How Much Better Could the Skies of Heaven Be? {Personal}

"Change... had passed away."

christina georgina rossetti | from house to house  

I read a very moving poem this week.

This sky looked like this this week:

pc: lydia jane, not me ;)

"Then earth and heaven were rolled up like a scroll;

Time and space, change and death, had passed away;

Weight, number, measure, each had reached its whole;

The day had come, that day."

I don't think I've ever thought about change passing away before.  It's an interesting thing to think about.  Dreams are made up of change "Someday I'm going to do ____! I'm going to change what I'm doing now and actually do _____!"  Heaven will be perfect the entire time.  It will always be right.  A citizen of Heaven is experiencing all the best of God, all the time, with no nemesis or barrier to Him.  Never will there be an unexpected turn.  Rain on our parades.  Nothing will be messed up.  Things will always go according to plan.  Every single time.  But then again, time will be done away with too.   Imagine the security you'd feel knowing that you will never be disappointed, frustrated, hurt or a failure again.  No more change.  

"Multitudes—multitudes—stood up in bliss,

Made above to the angels, glorious, fair;

With harps, palms, wedding-garments, kiss of peace

And crowned and haloed hair."

Heaven is going to be so happy.  I long for the happiness of Heaven.  

"They sang a song, a new song in the height,

Harping with harps to Him Who is Strong and True: 

They drank new wine, their eyes saw with new light,

Lo, all things were made new."

"To be introduced, or discovered now for the first time."What a day it will be when we are introduced to that unguarded, unsparing happiness of Home.The day we discover Heaven for the first time.  

Like Crazy 600 Posts {Personal}

"i thought I understood it, but I didn’t. 

only the smudgness of it.

 the eagerness of it. the idea of it. 

of you and me."

like crazy

He isn't a combination of all the "good" parts of the other guys.  He isn't "all they were and more."  He is nothing like they were.  He is all they were not.  Instead of the witty, strategic, heavy, uncertain romantic politics I had found myself endlessly running for, hoping to get elected,  he offered me a job doing what I am passionate about.  Like a retired senator who moves to the coasts and paints the sunrise every morning.  (Don't some retired senators do that?) Somewhere in between borders I was not supposed to cross and the game I had learned how to play, he set me free to a world where I am known and loved.  Good impressions, being hard to get, flirting, being considered hot - not even on my mind.

 I had no plan to make him want me.   Maybe that is why we fell in love.  I didn't fall in love with him.  And he didn't fall in love with me.  We fell in love with each other.  We drove in love, sang in love, talked mindlessly in love, prayed in love, adventured in love, laughed laugh's we'd never heard before in love, dreamed in love, watched reality TV in love, worked in love, cried in love, debated in love, made up new nicknames for each other in love, wondered in love, played in love, spilled water in love, got honked at in love, gave our time in love, stayed up way too late in love, hugged in love and fell in love. We're clumsy.   Tell me everything that happened
Tell me everything you saw
They had lights, inside their eyes
They had lights, inside their eyes

Please please tell me what they looked like
Did they seem afraid of you?
They were kids that I once knew
They were kids that I once knew

Did you touch them
Did you hold them
Did they follow you to town?

They make me feel I'm falling down
They make me feel I'm falling down

Was there one you saw too clearly
Did they seem too real to you?
They were kids that I once knew
They were kids that I once knew


Happy 600th post, little blog.Today I am celebrating by going on a date with the boy who likes his scrambled eggs "unusually dry" with lots of pepper,  whose shoulders have a mind of their own on the dance floor, who I trust more then I trust anybody else I've ever known and who makes my name sound pretty when he says it.(And who took me to see "Like Crazy" last weekend.)

ps. Seven twitter followers away from 600!

Geoff + Kelly {George Washington Hotel Wedding}

here, my dearthis is where
we'll shake the nightmares free
i dream to hold you in my armsjon foreman | in my arms
Opening a clean, luxurious hotel room door, my eyes were directed to the only red object in the room.  A red bouquet.  A red bouquet of roses were waiting, with a note, for the bride.  In all my years of wedding photography, I had yet to come across a groom who sent flowers to the bride just hours before the wedding.  And I found the whole ordeal incredibly sweet.




 And after spending the day with Geoff and Kelly, I would describe their love as sweet.  They are very fond of one another.  But there is more to it then just that.  They value one another.  Geoff really cared how Kelly felt on her wedding day.  He didn't approach this as "Hey, I'm the groom! Just show up and put on my tux!" He went out of his way to make her day special; to tell her things privately and publicly that expressed his heart for her.  
After getting primped, polished and perfect the ladies perched and mingled in the limo while Kelly read a multi-page-hand-written-letter waiting for her from Geoff.  She also opened a gift from him.





In the dearness of those happy moments, no one noticed the first few raindrops.  Or the second few.But somewhere between leaving the hotel and arriving at the church we were in the middle of hurricane-like rain.





The following images are exactly the benefits of working with a second-shooter. Because, you see, while my second shooter was taking these:







I was at a different place taking these:











After the very elegant and beautiful ceremony, we enjoyed each others company in the church courtyard.  I may not have been the girls favorite human by making them walk through wet grass and drizzly air.But it was worth it, hey ladies?
















Before long, and certainly not long enough for this thrilled photographer, we were moments away from the reception.  I had to almost be pulled away from the portrait session with this couples.  If only I had known what was in store ;) 







Kelly told me at our first client meeting that Geoff had always wanted a winter wedding.  They decided to meet in the middle and do a preppy, glamorous, winter-in-summer wedding.  That is a first for me ;)  Kelly put in hours of etsy-ing, creating, crafting, meeting with vendors and dreaming of the reception at The George Washington Hotel.  It was incredible.  Make sure you take note of her hand-made (bead by bead!) table numbers!















The first dance started happy, clap-py and fun.It turned into hilarious, roaring and fantastic.






The guests were thrilled, I was ending my day on a buzz, Geoff and Kelly were as happy as ever.What a wonderful world.
ps. check out their amazing wedding video done by my friends over at ClubHill Media! They are wow-impressive.

Jamulie {Maryland Engagement Photography}

yeah, the road gets harder
but it’s not much farther
it’s gonna be alright
you know that it ain’t easy
please believe me
it’s gonna be alright

needtobreathe | more time

I don't know if you can quite understand just how afraid of the "M" word Julie used to be.  She would admit she had no reason to be fearful.  Her parents had a gloriously happy marriage until death they did part.  Her sister is having the time of her life being a wife and mother.  For some reason she just wasn't ready.  She needed more time. 

After fifteen months of dating (where "eeeveryone" knew they were going to get engaged soon) Julie called things off.  I specifically remember stopping by her house on my way to a wedding the weekend "everything" happened.  She was so mopey.  "I've been playing NeedToBreathe on repeat." I need more time\ Cause I can’t figure out just what’s inside \ I hoped that you could understand \ That this is not what I had planned \ I need more time
She couldn't take down her pictures of them on the wall, or put away the presents he had made her over the past year.  She was numb.  She knew it was the right choice, but it didn't make it any easier. I also saw James that weekend.  Just for a few seconds.  He was as heartbroken as a boy in love could ever be.  My heart sunk for him.  The grey-ness, the ache, the mornings where you just want night to come so you can go to bed, and the nights you just want morning to come so you can wake up.  It's low.

Then something really quite lovely happened.They both dove into what was right in front of them -
the people, the sports, the activities, the trips, the Word of God, the education.
They both even "talked" with other people (an important part of getting over someone, I think.) 
Just a few months after the break-up I asked James how he was doing;
he looked me straight in the eyes and said "I literally am care-free and am doing so well."
I mean, he looked well. And he sounded well. And seemed well!
But somehow it just didn't seem done yet.





Please don’t worry now \ It will turn around \ Cause I need more time \ Just a few more months and we’ll be fine


And as it turns out, there was more to come for James and Julie (also known as "Jamulie.")
It turns out time did help. 
(God's time is always perfect.)
They slowly started "being friends" again.  They started laughing together again, longing to see each other "a lot a lot." Perhaps it had never really left for either of them, after all.




Before long these two were up to their necks in love.
Once I commented to Julie "You know, once you and James start dating again, you're going to fall in love so fast."
I think it was two weeks? maybe three? and Julie had been fully, totally and wholly carried away.
She was SO in love with James.
I think James had been in love for about three years ;)

We’re off to new lands \ So hold on to my hands  \It’s gonna be alright \ It’s a whole lot brighter \ So stand by the fire \ It’s gonna be alright






They are both very brave. They really are.  I didn't understand it so well back four years ago, but it's a terrifying thing to date and then break up with and then date again your best friend. 

But more then being brave, they are happy.
They are happy not because it's been easy. Oh no. Much of their happiness comes from knowing it's been hard.  They are not happy because now it's perfect.  Oh no.  Much of their happiness comes from accepting, loving and bearing with the imperfection.
They're happy because they are loved.
With no conditions.
No fears.
"Perfect love casts out fear."

