making wishes reality

a gift

2012-02-02T09:31:00.001-08:00

You may remember Brittani's maternity sesh seen here, and now Tristan is here! Born shortly after Thanksgiving and we have given thanks to God since. I finally got to meet him this past visit to Charlotte and couldn't believe how many faces he made along with laughter and smiles. So thankful for my little "nephew" Tristan!

Until He has it all

2012-01-29T20:08:00.001-08:00

please STOP HERE if you have not yet read the first part to this testimony

(He Won't Relent)

…So there I was at 6:00pm packing up my belongings when Emerson said, “Hey Bethany, you still going to Bible study?” Yes! “Well lets hurry up before I change my mind!” My heart leaped for joy. My mind asked, “God, who was praying for me?” My soul was laughing hysterically. (I live for these moments.)

We hopped in the car, as I said, “oh by the way, here’s Jayden, your move in, she’s coming too!” On the 30minute ride there, I told of how I met Jessy and how I met the Holy Spirit. I didn’t want them to be freaked out by anything that happened or curious as to what was going on when we got there. We talked about speaking in tongues and what it’s all about, relationships, etc.

We arrived and immediately the women began to shift and make room on the couches and even giving up their seat for me. (Now that’s a Bible study you want to bring your friends to!) The leader began to pull out props to demonstrate what it means to soak in the Lord and position your self to see Him.

For example, by the window, there’s a beautiful sunset each night, but unless you POSITION yourself to see it, you won’t know it’s there. Just like God, He’s always there but sometimes you just don’t make time to see Him. Or how about a dried up pickle? No one will eat it unless it’s been soaking in the jar of juice. We are like God’s pickles as we soak in His presence, so we can be a taste of God’s love to everyone around us. Or what about a dried up sponge? Useless until it is dipped into the soaking bucket and then it can clean everything around it.

So tonight was a night for soaking… which meant: (because I had heard of saturation but not too sure…) sitting in the Lord’s presence (not reading the Bible, or praying) but listening for His voice to minister to you. For those of you interested in trying this: You get out a notebook and write all the crap your mind is trained to just think of and then when you get to a point where you can listen to nothing but His voice, start writing everything He speaks to your heart.

About 15 minutes went by and I was worried about my friends! I looked over to Emerson and she was balling crying! I looked over to Jayden and she was writing in her notebook with her Bible open. Another 15 minutes of listening to prophetic worship and then it was time to share. A girl to my left shared this detailed vision of the circus and how the Lord isn’t looking for onlookers but those who are ready to join. A girl to my right shared and then felt that I should share!

After a few awkward laughs and no’s, I began sharing what God had told me. This was soon interrupted by my need to share how hard it was getting Emerson there and what she’s gone through that week. I love Charlotte. I miss my best friends. I miss my ministry. I miss my family and my baby niece. I knew God sent me to Virginia. I knew it was obviously for Caleb, but when he offered to go back with no hesitation, I refused. I just knew that we weren’t to leave here until I had finished the task the Lord had given me. I knew that I was here to pursue after these girls hearts that I work with and God is relentless! I asked after crying, “Can we just pray for Emerson?”

We gathered around Emerson, and these women just began ministering to her heart. I was on my knees in front of her with my hand on her knee, just weeping. I was crying the loudest because I knew God was taking a sledgehammer to her rock heart and shattering it to pieces all so he could reform it in His image. They reached deep into her heart and saw past the wall she had put up. They saw her broken heart. They saw abandonment. They saw everything! And they spoke the words of the Lord over her till she was weeping. My hand was shaking and I could feel electricity just going out of me into her, which I knew was healing from the Holy Spirit.

They then called Jayden over to pray for her! They too began to call out the depths of her being. She began to cry when they saw abuse, feelings of being unloved, unheard, etc. I was astonished at how God was so faithful in opening the deep wounds we try so hard to hide. Emerson hadn’t told but 2 people in her life about the abortion. Jayden hadn’t told but a few about the abuse yet God says, “I will not let you be held back by what you have allowed to control you for so long. You see, I take ALL things, and use them for my good.”

Emerson began to affirm those who had spoken over her. For the first time she spoke of why she hated her mother so much. During the “soaking” she kept saying over and over “I’m sorry” to God for all the screw ups she had made. You see, one of the reasons she became bitter towards her mom was when her dad became handicapped, her mom left them. She had to take care of her dad all by herself. Imagine the guilt she felt when she left him to get married and he died 4 years later. It was her fault, the devil told her. You were selfish, the devil told her. BUT GOD!!!!!!!!! In the silence, SPOKE LOUD & CLEAR and said, “IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT.”

All of the sudden her tears dried and a huge weight lifted off of her heart. The weight of GUILT, SHAME, PUNISHMENT, SIN was removed! HALLELUJAH!!!!! She began to share how she knew none of her mom’s family, and none of her dad’s side, so when he passed away she felt abandoned. But when the first woman prayed over her she said to her words that hit so much deeper than we imagined. “The Father won’t abandon you.”

The next day Emerson came to work a totally different person. She was happy and sharing her experience with the girls at work. It was beautiful and so was she. I then had lunch with Jayden to hear about what went through her mind that night. I asked her about her life prior to now and if she grew up in church. She began to tell me how her family and church split when a youth pastor did some “horrible things.” I immediately asked, “Did he fool around with one of the youth girls?” “With a lot more than one!” she said. I remembered them calling out abuse as they prayed for her so I asked, “was one of them you?”

She said, “yes.” She said, “I began dating guys that were so far from the Lord.” I said, “because if a spiritual leader would do that, then you thought why would you want to be with one?” Yup, that’s exactly satan’s plan! He wants to take one great leader and make him crash and burn, so that not only will he go down but the whole village he corrupted.

I looked at these 2 girls and said, “Get a journal and start writing. Start telling the deepest darkest secrets that you were ashamed of and your testimonies are going to change lives! They already have.”

He Won't Relent

2012-01-29T20:06:00.000-08:00

I got a text from my friend Jessy saying, “Bethany, I have a friend who just moved to VB. Her husband’s in the military and I think you should reach out to her & be friends.” My initial thought was, “this girl totally lives in my apartment complex (as most military do)”.

Sure enough, I looked her up on Facebook and I recognized her from a couple weeks ago! My co-worker Emerson had moved her in a couple weeks ago. Next thing you know we’re at Tropical Smoothie chatting about relationships, specifically the stories of how we met our hubby’s. I invited her to bible study the following week and she was game.

Now stick with me here as I’m going to jump to a totally different story, but don’t worry, I’ll tie all the knots together at the end! I woke up from an intense dream and knew immediately it was from the Lord. The dream took place at Caleb & I’s Rehearsal Dinner (which went totally different than how it was in real life). After, the ladies hopped in the limo for my Bachelorette party and there beside me was Emerson. (It was funny too, because I didn’t even know her when I got married). She kept telling all of us a story of how her best friend took her baby and threw it in the woods, and reiterated to me she didn’t know if the baby was still alive or not (over and over). I woke up and said, “Lord, what was that about!?” Immediately it connected and I heard Him say, “abortion.”

I asked her via text if she would go to lunch with me at Panera but didn’t tell her at all why in order to avoid her avoiding me. Haha. You see, I had asked God to give me the gift of prophesy (and that comes in different ways) and He had answered by giving me dreams (only 4 to this day). But you have to be willing and ready to speak for Him, even the hard things like this dream.

I showed up and she walked in, but with our co-worker Olive! I could’ve been mad. I could’ve said, “sweet, looks like I don’t have to tell her the dream! I’m off the hook.” But instead I knew this was God’s perfect timing! He knew Emerson’s heart wasn’t ready to hear what He put on mine. So I waited.

Two weeks went by and I had almost forgotten the dream until I asked her how she was this particular morning. She walked quickly to my desk and poured out how her uncle had died to a mis-diagnosis; Her cousin gave birth to a still born; and her boyfriend broke up with her all in two days! She said, “he told me that I will never make friends because I have such a wall up.”

