Scotland Revisited

I miss Scotland.

the tiny, gas friendly cars

so gas friendly in fact, we thought our fuel gage was broken since we'd drive miles and miles without it moving... at all. Worried that we'd run out of gas, we stopped to fill up and over filled it. No broken fuel gage, just an extremely fuel efficient car and two silly Americans that could not believe how far one tank could get them.

remembering to drive on the left side of the road

and being thankful for a husband who's willing to do the driving

 don't worry, I contributed too by yelling "LEFT, LEFT, LEFT!" 
Phillip found this extremely helpful.  

spray painted sheep that smile for photos

and picturesque towns

 dressing up in suits for the speed boat tour... one size fits... most?

 Loch Ness

and bagpipers at every corner

hunting for Nessy

got her! kinda...

watching the rain roll in

videographers...

 finding love in unusual places

and castles

the Cuillins 

mysterious doorways

 monkey puzzle trees

going to the end of the earth

and running into a couple highland "coos"

...that sometimes hang out by the road

sigh*

quiet sunrises in the countryside

comfy cozy

standing at the edge

solitude

 eating yummy scones

  carbs. lots of carbs.

and reflecting on an incredible trip

This is why I love photography. At any moment you can be transported back to your favorite memories and relive them all over again.

Eataly

During our trip to NYC for Christmas, we became OBSESSED with Eataly. And even though we were only there for a a couple days, we made the commute down to the cafe for multiple meals - it was that good. On our second trip there we did some shopping in the market and decided to bring home a little Italy with us. 

Flash forward a few months later and we decided it was time to whip out our "special" pasta for no other reason then it's Monday... might as well make the best of it.

Finally! An excuse to break out our tomato press. 

Tomatoes pressed to perfection

Garlic and olive oil. I think this must be what heaven smells like.

Add in some tomato...

And voila! A delicious dinner for two.

Leah

Book worm one minute, sprinter the next. 
Sweet, but sassy. 
Explorer and homebody. 
Comedienne and a serious thinker. 

Leah is the perfect combination of opposites. 

I've known Miss Leah since she was itty bitty (her mom and I have been the bestest of friends since pre-school), so watching her grow up brings back a lot of memories of her mom and I growing up too. I see so much of her mom's spirit, stubbornness, sweetness, love of books and love of life. It makes me long for the simple summer days of jumping on trampolines, freeze pops, bonfires with smores, and sleepovers. But I'll settle for living vicariously through Leah's eyes, documenting the sweetness from afar.

Thank you Miss Leah!

{Raleigh NC Child Portrait Photographer, Virginia Portrait Photographer}

Dad

We'll always have this moment...

 (photo courtesy Meredith Montague Photography)

...and I'll always be your little girl.

I love you Dad. Happy Father's Day!

Will + Marge: The Wedding Slideshow

I'm posting this about a month later than I had planned on (seriously, where does the time go), BUT it's finally ready to go! Woo hoo!

I love slideshows. It's like celebrating the wedding all over again.

{Raleigh NC Wedding Photographer, Beaufort NC Wedding Photographer, Atlantic Beach Wedding Photographer, Coral Bay Club Weddings}

Things I Love...

Where has the time gone? My goal of blogging 2-3 times a week has quickly deteriorated to once a week (if I'm lucky). Well, it's time to get back on the wagon, starting.... now!

Things have been hectic around the Simson household and yet if you asked me what's been going on, I wouldn't be able to pin point it.... it seems to be a mixture of crazy work schedules, new car hunting/buying (yay!), trips with friends, trips with family, birthday celebrating, photography classes, and a never ending mountain of laundry.

I've missed the blog, so it seems like the perfect time for another installment of Things I Love.

Nothing says "it's time to enjoy the warm summer's nights while keeping the bugs away" like a tiki torch. In addition to being festive, they're also practical. Love.

I grew up a beach vacation girl, but recently am slowly warming up to the idea of lake vacations.The tranquility on the water can't be beat.

I recently became the owner of a brand new car. I've never had a "new" car before, so it feels like a pretty big milestone. I'm going to miss "Max," we've been through a lot of amazing trips together, but the "new guy" (have not yet named him) is filling in quite nicely.

the SHOOTSAC. Love Love Love this bag. I was using a backpack during shoots, but I could never seem to master swinging it around to change lenses in between takes and it kind of made me feel like a second grader. I'd always end up setting it down, changing lenses, and inevitably leave it there until we changed locations - meaning I was running back and forth. Not ideal. The SHOOTSAC changed everything since all my gear was right at my hip. No more running around, no more sweaty back from the backpack (sorry, that was probably too much info), it's all right there! Next up will be to upgrade the flap to a lovely pattern, but for now, black will do!

Happy Monday!

Say Cheese

Oh cheese. How I love you. Sharp. Feta. Bleu.... I haven't met a cheese I haven't loved. Okay, well that's a lie... sorry goat cheese. 
And even though you may not be the healthiest thing to eat, you are definitely the most delicious.
So, it should not come as a surprise that while we were frolicking in the mountains of North Carolina, we decided to see where you came from. 

Enter Ashe County Cheese, where you can learn all about the cheese making process and then sample the goods.


Making cheese. Not glamorous, but definitely delicious.

And now the finished product.

What's cheese without a little wine?

It doesn't get better than an ice cold bottled coke.

 

Thanks Ashe County. We'll be back soon!