Breanna McKendrick Photography

I don’t do this often. In fact I don’t think I have ever done this. But something struck a chord in me about my friend Kandis and her family situation and I felt like I should share it with other.

Kandis Broadhead is the owner of Wish Photography. If we are a photographer, you might recognize her name for her photoshop action store and photography retreats she does! No only is Kandis a great photographer, she is one of the most open, friendly, sharing and caring gals I know. I remember the first time meeting her, I walked away feeling like we had been friends for a long time. I felt comfortable around her and that I could be myself without any judgement or reserve.

The Utah Women Photography network of amazing and we have fun dinner events at different local restaurants to just see each other all again. This last event, I showed up just a tad late, walked into a dim restaurant and looked around to see who I knew there. It didn’t take long to spot Kandis. She was entertaining an entire group of fun photographers. She can make an entire room of people laugh.  She is one beautiful talented and “beautifully unpredictable” woman.
Because Kandis is always so happy and cheerful towards others,  you forget that she ever had a bad day. Or that she might have personal struggles and trials to deal with, like everyone else. So maybe that is why I was so surprised when I heard about what her family was going through. Her husband David has had a hearing impairment all of his life. His hearing aids help him connect with the world. Until recently, this is all they needed. The last little while David hearing became substantially worse. It became obvious very quickly that in order for David to continue to hear, he will need a cochlear implant. Doctors have estimated that David will be completely deaf by time he is 40 years old. He is 37 right now. That is a mere 3 years away. A cochlear implant operation is not covered by insurance because David is over the age of 18. After several petitions to their insurance company, they are still left with the same answer. If David wants to continue hearing, they will have to pay for the $75,000 operation themselves.

I don’t think I am even aware of all of the details of the world I would miss if I lost my hearing. Kandis explained a little bit of how this would effect their family soon in a recent Facebook post.

“Imagine if this was you or your spouse. That they would never be able to hear their children again. Or imagine if you were never able to hear the world around you. Listen to what you hear now. I am sure you hear little things, like the refrigerator clicking on, the radio, the tv, the sound of a car driving by outside, the sound of laughter, the sounds of I Love You’s, the sounds of the world. ” 

Photo from Kandis Broadhead

I feel strongly connected to  these women photographers in Utah. They have helped me start a business, they have taught me, they have not judged me. I feel like so many of these women are family to me! They are my older sisters, they are my younger cousins. I adore these girls! Kandis is no exception. You can see her beautiful family below. Friends have set up a GoFundMe.com account to help contribute to the cost of the cochlear implant operation. Feel free to share with others a little of their story. I know that giving back to those you love and even inspired to help those you don’t know brings a happiness into your own.

Like what you see and need more?

I love sharing a few “favorite things” on my blog every so often. Sometimes these are photography related, sometimes not. Today’s favorite thing isn’t necessarily photography related unless you factor that to be taken as a serious professional wedding photographer, you have to dress the part.  (Who wants their wedding photographer to show up to a wedding in a tee-shirt and jeans? No one.)

I am the type of person that gets a little bit overwhelmed in stores like Forever 21 and H&M.  Waiting in line to try on 5 items, seeing that they don’t fit so well, having to get dresses again, going to get new sizes, picking up something else, waiting another 15 minutes for a dressing room, changing all over again… After 2 stores, I am usually done.  I don’t have time for this.

So it shouldn’t be a big surprise now that I am not a big shopper. I will go look for a new shirt if I have something coming up, but have clothes in my closet that have been there for years and years. The yellow cardigan that I love…. yup, I have been wearing it for 7 years. SEVEN YEARS! I don’t think a knit cardigan was meant to be worn for almost a decade. Probably one of the reasons my husband wants me to toss it out and get something newer. (Really ask him about the Mustard Yellow Cardigan, we have talked about this several times.)

So Stitch Fix is a wonderful, god-sent solution for me.

So what is Stitch Fix? What do they do?
Stitch Fix an online company of personal stylists that will put together a box of 5 items that they think you might like. They will ship it to you (free shipping). You try on the items. Keep what you want and send everything else back in a prepaid return bag.  All from the comforts of home.

How does your stylist know what you might want?
They simply ask you. When you go online to StitchFix.com, you will be asked to log in and create a style profile.  They don’t just ask what your sizing measurements are to help get a good fit. They ask about your life. What you do on a day to day base. They ask what you do for work and if you are a mom/pregnant. If you have Pinterest, you can link the URL to your “My ideal Wardrobe” board so they can see what are drawn to, even if you do not know how to describe it yourself.

They even include images of different style types and ask you to rate how well you like each selection.

You order a box and choose a day for it to be sent. I feel like Christmas when it shows up on my doorstep.

I had a bride this month ask my husband what I liked so she could send me a ‘thank you’ gift card after her wedding. (Kaela, you are the sweetest girl in the world. I adore you and Kai!) So I ordered a box this August just in time for “back to school”. Even though I am not a student anymore, I still love getting new clothes, freshly sharpened pencils and new organization materials at the brink of Fall with the rest of the school age kids.

So this is what my August Stitch Fix had in it just for me.

Oh thank you stylist, I hope they look great on me too! Each stylist even write a little note why they think you will like each item. I think it shows something special when you get a personal and unique note directed just to you.

They don’t just leave you after you get your clothes. If you get a shirt, you need to know what to wear it with. So your stylist puts together a few fashion cards to show at least 2 ways to wear each item in your box. In this last box I made a note that I wanted to try some new patterns that I don’t usually go for to try something new. So this box was filled with graphic stripes, color blocking and houndstooth.

I was racing the sunlight to take these pictures, and so yes, this dress is a little on the wrinkled side. It just came out of a box after all.

I am sure my neighbors think I am strange for standing on my porch, modeling clothes as my husband snapped these pictures.

So now I have until Saturday to choose what I want and what I want to send back.  I would love to hear which item(s) do you think I should keep. Comment below and I will let you all know which ones stay and which ones go. If you want your own stylist and Stitch Fix box sent to you, you can use this referral to Stitch Fix!