Right then, it hit me. I had a dream to tell her and although Emerson wears her heart on her sleeve and shares all her daily drama, she does not let anyone into her past hurt that’s deep in her heart. I followed her into the break room. I said, “Remember when I asked you to Panera? Well, I had some personal things to talk to you about.” “Oh no, and I brought Olive!” she said. “Oh, that’s okay, I knew it wasn’t the right timing. But, I wanted to tell you I had a dream about you. I feel like the Lord gives me dreams about people and He gave me one about you, but feel free to ignore me if you don’t feel comfortable sharing.”

I told her the dream and she looked at me confused (so in my mind I’m thinking, either this is so wrong and out there, or she’s gonna deny it all and shut me out). But I looked her in the eyes, and said like “abortion.” Her eyes slightly filled up with tears, she walked to put the water in the fridge and turned to me and said, “Yupp. It was March 11, 2008.

He was in town for 2 weeks and in the military. We spent every waking moment together. He had to leave and I packed up all my bags and left for his hometown. We talked dreams, life plans, marriage, etc. But right after I moved, I found out I was pregnant and just mentioned the idea of abortion but he was all for it.

They don’t listen to the tears streaming down your face, or your hands shaking as you sign permission. They only listen to the sound of my voice saying that it was what we had decided to do. A month later I called my mom, and for the first time in her life she acted like a mom when I told her if she didn’t come up here, I was going to drive off a cliff. She hopped in a plane and was there the next day.”

My heart wanted to laugh because God was revealing Himself in that moment but my mind was wondering, “what now Lord?” I heard Him say, “guilt”. As of now she was at my desk with her cup of coffee in hand as we pranced around acting as if nothing abnormal was going on in the office. I sat down, and said, “You’re experiencing guilt aren’t you?” “Yes, ever since that day”, she said. I walked up to her and spoke the words that came to my heart: “You gotta let that go. God forgives you and He loves you sooo much. He gave me that dream because He wants your heart. Your baby is waiting in heaven for you and so is He.”

Her eyes filled with tears and she began to tell me his name. She knew he was a boy and he would be called, “Brennan (tear drop) Daniel (judge of God)”. She walked to her desk and I let her be for the rest of the day but invited her to Bible study that Thursday.

Two days later I asked her if she was still up for it, but to my shock she said, “No! I was up all last night arguing with my boyfriend. I got no sleep and I have to wash my hair. I’d be miserable company.” At that point, I could’ve gotten so mad. Mad that I had obeyed the Lord and told her the dream and accuse Him of stopping there. I could’ve gone crazy gung-ho Christian on her and begged her to come. But instead, even though I was hurt, I said Lord, it’s yours to carry so I lay her at Your feet. (I’ve realized that when you get mad about someone who asks for help but then doesn’t take your advice, it’s become about YOU. See, it isn’t about trying to win people to Christ! It’s about letting Him work through you to show them His love. If you just obey and trust, you’ll remain steadfast and reliant on Him.)

to be continued

beauty for ashes

2012-01-26T06:56:00.001-08:00

remember maria from her picnic in the woods engagement session? she's back...with her brother & sister with yellow sunshine, laughter, and fun!
folks, meet connie and mario and welcome back maria!

they were full of ideas when i asked what do you like to do together?

clearly they love to have fun.

my favorite part of the session was when i asked to do individual shots of each of them

aren't they gorgeous?

i loved their love for eachother...they were so comfortable with eachother and encouraging eachother in the most polite way

thanks for being so amazing y'all! i know our friendship has just begun. :-)

shelley + jeremy e-sesh part ii

2012-01-21T13:43:00.000-08:00

part ii has arrived and i hope it melts your pupils and grows your heart 3 sizes bigger. :-)

i got so excited for shelley and jeremy as they told me that the field and beautiful land we were shooting on belonged to them. their little house is located right beside her mom's, aunts, and family all together!

there's nothing sweeter than that and i wish them many late night candle lit picnics after the sun's set and they look up at the trees and imagined how far they've come.

jeremy and shelley dated long distance but their for eachother never died, but flourished.

cuddling is one of their favorite things <3

did i mention they love to dance? so of course, we captured it. :-)

and a little dip at the end for a joyful surprise

with amazing bright yellow sunshine to top it off

J & S i can't wait to shoot your wedding in October, you two are the best!

shelley + jeremy e-sesh

2012-01-21T12:40:00.000-08:00

i wanted to start your morning...noon with a little love. one of my favorite e-sesh' yet! shelley is a little southern charm with a man who loves her with his whole heart. it was obvious to me throughout the session.

i couldn't believe how prepared shelley was for her engagement shoot!

she had these scrabble letters that made for an adorable saying

& showed off her beautiful Tacori ring!!

i can't tell you enough how amazing it is to have a prepared soon-to-be bride for their e-sesh.

1. she made the most adorable sign and had it ready to go up on the tree!!! this will be used for their save the date cards going out for her october wedding. :-)

2. she chose her location (i love my creative clients that have a vision/idea of where they want it to be such as taking a chance on my crazy ideas like: the county fair, a river, on a boat at the lake, or their backyard field such as shelley!

3. she brought/made props. the littlest detail adds SO much to the shoot and gives something to incorporate into your wedding as well.

4. last but not least, she had set up a picnic with flowers and details we had talked about beforehand. it was not only under the perfect spot but it saved so much time in our session to get more photos and less time figuring out where we wanted to go next.

if anything, don't feel intimidated or less loved if you don't know how to set something up. the best is to find inspiration on websites and gather lots of materials, big or small. i'm always there to help and make things look top notch!

next up we headed to their notebook style swing. totes old school. i was loving it! aren't they gorge?

it was so cute because i could hear shelley whispering softly to jeremy on what to do. (*kiss my cheek, smile, kiss my forehead*)

it reminded me of my shoot with caleb a few weeks ago. the photographer can position you and then it's time to shine your love. although i'm the first to ask a couple to smooch :-)

they are the cutest...

stay tuned for tomorrow's part ii! till then...

an autumn post

2011-12-23T08:52:00.000-08:00

"our story is truly one for the ages. one that i can't wait to tell our family, friends, children & children's children. i feel like this story relates to a song...starting off slow (although my heart felt the beat of yours the second i met you) all the while building into an epic symphony of melody, harmony, & rhythm that takes my breath away. i can't wait until the day we are able to move into the chorus, to verse, to chorus/bridge/chorus of our life...finding out how to harmonize with each other all the while being driven by the beat of God's heart...of our hearts synchronized with His & each others. i truly am the luckiest man in the world. yours, caleb. ps: may we ever write music & lyrics together"

he won my heart through letters, long letters on yellow pages. so for the next couple of posts (with valentines close by) i'm going to open up those pages with little bits and allow you to see into his heart for me and the words that intertwined our hearts. <3

until then here are just a few things that i love about him...

i love his eyes,

the way they stare into mine,

the way they get bigger when they've done something wrong

the way the squint when something is so funny

the way they fill with the slightest amount of tears when something touches his heart

i love the way his skin is so soft,

how one touch warms my soul,

and how my cold toes find their way just perfectly under his warm leg at night

& a kiss on my forehead waiting for me

i love the way he prays for me when the tears are flowing

and the sacrificial love he displays day after day

i love how there's a spot just for me under his right arm

and if i'm lucky i might just fall asleep

i love his beard

how people think he looks like my Savior

it's funny because his character does too ;-)

and i love it when he shaves

and his skin is softer than a baby's

i love it when he plays guitar,

and the melodies flow from his heart, to his lips and bless my ears

but most of all i love the way he loves me.

6 months

2011-12-23T06:56:00.000-08:00

there are four things that made me feel beautiful on my wedding day...

Jesus Christ

my father, family, and friends,

this man right here

and this dress.

Claire Pettibone is one of my all time favorite designers. Her wedding gowns are completely intricate with beautiful lace details that melt my eyes and made me burst out laughing feeling like a princess when trying on for the first time.

officially married for 7 months now, and commemorated the 6 month mark with photos of us by the amazingly talented Michael from Blue Kite Photo in my dress for the last time.

it is officially now on sale at oncewed.com

because as much as i'd loooove to keep it and hold onto it for keepsakes or my great granddaughter who probably won't like it as much as i do...

i'd rather allow another girl to feel just as beautiful on her big day. :-)

and as for us...we're just walking along

on the path that was chosen for us.

few will walk it

but each step is worth the risk

and we hold on to each other tightly

so we know we're in this together.

he leads me

to a greater unknown

in hopes that one day we'll look back and have many joining us.

