Girl Boss Feature: Catrina Earls Photography

Hello, Beautiful!

I’m so glad you’ve stopped by because I’ve got a very special blog post for you tonight featuring Catrina Earls of Catrina Earls Photography!


Catrina shot our first anniversary session, and let me just say firsthand, her work is incredible. From her eye to her editing, I’m absolutely in shock and awe at the beautiful moments she captured for us. I’m going to cherish these photos and everything they mean to me for the rest of our lives. They will hang on the walls of our future first home as the most powerful reminders of everything we’ve been through and accomplished in this first year together.


Just as sweet was the process of getting to work Catrina, who has the kindest soul. Her husband – who I can tell believes in her fiercely and supports her even more – was with her waiting on top of Craggy Pinnacle. Thomas and I made it to a point in the trail with a bit of a curve and a clearing and some gigantic boulders, and there was the cutest couple in puffy dark coats staring off into the fog. I knew it was them, and not just because of the cute Aztec print camera backpack Catrina carries! (I need one so I can be like her, please.)


Anyway, I knew because she immediately turned around with a playful smile and called out, “Wait, you mean didn’t hike all the way up here IN the dress?!” I knew we were going to have some fun with Catrina in charge, and that bright, playful spirit is exactly what your soul needs when you’re standing on top of a mountain in the middle of the Blue Ridge Parkway.


I don’t know about you, but how I feel in a photo shoot completely depends on how the photographer makes me feel. I know that sounds so lazy or weak, but I don’t mean it that way at all. It’s the same as with a workout class: if your fitness instructor doesn’t set the tone with those first few breaths, what’s the point? When a photographer has the level of experience that Catrina has as one of the leading photographers in Charlotte and beyond, then it leads to an easy and kind confidence that helps all the poses flow that much more naturally.


Catrina made us both feel happy and focused on each other, giggling without thinking about it, naturally, instead of feeling like the legitimately awkward kids we all know we both are. Catrina’s cues were fun and easy to follow, and chatting with her in between different spots on the trail was just as fun and easy. She’s one of those people you’re truly thankful to have met within moments of meeting them, because she’s that genuine.


To help YOU get to know more about Catrina, keep reading for some REAL TALK Q&A down below!
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Memorial Day No-Bake Pie

 

Hello, Beautiful, and Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

 

Let’s talk about the sacrifice it takes, shall we?

Memorial Day Weekend is a lovely long weekend that allows us a taste of summertime fun with friends and family. From cookouts to lake days to road trips, there’s always something exciting to get into when life throws us a long summer weekend, and Memorial Day sort of unofficially marks the start of the summer season. But Memorial Day is – more importantly – a time for us to remember the sacrifices that have been made so we can spend our time exactly the way we want to.

 

If a picture is worth 1,000 words . . . this one is worth one million.

 

Originating after the Civil War, Memorial Day used to be called Decoration Day, believe it or not. That’s because the Civil War claimed more lives than any battle in U.S. History, and we needed a way to honor the fallen by decorating their graves. Now a federal holiday since 1971, Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Monday of May, and it serves to remind us that freedom isn’t free.

This weekend – and every weekend – I am thankful to those who have served our country and sacrificed their lives for my freedom and protection. Thank you to the men and women who are braver than I, stronger than I, and more worthy of tribute and honor than I. Thank you to our American Heroes.

 

I’m so darn proud to be an American! Happy Memorial Day Weekend, everyone!

 

Let’s dive on in to something quick, simple, delicious, and perfect for any Memorial Day event . . . my 10-Minute No-Bake Memorial Day Pie!

 

This 10-minute no-bake pie is the perfect dish for your Memorial Day weekend festivities! Nothing goes with Memorial Day like some Red, White, and Blue!

 

For the ingredients and steps it took to make this beauty in under 10 minutes, keep on reading!

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Incredibundles Partnership + Instagram Giveaway!

 

Hello, Beautiful!

 

Let’s all just take a moment for the fact that Mother’s Day is THIS SUNDAY, MAY 14th! *Nervous butterflies and warm, tingly panic.*

Springtime is flying quickly by and now Mother’s Day is upon us. AKA it’s now crunch time to plan the perfect gift for your mama, your wife, your bestie, your coworker, and all the other incredible mommies or mommies-to-be in your life!

Don’t stress for a single second, though, because I’ve got you. In fact, I’ve got you covered on literally everything you’ll need – from the personalized card, to the epic gift packaging, to the perfectly curated gifts inside, to the just-in-time delivery. That’s right – no need to factor in a last-minute shopping trip on top of work + everything else you’ve got going on this week!

Daughters, Sons, Husbands, Sisters, Brothers, Best Friends, Coworkers, and anyone else out there #blessed by an incredible mother in your life:

meet IncrediBundles!

 

I am so excited and honored to partner with IncrediBundles for Mother’s Day! 

Fun little fact about me: I am the ultimate shopper for pretty much any occasion and any person – engagements, weddings, bridal showers, birthdays, graduations, new jobs, you name it – except when it comes to baby gifts. Each mama or mama-to-be is different – no parenting style or nursey decor is quite the same.

I can’t tell you how many baby stores I’ve been in – with the baby registry in hand, mind you – and have just felt utterly lost. I can find the wine section in any grocery store, and I know the different areas/layout of Target like the back of my hand, but there’s nothing like the expansive, tall aisles of a baby store to make me feel like I have no idea where to begin, besides asking an employee for assistance (read: hand-holding).

