Alpine Lovers

ROUGH RIDGE

Somewhere off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville NC, is Rough Ridge. It's about a mile hike to the top with some major view payoff. Ashley of Photography Anthology captured these gorgeous engagement shots for Jonathan and I a few weeks ago, and we couldn't be happier with the result. Jonathan and I met hiking. It's an activity that has played a central role in our relationship since day one. Jon proposed to me at the top of a cliff after a hike, so it was only fitting that we found such a place for Ashley to capture our love. 

We are five weeks out until the wedding, and I can hardly believe it. After over a year long engagement, the planning is finally coming together, and it's getting real. Girls, I seriously can't wait to marry this man. He is such a blessing in my life - he makes me laugh daily, and he's my best friend in the whole world. His heart for God moves me - he prays over me and encourages me. Everyday with him is a precious gift.

Without further ado, here is our engagement session! For some extra experience, you can listen to the clip below while you scroll ;). This is a song that really represents Jon and I's relationship for me. It's one that I listened to often when we first started dating.

Let's Get Inked

Let's talk about Inkbox! Lately, it seems like everyone and their mother is getting tatted. It's growing as a mainstream trend from the real thing, to stick and poke, to two week tattoos. The difference? Stick and poke last 1-2 years, whereas two week tattoos last for anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks, which is the beauty of them. If you're a girl who loves the look of a tattoo, but doesn't want to commit for life or even for a few years, these are amazing options. The ink is plant based, just like henna, so it's natural and safe to use on the skin. Don't worry, it's NOT black henna! You can pick up pre-made designs and apply them using inkbox kits, or you can purchase freehand ink and do some designs of your own. They are currently beginning beta testing for custom pre-made tattoos as well, in case you want a one of a kind design, but aren't exactly artistic.

So what's the process? Really pretty simple. You pull the wrapping off of the inkbox and stick it to your skin. You use the enclosed alcohol wipe to wet the ink pad. Then you heat the towel, and press down on the inkbox as hard as you can for 30 seconds, then firmly for 15 minutes. After that, you can peel of the inkbox, and you'll see a faint hint of your design on the skin. It takes 24 hours to fully develop, and once it does, these look just like the real thing.

The freehand ink is especially fun to work with. It is a gel ink that you squeeze from a little bottle with a "needle" tip. The best way to describe the process is like frosting a cake! Below are some of the freehand designs I've done for girls on my University campus. The top right photo shows what the ink looks like when it first goes on. It sits on the skin for an hour before you wash it off. Then it develops in 24 hours, just like the pre-made designs.

Killin' It

Okay, yeah - that's kind of a lie. It's more like the semester is killing me - slowly and painfully. Maybe I'm exaggerating slightly, but heavens, this has been a rough few months. Being a full time student and a full time business owner really takes a toll sometimes. This semester in particular is heavy ridden with large creative projects that take up a lot of time. Let's just say I'm counting down the days until May. On the bright side, Jonathan and I got the keys to our apartment on Monday! We're already busy coming up with plans for the layout, and the latest news is that Jonathan has the know-how to build furniture (cue Pinterest scrolling).

Shirt: c/o similar Romwe
Sweater: thrifted
Bracelet: Wanderer Bracelets
Necklace: Charming Charlie
Pants: Target
Boots: Teva