7 Tips for Fabulous Engagement Photos

Bride-Day Friday is back!

So for today's post I'm going to talk engagement photos. I did quite a bit of my own research (thank you Pinterest and Google) before my Fiance and I set out to get our own engagement photos taken. In this post I share with you my tips and suggestions to make your own photos unique, timeless, and oh-so fab. 

7. Dress it Up.. and Down

We went with three different themes for our photos and we did an outfit change for each one. This kept each mini session short and sweet, and gave us variety in our final collection of photos. If you decide to do multiple themes/ outfit changes, I do suggest having a formal change of clothes, in which you can engage in more conventional poses and get some of those traditional engagement shots in. Then switch it up and have some fun! Dress a little more casual and let your hair down (so to speak) while you engage in more relaxed poses. In the end you'll get some really nice, sophisticated shots of the two of you, as well as the lighthearted, natural shots, too.

6. Involve Your Four-Legged Friends

What's more adorable than pictures of you and your future spouse? Pictures of you, your future spouse, and your beloved pup(s).This is a growing trend in engagement pics, and I'm so glad I jumped on the bandwagon. Our pups made the perfect little props in our engagement photos and I just love having these professional shots for our album. Us choosing to involve our dogs kind of goes with one of the other tips on this list, in that the pictures really showed our personalities and portrayed not only our love for one another, but for our fur babies as well. We are a little family and that truly came across in the shots. If you and your man, or woman, have a close bond with your own dog-- get them involved!

5. Use Props 

Not every couple decides to send out Save the Dates, but if you do, your engagement photos are a great opportunity to stage them. Sports fans? Use a football, basketball, baseball-- pretty much any type of ball, and inscribe your date on it, and perhaps even the words 'Save the Date' on another one. I've saw balloons, marquees, banners, scrabble tiles, signs, etc.-- get creative! This is a great way to incorporate your personalities into the photos, as well. I suggest DIY for the props, as you'll find ordering them customized with your date can be quite pricy. I wanted to order 'Save the Date' signs for my dogs online and couldn't believe the asking price. I ended up making them myself for less than $10 altogether-- tutorial on that later. 

4. Show Your Personalities 

I keep coming back to this, but for me, it's what truly made our pictures special. Sure, your engagement photos are supposed to be all about you and your partner's love and upcoming nuptials, but what is special to the two of you? How do you bond? What are your common interests, or even disinterests? I stumbled across a photo session on Pinterest where the couple wore two opposing team jerseys and they did a ticket-like Save the Date with the teams versus one another-- so cute! Luckily, Eric and I root for the same team, so we decided to incorporate that into our pics. We're both hardcore MSU Basketball fans, so when I suggested the idea he was all in. I emailed the Event Coordinator at the Breslin Center (MSU's home court) months in advance and stayed in contact with her until we had figured out a date to get the pictures taken. We were given access to the entire court at no cost at all and the pictures really captured our love in a fun and creative way. You'd be surprised how easy it is to get access to the venue of your favorite team-- you just have to ask the right person. Oh, and GO GREEN. ;)

3. Dare to be Different

As mentioned earlier, I did a lot of Pinterest research before choosing what I wanted our engagement pictures to look like, and the shots that stood out to me the most were the ones that were unique and different. Of course there's the traditional kissing shot, or the one of the couple holding hands with an emphasis on her ring, but what else? That's what I was interested in. I loved the ones that incorporated a special aspect of the couple; something unique to them. Keep that in mind when choosing what direction you want to go with your pictures. Love to bowl? Go bowling! Are you Wine-o's? Go to a vineyard! The sky is the limit. Don't be scared to go in a different direction than the average engagement photo session-- that's what will make your photos stand out.

2. Get the Other Party Involved

While it seems to be standard procedure for the feminine counterpart of the relationship to take control of most of the wedding planning, including the engagement photos, you should always ask for your other half's input. Rather than forcing them to reinact the beach scene from 'The Notebook', ask if they're into it first. I've mentioned sports a couple times in this post and I think that's a great way to spark some interest on his end, after all these are his photos, too. Maybe sports aren't his things-- so what is? Ask him, or better yet show him different ideas and get his feedback. He might have more to say than you think. He'll also be much more cooperative in the shoot as a whole if he feels like he had a say in it, rather than feeling like a prop himself.

