A {somewhat} Not Busy Weekend!

truer words have never been spoken... 

however, those two days that we do have chosen to make the most of,

because....

Those words have been my guiding light lately. It's been an I-N-S-A-A-A-N-E couple of weeks with school, and while there is no end in sight, I have chosen to take it one day at a time and try to worry less, although I shall never be without worry, unfortunately.

Wednesday began a series of tests. 3 tests and two projects due last week! This week, it's two projects and one test! Next week, well, I don't know because as I said -- one day at a time. 

Thankfully, mom spotted these dudes at the grocery store and they were labeled "new!", so she picked them up for me, and they're great! I don't know how much caffeine is in them, though, as I was basically unaffected by it, unfortunately. However, add a dash of salt, a little milk, and a spoonful of sugar & you're set. It's heaven! 

disclaimer: the fact that I only got around 4 hours of sleep each night last week could have had something to do with the coffee just not being enough.

Anyway, on Saturday I had a session with two different sets of kids at the refuge, and David rode with Matt and the rest of the family to the barn for a clean up day! Even though I was late to the party, I don't think I missed anything important {just the cleaning, ha!} I arrived around lunch, and we had BBQ & carrot cake. After lunch we all hung around until late in the afternoon. 

Noah and his girlfriend, Maridee, came. I had the pleasure of shooting her senior session just last weekend, and I can't wait to have some time to edit them! She's gorgeous. 

Here's a preview: 

Anyway, back to Saturday! 

Everyone {aside from me} worked hard, and we all played hard! After lunch it was time for a good ole round of kickball! David, Matt, and I against Noah, Nason, and Maridee. We won. Duh! 

{actually we didn't, but we're old, so...} 

Lots of work was done on the lawn mower, with the tractor, and with the leaf blower.

Mimi was glad to have everything cleaned out, I believe, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves while doing so! 

I hated that I couldn't spend the entire day with David and my family, but after the sessions were over I zipped to the barn and enjoyed the rest of the weekend. 

It was such a breath of fresh air to have no sessions Saturday afternoon or Sunday. I truly needed a break here, away from taking pictures, to enjoy the weekend and rest up for a new week. It's so rejuvenating to be home, with everyone I love, and to spend quality time with those without having an agenda. 

David is always such a good sport about me abandoning him to do sessions. Sometimes, though, he tags along, and those days are my favorite! When he doesn't, he and Matt usually entertain themselves by doing something, so I am thankful for their friendship, too. It has blossomed into something I could have never imagined. I knew they could be great friends if time would allow, and thankfully The Lord thought so too! What a blessing it is to have everyone get along and love David ALMOST as much as I do! :)

Saturday night, we spent the evening at the camp house by the fire with a few friends. It was cool, the fire was warm, and the company was perfect. 

Saturday nights during this time of year were made to be spent by a fire with good friends and maybe a s'mores or two!

I had to live up to david's claim that we take 100 photos a weekend. 

I denied it then, but looking back through my camera roll, I'm starting to think he may be right!

On Sunday, our church celebrated "Old Fashioned Sunday"! We used to do this annually when I was younger, but as the years went by we stopped. However, it got brought to our interim pastor's attention, and a few girls in our church took the ball & ran with it.

Here's a "sneak peak" of us on Sunday. 

I asked David if he would have picked me up on his wagon had we lived during those times, 

and his answer, as it always is when I ask silly questions like that, was "Yes Ma'am!"

Gabrielle's Summer Sesh

I mentioned in my weekend post that Gabrielle and I had another little session on Saturday! It seems like we do one every time the seasons change. That's totally fine with me, though!

We will both spend a couple of days searching the web {read: pinterest} for ideas for photos, but a lot of the time we end up not doing most of the things we come up with and wind up doing our own thing.

Gabrielle and I are a good "photographer-subject" team because I sometimes know WHERE looks best and she knows WHAT or HOW looks best. So, we both make a pretty good team. I honestly think she should tag along for my senior sessions because she's GOOD, ya'll!

Even her Mom had some good ideas when we came back and were showing her the raw images of this session. She was providing ideas for future references, like "Ya'll should go here and do this, and she should wear that over here by this!" It was fun to hear her ideas, and I seriously want her to tag along next time. 

There were two outfit changes, and she let me do her hair {which I'm not so good at after all} and her makeup {which I feel fairly confident about}, and that took around an hour.

We set out on the golf cart to find some places around their house, and I even got a few ideas for David and I's session that we have planned for the fall {we are making it a tradition to do a session each year around our date-anniversary}. Last year, Gabrielle did a little mini-sesh with David and I before we went on our anniversary date, you can see photos that she took here. She did an amazing job! I can only hope that she will always be willing to let us be the subjects in front of the camera for her! 

