Raindrops & Sunshine | Simple Pleasures

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you
because the greatest secrets are always hidden
in the most unlikely places.
Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."
Roald Dahl | Matilda

Up here, it's still spring - that wonderful, mysterious season of showers and sunshine. One day it's a chilling drizzle of gray, and all you want to do is curl up on the couch with a great book and a steaming cup of tea.

And then the next day, you're sitting out in the sunshine with your tanning oil and yet another good book. (only this time that tea is ice cold and lemony!) It's hard to believe it'll ever be cloudy again.

And each day makes the other kind seem so much more beautiful.

Kindred Spirits | Portraits | Frisco, TX

"Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think.
It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world."
L.M. Montgomery | Anne of Green Gables

Let me introduce you to Jessica and Jayne.


As ya'll know by now, I went down to Texas for a week in March on an internship with Jessica Shae. And lemme tell you - it. was. awesome.

Part of that awesomeness was getting to know Jessica, whose blog I've been following since the beginning, and Jayne, my fellow intern.


Let's start with Miss Jayne.

She spells her name with a "y"... how cool is that?

Jayne is currently attending Texas A&M in College Station. The smart girl picked a school just a few hours from her home - which is more than I can say for myself and the college I'll be attending in the fall!! The other side of the country is not exactly "close" to home...

Anyway.

Jayne's the perfect mix of organized and laid-back. She's sweet and quiet, but she's ready to giggle, and she did her own share of making us laugh, too!


I really like the way Jayne's business turned out... pretty and vintage with a dash of good plain sweetness... just like Jayne.


She's an anthropologie, Forever 21, and Jillian Edwards kinda girl. And I can't forget what Jessica calls their "mutual love" for Sonic happy hour, vintage rings, and their awesome aqua blue iPhone covers. They made me jealous all week with those things. Most of the rest of my family have iPhones... now I neeeeeed one. With a blue cover, ifyouplease.


And during the week she kinda fell in love with Jessica and my 50mm lenses. (definitely my favorite lens ever!!) So before she even left Jessica's house she'd ordered her own 50mm 1.4!!

Needless to say, we got along pretty well. Despite the fact that she's a Nikon girl. *wink*

You'd love her too, so why don't you go check out her blog?

| Infinity Photography |


And Jessica.


Not only is she an awesome photographer, she's a great teacher and super sweet. She laughs a lot and knows how to have some great fun.

And she'll always have a special place in my heart because she introduced me to such amazingness as bluebell ice cream and chipotle. Definitely a highlight of my trip. They'd better have bluebell and chipotle down in Florida when I go to college. Or else.


She's a total country girl at heart. She likes big trucks, her cowboy boots, and country music. I told her if she came to visit me, I'd find her a cute cowboy in a big truck. And you know what? She might be a country girl after all.


Jessica took us exploring to find this really cool red shed thing. I don't know about the other two, but I was legitimately concerned about.... things. Snakes, skunks, and shotguns... those aren't exactly up my alley. Thankfully, what Jessica had termed "abandoned" really and truly was abandoned, and we didn't come across anything out of the ordinary.

*sigh of relief*


Isn't she the cutest thing?!


Another shooting location was this reeeeeally pretty blue gate. I think it's a perfect match for Jayne's brown eyes and lacy top.


But I, on the other hand, clashed in a blue and white striped shirt. Eek!! So I just took pictures.


Oh, I love love love the color of Jessica's eyes. My Daddy is the only one in our family with blue eyes... and even then, his are more steely blue. So photographing a truly blue-eyed person is sooooo fun for me.


Hey, you.


It was super windy that day!!


But still Jayne rocked it.


Okay, so if you haven't check out Jessica's fantastic project, now's the time to do it. One self portrait and one picture from each day. And she blogs and prints them all.

| authentic |

I reallllly want to try that sometime.


I think she has the sweetest dimples. I looove dimples.


Just one last thing I have to mention...

Both of these girls were sooooo cute and sweet - and short!! I felt like a complete g.i.a.n.t. next to them. I guess that I'll come across plenty of people like that in my lifetime. For goodness sake, even in my bare feet I'm the tallest girl in church!!

I joke that I need a reeeeeeeaaally tall husband. Which I do. I have strong opinions, and I don't think the guy should be shorter than the girl. So here's the number one requirement for a guy that's coming to Daddy - he has to be well over six feet. Like six two would be awesome. Because I really want to be able to wear some fabulous heels... and still be shorter than him!! Is that... weird...? Or is it just me? Maybe a bit of both!

Weird or not - that was a bit of a ramble. =)


Thank you soooooo much for everything, girls!!! I miss ya'll... can we please do it again?

Much love,
Hannah
♥

ps - thanks to Jessica for the last picture in this post!

Simple Pleasures | NEWA Photography

"'After all,' Anne had said to Marilla once, 'I believe the
nicest and sweetest days
are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring
simple little pleasures,
following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.'

Life at Green Gables was full of just such days, for Anne's adventures and misadventures, like those of other people, did not all happen at once, but were sprinkled over the year, with long stretches of harmless, happy days between, filled with work and dreams and laughter and lessons."

L.M. Montgomery | Anne of Avonlea


Life is filled with those simple little pleasures.


Like fresh air to breathe.


Sunshine on water.


The promise of life.

I'm enjoying the little gifts God has given us. But I've also been thinking, as my little sister would say, "big thoughts" lately. With Resurrection Sunday next week, I've also been thinking of the big gifts - especially the greatest of all. His Son.


