the verwys family: part one

Well, as it turns out, I have so many pictures of the Verwyses that I want to share with you, I'm going to need today AND tomorrow!  So, for today, enjoy the pictures we were able to take in their lovely neighborhood and their very own backyard!

Nothing like sister love!

SUCH sweet pictures of Nate and Sam!

Aren't they such a beautiful family?!  Can't wait to show you the rest!

sneak peek: the verwys kids

You may remember that, about a month ago, I posted engagement pictures I had taken as a gift to my roommate, Clara, and her fiance, Bob.  Well, once I posted those on Facebook, I got a message from the sweet Verwys family, asking me to take family pictures for them!  Andrea had gone to Cedarville with Bob and run across the pictures through his profile, and I was, of course, flattered that she trusted me to capture her family.  So, last Saturday, I drove out to their beautiful home in Fairfax and spent a couple hours with them.  Their kids are so full of life and so adorable!  I'm still working my way through editing all the pictures, but here's a sneak peek at their four cuties!

Meet Grace...

Rita...

Sam...

...and Ellen!

And be sure to come back tomorrow for the rest!

no more cargo shorts

Yesterday was a banner day for my college newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel, not because it broke a big story or because it finally decided to stop pretending it is completely separate from the University, but because it printed a letter to the editor that finally forced us all to address a largely silent national tragedy: cargo shorts.

Before I let you know what I think, here's the letter:

TO THE EDITOR:

Editor, I have a problem. I am a northerner working in the area for the summer and I have long abided by American principles.

When I heard I would be living below the Mason-Dixon, I assumed that Southerners too would live by the American code. I thought Carolinians would hold freedom near and dear to their hearts.

Instead, I have found that Southern hospitality is a sham.  Instead of celebrating individual freedoms, they spit in the faces of those who are different. I am talking about the alienation of cargo shortwearers.

In Boston, they are not a problem. For some reason, though, they are sin in the South. Girls scorn you at the bars, refusing to talk to you the second they see your surplus storage. Guys laugh and call you “pocket boy” or, the more creative, “trash.” Emma Lazarus would be rolling in her grave. Why is this the case? Why are there always two pockets of separation between society and myself? I urge the students of Chapel Hill to change. I call on them to accept the tired and poor cargo-d masses yearning to breathe free. After these trials and tribulations I wonder, “Can we all just get along?”

George Huber
Boston University


No, George, no we cannot.  Cargo shorts are visually offensive, an eyesore of useless extra fabric sewn to your outer thighs to make you look like you might be able to build a fire or fashion a zip line at a moment's notice, when really, you probably got them 40% off after some Guido at Hollister talked you into that graphic tee and a leftover puka shell necklace.  You are not outdoorsy because of your shorts.  If you are outdoorsy at all, it is probably in spite of your shorts, which are weighing you down with two extra pockets of shame.

And on that note, if your shorts end below your knees, you are softly treading into capri territory.  You need to cease and desist.

But lo, there is hope!  And in the South, we've not only figured it out, we're here to help and ready to put you on the path to shorts righteousness.  Just keep it simple.  Lose the extra storage.  And for the love of all that is holy and tailored, let the shorts stop a couple inches above your knees.  That upper part of your thigh that never sees the sun is long enough.  Exposed kneecaps are not going to cost you any extra bottles of sunscreen.

Oh, and that needlepoint belt isn't a bad choice, either.  Just sayin'.

new toys!

For a while, I had been struggling with a constant dilemma over whether or not to bring my nice Canon camera around with me to everyday life-type stuff because I didn't really want to carry it around in its separate camera bag while also carrying my purse.  Nor did I want to do the unthinkable and tourist it up with my camera around my neck while my purse rode on my shoulder, like normal.  But once I discovered the B-Hobo bag from Kelly Moore Bag, I fell a little bit in love and knew I would have to have it eventually!  I finally took the plunge last week, and I couldn't be happier with it!

