Spring has arrived and it is my absolute favorite time of year!! Everything is in bloom after a long, cold winter. The image colors are so rich & vibrant during the spring- It makes my heart soar! Yes, I just said soar people!  I’m so excited about what is happening in 2013-  We are planning our wedding for October 12, 2013 (see our proposal post here) Painting & furnishing our apartment built in 1926! So much history has happened there- It’s starting to feel like a loft and I love it!

In March I had my logo design tweaked which means I’m putting together new packaging!! Will post more about it in the coming weeks.

And of course, I’m looking forward to the shoots & weddings I have planned for this year. Moving forward is, honestly, so refreshing & exciting!   I saw a few rain drops & tulips blooming and was inspired- yes, at 7am in the morning (:

Proverbs 31: 10-12 “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.”

Wow! Where do I begin with this story? I guess I will jump right in..

For those who haven’t read my blog posts- Noah Abercrombie is my boyfriend & second shooter. We began the morning by shooting a couple with our dear friend Gail of Bella Zu Photography. Gail had suggested that she could take some photos of Noah and I to have since we’re not usually in front of the camera.  I wasn’t expecting what was coming. The light was running out I was frustrated that, on this particular day, I didn’t have a single outfit in my closet to wear. I’m such a girl right? (; Noah was an absolute trooper- he didn’t show ANY nervousness beforehand to give it away.

It’s a funny thing being in front of the camera- It had certainly been a while since both of us, TOGETHER, had our photo taken. Once all the chaos of clothing & the lighting melted away, everything turned quiet, time slowly slipped into nonexistence for a split second.

All images are copyrighted by Bella Zu Photography:

Gail began taking pictures of me alone and somehow Noah snuck the ring out of her shootsac? I have no idea!

Should I do it now? Ahh!!

And then he surprised me..yet again, with a PARTY!

A moment of pure joy. Maggie, simply put, I love you.

After spending roughly a week and a half in florida celebrating my grandfathers life, I am finally back home in the real world. While I catch up on some editing, I figured I would share with you all the story, 70 years of marriage filled with love & traveling the world-

Three generations of women were sitting on my grandmothers bed. My grandmother, my mother, and myself. We searched through her hope chest- A chest she has kept her treasures in to prepare for marriage since the 40′s- and were able to look through her precious memories. As I opened the chest, there laying on the top was a single letter dated September 1941. Yes, the very first letter my grandmother ( Polly ) ever received from “Mr. Geyton Vincent” aka Joe.

It looked so antique & romantic- vintage stamps- perfect cursive and addressing fading. I opened the letter carefully and read the few lines a loud, from there- we began to cry. “Maybe you thought I would forget as soon as left. Not me, I’ve got too much in the deal and can’t help it… I was afraid I would lose my girl” Immediately I searched for the corresponding letter and of course, it was there. “special” written across to make sure it wouldn’t be thrown away. Soon the letters turned from dear polly to dearest polly.

The letters were filled with titles of what was playing on the radio- Even a few songs from the notebook- “I’ll be seeing you”. “Why aren’t you here with me to listen? Oh, how I wish you were here in my arms.”  ”Have you called my mom yet? Please do so soon.” Joe was in Chicago while Polly continued her schooling in Tennessee. A year later they were married and later relocated to California because Joe was drafted for world war II. – Every single letter for three years without Joe was there- these I did not dare touch. I know these must have been sorrowful & worrisome letters.

Seventy years later Polly cared for him on his death bed- at home. Even through the dementia & confusion- in her heart she knew their lives were filled to the brim with a rare love. As for me, their relationship is unforgettable.

Hey there friends! Happy Monday (:

To officially celebrate falls arrival, my family, Noah & I traveled to Skytop Orchard near Asheville, NC. It was a GORGEOUS carolina blue sky & warm! Lola even tagged along (;  The kids of all ages “oohed & ahhed” at the different types of apples. Any apple you like was probably on that mountain top, even an asian apple & asian pears which I had never heard of!  Luckily they had a full crop this year and by the end of it all we had three baskets full of apples. This orchard caters very well to families. They had small playgrounds, hayrides, and attractions to keep the little ones entertained. Highly recommended for a quick day trip!

Enjoy xo

I was surprised there were TONS of apples littering the ground. Later found out they use the rotten apples to feed local farm animals. yay for recycling (;

Yep, I did that classic “mom puts child/dog in a basket” photo, and no I’m not ashamed of it (; She only lasted two seconds in there

haha sorry noah I had to! (: