Continue in Thankfulness. . .

The past 30 days have shown me so much more about my life. As most of you saw, towards the end it had to delay posting about days just because of business of school, photography, and life. But I finally got all of them posted. This last month has shown me the little things in life that I didn't even realize I was taking for granted. There are so many beautiful gifts that God puts into our lives that we many times don't even realize are there. Just another breath is a gift from our heavenly Father. Looking back, I saw beauty even through the business of life. God used this simple blog activity to show me how much He has blessed me with. I realized that I need to rest in the joy of Jesus. He has blessed me with so much more than I need, and the petty worries of this life are always in His hands. Praise Him for being a God of grace and abounding love. Hope you enjoyed this little project as much as I did. It was amazing to look back and see what beautiful things are in life. Reflect on God's goodness, and don't forget to praise Him for being the God that He is. Continue in thankfulness as you go into this new month of December.

Smitten by the Art of Editing. . .{30}

I thought I'd end with one of my most favorites of hobbies. That is photography and editing. I use Photoshop Elements 10, and I LOVE it. It is the "reasonable" photoshop to get, but it becomes a major tool when you learn how to use it. I recently got some actions from Florabella, and fell in love. The filters and colors were all so rich, warm, and natural. I also want my colors in my pictures to look natural, and finding Florabella was wonderful. So many amazing things you can do with actions and presets. Here is a glimpse of what a typical Friday looks like for me. I get up at about 9:30, grab some breakfast and time in the Word (BEST way to start the day by the way), and then head over to work and edit. I did about 15+ shoots this fall and am working on completing all of them. The hard part is school. This time of year is busy because of exams and studying and never ending amount of papers. That means that my editing gets pushed to Friday when I have the day off. So I sit and edit and watch either a movie or a TV series. I don't watch TV as much, but I certainly have more recently with the whole editing process. I'll watch Vampire Diaries, Say Yes to the Dress, and all of the wonderful TLC shows. I also love Food Network. I am definitely a girly girl, can't you tell?! But yes, I will edit all day long just to catch up on sessions. It has been so fun. Here are some captured moments from today:

Before and After example. Loved how this turned out. There was so much more color and warmth that I got to see when I finished. Love love love the world of editing. It allows me to take pictures even without the "perfect" sunlight.

A Little Bundle of Blessing. . .

Last weekend, I had a session with this sweet couple. They are expecting, and she is due in a couple of weeks! Maternity sessions are so much fun, and I was so excited to be able to do this for them. What sweet memories and exciting times to come! They don't know the sex of the baby, so they are more than ready to meet their little one. Oh, I love surprises! Here are a couple shots that I got to capture last week:

Smitten by Hot Chocolate & Marshmellows. . .{29}

Oh, today I am smitten by hot chocolate. It is my most favorite drink to have in the colder weather. When I have hot chocolate, one of my MUSTS is marshmellows. Oh, I love how white and fluffy and yummy they are! Hot chocolate is most certainly not complete without a good handful of marshmellows. After a long day, I love to have either hot chocolate or chai. There is something about a hot drink that is so relaxing. I especially love having a cup of it when I sit down and edit all of my pictures from my sessions. It is just wonderful, and I am so thankful for restful times!

Smitten by Baking. . .{28}

Today was one of those days, I was so in the mood to bake. I am smitten by baking! One of my favorite things to make in the fall is homemade bread. Oh yum yum, it is so wonderful. Just wanted to share a little Banana Bread recipe that I made today, it is so delicious! Definitely a favorite of mine. Give it a try, or take some time to bake something you love.

Banana Bread

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter (1 stick, softened)

Mix these ingredients together in a bowl.

2 eggs

Add this to the sugar and butter mixture.

4 mashed bananas

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

Add these to the sugar, butter, and egg mixture.

2 1/2 cups of flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

Gradually add. Stir in just until moistened.

Grease the pan(s) of your choice. Pour the bread batter into them. (I made one big loaf and two smaller to give away)

Put rack on lowest level. Bake at 350* for an hour/hour&half.

Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Smitten by KidStuff. . .{27}

I am so thankful for the ministry of KidStuff at my church, North Hills. I joined the KidStuff team just last year, and Jesus has used it to change me. For the KidStuff team, I do skits every week with my friends Jaime and Josh. I am the character of Mona Lisa the paintbrush. Jaime is Arty the boy, and Josh is Rags the dog. The skits are super fun and eventful, and most importantly we used them to point the kids to Jesus. We use lego rocket ships, jump on pogo sticks, build shoe box castles, fly paper airplanes, and bob for apples. This is a typical day in the Warehouse. I've so enjoyed doing these skits, the lessons have taught even me so much about my God. Some of my most favorites were the attributes of God. Like He is all-knowing, full of mercy, ALWAYS in control, and is a God who forgives our deepest sins. It has been an incredible opportunity to be a part of showing these kids Jesus every week. What an amazing God we serve! Praying that He will continue to use Jaime, Josh, and I and all the other KidStuff leaders to show these kids that "we live to show how great God is by serving each other and sharing Jesus with the lost."

Smitten by Chicken Noodle Soup. . .{26}

I am smitten by Chicken Noodle Soup. It is my absolute favorite kind of soup. There is something about it that helps you feel better when you are sick, and helps you relax when you are stressed about exams like I am. I had a picnic lunch today with Jason, and we had soup and salads outside. It was so wonderful! The weather has been an amazing fall kind, with light breezes and not too chilly. I just can't believe it, it is almost December and it still feels like September! I hope it stays this way for a while. There is nothing like coming home from school and eating a little bowl of homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. Make sure you relax and have a bowl sometime this week! Happy Fall.