They are free to enjoy their funny, brave, motivated, visionary, devoted, funny, servant, cheesy, half-athletic, half-brilliant, close, real love.

So they do.



  I promised you the world again \ Everything within my hands \ All the riches one could dream \ they will come from me

Dan + Sara {Annapolis Bay Wedding}

i give it all into your hands
do what you will with me
and i'll, i'll smile when you speak
oooo la la
foster the people | i would do anything for you
(listen while you read along! get you in the right mood. i promise.)

Sara told me that I shot two of her friends weddings.  She said she loved my photos.  In my inbox right now I have four e-mails from Sara.  Only four.  We talked on the phone once. E-mailed four times. Ba-da-bing, ba-da-boom.  I told my second-shooter on the drive up to the wedding that I wasn't sure what to expect: I've never met the bride and I've never been to (nor heard of) the venues, and it was supposed to rain, so I was willing to bet everything was going to be inside.  Sara had sent me a little photo-collage of the "look" of her wedding.  It was all very pretty but let's be honest, people can pull some snazzy pictures off of Pinterest and not quite follow through on the execution, if you catch my drift?

Long story short: I didn't know what to expect.






After a whirlwind of custom-made PEACH dress-ness, Enzo Angiolini shoes, freckled laughter and pinning, all housed in Annapolis' Maritime Museum, it clicked.



I HAD met Sarah before! Why of COURSE. Everything fell into place.  She was IN one of the weddings I had shot. Sara!  The funny, outspoken, confident, loud, did-I-mention-funny? Sara! See her in this one? Hamming it up on the far right? Goof. I was so excited.  I kept thinking "Man. Sara! I LOVE SARA! I can't believe I didn't know this was her wedding!"  As she made faces at the guests coming in, and as I connected my dots, I knew this was going to be an amazing day.

Meanwhile, the boys chillaxed out back in the boats.  I made a fool of myself when I met the boys (quick story: I came up and said "Hi guys! I'm Kristen" and one of the guys shook his hand and said "Nice to meet you, Kristen. I'm Kristen, too!"  I made some sarcastic comment about how "original" that joke was.  Told him to come back when he had a better one-liner.  Told him how countless groosmen have used that one on me. "No, really, that's my name." I rolled my eyes.  "It is! His name is Kristen America. We are being so legit."  Oops.  His name is Kristen. I'm Kristen, he's Kristen. Shaaa-weet.)




At this point I started to hear all about this "unique" ceremony.  I was a little confused.  Almost every bride says she wants her wedding to be unique, so I wasn't confused by that... I was just confused with who exactly was marrying them? And why were there "acts" on the program?  And, well, I didn't have much time to dwell on it.  The show started rolling and I was caught up to speed in no time.





Now up until this photo, everything has been pretty normal.  Groom waits, bride walks, dad hands-off, couple unite. All is well.  But here the ceremony took a turn for the different.  One of two Ceremony Narrators explained to the guests what this wedding was going to look like.  Personal, community-oriented, and very very unique.  There would be readings, live songs, poetry recitation, story telling and more.  They were asked to view themselves as participants, and also like an audience.  This was like a show, a performance, a great work of art.  Yet also very real, not fake and not pompous. 


There was a little introduction to the 7 Tenants of Marriage that Dan + Sara wrote themselves.  For each tenant there was a following "act."  So the laughter, the singing, the hand-holding, ring-warming, joke-telling and ceremony began.  Different friends and family performed different parts.  They must have had 30 people involved, out-loud, in the actual ceremony.





One of the best parts of the entire wedding was a poem (haiku style) an unusually funny friend of theirs wrote.  Dan and Sara didn't hear the poem until the very moment in the wedding.  And it was hillllarious:







I could never repeat it as well as it was originally stated, but the big punchline was about "these red-heads and their hot, albino romance."  It was pretty epic ;)

Circled by all their best ones, these fair-skinned lovers became husband and wife.

And they kissed! Just like all husbands and wives should do.

  Now here is where it gets juicy.  Mr. and Mrs. exited the ceremony right onto the dock.  Guests clapped and cheered, everyone smiled and hoo-rah-ed!








The whole wedding party left the ceremony site and instantly boarded power boats for a ride around the bay.  The guests, still high on the energy of the ceremony, were giddy and photo-happy as they watched the crew sail away.



Out at sea I was asked to take candid photos of the bridal party.  Sara didn't want the regular "line up and say 'cheese!'" photos of her friends.  So for about an hour we sailed all alone through the waters.  There was champagne, heart-shaped sunglasses and much love.












































Did you say "wow," even in your brain, looking through those?  I was like a skipping disc in 2001. "Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow."  With every single open-and-closed shutter I knew I was taking some of my favorite wedding photographs ever.  As soon as we docked, the rain it came on down.  So we had to wait a bit to continue taking pictures at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (a fully "green" building).






You'll never find a pouty-Kristen if I'm on sand and near water.  Especially after I had just experienced the boat ride of a lifetime with a funny man and his peach-adorned-wifey.  I was exhilarated.  I wanted to shoot till kingdom come.  I occasionally have dreams of shoots like this: where everything is just working so well, where I know I'm taking shots I love, where I adore the couple... and then I wake up.  But I knew I wasn't going to wake-up.  I was as awake and alive as ever.  Which is really great, because if I had been dreaming I probably wouldn't have thought to add a rainbow.



Glory of glory, sweet Aunt Bessie, what have we HERE?


All of a sudden flashes of the opening credits to Lion King and my imaginations of what Anne of Green Gables world looked like combined.  I actually realized I wasn't breathing at one point.  Made me laugh ;)














Yeah.  I know.  I don't know what to say either.  It was beautiful.  More then beautiful.  The guests couldn't shut up about it, I couldn't stop thinking about it, Sara was as care-free and hilarious as ever, so was Dan.  It was wonderful





Thanks for the literally magical honor of being your wedding photographer.
This was a day I will not soon forget.
Congratulations!

Ryan + Clairisse {Damascus Engagement Shoot}

*REAL QUICK*(fix your readers to this new domain name:http://www.imkristensphotoblog.com/Thank ya kindly.)---
we've felt separate and we've felt the samewe've freed each offer and we laid claimoh yes, the butterflies are still theresua furler | butterfliesBehind his house was a highschool.He went to highschool.Highschool was dramatic, in the stupid ways.Highschool was fun, in the childlike ways.Highschool was full of sports, in the hometown hero, team spirit, community ways.Highschool was for meeting Clairisse, in the life-changed-forever way.Claire thought Ryan was something else.But what girl didn't?Tall, brown-haired, big-eyed, comfortable, funny, confident, kind, athletic and yet kind of dopey in an endearing, sweet way.  Isn't that the definition of a highschool crush?In the meantime, Clairisse was beautiful but quite shy, gentle but private.She isn't the girl who is the center-of-attention, the life-of-the-party, the juicy-one-to-gossip-about.Her truer then true heart and happy contented spirit waved Mr. Ryan down.My dad used to tell me "When a guy goes out to a party he might hang with 99% of the girls there,but he'll go home thinking about the one he didn't speak with."It seems like that was the general effect happening over at Damascus High School.Until one fateful homecoming, when they danced.Ryan says he knew right then that something big had just happened.Clairisse just couldn't believe she was dancing with Ryan.She loves his confidence.He loves her awkwardness.She loves his jokes.He loves her laugh ("the cutest laugh I sure have ever heard.")She and he love music.She and he love talking to each for hours on end.She and he love their God.He loves the way she prays.She loves his daily intake of scripture.He and she love each other.







"Some people may look at us like we are crazy but we are having the time of our lives.""What I love about being with her is that we are not embarrassed to make a fool of ourselves when we are having fun.""What started as a high school romance has really become a lifetime friendship filled with love and laughter."There is an easy feeling with Ryan and Claire.As easy as rooting for your local team.It's just right.Her first kiss will now be the one kissing her good-night until death do they part.His homecoming dance will know be his partner until the end.

It's fascinating how highschool is such a stepping stone.Such a funny little transition in life.Like the train-station before you board a train.
And who would have thought they would find a companion for the rest of the ride in the halls of the Swarmin' Hornets Territory.
It's a sweet story in all the best kind of ways.

The Smart Family {Family Portraits}

he's gonna act like he can't wait to leave
but as he drives out, he'll cry his eyes out
if he's anything like me.
there's worse folks to be like
aw, he'll be alright if he's anything like me
brad paisley | anything like me

It's "family portrait" time of year.
I haven't shot a family since last year.
And I've done me some thinking.
Portrait: A verbal picture or description, especially of a person or people.
A verbal picture.
Description.
Of a person.
Of people.
A description of people.

Sometimes I see very pretty pictures, of very pretty people.  There are family and children photographers who are much more gifted then I am.  They just know what they are doing and nail it.  I've realized, though, that, just like in weddings, you can take lovely photographs that don't tell you a single.darn.thing about the subject.  I've often shot families like I'm shooting for a Gymboree ad.  I know the type of image I'm looking for and I try to make my mini subjects pose and smile and sit the way I think they should.

