GRATITUDES + BREAKTHROUGHS // JUNE 19, 2018

Gratitudes

On Saturday, Amy + Jeff had a classic D.C. wedding with thoughtful and elegant details! Florals adorned Christ Church in Georgetown as Amy walked down the aisle with her Dad to exchange vows of commitment with Jeff. Their Maid of Honor and also notable first lady, Mary Todd Lincoln (their King Charles Spaniel) came to show her approval of their marriage with a big tongue-out smile and many tail wags. We had such a good time wandering the streets of Georgetown for their romantic portraits. It gave us the quiet and snuggly moments post ceremony that couples desperately need after all of the excitement. Their reception was held at the Metropolitan Club of Washington, a long time D.C. establishment, with tables decorated with white hydrangeas and blue and white chinoiserie. Toasts from the Mother of the Groom had the room filled with laughter and the Groom himself also delivered a toast filled with laughter and super thoughtful compliments and wishes for him and Amy’s new life together. Their band ‘Round Midnight kept the dance floor full with some enthusiastic guests. I also wanted to give a shout out to Rachel with The One Moment Events who held the day down with multiple schedules and vendors. She pulled their day together flawlessly!

Earlier in the week I went a little wild with my hair. I set up an appointment and got a body wave. I know what you are thinking, “But Krysta you are 33 years old and perms are so 1980s.” I’ve always been adventurous with my hair from cuts to color, but this change has scared me the most. My hair has always been thin and straight. It holds curl fairly well but I really wanted a little body. So last Tuesday, I got my very first perm. I will admit this hair style has been the most shocking – even more so then when I went from brunette to blonde AND when I cut off 12 inches to a bob. My texture is completely different and my hair care game has had to change. I reached out to a friend who has naturally curly hair and she gave me the low down on how to care for my new locks. It’s been helpful the last few days and I think I’m finally understanding the right amount and combination of products. I’ll post a few photos on Insta-Stories later this week, if you want to see!

I got to catch up with Cathleen of Curious Fox Press on Tuesday and shoot her family portraits. We had so much fun with their two kids Faren and Flynn. We romped through their front yard, played and laughed. Family sessions for friends are definitely something I enjoy! I know I don’t post them on the blog or social media, but I do really enjoy watching families interact!

Apple Watch users! I’m about the join the club. I just purchased one for wedding season.I am so excited to use this for wedding days with the timeline and being able to stay in contact with my second shooters without having to hold on my phone. #handsfree If you have any tips or tricks on how to use it, I’d love to hear!

For nail polish this week, I don’t know. I just stripped the polish from last week away, as I’m writing this my nails are naked and look super weird. Usually I paint my nails to match my mood or a mood that I want to manifest. Right now, for numerous reason I feel emotionally exhausted. I’ve been processing some serious thoughts lately which have left me sleeping close to 12 hours a night. (I’m a slow processor and need space to do so.) I think I’m going to leave this blank and later this week run an update. I might need to dig deep in the collection to find what I’m looking for.

 

Breakthroughs

Father’s Day was this weekend so I wanted to save this space to share the qualities I appreciate and respect from one very important man in my life.

My Dad is the Father to four daughters. That’s right, zero sons. I remember when I was little and he would have us all in tow, people would ask him if we were all his. He’d say yes – because we were – and the immediate reaction would be “No sons?” As if we weren’t enough or that my Dad wouldn’t be able to live a full life without a son. Additional comments would follow like “Are you trying for a son?” “Do you wish you had a son?” “I bet you really have your hands full.” And my all time favorite would be the blanket apology, “I’m sorry.” My Dad never blinked and said he was happy with his hands full – I mean there were four of us.

Growing up, he would laugh and say he was the “King of his Castle,” but he knew all along that my Mom ran the show. And with 4 daughters we weren’t far behind. I’m sure at some point he had to shift his dreams of hunting, fishing and football to fit the life he created with my Mom. Insert Disney princess movies, basketball tournaments and make-up. But you know what, he did it. Willingly. He took us on our property to squirrel hunt, we went to Father/Daughter dances for Girl Scouts and he practiced with us for countless hours for the perfect free throw, softball pitch, etc.