O little town

2011-12-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

it's Christmas Eve of the Eve and I'm missing...this girl,

I'm missing the warmth of being home for the holidays, and the laughter with friends,

the carols with family, and a cozy fire burning with full stockings above.

But this year is celebrating with my love at our own little abode.

So I'll have to do it big if it'll feel anything like home...

Peanut Butter Balls, Sausage Balls, Grammy's Punch,

Candles Burning, Cinnamon Rolls cooking,

Vanilla Spice Egg Nog, wrapped gifts under the tree,

sleeping in with my love, and cuddling in warm blankets.

Oh the joys of Christmas!

We will be singing at Grace's Christmas Eve's Services on Saturday at 3, 4:45, & 6:30pm so if you're not busy come join us!

Looks like Kinsley might grow up to be a pianist. :-)

Merry Christmas to you & yours!!

be merry

2011-12-22T10:28:00.000-08:00

8 hours of driving for 4 hours with family and this little ball of smooches was totally worth it! We hopped in our rather unusual pick for the ride (Caleb's car) since mine was in much need of an oil change. Caleb's car has leather seats which makes for a cold bum and no radio. With being obsessed with music, it was exactly what we needed. A car ride of conversation...and 4 hours of it.

And by conversation, I really mean arguing. Immediately a big :-o face is probably going on right now, I imagine. But, this arguing was good. Fighting fair, if you will.

Our conversation was on "charasmaniacs" and what we thought a charasmatic really was. Why does it have to be defined as that? Is it someone who dances dramatically, raises their hands in worship, claps and says Amen? Is it someone who has faith enough to step out and do miracles and pray for healing?

We argued about "a new race", baptized in the Holy Spirit, and experiencing the gifts of the Spirit. How in the end, it will become clear who is of God and who is just going through the motions.

We argued about why is their a need to go to Bethel (a school of worship) as opposed to going to a local conference for worship. Which lead to talking about different anointings. How, if there was a photographer who was known for her conceptual photography better than anyone else (kind of like Wildflowers) and they were hosting a workshop in California that I would want to go no matter what the cost because I want to learn everything she knows! Same, with Bethel.

We talked about everything under the sun and had a spiritual battle because we were fighting our opinions and really challenged each other to look at things in a different way. That's the beauty of marriage...

it makes us holy, more than it makes us happy.

And the beauty of a child, is that it gives us the perspective of how our heavenly Father loves us.

He pursued after our hearts by sending His Son to be born to a world that had no room for Him.

So that He could find a place to rest in our hearts after dying to take the place of

our sin.

run like honey in the sun

2011-12-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

When I first moved to Virginia Beach I second shot with a company called Digital Dreammakers, well known for their videography and photography for weddings. Being a 2nd shooter was not something I was used to but definitely a great enjoyment. The pressure was taken off of my shoulders and I had more time to get the creative shots I die to get. Here are some of those that I loved:

They got married on the 16th so when I saw the organ buttons, I had to capture their date in the middle!

cookie and me

2011-10-20T18:29:00.001-07:00

welcome fall. where chocolate cocoa dresses are worn with pumpkin orange sweaters topped with whipped cream scarves.

my favorite things to do in fall:

go to the pumpkin patch then carve pumpkins

run around in the corn maize

make reese s'mores around a bonfire

wear: boots, scarves, tights, hats, coats

ride with the windows down with the heat blaring

drink apple cider (Caribou's is the best) and salted caramel white mocha's

jumping in a pile of leaves

receiving fall flowers :-)

What are your favorite things about fall?

State Fair!!

2011-10-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

it was 8:30pm when we hit up our local Starbucks for grande 2 pump toffee nut white chocolate mocha's (for the fall of course!) and for our 3 hour drive to raleigh. we dropped the "gram-baby" off at GiGi & Doc's/Lolly & Pop's house (it hasn't been officially decided yet, since we're still working on convincing the 2nd one) ;-) what do you guys vote for our grandparent names? gigi is the new hip grandma name, which stands for "gorgeous grandma". caleb's dad is a dentist/doctor however his dad always has tootsie pops so we thought of lolly & pop. ...if only little Graham had a voice. :-)

after listening to some jesus culture, talking about how many kids we may have, reading a chapter in a great newlywed book called sheet music, and stopping for me to pee on the side of the road (no, it was not on the highway. yes, it was on a deserted road. sorry, i had to go soooo bad!) we finally arrived at 1am to Nana & Papa's house for a short's night sleep and then it was up and to the State Fair!!

we looked at the beauty of the swings and surpassed them right onto...

one of my favorite rides: the claw/"fire ball". caleb about peed his pants on this one, but i know he secretly loved it. ;-)

i had to say one of my favorite rides because the baskets/"zipper" is my absolute favorite. just as caleb was trying to say "no way", i realized it was closed down! i walked away so sad about that one! but i learned that caleb had never ridden a ferris wheel!

coming to the fair each year is tradition for me. i've loved the rush of the spin and drop in my stomach but some rides are just not fun with the blood rushing to your head, this being one of them:

the state fair seems to just burn your money with a 3 second ride for $6! after riding "the musts" we headed to the yummy food huts for an elephant ear, lemonade, & cotton candy

some other fair options were: red velvet funnel cake, krispy kreme burgers, & deep fried chicken pie. overall it was one amazing trip of tremendous laughter, fun, and horrible-for-you but oh so good treats. :-)

Javi & Brittani M-Sesh Part II

2011-10-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

as promised part ii filled with sunshine and happiness. :-)

Tristan, you are blessed.

Javi & Brittani M-Sesh

2011-10-17T07:50:00.000-07:00

brittani has been my besty since 1st grade! our lives are unfolding before our eyes. here she is with a radiant rounded belly filled with LIFE, a baby boy, whom will be named tristan. i'm going to be an aunt to this child (britt's practically my sis), and i could cry thinking about it.

brittani's never had any outrageous ambitions of an arduous career...

her heart's desire has always yearned to be nothing other than a mother

and that is what she'll be...a mother who loves this boy more than herself and would give anything for him.

if you don't like twilight, my apologies but reading the books, Brittani stood out to me as the character of Bella.

when she loves, she loves. when she thinks, she digs deep into her soul. when she learns, she does it the hard way. she's continually longing to know more.

and she has a man who is willing to stand beside her through it all.

when brittani first met javi, I sat with her at a mcdonald's and told her he would be the one she would marry. of course she didn't believe me, and laughed at my ludicrous statement.

but here they are standing side by side, holding hands, and walking life together.

can't wait for the future and tristan. you are welcome here.

Part II tomorrow!

Pete & Heather Part II

2011-10-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

part II is delicious! we welcomed the sun like we welcome this baby boy. heather's phrase has been joked among many about her "bun in the oven". immediately when she told me, i loved the idea and jumped on grabbing a few things for the shoot. i love baking so the excitement was boiling over.

here's her banana crumble muffin used as her lil' bun! if only my scale had a measure of 30 on it for her due date!

isn't this baby photo indefinitely darling?

...we're all waiting for you Liam.

Pete & Heather M-Sesh

2011-10-17T07:11:00.000-07:00

Pete & Heather were married in Charleston as seen previously here. Heather was so prepared for our shoot and it was as sweet as a refreshing vanilla ice cream cone. The gooey goodness of their props added so much to this maternity session and I am ever grateful.

I consider Heather my cool aunt. Not overly involved in my life, but just enough with the right dose of encouragement and care. Her younger sister is Haley (whom all of you know of and love) who is like my sister. I'm not sure how all this works in the family chain but lets just say they're all like family! :-)

It's a two part session so just wait for tomorrow's! For today it's all about a little baby bird who is hatching in November!

IT'S A BOY

and this little owl's name is

*Liam*.

We're all so excited to see him!

I couldn't be more thankful for the lighting on this day. I was praying the whole way to every shoot since it was a dayful of them. God surely showed His light!