1. Have Fun With It!

Of all the tips I share with you, this is the most important. If you aren't having fun, nothing else matters because it will show in your pictures, and let's be honest-- who wants to see pictures of boring people? Nobody. This is one of the greatest times of your life, let that come through in your photos. Loosen up and relax. While posed pictures are really nice, my personal favorites are the natural shots of the couple in their element. So laugh with one another, kiss, be silly, be real. It will come across in your photos and be infectious.

Thank you to the lovely Whitney Roberts who photographed our fabulous engagement shoot, the rest of which can be seen here. And best of luck with your own! 

xox Danielle

Lessons from Grandpa

I have been on a temporary hiatus from my blog. Two weeks to be exact-- and neglect is something I promised I would not partake in. But I have a long list of excuses, all of which are very valid. The most excusable being that my Grandfather passed away a week and a half ago. I am not going to be dark or depressing, but I would like to honor him in the form of a "Motivational Monday" blog post.

My Grandpa Kidder was the greatest. Period. He was not my Grandpa by blood, but I didn't know that until I was older, as he's been in my life since the day I was born. My Dad's father and my blood "Grandpa" was never present in my life, but I never really noticed nor cared; my Grandpa Kidder filled any void that needed filling in that department. He was the sweetest, silliest, and most caring man I've ever known. You know how there's those rare people nobody can really say a bad thing about? Who has never given anyone a reason to dislike them? Who just has such an overwhelming positive energy and kind spirit that others gravitate toward them? That was him. You honestly couldn't say a bad thing about him. Nobody could. And that was evident in the turnout of his funeral. He touched so many lives and had such a positive effect on so many people it was incredible. And such an honor for me to be able to call him Grandpa. 

Saying 'Goodbye' to him is the hardest thing I've had to do to date. I put off looking at him in that casket as long as I could, because I was so scared to see a man so full of life lying there looking just the opposite; lifeless. When I finally gathered up the courage to walk up there, I was surprised by how at peace he looked. He didn't look sad or scared or even lifeless; he looked peaceful. And that has helped me in my own journey of finding peace with his passing.

In the wake of his death I have been dealing with an outpouring of so many emotions it's hard to keep them straight. His death has made me look within and question my own life thus far. Am I one of those rare people that no one can say a bad thing about? Do I give people reasons to dislike me? Do I have that same positive energy and kind spirit? No, probably, and it's doubtful. So that's it? I'm stuck being less of a person because I don't possess those qualities at the age of 25? Not at all; but I may not have 52 more years to perfect myself like my Grandpa did. Life is so short. I learned that last year when my Fiance's mom unexpectedly died at just 47 years old, and I'm learning that again with my Grandpa unexpectedly passing at 77 years old.

My Grandpa looked at peace. He looked at peace because he was at peace. He is at peace. He lived 77 years. He found his soulmate in my Grandma, and god, did he know that. He loved that woman more than anything in this world and he let it be known. He did anything and everything for her. He was the definition of a perfect husband. He took her entire family under his wing as if they were his own. He had an allergy to dogs but always reassured me I was welcome to bring mine up to their house to stay for the weekend. He would give his shirt off his back to anyone. He could make you laugh without putting forth any effort. I had the privilege of putting the photos together for the collages to be displayed at the funeral, and the way I speak of him was reinstated tenfold by the proof of the old photos I rummaged through. A majority of all the photos he was in consisted of him either dancing, laughing, making someone else laugh, making a goofy face, or doting over my grandma; and sometimes all of the above. 

I am going to miss my Grandpa so unbelievably much, but I am so thankful he was a part of my life as long as he was. He taught me so many lessons in life, and now in death, that I will carry with me forever. As much as I hate to think about dying, these situations kind of force you to. And I know when I go, I want to lie there in peace, too. I don't want to be holding a grudge, worrying, feeling insecure, doubting, or participating in any negative thought process. I want to be content and happy with my life at every moment and truly enjoy it, just the way my Grandpa did.

