2011 highlights

i already posted about the highlights of my 2011 according to my iPhone, it is only fair that i give a shootout to my real cameras. all of them. in this post. 

{link...over. load.}

• i loved snow days with alexa and madeliene
• reading with madeleine
• i loved the first wedding of the year. i loved the venue. i loved her dress. i loved the family. 
• it was great to take maternity photos, and then newborn photos of this family 
• first time with kale
• i loved going to two weddings back to back - brides being each others maid of honor! Kristina and Ravin
• i adored this family. both times. the first and second. 
• i also adored this couple and their willingness to be cold for the sake of cute pictures - and then their family! 
• evangelia, her 18 months, and two year photos
• my seniors, xannie {and her sisters} hunter and reem. because of obvious reasons
• death cab for cutie with best friend
• a HUGE highlight was taking my best friends engagement photos {that they used for their invitations, which were designed by my wonderful brother in law}
• our road trip to georgia 
• rochester wedding 
• final girls night before rules wedding! with all of us! 
• anniversary with alexa rae
• engaged and married in ferndale! 
• fun time at the cider mill with olivia and brennan 
• weekend up north with kale {traverse city and petoysky}
• favorite season
• my second time with the rutt family! 
• and obviously my trip to the virgin islands, which are here and here and here annnnnnd here

and a post about my amazing grandpa! 

 i will say it a million times:

THANK YOU 

seriously?!!? 

this year was amazing. 

so thank you to everyone who gave me the privilege to photograph a big moment for you

and thanks to my friends who encourage me and waiting to see my photos and being honest with me

{they know who they are}

and thank you to really anyone who even reads my blog. 

it means so much to me. 

I'm really looking forward to 2012

more weddings, and couples, and families! and lots of new babies! 

a mix for 2011

{just to be put in the time capsule that is this blog}
this is a different kind of mix, since it is a mix of the songs most played in that month 

January: Jaymay // Gray or Blue 

February: Mumford and Sons // Awake my Soul

March: Noah and the Whale // Shape of my Heart

April: She & Him // Change is Hard

May: Manchester Orchestra // Pensacola

June: Taking Back Sunday // Faith

July: DCFC // I Will Possess Your Heart

August: The Wonder Years // Came Out Swinging

September: Freelance Whales // Hannah

October: Desire // Under Your Spell

November: Ingrid Michaelson // Ghost 

December: Gregory and the Hawk // For The Best

honorable mentions


because what better song can sum up 2011?


and what better song to lead into 2012?

newest addition

i collect cameras. this is old news. 

driving around yesterday, i made a stop at one of my favorite antique shops {the owner is incredibly nice, and knows as soon as i walk in that i will ask him if he has any new cameras} 

 i walked in and he said "just follow me" and this is what he had to show me. i fell in love with it. its a revere 8 44 - and it was made in 1952. its only has one of the three lenses but i love it so much. 

isn't he handsome? 

slacking in december

thursday: 

its taylors new song. listen to it. its perfect. 

saturday:

sissa and i

cousin jody and myself 

i hate corner pieces... 

sunday:

bz! 

is there anything more fun than superman ice-cream with loooooong time friends?! its a flashback party! 

and monday: 

the slurpee that wasn't as good as i was hoping.
Dear 7-11, yes it is december and cold outside - that doesn't mean that you can slack on the slurpee department? lets be honest? what else do you have to offer people?! 

happiness: new journal

and for the last photo, is there anything more appropriate for a new age to take a photo with a baby photo of yourself? 

moving monday:

youre welcome ladies
{also posting it for myself, since he was my first love and im no longer the age i was yesterday}

ten things i love about december 2011

its december. so what if its cold and yet... no snow {why you no snow, december?!?!}. so what if my car hates me {its true. it really hates me}. here are things that make me happy this month:

one. this video, which was recently shared by ingrid michaelson - its not an original ingrid song, but its so so so good.

two. my ever talented cousin, brooklyn has been painting so much lately {reason 1,209 why i love instagram - i get to see them all!} but isnt that just perfect? want some art for your walls??! i know you do.. click this! 

three. i saw this photo and went by it quickly, and then i instantly went back to it and stared at it for a good 5 minutes. its a perfect use of a wall! 