But, just like no two couples are the same, no two families are the same.
Neil and Jessica are relaxed, happy, opinionated, active, talented and loving in their own way.
Their children (and, man alive, their children's personalities) are striking, funny, dynamic and full of life in unparalleled fashion.  So I would like you to meet them.  I want to describe them to you. 
Enjoy these portraits.

Neil doesn't get told what to do.  He is smart and strong and a man.  But he does not care what other people think about him.  Kind of a "live your life, take care of your business" vibe.   He is committed to his wife, committed to providing for her.  Not because "so-and-so" says that is what you are supposed to do.  Because he knows that's what men do.  Man up, step up and live.  He's one of those dads that changes diapers, ends fights with a single look, chases kids and yells right with them and is connected to his family.
Jessica is very sweet.  She reminds me of friends from California (and not just because she has blonde hair and blue eyes ;) haha).  Chill, kick back, do what you love, love what you do, laugh and enjoy.  She works - don't get me wrong - she works.  But her attitude is so elegant.  I don't think I've ever seen a whiny Facebook status from her.  Lots of happiness, heart and love.  She doesn't complain.  Her children really are some of her best friends. 

These two are so great at shoots. They play with their children, just like they do at home.  They don't fuss with fixing hair while I'm trying to shoot, or constantly calling their kids names.  It's as crazy yet normal, loud yet peaceful to shoot them as it is to sit in their living room.

Nyah is a talkative, colorful, helpful little girl who also is going on 18 ;)  She reminds me of Neil. 
Ryder is a creative kid.  He's usually some kind of creature when I see him.  He obviously looks up to Nyah SO much, but loves to push her buttons.
Kylan has some spunk.  He has places to go, things to do and not being able to walk is really slowing him down, folks.  He's very curious and aware.

This shoot was filled with shrieking, tickling, running, growling, laughing and convincing Nyah it was okay to sit in the grass.
I hope you enjoyed meeting the Smarts.

Becca's Baby Shower {Event + Personal}

“How did it get so late so soon? 

Its night before its afternoon. 

December is here before its June. 

My goodness how the time has flewn."

dr. suess | a sweet quote becca is framing for her boy, due in december   

I posted here about moving in with my friendly-friends Dre + pregnant Becca. And I posted some pictures here of my friends Janet and Audrey, her daughter.They are important characters in the story of this blog post.Just so you know. Thweet.
Now for the setting.A windy, sunny October afternoon in a spacious, window-ed home.Why were we there?To celebrate a little, long-awaited boy, to provide him and his family with all they will need practically,and to make Becca feel special, because we love her so.When Janet (Becca's "BFFAE") found out Becca was pregnant, she pretty much started planning right away.  Janet is somewhat known for her amazing parties.  I'm always game for creative ideas, and I'm especially game for doing anything for Becca.  So Jan and I became the official Baby Shower Party Planners. After a number of meetings, brain-storm sessions, Pinterest-searches and e-mails, we had a grasp on our plans. We had a location.We had a color scheme.We had a finalized invitation.We had some craft ideas.We even had a pretty detailed menu(the menu theme morphed over time... started as "Becca's Favorite Foods" which became "Comfort Food" and we ended at a happy place of"Made from Scratch Self-Serve Delicious Food." Good theme, huh? ;) haha)We knew we wanted the shower to be consistent in look and color from start to finish. Inspired by the lines in the invitation, Jan thought it'd be great to make a "real life" copy of those lines at the house, everywhere we could.
So after the hours of crafting, shopping, creating and assembling, we are pleased to welcome you to:Becca's Baby Shower:| entry way |When guests arrived they were met by a thrifted + re-painted desk.They were asked to leave their best baby advice on a clotheslines,and to write their full address on an envelope so Becca doesn't have to when she does thank-you's,

I found another Pinterest-lifesaver in the form of these clothespin + popsicle stick airplanes. Airplanes have been a big part of Dre + Becca's story thus far(Dre recently got a job with air traffic control,but had to fly to New York, Chicago and Oklahoma... up to four months! to apply and receive the job.)It was nice to include such a personal element, without it being "WELCOME TO THE AIRPORT HANGER SHOWER! AIRPLANE WORLD! AAAH!" Subtle, sweet and not over-kill.)| drinks | Using baker's twine, gift tags and Mason Jars, we had the guests use "real" cups... which is much nicer then paper or plastic. Can I get an "Amen!"?They also got to make their own drinks! Ginger-ale or Lemon-Lime Soda :)Just add a spoonful of the pre-made concentrate to a glass of seltzer water and wa-la! (the concentrate was simply lemon and lime juice, honey and zested ginger.)| food | Everyone ate up, which is a great sign!Especially at a shower with 45 women ;)Women and their appetites are so hard to plan for!But with so many healthy, tasty, dairy + gluten free options, we had happy campers.Praaaaaise the good Lord.(ps. Love these bamboo silverware sets we sniped!) Kinda see the invitation inspiration? Maybe? :D

| desserts |

We had some yummy desserts made by our lovely friends. These pretzels were my FAVE, but we also had amazing rice krispie cupcakes, chocolate bars and more!(I got those bingo cards printed the day before the shower on cardstock.  Last minute decision, but they worked great!  Guests filled in the squares with presents they thought Becca might receive.  First five with five in a row won!  It was a great game that wasn't too cheesy or weird, helped guests stay interested in the present-un-wrapping part and didn't take up an extra time. Big fan.)

| the peoples |

| favors | Jan had the great idea to give the ladies a little bundle of fresh picked flowers as they left.It was super cute and everyone loved them.

But most important, more then any any any other part of this shower, we wanted Becs to know how much we love her and how happy we are to share in her joy.

"The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. 

The friend of the bridegroom, 

who stands and hears the him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. 

Therefore this joy of mine is now complete."

john 3:29

It'd be appropriate to say that Becca has been "the friend of the bridegroom" for a long time.She stands by her friends,hears and listens to their excitement about jobs, houses, babies, travel, etcand she rejoices greatly.
Becca is the kind of friend you want to tell everything.I mean that.Becca is one of the first people I go to when I'm excited. She is happy to listen, happy to talk, happy to carry your joys or your sorrows,happy to wait, happy to go.She'd be the first to say that change scares her, and that there have been tears in the past, present and surely in the future - for herself and her friends. But she's also the first to practically, emotionally and spiritually be there for us.Whether it be through e-mails, cards, advice, prayers, laughs, meals or her own personal time,she is so happy loving on those she loves.It's her turn to be the "us." 

Becccccaaa.

This joy of ours is so complete.

To stand with you taping and painting Baby Boy's room.

To hear with you that perfect heartbeat.

To listen to your voice as you dream about meeting him.

We rejoice greatly.

Especially Audrey ;)

----

Shower Design: Janet Remsnyder + I'm Kristen

Photography: Ellie B + I'm Kristen

Food: Janet Remsnyder

Dessert: "Aunt" Jess

Flowers: Butlers Orchard + Rachie Rach

Chalkboard design: Lydia Jane

Invitation + Paper Good design/printing: I'm Kristen + FedEx Office + inspired by this invite

Pinterest Inspiration Board: Right here!

First Date Disaster Part II {Personal}

{continued from part I)

This time of night, the Metro station was much more still and slow.  I slid my card through the gate, and just like every other time, it worked perfectly.  Brennan used the gate next to me, but his didn't work.  In a fattened fury of guy rage, he took my card from me and went to the booth to put more money on both cards.  "Okay, I put $20 on each card.  They really should BOTH work just fine."  After he added the money, his card worked and he was obviously pretty proud of himself.  I just followed him onto the train, adding the $40 to Night's Tab.  Eek.

On the Metro we stood and stared at the ground.  We didn't sit because we were too full and we didn't talk because there really was nothing to talk about.  Then, in a moment of absurdity, two guys started hitting on me.  Not in a flattering way, or not even in a sick-o way… in a very challenging-to-Brennan way.  "Well hi there.  You are very pretty.  And you have a beautiful smile…" "Oh. Thanks." "…does he tell you that you have a beautiful smile" "Uuuuuh…"  It was just a bizarre awkward 30 seconds as the Smile Guy stood right in front of me looked me up and down. Brennan didn't say a word.  He just stood up straighter.  

Thankfully the men got off at the next stop.  When they had exited and the doors had closed, Brennan blew up.  "Oooooh, I did NOT like that at all.  I did not like that.  I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do.  I didn't want to overstep my bounds and say something that would make you feel uncomfortable… I mean, we just went on one date… But I really, really didn't like that.  I wanted to pop him in the shins.  I should have said something.  I'm sorry."  No worries, Brennan.  No worries.

