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Sewanee 27.12.

Last Sunday Andy and I trekked up to Sewanee with Franklin, William, and Bo to stay the night at the Sammons/Dotts’ place in Sewanee. Last time we went, it snowed! This time, it was chilly…and actually sleeted for a bit, but with no accumulation. Bo gave us a mini tour of the campus (he went to school in Sewanee and knew lots of stories and it’s history). I am so enamored with the area, and really hope to be able to spend more time there in the future. Bo swears Fall is the best time, so I definitely want to check it out during that season…maybe even work out a styled shoot to happen there. We shall see! It’s just such an inspiring and beautiful place to be! Here are snapshots from the trip!








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UPSTAIRS COMPLETE! 10.12.

I have been waiting to write this post for what…six years now? We have finally completed our upstairs!!! While I still need to update our house website with new photos, and do a complete walk through of the entire home where we stand now, but that will come once the Christmas decor is packed away. Aside from a few detail nitpicks and restoring the staircase and foyers – we.are.finished! I know the stairwell will be a bitch, but at least we can LIVE in all of the rooms in our house! Everything finally has a place, and there is finally a place for everything. My OCD brain is no longer struggling to relax, and we can finally focus on new projects – like a greenhouse, or an art shop in our garage for our screen press, our garden (growing, storing, canning, seed collecting, etc), sprucing up the front and backyard, and collecting furniture for all of these new spaces we now have! 2014 will be incredible since we no longer have such an outstanding project hanging over our heads!

(the last picture is actually of our living room, but we hadn’t been able to use this space either – it was used as storage while we were renovating…so great to have it back)!

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Photo a Day: November 2013 02.12.

November is usually when the Holiday season starts sneaking up, especially after the fun of Halloween. This year we spent Thanksgiving at the beach with my family, which was a nice change of pace. Although, we did have to leave the festivities early in order to open up the store for Black Friday. The rest of the days of the month were spent working on our house and getting everything finished with the upstairs. I sold my Grandmother’s house this month, which meant we gained a new furry family member – Pookie. Poor kitty had been alone at the house since my grandmother’s death earlier this year, but we were in construction up until THE DAY BEFORE closing. It was pretty hectic, but it all worked out. We brought Pookie home and he had his own room. We camped out with him upstairs, and the next day he was ready to meet the other ladies in the house. Their meetings went pretty well without any huge fights. A few hisses, but that’s to be expected. Thankfully, everything was smooth when we were at the beach, so I think everyone has adjusted nicely! But omg 4 cats lol.


Fruit (ok not fruit, but hops), I did this today…ate at Bandito, P is for…POOKIE, table (the view from the upstairs table)


I collect…cats (apparently), music, Yes! (IT’S FALL), someone I miss (this picture just shows that Pookie missed belly rubs)!


mine, book (read one while waiting for UPS), a memory, clouds


part of me, eating, in my pocket/purse, play


5 o’clock, mirror, where I ate breakfast (in bed), communication (is key when restoring an old house)


I wish I had this, behind, simplicity, a word (Thunderkrotch)


quirky, message, no! (I don’t want to leave the beach), I’m thankful for…beach sunsets

black (Friday), all done

And here is the month of January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, and October!

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Thanksgiving at the Beach 01.12.

This year for Thanksgiving my parents wanted to shake up the norm by going down to Fort Morgan, Alabama. A family friend has a beach house (dubbed the Yellowbird) RIGHT on the beach…it was STUNNING! Although it was cold (and rainy the first day), it was still a nice change of scenery. We saw the setting sun from the deck every evening, and spent a lot of time cooking, doing puzzles, and connecting as a family. We would take a few brisk walks on the beach, but none of us were really prepared for the freezing temperatures, so they were short and sweet. Since Andy and I had to open up the record store for Black Friday sales, we actually celebrated Thanksgiving on Wednesday, so we could drive home on Thursday. We originally planned on getting up super early on Friday and driving back, just in time to open up…however, when my parents suggested having dinner on Wednesday night, it just made more sense to not try to rush and fight traffic on Friday. The time with the family was wonderful, the food was delicious, and Black Friday sales were huge!



On the way home, we stopped to fill up the gas tank and I saw a couple of kittens pawing through the garbage. I bought a bag of cat food from inside, and brought it out to a row of bushes. After shaking the bag to get the kittens to follow, I soon found myself surrounded by 8 of them!! I opened the bag and left it for all the cuties, even though the gas station attendant assured me they were fed everyday. At least I knew they were getting a Thanksgiving feast! It was hard to drive away, by I know I can’t own every single cat haha. It was nice to cuddle with our furry babies when we got home though! Tiny cracks me up cause her new favorite spot is on top of my camera cabinet – heat rises!


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Nashville Fun 28.11.

My friends David and Ellis recently got engaged, and we all decided to take a trip up to Nashville for an overnight trip/engagement photo session excursion! Our first stop was the Antique Archaeology, which led us to another GIGANTIC antique store (it was filled with SO much awesome stuff)! David and Ellis had gotten us all a room at the Union Station, one of the prettiest hotels I’ve ever seen! Formerly the train station, it had such a lovely feel and filled with history! After grabbing some food, David and Ellis changed into their more formal attire before we all went to Cheekwood Gardens. There was a beautiful light exhibition happening, and it led for a lovely, romantic backdrop for photos! Albeit tricky because of all of the people, it was still fun! Andy helped me with the alternative lighting sources, but again, it was hard to work around the sea of people. Thankfully, we had spent some time earlier in the day snapping some candid casuals of the love birds. It was also a nice break away from our normal tradition of hitting up all the record shops before catching a show. We saw two new parts of Nashville that were fun! The next day we grabbed a bite at the Loveless Cafe before heading home!





