Tying the Knot. . . George & Wendy

Today, George and Wendy tied the knot. They had such a darling picnic wedding right beside a pond, and the day couldn't have been more perfect. From mason jars to daisies, this wedding was the definition of perfect. It was a small, intimate wedding with close friends and family. I loved that part of it. The moments captured were sweet, full of joy, and always surrounded by laughter. I am SO excited for this new couple that God has joined together, what an amazing miracle. Wishing them the best as they make this journey together. Here are just a couple sneak peeks straight off the camera! I can't wait to start working on these.

Ha! This is definitely a favorite.

Such sweetness. So happy for George and Wendy!

As of late. . .

I know how busy life gets, trust me. I just wanted to give you a little glimpse into the past week for me. I didn't have work this week (which ended up being super relaxing!), so I had lots of time to create. I have a lot of projects that I've been accomplishing for clients and friends, so it was a good week to have time for all of that. First and formost, I have been making pillows. I've made almost 10 in the past 2 weeks. Crazy! But oh so good. I LOVE getting messages on my phone that state new orders from Etsy, makes my heart so happy that others are becoming Simply Smitten. The next priority in crafting has definitely been painting. It's killing me, I would love love love to show you the entire wreath, but unfortunately it is for a client's wedding programs and I am very careful not to put up a product before my client uses it. So all you get is a sneak peek for now :) Oh happy day! But anyways, I have been oil painting, and I have fallen totally head over heels in love with it. I could paint for hours upon hours (and sometimes I do!). It is just SO relaxing! There are so many other things I wish I could tell you, but you'll just have to wait a couple more weeks. 

{P.S. If you are looking for a clue, think handmade fair at a little local farm. . . Can't wait to give you more details!}

There are so many wonderful things in store for Simply Smitten, and I just can't wait to share with you!!!! Hope your weekend has been beautiful. Looking forward to the unforgettable times ahead!

Embroidery Hoop love. . .

 Here is what has been my project that I have been working on for the last couple of days. Because the pillows were such a huge seller, I thought that this little felt flower clearly had you Simply Smitten ;) I decided to put one on burlap in an embroidery hoop. Priscilla was the woman who inspired me to do these, so each hoop size will be named after each of her girls. this small 4" is called the Addisyn Embroidery after my dear sweet Addisyn Hope. The next two sizes will be the Ava Embroidery (6") and the Emery Embroidery (8"). The story began with the makings of my first flower pillows. The original ones were made out of some scrap fabric that I got for almost nothing. Priscilla asked me to make some pillows for the girl's rooms, and I was more than happy to experiment and let her have the result of whatever I came up with. I was just excited to make something out of nothing and repurpose some fabric. Well, this was a lesson I learned the hard way. Thankfully before I started selling them! But the fabric wasn't as good of quality as I had thought, and after a couple pillow fights, the seams of the pillows had some holes. Now I know the importance of buying good fabric and making home decor that will last a life time. But anyways, I was discouraged and obviously felt bad that the seam tore so easily. But then Priscilla gave me an idea that won my heart. Take the old and turn it into a wall decoration through an embroidery hoop. Even though this is one of my "trial and error" moments in crafting, the turn around was amazing. Not only did she inspire me to make embroidery hoops, but she also showed me that I could use these felt flowers in a variety of ways. So no worries my sweet girls, the pillow fights might be over, but your bedroom walls will look just darling. Always so thankful for Emery, Ava, and Addisyn.

{Here is little Addisyn Hope and I. Her smile melts my heart every time. Seriously love the cheesin's I get from my sweet girls that I babysit, they are so precious. She and her sisters inspire me every time I see them, so thankful for the time that I get with them. They grow up so fast . . .}

Let me tell you. I am in love. I have already started making ones to go in my bedroom, I hope you enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed making them! Go check them out for SURE in my etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/aSimplySmittenlife. And as always, feel free to comment and let me know what you are thinking!!!! Want to know why I have had such a huge urge to craft lately? Be sure to read tomorrow's post for the "as of late" for my life. Happy Weekend!

Weekend Joys. . .

Here we are again at another Thursday. It's been a lovely week so far here at home. I've had most of the week off, so I have gotten SO much done. It feels so good to have a productive week. But in the restful days, I also got bogged down by all the events, places, and work that is laying before me in the weeks to come. I often get overwhelmed when I look too far into my schedule, thankfully God has planned each and every day for me, so I have no excuse for worries. So, why do we worry when we have a God who is utterly, and completely in control? I just had to stop and think about this, because I can so easily slip into a mindset of "worry." I was reminded while editing these pictures this past week, that I need to find joy in the little moments. Find joy in where God has put me right now. Whether is running through a field, chasing bubbles, sewing, photographing, studying, THIS is where God wants me to be, and I can rest in that. And enjoy the little moments. As the weekend comes up, remind yourself of finding joy in Jesus! And appreciate every single breath and moment you get to experience because life is a gift. Happy Weekend time :)

Hello Summer Days. . .

