Love Buzzed Me

It is Love

2012-06-14T23:33:00.004-04:00

Oh what a wonderfully busy life I have!! I had the pleasure of shooting at a gorgeous place last weekend, The Ragsdale Inn, in the quaint little town of Dallas, Ga.

The venue was wonderful, the couple was adorable, and the evening was filled with joy! I feel so blessed to be a part of such a monumental moment in peoples' lives. I could not feel more fulfilled than by helping to capture life long memories.

Weddings are my passion. I love the perfect happiness in the eyes of the bride and groom. It is a day when, for two people, the rest of the world stops spinning. It is a moment of true, unequaled joy. It is perfect.

It is Love.

Excited!

2012-06-09T13:10:00.001-04:00

Today I have a wedding shoot, and I can't wait to see the venue! From what I have seen online it looks pretty cool....I will be posting pics soon! Stay tuned!

The Times, They Are a Changin'

2012-05-14T23:08:00.000-04:00

In the past year I have seen so many facets of my life change. I have watched my tiny baby walk into her first day of kindergarten, and in a fraction of a second, I saw her graduation from it. I have become a wife. I have lost my family's patriarch, my grandfather. I have lost friends, not to death, but a hurtful loss none the less. I have worked two jobs, six, sometimes seven days a week. Now I watch my career grow. I have made myself, and my family proud. My husband and I will soon own a home, and I can not help but find a tiny second somewhere to breathe it all in and weigh the good with the bad. I feel no balance between them. The good does not make the painful any less, and the pain does not nullify the sweetness in success. All I can do is appreciate that this life is what I have, and I am so grateful for it. I have learned lessons, experienced pain, but I have also touched joy even though it had always appeared just out of my reach.

This year has made me realize that love, not only for another, but for yourself is key. I have taken risks. I have loved fearlessly and learned to trust beyond my own grasp. This is a gift for which I thank my husband. I did not know how to succeed in marriage, I still do not, but I have learned to trust and grow with him because he does the same with me. I have learned that I do not have to remain in the same place out of comfort, or for fear of change, but that I can move through my life because it is mine to navigate how I choose.

I have spent the past few months since getting married reflecting on many, many things. I spent many days and nights with my dying grandfather wishing that I could offer some form of comfort, and never knowing if I had or not. One thing I do know is that he was a person I never saw myself losing. I guess in my head I thought that he could beat anything. Somewhere, way in the back of mind I could not imagine him being gone, but he is gone, and somehow life is still supposed to go on. Somehow, I am supposed to be okay. I look back and see so many times in the past that I could have been a better person, and I hope he knows I really wish that every single time I was. I pray that I can make something of myself, something more than just a scared little girl who eats at the same restaurant endlessly for fear of change. I pray that I can lead my own life rather than be subject to the sum total of my flaws. I hope that I can wake up every day to be the best person, mother, and wife that I can possibly be, and that someone in my life will imagine that I can beat anything because they see the same strength in me that I knew in him.

Featured Engagement Shoot

2012-05-12T05:57:00.000-04:00

Here is a super cute engagement shoot by my friend Melody over at Splash Of Life Portraits! I love how these turned out. This couple's love is captured timelessly, and in some very fun ways. It just goes to show that with a little planning, you can pull off an engagement shoot that really captures your style, emotion, and your feelings.

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Aren't they just darling? Best of luck to this adorable couple!

Spring Photo Session :)

2012-03-02T17:37:00.002-05:00

Today it was so beautiful outside, and I could not contain the urge to photograph something, and what's better to photograph than my adorable little girl?

Nothing.

Here is a sample of her spring photo session:

As you can see, my little one is quite photogenic, but I am finding that I am not too shabby behind the lens!

Today was FUN!!

2012-02-26T18:36:00.001-05:00

Today I assisted on my very first engagement shoot! I was honored to help my wedding photographer Melody from Splash of Life Portraits on a shoot in downtown Athens, Georgia! I am scrolling through the photos now, and I am really pleased with how they turned out! I never imagined when I was planning my own wedding and spending countless hours scouring wedding photography that I could put my own creativity to use... post wedding! I had a blast today, and I can't wait to work on some shoots in the future :)

Hopefully I will be able to share some of the shots with you soon!

Having Faith

2012-02-18T10:44:00.001-05:00

I am quite excited about the ideas that I have swilling around in my brain. I am praying for the energy and determination needed to make all these things happen. I am putting my faith in God to give me the strength required to face all that will soon come my way, and I pray he gives me the focus to keep all these goals as a priority.

It is so easy to forget your goals as a woman. I have realized that while raising a family, punching the time clock, and all that goes along with being a wife and mother, individual dreams and goals slowly morph into memory. So slowly infact, that it is hard to pinpoint exactly when real possibilities became things that were out of reach due to pure fatigue and rejection.