Although this is a different type of "Motivational Monday" post in that it isn't lighthearted and fun; it should motivate you in the largest way possible. It should make you want to leave behind the type of legacy my grandfather did. It should make you look within and question the way you're living your own life and change the things you don't like now, because who knows how long you have to make it better. Laugh, smile, be silly and selfless, truly enjoy each moment for what it's worth, appreciate your family and friends, and cherish your soulmate. Those are the lessons I learned from my Grandpa Kidder and I am going to practice those lessons until I truly perfect them like he did. I want to make him proud by following in his footsteps and I want to be at peace, knowing I lived my life to the absolute fullest, just like he did. 

In loving memory; Donald L. Kidder

October 10, 1935 - August 16, 2013

"If you can see it and believe it, it is a lot easier to achieve it."

"I wrote myself a check for ten million dollars for acting services rendered and dated it Thanksgiving 1995. I put it in my wallet and it deteriorated. And then, just before Thanksgiving 1995, I found out I was going to make ten million dollars for Dumb & Dumber. I put that check in the casket with my father because it was our dream together."  

-Jim Carrey, Oprah Winfrey Show, 1997

This story is super powerful and motivational to me, as not only am I huge Jim Carrey fan, but I'm also a true believer in using visualization to reach goals. Check out Jim telling his story on Oprah. Inspirational, right? Have you written down your goals? If not, are you inspired to now?

What Oprah Learned from Jim Carrey

Every person around you is a teacher—even comedian and actor Jim Carrey. Look back at a past Oprah Show interview with Jim where he describes how visualization led to great success. Plus, find out how a $10 million check he wrote to himself eventually paid off.

Thank you for reading, I hope you're motivated to put your plans down on paper and start getting serious about achieving your life goals! :)

xoxo Danielle

Friday is Not Only Bride Day...

...Friday is also the end of a crazy work week. The I-need-to-finish-laundry-day. Friday is one of two nights I have to finish work for a conference that's on Sunday. And finish material for the APB's newsletter-- due the day after I get back from said conference. Friday is so many things right now I can't even keep them all straight. Basically this a fancy way of me telling you there will not be a "Bride Day" post today. I know, I know, one week in and I'm already bailing-- super bad timing to take on a million projects, ya girl's gotta prioritize! :)
I did start working on a post about Engagement Photos and it's about halfway done, but I want to make sure it's up to par, so you can look forward to that next Friday-- I will be posting, promise.

So wish me luck in finishing my millions of projects in time. I will be in Arizona Sunday morning until Wednesday, but I do have something good scheduled for my Motivational Monday post, so look forward to that. Thank you for reading and have a fabulous weekend!

Next week: Learn how to make your engagement photos fun and unique.

Meet my Corgs

In today's post I'd like to introduce you to my nuggets, although most of you are probably lucky enough to know them already. These little dogs are my best friends and the inspiration behind my blog title, so I found it only fair to dedicate a post to them. And I'll be using special photos in honor of Shark Week. ;)

First I bring you Franklin Izzo, or Frank. 

He is my little social butterfly and loves just about everyone. His silly personality is apparent in the millions of photos I take of him just posing for the camera, as he loves being the center of attention. He also loves to eat, play ball, and snuggle with me. Every morning he walks up the little stairs to our bed and spoons with me-- it's the greatest wake-up call in the world. He doesn't seem to be ashamed of being a mama's boy, as he tends to follow me around wherever I go, but I wouldn't have it any other way. He is my first baby and there's an undeniable bond there.

And then there's Ellie Louise, my little sassafrass.

Ellie is our little "Perma-Puppy", because she is so small and still has such puppy-like features. Don't let her young and innocent appearance fool you though, she has quite the attitude problem. El has the worst Napolean complex I have ever seen and I swear she looks in the mirror and sees an 80-lb Pit bull. She growls at nearly every passerby and dog we come across, and her bark will let everyone within a 5-mile radius know if there is a noise or disturbance she doesn't like. Deep down she is a little softy though, and that side comes out especially when Eric walks through the door. Oh, does she love her daddy, as she's always laying on his lap and sitting by his feet (if you follow me on Instagram you know this, as I can't get enough of it).

