When I was back home in Virginia for Christmas, my wedding-photographer-now-friend Ashley and I got together to do a bridal shoot with my wedding dress. Because we're both bloggers at heart and couldn't bear the thought of waiting until May to show our stuff, we also planned a little styled shoot with one of my bridesmaids' dresses. (Thanks, Elena!)

Mary Jo Thompson from Gloriosa Floral Design was kind enough to give us not one, but two gorgeous bouquets for the shoot. It was so fun and totally weird to practice holding a bouquet. We had such a great time! I hope you love these favorite shots of mine, and I can't wait to show you the real bridal ones in just over three months!

  

This photo shoot was featured on Burnett's Boards last week! You can check it out here. 

Other details: Acute Designs belt, J.Crew dress (similar one here) in dusty shale. 

Hair by Monica Wakefield at Oliver's Twist,  and awesome chair c/o my parents' guest room.

Stay tuned for part two next week!

I can count the number of friends I have in Minneapolis on one hand, so I was really excited to both work and just hang out with Winona, who is the fabulous photographer behind Winona Grey Photography and a neighbor of mine! We crossed paths at our apartment building's Oktoberfest community event and immediately started planning to get together for a photo shoot/blog collaboration.

We met on a chilly afternoon last week, hopped on a bus and hung around Uptown, which is one of my favorite Minneapolis neighborhoods and also where Winona used to live. She had the day planned out, and when we stopped immediately for coffee I knew we were going to be fast friends. She's also super talented, as I'm sure you'll see.

  

  

  

  

 

  

Thank you, Dogwood Coffee Bar and Magers & Quinn Booksellers for letting us shoot in your gorgeous spaces!

(Outfit details: Top is from Everlane, Skirt is Madewell, belt was thrifted, boots are so old I can't remember where they came from, jacket is Rugby (Ralph Lauren), scarf is J.Crew, watch is this one from Fossil, and bag is Coach.)

See more from Winona on her website or on Facebook.

I can't remember the last time I went apple picking in the fall. It's something I always want to do and never get around to, so this year, when we're together in Minnesota without many plans, we decided to go. It was a chilly Saturday morning and we stopped by our new favorite coffee shop for some almond milk lattes to to before driving about thirty minutes east to Afton Apple Orchard in Hastings, Minnesota.

It was kind of dreary and cold out, but we listened to my autumn playlist on the way and by the time we got there I was practically giddy with excitement. If all the cute, bundled up kids and the hayride out to the orchards weren't charming enough, the petting zoo stationed by the apple cider press really sealed the deal.

I had the best time. Good coffee, beautiful autumn weather, a romantic stroll through an apple orchard, and a couple of llamas. I don't ask for much, but I managed to get it all in one morning.