I’ve loooved her blossom named Kinley ever since I first saw it. I asked her to make me a braided kind of headband instead of the one pictured. This is what she came up with.

And the best part is that she added an alligator clip to the actual flower part so that I can put it on any headband I want or just clip it straight into my hair.

Here are some more of my favorites from the shop.

1. Clarice // 2. Harmony // 3. Ellie // 4. Prim
(photo creds: 1. byron roe photography. 2-4 amanda wingers.)

Be sure to check out her BLOG and her ETSY shop.
And use the code ILUVEALLISONJEANPHOTO to get a 25% discount on your order!

We spent the weekend playing Bohnanza (the best game EVER), reminiscing over our Latin American adventures, hanging out with their friends, making fun of each other, taking Rachel’s engagement pictures, freezing my butt off, and we topped it all off with a day in St. Louis. SO MUCH FUN. After I left I felt like I had a whole new community of friends, not just Caleb and Rachel. I’m soo excited to relive the magic when Rachel and Josh get married this summer. CAN. NOT. WAIT.

I’m soo glad it worked out to take the Howards’ pictures! We tried over Christmas but it just never worked out. We managed to get them just in time for Lily’s birthday which is TODAY! Well I guess technically yesterday since I never blog before midnight these days. But still, happy 3rd birthday Lily! And thanks again, Iris and Clint, for choosing me to document your awesome family!

I bought tickets back in December to fly to Illinois to hang out with Rachel and Caleb, two of my study-abroad friends. Then Josh decided to ask Rachel to marry him two weeks before my trip, so naturally we planned an afternoon to take engagement pictures. I remember the COUNTLESS angsty-love conversations Rachel and I had during our four months in Costa Rica. Looking back it’s kind of embarrassing how much we talked about how much we missed our boyfriends. She had it worse than I did because Josh was studying abroad in Africa that semester, so their talking schedule was super wack. It’s crazy to look back on those conversations in light of the fact that they are getting married this summer…a year later. Josh and Rachel are totally adorable, mainly because Rachel’s on her tippy toes a lot when they’re together.

I love how much they wanted to incorporate the things they do together into their shoot. They spend a lot of time riding bikes together, knitting (yes knitting!), and playing music together. Anyway, I’m done talking. (Until my post about the trip! haha)

This is where Josh proposed!I love that Josh knits.

Did I mention Rachel’s hilarious?

I’m ending with one of my favorite engagement photos of allllll time. You guys seriously killed it.

SO EXCITED FOR JULY 21ST WHEN WE GET TO BE REUNITED!!

We may or may not have snuck into the stadium ACU shares with the Abilene high schools to shoot some pictures where they shared their first kiss. Right on the 23rd yard line!As we drove back to Brownwood that night, I was telling my roommate Danielle about mine and Taylor’s friendship. She’s the kind of person I want to be around all the time, but I’m never around enough. One of those people who you could talk to all day except you can never seem to find the time to get together. The best part about this job is that I have an excuse to hang out with people a ton during one of the best times in their lives. I’ve seen Taylor and Adam more in the last month than I have in the past year and I am LOVING it. And that goes for pretty much every couple I shoot. I am so blessed to get to know such amazing people.

 Tomorrow I get to go to Illinois to see two of my study abroad friends, Rachel and Caleb!
I’m excited about this for a million reasons, but two that stand out are because 1) Rachel just got engaged and I get to take her engagement pictures! and 2) because I love the mess out of those two. It’s going to be 4 days of shenanigans, talking about Costa Rica, and speaking spanglish/in abbreviations. I cannot WAIT.

I’m in the process of organizing an art fundraiser for Charity:Water.
I’ve been soo encouraged and amazed to see all the people already getting behind this! It’s going to be amazing. It’s still in the works, but it’s going to include some kind of arts fair/market-ish thing featuring Howard Payne and local artists plus a “water walk.” Details soon, and if you’re interested in donating items to sell send me an email!

I AM FINALLY EXCITED ABOUT MY ART MAJOR.
This is a big deal for me. Being at a small school, our art program does not provide the best opportunities, but because of an amaazing new professor named Pickens, opportunity has RISEN and it’s GLORIOUS.  Just this year I feel like I have grown soo much as an art-lover/artist/whatever. I’m discovering my style, my passions, and what I want art’s role to be in my life. Three other artists and I got to put on a student-created, student-run art show, I got to paint with oils today for the first time ever, and Pickens is in the process of getting us space to create a collaboration mural in the library. I am LOVING it. What better time than for my senior year right?!

Anywayyy life is good. I’ve got some engagements and a buttons-n-blossoms blog to post, so be on the lookout for that and have a GREAT day.

Laura and Alex are the best. It’s such an unbelievable blessing to be able to witness and document such an exciting time in my friends’ lives. They got married last Saturday in San Antonio at Alex’s home church, First Baptist San Antonio. We spent the weekend living it up with great friends and watching Laura be the BEST bride ever. No meltdowns. No stress. Just awesome, laid-back Laura.

Last April, one of the key components of Alex’s group of guy friends died in a 4-wheeler accident. At each of their weddings, they are now passing around Colton’s cuff links to wear in remembrance of him.

One of my favorite parts of a wedding day it watching the guys try to tie their ties. hahaha.

Have I mentioned I LOVE first looks?

We got this jumping picture on the FIRST try. Mind blowing. That’s a lot of people. haha.

Married and happyyy.

Laura likes to make it really hard for me to get candid shots of her. haha.

Anytime I talked to Alex in the last few months, I’d ask how things were going in Tulsa. Each time he’d talk about how great things were, but he’d always say, “I’m just so ready for LC to be up here.” And even though I’m sad Tulsa had to steal two of the best people I know, I am just so giddy happy for them.

Love yall.

He put beautiful friends in my life.

He gave me three new families.

He humbled me with his creation.

He challenged everything I had ever known about Him.

He put justice in my heart and an awareness in my mind.

And now I get to go back. In a little under three months, my mom and I are making the trek down south to hang out pura vida style. It’s SO surreal, but I am SO excited.

Here’s to 2012.

more to come.