Feature Friday

I love sharing the experiences I have had with others and what they have to offer. I thought I would share a few with you the next couple of weeks. I have come across so many small business owners and talented individuals on social media. As a small business owner, I know how important it is to support other businesses, crafts, and talents. I love to support the little business that is trying to thrive in this competitive world.  Today, I am featuring my favorite photographer, my sister, Shannon Kesel Images. I may be totally bias her photos are amazing. I really don't have to say that because they speak for themselves. She has always had an impeccable eye for capturing beautiful things and even if they are not so visible to the eye, she will find them. Shannon has a gift of creativity and inspiration. It takes more than just a nice camera and a desire to take pretty pictures to be successful in the creative field and she succeeds at that.  

She always strives for that one unique photo or touch that brings an object alive. When we are out and about with our families, she is always shooting something. 

Things that I would never have taken a picture of, she captures it. She focuses on the tiny details as well as the big picture. Capturing the tiniest details when it's necessary, and knowing when to edit out unnecessary noise when they are not adding to the picture makes every photo of hers unique. The methodology she has for everything she does and to consistently create amazing photographs is what makes her one of the best. Shannon has shot all of my family photos and is the creativity behind my blog photo. 

There is a quote by Aaron Siskind that I found that reminds me of Shannon Kesel Images,  "Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever...It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything." -Aaron Siskind. Shannon specializes in landscape and portrait photography. She is located in New York. I am thankful to be able to have this talented individual at my fingertips and especially blessed to call her my sister!! Here are some more of the awesome work she has done!! 

A little about ME

Since my blog is new, I thought I would give you a little insight to who Stacey Hober is. I come from a small Upstate New York town, Dundee with a population of about 2,000 people. Small I know! The quaint little town is located in the Finger Lakes region between Seneca and Keuka Lakes. The area is known for its wineries, fall foliage and NASCAR racing in Watkins Glen.  I attended Dundee Central School. My graduating class was a total of 54 graduates. Super small, but just enough to where you knew everyone by name and your parents knew their parents. We spent most of our nights after school playing sports, attending school functions and playing ball in friends backyards.  Both my parents grew up in Dundee along with my mother's family as well. My father's family had moved to Dundee when he was small from Punxatauney Pennsylvania. Yes, home of Phil, the groundhog. I have one sibling, a sister named Shannon. Ironically, we both have the same middle name, Marie. Growing up we were inseparable and still are today. We live a block away from each other, we talk or text every day and our children are close as well.  After high school, I attended Alfred State only to come home after two days. I was super homesick and just wasn't ready to be away from my family at seventeen years old. I worked odds and end jobs until attending Finger Lakes Community College. I graduated with an Associates Degree in Applied Science/Paralegal.  Recently, I obtained my Bachelor Degree in Organizational Management from Ashford University

.  I met my husband, Joe at Dundee. Ironically, he came to Dundee as a teacher the year I graduated. Now, I know what you are thinking and no, he was not my teacher. We didn't start dating until years later. This year marked our nineteenth year together. We married in April 2004. Joe is a Health and Physical Education teacher at Dundee Central School. We also have a Christmas Tree Farm in my husband's hometown of Wayland. Stay tuned for more of the Christmas Tree Farm this upcoming season. Joe is also in business with his brother, which consists of a driveway sealing business, managing a mini storage facility and ownership of rental properties.  We have one son, Mason who is four years old. Mason was conceived by insemination after years of infertilkity. That story to come as well! He is super energetic, loves anything that involves a ball and he is the light of our life!  We currently live in Canandaigua, New York. It is well known as the "Chosen Spot". We love it here. We are centrally located to the mall and shopping centers but in a suburb that has little to no crime and a great school system. My mother lives with me and my family and like I said previously my sister and her family live five houses down the street. My father passed away in 2007 from a brain aneurysm.  As a family, we love to go out to dinner, attend sporting events and in the summer swim in our backyard pool. We also enjoy walking the creek and woods at our land in Wayland, hunting and spending time with our family.  Some of my favorite things to do are shop, (I love a good deal), redecorate my home and I'm a junky for social media. I have met a ton of great people on social media when I was going through infertility issues. To see that I was not alone and others were going through infertility made things easier. I also love seeing how others decorate their homes or what they are wearing.  Well, there is my life in a nutshell! I hope to share more of my journeys along the way from the tragic death of my father to our infertility issues to our family businesses. I hope you'll stick around! 

Friday Favorites!!

My first Friday Favorites and I am super excited about it! If you ask my family, I have a lot of favorites, so it was hard for me to narrow them down to five, but here goes! 
I love a good nail polish. I usually only use OPI or Essie and who doesn't love a good gel manicure. I never have the time to go get one. So when I came across the OPI Infinite Shine line, I was sold. There is a three-step process. You first use the step 1 which is a primer. Use one coat liberally all over the nail and wait for it to dry. Next, choose a color from the line. I am loving lilac or a good nude for fall. Pictured are Samoan Sand (far left), Taupe-less Beach (middle) and The Latest and Slatest (far right). The last step is number 3 which is the gloss. This will seal in the color and give it a nice shine. It usually lasts for me about 2 weeks. You can purchase the line at Sally's Beauty or any retailer that sells professional salon products. Go check it out!!

Next up, candles are my all time favorite to burn in the fall and winter. Bath and Body Works candles are the best. I love the traditional smells of apples, pumpkins, leaves, and cookies, don't you? And the best part is that they usually always have some sort of deal or a coupon available. I couldn't resist the Happy Halloween candle that smells like the traditional Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin (on the left). When I smelled the new Sea Salt & Maple Popcorn (middle), I was sold. It has notes of maple and sugar but smells nothing like popcorn which was a win for me. Check with your local store because mine was sold out. Luckily, my Mom went to a different location so I had her grab me two or four! It is that good. The last one is Heirloom Apple and smells exactly like an apple orchard. My only complaint is the pink label, not a fan. When you buy candles now in store, you will receive books of matches also which I love the old school touch! 

My third favorite thing is a good Iced Carmel Macchiato from Starbucks. It is so good that I received a gift card for my graduation from college and four for my birthday. I love Starbucks. My little one loves the Vanilla Frappucino's which have no coffee in them. Make sure to take your pup when you go through the drive-thru to get his Pupaccino (just whip creme). 

This next idea I came across on Instagram stories (don't you love them). The Peter Thomas Roth, Peeling Gel is a game changer. I don't ever have time to do masks or things with my skin and it is catching up with me. After being a child of the 90's and loving the sun, I have so much sun and skin damage. So I have been trying some new products. This stuff is a miracle in a tube. You apply it after you wash your face. Immediately as you rub it on your face, off comes dead skin. I couldn't believe it. It was like literally taking off a layer of my skin. It was so fun to see it all come off. You can wash off immediately or leave on for 3-5 minutes. Once I washed it off, my skin was so soft it was unbelievable. I wanted to keep washing my face over and over again. It is pricey ($48) but totally worth it. I purchased mine from Ulta. Try it, you won't be disappointed! 

My last favorite this week is Audible by Amazon. Download the Audible app and you can instantly listen to your favorite book. This is great for me because reading isn't a favorite of mine but I love a good story. I also was searching for something to help me relax at night. The app is free and you can listen to your favorite book at home, in the car or at the gym. You can listen to it on different devices and you won't lose it. As long as you have the app you can listen from anywhere. It is $14.99 after 30 days but well worth it. If you are an Amazon Prime member you can collect points towards and receive free audibles. I love anything Nicholas Sparks and Jodi Picoult. Here are a few books that I think are worthy of downloading: 
Blessed in the Darkness, Joel Osteen Captial Gaines, Chip Gaines Nineteen Minutes, Jodi Picoult The Hypnotist's Love Story, Liane Moriarty Milk and Honey, Rupi Kaur
Hope you enjoyed this week's favorites. Stick around and watch for next weeks. xoxo

H e l l o

Thank you for stopping over to my new blog!! I am super excited to share my life with you all. I will be sharing lifestyle topics such as what I'm cooking for dinner or new home decor. Share adventures with my little family on our Christmas tree farm, what I'm loving in beauty these days and what steals and deals I have come across. I love a good deal, who doesn't right? I also will be sharing the progress of my little one as he over comes some learning obstacles. I have realized since I have become a parent that you can find a lot of support and different ways to handle situations from social media and the many outlets that are available. I love a good "Five on Friday" where I share five things I am loving at the moment. I also plan to include "Feature Friday" when I come across someone who I want to share with you all that I think is amazing or has a product or service that I want to share. I would also love to hear what you would like to see. Share your comments and ask me questions. I am an open book!! 
I would like to thank Aubrey Kinch for designing this amazing blog. I would not have been able to make it as pleasingly aesthetic as she did. Check her out on Instagram and Facebook. Also, thank you to my talented sister, Shannon Kesel Images for the images of myself and my family. She has an amazing detail for capturing the beauty of something. She is located in Upstate New York. You will be seeing her more on this blog in the future! I hope you find this blog interesting and stick around with me on my little spot on earth.