Gabi | Senior Pictures

Last weekend, I had the chance to hang out with my brother's sweet girlfriend, Gabi.   I met up with Gabi and her mom on a cloudy Friday afternoon to snap those infamous senior portraits.  

Gabi has been in our family for over two years now.  She has a quiet demeanor.  She speaks no foul of anyone or anything and could honestly be a Greek goddess with her olive skin and dark brown hair.  Shes absolutely gorgeous from the inside out.  

Gabi's quietness has been something I've had to get used to.  I'm a talker.  I'm loud.  I'm honest.  So is my sister.  Between the two of us, there is no such thing as quiet.  So when my brother brought home this sweet, tender soul.. we didn't know how to handle it.   Honestly. 
 

 

However, what I have come to realize is that her gentle and quiet spirit is refreshing.  It encourages me to sit back, shut up and just listen.  It encourages me to get out of the spot light and let others tarry there.

I can't help but think of this scripture when I think of Gabi.

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."  1 Peter 3:3-4

A gentle and quiet spirit is of great worth in my creator's eyes.  Therefore, it should be something we notice and adore about our sweet Gabi.  I'm not saying I am going to quit my life goal of making her a chatty Kathy like the rest of my family!  But it is her spirit, that quiet, tender, careful, delicate demeanor, in itself that makes Gabi the absolute beauty she is. 

Congrats, Gabi!  We are so thankful for you and are so excited to see you take Raleigh by storm!
 

Our Snow Day | Video

Earlier this week I spent hours cleaning off thousands and thousands of pictures off my computer.  In the process I came across a video that I made for Colby for Valentine's Day a couple of years ago.  It was a silly video with a several pictures and a lot of slow-motion video clips from years past.  Colby and I watched it on Wednesday of this week and we were reminded how much we love that video.  So I suggested that we make a video for our "snow day" the following day!  He agreed and I prayed specifically the next morning that Colby would show me grace as I kept a camera in his face for the rest of the day.  I AM NOT GOOD AT MAKING THESE, but it seemed like a fun project/challenge that documented our day in a different way than just still frames.  

Yesterday was a dream, ya'll.  We got up and read Bibles and books.  Colby did some work from home, while I lit candles, turned on Pandora and did some wifely duties.  Then we played in the snow and saw our nephews and fixed perfect winter lunches.  We built an Olympic snowman and built fires and indulged in fresh pumpkin bread and coffee.  Seriously, it was a dream.

So while Colby continued to stoke the fire, I threw this baby together last night...

Click to watch our snow day HERE.

PS.  Colby & I celebrated Valentine's Day last night considering we thought he was going on a hunting trip this weekend (which got postponed.. go figure!).  Colby bought us Country Mega Tickets for the rest of this year's celebrations and holidays (not including anniversary!)  -- #tightbudgetprobs #myhusbandisunbelievable. 

Valentine's Day is suppose to be about romance and telling people not just that you love them but WHY you love them.  So we ate supper in front of the fire place, put a little Boyz II Men Pandora on and we wrote on index cards that I made.  Each card had a different line on it.. for example, "I love it when you...", "I feel loved when you...", "You look best in...", ETC.  We both wrote on our set of cards and then exchanged.  SUPER CHEAP & effective I'd say.   Simple, nothing crazy.  Yes, we should say these things more often.  But sometimes a written note about what your husband loves about you or what you do for him is a super tangible reminder of why you should keep doing those things... BECAUSE HE LOVES IT.  I wrote the date on the back of the index cards and I hope that this is a tradition we continue to do for Valentine's Days to come!

Happy Valentine's Day!  Now go tell someone WHY you love them!!

August & Madison | Engagement

It is amazing what you can gather from just spending a hour with someone.  I met up with Madison & August one evening in Mount Airy to snap a couple of engagement pictures.  Even though I have known Madison for quite sometime, I had never met August before, but I can already see the dynamics of their sweet relationship.  August is a gentle but strong leader.  August adores Madison, from her mind-of-its-own hair to her wrinkled nose to her genuine love for people and for him.. you can just tell it in his eyes and his constant smile.  Madison is a loving, supportive free-spirit.  When Madison hugs, she hugs with every fiber of her being, soul & heart.  She loves people.

I smiled the whole way home after our time together at White Sulfur Springs.  Jesus is doing something crazy good in them and it is so easily reflected in these pictures!

Here's a sneak peek for the future Short's!

Happy engagement season, August & Madison!

Ashley & Tyler | Engagement Session

February 8th is gonna be a good day.  It's the day my sweet sister becomes a bride.  I'm already practicing my matron of honor champagne toast speech while driving to and from work.  As the details of her wedding start to pile up in my parent's house, we all have this insane image of how gorgeous her day will be.  Ashley and Tyler are the seriously the two most creative people I know.  Tyler designed my Save the Dates, Invitations and Programs for my wedding.  He is unreal talented in graphic design.  Ashley has an incredible eye and appreciation for small details... ya know the ones that make the entire look come together.  Seriously ya'll, their wedding will be unbelievable.

I recently had the joy in taking some engagement shots of Ashley & Tyler.  We had a fun fall afternoon at our parent's pond... the place where Tyler proposed to Ashley (with blankets and time capsules and a Polaroid camera! It's a sweet story). Here is a handful of the pictures:

 

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If you don't use it, you'll lose it.

I am so serious about this.  This is in context (well, kinda) to photography.  I love photography.  It is a passion of mine.  I am not a professional by any means, but it is something I love to do.  A couple months ago, I made a deal with Colby's sister, Jenny, that if she would monogram some bridesmaids' gifts then I would take some pictures of her family.

 

In the midst of finals, moving out, and wedding planning, I put that photo shoot in the back on my mind.  I thought to myself, "I done several sessions, I'll be fine."  I looked up some different poses as I was taking my breaks or when I got bored.  But I never really researched it, practiced or challenged myself to improve before the session.  I haven't shot a session in a couple of months, I have never shot a family session, and I most certainly have never shot a session with two 18 month-olds.  If you don't use your skills often or challenge your skills often, you'll lose it.  I promise you.

I got a few good shots, but for the most part I was so disappointed in myself.  More than half of the pictures I took had three clear humans and then one blurry human or vice versa.  I didn't research settings I could use, I didn't adjust my settings much at the actual shoot.  I was so disappointed in myself.  I was distracted with a world of other things and I didn't pour my heart and soul into the task at hand.

But what I learned most from this experience was that I was not loving my neighbor as myself.  I put my needs and wants above Jenny and her family.  I put my selfish heart before Jenny, Jordan, Crews & Tate.  Putting others before yourself is something you have to practice!  I'm serious! It does not come by nature because our natural instinct is sinful.  So as a result, when we don't practice dying to ourselves and putting others before ourselves, our sinful nature reveals itself and we begin to walk in darkness again.  And I did just that.  I lost the opportunity to truly spread the gospel through action.

The introduction to 2 John says this: Therefore, all who claim loyalty to Him must be committed to these ideals: following the truth, living the truth, reflecting love and acting with love towards one another.  My eyes have been widened and I now understand why my photo shoot didn't end the way it should have.  I really don't even know why I felt led to tell ya'll this.  Maybe accountability?  I don't know.  But what I do know is that "if we freely admit that we have sinned, we find God utterly reliable and straightforward—he forgives our sins and makes us thoroughly clean from all that is evil." (1 John 1:9)  I've learned from my mistake.  I am walking in the light again, completely ready for another opportunity to spread the gospel through photography.