Snowy Sunset | Personal

I'm sure you saw our pictures from Tuesday morning. We had so much fun that we decided to go out in the evening for sunset. We went to the Howard County Conservancy, and let me tell you it did not disappoint!  The rolling hills, the snow and the sunset is an equation for beauty! I'm not typically a landscape photographer. I really love photographing people. But sometimes you have to step back and see the whole picture (literally and figuratively). Some of my favorite portraits have been against gorgeous backgrounds! Enjoy these sunset photos! Can anyone say lens flare?! 

Another Snowy Morning! | Personal

SNOW! The most we have had all season! WOO!! Bryce and I took a walk this morning with the specific goal to capture some photos of us to create a photo series for the year we get married. I'm so excited for this project! We have been waiting all winter to get pictures but it just never worked out before now. How are you enjoying the snow?! 

Be Mine? | A non cheesy Valentine's post

So I know that most people fall into one of two categories regarding Valentine's Day. You either LOVE it (Pun intended) or you really hate it (even if you have a significant other). I get it. I really do. Its a whole day dedicated to love, all kinds of love, but love none the less. Which is fun and full of chocolate (I mean who doesn't love chocolate). At the same time, I understand the viewpoint that if you love someone, every day should be Valentine's Day. And if you aren't in a relationship, its a stinky reminder that you're not. 

So like I said, one of two camps. Except I have my foot in both (I'm a chronic middle of the road person). For the last 6 Valentine's I've been with Bryce. And let me tell you, they are not traditional. Our first one, Bryce gave me a box of cheese-its (if you know me, this is essentially as good as a marriage proposal) and a 6-pack of Hershey's chocolate bars. So he got the chocolate thing. Sort of. At the time I thought, "well that was odd, why not just a little box of truffles?" But what I love best about those 6 Hershey bars, was that they were totally Bryce all the way. He does things his own way, with his own twist. That initially often make me roll my eyes, but then (shh don't tell him) make me so happy because they are really genuine. Another stand-out Valentine's day was 2 years (yes I think 2..?) ago. He gave me flowers for the FIRST-TIME-EVER. And never again. He's an environmentalist. So I get no flowers (that's another post in and of itself. I do buy myself flowers though. Babe-if you are reading this, stop by and get some flowers on your way home tonight). But like the Hershey bars, the flowers are exactly his style. For which, I love him dearly. 

Anyways, I digress. Like usual. Sorry-just a trip down memory lane. I think it ties in. I guess what I'm trying to get at, is big romantic gesture (per Hallmark) or not, love is what you make it. Your style. Just like everything else in life. I think the problem everyone has with Valentine's Day isn't that it's about love, but rather our society's impression about what love "should" look like. Expensive gifts, ornate cards, dazzling flower arrangements. But love comes in so many different flavors, styles, shapes and colors (family, friends, dating, engaged, marriage and somewhere in between it all) that to try and make it fit in one mold doesn't work.  Some years I have gotten Bryce a gift (I think 2/6?). Others I just bought a card. And I have even made a card. Although, I feel certain last year we both decided (without telling one another) to skip a card. I have friends that def go all out. And I have friends that don't acknowledge it as anything more than the 14th of February. To each his own.  

I will say that my adorable mother still sends me Valentine's goodies. Because, not matter how old you are, when your mother sends you pink, heart shaped everything, it totally makes your day.  

So to tie up this super long post, I hope today is whatever you want it to be, however you want to spend it. But I hope you are happy. 

Procrastination | Free Printable Cards

Have you procrastinated? Tomorrow is Valentine's Day (I have a whole post about that tomorrow). Cards are fun to get regardless of the holiday. "Just because" are the best kinds to get! If you were a little behind in your Valentine's shopping or maybe you have someone you just want to send a card to, these free printables make great "just because" cards! In order to download just click on the printable you like, which will open it in a new window. Right click on the image to save. Print! Or open Microsoft Word and import the image. You can resize it so you can fold the paper and write your own message on the inside. Enjoy! 

I'm a nomad | Personal

I'm a nomad. Well, in the sense that my favorite place in our home changes. For a very long time, it used to be our bed. My bed was always (and still is) my sanctuary, my safe spot. I curl under the covers and instantly calm down. I would study, edit, Pinterest all from our bed. Regardless of the time of day. When we lived in Baltimore, it was quieter in our bedroom so that's where I often retreated. Since moving to Columbia, our place is MUCH quieter AND we have so much more light. I mean oodles and oodles more light. As a photographer, you can imagine how happy I was that we face south and get so much natural light! Anyways, I digress. 

We finally purchased a new couch back in December (for the last 3 years we were using an old one from Bryce's parents). I have spent quite a bit of time on said couch during my almost 2 months off from clinicals. Thus, the couch became my new favorite spot. It's an L-shaped couch so I can face the window or the tv (Those are tough decisions to make I tell ya). The beauty of using a laptop is I can make the couch my office for the day. I have done that plenty. Pretty much my whole website redesign came from the couch.  

Around the same time as the couch purchase, we also got a new desk. Both from World Market; LOVE their stuff but their shipping is a nightmare (another story for another day). Our old desk was tiny. Think a sofa table. In fact, we turned it into a bar in our dining room. I swear you can't even tell it was a desk! So I didn't feel bad about upgrading to a much bigger desk. In fact, it's so big that Bryce and I can both sit at it and have room to spare. As someone who likes to spread out, I love my desk. As much as I love our desk, I don't love our office/spare bedroom/laundry drying spot/adventure gear/music studio. It houses so many things that its really cluttered. Organization pours from my bones. Even as a kid I would rearrange my room for the heck of it. So you can imagine how much this room must drive me nuts. That being said, I didn't want to spend much time in it (despite the AMAZING light. 2 windows and a windowed door in a small space, means that it practically glows all day long!). However, recently I have taken on the task of organizing everything starting with the desk, and will be moving on to the closet/bookshelf soon. Right, this post was about me any my ever evolving favorite space. So right now, I'm loving my desk because it's organized, yet inspiring which is exactly what my desk space should be. 

But who knows. Tomorrow I could be back to the couch.