Today I’m sharing something a little different on the blog – I’m sharing photos of us! Last summer, my dear friend Shannon Duggan was in town for a wedding and so we decided to utilize her talents and have some updated photos done of us! It had been awhile since we had been in front of the camera (Thomas had braces for 2+ years….woof) and I’m so grateful that we were able to experience this with Shannon. We had recently moved to Lafayette from Dublin, and asked Shannon to take some anniversary photos in Sycamore Valley – one of our favorite spots for evening walks with the dogs in the east bay. The views remind me exactly why we live here in California and I often have to pinch myself. Definitely hoping to take photos of one of our couples here some day!

I usually feel anxious and nervous before having my photo taken. It feels like everything needs to be perfect. But this time, because it was so spur of the moment, I couldn’t stress and had to focus on just enjoying it. Because of covid, I hadn’t had my hair touched in 6+ months, but it was okay! These photos are so us. Wearing clothes we had in our closet. Messy bun. Haircuts that I did for Thomas and both of the dogs. This is the stage of life we were in, and I am so grateful Shannon was there to capture it for us. There was something so “freeing” about our anniversary photos. They didn’t have to be perfect – they just had to be “us.”

Shannon, thank you so much for always being down for an adventure – even after a long drive, two shots of espresso and lots of ice cream. We cherish these photos and have them sprinkled throughout our house. I cherish our friendship and I’m so grateful to have you in my life!

Photography: Shannon Duggan // Dress: Anthropologie // Film Lab: Indie Film Lab //