My Little Abby

This past weekend Abby and I headed out to the 151 to do a drive that has become a full blown tradition.  I had a grande chai apple juice with a shake of cinnamon (think, nice hot apple cider) in my hand and my Christmas music loaded.  I love doing this drive year round, but something about the fall puts a touch of special on it.  The 151 is a forest service road north of the Peaks and it takes you on a loop.  I love working my way south on it so I can follow the mountain as I get closer.  The leaves were at their best and we picked the perfect day to go.

The road looked like this pretty much the whole way.

And a couple more photos of the leaves everywhere...

I take Abby out there with me so I can take pictures of her and that way I kind of have an album of her.  I also find that she is the perfect model for practice because she's totally unpredictable and you have to move fast to catch her!  Here are some photos of her from this weekend:

And I had to take a picture of my new Argus film camera that I've been having so much fun with!

Here are some of the photos I took of Abby last year in the same spot:

While I'm at it....here's a little background.  Abby was a given to me as a gift from my mom and dad.  They surprised me with her on Mother's Day weekend when I'd come home from college.  It is probably one of my favorite memories I have of my mom.  My parents always made things more extravagant than was necessary and this wasn't any different.  They had placed different items a first time dog owner would need around the house, things like food, a kennel, treats, etc.  After every gift there were paper arrows on the ground pointing me in the direction of the next gift.  The last one I received was a tiny dog collar with a pink dog tag that read, Abby Onnen.  I still couldn't figure out what was going on and why they'd gone through all of this trouble, especially on a weekend that was suppose to be about my mom.  After the collar there were three large arrows pointing to the closet.  I opened the closet and didn't immediately see her, then she walked to the front of the kennel she was placed in and lightly tapped the kennel door.  All I remember after that is grabbing my mom and crying with her.  Abby was two months old and just under two pounds.  She was one of the greatest gifts I've ever received and I think because of the importance of the way my mom gave her to me, she's always been just a little more than a pet.  She's been my best friend and at times she was all I had to hold on to.

Here are several more of my photos that I've taken of her in the past that are my absolute favorites:

Simple, Classic, and Elegant

I'm sitting at home sick today, so little Abby and I are cuddled up on the couch with tea and girl movies for the day.  I often find myself visiting all of the websites I'm obsessed with when I'm out of commission like this.  I shortly found myself on jcrew.com and looking at their wedding dresses, they are pretty much the base and inspiration of my dress.  Before I get to the dress there's a back story though:

Last year Mike booked a wedding with the couple, Jordan and Julia.  I didn't meet Julia until we showed up on her wedding day and started shooting her getting her makeup done.  We stayed with Julia the whole time she was getting ready and I rode with her to the ceremony at West Fork.  I didn't meet Jordan, officially, until after the ceremony when we started doing their bride and groom shots.  It was obvious from the start that they weren't just any other bride or groom.  Jordan and Julia had us over for dinner when we were done editing their photos to have a viewing with them and we have truly been the best of friends since.  I love telling this story because what an unlikely time to have made this friendship and even more, how cool is it that we were there on one of the most important days of their lives?!  Mike and I love the two of them like they're our family and it's great to see a life long friendship with them.

So back to the point.  On the day of their wedding Julia's mom (who previously was in the business of making wedding dresses) was putting the final beading on the dress as Julia was getting her hair done.  I have to tell you I have never seen such an understated work of beauty.  We've seen lot of dresses, but not a single one of them moved me the way her's did.  I eventually asked Julia to see if her mom would be interested in making my dress when the time came and she accepted.  I am too excited to work with her and to have my own work of art that no other bride will ever have.  It will be a complete original.

As you'll notice the more I post, I've put a lot of time into making sure the things at our wedding our incredibly personal and that they compliment the things that mean the most to us.  Just about everything has some level of significance and is representative to our families, and mostly my mother.


On to the dress!  The dress will be made of either silk chiffon or silk taffeta.  I know both are very different and are for two totally different looks, but I'm still deciding there.

This is the silhouette I'll have and the dress will be in ivory.  I want a soft sweetheart neckline just like this photo, I'm not crazy about the ribbon, so I won't have that.  I am crazy about the pockets though!  Pockets will be a must!! :)  The back will have buttons, not the zipper that looks like you buttoned it.  Buttons.  The bodice will have lace on it that is champagne or a little darker in color looking something like this:

I want the lace to be darker so it compliments my great-grandmother's pearl necklace that my mom gave me after she passed away.  I'll save the necklace story and pictures for another day.  

I feel like the dress is the biggest indicator into what the rest of the wedding will be like, but more importantly, what the woman wearing the dress is like.  I hope my dress will say, "This is a woman who is simple, classic, and elegant."

                 

Welcome!

As my first blog attempt, I guess I'll give you some insight into why I decided to start one of these and a little teaser into what I plan to share with you!  Mike and I have been doing photography together for a couple of years now and I find myself tapping into creativity I never knew about.  For most of you who know me, you are aware of my obsession for my inevitable wedding day and the fact that I have every detail planned.  I would love to share a taste of what our day will be like and I can keep myself organized at the same time!  I'm also super into fashion and decorating our home, so I look forward to sharing more as the holidays get closer.  I would love for this blog to inspire my friends and family, while keeping you up to date on the adventure that is my life.


Ok, let's start with rings since I'm still waiting for it! :)  Here's a picture pretty close to the one I would love.  I find myself being more and more drawn to rings that have some antique flair to them.  So, my perfect ring in detail would be a one carat princess center stone, color: G or H, Clarity: VS2 or an SI2.  It's totally beautiful right?!

Meanwhile Mike has a pretty good idea of what he'd like too.  He's really into a wider band, 10-12mm and a brushed metal looking pretty similar to the one below.

There's so much more to share and I look forward to showing you guys what I have planned for our day and some of the fashion that rules my life!