I want to share a few of my all time favorite memories with my Dad, and his commitment to being the best Dad to daughters that I know.

Boating Restriction. My Dad would take me out on his bass boat back in the early 90s. My Mom – always concerned about safety – made my Dad promise I would wear a life jacket the whole time. We would stop at the local gas station and load up on Slim Jims, chocolate covered donuts and Dr. Pepper to go along with the sandwiches we packed. When the boat was moving, I had my life jacket on. Once we started idling I would take it off and fish with my Dad or swim sans life jacket. Both of us made a pact not to tell my Mom, what we didn’t do is put sunscreen on. I fried. When I came home my Mom asked me as she was slathering me with lotion if I wore my life jacket the whole time. In order to protect my Dad and keep our pinky promise, I lied to my Mom and said that I did. Obviously I didn’t, I had a killer sunburn. I clearly needed to work on my lying back then. Anyway, Mom caught us and my Dad and I both went on Boat Restriction. I was grounded from going on the boat. That was real life.

Broken Nose. In middle school I was a pitcher for our middle school softball team. My Dad went out and bought a home plate and a created a pitching mound so after work we could practice together in the backyard. I remember throwing a pitch but my arm hit my leg which sent the ball off track, it slammed down on the front of the plate, popped up and nailed my Dad square in the nose. Blood was everywhere along with a few choice cuss words that rhymed with buck. We didn’t stop practicing though, the next night we were back out there working together me on my pitch and my Dad trying to breathe through his broken nose.

Learning to Drive. I was 15 and driving my Dad’s Explorer one of the first times out of the driveway. I looked to the left, looked to the right, but didn’t look left again. I put my foot on the gas and barely missed hitting a car that had turned the corner on the left. I’m talking about seconds away from an accident on the driveway. You should have seen the look on my Dad’s face. Sheer terror and it was priceless. Also it’s worth mentioning I totaled my first car and the second car my parents purchased me was stick-shift. There are so many “learning to drive” stories that I would need to dedicate another full blog post.

Car accident and a Volleyball Game. I was a moody and mouthy teenager. During volleyball season my Dad and I got into an argument about my performance. You see my family is competitive and sports were our thing. I didn’t want to hear about how sucky I was in the car on the ride home, so I snapped back and we fought. I remember telling him I didn’t want him at my games the rest of the season and we sat quiet the rest of the ride. We played on again on Thursday and during the warm up I noticed my parents weren’t in the stands. My own personal cheering section was empty. I kept looking and waiting and the game ended up starting and I got worried. We went through almost the first match before they showed up and I was so relieved. Apparently there had been a pretty nasty car accident that had the road blocked. After the game, I asked them to never do that again. If you ask my Dad he still remembers the team and the game because it was such a defining moment for him as a parent. He knew that all of the support he had shown before meant something to me.

Tampons in a Septic System. Let’s just say our house really tested the limits of the septic tank. 5 women and truck loads of tampons. I cannot tell you how many times my Dad would have to open up the pump and pull out wads of cotton from flushing. He would get so furious, and at the time we would argue that they were “flushable.” He got so mad one time he printed out signs and put them in each bathroom that said “DO NOT FLUSH KOTEX.” Kotex is a brand of lady products but not an actual tampon. As his daughters we were mortified to have our friends come over to see it, but rightfully so our Dad was not going to stick his hand down the in the pump one more time.

So here’s to my Dad.

The father of four girls, and the husband to a fiercely independent woman.

To the man who taught us to love all animals and to never ever be able to live without at least one dog in the house.

To the man who worked his ass off at his full time job and his side hussle to make sure he could pay the bills because raising four girls isn’t cheap.

To the man who showed us what a life partner looks like in how he treats, loves and respects my Mom.

To the man who taught us not to be helpless and to respect ourselves.

To the man who calls and sings me Happy Birthday on my voicemail every single year.

To the man who tirelessly cared for his dying mother in our home for 3 months before she passed.

To the man who continues to generously helps his friends and family when they are in need.

And finally to the man who knows that the secret to life is strong relationships, an ice cold Dr. Pepper and a perfectly grilled steak.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad.

 

As always, thanks for reading. xoxo.