pampering.

I had the pleasure of capturing some of the final moments of Carlee being a single lady as she got all dolled up in preparation of her life-changing appointment at five o'clock last Saturday. She was calm, cool, and collected all morning + afternoon, seeming to carefully take in all the moments before they passed. There was lots of pink in the room, making the day even brighter, and laughter was the primary sound heard as the bridal party danced to Taylor Swift, played around with an infamous selfie stick, sipped on mimosas, and chatted about favorite memories with the bride. It's hard to believe that the big day has come + gone after so many months of planning, but it really was the perfect day to get married - a day so beautiful, weather and all, that it will be a topic of conversation for a long time. Carlee may have taken on a new name last week, but she's still (and always will be) the same sweet girl that so many are proud to know + thankful to love. 

the day before.

Last weekend was spent celebrating Preston + Carlee becoming Mr. + Mrs. Baynes, and it was full of nonstop excitement. Nail + toes were painted on Friday morning, a delicious bridal luncheon followed a little while later, and the day ended with a rehearsal + rehearsal dinner with closest friends + family. We couldn't have wished for more beautiful weather than we had, and everyone was extra smiley as we watched our soon-to-be bride + groom glow with bliss in anticipation of what the day ahead would entail. Sweet Caroline even stole a few kisses from Braxton while we dined at the end of the day! Love was in the air, there's no doubt about it.

simpsonvile fair.

What's better than a night at the fair with family? You guessed it: nothing! The weather was perfect, the company was a hoot, the rides made our blood pressure increase just a bit, the food may have clogged a few arteries, and Pops + Mimi treated us all to a whole lot of fun. Craig Wayne Boyd, last year's winner of The Voice, performed a free concert for everyone there, which was an added bonus. Who loves a night spent with some of your favorite people while stuffing your face with funnel cakes + slurping up massive amounts of freshly squeezed lemonade? I do, I do!

artisphere.

Artisphere was a little sweeter this year than it was last year because of the cutie we got to push around in the stroller. We walked up + down Main Street, taking our time as we looked at all of the beautiful art on display for purchase, and made the necessary visits to Mast General Store and Kilwin's before returning home. Two weekends in a row hanging out in the heart of the Upstate was pretty perfect, and we are so thankful for these precious moments of exploring together that are wonderful to reminisce about.

The moments pass fast, and I'm thankful for a camera + a quick, steady hand that can capture them in still frames. I'll never get tired of catching these two smiling at each other.

tiger baseball.

What better way to spend your first Mother's Day than by making memories in the best town with your two best guys? Teesh made sure that my first Mother's Day was a dream come true, and I'm still giddy over how much fun we had last weekend. I was the proudest girl walking along College Avenue as we showed B where we used to adventure, and I loved watching all the eyes in the stands give out big grins as they looked at the kind daddy who bounced + sang to + made silly faces at the baby boy who was experiencing Tiger Town for the first time. Mmm, I wonder if the sound of my heart popping was as loud to everyone else as it was to me.

Who's excited for Tiger football in the fall? We are! We are!

baby in the backpack.

We hiked up to Rainbow Falls last Saturday for the third time since we began this family tradition, and we had an additional explorer with us this time. TJ traded in the traditional backpack for a baby boy, and I became the new wearer of the backpack (my new one that I got for my birthday just for day hikes, might I add). Even with extra weight on us both, we still made it to the top in an hour, a time that we were both impressed with. Braxton was bright-eyed + smiley the whole way up to the top and sleepy-eyed the whole way back down, and it was the perfect cool morning to officially break in the Poco Plus out on the trails. Our next trip will be to the top of Table Rock next month, and although we will probably be crawling to the top by about halfway up, we were encouraged by our limited feelings of exhaustion during this practice round. I love this trail-blazing, blue-wearing, Osprey-representing, outdoor-loving family of mine!