Stay tuned for more of this gorgeous couple and their sweet baby boy!

Josh & Haley Part III

2011-10-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

Haley & Josh have been seen on my blog a numerous amount of times. Are you bored yet? I'm certainly not! There love for each other keeps me on the tip of my toes and laughter in my belly. I could eat this photo below...

a ring in a corn pile

and we ended at The Corn Pit for some silly-just-for-fun photos!

Romans 12: 9-21

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Happiest wishes to my best friends J & H.

Josh & Haley Part II

2011-10-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

Josh & Haley were seen here in their Twilight'sy shoot a couple weeks ago. As promised Part II has taken place at my annual visit to the Pumpkin Patch/Corn Maze! Below is by far my fave photo of the two on my absolute #1 pick...the merry-go-round!

Haley & Josh are getting married on March 30, 2012.

My besty is goooorrrg.

Each and every touch created a little giggle from both of them.

It's good to see the "giddy'ness" is still there :-)

Chris & Maria Part II

2011-10-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

Seriously? Could they Chris & Maria get any cuter?

They are getting married...

November 4th, so I couldn't pass up this hop scotch shot.

They also brought 2 little cuties along and she was such a poser!

I loved it!

Maria was SO great because she chose her location. She wanted a woodsy theme and suggested her very own neighborhood park. It was absolutely perfect with swings, a nature walk, and more!

I wish you the very best destination wedding you two!

Chris & Maria E-sesh Part 1

2011-10-13T05:23:00.000-07:00

this day all conformed when my best friend Haley & Josh were planning on getting engagement photos with me but our pumpkin patch was closed the day we wanted to go. this meant i HAD to come back to charlotte for their e-sesh not to mention my best friend Brittani is due in November and i had to capture her baby bump! Maria & Chris hadn't had engagement photos and are tying the knot in Puerto Rico, so we had to make time for this shoot with the enticing sunshine (glory to God, it was so dark the whole way there)!

chris & maria were a little nervous because this was their first shoot together.

they were worried about posing and asked for lots of direction.

they took direction greatly: "ignore me, love each other"

Check back tomorrow to see the second half of this captivating couple!

Haleigh & Josh's Wedding Part II

2011-10-06T05:04:00.000-07:00

I promised part ii of josh and haleigh's fall wedding, so i'm up early to post at my local sbux with none other than a white mocha w/ a pump of vanilla. :-) but enough about me...lets get on with the show!

josh and haleigh grew up together, going to the same high school, then down to florida for college, and now charlotte to settle down and call home. but what better way to celebrate by tying the knot in the place you met? below is my favorite photo of the wedding :-)

j & h gave away mini jars filled with some amazing jam

how creative were these ball jars decorated on the wall?

October 1, 2011

Josh & Haleigh's Wedding

2011-10-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

if I could vote for a favorite wedding (not that i would ever do that)...this would be on the bid. this was an evening that really sparkled. haleigh and i have been talking throughout the process of our excitement towards the big day, but i had no idea of the little intricate goodness that would be brought out at this wedding. join me as i go through what i loved about josh and haleigh's wedding previously seen here.

1. they are complete models. they knew exactly what to do before it even came out of mouth. haleigh claims that's mostly due to blog stalking beforehand and she caught onto my vision. i gladly welcome that ;-)

2. her dress...ivory, lace, what more do i have to say?

4. her rustic barn mixed with chic woodsy themed wedding had me at first glance (it's my passion to shoot a wedding with my style and hers was anything BUT cliche!)

4. the details were gorg and they lit UP their reception!! that is probably my most favorite thing. extra lighting=good lighting=better photos! and it's just plain dazzling!

not to mention the mind blowing photo opp display her dad built and put together for her, filled with old photos of special family members. i dreamed of having it at my wedding. should've called Mr. R ;-)

5. i have an obsession with taking detail photos...shoes in particular (yikes!) especially when the bride is getting ready at her dream delightfully splendid home with stunning vintage chairs and couches.

6. when the bride herself gives me a suggestion of a photo she madly wants. my goal is to make her happy so whatever is she requests, my name turns to jeanie and we're making it happen! this is the result of her wish:

7. when brides trust me even if it seems silly. haleigh and josh were up for anything! i think it definitely paid off!

Check back for more to come tomorrow!!

munchKins

2011-09-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

Kinsley has my last name as her first, just spelled a little differently.

She is my niece and her age tells Caleb & I how long we've been together, since she was born right before our wedding.

This past weekend, we all went to celebrate my Papa & Nana's 50th anniversary.

But all I wanted to do was hold her and take pictures of her.

Brittany calls her "munchkins" like the baby doughnuts at Dunkin Doughnuts. I think it is sooo cute when a mom gives her child a nickname that is creative and just straight up precious!

Papa John (yes, like the pizza) had to get some photos with his 1st baby girl grand baby and this one is hilarious!

We're all oozing over her big blue eyes.

She currently likes to make raspberry's with her mouth and chew on her owl pappy holder.

Below I couldn't believe how cute it was that they were making the same face. So glad I caught that moment!

And here's my cookie holding her with such ease and grace. I love the way he held her but no baby fever yet! It's kind of opposite right now since Caleb & I just met a year ago! He's my baby and I'm so content with that. :-)

And lastly, me and munchKins giving eskimo kisses!

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
Psalms 127:3-5

Josh & Haley E-Sesh Part I

2011-09-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

Haley is my bestest friend and my Maid of Honor in May. She can take most credit for my sanity and credit for being there during the insanity. She's always been one to give the solid, truth even if it hurts kind of advice that I've always appreciated and took to heart. Back in April, when Haley's sister was to be wed, she and Josh had a mini shoot here. And even before that, Haley allowed me to style her outfits and take her an hour away for a shoot for just her cute of a button self seen here and here. This shoot is only the beginning since our next half is going to be at the Pumpkin Patch!!
I can tell you one thing about this shoot...and that is, that I am utterly, blushlingly, stoked for Haley. A guy who lights up her life, makes her smile from ear to ear, and takes care of her the way a husband-to-be should. Can't wait be in your bridesmaid in March!

Josh
and

Haley

are adorbs!!

a kiss to the forehead can be all it takes to make a girl feel better

Josh & Haley were complete models

I love it when couples are snuggle bunnies and act as if my giant lens in their face is not even there.

Definitely my favorite of the day!

...besides this last one of course! It doesn't get hotter than that folks!

Zach +Michelle Part 2

2011-09-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

My best model was of course...my cookie: Caleb! Michelle loves beards so if any of the guys could grow one for the wedding she'd be appreciative. Little did she know, that I was too! The first time I met Caleb was with a beard so I've been asking him to grow it out along with his hair. :-) No grandparents understand this concept. They get so confused as to why he has so much hair on his face, thinking he misplaced his razor. It's a generational thing, and it cracks me up!

I caught cute couples with the perfect lighting and backdrop so I made them pose it up for the camera.

On Sunday, Caleb & I headed to Starbucks for some time to sit down, chat, and wake up before we headed to church. Shortly after, these 2 women (one my nana's age, the other my mom's age) were telling us what a beautiful couple we were. The older one had an English accent and was beautiful, while telling me I should watch out because those crystal blue eyes are magnificent and then warned Caleb about my smile with the boys. It felt like such a fairytale moment with "I'll Be Seeing You" by Jimmy Durante playing loudly in the background.

So ladies...keep your distance! hahaha. But in all seriousness I thought about how with Caleb, I become beautiful & how I hope that when people look at me, they can say I am beautiful because of Christ and the beauty of Him that radiates within me. :-)

This is my all time favorite shot of the day. Isn't she gorgeous!?

The bride and groom's table.

the party was over and everyone was lined up ready for the exit

with my favorite: sparklers

Have fun in the Bahamas Zach & Michelle!

Zach + Michelle

2011-09-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

Zach is one of Caleb's best friends and he & Michelle were married at Hunt Club Farm and their reception was held in the most beautiful barn! I can't wait to hang out with this sweet married couple.

Michelle got a seamstress to make the guys' ties.

The bridesmaids dresses were so cute: nude lace and satin with adorable accessories Michelle bought them and a gorgeous bouquet!

Urban Outfitters shoes.

the goofy groomsmen

the ringbearer

she hated the camera but I was too fast for miss priss ;-)

i could just squeeze the lil munchkin!

what a cute fam!

cones to through confetti at the bride & groom

Zach awaiting his lovely bride

And off to the reception we go!

What makes a Perfect Wedding?

2011-08-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

i woke up at 7:15am on May 27th after an emotional but amazing rehearsal dinner at the Dandelion Market & bachelorette night of bowling at Strike City and running downtown while tornado sirens were going off.

my event planner had emailed me several times suggesting a tent due to the forecast but i refused to spend thousands of dollars for just one day. i loved seeing everyone's reaction to the calls i made, but i trusted God to do as he wished. i am well aware that He will do what's best and that it may be rain. just as we are called to praise Him when bad things happen, we are called to praise him if it rains on our wedding day!

my cookie had surprised me with a massage at Eden Therapy & Massage. with dark clouds hovering over me the whole way there, it was definitely an appropriate time to get calmed down with hot stones kneading out the tension. but as far as anxiety goes, that needed to be taimed by God. as i prayed, i got a revelation from God: "bethany, you have been so eager to get others to pray for no storm on your wedding day but you need to replace your burden for other things in my kingdom. rain doesn't prevent salvation nor my glory, and isn't that what you truly desire?"

rain or shine i was marrying caleb. rain or shine God was gonna show up. rain or shine the wedding was on. so let it rain.

after leaving the spa, the sun was beaming and on the way to the wedding, the clouds were everywhere but over Freedom Park. i laughed in awe. the girls grabbed hands and prayed for me before we walked down. i was in tears trying not to let all my make disappear but it was my favorite time of it all.

Another favorite part was choosing the playlist for the soiree. Unfortunately most things went mad wrong when it came down to it. My bridesmaids were walking down the aisle to the wrong song and I wasn't about to walk until it got corrected! Haha. My flesh originally wanted to walk down to My Love by Sia (the song playing) but God jerked my heart before the wedding and "You're Beautiful" needed to be the one.

There was so much symbolism and deeper meanings in my wedding and I wanted to share that here:

we were about to take communion and sing You Won't Relent by Jesus Culture when it started to rain. we all looked around and decided lets skip to the pronunciation! our lips met. it poured. we ran.

this. right here, is what it's all about. worshipping our savior (even during the storm). i could feel Him so close to me in this moment. He was loving our praise in the park.

thank you ladies and gentlemen for the best wedding i could ever imagine. for being there for our storm (guys running in the rain to grab chairs, women taming their humid hair, and holding umbrellas). i know this proves to have friends through all kinds of weather. :-)

so the answer to what makes a perfect wedding? i think you all know by now...it's Jesus. without Him you're just two people signing a contract who are dressing up to put on a label of marriage without God's stamp of approval. what's a ring on a finger without lifelong commitment? what's a white dress without purity? what's a wedding without worship?

How to Plan a Wedding in 90 Days *Part 3

2011-08-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

Next was figuring out food! FYI, I hate cake. Nothing grosses me out more than the thick frosting from an ordered cake, or even worse one that's picked up from the grocery store. Or just thinking about fondant and the typical "wedding cake icing" that most kill for, I'm in the corner gagging.

For birthdays as a child, I ordered Dairy Queen ice cream cakes, cookie cakes, cheesecake, or even rainbow chip icing and rainbow chip cupcakes would do the trick, just don't give me cake! So, when going to a wedding about a year or two ago and ate not just one but TWO pieces of this bride's cake, I had to have the same! Cake Lady Jill has quickly become Charlotte's go to girl for the best cakes in town. I couldn't have been more pleased with my 3 tiered cake on a log with flavors of: vanilla butter cake filled with strawberries & butter cream icing, vanilla butter cake filled with lemon curd & raspberry & cream cheese icing, & our anniversary tier will be toasted almond & cream cheese icing.

After dessert was chosen (which is obviously the most important choice!), I had to figure out what to eat. Caleb is known for for his Christmas parties and serving "Brinner"-breakfast for dinner so how appropriate to serve at our wedding.

My Inspiration:

Next was outfits, another favorite of mine! It took me the longest time to figure out what I would pair together for the guys. It was khaki suits from H&M until I realized they only create for skinny boys. So here's the outfit breakdown:

Bow ties: handmade by local seamstress (mustard)

Suspenders: Urban Outfitters (gray)

Shirt: Uniqlo (sea foam green)

Pants: Gap (taupe)

Shoes: Toms (burlap)

As for the ladies, I had found the perfect dress in the wrong color and the wrong price! So I bought my colors in fabric and gave them to a seamstress with the print out of the dress I wanted. I called my bridesmaids my cupcakes because their dresses reminded me of cupcakes with icing.

Hair: Lauren at Chakras Salon & Spa (who knocked out all my 7 bridesmaids in 15min. each!)

Dresses: handmade by seamstress

Shoes: Forever 21 (taupe)

Bouquets: were tied with an old vintage fabric (mint green with flowers)

My sister, Brittany, was my maid of honor so I had her wear opposite colors with a bouquet of billy balls.

Necklace: Anthropologie (mustard & blush)

Dress: Ann Taylor

For my flower girls & ring bearers, I wanted them to look like miniature version of Caleb & I on my engagement day (since we were dressed up as a little girl and boy) and they looked absolutely stunning!

Flower Girl's Outfit:

Dress: Nelly Stella

Butterfly Clips: Hobby Lobby

Ring Bearer's Outfit:

Shirt & Hat: Janie and Jack

Bow Ties: Solid Color Neckties

Shoes: Little Monkey Toes

Post a comment if you have any questions!! :-D

How to Plan a Wedding in 90 Days *Part 2

2011-08-27T09:29:00.001-07:00

After finding the dress, I had to find the perfect shoes and I knew just the place! I had seen these adorable kitten heels with one of the theme colors of our wedding (sea foam green) at a vintage store called Hong Kong. I added the PomPom Shoe Clips from BHLDN.

Then it was taking my Anthro inspiration and making it reality! This all happened the week & day before the wedding when we had Craft Day.

For the table numbers, I stamped numbers with paint onto a cream burlap and painted the wooden frames.

The flowers consisted of white peonies (which were supposed to be a creamy pink) and billy balls (my favorite flower!).

For the vases, I bought white log vases from Anthropologie, blue mason jars and then handmade the small vases by picking out a beautiful wrapping paper and lots of Modpodge:

For the table seating we had originally made mini clay pots with forks to stick in to tie in the Baking theme but they kept falling down

so they were displayed like this:

Our welcome table had a vintage Recipe Box (ordered from Etsy) for our guests to sign in and leave their "recipe for marriage". The Welcome bag was filled with flour and painted spoons dipped in sprinkles.

And my friend who was married the day after me, gave me all the extra guest favors that she wouldn't use and my mom put all of them together filled with my favorite cookies made by my mother'nlaw.

In each of the favors was placed a mini recipe for marriage bookmark:

I think decor was my favorite part of planning. When you just sit and think of it all at once, you'll get nothing but a broad picture. But once you start doing things, putting things together, your mind opens up to more and more ideas to add to make it special.

More to come tomorrow!!

How to Plan a Wedding in 90 Days

2011-08-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

As you saw on our wedding website we got engaged after dating for 5 months on February 28th, 2011 in California, then a...THREE MONTH ENGAGEMENT! (jaw drop, crowd gasps, etc.)

We had originally planned for August 27th. I knew I wanted and believed in a 6month engagement or less...when you know he's/she's the one, why waste time taking a year to plan and raise temptation in physical areas? Immediately after our engagement we saw the #27 everywhere we went even to our seats on the plane home. However I felt like God was forewarning me that the date I had chosen would not work out when our seats were filled by someone else and we went to seat #26.

Sure enough, the date we had chosen had fallen on another special occasion that might've caused a family split in deciding which event to attend. After praying, one more time asking the Lord, "Are you positive the 27th is the date you want it?" and my GPS telling me I had 27miles till Charlotte, I called all my vendors to see if May 27th would work.

