Cherry Blossoms and Lace
There are moments in my life that I truly just want to hit the 'pause' button; take a step back, soak it all in, and remember to cherish every sensation. This day, under the beautiful cherry blossoms in DC, with the sun shining square on my shoulders, Sam's arms wrapped tightly around my waist, and one of my close friends posing us for photos for my 'passion project' felt like a real-life fairytale. There are days that I question and doubt myself and wonder if this is how I should be spending my time; I wonder if I am truly making a difference in anyone's life. But, then these special moments come along and make me feel SO happy and fueled by inspiration that it brings tears to my eyes. I am reminded that Sam and I are documenting our lives in the best way that we know how in order to preserve these memories. These photos aren't going to disappear in 24 hours, the stories I tell about our experiences, our lessons learned, and the feelings that I write down aren't going to be forgotten in a few months time.
Looking back at photos of Sam and I on our journey, even just during the last year when he joined the face of Lifestyle by Anna Elizabeth, and seeing the differences, remembering those specific hours, and feeling a wave of emotions run over me, I feel without a shadow of a doubt that I am doing what I love. I think about our future children that will read this and see these photos and I know that we are documenting and sharing our lives with purpose.
Last weekend in DC, when Jade was showing Sam and I previews of the session we just shot, my eyes filled with tears of joy. Just a few hours before, I was contemplating if I had made a huge mistake by dragging us 3 all the way down to DC at 8am after not checking their event schedule and realizing that almost every main street was closed off. I was thinking that my feet would be swollen, my arms would be red from the cold, my hair would be disheveled, and we were all going to wind up frustrated by the time we reached the cherry blossoms. Turns out, I could not have been more wrong. The weather showed up for us big time, the cherry blossoms by the water were full and bright, and Sam was happy just to hold me and remind me of how beautiful I was in that moment.
As I write this, I feel my eyes begin to fill back up. I never could have imagined that I would find a partner so supportive, so loving, and so accepting of who I genuinely am in every aspect of my life. I am aware that I am not always the easiest person to have as a partner; I get stressed out, I'm cranky in the mornings before my first cup of coffee, and a lot of the time I spread myself too thin causing Sam to pick up the pieces. It is powerful to have a partner that does not try to change me or feels resentment for the areas of my life that I lack. Sam has been someone for me to look up to and to ground me in who I am at my core. I am forever grateful for moments like these that remind me what is most important and allow me to document my life with a man that I could not love any more than I do right now (although, I am confident that I say that every year and every year my heart grows just a little bit bigger).
This was only the 2nd time that Sam and I had seen the cherry blossoms together in DC. Last year, we ventured over during the festival itself and rode our bikes for almost 6 hours, in and out of the crowds, stopping at different food trucks to get a bite, and snapping touristy photos by the monument. It was nice this year to slow down a bit and get to experience the blooms without thousands of people by our side. On Saturday, after shooting this session, Sam, Jade, and I made our way to the Union Market (my personal favorite!) and snagged the best BBQ, cups of craft kombucha, and a truly decadent, Challah bread pudding. It was such a lovely weekend and I can't wait to spend more time in DC as the weather warms up.
About this look: My lace romper is by MissPap and currently less than $40 which is an incredible steal for the quality of this piece. The moment I saw it on their website, I knew that I needed it for cherry blossom season. I am in love. The sandals I am wearing are also by MissPap and are the perfect nude shade for Spring (ya'll KNOW I love a good nude heel - here, here, here, and here). I will definitely be wearing this combo a ton this season.
You might recognize Sam's pants from the veerry first shoot he did for the blog: Cliffside Anniversary Session. I LOVE these dark blue pants on him, especially for Spring with a light button down or pastel tee shirt. It's a nice change from the traditional khakis. He dressed the look up with leather-detailed shoes and his favorite Breitling watch.
This post was done in partnership with MissPap, a UK-based fashion brand specializing in the hottest trends in the style and blogging community.
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