Smitten by Decorating for Christmas. . .{25}

The Saturday after Thanksgiving is always a very special day. It is the day that we bring out all the Christmas stuff! Oh how I love Christmas!!!!!! Today I am smitten by decorating for Christmas. So thankful for a season of celebrations. Most importantly, a season to celebrate Jesus' birth. It is a very special time of year. Everybody helped pitch in and get ready for Christmas today. It was lovely, I love the time with my family. Hope you are enjoying the start to this amazing season!

Smitten by Photography. . .{24}

Today was VERY busy. I had three shoots. Oh I love it so much though, photography is my absolute favorite. So I wanted to share about how I am absolutely smitten by photography. The last couple of months have been some of the best this year. I started Simply Smitten, and my photography business took off. It has been crazy fun, and I appreciate my clients so much. There wasn't a session that wasn't full of fun and laughter. Just made me realize that I am capturing simple moments in people's lives, and making memories with every shot I took. Oh it is a lovely time of year, who wouldn't want to capture moments like these?! Here is a little time line of all the shoots I had this past fall. . . Click on the links to see more from each session. Hope you enjoy!

A beautiful sunrise proposal. . . Loved this sweet couple, can't wait for them to get married! So much excitement in the air.

My first Senior session of the year, had so much fun with Miss Brooke! We went to Hendersonville, and it was a beautiful day.

Mark and Beth's wedding was amazing. . . Shooting a wedding was SO much fun. Getting to capture such special moments for them was so sweet, I was excited that they wanted me to be a part of their special day.

Here is my second family. I love them dearly, they have such a sweet family. Kendall Kay is my best friend, and I so enjoyed laughing and spending time with her family for this session. Love them.

This is my amazing family. I am so thankful for them! They are one of the best parts about my life. They're my support and love that I definitely don't deserve. Love them to pieces, don't know what I would do without them!

This is the other half of my family. My brother and sister-in-law are incredible people. So thankful for their constant wisdom and encouragement. I had a blast with them during this shoot in Hendersonville, NC.

I had so much fun doing a Senior session for Kacey this past fall. We had such an amazing time, and the weather was beautiful. She is such a sweetie, had a blast with her!

This session was of my sister and her boyfriend, Michael. They are such a cute couple, I really respect them. They have been dating for 2 years, time has flown by! Had so much fun with them.

Jimmy and Jordan were so sweet. They are some of my most favorite people, so thankful they are a part of our family! We had so much fun with our session, they had the cutest ideas! Love this Christmas one with the lights, made me get excited about Christmas!

My cousins decided to come for a short weekend visit, and a trip to the mountains was a MUST. Loved the time I got to spend with them.

Got a chance to capture moments with the Lindsey family! These girls are my girls that I babysit, and I love them to pieces. Their little smiles and giggles melt my heart. So thankful for Randy and Priscilla, they have been such an encouragement the last couple of years.

Little Bella and Wesley Elizabeth were just darling. Got a chance to capture little smiles from these cuties, had such an amazing time!

Here is the little Liam. Oh, he had so much cuteness, had way too much fun with him and Katie. He is finally one year old, I can't believe it! Life goes by so quickly, I was so privileged to be able to make memories for him!

The Patterson family was so sweet, had so much fun with them out in Easley! Loved the location, the session was beautiful! I loved the little details like the hot pink cowboy boots. Oh what cuteness, loved their sweet smiles!

The Ezelle family was so sweet. Enjoyed spending a morning with them for a beautiful session! As you can see, we had lots of fun and big smiles. Love love love.

Had my very first maternity session with the Chandlers this past weekend. Pregnancy is such a beautiful thing, just reminds me that life is so precious. The little one is due so soon, I can't wait to meet him/her. They don't known the sex of the baby, so I know that they are more than excited to see whether it is a boy or a girl. Oh what sweetness! So happy for them.

Loved my session with this sweet couple this weekend. it was so amazing, and the weather was beautiful. I love capturing special moments for these amazing people. Had so much fun this past fall. Thankful for photography, it is such a blessing!

Smitten by Black Friday. . .{23}

I am very thankful for Black Friday. It is a time that I get to spend with all of my cousins and family, and just enjoy being with them. We found some incredible deals! I got so much Christmas shopping done, goodness it was so much fun. We went shopping on Woodruff Road at about 2 p.m. and the traffic was a lot better than what I thought. After shopping we came home and Grandma took all the girls to go get nails done. I love girls night! We had so much fun today, here are some of our fun memories together.

Smitten by Thanksgiving. . .{22}

Today is a beautiful day. It's a day we have been waiting all month for: Thanksgiving. When I think of thanksgiving, I think of all the beautiful things that God has graciously placed in my life. Beautiful things include family, joys, trials, friends, because all of these things were put into my life by my heavenly Father. He has brought me through so much this past year, and I love remembering how faithful and true He is. He has never left my side and never will. He has brought amazing people into my life to point me back to Him, and that is most certainly something to rejoice in. It is not only today that I am reminded of "thankfulness." It is an everyday awe in my Father who has saved me from who I used to be and has called me His beloved. It blows my mind, I can't get over it. Oh what love He has for us. Psalm 100:4-5 is a perfect reminder of this:                                                                                                                         "Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations."

My wonderful family. We had such an amazing week! I love each of them oh so much.

Cousins. Oh, I love these people.

And, all five doggies who were all living with us for a couple of days. Yes, it was crazy fun.

My job for Thanksgiving day was to do the "Cousins" table. This is where we all ate, and all the adults were at another table. I was obviously thrilled to be able to craft and use my imagination. With school being so crazy, I haven't had time to craft and decorate lately. This helped me see how much I truly miss it. Here are some of my creations!

Lace. Lace. Lace. Made some ties out of some of my favorite material!!!!!

This year instead of place cards, I decided to switch it up a little bit and do a picture for each place setting. You know how much I LOVE photography. So it was perfect for this.