Of course, the most important part of a wedding, my photographer #1 Jill Thomas was out, along with #2 Leo Patrone, which led me to his suggestion of Susan Dean who quickly bonded with me in our love for Jesus <3. And yes, I have an obsession with film, and these 3 do it well! So onto Wedding Planning: Kick it into High Gear!

1. I got out all of my stored away magazines, and binder of labeled folders of images that I've had since the 8th grade. I bought a huge pink planner (in which I think I used 2 pages of) and had to think of a theme.

2. I walked into Anthropologie, and there it was...my theme: Baking! No one understood it at first, but my devotion the night before read 1 Corinthians 5:6-7 "Our true identity is flat and plain, not puffed up with the wrong kind of ingredient. The Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has already been sacrificed. Remove the old yeast of sin so that you may be a new batch of dough, as flat bread—simple, genuine, unpretentious." (God's Word & The Message)

3. Whimsical, Woodsy, Vintage are 3 words to describe my ideal wedding. All I knew was, I'm tired of satin, black tuxedos, traditional wedding music, and anything that's not adding a creative touch.

First thing to do was get the invitations out! With 3 months till the wedding, my timeline said, "they got to go!" With learning Illustrator and design at school, there was no question that I would make my own. So I searched on google "creative invitations" and found one similar to this:

Click on RSVP to see full view:

I was very inspired by the best wedding I've ever seen: Eunice, editor from Hello Lucky seen here!

Then came dress shopping! Eeeee!!

His grandparents had prayed over us and saw a vision of 2 streams joining as one. Later a woman prophesied that there is a path full of trees and every leaf is worth it. I read Psalm 1:3 the next day which says, They are like trees planted by streams bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither and they prosper in all they do."

I had picked out my dress a long time ago through online shopping and trying it on alone in a store and the feeling I got that day didn't compare to any of the dresses I had tried on with mom & sis. I knew the dress was always meant for him when I pulled it out and saw laced leaves all over it.

Stay tune, I'll be posting more about how I planned this soiree in such short time!

10 Ways I've Changed Since Marriage

2011-06-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

Marriage. awhhh, marriage. :-) All this time I thought people's opinions was just chatter, jokes, advice. "It couldn't really be that hard," I would say to myself...only to find out that marriage is everything, everyone said it was! It's a slumber party every night, the 1st year is TOUGH, you'll want to kill each other at times, divorce isn't a threat nor an option, and I could go on & on. But already I've made huge changes in this little (almost one month) that we've been married...

1. I wake up early. Instead of rushing out the door forgetting something major for the day, I actually get up, and sit down for breakfast at the table with Caleb!

2. I can't stand our home to be messy. I find myself cleaning up all the time. It's true...we turn into our moms so I'm glad I got an extra good one!

3. I fall asleep on the couch during movies. Wow! I can remember telling Caleb, "Nope, never, no way do I ever fall asleep during a movie...I HAVE to see the end! I'm always the first one asleep in the first fifteen minutes.

4. I like picking out recipes (just like my mom) and figuring out what to cook for dinner even if I do burn the beans every now and then. (that's what all new wives do in the 1st year, right?!)

5. I actually want to pick out plants for my patio. I still claim that anyone who loves to garden should know they're getting old but gardening seems like a form of art and I enjoy that.

6. I used to make fun of my mom who wakes up in the middle of night to use the restroom. She told me, "When you get older you'll do it too!" Well I guess I"m older because I've yet to sleep through the night without getting up to use the girls (and Caleb's ;-) room!

6. Life isn't all about me anymore. (It should've never been) But marriage truly is all about becoming selfless for another, teaching you to sacrifice, think about what he wants, and apologize! For this, I am less stingy.
7. My main shopping went from Anthropologie & vintage stores, to the Harris Teeter & Target.

8. I'm more of a homebody. I'd rather stay home with Caleb then go to the theater and see a movie. I appreciate long talks, walks, and cuddling as opposed to entertainment that neglects communication.

9. I'm held more accountable, therefore making small changes to becoming more like Jesus. I am less apt to gossip or think negatively when Caleb is there to quickly correct me in love.

10. I've taken on more responsibilities. My first big girl job...paying bills...cooking...cleaning...etc.! I'm a Toys'R'Us kid but it's time to grow up! ;-)

"Change is something that can not be avoided. Learn to embrace it by focusing on “what is” rather than on “what should be”."

Haleigh + Josh E-sesh

2011-06-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

Josh proposed to Haleigh during their annual Christmas bingo game. The winner gets a prize and Haleigh wanted so bad to win. Josh had pre-rigged it just for that and she was led outside by a tree to receive the gift while everyone else stayed inside. All to find a tiny box laying under it for Josh to drop to his knee!!! Haleigh was so amazing during the shoot and practically read my mind for what was next as she had joked she stalked my blog. I totally welcome that any day! Congrats Haleigh & Josh you are such a joy to be around and I LOVED taking photos with you!

my heart will always be in a cottage down by the sea

2011-05-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

217 is where my heart longed to be. As many of you know, I moved to Virginia Beach on April 4th to a little beach cottage. It was perfect and so me-1940's, adorable kitchen with white wooden cabinets & an old stove, a front room patio where I welcomed the sun each morning with breakfast and a book, a tall ceiling'ed living room with a roaring fire place, a laundry mat with a clothes line outdoors, an outdoor shower for beach days, and 2 chairs in the garden to relax and talk about life. This home was my haven.

Adding his initial to my monogram

2011-03-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

Travel back with me if you will...

September 2010...when my boots hit the sand and my eyes met his

Caleb Joshua Kuenzli...He's the gentle guy.

the strong guy.

He's the good guy.

the give me the world if you could guy.

The patient guy.

the brave guy

the polite guy.

the been there for me night and day guy.

the sexy, fun & smart guy.

my love you with all my heart guy

He's my FIANCE!!!

104 Reasons Why I love him...

1. Your inability to perceive all my hideous flaws

2.I couldn’t get rid of you even if I tried

3. That your love lingers on after me and surrounds me, keeps me, holds me

4. When you twirl me around and we begin to dance with no music but the sound of our heartbeats

5. That you can express your soul with music, its never dull to my ears

6. That you can be happy when I’m gone but estatic when I return

7. Your eyes. How I feel that I could dive into them and swim up onto St. Johns ocean shore

8. Your willingness to let me style your J Crew-ness

9. When you prove so selfless when you A. turn the TV off to talk to me or B. ask me what I want to watch. . .what guy does that!? Oh yes, my amazing fiance!

10. How you are easily woken up to my texts in the middle of the night and text back

11. How you keep your cell by your pillow & wait up for my call

12. That you text me when you*re out with your friends. It shows your heart is still with me.

13. The fact that you are willing to give up kissing because of my covenant and waiting for ME.

14. How you pick me up like a porcelain doll

15. When you toss me over your shoulder and carry me

16. How you always trade with me if I think your menu item tastes better than mine

17. How we order the same things everywhere we go without knowing it

18. How were so much alike yet so different and finding the beauty in our differences

19. How you make me feel like the only girl on the planet

20. Your reassurance when I think you deserve more or even when I think I deserve more. You shoot it straight with me.

21. Your prayers. They fight off the enemy.

22. Making you smile. It*s an accomplishment I want to make the rest of my life.

23. The way you hold me with your eyes so tight that I can*t move

24. How you make me feel so beautiful

25. Your humor. . . although sometimes corny, sometimes hilarious.

26. How you*re so romantic and charm me with every little thing

27. That you can cooook!! Every thing you make me is amazing

28. How you*re willing to compromise, it*s not your way or no way

29. Your smile. . .

30. Our story. . . it*s magical, and by magical I mean totally a God thing!

31. That everyone I tell about you loves you just from the way I speak of you and vis versa aka that "you make my name known"

32. How you won*t let me think I*m right if you know that wrong

33. That you*ve stuck by my side through all the hardships and trials

34. My creator for creating you

35. That you call me all of my favorite nicknames and avoid the ones I hate

36. How I can always feel your love especially around others. You*re never ashamed to give a subtle touch, a wink, or put your arm around me

