- a four year old daughter and a one year old son. they already display so many similarities to our personalities- she’s goofy and high maintenance and he’s completely chill and laid back. 

my mom is my bff. we talk a dozen times a day. 

my husband and i are both native austinites and i’m one of those annoying proud-to-be-from-austin enthusiasts. 

i consider myself pretty self aware but somehow only recently realized what an extremist i am. i have two speeds- i’m either obsessively all in or all out... when it comes to organization, fitness, nutrition, relationships, business, and even social media, (and blogging, obviously). i’ve decided to look at it as a positive thing because i never really half-ass anything. ;)

sweets are my enemy. i don’t know how to eat just a bite of something with sugar- i will lick a plate completely clean if it’s in front of me even if it's not a sweet that i really love, all the while aware of the impending sick feeling i will have approximately 5 minutes after consumption. 

i’m a music enthusiast and i love all genres. well, not country music with the exception of some old stuff like george strait and willie nelson. i’ve been obsessed with steven tyler and aerosmith since i went to their concert at age 14 and blacked out in the front row from the august heat. i’ve seen them countless times in concert and i get chills seeing him on stage every. single. time. i love classic rock, 90’s alternative and could surprise some people as to how much hip hop and rap i know (and can dance to- WHAT?!).

i’m the only democrat in my family. 

i'm a pop culture enthusiast and love reading or watching biographies of musicians or celebrities.

i’m super sentimental, especially when it comes to my family and my own childhood.

a big part of my childhood i lived in the country. i frequented rodeos, rode horses and could dance a mean cotton-eyed-joe. i never felt like i quite fit into that culture and have always identified as a city girl. 

i love Jesus but i cuss a little. 

i’m really passionate about diversity. i grew up going to a lot of different schools and have been around people of all colors and all walks of life. differences and acceptance are one of the most important things i want my children to learn. 

sociology classes were always my favorite in college- but for some reason i chose a criminal justice degree and ended up a probation officer for 3 years. i never felt like i was in the right job and craved a more creative career. 

i wanted to be a business owner when i was a little girl… i was always filling out forms, dreaming up ideas and making up businesses. i once had a puff paint shirt business with a friend in middle school, complete with a cash register and invoices. 

nothing is more of a turn off to me than a person who acts superior to others.

i have a form of OCD in where i constantly count letters in the words i hear or read... most of the time i don’t even realize i’m doing it. i think this is why i kick ass when watching wheel of fortune.

i have a big fat crush on both andy cohen and jeff lewis. 

speaking of Bravo tv, i’m a real housewives super fan.

sometimes i hang out with my photographer friends and pose in parking garages. ;)