But while you wait for blog scheduling to continue to normal, we hope these delightful portraits and reception photos will brighten your Wednesday.

Kelli was such a natural bride. So beautiful and comfortable in her role for the day. I feel like that really came through in her portraits too. She looks ready to be a wife in every way and that is a beautiful thing.

Love this moment caught by Tim of Kelli watching her husband dance with his mama. 

Instagram is a great way to show you how I've neglected my Photo Monday duties for the last couple of weeks. Between family life, business, and house projects blowing up in my face, I've not gotten any time to photo monday it up. So, enjoy these glimpses of why.

Their special day also took place on Tim's birthday, so I've always been fond of that choice, it's a good day, historically speaking:) 

Married at St. Mary's with the reception at Double Creek Crossing, it was a beautiful day, complete with sweet family and friends, thoughtful details, and some latin dancing to finish.

Okay, I'll leave you with one of their wedding portraits, photographed at Double Creek Crossing. More to come on Friday!

I decided to break their session into two posts, because I love them all equally and wanted to share some work from their family time as well as their time alone. 

So, today I leave you with John+Jessica, alone and engaged to be married very soon. We had a such a wonderful time running all over God's green earth ( this session is so country, I'm evening sounding country now:) with them, enjoy!

Did I mention we had horses too?! LOVE these absolutely stunning portraits of Jessica and John's horse. 

Be looking forward to a post soon including the cutie kids too! Happy weekend everyone.

We photographed Weston's older sister's newborn portraits almost two years ago as well, so when I met him, I immediately recognized him. He looked so much like his sister, but he also has such a sweet disposition. Gentle, calm, and generally pretty content. You can't ask for much more than that in a newborn. 

This was a hybrid session newborn-family, so enjoy their cute selves, because we do!

This was shot with a 60mm macro lens. A beautiful lens for a bad bad man with a new tattoo.

All to say, it's important for me to at least have some healthy options easily accessible for quick snacking. So, about once a week I prepare lots of these snacks and pile them up in the fridge and pantry, for grab and go nutrition. 

I know many of you have busy lifestyles that require the same sort of munching habits, so I wanted to share some snacking inspirations.

This week the featured recipe is from one of my favorite food photographers. (yes, I have favorite food photographers) Hedi Swanson. Her photographs always feel like they are taken in the kind of kitchen I would like to eventually have.

This recipe is from her most recent cookbook Super Natural Everyday.

 I personally have had the opportunity to be a part of her classes and it was incredibly relaxing for me. I'm not one of those easy to relax type people, like my husband. It usually takes me some time to really let go of it all, but within the first 15 min of our private session, I truly was focusing on my breath and posture, instead of my thoughts. And it was a welcome reprieve from  being in my head. 

If you have been searching for a trustworthy and competent yoga instructor, I encourage you to give Val a call. She is one of the easiest going warm natured people I know, you won't regret it. Here is the easiest way to contact her: Val Smith Yoga. 

First, I hope this Wednesday finds you well! I have been anxiously awaiting being able to share Dawn+Steven's engagement session with you. Their portraits were set in the small and heavily textured town of Calvert,TX. 

I have no idea what the settings were. but there is a good tutorial on cinegraphs HERE. Enjoy.

** Update: Fixed it. **

On our way to the wedding, I was worried for Sarah. That she might be crying or at the very least upset and frustrated by this one element of a wedding that we cannot control. But we showed up and she was cool as a cucumber. Seriously one of the most chill people that we have worked with. She just had decided to not let it ruin her day, and it didn't.

Here are the pictures to prove it. They laughed, cried, danced, and enjoyed their wedding to the fullest, rain or shine.

Photo Info:

ISO: 640

60mm F2.8 lens

1/200 sec at F 3/2

These carrot muffins are a really nutritious snack for you...without delicious cream cheese frosting, of course. But if you need a dessert that is not completely terrible for your body this will do the trick. They are also a delicious option for friends and family who have gluten intolerance, as they are made with almond flour in place of regular all purpose flour. And before all of you skeptics out there through the idea out of trying a muffin without regular flour in it, also know there are no added sugars as well. 

These are Tim approved too, which means they don't taste healthy:) So, without any other sales points on why you should give these a whirl, here is the recipe, compliments of elanaspantry.com. 

Ingredients:

-2 cups blanched almond flour or almond meal (can be found at out local health food store or   made from home.)

-2 tsp. baking soda

-1 tsp. sea salt

-1 Tbl. cinnamon

-1 cup of dates, pitted

-2 ripe bananas

-3 eggs

-1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

-1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

-1 1/2 cups carrots, shredded

her reipe also calls for 3/4 cup of walnuts, but I never add these, with the almond flour, just feels like too many nuts to me, but have at it if you like. 

How You Can Make Them:

1. In a small bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

2. In a food processor, combine dates, bananas, eggs, vinegar, and oil. (be warned processor may over flow, I've thought a blender might be less messy. 

3. Transfer wet ingredients to a larger bowl.

4 Blend dry ingredients into the wet until mixed well.

5. Fold in your carrots. (you would also add the walnuts if you choose at this point)

6. Spoon mixture into paper lined mini muffin tins. 

7. Bake at 350F for 25 min. 

*A note for the baker. My recipe has yielded 48 mini muffins (two tins worth) every time that I have made it. Although Elana's recipe says she gets about 18, so I'm not really sure why mine makes more. I use the small cookie dough scoops to evenly measure out my mini muffins. 

These will freeze well without the frosting, so if you make plenty and store some away, just let them come up to room temperature and enjoy.

These little muffins are great for school snacks, work snacks, breakfast additions, or as seen above, smeared with some homemade cream cheese frosting for dessert.

This past weekend Kelly +Louis were married, and we look forward to the day that we can share all of the details of their story, but for now that is all under wraps.  

So, enjoy the stunning portraits of Kelly mere weeks before the big day, romping around in the orchards of Royalty Pecan Farm. 

And lastly, my absolute favorite portrait from her session, by the window. It just matched her style so well, and it looked absolutely stunning on canvas.