(source)

i will be honest, i am a little jealous of the collection they have of dvds - is that seinfeld i see? 

four. this video - its really good. maybe i have loved the song forever so it wins me over? its genuinely good. and really neat to watch. its worth the 9 minutes of your time {promise}

five. my newest owl: he is perfect. he is wearing a sweater!

six. this makes me think of my smart friends. the ones who corrected me this year on this. and now im a snob about it too. thanks a lot! and i can't be the only one who thinks this resembles zac morris... can i? 

seven: no words necessary {source unknown}

eight: conquering diner dash. so what if it took me a hot minute to figure it out. thanks maddie for showing this to me... 6 months ago..

nine:  buying myself some new crafts for cards and journaling this winter.

ten: conversations like this. because they're funny, and good for the soul

finally! a december i love. and 6 days away until im done with 23.
xoxo

oh. i have to fit these in.. i know it makes it 12 things i love about december
but sometimes rules are meant to be broken:

isnt she beautiful?!

{source flickr is really a perfect place}

i love this. incredibly much. 

{source}

moving monday:

they don't know i speak english

best thing i have seen all week - maybe because i once worked full time and know first hand this is EXACTLY how it is. maybe because i used to make paper chains when i should have been working.. maybe because The Office is great.. maybe because it is taylor..

when a best friend sends you his cover songs:

Virgin Islands Part One:

So as you may have heard I went to the Virgin Islands for 'work'. {I put work in quotations because it certainly didn't feel like work}

I'm going to share everything BUT the wedding in this post. {by the way, the wedding was flawless and beautiful and emotional and just PERFECT}

It started on Thursday first thing in the morning. {3 hours of sleep is good enough when you have excitement behind you} - I 'slept' most of the two flights. {I put slept in quotations because its not really sleep when you are so very aware of the flight attendants and pilot talking ever so loudly on the mic}. It ended on Sunday, after we hiked to the beach and walked in the pouring rain to the ferry.

Anyways {I'll try to limit my rambling}

Here are some of my own photos: 

I say it every time, but I mean it. Every. Time. I love the sky from the air. I love sun rises and sun sets. And everything in between. 

on the way to the ferry we saw this.
I told my self, and I will tell you too, Captain Jack Sparrow was on that ship.  

first time on a car ferry
it was pretty sweet! 

when we finally got to the house we were staying at, this was the view when you looked up
forgive me for not having a tripod.
{i personally like it this way. flawed.}
but perfect. and so incredible. 

and then I woke up. and this is what I saw then. 

and then we went to a wedding location and this happened 

Friday night - rehearsal dinner at an other house  

Sunday early morning hike to a beach
it was perfect.
and perfect.
and I saw a stingray.
and a sea turtle {still up for debate}
did i say how perfect it was?! 

a leaf. with a heart. 

the hermit crab i found on the hike back to the car! he was the cutest!
i wasn't scared of his claws.... nope.....not at all 

went to woodys for lunch. the last lunch
and it was pouring.
i thought it was appropriately sad that i was leaving 

and that was that. 

needless to say, I need to go back.
and I will.

but I can guarantee i won't be going with so many awesome people as I did this trip.
seriously, the family was so incredibly warm and loving
and the friends, were all so fun.
I laughed more than I expected and fell in love with everyone there!
Thanks Krystal & Ryan for inviting me down with you guys

and thanks to your families for being so awesome!

ps get ready for some wedding photos coming up! I might post a few a day. 

confession:

when i have extra photos on a roll of film. or stare at my camera on my couch long enough, i will take photos of my room. maybe because its my favorite place to be. maybe because its a part of me. maybe because there are lots of things to capture. or maybe because its ever changing.. 

first picture on a roll. and one of my favorites.  

the power was out for an entire evening. and i sat on the floor and wrote and apparently took this photo
painting by my cousin brook
this is her etsy shop!! 

new stamp? attack your door frame... 

polaroid of my polaroid wall. or at least part of it. 

my nook. or my desk area that i am currently in LOVE with. 

tomorrow i may wake up and want to paint it. or nail an other hole in the wall. or buy an other coffee mug. 

or maybe ill take another photo of it. 

but i fear for my own place. when i will have multiple rooms. 

and ideas. 

and photos. 

muhaha