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Mountain Top Magic 27.11.

Usually when we return home from traveling, we get fired up with our own city, and spend the next several days pretending to be tourists in Huntsville and cramming in a lot of fun nearby activities we normally take for granted. We spent an entire day up on Monte Sano, starting with a mid morning picnic. We then hiked a new trail we’ve never done (our goal in 2014 is to tackle all of the trails). We finished up late in the afternoon, then took a stroll around the neighborhood – soaking up every last drop of Fall before having to “welcome” Winter (I’m not a fan of the cold lol).



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BALTIMORE! 27.11.

This was the trip I’ve been most anticipating all year! One of my best friends since middle school was getting hitched – and I got to capture the whole thing! It was amazing being reunited with so many of my favorite people…all together celebrating Dana and Tim! Dustin got to travel with us since Dana hired him to shoot video of the day (omg I can’t wait to see it)!!! We all decided to stay a few extra days before and after the wedding to explore Baltimore. It’s such a unique and pretty place!

We flew out Thursday morning and had the entire afternoon and evening to spend with everyone. Rehearsal dinner was right around the corner from Dana and Tim’s apartment, and afterwards we all stayed in the neighborhood hoping around the bars.







Friday was WEDDING DAY so we were up bright and early, ready for the festivities to begin! It was actually pretty hot for that time of year, so it ended up being perfect for their outdoor ceremony! The reception was at the Baltimore Museum of Industry – what an incredible space! I can’t wait to share the full wedding, but for now I have the instagram highlights to share.






On Saturday, Dana and Tim had some family obligations in the morning, and the rest of the gang was sleeping in. Dustin, Andy, and I decided to walk around the city and just follow landmark to landmark and learn about the history of the city. After all traveling to San Fran together earlier in the year, we all learned we have the same goals when traveling – learn a lot, see a lot, and walk as much as possible! We saw the INCREDIBLE Peabody Library (after sweet talking one of the people working to open the doors). After spending 5 hours exploring, we finally met up with everyone for some grub.









Sunday was bittersweet – time to say goodbye to those friends and Baltimore, and hello to kitties, Huntsville and our “home fries” (friends). It was a great weekend getaway for such a beautiful occasion! We didn’t fly out until late afternoon so we had some time to walk around another neighborhood (Fells Point) for a bit, and there was a festival going on – it was so fun! We also got a bit more record shopping in, which is always a must in a new city! We were home before dark, and had a nice evening to unpack and unwind and reflect on all of the memories we made. I’m so thrilled for Dana and Tim! Yay love!

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Photo a Day: October 2013 01.11.

Hands down, the greatest thing that happened in October was witnessing (and photographing) my best friend get married!!! Dana and Tim tied the knot in Baltimore, so it was fun to visit their city! It was my first time in Maryland, and it was SO pretty! With me and Andy, Kelly and Joel, Alicia and Brandon, Kim, and Pam, it was quite the reunion! Fun times all around! Of course, October always brings Halloween! With something to actually do and a costume to actually wear (Dolly Parton…and Andy was Kenny Rodgers) we had a blast – even if it was all thrown together last minute!


something colorful, light, you today, in motion


afternoon, 8 o’clock, what I saw today, corner


pink, hands, M is for…Monte Sano Mountain, below


watching, favorite space, secret, leafy


first world problem, still, a good day, open


then (digital) and now (film…as shown), change, your mood today, dark (Cheekwood light show)


welcome, depth of field, peaceful, just for me

hair, wet (I’m gonna just use the same “wet hair” pic for both of those lol), treat

And here is the month of January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, and September!

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Photo a Day: September 2013 02.10.

September was full of fun and weddings! It was definitely one of my busiest months of the year. Andy turned 32 on the 7th and we spent the day drinking bloody marys and hanging with friends (even saw a band called Space Donkey, which was as great as their name) – it was awesome!


together, my name begins with…(A – Alabama countryside), lines, alone


here forever, getting ready, white, (I wish this was) made by me


on the wall, sweet, what I did today (picnic and hiking on the mountain), shadow


unexpected, liquid, season, frame


in front of me, vintage, what is this? (Stella’s duck face), morning


rule of thirds, made me smile, from my childhood (cheating! this pic was taken in October), space


H is for…happy cat, curve, wtf?, 10 o’clock

gold, found

And here is the month of January, February, March, April, May, June, July, and August!

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Photo a Day: August 2013 01.10.

August = beach trip…and generally when Summer starts winding down (boo). For the most part August was relatively quiet (only one wedding and a couple of meetings) but it was nice to unwind and relax with friends at the beach.


something that starts with N (new WRS instagram account), incomplete, skyline (I know this pic doesn’t work really lol), fresh


early (morning snuggles), meaningful, a sign, peek-a-boo


2 o’clock, beverage, I love doing this, macro


fast, trash(ed on the beach), the best, cooking


exercise, someone I spoke to today, lost, stairs (these are planted near our front steps)


slow, a room, yellow, in the background


culture, entrance, 10 minutes from home, corridor


lucky, cluttered, dangerous (last time I was in the Flint River, I had to escape an encounter with a water moccasin…ugh)

And here is the month of January, February, March, April, May, June, and July!

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