37. That you love Jesus as much as I do! Praise Him!

38. That you*re earning my trust and slowly developing into someone as close as a best friend

39. When you wear cologne & gel your hair. . . getting all spiffy for me :-)

40. When you listen

41. Your advice especially when it*s passionate, intense, and real

42. That you look out for me in everything. You pick up on my p*s and q*s of when I*m over something and suggest to everyone else if we can do something else

43. When we overcome trials and I see a new side of you

44. Busting out laughing so hard from being utterly stupid and undeniably silly

45. Laughing so hard I can*t breathe from a tickle war (& I*m not talking about with my feet)

46. Your family. . . that I*m as immature as your brothers, your mom*s cooking, and that we all connect spiritually

47. When you get my drink and when you take my plate after eating

48. When you get down on one knee in the most random places just to catch me off guard and tease me

49. When we get dressed up to go to party and feel all old and grown up

50. The little things you give me

51. That we*re so alike we can predict each other and hate each other for it

52. When we speak lyrically because we both love music

53. When you play a song from your heart on guitar & I come in and sing the lyrics to it from mine

54. How you always text me when you wake up

55. Your goodnight texts after we just got off the phone

56. How time slows down when I*m with you because it*s never rushed

57. Your muscles

58. Your back massages. You*re seriously professional.

59. Playing games and being competitive with you

60. How you let me win sometimes or play easier with me like in the little squares in tennis

61. That you*re patient and don*t freak out when you*re lost

62. When you put your arm around me in church

63. That we both like to pretend because we*re dreamers

64. Your sweet sentimentals like duct tape roses

65. How we always plan on getting off the phone at a certain time and then realize its 1-4 hours past time

66. How I feel like I*m in a romantic movie with you because you say all the right lines

67. The way we are after we*ve just resolved a huge fight

68. The way you respond to people. . . quick, nice, and easy going

69. How you make me feel so comfortable

70. When you have good comebacks

71. When you don*t have a good comeback and just say *well, you, and I, and you. . .ughhh*

72. How you always finish my food and drink

73. When you let me wear your clothes and keep the things that don*t fit

74. The way you hold my hand. . .all fingers grasped

75. Your love letters and the passion that I feel when reading them

76. Bonfires with you and reesie smores

77. How strong you are and how you pick me up when you see me and twirl me around

78. How*ll we turn running errands into a game, like racing each other to the back of the store

79. Your reassurance when I have doubts

80. When someone tells you to do something and you won*t until I re-ask you

81. That my opinion comes before anyone else. . . how you think for us, not just you.

82. How much of a gentleman you are

83. The songs you write for me

84. That you can take me picking on you because you*re secure in yourself< confident not cocky.

85. Your secrecy with God throughout your journals and the creativity that shows with the drawing of your pen

86. That true laughter when it*s so real you can*t even hear it

87. You*re handsome inside and out -if that*s the equivalent of beautiful

88. You*re classy in that old black and white movie type of way

89. You*re tall but not too tall so that when we hug I fit and when I get on a step I can press my cheek to yours

90. Your hair and how it expresses who you are-wavy, real, all different colors, unpredictable

91. How I need a dictionary when you speak. Your words are so eloquent

92. When we yell so loud at each other to the point I wanna bust out laughing because we know that we mean it but we really don*t. But we can*t stop or we won*t win. Because heaven forbid, we might not be right

93. That you can dance & aren*t ashamed

94. That you bring out the little girl in me

95. you*re tan skin. I don*t have to ever worry about getting too dark

96. That I can be thankful for the simple things and appreciate that with you

97. When others tell me how cute you are and I boil over because you*re so much more to me than looks

98. That you love to read and we can share info and knowledge

99. That you like to take notes so we don*t distract each other during church

100. putting my head down on your arm when I get tired in the car

101. That you love the things I hate about myself

102. That you can grow a beard

103. Our chemistry

104. How we*re both each others perfect 10s

munchkin

2011-03-13T19:15:00.000-07:00

Grayson & Brittany Wedding

2010-11-09T09:58:00.000-08:00

Brittany is such a joyful person. She has that contagious laughter and funny voices you try to mimic but never can. I remember all the boys she dated who were never good enough for her and finally after many heartbreaks, lonely nights, and prayers, Gray just showed up out of nowhere. But we all know it was no coincidence. God had a perfect timeline for each of them and I am so thankful that she found someone worthy of her love because she has so much to give.

Watching the two together shows their selfless love and they truly complete each other. Brittany has always given me advice from the time I was born. Whether it be from what to wear, how to wear my make up, who not to date, what to write for my paper, and how to get out of trouble with the parents.

So 1 Corinthians 13 says it best: never give up, care more for eachother than yourself, don't strut, don't have a swelled head, don't force yourself on each other, put each other first, don't fly off the handle, don't keep score of the other's sins, don't revel when the other grovels, take pleasure in truth, put up with anything, trust God always, always look for the best, never look back, and keep going to the end. Love never dies.

More to come! :-)

utterly irresistible

2010-11-01T10:29:00.001-07:00

I hope this couple changes the color on your mood ring. They definitely changed mine. Their effortless style with their perfect summer glow makes them utterly irresistible! Erin is a classy young lady who is truly glamorous and inspiring. This couple turns heads everywhere they go! There love for each other and others blew me away...kinda like these photos!

love actually

2010-10-31T11:19:00.000-07:00

She has a smile like white lightning that lights up when he looks at her. Here are a few photos of the Rehearsal Dinner for Gray & Brittany...wedding photos coming soon!

this night is sparkling

to have

and to hold

Brittany dragging Gray from the Braves game

the parents

handmade bouquet

A Marine & His Nurse Part II

2010-09-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Ben & Julie! I know life for you two will be full of special moments enjoying each other's company.

this is my favorite ever...

this makes me think of Prince Charming sweeping Cinderella off her feet

Slideshow coming soon!

A Marine & His Nurse Part I

2010-09-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

Julie has a testimony of God's love and grace. I witnessed this as Julie gave her forever to Ben. A marine & a nurse. Two joining as one, including their families. They don't believe in n'laws...everyone is family now. :-)

Julie was literally the most calm bride I've ever been around!

waiting for the First Look

walking down to meet her groom

she shines happiness

I got photo happy with these adorable flower girls and ring bearer!

they loved to spin and I loved capturing it

More to come tomorrow!

ceremony

2010-09-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

It was such a sweet ceremony as two restated their love for each other in matrimony. It was beautiful, refreshing, and lovely.

New York City

2010-09-09T05:52:00.000-07:00

this is where they put their numbers as a way of marketing

this man in Central Park could play the saxophone beautifully

NYC from Bethany Boone on Vimeo.

Couture Boudoir

2010-09-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

she grew up good, she grew up slow...like American honey

there's a wild wild whisper blowin in the wind

oh, nothing's sweeter than summertime

an inspiration

2010-08-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

Papa, you fought hard for us as a marine, showed us what true love is with 50 years of marriage to Nana (and still going strong), blessed us with many trips to Disney World, and going to the gym every day. You have truly been an inspiration to us all.

then had to get one with me & my cousins

Papa's 70th Birthday from Bethany Boone on Vimeo.

silent happiness

2010-08-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

he calls her "sugar"

and she calls him "honey"

and together they have low but strong energy like thunder

When I met with Lindsey at...of course, Starbucks, she told me what every girl tells me before the shoot, "Well, I don't know, it's gonna be hard to get Joe to get into the whole taking pictures thing & we're not really good with posing and all that."

I could've broke out a spin on the J Lo speech and said, "Look at me. You are exquisite. You're timeless. You're the envy of the Starbucks barista

...whom I overheard say at the counter,

"Look at those thighs. I'd kill for Lindsey's thighs."

But you have more than great thighs. You have the

love of a man named Joe.

A man who, when he walked into meeting me the

other day...said, "I can't believe she picked me.

I can't believe I married the most beautiful

woman I've ever seen."

That tells me that these photos of yours

are not only gonna work

...you're gonna love them forever.

but instead, I told them to forget about me, the summer hotness, or the stressful day they had at work, and focus on nothing but each other and the love that exists between them.

