Pen and Paper

A few months ago I began the process of redesigning my new WordPress blog that I started earlier this year. It feels like forever ago. I'll admit it, I miss my blog. But it's good to be working with a great designer on my blog redesign. I have only hired a graphic designer once before and they took my money and ran. (I'm not kidding.) So I'm grateful to be working with a designer who hasn't run off.... yet.

So many things have happened since my last posts on either blog. Some things big, some things little. Summer went by quicker than I could have ever imagined. It's only fall and I'm huddled under a blanket as I write this. Is anyone else freezing all the time like me? Okay, maybe it's me. We don't have a fireplace (hey there apartment living) so today I bought a candle hoping to warm up our place.

As I continue blogging some things will change, but many things will stay the same. Of course, I'll post plenty of pictures. But this blog will be more than just pictures. It will be more of a journal of my life, a way to chronicle my thoughts.

Happy Monday, friends!

p.s. Going to make myself a nice warm Tazo tea now.. you should treat yourself to something too! The hardest day of the week has passed! 

Time To Make Things Happen

I have a notebook. It's full of photography ideas and inspiration. Little quotes, tips on marketing, ideas that make me smile, technical ideas.. pages and pages. It's been sitting in a drawer. Sitting.

That's exactly what I feel like I've been doing. Sitting. Waiting for something to happen. And yes, somethings have happened. But now it's time to make things happen!

Enough sitting! Time to start working on my dreams.

We all make excuses. So do I. Excuses like:
I don't have enough time.
I just moved to a new city.
I will do it next week. Next month.

Why do excuses work? Because they are true. Any excuse I might make has a kernel of truth which is why I allow it to keep me from doing what I should be doing.

How much more time will pass before you start doing what needs to be done? Tomorrow? No, today. Make it happen!

Just Because: Britney & Adam

I've always adored Britney. She's beautiful, has great taste in fashion, we both played one of the best sports (field hockey) and is smart (hello, she just became a nurse!). So when she asked me to take pictures for her and Adam I was beyond thrilled!

Adam and Britney take pictures together as a couple once or twice a year. I love that they've already started the tradition of yearly family pictures.. and soon they'll be adding a little one to their family! Congratulations! :)


It's been difficult lately to post pictures on the blog. SO, to see more of their fabulous session on facebook click HERE!

Fridays + Instagram

It's the first Friday of the New Year. I feel like I should celebrate simply because it's the first. Like yesterday when I wore my favorite pair of jeans. Heeey, I haven't worn these since last year! Maybe I'll celebrate with a cupcake?

Since it's the first Friday here are a few pictures of life back in Chicago (from left to right):
{If you have an iPhone you might be familiar with instagram. It's a (free!) app that you can use to take pictures.}

1. Walking to church while it's snowing. It took us twice a long because I thought I could wear heels and walk in the snow at the same time! A little ambitious coming from the girl who can barely walk in heels on a good day.

2. THE first snow in Chicago. My heart was so happy. It was as if I had woken up on Christmas morning.

3. Christmas lights still up downtown!

4. More Chicago winter. And the John Hancock Building.

5. Chicago fog. It seems like I never see the sun these days.

6. Me all bundled up for the cold... did I mention it's winter here in Chicago? And it's freeezing?

Since it is cold, we're staying inside this Friday evening. Not like we're boring, old married people yet or anything... it's just so much warmer inside. :)

Much love,
Tiffany Rebecca

So this is what it feels like..

So this is what it feels like.. to be waiting for wedding pictures.

I'm actually not in a hurry to get our pictures. I know that it takes several weeks (4-10) for this to happen but the fact that everyone is asking me about posting pictures make me much more aware that I don't have them.

I literally did not pick up a camera on my wedding day so I don't have any pictures to share except for a few taken by our friend Chantal. (Processed through instagram)

Just a few minutes after we were officially married! Such a happy moment!

My husband, Travis. So handsome.

Our entire wedding day will be posted once our pictures arrive!

New Year, New Me, New Goals

It's my first post a a married person. Married person! That sounds so weird. I can barely believe my wedding has come and gone. More on my wedding later. :)

It's a new year and once again I'm obsessed with creating goals (read New Years Post 2009, New Years Post 2010.) Mostly because I believe in goal setting. Goals put my dreams and my life somewhat on track. Sometimes I am filled with so many ideas that if I don't write down specific goals I will find myself all over the place.

This morning I started listing goals with my husband, Travis. I began by saying I would journal everyday. Soon I will take a picture everyday was on my list. And I will work out everyday. And I will blog everyday. It was quickly becoming a "I will ______ EVERYDAY" list.

All of a sudden I had about 10024 things to do every. single. day. of 2011. Oops.

I went back and revised my list. I realized that I don't set goals to become the perfect person. I set goals so I can grow, succeed, and achieve new things. I went to look at my goals for 2010. I had accomplished many, I had exceeded a few, there was one that I missed completely, and there are some life long goals that I'm still working on.

Lesson of the Day: It's a New Year. A fresh start. Set your goals, but don't get too crazy. ;)

For our first New Year together we walked down the street and sat by Lake Michigan, drinking sparkling cider while watching the fireworks. It was the perfect way to ring in a New Year! 

Hoping yours was just as wonderful!

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The Moment It Hit Me

It still hadn't hit me. Two months of wedding planning had come and went and I still didn't feel like I was getting married. Is this how it feels to be engaged? This constant state of limbo?

As we printed our invitations and worked on putting them together it hit me. There is my name.. next to his.. on a WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT! All of a sudden it became a lot more official.

There are less than 48 hours until I'm married and it's still weird to think that soon I'll be a Mrs.! Suddenly I find myself in oh-my-gosh-I'm-so-excited-I-can't-sleep-somebody-pinch-me mode. Oh dear.

 It's going to be a long two days.

 

Merry Christmas!

Today in Colorado the sun is shining bright and it's a wonderful 50 degrees outside. It's might not be the white Christmas everyone has been dreaming about but it's still Christmas.

It's warm(!!) and I'm happy.

Hoping your Christmas is just as happy and warm! 

Hugs!

Tiffany Rebecca

 

Saying Yes

It was something I never thought I would be doing alone. Wedding dress shopping. Shouldn't my mother, sister, or best friend be here? I tried to think of people I knew in this big new city and the only person I could think of was my fiancé. I'm not really into superstition but I am one for surprises so I couldn't really invite Travis along.

So off I went, by myself.

When I began searching for a wedding dress my sister began watching as many episodes of Say Yes to the Dress as she could. Whenever she asked me about the dresses I was trying on she would ask if I knew it was "the one."

No, no dress really struck me as "the one." I explained to my sister that all of these dresses were nice and that I just needed to choose one. She would tell me that nice wasn't good enough. All of the brides she saw on Say Yes to the Dress just knew when they found the perfect dress. So perfect that some even cried.

After trying on even more wedding dresses I doubted that I would ever feel that way about a dress. Those brides on that TV show? Over emotional, over dramatic, or scripted. No one cries when they find their wedding dress.

About a month and a half later I found a dress that was nice. Wait, really nice. I almost bought it on the spot but decided to sleep on it. In the morning I would visit one last store.

I entered the last and final bridal shop and just about died. I loved every single dress. And then it happened. I found the dress. As I tried it on I suddenly realized that this was the one! I looked into the mirror and almost cried.

Despite my doubts, the perfect dress did exist. It took many stores in several states but it was worth it. My sister was right- you just know. And even though I didn't want to, I reacted the same way all those other brides had. I can't explain how it happens, but it does.

The perfect wedding dress will always be waiting for you. You just have to find it. :)

Engaged: Kelly + Robert

Kelly had known Robert back in high school. They had been friends but went their separate ways after high school. Apparently they didn't travel too far because they met again years later. Suddenly Kelly didn't see Robert as just a friend anymore. He was older, more mature, and definitely a lot cuter than she had last remembered. She wanted to ask him out but couldn't bring herself to hit send. Thankfully one of Kelly's friends was there to make sure Robert got the text message.

Back on Robert's end- he was surprised, but excited to get that text message from Kelly. He quickly agreed to go on the date. He would be even more surprised when he found out that they were going shooting. Did Kelly know that Robert loved shooting? Did Robert know that Kelly was already into shooting herself? Either way, Robert knew that he couldn't let this girl go.

Fast forward a few years and we find Kelly and Robert still together, and incredibly happy until one day Kelly sees something. She stumbles across an engagement ring that Robert was keeping for her. She tries to pretend that she never found it but instead decides to propose to Robert herself. Before she could get a chance to ask him he asks her, completely catching her by surprise.

Kelly and Robert have the cutest little home down in New Mexico where we took most of their engagement pictures:

See the rest of their session by clicking here!

Kelly and Robert, thanks for letting me join you for a Sunday afternoon! After so many emails and phone calls it was wonderful to finally get to see you two. I cannot wait for your wedding next May!

Surprise! I'm still alive.

I'm not sure if wedding planning has ever killed anyone but I wouldn't be surprised if it has. While wedding planning hasn't killed me (yet..) it has been slowly taking over me, like a progressive disease. Uh, did I just compare wedding planning to a disease? I think I did. Maybe a mental disease because no one in their right mind would choose to plan a wedding in four months, just after moving 1000 miles away from home.

Perhaps you're laughing right now but I'm completely serious. Today Travis asked me how long I had been living in cold weather states. He said, "probably about a decade, right?" I thought about it for a second and proudly proclaimed, "Nope! Not a decade!" He looked a little confused and asked how many years it had been. I practically yelled, "10!"

As soon as he laughed I quickly realized my error. Yes, today (if only for a minute) I genuinely believed that a decade was 12 years.

And it doesn't stop there. The other day I caught myself writing November instead of December. So forgive me for not blogging. With moving, an upcoming wedding, Christmas coming up, and a wedding in less than three weeks my mind is a little scattered.

Soon I'll be married (crazy!) and will be back to my normal, blogging self.


Quick picture update: Travis and I took a few more pictures with our friend Karen Revelle who came to visit Chicago for a few days. Here's one of our favorites:

Want to know more about us? Just click!

Engaged: Kelsey + David

David has never been able keep his eyes off of Kelsey. That shouldn't surprise anyone- that's how it's been since Day 1. Kelsey was going to school in Wyoming and David was going to school in New York but they both happened to be at the same conference together two years ago in New York. David saw her early on. He noticed how beautiful and smart she was. She noticed a lot of things too, but not David quite yet.  

As fate would have it they later found each other on Facebook. Little messages here and there turned into longer messages and soon into nightly phone conversations that they hated to end. They would finally meet again at a football game in Colorado. After many messages, texts, and phone calls they were happy to be together again.

They dated long distance for quite sometime. Then David realized that they needed to be together a lot more often. So on Kelsey's birthday he took he on a walk to Lincoln's Memorial in Washington D.C. and asked her to marry him. She said yes, only making sure that he had asked her Dad first. 

When Kelsey told me that she had found a place she wanted to go for their engagement session I was curious. When she told me that she had found an apple orchard in Colorado I was extremely excited! After living in Colorado for almost a decade I didn't even know that apple orchards were right around the corner.  

I was also excited to meet David. I had known Kelsey for quite awhile and I couldn't wait to meet the man who stole her heart. David seemed kind, and funny but he definitely made me night when he turned and asked me, "Has anyone ever told you that you look that Rachel Berry?" 

The apple orchard had delicious, red apples and everything else you could imagine. It was a photographer's dream to shoot there. 

Kelsey, you planned a picture perfect engagement session. I cannot wait to see what you have planned for your wedding in December! (Maybe I'm a little bit biased but all the best weddings are happening this December. ;)

See the rest of their session here!

Wedding: In Progress

I feel like a parent who just had a baby. In the middle of the night I wake up and wonder, "What the heck am I doing?" Thankfully wedding planning does have a handbook.

Throughout my life I've never really thought about my dream wedding. Call me crazy but I figured that planning a wedding should only happen if I'm actually getting married so I never gave it much thought. It doesn't help being a wedding photographer either. Sure, I've seen plenty of weddings. All that means is that I know what point E should look like. But how to get from point A to E? No flipping clue.

I'm a list maker so naturally the first thing I did was make a giant checklist. Mistake. All I could see were 56 tasks just begging for me to complete them. So right now I've decided to focus on the bigger and more important tasks that need to be completed like finding a photographer, a venue, a caterer and invitations. Once most of the larger pieces are set in place I know the little details will just fall into place. *Hopefully.*

Every so often I'll write a post updating my wedding planning experience. Planning a wedding in a little less than 4 months should be interesting. Or maybe just stressful. We'll see.

If you see me in the back of Barnes and Nobles reading this book don't be surprised. 

From the Bride: Kristina

From the Bride: Kristina

What was the favorite part of your wedding day?
Honestly, the best part of my wedding day was it being over.  I think that we made it into something so huge, that we were completely overwhelmed by the end of the day and were grateful for it to be over.

What is something you would have changed?
I probably would have done something to change our wedding schedule around a little.  We wanted to get married ASAP, so we insisted on sticking with our date regardless of the two other weddings within two weeks in our family.  This was very stressful and made it hard on our families.  Of course we're happy being married, but it would have been a lot more enjoyable if we hadn't been as busy.

What recommendations would you give future brides?
DON'T STRESS OUT!  There are a lot of things that go exactly the way we want, and there are a lot of things that don't.  The trick is to enjoy the day as a whole, and not focus on the tiny details.  You won't remember all the tiny details in 10 years, but you will remember if you were upset.

Kristina got married earlier this year in Oakland, California. See the rest of her wedding here!

Married: Elaine + Yance

As I sat on a airplane that would take me from Colorado to Oklahoma I became very antsy. Elaine and Yance's wedding was less than a day a way and I could hardly wait.

I've known Elaine for a few years and she is by far one of the kindest girls I know. Her faith is central to everything she does. Even though I didn't know Yance I knew that he had to be the same way if Elaine had chosen to spend her life with him.

The night before the wedding I was privileged to attend their rehearsal dinner and get to know the both of them better. Everyone I spoke with was so excited had nothing but the best things to say about the two of them. Their wedding day was exactly the same. Elaine and Yance were just glowing throughout every step of the way.

Elaine and Yance, thank you for inviting me into one of the most important days of your lives. All of your family and friends made me feel incredibly welcome. Your sweet and simple love for each other is refreshing and inspiring. Congratulations!

Love,
Tiffany Rebecca

Click here to see the rest of their wedding on facebook!