I love how she can be serious one minute....

and cracked up about nothing the next! 

{okay, maybe I was asking her to do something stupid, or telling her to move a certain way}

Regardless, she is laid back and easy to work with - whether we are dealing with horses or tractor tires, she is always game for whatever I have in mind. 

I think a lot of the reason why it's easy for us to work together is because we are comfortable around each other anyway. Sometimes I feel so limited to what I can ask of others because I don't know how they will take my requests. With Gabrielle, I know that I can ask her do do crazy things and she will with no question. 

My kinda girl! 

All in all, I am glad we braved the heat Saturday and spent time doing this session. I think that the end result turned out just like she and I envisioned that it would. 

shuttered smiles facebook 

shuttered smiles instagram 

shuttered smiles website {pricing details}

PS - 

for those of you interested in a session, I am doing a "giveaway" on the Shuttered Smiles Instagram page. As soon as I reach 200 "follows", I will give away a 30 minute session of your choice. This means that you can use it however you please. If you have a family photo you've been wanting, a Christmas card you plan to send, a best friend shoot you'd like to do, or even a couple good shots of your babies or pets, it will be yours for the taking! Go follow @shutteredsmiles on IG for your chance to win! :)

Workin' Man's Weekend

This weekend was a low-key one because David was on call. So, we couldn't travel far from home because he already lives about 30 miles from his workplace, so he needed to stay as close to home as possible. 

We were both kind of glad that we had no where to go because it's been awhile since we have been at his house and strictly "chilled" all weekend. I was happy for that, and David needed it too! He was super busy last week.

 

So, to make things a little special, I decided to cook supper for his family and take it to them on Friday!

Of course, I couldn't do it without my mother {who's pretty much the best cook ever}. She helped me make homemade rolls, cinnamon rolls, and the pioneer woman's lasagna. All three of those are family favorites of ours, and I love sharing recipes with David's mom.  

We make the lasagna a tad different {because I HATE basil}, but if you are a sucker for a quick meal & enjoy Stouffer's, then don't cook this. You'll never want frozen lasagna again! 

Anyway, Mom and I cooked until around 10pm Thursday night because Friday we had a shopping trip planned!

On Friday, we left for town around 10am, and we shopped until around 2:30. We made it home around 3, and I had a test to take before I left for David's. I was a little eery about the test because I knew it was going to be all discussion, and she allotted us 4 hours to take it. I finished in an hour & 9 minutes, and she even told us we only had to pick so many questions to answer and I answered them all - so I was not feeling so great about finishing that soon, but I submitted anyway.

While we were in town, I ran by the RedBox and picked up a movie for us to watch once I got to David's. So, when I arrived, we popped the lasagna in, ate, visited some, and then cuddled up to watch the movie! {It was 21 and Over, and all in all it was funny if you can overlook the cussing..}

On Saturday, we stayed around the house as well, and Gabrielle and I set out for a photoshoot! Before that we took the movie back and rented two more because we wanted to have something else to watch at night. Anyway, I've mentioned taking her photos before, but this time we wanted to leave the horses in their stalls and just do a session focusing on her. 

She is a great subject. She does exactly what I want her to, but she also does what SHE wants too. I think we make a good team when it comes to this because we keep each other laughing. I will do a full post on our most recent session this week. 

While we were frolicking around doing that, David was working hard on bush-hogging around their house. We probably took pictures for around 2 hours, but it took an hour for us to get her ready {she willingly let me do her hair and makeup - she really must trust me, huh?} 

We had a pretty low-key night. We grilled hamburgers and watched another movie. {It was Identity Thief, and honestly we turned it off about midway through because I'm over movies that drag around just so they can have room for meaningless comedy. It bothers me.}

Sunday morning, we went to church at a little place right up the road from David's house. There were only about 20 people in attendance, and they sang hymns out of the hymnal, and the special that was sung had a real bluegrass-y feel. I was in love! It has been so long since our church switched from hymnals to the projector, and while I LOVE my home church's music {I would promise we have the best musicians in the South}, it was fun to experience church the old-fashioned way. I look forward to going back often! 

After church, David, his mom, and I set out on an afternoon golf cart ride where we explored the area behind David's house. We rode for about an hour, and it was an enjoyable little trip! We got rained on a little, but it didn't last long. 

Around 4, I packed my car up and said my goodbyes. I won't be back there for two more weeks. David will be traveling here on Friday and we have a pretty packed weekend planned!

