Be My DIY Valentine | Guest Post by Intern Chelsea

Chelsea has the biggest heart. I am excited to share one of her blog posts with you all today, just in time to give you the warm and fuzzies for tomorrow! While I enjoy writing about my awesome clients and my adorable daughter, Chelsea loves sharing her adventures in life and DIY amazingness. I hope you enjoy what she has to share with you today! :) -----------

It’s almost that time of the year. Greeting card company sales are through the roof. Couples of all ages are contemplating the best way to celebrate. Everyone is gearing up to celebrate the day that is supposed to be all about love but the day of love often gets misconstrued. Don’t get me wrong, I am super excited about spending part of my Valentine’s day with my new and exceptionally awesome husband, but there are a few other people in my life that I am also getting to celebrate the day with. My Valentine’s Day declaration this year is to bring back the elementary school notion that Valentine’s Day is special for everyone. How awesome would it be to give out Valentine’s to just 10 people? They don’t have to be expensive, just from the heart. I have so many loved ones in my life that deserve to hear about it this Valentine’s Day. With that being said, I want to share with you a few Valentine’s DIYs that I will be testing out in the next few weeks for my friends and family.

Star Wars Themed Valentine’s Made Easy There are so many puns to be made about love from Star Wars, and there is no one on the planet that loves a good Star Wars reference like a Star Wars fan. You R-2 Adorable. I Obi-Wanna love you forever. Yoda best. You’ve Lando’ed in my heart. The list really does go on and on and on. I happened to stumble across this great Valentine’s DIY on Inchmark, which uses pixie sticks as light sabers. I loved it.

Naturally, Nannies love bugs. I am the nanny to a wonderful little girl named Maren and recently we have had a lot of rain. Every time it rains Maren asks me about bugs and I never really know what to tell her. So I pull out my handy dandy iPhone and I Google whatever bug question she has. Because of this Maren thinks I am a genius when it comes to bugs. I am definitely giving this little dear a Valentine this year, and I found the perfect one. I already have the mason jar stamp from our wedding, and I married a hand letterer! This buggy valentine was made for me to give to M.

Cherry Cordials for Mom My mother has story after story about giving out cherry cordials for years as Christmas gifts and this concept has always puzzled me. For some reason in my mind I always feel as though cherry cordials would make the perfect Valentine’s Day treat. I’ve never figured out a way to break the news to my mother that our logic doesn’t really line up, so this year I’m going to send her a box of these cookie adaptations from The Curvy Carrot. I think she just might see my side of things.

These are just a few of my Valentine’s DIYs but now it is your turn! How are you going to be celebrating love on Valentine’s Day?

Gratituesday: Vacuum lines

You all. I am overwhelmed. And for no particular reason, even. Actually... I get overwhelmed when my to-do list gets too long for me to "see" it in my head. And at this point, because it's a Tuesday morning after a weekend of traveling, I haven't had the opportunity to sit down with my calendar and to-do list to plan my week. I feel like I'm "winging it" as I respond to emails and get a few tasks done here and there. I need to take about 30 minutes and focus and breatheeeeee. Or! I could just go vacuum my carpets.

I know, what in the world?

Vacuum lines make me feel so good. Just as a shiny sink, a made bed, and a jar of fresh flowers make me feel happy inside. Vacuum lines have a power over me and my emotions. It's slightly weird, I know. But I also know I'm not alone! (For real, I just found this video tutorial of how to make perfect vacuum lines... can't make this stuff up, guys!)

Are you overwhelmed today? I know, it's a Tuesday, not a Monday. But, it's my Monday. (That's because my Mondays are your Sundays. Following me?) Want to join me in pulling out the vacuum cleaner and drawing some lines on your carpet? Could I be anymore of a cliche homemaker right now? Hah. Oh well, I'm going to go vacuum... as soon as Sunday wakes up from her nap.

In the meantime, I'm going to go work on my to-do list! And I'll post a picture of my vacuum lines to instagram this afternoon. Not because it's interesting, but because I like accountability. :)

This week... I am grateful for vacuum lines and the other simple joys in life. They make a huge difference in my every day life! <3

Ed & Kat | Romantic Lynchburg Portraits

'Tis the week of LOVE! Chelsea and I have been churning out lots of fun things for you all for this week! I'll be posting Chelsea's first blog post here in the next few days and I'm really looking forward to sharing her heart with you all. In the meantime, I wanted to kick off this week of romance with an adorable couples session. I picked this one especially because I think the love between these two is completely contagious!! Katharine and I met when I worked at Lynchburg College a few years ago. I adore this girl. She is a graphic designer and so full of talent. I have high respect for her and her work (and I think that's saying a lot because I am kind of a design snob). She has won numerous ADDY awards and has been one of the only graphic designers at Lynchburg College for years. She is also an animal lover and has the sweetest heart towards her own pups.