Mother’s Day is another tough occasion to pick out a gift for, because let’s face it: no gift will ever be good enough for the mom in your life. My mom, for one, hung the moon, so you’re all welcome for that. (And I’m sure you feel the exact same way about yours!) My pregnant friends, well they’re absolutely glowing like the gorgeous goddess each of them is. My pregnant coworkers, well I just look at them and see Wonder Woman. Mommy bloggers and my mommy friends, well they’ve cracked the code to adulting and organization on a whole other level, and the honor has truly been mine to watch them flourish so wonderfully into biggest life calling.

 

No matter what role the mom(s) in your life play, we can all agree on one thing: they deserve the world, because they are the ones who keep ours spinning.

 

Enter IncrediBundles baby gifts, the perfect, adorably chic gift for moms and mommies-to-be this Mother’s Day! If you’re looking for something more than just the traditional baby gift basket – can we just all agree that wicker needed a drastic revision? – then keep on reading for more information about this incredible company, including the charitable donations made with each purchase and the very special GIVEAWAY going down right now on my Instagram!

 

Gorgeous silk ribbon, personalized card, description of the bundle you select, a chic reusable keepsake box, AND the goodies you choose inside. Oh, AND free shipping on orders more than $49. Talk about a gift that thinks of everything.

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Are we best friends yet?!

DIY: Bubbly Bar Beauty that Won’t Break the Bank

 

Hello, Beautiful!

Let’s talk about one of my favorite things in the world, shall we? . . .

Popping champagne!

 

Cheers!

 

I recently had the honor of co-hostessing one of my best friend’s bridal showers at the end of March, and the day was truly such a dream. Randi-Carole, the bride-to-be, looked absolutely stunning – seriously, radiant and the smiles and laughter of her friends and family that filled her gorgeous home that day are moments I’ll cherish forever.

 

Randi-Carole (left) was pure bridal goddess status at her shower – just glowing with love and happiness!

 

Fun fact: On my wedding day, while I was getting ready with my bridal party – sipping X-mosas (my version of a spiked mimosa – comment if you’re interested in a recipe tutorial!), Randi-Carole and I were talking about how much we both love champagne. We were “flirting” back and forth with each other like only best girl friends can do, telling each other how beautiful she looked.

I told Randi-Carole that if she loves champagne so much then she’s “my little Champagne Barbie.” She instantly loved the nickname and asked me to make it official in my phone. I changed her contact name right then and there, and she’s been Champagne Barbie to me ever since a few hours before I walked down the aisle that day.

 

When one of your bridal shower gifts from your mom is a bottle of champs with flakes of gold and a strobe light bottom. #ChampagneBarbie

 

I love that RC’s drink of choice is champs, because it’s mine, too. It’s such a perfectly light and bubbly addition to any celebratory occasion, and is one of the few types of alcohol that is easy on me when it comes to next-day pain. There is seriously nothing like that first sip of tiny bubbles somehow warming my throat and tummy despite the crisp coolness of the champs itself . . . especially after a long day.

Or in the morning.

Or at a bridal shower.

Or at literally any event where I can reasonably make any connection to drinking champagne. (This post is not sponsored by “champagne,” LOL!)

Adding a bubbly bar to a celebratory event like a bridal shower is the perfect way to create a fun and interactive beverage space for your guests to enjoy. Plus, by adding orange juice and fresh fruit garnishes to the champagne to create a mimosa, you will ensure your guests don’t unexpectedly over-drink, while still getting to enjoy spiked beverages throughout the event! I’m a worrier when it comes to my guests – I grew up with a mom who is seriously “The Hostess with the Mostest!” – and want them to have the best possible experience . . . especially including them getting home to their loved ones safely at the end of the day!

 

Rustic chic glittery gold bubbly bar beauty!

 

Today I’m talking beautiful bubbly bars for any event that won’t break the bank! Keep on reading for an easy how-to on how Keeley and I made this bubbly bar magic happen!

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Sneak Peek: Sieana’s Headshots

 

Hello, Beautiful!

 

I hope everyone had a beautiful Easter weekend filled with love and family. The weather in North Carolina couldn’t have been better. Hubby and I took our pups to the dog park Saturday, then had a little dinner date together at a quiet, casual yet sophisticated place here in Charlotte you may know as O’Charley’s.

On Sunday we loaded up our pups, the camera and camera hiking pack Thomas gave me for Christmas and Valentine’s Day, and some snackies, and off we went to Crowder’s Mountain State Park, my favorite hiking spot around here.

 

 

It was my first time hiking in about 9 months – due to a combination of planning my fall wedding while studying for the bar last summer and then encountering major back problems this past winter – and Lord did it feel amazing!

 

 

 

Every aching muscle in every step taken just reminded me that I’m out walking in God’ beauty instead of being bedridden, and I fully embraced “the burn” that came with it. The trail we took is a serious little b, a constant incline that zigzags around the mountain to the very top . . . and the view was beyond worth it.

 

 

Good Friday, however, was its own special little gem of a day, too. I got to spend time shooting head shots for my  #1 girl boss friend, Sieana Robinson. I met Sieana a few years ago when I finally got up the courage to ask the prettiest girl in class who colored her hair (hi, Maryellen!).

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Are we best friends yet?!