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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Are we best friends yet?!

Sereni-tea Found: Fantastica Tea

Hello, Beautiful!

Is anyone else completely swooning over this beautiful Autumn weather we’ve been having lately? The weather in the Carolinas has been inching closer to the perfect Fall weather I crave all year long, and I am here for it. 

Until Sunday – which happened to be the first day of October – the mornings and evenings were cool and lovely, but the majority of the day was still unbearably hot and humid. These past three days (*pleeease don’t let me jinx this!*) have been absolutely perfect, and I hope that kind of crisp October weather is here to stay!

This cream mug with gold flecks is from Anthropologie!

October is my favorite month of the year for so many reasons. The perfect Fall weather has been an always, but it’s also now – and for always – our wedding anniversary month! I can’t believe we’ll be celebrating one year of marriage this weekend, but I am so ready to celebrate that with my husband, ya’ll! It’s still so fun and new to say, “husband.” I like to think the giddy feeling that word brings me won’t ever quite wear off.

Speaking of husbands, I know of one hubby in particular who has a surprise planned for me this weekend . . . EEEK! I adore surprises and can’t wait to find out what he has planned for us for our anni. I was told to take this Friday off work, and I did . . . but I don’t know much beyond that. I’ll of course keep ya’ll posted on Instagram during our . . . I don’t know!?!?!?!?!

With the changing of seasons comes the changing of my coffee and tea temperatures . . . LOL, but really. I can be pretty seasonal when it comes to my coffee and tea orders. During the summer months, I am all about cold brew coffee and iced tea all day. But once the weather cools . . . there is absolutely nothing like a warm cup of tea to start, continue, and end the day.

Normally I spend, well, let’s just say way too much time in Trader Joe’s, Publix, World Market, Home Goods, and just about anywhere else you can find a decent assortment of teas. Smelling the boxes, reading the boxes, studying the artwork on the boxes, putting 10 different boxes in my shopping cart, putting back all but one or two, you know the “trying to find the perfect blend” drill. I can never decide on the right one – or just one – and I usually have buyer’s remorse for the blends I left behind.

The sample packs are always way overpriced, so that’s not an option, but I use to wish it was because different teas speak different languages. Green teas can help with weight loss and brain function, black teas can help with everything from low-concentration to poor blood circulation, Earl Grey teas are good for combating anxiety and depression, and the list goes on and on . . .

How perfect is the Fantastica Tea logo on each tea tag? I love the the classic leaf emblem and simplistic chic black and white lines. Be sure to use code “elle20” at checkout for a special discount!

Enter Fantastica Tea, a sweet little gem of a company that I am so glad to have connected with. For starters, I’m in love with the company’s motto:

“Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.”

Fantastica Tea is the “tea of hope,” and everything in their work reflects that idea. From their customer service to the exploration and thought they put behind their tea blends, Fantastica Tea is the growing business you need to know about. Oh, and:

SPOILER ALERT: BE SURE TO USE CODE ELLE20 AT CHECKOUT FOR A SPECIAL DISCOUNT ON ME! 

Continue reading “Sereni-tea Found: Fantastica Tea”

Are we best friends yet?!