Camera Man

Happy

Happiness can be quite simple even when life can be so complex. I love when that happens.

There's no place like home...

...for the holidays.

Thankful

Every year we stand in a circle. Holding hands and taking turns sharing what we are thankful for. My grandma always starts and as she speaks we all begin to tear up. We do this every year and every year it is just as heartfelt as the last. No matter where we go whether it be moving or just drifting away in our day to day life we always gather once again at the same place. At the same time. Every year. As we all hold hands we are all thankful. Our hearts are full and in that moment we forget our daily struggles and injustices and just remember that we have each other and for that we are thankful.

Something Delicious...

...Is what I'm working on now.

Today

Don't you ever feel like just curling up and sleeping mid-day? Today would be the perfect day.

The Mustache

Roads.

{Inspiration} Pretty Pink Tea Wedding

I love a good tea party and tea was the inspiration for this wedding board. Mix in some pretty pinks and you have a perfectly pretty tea party themed wedding. Wedding dress from Vera Wang, flower girl shoes from J.Crew and necklace and earrings from J.Crew. In the bottom left corner are tea cups turned into candles which is definitely a cute DIY-able favor.

Today...

For the last few days the weather has been rainy and cold so we haven't really left the house. Today was different, though. It was sunny and the air was crisp and cool. Perfect. We ventured to the apple orchard nearby and then to a downtown shopping area. Here are some photos from today:

Apples on the tree at the orchard.

Fresh peaches.

Me trying to get William to stand still for a picture.

My sister with our apples.

A little trip to the toy store.

Fall

Fall is here. Grab a cup of something warm and enjoy.

Blur

It's been a blur. This past year seems to have gone by so fast and with countless changes. At times it felt unnecessary and it was hard. Truthfully, sometimes it still is. Now that I'm preparing for another big change, the thought of the blur becomes pretty clear. I can really see it for what it is. This hard time of fast changes and uncertainty was truly a time of growth and re-focus. These, of course, were [well] disguised as everyday things. Looking back, it's pretty clear. I needed this.

Patience and Chickens.

My sister is everything that I am not. She can grow anything... Seriously anything. At this point I wouldn't be shocked to see her grow something out of thin air. She has animals. Pigs and chickens to be exact. Sometimes I truly believe that there is no way we can be related. I'm thinking this and then after our big dinner and we're both searching desperately for dessert and I suddenly remember that we truly are. Of course dessert isn't our only similarity but we won't get into to all of that. Maybe the real difference is that she has patience. Don't get me wrong- I can be patient- but, having patience... Yeah, I'm working on it. Anyways, while I was visiting her one of her chicken's eggs hatched. We all rushed outside to see this new little chick. It was so sweet! Here are a few pictures.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you know me then you know I love desserts and I love to bake. I have made many cookie recipes but this one is always my go-to recipe. It is perfectly perfect every single time.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
• 1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1.	Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds)
2.	Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.
3.	In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips.
4.	Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.
Yield:	2 dozen cookies

Inspired

The most important thing is to be inspired and to stay inspired.

3 Years

3 years of love put into this little boy.

Rain

Into each life some rain must fall.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Summer

The magic of summer for all to see.

Anywhere and Everywhere.

I recently just took a few new pictures of myself for my 'about me' section on my website. While they look to be in some sort of 'studio', they definitely are not. These pictures were simply taken on my back porch! Seriously, they were. There's a white curtain hanging in front of my sliding glass door and I simply just opened the door, pulled the curtain closed and that's it! The porch is shaded and I get great light there in the early afternoon. I just wanted to share these to prove that you can get a great picture ANYWHERE and EVERYWHERE as long as you have good available light. Photography is all about showcasing everything in the most beautiful way possible and sometimes making something out of nothing!

Tampa Bay Weddings Magazine Feature

You may remember James and Chantel's gorgeous vintage shabby chic wedding. It was such a gorgeous day inside and out and I was so excited (and I mean sooooooo excited) to hear that it was going to be featured in Tampa Bay Weddings Magazine!!!! You can see the feature below or at their site, here.