These are my fur babies and they're my world. They will be standing up in our upcoming wedding as the Ring Bearer and Flower Girl, and I think it will be the most precious, personal touch to our big day. I've been teased countless times by people saying that I am obsessed with them-- and I guess this post only reinforces that theory, so maybe it is true... but I don't mind. I'm guessing if they were your dogs you'd understand-- but thank God they're not. ;) 

I hope you enjoyed reading about my nuggets as much as I enjoyed writing about them (but let's be honest, you probably didn't). Happy Hump Day and Shark Week, and thanks for stopping by! <-- name that movie! Ha ha, goodnight loves!

xox Danielle

Half-Marathon Training for the Non-Runner

My current half-marathon training plan

Being that I just got done with one of my training runs, I found it only fitting to post about half-marathon training for this week's Motivational Monday post.

Let me begin by saying that I hated running prior to just last year. On my high school soccer team, the least favorite part of my day was when coach said we had to run laps or sprints. The. Worst. Outside of soccer practice I would run anyways though, just to condition my body and frankly, because it was the only way I knew how to work out. When I'd go to the gym I'd just look for the nearest treadmill. It's all I knew. And to be honest, that's what led me to training for my first half. Someone once told me that running was the best exercise because it worked every muscle of your body, and that just stuck with me. And now that I'm technically a "runner" (still feels weird to say), I couldn't agree more.

In Spring 2012 when I decided to get healthy and lose weight (yes, it is a decision-- you want to lose that gut? Want to make a lifestyle change? Make that decision. Nobody else can do it for you.), I started running. I jumped on the treadmill and don't even think I ran a full mile... at 5 mph-- if that. I felt terrible about myself. How did I let myself get so out of shape?! I didn't let my sweaty, crying, about-to-pass-out inner voice stop me though. Everyone has to start somewhere. And so I continued to run, and as someone who likes to set goals, I decided to train for a 10k. And so I did. And I'll never forget running that race and looking at the half-marathoners with such admiration-- and slight concern, for they had to be somewhat crazy to run 13.1 miles. Say what?! I had just got done running less than half of that and was ready to faint, there is no way in hell. Shortly after, I decided to run a half-marathon.

So the half-marathon training began in the early weeks of January. This meant treadmill workouts for the most part, until I hit the 7-8 mile longer runs and I just had to take my runs outside. And then there were the long runs outside, in the cold, bitter, Michigan winter. Ice formed around my water bottle, puddles from the snow seeped through my layers of socks, the trails flooded, my legs felt like they were going to give out-- but I never stopped, not once. I got through training and ultimately ran the half-marathon-- in my goal time, I might add, and it couldn't have been too bad because now I'm training for a second in September. So here's the wisdom I can share for those of you who aren't natural-born runners who "love" to run and just can't wait to log in your miles for the day.

• Follow a training plan

I've posted two, the Beginner's one I followed the first-time around (below) and the one I'm following now (at the beginning of this post). Following a plan made all the difference for me. I felt obligated to log in my weekly miles and complete whatever task was on my agenda for the day. I did not follow my plan to a tee (i.e. resting every Monday, easy runs every Sunday, etc.), but I did make sure I accounted for each run; I just made it work for my schedule. If I had plans on Saturday, I'd do my long run on Sunday. If I wanted to get one of my runs out of the way on Monday, I'd use another day as my rest day. Cater the plan to work for you.

• Start small

Don't overwhelm yourself and try to run 10 miles right away if you haven't run 2 miles in over a year. Gradually work your way up to that golden number, whether it be 26.2 or 3.1.

• Listen to your favorite tunes

I created a running playlist composed of up-tempo, fast-paced songs that get me hype. This made my run so much more enjoyable and it always seemed that perfect song that really pushed me to run just a little faster would come on right when I needed it to.

• Watch your favorite shows

This is what I'd do during my longer treadmill runs. I'd go in the morning and put on One Tree Hill or a good movie and just focus on that. I would get so wrapped up in the story line that my run would be over before I knew it.

• Focus on how far you've come

This is true in life and also in running. Rather than dwelling on the fact that you still have 5 miles left of your 7-mile-run, focus on how easy those 2 miles you just ran were, and that you only have to do that two and a half more times. It's all a mind-game-- win it!