As of late, there has been nothing but beautiful colors and sunny skies. I love summer. It is my absolute favorite season. Today I chose to take my lunch break outside in Falls Park! With a Chobani and Strawberry Salad, I am happy to welcome the summer weather. Couldn't be anymore perfect! Stuff like this makes me want to go back to the beach. . .again. And, again. But for now my adventures must take place here in Greenville, and let me tell you, that is perfectly ok with me. As fun as the beach can be, there really is no place like home. Hope you are enjoying today, be sure to thank Jesus for His goodness!!! Happy Wednesday :) 

Forever Family. . .

Meet the Chandler family. 

This family blew me away when I began to get to know each of them more personally. They were so passionate and determined to have one picture that captured the love and genuineness of this beautiful family. Words cannot express the feelings that were experienced during this session. In particular, this picture (right below) was the only picture this momma had of her and her two babies. They had never had someone take a family picture for them. This broke my heart at first, but they I realized the incredible opportunity before me. I was able to impact someone's life, and that is why I do what I do. And why I chose to start Simply Smitten as a business last fall. I wanted to be able to have a way to reach into the life of someone else, and impact them in a positive way. Thankful for opportunities like this. So enjoy these pictures, and don't take for granted the fact that we have incredible tools like photography to remember those memories forever. This is all the more reason for YOU to go have your pictures taken, or even to just go grab some captured moments of your kids and loved ones.

Sweet moments like these absolutely melt my heart.

Sweet, sweet family. So amazed that I have been capturing moments for the Chandler family for almost 6 months! Love this couple and little Rome.

Freckles are probably one of my favorite little loves in life. How beautiful.

Smile. . .

On Tuesday, I was feeding the homeless down at the Triune Mercy Center. It is one of the most amazing ministries I've ever been involved in because I get to help feed people and tell them about Jesus. How much better does it get?! As they were going through the food line, I noticed their cheerful "thank you's" and, "God bless you's", and it made my heart so happy. These people have every reason in the world to complain about where they are in life (even though some are where they are because of bad decisions in the past), but they didn't. They chose joy. And that hit me hard. What really hit me was one man came through, especially grateful, and then looked at me and said, "I've got to smile, it's good for the soul." His life is so full of hardship and grief. He doesn't even know where his next meal is coming from. Made me think about all of the times where I choose to soak in bitterness and complaints about life and not smile. And, to be honest, my life is busy, but I'm not searching for my next meal, which is one reason to be thankful. Those moments are full of self-centeredness that I need to surrender to Jesus. Thankful that this man taught me such a huge lesson. So your challenge for the rest of the week is to smile. Smile when times are good, and even try to smile when life gets more than rough. Because let's face it, smiles are good for the soul. It just reminds us to choose joy in Jesus in those moments. Happy Thursday!

"Be A Lady Worth Knowing."

My sketch today of Thoughtful Thursday is all about living a life worth knowing. As I sat in my last speech lecture on Monday, Janice Robinson gave us all a speech commemorating the past 4 months we have been together in class. One of the statements she said in conclusion was, "Be a lady worth knowing." Immediately my mind went right to the Proverbs 31 woman. Things such as, "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Or, "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." These are some things that really hit me this week as my semester was coming to an end. I thought back on all of the classes I took in my freshman year and wondered, "Was the teaching of kindness on my tongue?" Or was it more full of anxiety, complaints, selfishness, and gossip? (the list goes on, Praise Jesus for His covering of all my careless words!) I just stopped and had to ask Jesus to make me a woman worth knowing. A woman full of truth, grace, wisdom, kindness, and faithfulness. I want my life to be worth knowing because I am living in reflection of the One who is worthy of all praise, and honor, and glory. Just had to step back and think about the way I was living my life, and wanted to challenge you to do the same! So as you go throughout this brand new Thursday, just think about your choices, words, the way you respond, because we are here to glorify Jesus, and you can't lose sight of that today. So, as Janice would say, "It's the weekend. Make a difference in someone's life." Happy Thursday! 

Oh, sweet love. . .

Just couldn't resist sharing a part of this session with you. This couple is obviously so in love, and it was incredible to capture a couple snapshots of their relationship together. There was just so much joy and sweetness in the way they loved each other, and I was more than excited to get a glimpse into their lives. Oh, sweet love. This is one of the thousands of reasons why I absolutely love doing what I do as a photographer. This session is actually a part of a huge family reunion, and you will get to see that sometime before the end of next week! So excited to share all of life's joys with you.