When Katharine told me she was engaged I was so excited for her, naturally! Then, having the opportunity to meet Ed and shoot their engagement session made my heart grow even more fond of Katharine, Ed, and their relationship. I just love it when the heart of a groom simply says "Whatever makes her happy." That is love, you know? This is 100% Ed's heart. He lights up when Katharine smiles and they have the best energy when they are around one another. And she feels so safe with him. Gosh... feeling safe is something a lot of people take for granted. I think it is one of the most beautiful testimonies of love.

Sometimes I feel like a broken record on this blog. "I LOVE these two! They are so in LOVE and HAPPY and it's BEAUTIFUL!"

But you know what? They are. And it's true. It's true every time. And I really do get ridiculously giddy in the middle of sessions when I am able to zoom in close and see and FEEL their chemistry. I am sure I look so silly in my bursting-with-excitement-moments... but I can't help it. It's just pure joy, you guys. And this was absolutely the case during Ed & Kat's session. Of course now I cannot wait for their wedding in May!!

Okay... here are their sweet images! If you love them and you would like a couple's session of your own, check out the Valentine's Day date-night sessions I'm offering! Details here.

Happy Week-Of-Love!! We've got a handful of lovely posts coming at you this week!

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Equipment used for this session:  canon 5d mark ii // canon 50mm f/1.2 lens // canon 70-200mm f/2.8L lens

Liz Cook is the owner and photographer of sincerely, liz: photography. She is a virginia wedding photographer and virginia portrait photographer who loves virginia weddings, family portrait sessions and couple photography.

To see more of Liz’s work, check out her latest work as well as some of her favorite weddings. To hire Liz, simply fill out this form.

Week 2 Meal Plan | #30daysofpaleo

One of the best ways to plan for success is to plan… I can plan 4.5 weekly menus…! Easy peasy! It’s following the plan that’s the hard part, of course.

Here's my plan for this week:

I am starting the week off by cooking 1lb of ground beef and 1lb of nitrate-free bacon to have ready-to-go in the fridge (used most with breakfast omelets and lunch meals). I will reserve 1 spaghetti squash and 1 whole chicken for meals later in the week.

Monday

Breakfast: We are traveling, so: eggs & coffee Lunch: Taco salad with salsa & guacamole (still traveling) Dinner: Chicken stir fry (no noodles)

Tuesday

Breakfast: Grain-free porridge and fruit for Sunday (Recipe can be found in Practical Paleo) Lunch: Taco veggie lettuce wraps Dinner: Roasted whole chicken with vegetables (onions, carrots, broccoli) (plus rice for Tommy)

Wednesday

Breakfast: Omelet with ground beef, mushrooms and spinach, grain-free porridge (and fruit for Sunday) Lunch: Leftover chicken with sautéed sweet potatoes and onions Dinner: Spaghetti squash with olive oil, sun dried tomatoes and basil (chicken quesadilla for Sunday)

Thursday

Breakfast: Grain-free porridge and fruit for Sunday (Recipe can be found in Practical Paleo) Lunch: Leftovers Dinner: Almond breaded chicken with mashed cauliflower and steamed vegetables

Friday

Breakfast: Omelet with bacon + spinach, grain-free porridge Lunch: Leftover mashed cauliflower with bacon bits, steamed veggies Dinner: Spaghetti squash with grass-fed ground beef and tomato sauce

Saturday

Breakfast: Paleo pancakes Lunch: Chicken breasts, strawberry and spinach/romaine salad Dinner: Avocado chicken salad (skip the mayo)

Okay... let's see how this week goes! I was feeling a little uninspired with this menu plan and had trouble finding variety. But, we strive off of routine so I think it'll be alright!

A portrait of me!

Stop what you are doing right now and go check out Megan at www.studiomme.com. She is a talented artist who has challenged herself to draw 365 portraits in 2013. I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of those 365 and she sketched a portrait of me on Day 40. So, so cool! I love the way it turned out!

This is the original portrait, taken by Crystal. I think it's cool to see the two side-by-side! 

Isn't that so cool? Hop over to Megans' site to check out some of the other portraits she's drawn!