On days like today the famous quote from Henry Ford rings in my ears, "Whether you think that you can or that you can't, you are usually right".

Post With The Most? Awwww Yeah :)

2012-02-17T13:31:00.001-05:00

So, I am uber excited to announce, that we were also in The Broke-Ass Brigade newsletter as The Post With the Most! That is super effing awesome, and I would like to thank everyone over at The Broke-Ass Bride for letting me tell our little tale of a DIY day!

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OUR WEDDING IS FEATURED ON THE BROKE-ASS BRIDE TODAY!!!

2012-02-08T12:17:00.000-05:00

So, can you tell I'm excited? Then head on over here and see what all the fuss is about :)

Attention All Broke or Frugal Folks That Need Wedding Bands!!

2012-02-03T23:58:00.001-05:00

I just spotted a super smokin' deal on stainless steel wedding bands over on the Budget Savvy Diva's site! When I say super deal....I really mean it! You can get bands as low as $4.95!! Word.

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So go get your ring on!

Check it out...

2012-02-03T21:58:00.001-05:00

Just pinned a few pics of the birthday party I threw for my daughter. Check it out, and follow me on Pinterest :)

Wanna See what a $42 bridesmaid dresses look like?

2012-02-03T16:34:00.007-05:00

This.

Learning

2012-01-11T23:31:00.004-05:00

There was a dark, terrible silence that fell over the blogosphere during the past few months. Did anyone notice? Did anyone wonder what it was? Well, even if you failed to pick up on it, the root cause was me getting married, and then shutting my big mouth about weddings! The giant gaping hole in my perfectly happy blog was me, the me with nothing left to obsess over, nothing to hot glue, and no reason to spend hours upon hours talking about how great my day was going to be, or worrying over what would go wrong. Just like that, it was all over.

It was glorious. It was magical. It was (for the most part) perfection. Then it was gone.

I have heard about the post-wedding blues, but I felt them big time. I wrapped up so much of who I was into that wedding, into that one day. I worked hard. I obsessed. I needed it to be right. In the end it was right, but not because nothing went wrong. Things went way wrong. It was perfect because we did it, we got married. I see that now. Now that all that is left is the debris from the storm, I see that what mattered was not the house I built to have a wedding in, but the man I kissed inside it, and even when that hurricane of day had blown past us, there he was right beside me helping me pick up the pieces.

I wanted a day to remember, one for the record books....let's just say I got it. I loved my wedding, but there was some calamity involved with pulling it off. I got hit with a storm surge that would have sank any normal bride. When my officiant ended up in the hospital with a 104 degree fever and without a voice, I breathed deeply and kept cool. When I was married by someone whom we had never met, thanks to a wedding guest I hardly ever see, I thanked the Lord. When many in my wedding party over indulged, passed out, or behaved badly, I kept smiling. Even when the ambulance came to haul a bridesmaid to the ER, I kept my chin up. But after the honeymoon was over and reality set in, all of this took a real emotional toll on me. The aftermath of that day brought some stark realizations. I could not help but think of it. I could not control the urge to relive the disappointments over and over. There were so many wonderful things about that day. So many beautiful moments, but the bad stuck out and haunted me. Recently, I have come to the point where I have to let go. I have to accept it and move on. All in all, it taught me two things. It taught me that there are very few people that I can really count on, even on the best days. But the clearest and most powerful thing it showed me, is that my very best friend in this world... is my husband.

my extreme-micromanaged-post-modern-classic-eclectic-photo-journalistic style

2011-10-02T07:01:00.002-04:00

We have now passed the thirty day mark, and every day is flying by and melding together in some strange time continuum at this point. Today, we meet with our photographer to go over my extreme-micromanaged-post-modern-classic-eclectic-photo-journalistic style, and to map out a plan of when and where the photos are taken and of whom. Every single moment of the past 14 months is about to culminate in this awesome day where I pledge to stand by my man for all eternity, and these pictures need to capture the glorious wedding images that are slam dancing in my brain right now. Anywho, what is your wedding photo style? What are some of your favorite pics from other blogs/mags/photographers? Link them here ladies :)

T-Minus 39 Days....

2011-09-20T06:01:00.001-04:00

I am thirty-nine days away from uttering the words, "I do". I did not think that I would be, but I am nervous. I am buried knee deep in wedding crafts, projects, work, motherhood, and about one good hot glue burn away from needing a jacket that makes me hug myself. I have always been a pretty anxious person, but it has kicked into high gear here recently, and I can only see it getting worse before it gets better.

Besides my college graduation, I have never worked so hard for the culmination of one day's events. I am prepared for the lifetime of commitment, but getting to and through that one day has proven to be a struggle. I have never planned so much and coordinated in such vast detail. I have done weddings before, but I was there to help, to motivate and to take the reins of money saving projects, not to be the final decision maker. I had emotional distance, and that kept me safe from insanity. As the day draws closer, my brain feels like scrambled eggs, and my ability to make a decision (or remember it for that matter) shrinks by the minute. I need a personal assistant. My life is falling apart.