•  Be one with your thoughts

Some of my best therapeutic sessions have been done during my runs. Think about it, it's honestly the perfect opportunity to be alone with your thoughts and get some rational thinking in. Take the focus off the run and onto yourself. Talk yourself through problems or dilemmas in your life and you'll be surprised at both how great you feel once you're done and how quick your run went by.

• Reward yourself

This is the one that really motivated my inner fat girl. Once I got further into my training and was logging 8 and 10-mile runs, I'd think about how many calories I was burning (about 700-900) and think of how I could replenish my body of those nutrients it was certainly missing out on. A donut? Ice cream and cake? Ten things off the Taco Bell menu? All of the above? OK! Picture someone dangling cheese from a fishing pole... I was chasing it. Half the time I'd get home and feel so healthy and good about myself I'd whip up a smoothie instead, but it was the point that I could indulge in those treats without the guilt-- and I usually would on my designated cheat day. ;)

I hope these little tips come to be of assistance if you decide to train for a race of any length. I'm sure I can think of more, and I will most certainly add on to this list when I do, but for now it's 9 pm and Shark Week so I must be on my way. Thank you for reading. :)
xox D

Friday is... Bride Day!

So we have Motivational Mondays, why not do Bride Day Friday?! Every Friday I'll post about wedding-related topics. Whether it be advice, thoughts, or rants, I'll supply you with the good, the bad, and the ugly that is sure to follow over the next nine and a half months leading up to my big day.

 This first post falls in the category of 'Good', I'd say. For my Fiance, Eric, and I's engagement party I wanted to bake the desserts myself. I found a picture of these adorable engagement ring sugar cookies on Pinterest (pictured above) and was inspired to try my hand at making them myself using a copy-cat lofthouse cookie recipe I had used for some Christmas cookies I baked (below).

These cookies turned out amazing when I baked them at Christmastime; soft, the perfect amount of sweet, and extremely addicting. I knew the cookie-baking part of this process would be easy, it was the decorating part I was slightly concerned about. The final product ended up turning out OK, but being the perfectionist that I am, I think they could've looked better. I did receive several compliments on how delicious and cute they were though, so as long as the guests were happy, so was I. Here is the Lofthouse Style Frosted Sugar Cookies recipe I used from Authentic Suburban Gourmet's blog, which was originally adapted from Recipe Secrets.

Ingredients:

For the Cookies:
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sour cream (light or regular, I've used both with the same result)

For the Frosting:
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons heavy cream

Black icing color
Clear vanilla extract
Wilson's silver shimmer dust

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat at low speed until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed. Divide dough into two sections. Flatten into rectangles about 1 1/2 inches thick, then wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator overnight or for at least two hours until firm.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.

Generously flour a work area and rolling pin. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2.5" round cookie cutter, or the 3.75" ring cookie cutter (which obviously cut down on the amount of cookies yielded), cut out shape and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes, until pale golden. Immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

To make the frosting:

Cream together the butter and vanilla in a large bowl. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Once smooth and creamy, add in heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired spreading consistency is achieved. 

Because this makes a lot of frosting, I frosted all the cookies once they had cooled completely, but did not use all of the frosting. Then, with the remainder of the frosting, I added a couple drops black icing color until I achieved the shade of gray I wanted for the 'ring' part of the cookie. I transferred the gray frosting into a piped bag and created the circle and 'prongs' to create the base of the ring. I then mixed the shimmer dust with clear vanilla extract to create a sort of edible paint and used a fondant brush to paint over the gray ring portion of the cookie. This created a silver, or should I say more 'white gold', effect to the cookie.

Allow frosting to set, then store in an air-tight container. Let cookies sit for several hours before serving to allow the flavors to develop.

I really wish I had taken more pictures of these cookies (this is honestly the only one I have), but now I know better for next time. There are a few things I would do different if I had to make them again, such as cutting a smaller hole in my piping bag, or using a smaller tip to create a more precise shape with the silver frosting. I also would have waited to store them in the container until the frosting had more time to set, because as you can see some of the frosting flattened from the cookies being stacked on top of each other. Oh well, you live and you learn. 

This truly is one of my favorite cookie recipes, so whether you make them bridal-style or not, I'm sure you will satisfy your sweet tooth. Thank you so much for reading and enjoy!! :)

xox Danielle