Things I'm Loving {Volume 4}

See my first few here, here and here! I love the randomness that these kind of posts bring...and I always love sharing them! Whether it be an interesting article, a new snack I found, a friends blog post, or anything, really! So here we go with...things I'm loving...

-This awesome work/life balance planner Erin and Jared snagged me for my birthday. I love that it looks at the whole picture of your week (mentally/spiritually/physically). It helps me lay out our meals for the week, and has a small goal section at the bottom. I like to hang it on the fridge! You know I'm in love!

-My sweet friend Ashley's EXCITING news on expecting their 4th babe!!

-Stumble Upon. I spent way too many late nights in college gawking at random links and now I'm addicted again. Whoops!

-This weather today. Mid 70's ALL DAY LONG. Hallelujah!

-This budgeting site by Dave Ramsey's crew. This is similar to Mint.com, for those of you who have used that! I haven't looked too much into the differences between this site and Mint, but I'm basically a fan of anything Dave does!

-That in less than two months, we'll be on vacation. Seriously, can it just be late October already?! My family has been looking forward to this for what seems like years!

-Loft gift cards...that can be used on a sale...to get lots of awesome stuff.

-This article about 11 foods that can help you sleep better! Lord knows I need it! I have the hardest time falling asleep at night.

-My family. My mom is coming into town (her time in TX has come to an end) tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited to squeeze her!

-My journal. There's just something therapeutic about putting pen to paper. I love this blog of mine, especially for all that I've been able to document over the years, but really nothing beats an uninterrupted hour of writing whatever is on your heart while you're curled up under a blanket.

-Shooting weddings with my man...and finding photos like these while culling.

this was from one of our first weddings in 2013!

-Bengals games! #Whodey!! I know its still preseason (seriously NFL get with it - the pre-season should be a tad shorter, too many injuries!!!), but I get to go to the game tonight with an old friend and I'm so excited! I haven't seen her in so long so it'll be great to catch up and hopefully see some good plays!

-Disney's SALE today! Go go go!

-These running stickers my SIL designed for their etsy shop!

-Hitting the gym more often with my man. We're trying to keep it consistent by going 3x/week to get back into our old routine. I'm also ready to up my game by waking up a bit earlier to do some cardio! Wedding weight, here I come!

What about you? What are a few things you're loving lately? Have a great Thursday!

Things I'm Loving {Volume 2}

A few weeks ago I wrote this blog post about some random things I was loving. Since I love blogging for discovering lots of new things, I thought it would be a fun way to showcase the random things I've found that I'm loving every month; whether that be online, in our home, or anything in general really. Here we go!

-Dying over this Carrie Underwood video... BTW Erin, time to buy tickets?!! ;)

-Absolutely drooling over this yellow maxi skirt and am trying to convince myself that I NEEDED IT LIKE YESTERDAY.

-Spending way too long calculating how much it would be to rent a nicer camera for a few days to play around. Photography is expensive y'all! But for good reason!

-This coloring book Caleb surprised me with a few weeks ago. It's SO soothing to me! Most of the time we use kids coloring books (no shame), so this was a fun change of pace.

-This article about how to deep clean your kitchen without scrubbing too much. Umm yes please.

-If I haven't mentioned it 1,000 times before, my brother graduates high school tonight. I could NOT be more proud of him!!! It has me all nostalgic, looking back at old photos. Can't wait to see him walk across that stage!

First day of Freshman year//Last day of Senior year

-Avocado hummus?? I need!!

-Squeezing my mom today! YAY! Hoping to sneak out of work a few minutes (since I was here late last night, ew) early to start graduation celebrations w/ my fan early!

-This hilarious (but amazing) Beard Mat for men. I feel like this is a weird, but great idea!

-Our iron. Actually my husband. Let me rephrase that. Catching my husband iron every shirt he owns. It's so adorable. He spends so long ironing every small wrinkle out of every crevice of his nice button up shirts. I love when he dresses up...but I also like when he wears his favorite sweats. Basically, I just love that man.

-The quick dry feature on our dryer. YES! It gets things done in about half the time.

-Cheetos Cheddar Jalapeño Crunchy chips... OMG. We've gone through two bags since the weekend. We have to stop!!

I hope everyone has a great Thursday! Tell me about some things you're loving!!

A small list.

