The holidays are officially here, and my personal favorite is today! Thanksgiving is an annual highlight for me. It’s looked different the last couple years since we relocated to San Jose from Philadelphia. I’m not about to wake up at 5:30am for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. I’ve got no table to set because we’re not hosting this year. There’s no extended family to gather round the table with. Nonetheless, it’s still a wonderful time to celebrate family and practice gratitude. And this year, I couldn’t be more grateful for you all who’ve helped me Delight & Be.

Looking back on almost a whole year of Delight & Be.

I did a lot of things wrong this year. Starting with the initial website I created. Hoo boy, not good enough. The first iteration of Delight & Be Photography was deeply rooted and well-intentioned, but not nearly polished enough.

As I gained clarity on what my mission is and whom I felt the deepest connection to serve with, I rebranded with the help of the amazing Erin over at Ruby Works Co. Her hard work and commitment to bringing my ideas and dreams into being was invaluable. She caught my vision, put words to it, and gave me frameworks for designing all things Delight & Be. (Check out how bad things were and the incredible transformation!) Thank you, Erin!

I also can’t express enough thanks to Tonic Site Templates & Showit for their beautiful and intuitive website design software. Coming from a different host with clunky and outdated tools, Showit with the Tonic Site Template was a gigantic upgrade. (Also, they’re having an amazing sale right now, so check them out if you need a new site!) I had control of my site, and didn’t have to rely on my limited knowledge of things to make sure the website was successful. Thank you, Tonic & Showit!

But the deepest gratitude is for you.

It’s not a trope. I truly am so deeply grateful for you all.

Without you, Delight & Be would be a dream and nothing more. If you hadn’t trusted me with your family’s genuine connections, I wouldn’t have had the chance to create the art that lights up my soul. Art that not only enables my voice, but art that truly means something to you.

There is a fine line of tension in this art form, and your trust in and of me is stabilizing ballast.

I hope that you gather with loved ones today and throughout this holiday season and feel warmth and cheer. I pray that you experience joy and make memories that you’ll cherish.

Above all, I ask you to remember to Delight & Be. Delight in your life and family, and be truly present in them.

Happy Thanksgiving!

With delight, Rachel