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"City of Water”… "City of Masks"…"City of Bridges"…"The Floating City"…"City of Canals
We only had a half day here so we spent our hours floating across bridges and walking through the narrow, colorful streets.
Venice.
By any name she is stunning.
The Livingston family chose this trail for their session. A river on one side and cars zooming by on the other. Green and blue in the midst of the city. Their Sabbath ritual is walking this trail from their home and the boys showed me their special spots: a sandbar by the water, the rocks where turtles sunbathe, and the trees full of purple mulberries ripe for staining hands and cheeks. Little Greta got lots of kisses from her three big brothers and it won’t be long until she’ll be running alongside them on this path.
Incredibly, my friend Kaitlyn and I won a contest through Instagram for a four night trip to Italy through the wine label Gemma di Luna! We were hosted in the medieval city of Verona, most famous as the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
We honked our way charmingly through a tour of town in a fleet of vintage Fiats.
…cast glances from Juliet’s balcony
…marveled at the Arena where Spartans hit fatally (and now opera singers hit those high notes)
…watched the sunset go down over a hilltop vineyard
But mostly just ate and ate and ate.
When Erin was a girl she walked through this bluebell wood and dreamed about some day being wed on this hill of blue. Not deterred by recent rains, we waded through knee high water to return to this significant spot for her engagement session with Will.
They lying in the bluebells reminds me of the Midsummer Night’s Dream monologue:
I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine:
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,
Lull’d in these flowers with dances and delight;
And if the high water wasn’t wild enough…I am 90% sure we spotted a bobcat on our walk out of the park!
I did a series of posts on our 10 year year anniversary trip to Ireland months ago (Ballinskelligs, The Aran Islands, and The Rings of Kerry) but never got around to sharing photos from our night (or “overknight” rather) in a private 16th century castle. When planning our trip I knew this would be perfect stay for my husband Zade, a born and bred romantic, whom has mentioned dozens of times his dream to LIVE in a castle. Our hosts Sonja and Kevin, who felt like friends from the start, are in the process of restoring this gem and their vision and artistry is apparent. Handyman Kevin discovers authentic details on ebay and repairs, buffs, and shines them to a thing of beauty. He is currently working on the “great hall” (I included a picture) where they can host intimate weddings! The night we arrived we were greeted by a jar of honey meed in celebration of our ten years. We turned on renaissance music and were transported to an age gone by. A night we will cherish always!
My friend Allison Rhea dreamed, designed, and debuted her goal setting planner, Pace & Pattern, three years ago and I have loved watching her creativity and passion unfold. I photographed the planner last year and was delighted when she asked me to be a part of capturing the 2019 beauty!
In her own words:
“Pace & Pattern is a system designed to help you clarify your personal vision and integrate your goals into your real life.
It's not about doing more. It's about doing what matters.
This planner takes you from a high-level purpose, through setting meaningful and realistic goals, into mapping out your months, weeks, and days.”
I’m a believer. Pace & Pattern has helped me dream about what I want my life to look like and from there focus on the practical steps that will take me from desire to action. Last year one of my goals was “cultivating a merry home.” A practical aspect of this goal was completing open ended home projects. You know the kind: the ones you always plan to get to some day but somehow never find the time. For example, since we moved into our home two years ago I really wanted to paint and add some design touches to the kitchen in a way that felt more like “us” and “home.” Pace & Pattern helped me think through the steps to break up the project into small actions: decide on paint colors, buy supplies, tape the kitchen, find a babysitter, clean up, measure wall for shelving, contact carpenter, order brackets, hang shelves, etc! My kitchen is much more my own now and I know I wouldn’t have accomplished this project without the focusing power of Pace & Pattern.
I am excited and hopeful about the goals I have set for 2019 using Pace & Pattern. I, like many others, ask for a “word” to direct the coming year. Last year my word was “wick” which signified the desire to come alive…to awaken the liveliness inside when the outside seem dormant. Mine this year is “near.” To be near to God. To rest in him. To be close. To listen. To cease striving.
At the start of the planner you are guided through choosing five core intents to focus on in the coming year from which you craft a vision statement. This year mine is “I will live in the abounding joy of the nearness of God by listening to the Spirit, pursuing the souls, voicing the spark, nurturing the body, and havening the home.”
Your intents inform the goals ( habits - things you do daily, rhythms - things you do weekly or monthly, and big projects - you know what I’m talking about) that you choose to pursue that quarter. Here are my Jan-March goals:
Habits: 1. Eat vegetables at every meal (nurturing the body) 2. Memorize John 1 & 2 (listening to the Spirit)
Rhythms: 1. Host a game night monthly (pursuing the souls) 2. Organize & sell the excess in our home (havening the home)
Big Projects: 1. Restore Lilias’ antique four poster big girl bed (havening the home) 2. Start Lilias’ Home Preschool (pursuing the souls, havening the home)
Pace & Pattern is certainly a beautiful investment in your self and the dream ordinary you hope to walk in.
Also a special thank you to my models in my two shoots: Abby Nelson, Sarah Delotelle, and Melody Ussery and the shops that so generously allowed us to photograph in their space: Grounded Plant + Floral Co and Wildflower Tea Shop.
This was my second wedding for the Gardiner family and what a pleasure. The love in their family is so evident. As is the admiration and understanding between Jillian and Shane. And I am sure we can all agree…their dance floor was lit!
Ceremony: Anchorage Presbyterian / Reception: Gheen’s Foundation Lodge / Bride’s Gown and Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Rebecca’s Wedding Boutique / Men’s Suits: Men’s Warehouse / Desserts: Heitzman’s Bakery / DJ: Randy Embry at Triangle Talent / Catering: Ladyfingers / Makeup: Carrie Lentz / Hair: The Loft at Hubbards
Jim + Brianne on muddying up their wedding clothes on their one year anniversary.
Beneath the waterfall
Over river rocks
Through underbrush
Under the tree’s roots
Beside the cliff
and always
Near each other
Kent is our pastor here in Indy and we so appreciate his vulnerability and sincerity in leadership. He often shares about family life from the pulpit and, having children about the same ages, we can so often relate.
Notice in some photos how I intentionally blurred the boys movement to signify the velocity of this moment in life for the Livingston.
Life with three littles is wild and dynamic.
The one ring to rule them all: the magical Ring of Kerry!
We settled into Ballinskelligs and drove round the Ring of Kerry over the course of a couple of days. Most round the ring in a day. But, we sleep late, drive slower, and stop more. So, we stretched it out!
We explored 15th century castle ruins…
Skipped atop stone ring forts standing strong since 600AD…
Chatted it up with a mill worker while picking up a cute knit at the Kerry Woollen Mill…
Hopped on a jaunting cart, just at rainfall, at Killarney National Park…
Rested in the peace of Derrynane Abbey, a graveyard and abbey ruin only accessible when tide is out..
and
Discovered stones that, in Irish Mythology, mark the burial ground for a bard magician’s beloved…
Thankful to Zade who gifted me by braving all the harried driving himself!