You guys! Guess what I did? I hired my friend, Nichole Snyder as a personal assistant and I’m SO excited.

Nichole worked at Close to My Heart when we were developing the Story by Stacy product line and was integral in the development of the educational aspect of those products. She will now be helping me to organize my thoughts, ideas, plans and goals. She’ll help me schedule and publish blog posts, social media content and podcast interviews. She’ll keep me on track for presentations, event preparations and online classes—all of it. I LOVE the work that I do, but I struggle to manage projects and meet deadlines—so this is a very happy thing. Keep reading. I asked Nichole to introduce herself and I know you’re going to enjoy getting to know her.

It’s so nice to “meet” you all and share just a little bit about myself. I have always been captivated by stories. It's an opportunity to learn, to be amazed, and to engage with other people. The library and Disneyland are probably my most favorite places because I love being whisked away into someone else's story whether it's a fictional one in a novel or the ones we live together with friends and family.

To help you all get to know me a little better, here are three things I love about stories and storytelling:

1. I am an avid movie-goer. I love the experience of sitting in a theatre, eating popcorn of course, and seeing stories come to life on the big screen. If I had to pick just one favorite, I’d pick Singing in the Rain, but I enjoy many, many, many movies from the musicals of the 1950s to the latest Marvel superhero adventure.

2. I am a big mystery book fan. Nothing beats Sherlock or Poirot, but I’m always on the lookout for a new mystery to try so I can solve the puzzle right alongside the main character.

3. I have a goal to visit every national park, and am also documenting them in a scrapbook. I don’t think anyone would call me outdoorsy in any way, but I do love visiting national parks. Each one is so unique, and I enjoy the new perspective and incredible landscape I experience there.

In the spirit of storytelling, I also have a story to share with all of you today. As the seasons change and fall is now officially here, I documented a fall photo for my own Stories I Love album. If you haven’t used Stories I Love, you definitely need to check it out. This is one of my favorite ways to tell the detailed stories about the photos you love the most (click here to get your own). This photo was actually taken on my way to a national park, and the moment it documents has stuck with me ever since.

Telling, and also sharing, the stories that mean the most to you is so important, and I’m really excited to work with Stacy to help her bring ideas, inspiration, and tools to all of you so that you can better tell your story! I can’t encourage you enough to print those photos you love and share what makes them meaningful.

Happy storytelling!