He came to earth to die for us. But He rose again, because nothing could stop Him. He was victorious over death, and now, because of his sacrifice, we can be, too. If we ask.

There is nothing we cannot conquer, because with Him by our side, everything is possible. He gave His life so we could live forever with Him. Aren't those precious thoughts?


He loves you.

Loves you.

He died for you and me so we can breathe this air and know that we're on a journey to spend eternity with Him. He made this sunshine so that we can feel it on our faces and think of everything else He's done for us. His presence is all around, reminding us to live for His glory... not just exist.

Your, mine, and Anne Shirley's "harmless, happy days between, filled with work and dreams and laughter and lessons" are to be cherished to the fullest, because each one is a gift.


So enjoy those simple little pleasures. Live life to the fullest!

But never forget why.

Much love!
Hannah
♥

Ginni & Alan | Love | Dallas, TX

You're the reason I believe in love,
And you're the answer to my prayers from up above,
All we need is just the two of us,
My dreams came true because of you.
Shania Tawin, From this Moment

Meet Ginni and Alan.


Ginni is a super sweet and super tiny Texan girl. And she and Alan are super cute together.


They've been married for a little while now, but you'd think they'd just gotten engaged! They just want to be together, and they have a secret little language of smiles, whispers, and "looks."


And I'll let you in on a little secret.


This adorable little duo is going to become more than a duo here pretty soon!! Yes... little one on the way!


I'm sooooo excited for them!!


Ginni and Alan were completely awesome about the whole photoshoot thing, and they were really easy to photograph.


Seriously, with models like that and light that's soooo amazing, how can you go wrong?


Love this one. =)


I'd done portraits for my cousin and her husband a few days after their wedding last autumn, but this was my first engagement shoot - even if we were pretending juuuust a bit.


I think it's safe to say that I loved it.


My sister, Sarah, and I love people watching. But we especially love a certain category of people watching. We call them "cute couples."

A cowboy and his cowgirl sweetheart in a big huge truck - "Oh, Sarah - look - there's a cute couple!"

A surfer dude and a girl in a pretty summer sundress - "Hannah, aren't they adorable?!"


So this is *definitely* something I want to do once I get my real business set up. Engagements and married couples. So cute!


Since it was an "engagement," I had to get a picture of Ginni's lovely ring.


I love the way she looks at him.

And the way he looks at her.

It's awesome when the Lord brings two people together and they look at each other like that. It's like marriage is supposed to be, and it's for sure what I want!!


Jayne spotted this awesome truck, and of course - once she was done with them and it - I had to use it, too!


Perfection.

Ginni and Alan - thanks sooooo much for the fun time we had!! I definitely can't wait to hear about the new little one. Till then... stay fabulous, you two!


Much Love,
Hannah
♥

Color People | Portraits | NEWA Photography

I don't know about you, but I'm a total color person. Black and white is awesome - but you definitely need something bright to spice things up. Usually, that spice comes in the form of fingernail and toenail polish. After all, a girl has to have something to make those flipflops look interesting!! *wink*


So when I read the prompt for my fifty-two weeks project - "variety" - guess what idea popped into my head. I'll give you one guess.


So I grabbed my sister, Sarah, for a "quick" photoshoot with some awesome rainbow nails (done by me... voila!). Okay, okay, I'm not the best manicurist in the world. But we can overlook that for the sake of art, can't we? Please?


I thought that those rainbow nails, my vintage camera, and a hot model would go splendidly. What do you know.... they did! Even though this particular shot looked better in black and white.


I did say "quick," right?


Well, you probably have guessed by now that it turned into more than quick. But that was a good thing.


Because it's hard to get my vivacious little sister to sit still for more than one picture at a time.


And you have no idea how hard it is to get her to look serious for one picture.


She'll say something witty or remember a funny line from a movie, and then I know I'm in trouble. Because she starts to grin, and she gets a little twinkle in her big brown eyes...


And then she's laughing.


Oh, I'm going to miss you sooo much when I go to college.


You goofy, gorgeous, amazing girl.


So after she was tired of sitting still (it didn't take long) she hopped up and started running and shouting at the top of her lungs - don't worry, we live out in a very rural area - "I'm the king of the world!"


And it was all I could do to keep her quiet for just a few more pictures. She really was a good sport - and that light was awesome.


She doesn't think she's pretty. Whaaaaa....?? Sorry, but I just don't understand.


And then she decided not to worry about being pretty anymore. She ran up on the hill and became the king of the world again.


And I have been dubbed the official "king of the world's photographer." Quite the distinguished title, if you ask me.


I'm going to miss the goofy little girl she was... but she's turning into such a graceful, grown-up beauty.

Sorry, fellas - I'm not giving out her email address or cell phone number at this time.


I think I'll keep her.


At least for a little while.

Don't grow up too fast, king of the world. I love you just the way you are. Is there any way I can keep you like this forever?

Actually, go ahead and grow up. Be the person that God has made you to be. Just don't forget how to be goofy... once in a while. Remember how to bring a smile to someone's face - and don't forget to use yours every day, like you always do.


I have this theory that there are color people and gray people. Some people call them energy takers and energy givers. Pessimists and optimists.

My precious sister is a color person. She brightens my life in ways she probably never even thinks about. I wish ya'll could know her. You'd think so, too!!

Yours truly,
Hannah
♥