It looks JUST like a purse on the outside, but the inside is magic...

It has extra padding everywhere, it has a zipper AND a magnetic flap closure for extra security, and the removable velcro inserts make it so versatile.  It also came with two straps, one long and one short, so it's easy to make it look like a purse when I need it to be.  Plus, it has a ton of pockets to hold batteries, memory cards, lens caps, etc. while also holding my keys and my cell phone.  So now, if I want to take my camera to a party but don't necessarily want to carry two bags, I don't have to!  I'm in love.

I may or may not have also cashed in my credit card points and bought this bad boy, and let's just say none of my pictures have been the same since.  It's a miracle!

Ok, thanks for letting me geek out on you today.  I had a photo session with a sweet family this past weekend, so get excited for that on the blog this week!  Happy Monday!

new canvases

So, I've mentioned far too many times before how much I LOVE and ADORE Canvas on Demand, and I especially love it when Groupon has a sale going on!  Normally, a 16" x 20" canvas costs $112, but with a Groupon, they're only $45, which is a total steal.  A couple months ago, I bought these canvases (and you may recognize some of the pictures)...

I even bought Colin and Jessica a gift card to Canvas on Demand for their wedding gift, a) because they're moving to Houston and don't need another heavy gift to lug down there, and b) because they can get one of their wedding pictures printed for quite a bit less!  Fortunately, this Groupon is a 48-hour deal, so if you have some pretty pictures you'd like to get printed (or you want to steal one of mine... that's always okay with me), you still have the remainder of today, so click here and get your canvas on!  Oh, and even though it's technically the Groupon for Raleigh-Durham right now, anyone can buy it.  I promise.

Happy Friday!

p.s. Thanks to Molly for actually hanging those canvases.  Sometimes, my laziness is overwhelming.

jessica & colin's wedding: part two

Here are the rest from their lovely wedding!

Do you see why these two are married?

This is one of my two favorite pictures from the whole day!

And here's my other favorite!  Classic Jessica face!



I love you both SO much, and I couldn't be happier for your new life together!  Even though you're moving a bazillion miles away to Houston, I'll always consider you dear friends.  xoxo!

jessica & colin's wedding: part one

This past weekend, I got to go home for the third weekend in a row, because my lovely friends, Jessica and Colin, were tying the knot!  Jessica and I go all the way back to the first day of college marching band, where I played saxophone and she was in the colorguard.  And, what's funnier is that even though we met on our own, she was Amanda's suitemate that year!  So, in addition to being a bomb dot com band friend and chemistry lab partner freshman year, she and I travelled together to Miss America when Amanda competed, and then we were both in Amanda's wedding, which was exactly six months before Jessica's!  Haha, did you catch all that?  And I also met Colin in band, because he was in the drumline while I was there.  But they were high school sweethearts, and I know they just adore each other.  Their wedding was extra fun, and I have to tell you, they had some of the best wedding food I've ever eaten!  The reception was at Sisters' Garden in Raleigh, and because they're mainly a catering company, they had ridiculously good shrimp and grits and amazing appetizers.  Plus, instead of a cake, Jessica and Colin chose a giant cupcake tower, and the cupcakes were just as good as any here in DC!  They're on their honeymoon in Cancun right now, but here's the first half of the pictures I took at their reception!

So excited to see my Amanda-girl!

Amanda and her husband, Nick!

Jessica and Colin had a different card with a different question for every guest at their wedding, and we had to get creative with our answers!  Such a good way to keep track of who came to your wedding and give them the chance to let their personalities out a little bit!

Always ready for a picture, haha!

The flower girls just jumped right in during their first dance... it was so precious!

I'll be sure to post the rest tomorrow!  And a special congratulations to one of my best friends, Rachel, who is getting married in Israel today (at 12:30 Eastern time)!  I sooooooo wish I could be there, but I know she'll be a stunning, super-fun, low-stress bride.  Love you, dear!