They clearly take advice very well!!

sunny & harmonious

We even whipped out the baby photos for a taste of life before each other & their precious innocence.

sunkissed

get glowy

They didn't have to speak a word for me to see their happiness.

When meeting, I discovered their love for traveling

so it had to be communicated in their photos.

I asked them, "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?"

She picked Greece. He picked Figi.

but what I came to realize is that it doesn't matter where these two could go

as long as it's with each other.

shoot for the stars

2010-08-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

Crystal is known as Dr.Green around The Art Institute of Charlotte where she teaches many fashion classes and students like me and now, she is starting her own Career Discovery Group. So many go to college to only find they hate the major they chose and figure out what they really want to do and love. Dr.Green wants to prevent this and really take your true passion and use it for a career path you'll love. She is always happy and has such a bubbly personality, which easily shined through her photos.

loving this sunshine!

this is my fave :-)

anthropologie

2010-08-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

By now there are several things you know about me: I am a daughter. I am sister. I am a girlfriend. I am a best friend. I am God's child. I am a singer. I am a photographer. I am a dreamer. I am a creative. I am a stylist. And now, I am a Visual Display Summer Intern for Anthropologie.

I am so stoked about this because I am practically obsessed with this store. Dick Hayne "understands one not-so-simple thing: the quirks and intricacies of the female brain." I have decided to soak all that I learn into my sponge and squeeze it out into my business and create little experiences for my clients.

From 8-1 you'll find me hidden in the art room with an old button-up shirt painting, sewing, stapling, cutting fabric/books/etc. It's all about making tons of small things to create one big picture.

Each morning the team meets in the living room (as I look around I fantasize about getting locked in the store for a night and how awesome it would be) to review the "ace" card. It has the list of goals for the store, inspiration, & an activity. I realized that each day I have to personally evaluate myself, my goals, and who I'm living for. I hope I reach each day's quota.

Above is the display I worked on my first week and it turned out amazing!

young at heart

2010-07-19T07:12:00.001-07:00

There was nothing greater than being kids again and dressing up for a grown up tea party. I had to get a couple photos of the bride in her adorable attire, perfect for the occasion. May the Lord be your constant companion through this exciting time & always.

and daddy snapped one of me to remember this moment too. Oh, and the vintage dress I was getting excited about from Vintage Calling...that is it, thanks Sheryl!

Tea for Two...and more

2010-07-17T10:00:00.001-07:00

I realized why I have wanted to be an Event Planner for so long. Friday was preparation day for my sister's Bridal Shower. Time to pick up the flowers, cupcakes, finish the last touches on my crafts, and set up the decor. The theme was a tea party for lovebirds. My attention to details may have been absurd but it was essential to the "shabby chic with a touch of romance" look that I was wanting.

the mother of the bride made Rice Krispy Peanut Butter Treats with jelly beans

the fabric balls were inspired by this

Sas cupcakes

the Vintage clock was found at Century Vintage & the blue jars at Sleepy Poet

The mother of the bride found these nests on sticks, which then lead me to thinking up stamping the names of the bridal party onto brown eggs.

I used Ruth Ann's (one of the hosts/neighbor/friend) fine china mixed with a plate from Target to give it that shabby chic look.

I typed the tea flavors on Scrapbook paper and put them in mini picture frames to give it a sophisticated look.

Then stacked the tea cups on the shelf for an Alice in Wonderland feel.

greeting the morning sun

2010-07-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

Is there anything you take too seriously that you shouldn't have? Maybe a joke, a project, or a relationship. I think one thing I took too seriously was being "fashionably late is cool". These days, there isn't much I'm on time for...it's always a text saying, "I'm so sorry but I'm running 15 late". It's always good to hear Tinker Bell's magical "bdwiiinnng" in my purse saying, "So am I, no worries!"

I'd say 80% of the time the reason is because of sleep. I'd rather sleep a little bit longer than put on make-up & I love afternoon naps and by no means are they as short as cats. When I nap I'm dreaming for a good 3 hours (and I know, that probably isn't healthy). But the other 20% is because I got lost. I will never admit that I am bad at directions. If Crapquest could give me the right directions, I'd be there, right? To say the least, a Tom (gps) is definitely on my Christmas list.

But when it comes to a photo shoot, I will make sure I am right on time. If I'm lucky 30 minutes before, maybe a minute before or on the dot, but never late. It's a good thing I understand being late and being lost because that is just what happened to Brenda. Isn't it always when we're in a rush that we drop our make up bag, take a wrong turn, or get stuck in traffic? It's okay, because the morning sun was greeting us in the most beautiful way when she arrived. :-)

Brenda,

You are beautiful

You're encouraging

You deserve the best

I hope you find someone for "the better half of your life"

take flight

2010-07-08T20:33:00.000-07:00

Everything was hazy. Something was playing in the distance and each moment it unraveled until I realized I wasn't in dancing with Edward in Twilight but it was Bella's Lullaby, which meant my set alarm for 4:30am was calling my name in the most polite way.

Reaching the sink I turned on Beach Boys "Don't Worry Baby" to set me in a perfect mood on this dark, early morning. Me, a morning person? No, never. But there's something magical about waking up before dawn with your suitcase packed to land somewhere different, somewhere special.

Walking into the airport by myself I thought, "this is how traveling should be: calm, relaxed, and exciting." I stepped in the long line for Seattle's Best Coffee since I had missed my chance at the only Starbucks. "Yes, it tastes just as good. Then again, coffee this early couldn't taste bad," I said to myself.

I took a seat waiting (since that seems to be the theme of my life right now) for my name to be called as the stand by'ers were called one by one. The first 12 were dismissed to the plane and I was left at #15 to try for the next flight time at 11:30am. "Lord," I prayed, "Please get me a seat on this next plane, I cannot entertain myself for 9 hours in this airport alone."

That's when Tiana took a seat beside me. She was flying standby too, from Atlanta to California for the BET Awards. "Seriously, you work for Russell Simmons and stars like Keri Hilson?" I asked. "You go to the Art Institute too?" We then began to talk about how young we were, branding ourselves, networking, and how we dreamed to make it big and never settle. We exchanged cards before we jumped up ecstatically as our names were called over the speakers 5 hours later.

Sitting on the plane I realized I had just witnessed a glimpse of my life in a different perspective. Life takes it's time but I want to rush it, somehow speed up the process, or worry until I get where I need to be. But God just says, "Be patient. I will call your name to take flight when you're ready."

i am a dreamer

2010-07-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

Life for me began in Atlanta, Georgia & I lived there long enough to remember nothing about it. California became my earliest memories as a child from age 0-4.

I did some pretty gross & funny things like sucking on a snail convinced it was a jaw breaker, pouring syrup all over my hamster because it needed some to go with the eggo's I thought it was hungry for, & watching Fievel Goes West, McGee & me, & Rock-A-Doodle (and if anyone knows what movies I'm talking about, please leave a comment!).

But my fondest memories were swimming in the lagoon, seeing the ocean as my backyard, & playing at the park as I eagerly attempted to climb aboard the wooden firetruck. But I kissed my world goodbye as my parents moved us to the other side of the US to be closer to family.

I guess that's when I became what I'm known as today...a dreamer.

What have I dreamt about...

becoming a teacher (I even got an overhead projector for Christmas when I was 9)
writing songs as good as Taylor Swift because fairytales are so my thing
traveling as a speaker letting others learn from my mistakes
have a little Anthropologie decorated apartment in a big city
styling clothes for movies like I Love You Man and The Back Up Plan
creating a wedding where the guests enjoy it as much as I do
taking photos that capture moments like in the movies

I have these guilty moments of hoping the future will be a certain way. Looking around, hoping to be out of this moment, always wanting to be in the next stage of life because surely it's got to be better than this.

A series of waiting to graduate, waiting to be independent, waiting to be at the right place at the right time in order for something great to happen, possibly a dream to come true...or that's what I hope.

But I am made for now, guaranteed nothing. I am in this moment so I will breathe it in and give my all to now. After all you reap what you sow.

sparks fly

2010-07-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

and this one was actually taken at night as a helicopter flew over the beach