5 Tips: Elegant Engagement Photos

Andrew (my fiance) and I had so much fun getting dolled up and taking photos to celebrate our recent engagement. It was very important to both of us that we had photos that would stand the test of time and be special for years to come. This blog post will touch on the 5 things that helped Andrew and I achieve the engagement photos of our dreams! The goal of this post is to help you ladies create the engagement shoot of your dreams that will produce photos that you will love as much as Andrew and I love our photos!

To view our engagement photos, click HERE to view the BEAUTIFUL work of Tank Goodness Photography!!

ONE: Find your inspiration. If you don't have a secret Pinterest board. You are missing out. I found that I was able to communicate what I wanted from the shoot, because I had done my research! My board was previously secret, but for the sake of this Blog post, I've released it to the general Pinterest and Blogging world! You'll find the widget below-go ahead and take a look!

Follow Olivia's board Simply Southern Engagement Photos on Pinterest.

TWO: Your photographer is EVERYTHING. Andrew and I selected Tank Goodness Photography as our photographers (husband & wife team)! We have a wedding package with them that includes a variety of photo shoots, including the wedding day! I knew instantly when I met with Travis (over Skype) that he and his wife were the photographers of our dreams! Not only are their photos beautiful quality, but their willingness to tailor the style of the shoot towards our vision was CRUCIAL. If you're in the Austin, TX area and looking for a great photographer duo, I HIGHLY recommend Travis and Nina!

THREE: Take the time to plan your outfits. I would give yourself 2 months to pull together your wardrobe. The last thing you want to do is have to do one big shop to pull together 2-3 outfits. I purchased my clothing over the course of about 6 months. The biggest stress clothing wise was the iconic Southern dress I wanted for the more "formal" photos. You would think that this would be an easy task in the state of Texas, but it WAS NOT. I spent countless hours online shopping to find the perfect dress. I found my dress at ASOS online. I had never shopped online with ASOS before, but now I am hooked. Their line of Southern inspired dresses are impossible to ignore. I wish I had more than one hanging in my closet right now.

FOUR: You took the time to meticulously plan your outfits, now please don't forget your man! Andrew has wonderful taste in clothing, but the man was lacking a sports coat. It would have been impossible to achieve the look we were going for without a sports coat. The moral of this bullet point is to remember that you aren't the only one who needs to look fabulous. If you are going for a certain theme, you need to make sure that both of you touch on the theme. We ended up getting a great deal of classic sports coats at Men's Warehouse. We also splurged on a new pair of black boots for Andrew (he is also wearing these with his suit at the wedding). Not only did he look EXTREMELY handsome ladies, but he felt SUPER comfortable in his own skin and his new outfits!

FIVE: Location, location, location. My maid of honor helped me search high and low in Huntsville, TX for the perfect southern location. We ended up selecting Whistler Bed & Breakfast as the setting of our Southern photos. I know that a big part of our beautiful Southern photos was setting the stage with something that had stood the test of time for many years already. The Whistler Bed & Breakfast is a gorgeous estate located downtown Huntsville, TX that boasts a rustic elegance that was just SIMPLY SOUTHERN.

I hope this helps, ladies! 

New Year, New Resolutions

The start of the 2015 is filled with a lot of excitement. This is the year I will graduate from PA school and this is the year I will get married to the man of my dreams. Along with anticipation for upcoming events, the New Year always forces me to compile a pesky list of resolutions.

Every year, my resolutions include "be a better Christian," "improve physical fitness," and "improve my financial skills" along with some specific resolutions for the upcoming year. Even though I feel like I did a decent job with my 2014 resolutions, there is always room for improvement. This is why I look at resolutions as a way to grow and not a way to fail. Keeping the three items listed above on my list year after year does not mean that I haven't made progress in the past year, it just means that I acknowledge that I have room to improve. Every day, you need to take the time to make that day the best day of the year.

