Dillon's Surprise Birthday Party

Around here we do things last minute.  Sorry. It just happens that way.  Drives some people crazy, but for the most part our little group of friends make it work! So when we woke up last Wednesday morning to Facebook reminding us it was Dillon's birthday (Dillon aka Aric's "brother", "best friend", etc.) we made a last minute surprise party happen! :)

I'm so thankful we have all these wonderful people in our lives! Life just wouldn't be as sweet without them!  Happy Birthday Dillon! Glad we were able to keep it a surprise! (Pretty sure that's the only surprise party I've ever been a part of!)

Here's everybody hangin' out.  I love that we have the island in the kitchen! Everyone said when we were building it that this is where everyone would hang out- and it's so true!

Everyone hiding for the surprise (Paden found the best hiding spot) & Dillon's surprise face! ;)

Boys attack

Hugs all around...

Pics with the babies!

My sweet husband.  He did most of the planning for this- and while he was out running some errands for work, he picked up some cakes for Dill.  Not sayin', but I'm just sayin' Nothin' Bundt Cakes is where it's at, ya'll! YUMMMMMM

And sadly, I put the camera away and didn't get any shots of the guys outside playing spike ball to all hours of the night...  It was a good night. Good times. Good friends. Love ya'll!

xoxo

Casey

Hello! + Some packing tips!

Hello! :)  I don't know how this happened, but after the initial super excitement of starting a new personal blog I forgot how much time it takes to actually keep up with it! HAHA!  Oh me.  It's a busy season for us.  But then again, when is it not?  From now on we can skip the pleasantries and without asking you will know - it's busy. :)  Lots of catching up to do for weddings and editing, and apparently August is the month of anniversaries because it's been like boudoir craziness right now.  All the while we've spent almost every spare evening that we've had sitting in front of the TV on our laptops researching flights and train rides and itineraries for our big trip to Europe at the end of the month! 

On that note, I've been stressing about what I'm gonna pack!  We are gonna be over there for a good 2.5-3 weeks and I DO NOT want to be lugging around a giant suitcase on all those planes and trains and ferries! So I've started to plan ahead.  If you know me, you know I like my toiletries.  I just like to have options! What if I wanna do my hair a different way? Or wear my makeup more dramatic for a special occasion!? You just never know! So I've been doing some packing bootcamp with my makeup and toiletries bag to see how much I can squeeze into a very small bag! ;)

I found these magnetic palettes (z-palette) online for a decent price and then found a video tutorial on how to depot my mac eyeshadows so I could take all the ones I want without those little pots taking up all the room in my bag!  I'll probably depot a blush or two and voila! A custom makeup palette with all my favorite products in one neat compact little palette! Obsessed! 

Now onto the next challenge...packing a carry on with enough clothes & re-wearable clothes for like 20 days of travel... whew!

(Oh and excuse the selfies... I had just got home from a shoot and wore a new lipstick that I love, so I had to document it! Duh!)

4 Years!!

What in the world.  Where has all the time gone? I can't believe today marks 4 years of marriage with my love.  I wouldn't have believed you if you told me we would be where we are today 4 years ago. Marriage is fun.  It's exciting.  It's hard.  Really hard. And it's the ultimate refinement of your character.
I've learned so much in 4 years.  We've been so many places.  Made so many friends. Done so many things.  And today I'm grateful for this man that loves me so well.  That loves me through my flaws. That loves me like Christ.  I'm so blessed to get to call him mine.  To walk through life with him and learn and laugh and love with him.  I love you, Aric! Happy Anniversary, love! Can't wait to see what this next year has in store for us!

xoxo
Casey

A Saturday Morning + Around the house

Aric & I are in pretty big trouble.  You see, we are photographers for a living.  We document other people's most special days all the time.  But when it comes to shooting for ourselves?! We're pretty bad at it.  And then when family or friends want to see pictures of the new things going on in our lives? We don't have any to show! (That's why we're in big trouble...)  And that's why I'm so excited for this little ol' blog.  I'm excited to have a place to keep and post our memories! I'm excited that it will challenge me to photograph the mundane day to day things that I so often take for granted and help me to see the beauty and the grace in all of it!
This past Saturday morning I went into the office and grabbed my camera before heading into the kitchen.  We didn't have a wedding this past Saturday which is a rare occasion so I was excited to soak up every bit of this Saturday that I could!
After my morning coffee and favorite breakfast bagel, I just started looking around the house at things that I love seeing every day.  I'll eventually get around to photographing the whole house for a home tour for all of our family that is out of town and hasn't been able to see it yet - but for now hope you enjoy a few snippets of my Saturday mornin'...

xoxo
Casey

This week's recap

I figure that Sunday's are for rest. For doing something you love. And for being thankful for the week we had and the week ahead!
Here's a little snippet of this week in instagram pics!

I made the photography business an instagram page last week and got a little giddy when Monique Lhuillier "liked" a picture of one of our brides in one of her gowns! *swoon*
Tried to stay healthy and cooked the hubs a healthy dinner one night with a new chicken recipe!
Hung out with so many wonderful friends
Got a surprise in the mail of some pretty pretty books
And laid low one evening with the hubs, a redbox and freshly baked cookies!

I'll be spending the rest of this lovely Sunday with the hubs, friends and enjoying some delicious homemade goodness by our friends who should be chefs! ;)

Happy Sunday everyone!
xoxo

-Casey

Currently wanting...

...to not spend ANY of my money!  But still enjoying looking at pretty little things that I might want to indulge in, in the future...

YSL Rogue Volupte in 06 Pink in Devotion
-Really, I'd be happy to own any color of these golden beauty's, but I've been loving a really fun bright pop of color on the lips and I know this one would be just that!

This Synthetic Precision Brush kit from Sigma

-Let it be known.  I could have 10 of every kind of makeup brush there ever was and I would still want to buy more! Somehow they just keep making new brushes for different application methods and I just know these brushes would change my life! ;)  Or at least that's what I try and tell my hubby when he asks why I'm looking at makeup brushes online again! 

And last but not least...

This incredible all in one makeup palette from The Balm

With our Europe trip just around the corner I'm already stressing about keeping my packing to a minimum! No one likes to lug around a suitcase that weighs a million pounds! And when I saw this little gem I thought I NEED it. Right?!  It literally has almost everything you need in one palette! 

If, or when lucky old me gets to pick one of these up - I'll be sure to let you guys know and give a full review! ;)

I'd love to know if anyone has any of these products and what they think about them?!  Are they worth the splurge? Let me know in the comments!

Well Hello...

Welcome... to like the 5th blog I own...

Sometimes life gets in the way, right?  Life. Work. Busy. Lazy. Life. Travel. Work. Work. Work...
And then all of the sudden you look up from where you are and you can't even remember who you are?!  Who am I?! If I'm afraid to be myself - trying to hard to be something I'm not - working and not feeling that energy that I used to feel.  That's when you know you need a change.

So it's true.  I run like 5 other blogs.  But none of them are really ME.  And as much as I like looking at pretty pictures myself - I needed a change.  So here's where I can be me.  I can be as girly as I wanna be. I can be as raw as I wanna be.  I can be as honest as I wanna be.  And I can already see the growth in my personal life that this little outlet will be for me!

There's so much of my personality that so many people don't see.  Not because I'm hiding it on purpose - but I'll use that dreaded 3 letter word only once here and then banish it from any description of myself forever more.  I'm shy.  I've always been shy.  I don't usually speak unless spoken to.  I don't create conversation well.  My face might turn bright red if any attention is turned on me. But if there's someone around talking to me, really asking questions and getting to know the real me - I could talk for hours on end!  I work best in one on one situations or smaller intimate groups.  My husband always tells me I should give of myself more - that I have so much to offer and I'm taking away from those around me by not offering myself, my knowledge, my heart, my passions, my advice to them.  And it's true!  (If any of that makes any sense at all?!)

Anyway - here we are.  I'm Casey.  Saved by Grace through Faith in my savior Jesus Christ.  A wife to my love, Aric (aka husband man).  Photographer of women (www.jetadoreboudoir.com) and couples/weddings (www.aricandcasey.com).  Makeup junkie - I love it all...probably a little too much - if I could do anything else besides be a photographer I would wanna be a makeup artist.  Hostess wannabe - I never would have described myself as that 5 years ago, but I love nothing more than to have friends over for the evening, or hosting a fun little get together (anything to hang out with friends).  Learning to cook - mostly because my friend (http://wineanddineathome.wordpress.com/#) is a crazy good cook and it kinda seems like fun to spend the time and make something delicious (only every once in a while). Dessert lover. Traveler. Daughter. Sister. Aunt. A someday Mom.  & just overall lover of this crazy journey called life.  Through ups and downs learning to savor the sweetest Grace and trust through the hardest times...

If you like some of those things that I mentioned...you might like this here blog a little bit too!

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo
-Casey