My house has been over run by craft projects, ribbon, and hot glue. My mind can't seem to operate outside of Wedding Mode to even attempt to do anything about it. Its as if Hobby Lobby threw up all over my house. It has become less a home, and more a sweat shop where I mass produce wedding wonders and leave an enormous mess in my wake.

I have been so busy that I have not even had time to stress about the bridesmaid who backed out via her RSVP. I can't even begin to tackle that in my mind. Now I have an uneven bridal party, and at this point I really don't care. So, it is safe to say that my nerves are popping like fireworks on the Fourth of July and I have to find a way to party underneath the falling embers. Right now, I just remind myself to breathe and roll with the punches because in the end, even if the whole damn thing falls apart I get to marry the love of my life in thirty-nine days.

My Oh My, How the Time Does Fly!

2011-08-24T18:45:00.001-04:00

Well howdy there blogosphere peeps! I have been out of the loop for almost a complete month! I know, I know, shame on me!! Well, over the course of the past month I have gone from underemployed to over-employed, which is a blessing, and the main reason for my unforgivable absence from the wedding blog scene! I was also given a wonderful bridal shower a few weeks ago, where my friends and family came out for yummy brunch, mimosas and :

Oh, yeah!

I can reach the burnt out light bulbs in the ceiling fan now, sweeeet!

This box was heavy...

'cause it was full of AWESOME!!

My Great Aunt gets the "Make the Bride Cry" award for the most sentimental gift, my Great Great Grandmother's glass decanter and a photo book with genealogical facts about my family!

My bow bouquet that my crafty ladies put together for the wedding rehearsal, and my daughter pouting beside me.

Ommnomnomnomnom.

A big THANKS to the two best friends a girl could ever ask for, my Maid and Matron of HONOR! I had a wonderful time, and you two really do mean the world to me. Love you ladies!

Today's Deal!

2011-07-29T17:48:00.000-04:00

Today I scored a screaming deal on some lotion. Not just any lotion either, it was Bath and Body Works new fragrance Paris Amour!

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Head over here to print out their coupon for a free 2 oz. bottle of Paris Amour (good only 7/29-7/31). The regular price is $3.99 and they have dropped the price down to $1.00 to promote it. I printed out 4 coupons and my daughter and I hit up the two closest Bath and Body Works stores scoring 4 free lotions!! I wasn't going to drive any further, so I ponied up the $2.14 it cost to get a grand total of six!

In case you missed my earlier post, I am couponing for my bridesmaids gifts. I am a cheapskate, and they would expect nothing less from me!

Thirsty Thursday!!

2011-07-29T08:56:00.002-04:00

It's your favorite day of the week! The day that makes it okay to laugh at a bride. The day that makes you feel better about whatever it is you have planned for your own wedding, the time where we revel in the ridiculousness of others, and we learn the lesson that on that day there are lots of cameras watching! I know you have been waiting for it, so without further adieu, here is your Thirsty Thursday bride.....

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Hell, it's your day, have it your way.

The Surname Struggle

2011-07-27T08:20:00.000-04:00

Last night, we printed out the application for our MARRIAGE LICENSE! This whole wedding thing is getting really real! It then hit home that I will soon have a new last name. While I am excited about that, it is also a little surreal. I have had my current surname for 31 years, and that is quite some time. I never really considered how it would feel to lose my name, but last night it dawned on me that soon it will be gone. I have gotten comfortable in my last name. It feels such a part of who I am. It ties me to my family, and to all of the memories of my life so far. It is my father's name, his father's name, and it stirs memories of childhood innocence and security. It's the name that I practiced signing as a child, over and over, until that signature was just right. This was done in anticipation of my impending stardom as a hugely famous writer or actor. I got really good at it. Much to the dismay of my inner child, I have never once been asked for my autograph. It was the last name I gave to all of my pets, and has been on every paper, letter, report card, email, check, or credit card receipt from kindergarten till now.

Will it feel strange to be summoned by a name so new? What's a girl to do? I have never considered keeping my last name, but I also never imagined that the thought of losing it would stir such a deep emotional response. I know that I do not have to take my husband's last name, and I guess it is my fervent feminist streak that is holding tight to the last name that puts me near the end of the alphabet (which stinks when being called on alphabetically). It is a surprise to me that I am having an emotional struggle with this. I never thought the symbolism of a surname would fester in my mind, I honestly did not. I know I will take his last name when we marry. I will take it to honor our commitment, and to begin the newest chapter of my life, one that requires me to perfect a new signature. Maybe one day I will be signing my new name on the title page of my book, who knows.

