The Streetpoet

That’s the name of the scent my twin sister would purchase for her hand and dish soap when she set up her first home with her new husband…eight and a half years ago. We were seventeen and she was already a housewife in a cabin on top of a mountain in Georgia…and I missed her. They let me stay with them in their little cabin for a week or more at a time! We cooked together to pass the time, and talked, and washed dishes with her amazing smelling soap, and talked some more. Up there the rain smelled better, the dew drops shone brighter, and the view was closer to heaven. Our hands would still smell of her scented soap long after the dishes were done…and when they took me home I missed her before the scent faded.

It’s been a very, very long time since I’ve smelled White Melon and Cucumber, and I wouldn’t have remembered the name of it, but tonight my friend Erika gave me a candle for our birthday with that exact scent and I’m taken back to those days on top of a mountain in a cabin with  my twin sister… it reminds me of dishes and of her thoughtful love in remembering me and inviting me to share their beautiful, new life together.

Thank you, Erika, for the very appropriate candle! And thank you, Vanessa, for your sacrifice of time for your lonely and left behind twin all those years ago. I’m remembering very vividly tonight… because of a candle…and I love you, and still miss you.

As the sun rose high in the Santa Monica sky this fall Saturday, these two beautiful people committed their lives to each other with Christ as the center of their marriage and lives with friends and family as witness to their love. They incorporated several unique ideas and traditions into their day and it was truly a special and intimate day.

It was an honor to photograph your wedding, Adam and Savanahsiera! May the Lord bless your marriage!

And here’s a shout out to my wonderful friend and photographer Laura Milner of Moments Not Forgotten, who absolutely made my day and helped me so much shooting this wedding. She got some amazing photographs (I love her angle!) and you can check out her favorites from the day on her blog. Thank you again, Laura! I can’t wait to work with you again!

For our birthday she wanted to give us portraits together, but that day will have to wait. Yesterday Laura took portraits of just me. I had not had my picture taken in a very long time, and certainly never that many all at once! And I LOVE them! Laura did such an amazing job because it is rare that I actually like pictures of myself. I’m really hoping to use some for my new website, and as gifts for my mother and husband. 🙂

To view my portrait session check out Laura’s blog.

Not only is Laura a budding professional photographer, she’s a five star chef! Well, she could be. She brought a mediterrainian chicken pasta salad, hummus with pita, and cargo bars for dessert….AND a brilliant bunch of sunflowers in a unique glass pitcher! I could not possibly feel more loved.

Laura, thank you for spending your afternoon with us, and for blessing me so abundantly!

My amazing husband has been working so hard to get my new website up and running. I never realized how much work and time it would require and I’m so grateful to him for giving of his precious time and energy to build this beautiful site for me! I am SO excited about it and really look forward to getting every body’s feedback! So check it out and let me know what you think!

People have been telling me happy birthday all week. They’re so sweet to remember my birthday and maybe it’s totally rude of me, but I correct them every time…it’s not MY birthday, it’s OUR birthday! I am a TWIN and people here just don’t know me as a twin. I love. love. love sharing a birthday with another person. And she’s not just any other person, she is the perfect compliment to me, my opposite in less and less things as we get older, and we’re countries apart, and 26 today.

Happy birthday. Nessers! I love you!

I wanted a family photo today. Not just our little family (although we did get one of those, too) I wanted a picture of all of my Guy family together, and they made it happen! Thank you so much, family!