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THE JOURNAL

I'm a hopeless romantic who finds great joy in creating and capturing connection and beauty wherever I go.

welome to my blog

Welcome to the blog, a highlight journal about our photo sessions, our home wedding venue and gardens, and favorite kid’s clothing. Stay a while and say hello!

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The One With The Dress

Putting together a good outfit is getting harder with age. At least that’s what’s happening to me.  I was fairly confident in my sense of style in high school – because clearly, choosing weather to wear a white or blue monogrammed polo with my grey or plaid pleated skirt was more of a science than art. […]

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Teepees and Moccasins

When I was in high school, I was quite sure I wasn’t going to get married or have kids.  Getting married was something people did because they felt like they should as a natural “next step” in life – plus I was fairly convinced they were just bored being single.  And kids?  Again – the […]

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The bachelorette party where I forgot to buy a sash

I think as the maid of honor, the first thing you KNOW you need to do is buy a white, bedazzled “BACHELORETTE” sash for the bachelorette party.  You shouldn’t need theKnot to tell you that. Well.  I’m my sister’s maid (matron, technically, but I don’t like that word) of honor and I forgot to buy […]

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The first year I mailed a timely Christmas card

merry Christmas // happy new year In 2014… We got married. And it was awesome. We cleaned out an old barn on our property/dairy, Daniel built a bridge and the ceremony arbor and we found out we love doing projects and hosting parties together. It did come with a side of learning how to work […]

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For the love of blue spruces: Noah & Angela + baby

After a pretty solid 10 days of fog and moisture and cold toes, I feel that 1, I need a trip to the beach and the sun and 2, this is perfect weather to post this wintery session. So 1, we booked a trip to Thailand for March (SUN BEACH SUN!) and 2, meet Angela […]

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Quick! Before Christmas is over!

I hate taking down the tree. Don’t get me wrong – about this time of January, I start feeling like the tree is making my house Not Clean or something but taking it down seems to signify the end of something great, and the start of the dreary wait until summer.  I really shouldn’t complain because I […]

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One Day I’ll Need to Learn About SinterKlaas | deGraaf Family

Fun fact: This family’s Christmas cards were one of my top 5 favorite this year.  For sure. I may be part of a big family since our March wedding, but that doesn’t mean I still don’t view crowd management and coordination for big family Christmas photos as a feat to be respected.  Blonde hair, klompen…and […]

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Niece #35 Turns 1: Scarlett

After a few days of family, family, family (to be clear – Daniel’s family, which includes 7 siblings and their spouses and their 35 total kids [I got married and became a tante {aunt} more times over than I ever expected!]), I’ve realized Scarlett barely even looks like this anymore, so I better hurry up […]

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Van Dyk Family

Morning is the worst of times and the best of times. Two summers driving past this location (which really is just a few old buildings just barely off the highway) to get to the lake had me ITCHING to take photos here.  I made Daniel pull over (boat in tow) once this past summer so […]

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My sister is engaged! | Shelly & Tim

In case you’ve never been a photographer that has taken her sister’s engagement photos, let me tell you what it is like: 1. Awesome.  I know her style so I’m pretty sure I can nail what she’s looking for. 2. Normal.  I take photos, it’s just another couple in front of my camera and I’m […]

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