My 2015 New Year Resolutions

1. Be A Better Christian: I am constantly struggling in this category, so it is a good thing that as Christians we don't have to earn Grace. I have decided to begin a few devotionals this year, make an effort to begin tithing, and commit to attending church on a more regular basis. Although clinical have made it difficult to become established with a church family, I am no longer allowing this to be an excuse. 
• What devotionals? 
• Couples of the Bible: The One Year Devotional Study to Draw You Closer to God and Each Other
• Andrew and I are completing this devotional together. We began it last year, but busy schedules got in the way. We are both excited to begin working on this journey again together. 
• A Bride's Devotional
• This FREE PDF DOWNLOAD was created by The Sweet Christian Bride. I am excited to begin working through this devotional and see what it has to offer.
• Her Hands Devotional
• I bought this devotion in College Station, TX at Copy Corner. I finished it once while I was in college, but I am excited to take it on again as an engaged woman and not a single college student. 
2. Improve Physical Fitness: Last year was the first year I took this bull by the horn since high school graduation in 2008. I am excited to continue to make physical fitness and health a priority in 2015. My goal is to improve my "tone" and decrease my 1 mile, 3 mile, and 6 mile time.
• My "Tone The Tummy" Pinterest Board is where I store all my favorite work outs to try and my "Conquered" Pinterest Board is where I store all my favorite work outs that I have completed successfully. 
          Visit Olivia's profile on Pinterest.
3. Improve My Financial Skills: This is not a strength of mine. Thank goodness I am marrying a man who can lead me financially through life. My goal this year is to learn how to keep a budget more effectively and read a few financial planning books for beginners. 
• Dave Ramsey. Dave Ramsey. Dave Ramsey.
4. Lose The Clutter: I am a hoarder, especially with clothing. I am hoping that I can sift through some of my clothing from High School and give it to Good Will. I am going to scour the depths of Pinterest for some "declutter your life" ideas. Honestly though, looking at Pinterest and the 1000s of options is so overwhelming that I'm thinking I might need a book. PLEASE COMMENT WITH RECOMMENDATIONS. 
5. Hermann Park & Samson: I am going to try to increase both the number of times Samson and I go to the park a week, but also the amount of time spent at the park with each visit. 

I hope you all are successful in achieving and growing in your New Year's resolutions. Additionally, I wish you all a happy, healthy, and successful 2015. It has been a joy to be a part of your lives the past year and I am looking forward to being a part of your days in 2015. 

"A Time for Everything"

Timing.

Does anyone else ever feel like they are lagging behind or pulling ahead too quickly? Do you ever feel like your timeline just isn't right?

I always feel that my timeline isn't matching up with those of my friends and family. I am CONSTANTLY aware that I am not yet engaged, a member of the work force, and that I have not lost the last 10 pesky pounds residing in my hips. It is too bad that I’m not CONFIDENT in the fact that God has placed me in a wonderful relationship with a Godly man, has allowed me the opportunity to learn and participate in graduate school, and has granted me with a healthy and able body that can put in the work to achieve fitness goals. On a more SERIOUS note, I constantly worry about what the future will bring and how timing will play out.

Throughout my adult years, I have seen God’s timing work in beautiful ways (1811 Woodsman roommates *hint hint*). His timing is ALWAYS PERFECT and he has never once let me down. Even in the times I have felt completely abandoned and out of control, I have been saved and pulled back into his arms at just the perfect time.

When I need perspective, I wish I said that I always went to the Bible first. I often find myself searching for answers from my family, friends, and even the Internet. I am currently working on making the conscious effort to get back into the habit of flipping through the gold edged pages of my Bible for the answers.

Now. Back to Timing. Where can I find information about timing?

Ecclesiastes is always a solid place for me to gain perspective on how much The Lord values HIS TIMELINE, especially Ecclesiastes 3.

1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. 9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of God.14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. 15 Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account. 16 And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment--wickedness was there, in the place of justice--wickedness was there. 17 I thought in my heart, "God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed." 18 I also thought, "As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?" 22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?
Ecclesiastes 3, New International Version

Top 3 Items Gleaned from Ecclesiastes 3:

1.    GOD HAS MY TIMELINE UNDER CONTROL. He has ensured a time and place for everything.

2.    GOD WANTS ME TO BE JOYFUL, not to worry about my timeline. He doesn't want me to worry about the “should” and the “wants.” My fretting will not make God’s timing anymore perfect or arrive any sooner or later than it should.

3.    GOD MAKES EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL. Even the things in my timeline that I wish had never occurred. They are woven intricately into my story and testimony to help others come to The Lord.

Thank you all for diving into Ecclesiastes 3 with me. I would love to hear your comments and thoughts about this beautiful passage!