Life has a way of throwing you curveballs. Everything is great, and when you least expect it... bam! Something crazy happens. Yesterday I got news that my Grandpa went back to the hospital for chest pain. Thankfully, it wasn't a heart attack, but he's on some medication and they will be monitoring him over the next few weeks. This happened a couple times last month as well, and they put a stent in. Thankfully, our prayer worked and he was able to head home. In the grand scheme of things, he's all good (thank you Jesus), but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about him.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I wanted to highlight a few people in particular this time of year I'm thankful for, starting with my Grandpa I just spoke about (or as I've called him my whole life; Buddy)...

My grandparents win at life. Cuties.

My adorable husband, who surprised me recently with italian cheesy bread and pretended there was "traffic" on his way home from work because I mentioned how badly I wanted some earlier that day. #thelittlethings ... and I found this while editing last night and couldn't help but stare. Hehe!

I'm thankful for strangers who become friends through the internet and somehow stay connected even though they live halfway across America, and the random texts they send to make others smile. Hiiii Reese + Renee!

I'm thankful for a recent bride, Karen. Sadly, a few weeks after we photographed her wedding, her mother passed away unexpectedly. It really put into perspective the importance of my job. How incredible that I had the honor of photographing one of the last big events in her life?! God definitely uses these tragic things to teach us lessons. I truly believe that. If you think about it, please keep sweet Karen in your prayers this week.

I'm thankful for random co workers who bring me Starbucks when the office is near empty and I'm extra thankful for random texts from my girl, Lyndsie. I haven't seen her in way too long and I'm CRAZY excited for a girls sleepover we've got planned for next weekend!

throwback to darker hair and chillier days.

and last but definitely not least! I'm really thankful for my awesome bro (in law), Jared! It's the big 3-0 for him today!!! Jared is one of the silliest, most awesome guys I know! Caleb and I are so thankful to have he and Erin in our lives, they make us better in every way possible. So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY JARED! We love ya!

Find something to be thankful for today friends, even when its hard! Happy almost-Friday!!

Last things on a Thursday!

It amazes me how many photos I take in any given week..seriously, thank goodness the free iPhones we got last summer were the largest ones (as far as storage space goes), because I have over 4.000 photos on my phone and that number grows daily. I have a love/hate relationship with that little "camera". Why? Because its SO insanely easy to carry with me instead of lugging around my big DSLR, but it also makes me THINK I need photos of anything and everything. I swear, before I was a blogger I really don't think I snapped photos of my food...but here I am, and I'm not even sorry ;)

Thursdays also mean random blog day... so I'm back with a "last things" prompt!

Last photo I took... got dinner w/ some friends last night and ordered the most delicious mashed potato pizza. #NOM eating outside was also amazing...since Caleb isn't a huge fan of doing it!

Last sunset I enjoyed...

Last thing I bought...a bunch of old school Disney pins from an antique yard sale last weekend.

Last time I was really happy? Walking hand in hand last night with my man as the sun went down.

Last dress I wore... apparently Caleb loves this dress and I've never worn it. Time to dig out the summer clothes!

Last song I was obsessed with? Touched the Sky by Hillsong United. O-M-G. Listen right now!

Last thing I did for myself? Painted my toenails. How is it that toenail polish can last through an entire summer, but anytime I attempt fingernail polish? It's gone the next day? That's why I don't even bother!

Last person I texted? My hottie husband, duh.

Last trip we booked? ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND GETAWAY! More on that to come tomorrow -- cause I need your help! ;)

Last post I bookmarked... find it here!

I have my third engagement shoot of the year tonight, followed by my husbands softball game that I hope I can make! Any local gals familiar with historic Loveland? That's where we'll be - and I can't wait! I'd also really like to do a whole post on photos I've taken lately...I miss doing that.

I have to say, the response and support I got from yesterdays post was so so uplifting...I can't thank you all enough. I'm one happy girl today!

Happy Thursday!

When things don't go right, be thankful anyway.

Lately life has put me in a little funk. Nothing has gone terribly wrong, and I won't go into details, but  things haven't gone 100% amazing for my family and I recently. There are times when I question why things happen the way they do, but then I remember that its not my job to fix things. With that being said, I don't believe that I'm a natural complainer... sure, I'll gripe here and there about things that really get under my skin, but the majority of the time? I try to stay pretty optimistic.  So, I figured a thankful post was in order. I know that these are typically for the month of November...but this blogger doesn't play by the rules. #rebel

Most importantly I'm thankful for my amazing God. Second? My silly, hilarious, handsome husband. I love when he makes fun of my laugh, when he falls asleep on me during almost ever movie we watch together (even in theaters), and the way he leads us.

I'm thankful for my friendships. These girls mean the entire world to me and have been there for me whenever I've needed them. I have such a unique relationship with each of them, and life would be weird if any of them weren't in it.