Our train arrived at our station and we quietly walked off.  I slid my card through the gates.  And walked through.  Brennan did the same, and his didn't work.  He was not a happy Metro traveler.  "This is ree-DIC-u-lus. I just can't win. Gracious."  As he went from gate to gate, trying to get his card to work, a police officer came over.  Then the police officer started writing him a ticket.  Apparently, there was some technical-name-billing issue with the cards, and he couldn't use both of them at the same time, because it was "stealing" from the Metro.  

Brennan went from bright red to pale.  I was on the other side trying to explain.  "He wasn't trying to cheat the system!  He was just paying for me!  He was being nice!  He put a lot of money on those!  I saw him!"  The officer just gave him a warning, praise the Lord, and let him through the gates.  I don't think Brennan will ever ride the Metro again.

The little boy tucked his defeated tail between his legs and walked back to his car.  There still wasn't much to talk about, and I think he was getting the "vibes" that I wouldn't be going on a second-date with him.  Once in his car I plugged in my ipod and put on some upbeat (but NOT sweet or romantic!) music to try to lighten the mood.  Or at least to break the silence.

Rain still spit down from on high.  And I leaned back in my seat, bopping my head to the music. "Almost home. I'm glad this guy is so nice. But I just want to be home." Brennan drove onto the curved highway ramp.  Unfortunately, he did that a bit too fast.  We hit a slick part of wet road which sent us sliding towards the concrete barriers on the drivers-side of the car.  He obviously has better driving skills then I do, because Brennan actually got control of the out-of-control car before we hit anything.  My heart continued to beat and I blinked again.  Before I opened my eyes from my blink, we hit another bad spot (we were moving pretty fast) and this time, instead of getting in control of the car, the car spun ALL the way around - complete 180.  We were now facing oncoming highway traffic, sliding back towards the concrete barriers - only now they were on MY side of the car.  I braced my body and put my head in my lap and held it real tight with my hands.  It was the slowest, fastest second of my life as we slammed into the rock walls.

By the way, concrete is really really REALLY hard.  The car came to an instant, dead, eerie halt.  Other cars flew by.  "Are you okay?!? Are you hurt? Are you alright?!"  I sat up straight.  Why yes! I was okay!  Praise God!  My heart was in my knees and the beats from it echoed to my fingertips, but I was definitely okay!

Brennan was too, so he jumped out to assess the damages.  And damages they were.  His car was totaled.  I could elaborate on this, but honestly, the point will be made:  he called the tow-truck, we waited on hour, it never came, he called again, they apologized for forgetting to dispatch it, I sat in the back of the car listening to old Michael Jackson, my shoulder started to hurt, but I didn't dare tell him, he paced outside in the drizzle, I lamented my newly-cracked iPhone screen (which I also didn't tell him about), the tow-truck came, took us to Brennan's house, he took his roommates car and drove me to Target, I said a worn-out "good night" and drove home.

The next day my shoulder and neck were quite sore (but probably not as bad as Brennan's ego).  Brennan wanted to pay for the doctors appointment.  I argued, but he insisted.  He also had to pay $1500 to insurance to total his car.  He only owed about $250 on it.  And he had to buy a new car.  "Good luck with your whole no-debt thing! Glad I could help!

 And when he met up to pay me for my doctor's appointment he had just gotten his eyes dilated at the Eye Doctor, so he was all blinky and bobble-head-y and bumble-bee-eye-y.  

Poor Brennan.  He's a very nice boy.  

Bless his heart. And his debt-free plans.

First Date Disaster Part I {Personal}

“If you think there are no new frontiers, 

watch a boy ring the front doorbell on his first date.”

olin miller  

To quote one of my favorite movies, 500 Days of Summer:

"This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know upfront, 
this is not a love story."


Maybe someday I'll tell this blog an actual love story from my own life
(in fact, I'm very hopeful that I will... soon)
but that is not what today is.
Today is a first date story. An only date story.


The time? Early September in 2010.
The characters? Brennan and me.
Let the equal parts sad and funny story begin:


Brennan was skinny, nerdy, kind of big ear-ed, 
brown haired, brown eyed, brown wire glasses-ed, southern gentleman

He was as born and raised in North Carolina as his twangy accent proved.
After taking a chef military job, he was relocated to the Washington DC area,
rude, traffic-jammed, busy DC.

Brennan + I first met at Target.  I was looking for power tools.

(Yeah, at Target.  I need help.)

He assisted me.  Conversation was friendly.

Nice, Christian military guy.  I could roll with that!

We texted some, enjoyed talking about food, he would ask to call every now and again.  All was pleasant and I thought he was a very nice guy.  (And that he is.)

Then the inevitable happened.  He asked if he could take me to dinner.  I wasn't REALLY sure if I wanted to, but I figured, at the least, it would give me a basis to have some clarity.   I agreed.  Only problem was that I was headed out of town for a week.  When I returned I had plans every night for the next four nights.

But, yes, he could take me to dinner 11 days from now.  Sure.

I really didn't think about him very much, and I was never particularly excited to hear from him.  But I always enjoyed the conversation.  He teased me when I tried to talk in a southern accent, and I teased him for having a completely un-dangerous military job.  "You're basically the kicker on a football team."  

After those 11 days of waiting-for-the-date, I came to the point where I knew I wasn't interested in anything "more."  Nice guy, absolutely. Yeah, nice nice guy.  I'd already agreed to the date, so as any elegant lady would, I kept my word and didn't cancel.  

The dear kid had planned it out all.  He knew where we were going, he had reservations, he even had a special menu item picked out that he thought I would enjoy.  At some point pre-date he mentioned not knowing where parking was downtown.  "Oh," I helpfully saved the day, "let's just take the Metro!  It'll be so much easier that way."  He didn't like my save.  He wanted me to feel like a lady.  Special.  He didn't want to take a public transit train and make me walk.  "I love the Metro.  Please, I WANT to take the Metro."  He gave in.  We made plans to meet at the local Target (charming, huh?) at 6:30 to make our 8:00 dinner reservations downtown.  

I didn't use my favorite eye-shadow.  And I didn't fuss with my hair.  My skinny jeans were sort of dirty and wrinkled.  But, hey, at night who can really tell anyway?

My new navy heels + favorite black Banana Republic shirt completed my half-hearted outfit, and I arrived at Target right on time. Two minutes early to be exact.

15 minutes later Brennan wasn't there.  "If he's standing me up, that's totally cool because I really would rather go home."  I called, and his phone didn't even ring. RIght to a "ding-ding-ding! I'm sorry.  The AT&T customer you are trying to reach, is not available.  Ding-ding-ding!"  Um.  Now what?  Within seconds I got a call.  "Hey Kristen!  Hey! It's Brennan.  I'm so sorry I'm late.  I stopped at the Apple Store on the way home from work and got a new phone.  But it's taking forever to sync.  And I got stuck in traffic before I tried to sync it and I don't even have any of the contacts on my phone anymore so I had to go find your phone number from your business card.  I literally just got home and haven't even showered, but I'm on my way!  I'm coming!"  I felt bad for the sweet, flustered thing.  He was trying so hard.  I assured him I would wait.  He showed up within 10 minutes and we were on our way.

"I'm sorry my car is such a mess," (it wasn't) "I was going to get it cleaned."  No worries, Brennan.  Looks great to me!  

Making surprisingly good time, we rolled into the Metro station and I headed towards the booths to buy a ticket.  But Southern Brennan was already on it.  He had purchased two SmartCards for our evening - one for me, one for him.  "Aw, you didn't have to do that!  Thanks so much!"  I really was impressed that he already had paid for tickets and gotten us EACH one, especially since he's not from this crazy area and doesn't usually ride the Metro!  

We headed to the little-gates-where-you-slide-your-card and, of course, since he's a gentleman, Brennan let me go ahead of him.  I slid right through, no problem.  When he tried, however, his card spit back out at him and a red light flashed.  He tried again.  "Is it upside down?" I offered.  He didn't answer, just tried another gate.  Same thing.  We stood there for a second, on opposite sides of the barriers, looking at each other.  "Try one more time?"  Luckily, fourth try was the charm! And we headed to the train together.  But this incident didn't come without taking a man-toll on the poor guy.  "I just can't win tonight, can I!"

I "haha"-ed and told him not to worry about it.  The train took a while to get moving, and Brennan sat in his seat, checking the time constantly.  Once we finally got moving he was noticeably more calm.  We small-talked about our days, and my mind was mostly on the food I was about to eat.  I'd heard great things about the restaurant.  But after only a few minutes of conversation, I realized we weren't moving.  The other passengers on the train started fidgeting and head-turning out the windows and murmuring about the stopped train, too.

Moments later the overhead announcement came on: "Passengers, we are sorry for the delay.  The Medical Center Station has caught on fire.  All trains are sharing one track to pass through.  Thank you for your patience."  I started to laugh.  Brennan did not.

The Medical Center Station was one stop before ours and only a few stops away, but on a nice summer evening, during rush hour, this wait could take a loooong time.  Brennan decided to call the restaurant and ask if we could move our reservation back.  But we were in a tunnel.  So there was no service.  His hands were fidgety.  Once we made it out of a tunnel, he pulled out his brand spankin' new iPhone to call, only to to be reminded that his phone hadn't synced all the way and he had no contacts on his phone.  

"It's okay!  I'm sure it'll be alright if we are a few minutes late.  Don't worry about it."  He was worried about it.  He sat there, with low reception, googling the restaurant, getting their number off-line, and changing the reservation time.  I sat their admiring my heels.  When we FINALLY arrived at our station, we ran off, ready to book it to dinner.  I slid my SmartCard through the gate and started jogging towards the escalator.  Quickly looking over my shoulder, I saw Brennan stuck on the other side.  Again.  He was not a happy Metro traveler.  After bumping into pregnant ladies, kicking a stroller and backing everyone else up, he just snuck through the gates with someone else.  "I don't know what the matter is!  I don't know why this isn't working!"  

I was out of "it'll be okay's" because I was so hungry, so I just smiled and kept walking.  The escalators took us from the depths of the underground station, to the corner of a bustling, dark, humid and rainy city street.  We walked downhill, in the rain, I in heels, he in shiny black shoes for three whole blocks.  I started running.  So did my mascara.  Then I started to smell.  So I stopped running.  My shoe got stuck in a grate.  Brennan's glasses were all foggy.  It wasn't the most shining moment of history.

After we arrived at the restaurant, and after I spent some time flipping my hair and rubbing hand-lotion under my armpits in the bathroom, we ordered dinner.  And I will say this:  the food was amamamzing.  We ordered a lot.  And we ate a lot.  The waitress and staff at the restaurant actually gave us a round of applause.  "I've NEVER seen two people eat so much!"  Thaaaat's embarrassing.  

The actual conversation over dinner was 90-percent about the food.  I was definitely being kind of difficult - well, not difficult… I just wasn't trying to make conversation too enjoyable?  I can fake it pretty well.  And I didn't want him to get vibes that I was really feeling it.  I don't know.  I just ate my food, talked about the food and was reserved yet hopefully polite?  We did speak about Brennan's newfound debt-free living approach.  He was really excited about it, so I let him talk.  Seemed to make him happy?  He was only one month away from paying that car off in cash, and his plan was to sell it, buy a "new" used car for less then he sold his current car, and start from scratch being debt-free.  His car was a cute little white two-door - and that's about all I could tell you about it.  Well, that and that it was just a few weeks away from being all paid for which made Brennan talkative.  At the end of the meal, the $130 bill came and I almost rolled off my chair.  (At the point it definitely would have been a "roll" too… not a "fall."  I was filled.  And very circular.)

In my head I started mentally adding up his costs for the day: new iPhone + two SmartCards during rush hour + $130 dinner.  Yikes.  I felt bad.  He REALLY was a nice guy.  At least he has a good job?  And he's not 19.  He's an adult.  He can afford this.  He hasn't gone on a first date in three years.  His car is almost paid off.  He has roommates who help pay rent.  Yeah, this is no big deal.

Once he paid, we left and walked back to the Metro.  This time, however, we were so full we couldn't stand straight.  We wobbled UP the hill, in the rain.  I finally took my shoes off.  My breath was short and smelly.  I was so so so excited to get on the Metro and go home.  One of my friends was having a movie night at her house, and if everything went smoothly, I might even be able to change and make it there in time.  Yay!

[part II to be continued tomorrow...]

CS Lewis + Boyfriend Pillows {Personal}

Happy Monday, one and all!


It's hard to not become almost unnecessarily sentimental when seasons change.
It's hard to read CS Lewis and not be left thinking deep and admiring his talent for arranging words.

I'm such an ordinary egg.  Sometimes I'm decent and other times I'm... ew.Elaborating on Lewis' quotes seem kind of pointless; he says it too well himself.
But it sure makes me think.
Both healthy, challenging thoughts and those unnecessarily sentimental thoughts.
I think about how we all want to "fly."  We - I - want to be happy, soaring and strong.
And yet, when those promised changes come along that take me out of my oh-so-talked about "comfort-zone," and my warm little egg is cracking, and I'm a slimy mess on a dry, stickly nest,
I would so often prefer to go back into my ordinary, decent, comfortable, safe egg.
How is it so possible to want "the best" and also want "the safe" so simultaneously?

Yup. You do.

Funny AND hopeful, scary, exhilarating, lovely, dreary and weird... oh yes.
One day you wake up and you're 21.  And the next day you wake up and you're 21. And the day after you are 21.  Days and days and days.  Until one day you wake up and you are 22.
One day you wake up and meet a stranger. 
The next day when you wake up you tell someone about the stranger you met. 
And then the next day you don't think twice about the stranger. 
But one day, 53 wake-ups later, the stranger has started to become your friend.  Or did they start to become your friend that very first day when you met? When did they go from "stranger" to "friend"?
Then you look back and the stranger is almost more a part of your life then you are.
In the meantime, a lovely friend you had when you were 21 has become a stranger.
And your car has 21,901 more miles on it, chauffeuring you around little and big life destinations.
And maybe you weigh three more pounds then you did when you were 21.
And you don't really think flag-bunting is as charming as it used to be.
And you realize that you actually love sour-cream, even though you didn't when you were 21.
Perhaps you even like hugging much more then you did when you were 21.
But now you are 22, and everything is different, though you woke up just the same every day.
That is sometime a very hard thing to remember.
Especially when you think you are the artist. 
But the Artist does such a perfect job with His pictures. 
I can't wait to see it.

Enjoy your sentimental-ordinary-(or-not)-experience-gaining-picture-painting Monday where you woke up and lived.

Ps.  Someone worked really hard and spent a lot of hours and money on this.
People are so special ;) And I love them.

Jay + Eva {Clifton, VA Engagement Photography}

all that i never knew, can you see me now?
all that i never said, can you see me now?
he makes me crazy
he makes me cruel
he makes me anything but a fool
my love | sarah bareilles

In a cozy warm sandwich shop, Eva and Jay rocked from side to side in their booth.
I saw them from outside the window as I walked in.
Smiling, chatting, laughing and clearly happy -
I would have felt like I was interrupting if they hadn't been so sweet.

Eva is a gorgeous, tiny, Italian bombshell.
Jay is an hysterical, big, loyal, manly-man.
These two met at the beach ("He was just different then other guys."),
they got engaged at the beach ("It was the best day of my life."),
and in a few weeks they will be married at the beach ("I hope it's just plan romantic and fun.")




I've been thrilled to work with these amazing couple.
I think when they booked me they were thrilled to book me.
And then we did their engagement shoot and they discovered I'm crazy.
Not like "oh, haha, I'm a teenage girl and it's cute to say I'm crazy. BLAH! I'M CRAZY!"
More along the lines of taking your clean, make-up-ed, beautifully hair-ed, paying clients,
who are here for a normal engagement shoot like every other client gets,
and then getting them soaking wet, ruining their hair and make-up,
and pretty much not even asking them if it's okay.
"No! We are not going under cover! Stay there!"
"But... it's raining."  

And rain it did.
In what I expected to be "probably a few sprinkles" a heavenly waterfall fell.
We were SOAKED. Wring your clothes out soaked.



And praise the good Lord for Eva and Jay's flexibility and fun-loving-nature.
They just went right along with me.
Kissing and loving and playing in the rain.


I told them that we could do a "real" engagement shoot later.
I basically got to fulfill a dream of mine by shooting in this rain,
and I don't think these two could have been more wonderful.
Guys, thanks for trusting me.  I owe ya ;)


Gotta hand it to you though,
you brought your romantic glam and nailed this.
I was giddy for days over this shoot.

I'm so happy we met in that sandwich shop.
Working with you has been a highlight of the year,
and we haven't even gotten to the wedding yet!

Much, much love!

I Love People {Personal}

"so the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. now remain in my love."  
Author ND Wilson wrote:"You have been given your body. You have been given your ancestors, your natural strengths, and your natural weaknesses.  The backstory is all in place.  You have been drawn, described and placed on a stage unlike any other - the Globe."
I love people.People are incredible, even the crazy ones.I love old people, and new people.I love stories about people,I love people related to me by blood,I love people who died long before I was ever born.I love that this world is filled with people.I love babies.And grandmas.I love my friends having babies and making their mothers grandmas.
Today I'm baby-sitting my friend Heather's little girls while she has her fifth person.I live with one of my best friends Becca and she's all round and pregnant with her first person.Highschool bud Elizabeth is gorgeously and happily carrying her first little person in her belly.
Loving people is strange.You live and love and lose and live.You love your wife-person for a lifetime, and eventually she dies.Or you love your best friend with all your heart and somehow they aren't in your life anymore.You love a little person that doesn't exist yet, and it's heart-breaking to wonder "Will I ever have a baby person?"Angry kid persons push away broken parent persons.And yet you can't help but love.
Selah, the five year old I'm watching today, was on a walk with me and her not-quite-two-year-old sister, Addie.Addie's chubby cheeks jiggle when she "runs."I was loving it. Couldn't stop commenting on it.It was seriously so cute.Selah piped up "Oh Miss Kristen!Just like it's soOoo cute when YOUR cheeks jiggle when YOU walk!"
My mom texted me the other day after church. She had a story about my little sister:"I asked Shannon what she learned in church today. She said 'pride and humidity.'"
"You clothed me with skin and flesh,
   and knit me together with bones.
You have granted me life and love."job 10:12
People aren't bodies.  People are wrapped in bodies.They are held together by bodies.A person is more then a body.I love knowing people.I love learning and hurting and dreaming and being with people.
Lydia made a joke about extinct bluebirds from Whales. It made me laugh.My brother filled me in on fantasy football. It made me smile.Caleb discovered ghosts. It made me giddy giggle.My dad came up with baby names for me and my future children. It made me burst.Jamie laughed at something I said. It made grin.My mom called to say hi while she was driving and just wanted to talk. It made me happy.It's so easy to love at those times.
But I don't love those times, I love those people.I love times with those people.I know life will bring about times with other people;other new people and other old people.Hopefully I will have many more years of loving and living.But when times hurt and are hard and I'm mad,I still love the people, not the times.  
Babies have a particular way of revealing the brevity of time.Babies are people.Most of us are adult people, we will always be adult people. We will never go back to being baby people.We may go back to being as needy as a baby person,but never a tiny, fresh, unknown baby person.
Newborn babies have no stories, yet.They are on page one."Once upon a time..."Their cue to enter the stage just has started.Who will they be? Who will they love?Who will they hurt? What flavor ice cream will they like most?Will they be allergic to ice cream?How will they be strong? And how will they be weak?I love baby people.
The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you."
jeremiah 1:4-5
Go love on some people while you live today.Remain in love. Remain in HIS love.Play your part on this stage.Sing or dance or change the set or direct or pull the curtain.And love being loved and love loving and just...love.
(and if there is any way you can snuggle a baby, go for it.)

Josh + Samantha {SugarLoaf Mountain Engagement}

it's yours to take wherever you go

through the years you'll always know

it's yours to keep
we are man + wife | michelle featherstone

"I decided to only do the 3-day free Match.com trial,
and had told myself that it would be entertaining if nothing else, 

I would see who else I know is on the site have some laughs and be done. 

The emails started coming in and of all of them, I responded to Joshua. 

His message was short and sweet. 

He wasn't over-flattering, 

wasn't suggesting we meet, 

wasn't calling me 'sexy',
he just wrote to introduce himself. 

I remember he made a joke about how he lived in West Virginia but he wasn't from West Virginia 

which I thought was funny."

"He signed his message, saying 'It's all about taking that first step, which is always the toughest.' I thought to myself, 'he's right', and so I wrote back. That started a chain of emails, several from Joshua and several from me each day, all of which left me feeling like a kid with a crush." "Three days later, I told him my trial was over, but I had created an email account just for him.I'm so happy I did that because nowI have an email account with nothing but our messages. We still go back and read some of them from time to time and laugh. I hope to print them one day and share them with our children as we tell our story."
Have you fallen in love with Josh and Sam yet?I have.I love this happy, friendly, nerdy, child-like, beautiful couple. "She is the biggest 80’s music fan and it cracks me up seeing her sing every song.
She loves to dance and its fun catching her when she’s doesn’t think anyone is looking."

"I love that Joshua doesn't get embarrassed by me.
When an 80's song comes on in the grocery store and I start to dance and sing, he doesn't get embarrassed.
In fact, he encourages me, because he knows I'm having fun and he doesn't care who sees." "I love making her smile because seeing her happy is very important to me."

"His laugh, his jokes, and his light-heart is contagious in the best way.
Everyone who meets Joshua likes him.
I love love love that my friends genuinely like Joshua." "Samantha loves Christmas with a passion that is child-like.
When I hear Christmas music, all I can think of is her."

"He plays online video games. Such a nerdy quality, I know.
And yes, I harass him about this, but I have my own nerdy qualities too, so I support his."
"We love going to the grocery store (Is that weird?).
We have so much fun at the grocery store together that now we hate going alone."

"The first year we were together we saw eight live music shows together."


They go on and on about how he packs her lunch for night-shift,
(she's a NICU nurse.)
Or how he loves Dunkin Donuts
(especially the Manager's Special.)
Or how she makes the best Sunday eggs in the world,
while she thinks it's pretty dang hot how much he loves to read.
With only a handful of interactions with these two,
I feel like I know them.
They talk long, lovingly and unhurriedly about each other.
They are quick to say something sweet or uplifting about the other -
to the person's face, to me, or to anyone else who will listen!

Josh and Sam seem like real people,
with real personalities and quirks,
who really fell in love.
They love the odd little parts of each other,
and don't take for granted dynamic aspect of the other person.
"She has such a passion for life and anyone that is part of hers is blessed.
She is beautiful, smart, honest and always tells me how she feels.
I love Samantha for being a down-to- earth person."

"He's totally, 100% himself, all the time.
He's loving and silly, and makes no apologies.
He has never ever curtailed who he really is when he's around different people to impress them.
I'm so happy for this, because I think who he really is is really great!"

They are who they are.
And they love who they are.
They have given their hearts to another,
with the complete trust and security of knowing it will be loved forever.
No gimmicks, acts or games. Just real love.

In the real, loving, somewhat cheesy, but fully genuine and meaningful words of Josh:
"Our love has no boundaries...

... to the moon and back."

Richard + Evelyn {Backyard Engagement Shoot}

cause i was waiting a long long time
for a boy like you
she + him | i was made for you

There is a Rose Franken quote that has been circling the Pinterest-sphere recently that goes like this:
“Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly.”

Meet Richard.
And meet Evelyn.

They so so seelly.

They've been friends for years. And years.
Evelyn was crushing on him pretty hard.
He was... unaware?
Or at least not interested.
But not because he wouldn't have been interested,
he just never really thought of it.


That is, until, Evelyn's um-mamazing birthday cake.
The way to a man's heart is through his stomach,
so if you can't catch his eye, fatten his belly.
Works like a charm ;)

Two years (almost exactly) after they started dating,
they are getting married.
Praise the Lord for birthdays so girls have an excuse to make boys-they-like treats.


I love Richard and Evelyn together.
I love their constant banter,their snappy, nerdy sense of humor,
their shared loved of Battlestar Galactica,
their childlike play.

Let me give you an example of their "play."

I occasionally give couples "roles" to play at a shoot,
just for fun, if the couple fits.
I asked these two to be the lead, hard-to-get cheerleader and the popular, ego-full, quarterback.

Here's what they did:
R: SooooOoo, if you were a pirate, would you want a parrot on this shoulder...

... or this shoulder?

E: Um, no.

E: Uh-uh, nope.

WHAM!
She started kicking the daylights out of him.
Richard was running around yelling "This isn't how it usually works when I woo girls!
You are too hard to get!"

"Why aren't you smitten with me!"
WHACK!
WHAM!
"Please want meeeee!"
Eventually he just grabbed her.
R: I love your forehead!


And then they played some more.
R: "Hey! We should play hide-and-seek around the tree, right?
Isn't that what you are supposed to do? Isn't that so cute?"

Whatever it was they were doing was pretty cute,
so I let them play on...


E: And now we have to do the finger-heart thing, right?
Right.

Probably my favorite.

I was invited over to Evelyn's house (the location of this shoot, as well as the location of the wedding) a few weeks ago to get the "grand tour" and for them to cast their vision on me ;)
I was speechless.  It's like a wedding factory over there.
But not in a nonsensical way.
Just in a detailed, creative, intentional, celebratory way.

I canNOT wait to tell and show you all about it.
From the "farm-to-table" inspired meal
(yes, they are growing their own garden specifically for the reception),
the garden-literature theme,
the homemade elements,
the fresh picked flowers,
It's gonna be so beautiful.

R: Just calm down and be romantic with me.
E: I know. I want to.  But my DAD is watching us out the window.

R: Oh Evelyn, it's okay...

R: ...he knows what happens on wedding nights! He knows how babies are made!
They crack me up.  They are so comfortable, happy and goofy together.


They're just awesome.
Shirts + jeans, golden light, 25 minutes and enough fun + love to last a week:
this was such a wonderful engagement shoot.

Hurry up and get married already! SHEESH.

:D

More Then I Dared to Ask {Personal}

he never ever saw it coming at all,
he never saw it coming at all

regina spektor | hero

Growing up I was a bit of a know-it-all goody-two-shoes.
I thought I was the ideal good girl. 
A's in school, no "trouble" at all, wanted to live with mom + dad until I got married at 20.
(Maaaaaybe 19.)
I was a brat ;)

(Not saying that all girls who want that are brats,
just so happened that my heart and attitude about it was very "Aren't I sooOoo good?")

God has taught me a lot the last few years.
I'm know I'm still a brat at heart.
But I honestly don't think about that so much.
There's no beating myself or gnashing of teeth,
because God has shown me in dazzling colors how good He is.
He is sooOoo good.

In my plans of old, I would have never dreamed of living on my own.
But God had good plans for me and last year I moved into an apartment on my own.


This little house has become my friend.
It really, really has.
I've never felt like this in a home
(maybe because of my big family, there was never too much personal space)
but I feel like the walls "know" me.

I know, I know, I know... sounds dumb.
Try not to vomit in your mouth.
It's true though.
As my life has just gone so shockingly different then I thought it would,
my home has been a little haven.
It had very humble beginnings.

As late summer turned into fall I geared up for my first Thanksgiving "by myself."
(my siblings flew up to celebrate with me.)

I've loved having family, friends and little kids come to my home.

Many nights I would get in from the day and sit on my couch,
drinking water,
listening to cars drive by,
watching the sky melt into night.
It made me feel safe.

Winter called for my first Christmas Tree.
That baby was up a good seven weeks!
I would always make sure to turn the lights on before I left,
so when I came home there would be that magical Christmas glow :D

This winter was a bit of an emotionally hard one for me.
Sometimes you just realize a lot about yourself and it's hard.
It's hard to know that we can hurt people, it's hard to be hurt by people,
it's hard to grow up and not live in la-la-land.
It's hard to have regret, but it's sweet to be forgiven.
It's hard to cry tears, but it's so sweet to see them redeemed.
I had a lot of alone time being snowed into this apartment,
just me and my walls :D
An incredible "perk" this winter was my basketball team.
We had a handful of pizza parties over at my place, and boy did my neighbors hate it ;)
The squealy, excitable, funny girls blessed me so much.
It was so fun when they would "oooo!" and "oh my gosh I want to live here!" when they visited.

Thankfully winter always turns to spring,
and somehow the physical surroundings always lend to an emotional transition too.
Hope, ideas, creativity, excitement!

(ahem. excuse the picture quality, but this is me standing on my friends shoulders trying to climb into my apartment after I locked myself out.  I HATE LOCKS.)

Weekly for almost a full year my dear small group from church met at my house.
We'd spend hours eating, talking about God + life, playing games and making memories.
I would love it when I'd go to bed and people would still be out talking.
I already miss it and it's barely ended :D

Freshly motivated and alive, spring started strong.
Social activities, decorating, work, travel plans... Oh boy it was fun!

I am so grateful for every single person who has come to my house.
I really am.  My mind floods with memories of visitors.
With helpers.
With baked-goods-deliverers.
With friends.
With concerned neighbors (my fire alarm is needy, one could say.)
With family.

Shortly after these pictures were taken, my life headed down a deliciously sweet time.
Summer of 2011 is one I'll never forget.
It's been my favorite summer of my life.







I go to sleep content, and wake up smiling. 
My little house has been a part of that.
It's been a part of my growing up, it's been a part of my mess, it's been a part of the beautiful.
It's been such a physical representation of what has gone on inside me.
I will forever love this little oddly shaped home of mine.

But it's time to go.
It's time for a new home, with a new "family."
(I canNOT wait to live with people again!!!! ajakjasjakjaskja!!!! YAY!)
As much as I loved living here, and inviting friends over, I'm ready to have "home" include permanent and dear  residents.  I don't just want "room mates."

And God worked it out perfectly - literally down to the hour - that I could move in with my favorite Klesses. It's a story, I think, worth reading :D 

- Back in 2007 after I graduated highschool, these newlyweds (for one year!) became my small group leaders.
We met in their rented basement apartment with our group, and always teased them about having children.
- Through 2008 and 2009 I learned more and more about them through their open-ness, love of Adams-Morgan pizza, kind texts, prayers, tough love, photography, heart ache, looooots of laughs (mostly thanks to Dre) and time.
Some of the biggest "desires of their heart" included
a career in the FAA for Dre (not just "jobs"), a home of their own and children.
- In 2010, right after my family moved away to Florida, the Klesses left for Oklahoma.
Dre, after literally years of waiting, had been accepted into the FAA.
He needed to train in Oklahoma for about 5 months.
- After they left, I moved into my apartment on August 21, 2010.
- Between 2007 and 2010 Becca + Dre had become such sweet and important friends in my life.
I honestly had no idea how much I'd need them, or that I had room for more "best friends."
But God worked it out :D
- Now, a year later, Becca + Dre own their own home about five minutes from my current house,
Dre has a full-time job with the FAA,
and Becca is pregnant with a baby boy due in Decemeber.
AND they just so happen to have an extra bedroom + empty basement for a certain someone ;)
So many prayers answered in that last sentence. So so so many.

The cool thing was that they had put an offer on their house this past winter,
BEFORE Becca was preggo,
but for whatever reason the house wasn't accepted/confirmed with bank stuff until July 1, 2011,
AFTER Becs was a few months along.
July 1, 2011 happened to be the deadline I had with my apartment building to re-new my year lease.
If Dre and Becca didn't get the house, I was gonna stay.
Cause I love my apartment.
If they did get the house, I was gonna move.
Cause I love them.
And at 2:00 pm on July 1 I got a text from Becca "Go down to your leasing office! We got the house!"
I ran down their lickety-split,
officially told them I was leaving, with about three hours to spare ;)

So this weekend "my apartment" will no longer be "mine."
And I'll be the new addition in the Kless household, eagerly awaiting their real new addition.
I'm excited about baby showers, baby home-welcomes, days of working with a friend, meals,
movie nights, stinky diapers and anything else that comes along the way :D

My quote for this year has been one from Martin Luther:

"All who call on God in true faith, 

earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard,

and will receive what they have asked and desired, 

although not in the hour or in the measure, 

or the very thing which they ask. 

Yet they will obtain something greater

 and more glorious than they had dared to ask.”

That is how I'd describe my life right now:
more glorious then I dared to ask.

I've made mistakes, I've worked hard, I've not gotten things I've wanted, I've lost things I love,
but God in His kindness has only poured out more.
And it's been perfect.
He is sooOooo good!

The August Rundown {Personal, Photography + Anything Else}

"People are seldom too busy to stop and tell you how busy they are."
unkown

This summer has been one of my sweetest, happiest + fullest of my existence.
One of those summers where you love waking up in the morning,
where each week is filled with activities better then the week before.
A summer where you work hard, play often, travel just enough, chill at home barely enough,
eat way too much, and learn more about why life is just so precious.

I have much to say, much to tell you with words and show you with pictures.
On the eve of my 22nd birthday, here is a little look into my summer weeks work-wise.
(okay. maybe a few of these happened months ago. ssh.)
How I love my job :D

| portrait + engagement shoots |
jay + eva's wonderful and rainy clifton, va engagement shootroslynn's maternity session at a lush nature reserve in belfast, northern ireland
brandon + naomi's loveable and dreamy engagement shoot in downtown frederick
| weddings + maew-wij |
nick + whitney's sweet and lovely wedding in st. michaels at the oaksmatt + amelia's hysterical and carefree wedding at glen echo parkangel + lindsay's party-times graffiti-ful wedding at the oak room brandon + naomi's adorable and giggly wedding at bald eagle state parkgeoff + kelly's preppy "winter in the summer" wedding at the george washington hotel
| personal news |

the update on my last few days of calling my dear apartment home. and where i'm headed next ;)

George + Melissa {Collingwood Museum + Library}

"a thousand words just like you"
goo goo dolls | thousand words


george + melissa's wedding was one of the most animated and emotional i've attended.
this post is quite wordless because,
as we all know,
a picture speaks a thousand words.

enjoy their joy!
and be sure to look at their faces very carefully.

| becoming a groom. and becoming a bride. |

| sneaky pictures of the brides butt. oh girls ;) |

| gifts for each other | | sorority girls candle pass | | seeing daddy || ceremony time, but it looks like rain |



| and the rain came down |





| the first few minutes of being married |



| celebration time |










| for the last song, all the guests got kazoo's.  it was a mad house in there ;) but very happy. |

congratulations george and melissa! you two are two tons of fun.you'll have the best life together.
:D

Benjamin + Jacqueline {Frederick Engagement Shoot}

"i don't like you
but I love you
seems that I'm always
thinking of you"
she + him | really got a hold of me

Her dad told told her "You can't buy a house together until you are engaged."
(seems fair.)

Benjamin brought up dozens of house listings to their shared 500-square-foot studio apartment,
laid them across the floor, paced the room, waiting for his "gris" to come home.

It had been a terrible day at work.
She was emotional.She was late.
She was sitting in her car venting to a friend for half an hour.
  Benjamin kept peaking out the window.
Come on, Jac, seriously, hurry hurry!

Once she finally came in, she found her steady rock, sitting cross-legged
(an inside joke of theirs: no down on one knee, but down Indian-style)
in a room full of home-listings,
one of which would probably be their own,
with a ring and a question.

She lost it.

Screams and "YES!" and tears and happiness unwrapped themselves from her heart.
They enjoyed their moment and also enjoyed the cozy dinner with Jacqueline's dearest friends and family, that Benjamin had all ready and waiting for her.

When I first started shooting, I was told that these two have special nicknames.
Nicknames they are known for.
Aggy.
And Gris (short for "grisly." Like a grisly bear.)
Gris and Aggy.
Ha-aaaaaawesome!

They told me that they weren't really touch-y-feel-y.
They told me they were both very strong personalities
(she on the high-strung side, he on the quiet side.)
They told me Benjamin didn't smile big,
and that Jacqueline didn't stop talking.

I asked them what they loved about each other.

Jacqueline, standing with one hand on her hip, and the other flipping back and forth,
talking along with her mouth said,
"Ohhh, he's the ying to my yang.  He's the voice of reason. He's dependable and loves me.
He's so steady and calm.  He calms me down.  He's the perfect balance for me."

He shared his thoughts,
"She makes me a better man."

Jac cracked up, and slid her hand down his arm,
"Hahah he's a man of few words!"
She was beaming.
His eyes smiled her direction.

These two met in 2000... and she was still in highschool ;)
There was no way she was gonna date one of "those" older restaurant guys.
(She was a hostess, he was a server.)
But over the years they kept in touch,
and four years ago they started dating.



Between long-distance-where-they-flew-from-Maryland-to-Atlanta-every-weekend-for-a-year,
busy work schedules and commutes,
tiny living quarters,
deep, soul-piercing conversations,
healing and growth,
they fell in love.

And I don't care if they "aren't touch-y feel-y."
I don't care if they are super tough with rock hard exteriors.

You can't hide what they have.
The mutual respect, the love, the care they have for each other shines.

(first blurry pic of the post. love it.)

They don't just love each other,
they are deeply in love.
In their own special way.

(By the way, Benjamin does too smile!)

The feeling that you get when you are with them is that they really know each other.
They know each other's strengths and weaknesses,
and they love each other in spite of it.
And they also understand how rare and precious what they have is.



(second blurry picture of the post! love iiiiiiit too!)

I truly had a blast with them.
And I think they ended up with someone of my most giggly, touchy pictures I've ever taken.

Seriously?! Seriously.

They are a dreaaaam.







I cannot wait for your wedding and all your BRILLIANT plans :D
It's gonna be fun times!

Much love,
Kristen

Evan + Betsy {Glen Echo Wedding}

"so i just lay back and laugh at the sun'cause i'm in shoo-shoo-shoo, shoo-shoo-shoo sugar town."nancy sinatra | sugar townIt was a breezy, but not even slightly chilly sunny day.
And after getting stuck in a VERY creepy parking garage
(turns out I had somehow mananged to park myself in the Valet Parkers garage.
Oops!)
I was ready to see sweet Betsy on her wedding day.
I had only met Betsy once before her wedding,
but I was smitten with her taste from the get-go.
Especially her + Evan's desire to have a "fun, different and authentic wedding.
We want to to feel real to us as individuals and as a couple."
Sold. Signed, sealed, delivered... I'm yours ;)
When I got to the hotel I discovered a very nervous Betsy.
Still so sweet.
But oh-so-nervous.
"I'm not scared about my marriage!
Or my future!
Nothing could be better then marrying Evan.
It's just all this that makes me nervous!"
she said, as she pointed at her dress, hair and hotel room.
Her mom reminisced with her about her childhood,
trying to take Betsy's mind off her nerves.
"Look! You can see your summer camp right down there!"
They made sure she had some saltines and water for the stomach,
TV and magazines for the eyes,
and band-aids for those dang heels ;)
I wanted to give Betsy a little breathing room,
so I headed down a few doors to check on the boys.
Just a minute or so after I got to the groomsmen,
someone yelled "Hey! Evan! It's for you!
It's Betsy.""Hello?
Hey... oh?
Right now?
If you want to! Yes. Sure.
Right now."
Betsy wanted to see him right now.
The original plan was to do a First Look at Glen Echo.
But she needed her comfort and rock.
And she needed it now.
The poor girl was visibly emotional.
Not sad or bothered.
Very confident, very sweet... just dying to see her man.
So with a few final touches...
... as well as tears and "you look beautiful!"'s from dad...
... Betsy was ready to roll.
I asked her if she wanted me to find somewhere to go in the hotel with better light,
or more character then the elevator entrance of the tenth floor.
"No, that's okay!  This is us, I guess. And this will just be the story of how it happened!
On our wedding day, I saw him in the hotel hallway!
Because I just couldn't wait!"
He: Wow.  You are a bride.
Her: I KNOW! Can you believe it?
Her: But it's the same.
I'm a bride.
And you're a groom.
But it's the same.
We're normal, right?
He: Yes, we're normal. We're just the same.
Her: Well, I feel a LOT better! I don't know if this helped you, but I feel SO much better.
Apparently seeing her made the stoic-surgeon-Evan much MORE nervous,
but it was the hugest sigh of relief for Betsy.
Since we had the first look out of the way, there was some time to kill at Glen Echo.
Which was probably good.
Betsy got to sit in a cool, air-conditioned room and talk with her family.
And be photographed by me.
Because she is ridiculously attractive.
"You know what?" she laughed.
"This is all a bit ridiculous!
You go through months of planning,
and working on this event... and then it comes...
and you can't even go to the bathroom by yourself!"
Betsy had a giddy little moment of "gaining perspective" and her mom cracked up.
"You are one of us!"
It was rather cute.

 And before we knew it, it was time for the ceremony,
at my favoritefavorite Glen Echo Park.
(Did I mention Glen Echo is my favorite?)
Here's a theory I have about shooting at this park:
If you get married at Glen Echo, you just have to be a fun couple.
Or at least interesting.
With fun friends and family, to boot.
Because what boring, lame, persnickety couple gets married at a 1920's theme park?

Where artists still create, dances are still held and children still play?None. No lame couples get married at Glen Echo.
At least that's my theory... and so far I'm 5 for 5?

And look! This couple was so nice!
As their guests walked up, they were offered a refreshing glass of water or lemonade.
Glen Echo Couple for the win!
The ceremony was at THE most perfect time of day.
Combined with the colors, murmur of the lively guests and the sweet emotion,
it really was perfection.
Aaaaaaaw ;)
After Betsy's nerves left... they were GONE.
And replaced with smile after smile after smile.
A little shout-out to my favorite company Apple ;) Ow ow!
Part of keeping their wedding "authentic" was having seven guests share a wish for the new couple.
Some were serious, some were funny,
but all were heartfelt and personal.
(love all the groomsmen's faces in that ^ one ;) haha it was a very sweet wish.)

Eh, they're alright ;)

By the way, isn't their huppah fantastic?
But... marriage time!
Vows!
Rings!
Kisses!
And wa-la!
They're married.
She her funny, confident comforter,
and he to his spontaneous, compassionate adventurer.
Forever.
The guests kicked back at the beautiful cocktail hour.
The details were all killer.
(This is what every drink in Heaven tastes like... I think.)
Happy happy wife.
Wonderful wonderful drink.
I ADORED that they had lots of kids in and at their wedding.
I've always wanted to do the same,
and these little people were just SUCH a hoot!
Evan and Betsy first met in college.
They were friends.
That was about it.
I mean, don't get me wrong... they were good friends!
Great friends, even!
But not in "that" sort of way.
Betsy's maid of honor explained it well:
"He was the kind of friend you confide in,
trust everything with,
and the kind of friend if you ever let yourself admit it
might be more then just a friend."
It took them both a while to admit it, I guess.
They were the kind of friends that made a pact with each other
"If we aren't married by _____ age, we'll marry each other."
But all of a sudden everything changed.
Evan realized there was more to this beautiful girl.
"I love that you really think."
He loved how she enjoyed cooking and chilling on the beach,but could also rough it on trips all over the world and make it fun.
She was compassionate and truly dear to him.
Betsy realized just was wonderful Evan was with people,
how he made them feel comfortable and instantly like a friend.
She loved his loyalty and confidence,
humor and smarts.
And before you know it,
Evan was in an OldTime Photobooth proposing to his best friend,
Betsy.
One thing I loved about them as a couple was how they really "stuck to their guns."
Their wedding was exactly what they wanted it to be.
So very fun.
So very special.
So very "them."




And that is how they are with each other.
There is definitley a sense of "take me as I am,
all my faults and failures,
strengths and accomplishments.
We're in this together and I love you for you."

(Haha this made me laugh. Starts young... ;)

The maid of honor gave on of the best toasts I've ever heard.
The room was in tears.
The best man gave one of the funniest toasts I've ever heard.
The room was roaring.
And they all celebrated.
Celebrated where they had come from,
celebrated this very moment of this very day,
and celebrated what was to come for Evan and Betsy.

I'd toast to that, too ;)
Congratulations newlyweds!
Enjoy living in sunny CA and tell it "hello!" for me!