Monday, April 16, 2012

portia & brian tie the knot!! {louisville wedding photographer}


Last weekend one of my very best friends tied the knot to her very best friend. Portia and Brian had a picture-perfect lakeside wedding in beautiful Marianna, Florida. I was beyond honored that the bride and groom asked me to not only be in their bridal party, but also to photograph their special day. I've never actually photographed a wedding while in a bridesmaid dress... but there's a first for everything:)

The entire weekend was absolutely magical... every detail was carefully displayed... the weather was perfect... the food was delicious... and the bride and groom were blissfully happy... Here are some of my favorites from the day...

Portia's dress was gorgeous. I loved the simple lace detail.

Comfy shoes and a classic bouquet... both perfect for Portia... simplicity & beauty.


Amy did a great job on the bride's make-up.
(Amy did my make-up on my wedding day too... nearly 8 years ago!)


A sweet mother-daughter moment.


Portia was the most stunning bride I've ever laid eyes on.


We could not have asked for better weather... or prettier flowers:)


The look of true excitement and anticipation!


And who can blame her? Look at her handsome groom:)


Everything about her is breathtaking, no?


The bride and her girls...
(photo compliments of Melissa- thanks!!)


The groom and the guys...


Moments from walking down the aisle!!


Sneaking glances at one another during the ceremony... so sweet.


The first dance as Mr. & Mrs...


The newlyweds!


Portia and Brian making their getaway...


And they lived happily ever after...

Be sure to leave your well-wishes to the bride & groom... I'm sure they will love reading them while they are out gallivanting on their 3 week New Zealand honeymoon!! (I know, jealous much?)

Congratulations Brian & Portia!! Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your special day. I love you guys!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

thankful thursday {link up}

{Link up your own Thankful Thursday post below...}

This Thursday I am thankful for...

1) My husband. I am so grateful for Lance. Really, he should be on this list every single week. I really missed him over the past week and it feels so good to be home. He is my best friend... he makes me laugh everyday... he cooks more than I do... he cleans the house when I'm gone... he buys me flowers "just because"... he encourages me in my passions... he seeks the Lord as he leads our marriage... Told you... he really should be on this list every single week. I love you Lance... thank you for all you do and how you bless our marriage.

2) Dr. Pepper. I know this seems pretty shallow to put on the list right under my husband... and it is... but people, I gave up Dr. Pepper for 45 WHOLE DAYS. That is a long time for a Dr. Pepper addict. I am still trying to keep my soda intake to a minimum, but that first Dr. Pepper I had after Lent was over tasted pretty darn good. And I will probably have one today... not gonna lie.

3) My college girlfriends. This past weekend I attended the wedding of one of my very dear friends. She and I played college volleyball together and were roommates for 4 years. It was so great to see not only her, but some of my other dear college friends too. These girls pretty much know me inside and out. We spent countless hours laughing on long bus rides...practicing on the volleyball court... having heart-to-hearts late at night... you name it... these girls know me and I am so, so thankful for them.


I always love reading all of the Thankful Thursday link-ups each week... some make me laugh, some make me nod in agreement, and some just warm my heart. Last week I loved reading Salena's post over from McKay Moments about her family's spring break and trip to the zoo... but my favorite part was #4... "home sweet home," mainly because I could relate so much this week... just like Salena said, vacations are great, but there's just something about having some down time at home. Amen.

What are you thankful for this week? Grab the Thankful Thursday button from the right sidebar and link up your own post below. Be sure to visit the other Thankful Thursday participants and share the love!!

Also linking up with:



weeklong festivities... {and a trip to the beach}

So normally I would do a "weekend festivities" post and update you on all of the fabulous things I did over the weekend... But I've been gone for 8 days... and my "weekend" festivities post has turned into more of a "weeklong" festivities post. The past 8 days were a mix of business and pleasure... office and beach... paperwork and paperback... skyline and seaside... you get the picture. It was a busy, fun-filled 8 days...

I flew out to Atlanta last Sunday afternoon... I made sure to pick up a copy of The Hunger Games at the airport. I saw the movie a few weeks ago, but after reading Lindsey's review on the book vs. the movie, I knew I needed to go ahead and read the book. I'm about half way through and Lindsey was right... the book is so much better:)

Monday through Thursday pretty much looked like this. Long days at the office... usually 8:00am - 7:00pm. Fun times.

This is usually what my evenings consist of when I'm traveling for work... some awesome reality TV and dinner on the bed... Chipotle, of course.

I love the Atlanta skyline... traffic... not-so-much. On Thursday I left the office right at 5:00pm and headed straight to the Atlanta airport to pick up my mom! She flew in from Houston to meet up with me so we could drive to Florida together!

We checked into our super-sketchy-small-town-hotel. (after we accidentally tried to check into the Super 8 first... although, we think the Super 8 might have actually been a better choice...) We got settled in and unpacked our bags for our 4 night stay in Marianna, FL. We have important things planned for Florida:)

The most important (and main purpose of our trip) was to watch one of my very very best friends tie the knot. She.was.stunning. The entire wedding was absolutely beautiful and I was completely honored to be able to capture it all on camera for her. (full sneak peek post coming soon... promise)

I was also pretty excited to be able to pop open my first Dr. Pepper since Ash Wednesday. It tasted just as amazing as I remembered:) Back in February I decided to give up soda for the Lenten season... and I went 45 whole flippin' days without a soda... well, with the exception of one cream soda that I drank completely by accident... swear. I will probably try to slow down on my soda intake... now that I know I can survive... but let's not get crazy people... sometimes you just need a DP.

The awesome thing about spending Easter with your mom is that the Easter bunny is much more likely to visit you... and drop off a super cute beach bag filled with all kinds of goodies:) Perfect for our beach day!

On Sunday, my mom and I woke up bright and early... we packed up our beach towels and bathing suits and made the hour and a half drive to Seaside, FL. Not without first stopping for a hearty Waffle House breakfast though:)

We got to Seaside and immediately claimed our spot on the beach. This is the day I have been looking forward to for a month now... It.was.perfect. Everything I imagined. I realized that I hadn't been to the beach in like 6 years... that, my friends, is just unacceptable.

It was spectacular. The weather was a perfect 80 degrees. The waves practically put you to sleep. The sand was incredibly soft and the beach wasn't too crowded.

But you know, all that laying out on the beach can get exhausting... so we took a snowcone break. Actually, my mom just got an iced tea... but I wasn't leaving Seaside until I had a snowcone... with cream of course.

By early afternoon we were starting to feel the effects of the sun (aka, my feet were fried... apparently I didn't extend the sunscreen all the way down to my feet, oops). So we packed up our beach bags and walked around Seaside for a bit... there are so many great shops and restaurants there.

By late afternoon we were both starving... and lucky for us, we were just in time for happy hour at Great Southern Cafe. Hence, the yummy pineapple mojito...

After we inhaled our dinner, we decided to splurge and share a white chocolate bread pudding dessert. It was delicious... and HUGE. Totally worth it though. With super full stomachs, we finally decided to make the drive back to our hotel in Marianna. I could not have asked for a better Easter Sunday. I had such a great time with my mama... it's not too often that we get to hang out just the 2 of us and we enjoyed 4 full days together.

Before I knew it, my 8 day whirlwind trip was coming to a close. My mom and I made the drive back to the Atlanta airport and we both headed to our separate terminals. It was a fabulous trip... from the office, to the wedding, to the beach... but none-the-less... I'm always ready to get home to see my hubby!

And Lance... being the incredibly sweet husband that he is... greeted me home with flowers and a very clean home. He's the best. Oh, and Little Cat was pumped that I was home too... can't you tell?

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

color my world challenge {decor week}


Last Tuesday I told you guys about the Color My World Challenge... and how over the next few weeks I will be incorporating mustard yellow into our home.

Well... this week is decor week. We were challenged to use our color in some type of home decor item. And we went all out over at our house with a beautiful wool area rug. I.am.in.love.with.this.rug.

We actually kind of cheated... we purchased this rug about a week before I even know the Color My World Challenge even existed... but this rug was the clencher for the mustard yellow color selection. We had been living rug-less ever since we moved into our new rental 9 months ago. Here is what we were working with before...
Oh... so you've noticed a couple of other changes, have you?? I promise a living room update post soon. But in the meantime here's what we are working with now... inspiration rug and all...

What about you? Are you participating in the Color My World Challenge? Have you been making any color changes in your home? Be sure to visit some of the other bloggers listed below to see what color changes they are making in their own home...

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

thankful thursday {link up}

{Link up your own Thankful Thursday post below...}

This Thursday I am thankful for...

1) My job. I am so grateful for my job. I work for a company that values me and rewards me for a job well done. Sometimes I complain about having to travel back and forth for work... but heck, I get to work from home 90% of the time. My company has allowed me to continue to work for them even while I moved across state lines... such a blessing.


2) Quality mother/daughter time. I am picking up my mom from the Atlanta airport today and she and I will drive down to Florida for a fun-filled weekend!! We will enjoy lots of car-time, a beautiful wedding, and some sand & sunshine. I.cannot.wait.





3) This sweet couple. They are the whole reason for the above mentioned Florida trip! One of my very best college girlfriends will be tying the knot this weekend and I couldn't be happier for her. I am doing most of the photography for the wedding, as well as a bridesmaid.... so, yeah... I'll let you know how that goes:) Best wishes to the bride & groom!! I love you guys!

I always love reading all of the Thankful Thursday link-ups each week... some make me laugh, some make me nod in agreement, and some just warm my heart. But last week... one in particular just made me plain hungry! Jennifer over at Too Goodin to be True posted about her crock pot Thanksgiving meal... YUM. I think it was the southern cornbread dressing that did it for me... give me a thanksgiving meal anytime of the year and I'm happy:)

What are you thankful for this week? Grab the Thankful Thursday button from the right sidebar and link up your own post below. Be sure to visit the other Thankful Thursday participants and share the love!!

Also linking up with:




happy wednesday

Just a little chocolate bunny bunny humor for your Wednesday morning...

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

color my world challenge {mustard yellow}

Today, my friends, is an exciting day. Today kicks off the first week of the Color My World challenge. What is the "Color My World" challenge, you ask?? Well, a few brilliant bloggers recently decided to host a color challenge, and I am beyond thrilled to have been invited to participate. And if you're feeling snazzy and up for a challenge, you can join in too!

Here's the gist... you pick a color that you want to try to incorporate into your home... preferably a color that you don't already have all over the house. It is a challenge after all. Then, over the next few weeks you actually USE your color in your home... crazy, I know. Every Tuesday I, along with several other amazing bloggers, will be posting their color progress. Here's the schedule if you want to join in...

WEEK 1 {Tuesday 4.3.12}
inspiration... pick your color
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WEEK 2 {Tuesday 4.10.12}
decor... use your color in a home decor piece
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WEEK 3 {Tuesday 4.17.12}
paint... paint something your color
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WEEK 4 {Tuesday 4.24.12}
fabric... use your color in something fabric-related
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WEEK 5 {Tuesday 5.1.12}
review... recap & review your color projects


Easy enough, right? So... let's get started... Week 1... inspiration... pick your color.

What's my inspiration, you ask??
Mustard. That's right... mustard yellow. It's everywhere these days... well, everywhere besides my home, that is...

It's making a scene in the fashion world. {source}


It would look amazing on your floor. {source}


It could cheer up any table setting. {source}


It would add a pop of happiness to any sofa. {source}


It could brighten up your boring work days. {source}


It could make every morning feel like sunshine. {source}


It is pretty enough to showcase by itself. {source}


It would cheer up any drab dresser. {source}


So... there you have it... mustard yellow. We will be making it happen over the next few weeks. I already have billions of ideas swirling in my head... the biggest involving a serious paint project:)

Will you be joining in the "Color My World" challenge? Leave a comment if so... I want to be sure to follow your progress!! Be sure to visit the other bloggers participating in the "Color My World" challenge (listed below)... there are some incredibly talented blogs embracing a new color this month!

Monday, April 2, 2012

dear march

Dear March,

Thanks for being awesome. It's hard to believe that you bring the first quarter of 2012 to a close. Is it possible that it's already April?!?

March, you kindly brought lots of sunshine with summertime temperatures. You were an entire month without Dr. Pepper (or any soda for that matter). You came with a fun-filled visit from my family. You included birthdays and anniversaries. You introduced us to what basketball season is really like in Kentucky. You were a month of Louisville... no packing and no traveling.

March, you did not disappoint.

Love,
Julia