Thankful for sweet baby toes that I could just gobble up...and for friends who let us watch their babes!

For bubble baths and me time.

For my health, and the ability to go after my goals.

and for getting up before the sun. God, you're a beautiful artist.

My point is, things aren't always going to go right, but that doesn't mean we have to let them ruin us. Choose joy...
every. single. day.

Thankful for it all.

In my instagram caption yesterday, I mentioned how thankful Caleb and I were for our recent purchase of our new winter coats that we needed. It got a few comments about what others were thankful for and made me want to write a full post on what I'm most thankful for; both serious and silly.

I'm extremely grateful for my husband...obviously. My life wouldn't be near as fun, interesting, or fulfilling as it is without him. He's my rock, and my best friend. I love that we get to hang out together for the rest of our lives...and play house, that's pretty fun, too.

My friends. Every one of those ladies down there? I have such a unique relationship with each of them and I couldn't be more thankful for all of them. I can be so insanely weird with every last one of them, and I love it!

Our apartment. It keeps us warm, it gives us water, its a place to go after a long day of work, its where Caleb and I started our life together...no matter where life takes us, and even though its not always super clean, I'll always remember this little spot of ours.

My jobs. One of which I don't absolutely love by any means, and another that I do...but both of them are really such a blessing. I may vent from time to time about the stress or craziness of having more than one job, but I'm extremely grateful that I've got not one, but two dependable jobs.

Speaking of jobs...I'm insanely thankful for health insurance. The fact that Caleb and I can just call our doctor and pay them a visit whenever we need too, is so amazing. I think sometimes in America we take advantage of modern medicine, and its really such a fantastic thing. I'm so thankful for insurance that covers us when we need it.

On a lighter note?
I'm thankful for my husbands smile lines. I tell him all the time how he's gonna be the hottest Dad on the block one day.
I'm thankful for Disney movies that make me feel like a kid again.
I'm thankful for my local Chickfila and that sweet nectar that they call tea.
I'm thankful for my favorite pair of socks covered in snowmen.
I'm thankful for emojis, they make texting my grandma so much more entertaining.
I'm thankful for my brother's weird personality that's almost identical to mine. Love you, bro!

Be thankful for everything today, no matter your circumstance. Significant or not...it all matters. There's always something to be thankful for!

How would you like your steak?

I work for a great company that puts on such a wonderful Christmas party every year and I'm so blessed to be a part of it! It's a fun, free night out for my man and I, and an excuse to get a little dressed up! The hardest decision I had to make this weekend was how I wanted my filet cooked.

I could get used to that.

Of course my silly husband asked for a "glass of milk" to go with his carrot cake upon dessert...only he would do that at some swanky little restaurant...but I have to say, its a funny little quirk that I love about him. The party was just great, I got to hang out with my favorite co workers, and enjoy one of the best meals of my year.

Earlier that morning, Caleb and I drove to Dayton to celebrate in one of my best friends graduating college!! I am so proud of her! I met Angie my freshman year of college, we were roommates our second semester and the first night we met, felt like we'd known each other for years. We're seriously the weirdest people when we're around each other, and I wouldn't have it any other way. We also have the funniest stories. To Angie being a germ-a-phobe (and spraying Lysol on her feet before bed), to the times we worked at a sketchy Indian restaurant waiting tables together for free food in college, we could write a stinkin book.

Words cannot describe how thankful I am for her friendship, she's a one in a million friend and I am so happy she's one of my best friends!

We love you, Ang!

Happy Thursday!

Throwin it back.

A few summers ago, Caleb and I decided salsa dancing would be a fun thing to try. If you live in or around downtown Cincinnati like us... you know that summer is JAM-PACKED with fun at Fountain Square. Every Thursday (ha-how ironic?!) for the entire summer, the city hosts a salsa dancing night on the square. It was more fun than we could handle and we DEFINITELY plan on going back next summer.

Promise you I wasn't preggo, this dress was nuts.

There is something about summertime that just makes me happy. Don't get me wrong, I love something about every season...but salsa dancing just made me feel awesome! Not to mention its a GREAT workout.

I've talked about this before in a post, but Caleb and I have had some pretty incredible dates. This included :) however... we are looking to stay cheap right now until the wedding and so that means lots of Redbox rentals are happening as a result of that. If you ladies have been treated out to some amazing dates, I'd love to hear about them!

PS- sadly, our save the dates will not get to me until December 5th.. so you know I am anxiously waiting for those. Can't even wait to hold them in my hands! :)