"be here now" with a lil photography

for a while now, i've enjoyed taking photographs of various places and things...
i've been blessed to have traveled to a few places that have yielded themselves to beautiful photographs! i wanted to share some of my favorites, as i know that i find a certain fascination exploring other people's work.

(in terms of my song connection for this post... i couldn't find something that i felt fit in with my taking pictures, so i am going with something that's just a feel good while you listen song. who do i turn to for this? ray lamontagne with "be here now")

from a botanical garden in dayton, ohio...












































taken in vegas!





































a few more from austraila































down in miami...





























a recent trip to baltimore




























i hope you have enjoyed taking a peek at a few of my favorite photographs. right now i am just using a simple digital camera, but i hope down the road i'll own a much nicer camera that will allow for true photography! thanks for indulging in a little piece of me, as i feel that in a photos, you can find a little bit of the person who took it :)

your love is my drug + rude boy = successful wedding weekend!

just recently i had the absolute honor of being in my cousin's wedding! he is one of two cousin's on my mom's side of the family, so being a part of his wedding was amazing, something i won't forget! he recently graduated from the naval academy and will be traveling a lot, going to grad school, and then serving our country... being a part of his wedding weekend was definitely a great way to send him off!

the wedding was in baltimore/annapolis, which meant a 10hr drive each way. the bridal party included 12 attendants, which means 12 girls, all different ages, from different places (New Jersey, Colorado, and Kentucky), some who know the bride, some who know the groom. all in all, it was kind of intimidating going in to such a weekend where you really only know a couple of people, yet you are expected to come together to be a big part of such an important event.

in certain situations, i find it difficult to fit in. being from a different state that most of the bridesmaids, being from the groom's side of the family, and being a few years older than some of the girls... i thought, hmmm this weekend could be interesting. i would have never thought it would have taken kesha and rihanna to bring us together... but ultimately, on the party bus while heading to the chapel, it was serenades of "your love is my drug" and teaching the lyrics of "rude boy" that did it! that's what it took for the bridesmaids to really bond! haha! it's amazing what letting loose, if even just a little, will gain you... new experiences, new friends, and great pictures!

most weddings bring two families together... this wedding did more than just that, it helped create friendships! ones that i hope last, despite the distance! friendships that could allow for many new fun experiences... trips to different cities, new things to try, new songs to serenade and dance to, and more pictures to capture! i am so thankful that i had the honor to be a part of my cousin's wedding, he was such a handsome groom and my new "cousin-in-law" was absolutely gorgeous! i was given a bonus in gaining new friends from this wedding weekend!