I am all sorts of excited to finally be announcing AudioShelf, a new podcast all about audiobooks! AudioShelf is hosted by me and my best friend, Brad, and we discuss everything from the production quality and style of narrators to where we were listening to our latest conquest, ultimately answering the question: will we Shelf it or Shove it? Brad and I have very weird and unique personalities, so putting us together is always the best time. I find that my stomach hurts from laughing so much after every recording. Is it conceited to say that we are hilarious? It probably is, but I can't help it. We are hilarious. Why AudioShelf? While I could talk forever about the podcast, I really want to share why we are doing this. About a two years ago, Brad introduced me to this book called "The Selection". I kept telling him that I didn't have time to read it. Shawn and I were just getting back from our honeymoon, and I was planning a massive overhaul of Britney Clause Photography. It was a fun and stressful time that, unfortunately, left no openings for reading. Brad eventually just told me, "Download Audible, it's free right now. Do it." I think it's safe to note that I never thought I was an audiobook person. I'm too easily distracted, and I felt having someone read to me made me would make me feel like I was in Kindergarten. However, I discovered my...

For our second anniversary, Shawn and I went a little more rugged. Instead of a hotel stay somewhere exotic, we decided we wanted to snooze under the stars. We settled on Harpers Ferry Campground as our spot because we love the area. There are gorgeous trails that lead to the most amazing scenery, and we knew we couldn't go wrong with this location. After arriving to our campsite, we realized was even better than we imagined since we were directly on the water. Every morning, we could eat breakfast right next to the Potomac River. In the evening, we could watch the sunset dip behind the mountains. I mean, seriously, this place is stunning. If I have to think of a downside to the Harpers Ferry Campground, it's that we can't live there. The reason we decided to do camping for this anniversary is because we wanted to just be with each other and no other distractions. With big trips, there is so much hassle with flights, hotels, and worrying about the car. Often times, you don't even realize your conversations only pertain to traveling. We wanted this anniversary to be calm. Even with knowing each other for 6 years, we still found ourselves talking around the campfire until midnight. It's a sigh of relief to just be in a space with your partner and not have to worry about anything. We have created a lot of wonderful memories from this trip. Some of them are goofy like trying...

Fall is finally starting to make it's appearance, and I could not be happier about it! On Sunday, we met up with Melissa and JJ at Jerusalem Mill Village. It's a perfect little spot that offers up so many different looks. There's a field with terrific views of the changing season, ruins that create an old world feel, and a relaxing river that looks like a painting. Everything in this area is so beautiful, and I'm always in awe whenever we get the chance to photograph here. Being with an amazing couple like Melissa and JJ in this surreal location that is out of a magazine makes me so giddy. Any time that we get to spend with a couple is fantastic. We get to know their relationship, how they interact, what makes them laugh. It's great to see and it makes us even more excited for their marriage. The best thing about Melissa and JJ is that they like to have fun with each other. They make each other laugh and do goofy things, which is the kind of love that makes me smile. During every session, there is a point where we all get comfortable with one another. The walls come down and it's almost as if we have known each other for a long time. We reached that point in Melissa and JJ's session very early on, so the entire time shooting we were joking and laughing with small bursts of hilarious posing. My favorite pose from...

Our locally grown styled shoot is one that I have been waiting to share since September! Not only is it low-key and intimately sweet, but it is also jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Much like the previous styled shoot Marlayna and I did, the vendors that we worked with completely knocked it out of the park. From the table florals to our bride's make-up, it is all stunning. Everyone worked so hard to make this shoot feel like a beautiful dream. It has totally paid off with our Baltimore Bride feature. Check out our Locally Grown feature on Baltimore Bride! My favorite part about this shoot has to be that the vendors we used are all from the Baltimore area. La Cuchara, our spectacular setting, is a charming, Basque inspired restaurant located in Clipper Mill. They source all of their ingredients from Maryland farms and markets, giving wonderful business to locals. It was a pleasure working with Candace Cage Design who took elements from the restaurants lattice design plates and incorporated them into the invitation suite. Marlayna and I are still in awe of those invites. Local Color Flowers brought so many vibrant florals to the tabletops and ceremony space. It's absolutely amazing to see a florist work, because they have such wonderful vision and it's almost magic to see them piece it together. We also got to include two perfectly crafted floral pressed guestbooks from UpDown Press and Bindery, which added a great pop to our reception scene. The loveliest part of...

I think this anniversary blog posting is going to be a thing I do each year. The second anniversary came quicker than the first, and I love being able to talk about Shawn anywhere I can. It's fun to give him center stage on the platform that he spends a lot of time perfecting :P. I don't want to be too sappy because I still have an anniversary card to fill out, but no guarantees. Shawn, the time we've had together this year has been even greater than the last. I don't take for granted a single second we've had together. Whether we are hiking in Virginia, or just taking Pony to the vet, my favorite thing in this world is to be with you. You are my safe place that I can laugh at the strangest things, binge watch any tv show, and party rock in the car with. You have the ability to make me feel at home no matter where we are. This year especially, we have been cursing the smallness of our apartment, but one day we will miss the close quarters. I'll miss us bumping our office chairs into one another, swaying in the kitchen because there isn't enough room to dance, and eating dinner on the couch since a dining table is too big for the tiny space. We look at these things now as negatives, but soon they will be some of our favorite memories. I look forward to being 90...