Check It Out

2011-07-25T12:09:00.001-04:00

I chose to make a DIY brooch bouquet for my big day, and yesterday I finished it! I am so excited about how it turned out. After hours of wiring, hot gluing, and suffering small painful cuts on my fingers... I finished it. Check, check, check it out:

I know why these suckers are so expensive now! And they are heavy, so if you buy or make one for your wedding do a couple of extra bicep curls at the gym to prepare for your wedding day. This baby can serve double duty as well. It will also make for a useful weapon to subdue the groom if he tries to bail!

Mommy Musings

2011-07-22T08:18:00.001-04:00

I wake up early sometimes, before the pitter-patter of five year old feet slap the hardwood floors. I sip my coffee and sit in the relative dark. As dark as a room lit by a computer monitor can be dark, anyway. I think about her even when I steal some moments for myself, she is what I think about even when I could be totally selfish. She starts Kindergarten soon, and I can't help but notice how each year with her has gotten shorter. Those tiny baby things are all gone, and I just wish that I could encapsulate every moment of them. I wish I felt like anyone understood how uniquely lovely she was when she was a baby. She will never understand, just as I don't understand how special I must have been to my mother.

I worry for her. Every grey hair in my head is from worrying about her. When she runs in flip flops my heart stands still for a second in anticipation of skint knees and broken primary teeth. When she decided at four and a half that she was going to ride the Kamikaze with her older, future step-sister at the mall parking lot carnival, I let her. Those were the longest two minutes of my life. I stood there on the ground, powerless to help my screaming baby. I had no idea those were screams of joy and achievement, but standing on the hot pavement beneath a behemoth gas propelled baby killing Carnie ride, I just knew I was the worst mother in the world. I was panic-attacking big time. Shaking, face buried in my poor future husbands back, I begged him to have that damn toothless vagabond stop the ride! I couldn't bear to watch. He assured me that everything was fine. How could I believe that? I would be on the ten O'clock news for sure! Crucified in the media for letting my preschooler climb into a death trap! Everyday you read about freak accidents involving children, or at least you hear about them. When you have a kid it seems like you are bombarded with horror stories about your neighbor's friend's cousin, who had a son who was running through the yard with a stick. He tripped and fell, it stabbed though his eye and killed him. All I could visualize was my baby sliding out from under the lap bar while in mid air, and being tossed about the enclosed basket for the duration of the ride, emerging broken. But when that monster machine lurched to a halt, my baby climbed off like she had just joined the Babysitters' Club. In her mind, she was awesome, and she was as big and as brave as her soon to be sister.

I know that these moments will become more and more frequent in my life. There will be many more times where I have to stand on the sidelines and fear for her, shaking and unable to control anything. All I can do is try to prepare her for what I hope never happens. I hope her self-esteem is never compromised, but I know from experience it will be. I pray her heart is never broken, but I know it will happen. I know I will watch in horror when she pulls out of our driveway for the first time, and the fear will not subside until I see her return, every time. With every mishap and with every success, she will grow, and so will I. I have, however, come to the conclusion that my life will never be without worry. Learning how to deal with these things will be a job for all of us. She will certainly think I am crazy, but I am a mother and that is, after all, my job.

Thirsty Thursday!!

2011-07-21T09:59:00.000-04:00

Oh yea, it's that time again! This picture of wedding bliss really speaks for itself in the what not to do on your wedding night category:


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The whip cream bikini goes on after the dress comes off!

Jeez.

Another Snapfish Deal

2011-07-20T17:52:00.000-04:00

Need some photos printed?

Well Snapfish has another deal!!

Get 200 4x6 prints for $2 by using the coupon code JULY200PRNTS at check out!

Or get 100 4x6 prints for $1 by using the coupon code JULY100PRNTS at check out!

Ticking Away.....

2011-07-20T12:37:00.000-04:00

The days are ticking away. I think I am pretty well on top of the dreaded To-Do list, but good grief I really hope I pull all of this stuff off, and in time! I have this nagging suspicion that I will forget something or that my day will be so full of hectic craziness that I will not have time to have fun. I worry that I will worry about ice scoops for the bar, the DIY photo booth falling apart, or that it will be physically impossible for us to pull off the set up in enough time for me to get ready. A blank faced bride with unkempt hair is what I see when I think of it, or a bunch of guests, annoyed, checking their watches wondering what is taking me so long.....

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Thirsty Thursday!!

2011-07-14T18:35:00.001-04:00

Alas! One more week has passed you by, but I know you have been on the edge of your seat just waiting for the chance to see my next pick for Thirsty Thursday. They just keep doing this, so I guess I will keep posting them. Well here you go, yet another victoriously vertical keg standing bride! This could be the next hot wedding trend.....

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Keep an eye out for this in your next edition of Real Simple Weddings!

Trust me, I have a knack for trend-spotting.