 We FINALLY get to see our sweet TK on Saturday. 

You can read about where he is here and who he is here. 

After that, we planned to travel on to town to get Davey some new duds for church {and dates ;-)}

On Sunday, after church, I've been given the opportunity to take some photos at a "deer farm" type place, and I am thoroughly excited about that! 

I leave you with my sweet Marlee, who even though I love little TK, stole my heart first. She is my little princess, and she is a little beauty, isn't she? Daddy took her for a swim yesterday, and she loved it. 

Also, please note her tongue. 

It - is - long!

OH... and PS - I made a 107 on my Midterm :)

A Garden of Memories.

I mentioned in my last post that we went to visit David's Aunt Becky, and she lives right up the driveway from David's MeMaw's house. So, while we were there we went over to her house to grab some eggs that her chickens had laid, and Becky gave me a few bell peppers too, but I had to walk around a little before we left. 

See, MeMaw was the perfect gardener. She had a thumb greener than the springtime grass - and these flowers spoke for her. They were the most vibrant, crisp, healthy flowers I have ever seen. Of course they have been getting a ton of rain, and even though these are filtered a little - they were nothing short of amazing.

Seeing their beauty made me feel like MeMaw was still there, even walking around with me telling me about each of them, just as she had done last year. She was never one to boast about anything, but she was proud of her flowers - and rightfully so. 

I could have photographed them for hours, each of them held such precious beauty and memories inside of each petal of vibrant color. I wish that she could have physically been there to walk around with me, leading me slowly around her yard, explaining the story behind the slang names she had for each one when I asked what they were REALLY called. 

Like these. 

Some call them "Mother of Pearl" plant, and that's what my mother recognized them as, but MeMaw called them "Ghost Plants".

I kind of took to Ghost Plants because when she showed them to me for the first time, it had just rained and there were still drops of water curled up on the leaves of the plant. Something about it was beautiful and almost a little unreal to me. 

They have since become my favorite plant. Maybe it's because we shared a connection over it - as weird as that may sound. Maybe it's because a few weeks later, she had made up two pots (one was the most gorgeous teapot that she had outside that I had once told her I loved) for me full of this little plant. She had stuck it down into each crack and crevice of the pots, and now it grows wildly on our porch outside. Each time I see it, I think of her and the day I saw it for the first time. She stood beside me and watched me fall in love with it. I know that's wild to say, but that's the only way I can explain it. She must have known.

All in all, going to her house to see the flowers is something I would like to do more often. It reminds me of the beauty that can be found everyday, despite the rain or hot scorching weather that we don't always love. Things like these beautiful flowers need the rain and sunshine in order to grow. We, as humans, tend to selfishly forget that all good and perfect things come from Above, and this, my friends, is only one example of those perfect things.  

"For all people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of The Lord endures forever." 

- 1 Peter 1:24-25

All the Pretty Horses...

Meet Gabrielle....

Gabrielle is David's sisters, and ya'll she is crazy! 

She always has a comeback for whatever you say to her, and she doesn't let anyone run over her.

She cracks me up.

Over the last few months, she has been hanging out with David & I on the weekends, and I feel like we are slowly starting to have a "not just acquaintance" friendship. Many times when we all hang out, we are the only two girls in a crowed of 2-3 boys. 

A while ago, I took some pictures of her & her horse because I am learning to love "big" animals, and I had never done any sessions with a horse involved. So, I picked her to be my guinea pig.

She did great! {the horses did too}, and I found myself wanting to take more of her recently, so I texted her a few weeks ago & we decided to do them during Spring Break.

The weather was perfect, and since she worked through the week she was getting home around 5, so we started the session around 5:30, and the lighting was phenomenal. It couldn't have gone any better!

I hope she liked the way they turned out as much as I did!

I guess I can use this post as a shameless plug to go "like" my Facebook page whenever you get a chance. 

The link is here:

Shuttered Smiles Photography

These are a few that we did the first go'round.

I got many ideas off of Pinterest for both sessions, and some were ideas of our own.

Gabrielle is a strong individual.

 She and her brother both have gone through so much together and individually. She doesn't let anything stop her, and I admire that about her. She puts in the extra effort with her horses {and even horses that aren't hers}, and it pays off. 

There's not a weekend that goes by that she doesn't post something on Facebook about winning a run that she entered in. 

Thanks to Gabrielle for letting me post about her this week. 

It's always awkward to ask if I can or not. 

Happy Wednesday!

Spring Broke!

This is a follow up post to this one. If you haven't read it, that's okay...but go read it. :)

Alright, shall we go over my Spring Break? 

I had a FANTASTIC one! 

It was just what the doctor ordered after midterm week.

First, let me mention that Friday when I got home from a (LONG) day at class & clinic, Mom had set up a massage for me in town at a place that hasn't been opened long.
Ya'll it was lovely! I've never had one before, but I could see myself getting addicted to those things.
Lovely, I tell ya!

Next, a little OOTD! 

This was my attire to the movies on Monday night. 

Sweatshirt I purchased in a little hometown store around David's house, and I had the monogram done at a place around school. The "jeggings" are from Belk, as well as the boots. The socks are from Old Navy, and I had no idea they were boot socks until I got home with them. I now throw them into outfits where they really don't match because what is life if you're not living on the edge?

Next up, 

{Selfie central around here today. Oops}

I thought about cutting my hair.

I grabbed my bangs, pushed my "long layers" back, and made an attempt at figuring out what I would look like with short hair? 

Do we like?

My family says keep it long. I think I will until I just cannot take it anymore.

I've always loved my long hair, but lately I find myself throwing it in a ponytail or bun instead of fixing it. 

OK! Now, I will pick up where I left off last week. 

I went to David's on Wednesday, we cooked supper that night, and on Thursday morning we headed out EARLY! 

We had about a 3 hour drive, and I had to spend another hour in the car while David took care of an obligation in Mobile, so what does a girl do when she hasn't watched TV in a month?

I watched the last movie of the Twilight Saga, and I almost had a heart palpitation. 

I'm still not sure if I'm glad it ended the way that it did, or if I'm upset about it.

Whatever.

After he was done, we traveled another hour and finally got out & were able to smell the salty air. I used to not be so crazy about the beach, but ya'll I find myself longing for it sometimes nowadays. 

There's really nothing like the atmosphere there. All is calm, mostly quiet, and everyone seems to be taking in every moment just as I am.

Since I was little, I have loved looking for shells. This is sometimes hard to do for a girl who doesn't get over ankle deep in the water {Shout out to all the people who watched JAWS too many times growing up like I did -- I know better! Movies like that were made to warn you.}

Anyhow, there aren't usually too many on the beach in the summertime. I have no idea why, maybe it's because it isn't as windy? Anyway, there were a TON when we were there the other day, and David even made the comment that he didn't think I looked up to see the water one time because I was looking for shells the entire time we were there. 

I did look up though, even if it was only for a few snapshots...

He is the cutest, isn't he? After my scare a few weeks ago, I haven't wanted to be alone in public, in the dark, or really anywhere, and he hasn't made a peep about that being a problem. He simply lets me grab his hand and walk closely beside him.

I'm thankful for a man who makes me feel as protected as my Dad does. 

I've prayed for that. 

I hope that I will be able to elaborate more one day about what really went on during midterm week.

 It turns out that it wasn't what we thought was going on. Maybe when the dust settles, I will be able to share. All I can tell you is that it was scary, and I am thankful, thankful, thankful that The Lord had his hand of protection on my family.

After leaving the beach, David and I cruised around the salty city, and he showed me places that he spent time when he had been to the beach with his friends.

It's so much fun to go to a place together that we grew up at over the course of our summers when we were small. I love that he knows about places that I talk of and vice versa. 

Soon after, we decided to eat {pretty early, but we wanted to get back on the road}. David can't eat shrimp {or anything fried with it}, so he didn't care where I chose to eat.

Doc's treated us so well this past summer, but unfortunately Thursday I wasn't impressed.

We spent some time shopping, and just taking the day slow.

We got home around 9:00pm, so it was the perfect time!

For the rest of the week, we just spent it enjoying each others company. We hung around the house, baked cupcakes, killed some turtles {I have some redneck in me, in case you didn't know :)}, and I had a mini-session with David's sister, Gabrielle.

Here's a sneak peak from that....

(You can read the full post on that tomorrow.)

Friday night we went and ate crawfish right out of town on a place by the river. We enjoyed it, and I can't wait to go back! The crawfish were delicious, and lately my craving for it has been unreal! 

Saturday, we "turtle hunted" all afternoon because the turtles are eating the catfish in their pond. 

Sunday, I spent the morning with David before coming home right after lunch. I didn't want to see the week come to an end, and leaving his house meant that it was over, but I had to get back to complete some school work. 

Such is life.

ps - it wasn't because I didn't miss my family, though! :)

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For all of you who read yesterday's "Coffee and Conversation" link-up, you'll appreciate this message I received during class yesterday: