{dear...}

dear autumn, i wish you lasted 9 months of the year. the other three months can be reserved for spring, summer, and winter.

dear graeters, if it ever comes down to this...i will give my right leg in exchange for the last pint of black raspberry chip ice cream at the grocery store.

dear facebook, i've been married for less than a month. you can knock it off with those baby ads already.

dear pontiac, please hold it together for at least another year. my bank account is mad enough at you already.

dear husband, {wow that word is fancy!} some nights i whip up super impressive meals...other nights we have string cheese, lucky charms, and roasted asparagus for dinner. thanks for still loving me.

dear thief in my apartment complex, i sincerely hope you're a 10-year-old boy who dreamed of having your own bike. you must have needed it more than me. please ask next time.

dear mom, hi!

dear socks, seriously...how do you lose your match from the washer to the dryer? they are less than two feet apart. it's called the buddy system.

dear nashville, we're coming! promise.

{my list: movember}

that's not a typo ladies and gents...it's movember (otherwise known as my sister karen's favorite month of the year). time to grow out your best 'stache, gentlemen!

clearly, september and october were one giant, happy blur! so here i am on the first day of the month in full force. and i couldn't resist the opportunity to post about my favorite fall things (i.e. the best season of the year).

• my hunter welly boots - dearest welly boots, you are the single best piece of apparel i own. you've waited patiently in my closet all summer...begged for rain in september...and finally relived your glory last month when the temperatures started to drop. i feel partially stylish yet strikingly similar to paddington bear when i wear them (both are positives in my book). what's the best part? you can buy super soft liners so they double as snow boots! swoon!

• all things holiday - halloween has come and gone...so peppermint white mochas are back, christmas lights are popping up everywhere, and the hunt for holiday card designs has commenced! the holiday season is the one bright spot in an otherwise bleary midwestern winter.

• merona® matte jersey skinny pants -  a.k.a. leggings thin enough to wear with boots, but thick enough to pass as actual pants and not show your business. i never thought i'd jump on the "hey, look at my not-real-pants pants," but these babies make it hard to resist. they have an extra seam up the front and back of the leg...making them feel extra fancy. available at tar-jay...plenty of color choices too!

• apple cider > apple juice - nothing says autumn like a warm glass of apple cider...with a dash of cinnamon and maybe some hwhhhipped topping if you're feeling sassy.

{photos courtesy of google}

{bottle it up}

well hello there.

i've missed you!

i'm officially back in action...fresh off a nice, long break and with a new last name! the hub-ster and i had a fantastic wedding from start to finish. the weather was amazing and the day went off without a hitch. we were both wrapped up in ooey gooey wedding mode all day long. i bet it's hard to find a single photo from our reception where i'm not smiling or laughing. this newlywed stuff is complete bliss. if i could bottle up this feeling to share on a rainy day, i would!

{for the record, husband has a much better ring to it than fiancé...i think i called him my boyfriend up until the day we got married}

back to the photo business...

here's a little peek at three projects i am wrapping up in the month of november.

 fashion shoot for pink apple photography

jenna's senior portraits

the keyifli-holt wedding

full posts to come!

xo

{the great quiet}

if you read my blog, you may be privy to the fact that i'm getting married next month (in 16 days to be exact). as a result of my own personality, i tend to take on a lot of projects at once and our wedding has been no exception. add that to a laundry list of other "to-dos," photo sessions, and a year full of family weddings and traveling. to put it mildly, i'm exhausted...but so thankful for all the celebrations and memories thus far!

about a month ago, when almost every necessary piece of equipment in my life (computer, car, home, etc...)  malfunctioned in some giant way, i stopped to take a deep breath - mostly to hold back the flood of tears. i was reminded that no matter how great my intentions, no matter how many "oh yeah, i can make that happen faster" promises i extend, and no matter how many organized lists i make...sometimes i can't handle everything.

i made a conscious effort to fully engage myself in the most important things right now. i didn't want the weeks before my wedding to feel like a blur, or to feel guilty when i couldn't exceed everyone's expectations. i want to be present in my own life.

to those of you patiently waiting for photos, for favors, or for phone calls, thank you! i cross my heart and promise...they are coming...and you will be wildly happy for the wait! i'm just taking care of me right now. my hand-written lists no longer include "make sure to blog!" and i declined to take photo sessions during the month of october. and guess what? it feels great!   

i read a post this week from one of my favorite blogs that really stuck with me - pour yourself a cup of tea and READ IT HERE.

i won't be gone for long, but i will be enjoying this great quiet for a few more weeks. when i return, make sure you have a front row seat for loads of photos and a big (i mean BIG) announcement!

hint: we're going country!

xo,
L

{six}

• someone please help me understand french pedicures. why would you pay someone to make your toe nails look like they have long, white tips?

• i do not love wearing shorts. they love me, just in all the wrong places.

• a good portion of my early high school life was spent wishing i was michelle branch (confessions of a geeky teenager).

• the best yogurt is "fruit on the bottom"...eating the plain yogurt on top and saving all the fruity goodness for the end. mixing it first is for the birds.

• very few men can pull off a white suit. if you're on the fence...assume you're not one of them.

• it might be pronounced marshmellow, but it's spelled marshmallow.