Alyse French Photography | Houston-Based Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer

Yesterday was a big day. But we didn’t realize it until it was over…

Yesterday, I woke up at 7. Not because my alarm told me to. And not because Dylan woke up singing Down By the Bay to obnoxiously bring me out of my coma (which he often does). But because I recently turned 60 years old. In bed by 10 and up before the sun.

It was a lot like any other day: Get up. Do everything in your power to lock Dylan out of the bathroom while you brush your teeth. (Because even though there’s plenty you could be embarrassed about, you’ll never get over your complex of brushing your teeth in front of people.) Eat cereal. Drive Dylan to work. Edit/email/schedule for the next 10 hours. Pick Dylan up from work. Pass on the gym because you’re going to get this wedding out tomorrow even if it kills you. Grill some turkey burgers because you didn’t go to the gym, and turkey’s supposed to be healthy. (Or something like that.) Then spend six more hours editing while Dylan heads to bed with a turkey burger-induced stomach ache.

At 11:47 I went to bed and woke up this morning just the same. Except this morning I realized what yesterday meant. One year ago, yesterday, Dylan asked me to be his wife. I’d missed our day. I didn’t get a chance to soak it all up. To reminisce about our engagement. And when you’re reading the blog of a girl who religiously celebrates her birthday in half-years rather than whole ones, you know that of course she’s going to want to celebrate this past year of her life as well. But we didn’t. It came and went with no recognition.

But then again.. Yesterday was a lot like any other day. I woke up and Dylan held me for a while. As I brushed my teeth and covered my face, he smirked to himself, knowing I’d never get over my complex of brushing my teeth in front of people. We shared breakfast and Sports Center, which alone is proof that I love him. I drove him to work and as he stepped out of the car, asked him to “Please, remember to pray for me today.” “Of course, Blue.” His typical reply. (He calls me Blue because of my eyes. I call him Brown.) Then, because we’re cool, we G-chatted. We talked business, home decor and turkey burgers. And he encouraged me when I needed it most. As I pulled up to 1000 Louisiana, he flashed me a smile. (He teases me for always being in a bad mood after my daily dose of rush hour traffic. But the truth is, seeing him is always my favorite part of the day.) Dylan left for the gym and came back soaking wet, as per usual. And after his shower.. When I apologized for smoking up the apartment and pouring too much olive oil in the pan, he laughed with me, hugged me, and said, “It’s alright. I love you.”

So no, we didn’t celebrate. But life together is celebration enough.

When we got engaged. Photo credit to the ever-amazing Gina Meola.

Hello, Internet! I’d like to start off this 42nd Tidbit Tuesday by letting ya’ll know I’m officially a Houstonian! And not just because “ya’ll” is becoming a part of my everyday lingo. But because I bought the cutest boots from Charlotte Russe this past weekend. And they’ve got to be legit, right? I mean, the only boots they sell in Texas are cowboy boots, right? Yes or no, they will have to do. :)

Sometimes… Okay, more like all the time.. I have these random revelations of no worth whatsoever other than their fascinating me to no end. The most recent one is more like a quandary than anything else: Do movie stars watch movies? Because it appears to me that becoming a movie star would mean sacrificing the enjoyment of entertainment as we normal people experience it. Is it at all possible for them to temporarily separate themselves from the real-life friendships they have with the stars in the movies they are watching? Man, I should just start a blog on philosophy or something! ;)

In full realization that I’m about to sound just like my older sister who calls simply to tell you what she had for lunch, the other night I had the most incredible sandwich known to man. So incredible, it took priority in the Skype date Dylan and I had with my parents last night. (I suppose I am my sister’s sister. And I’m sure they were riveted just the same.) HOLLA if you’ve ever eaten at a Which Wich! This super creative wichery (don’t try looking that one up) made me a ham/turkey/grape jelly/lettuce/tomato/caramelized onion/pickle/black olive/mayo/honey mustard sandwich on a wheat roll smothered in powdered sugar. I AM NOT KIDDING. 75% dinner. 25% dessert. Can’t go wrong. :)

I have a new hobby! Collecting decor inspiration for our future home! I quite literally spent 8 hours on Sunday plowing my way through as many archived posts ApartmentTherapy.com had to offer. With that said, I’ve decided I want a home with all light-gray walls. My wooden floors will be painted white. Pops of color will come through furniture, rugs, and art. I will have a bookcase spanning the entire length and width of our living room wall. And I will finish at least one wall or door of our home with chalkboard paint. Because really, who of us doesn’t like playing teacher, or a solid eraser? :)

Song of the Week: The Only Moment We Were Alone by Explosions in the Sky. I love me a nice, long, drawn-out instrumental that leaves me to write my own ridiculously awesome lyrics, or stare out the window as if for my long lost, one-legged brother. (Or some other dramatic music-video-like thing.) :) Plain and simple, this song is genius and certainly thought-provoking. Listen to it!

Photographer Spotlight: Stephanie Williams, based out of Southern California. I could have sworn I spotlighted Stephanie before, because I am THAT in love with her work, but my blog is telling me otherwise! How do I explain this girl’s talent? Let it suffice to say when I am about 217 posts behind in my Google Reader queue.. When I have no other choice but to painfully click “Mark all as read”.. I make absolutely sure to check if Stephanie in particular has posted anything new. Because I know that no matter what, I will continually be blown away by her gorgeous technique and the subjects who are so beautifully at ease in front of her lens. Thank you Stephanie, for never ceasing to inspire!

I know I haven’t had much to show you these past couple weeks, but some really good stuff is coming your way very, very soon! In the meantime, I’ll give you yet another peek at our home. This time, a snippet of our kitchen/dining room, where now lay the ever-so-lovely place mats Dylan got for me.. You see, the other day I had the fabulous date idea of heading to a nearby Target, splitting up, and then picking out gifts for the other person worth no more than $10. (I swear I only sound that lame.) :) So in sparing you a boring picture of the wicked sweet water bottle I got for Dylan, (I really did try!) I give you my kitchen and a question: What is your best, most fun/quirky date idea? I’d love for you to share!

Happy Tuesday ya’ll! And I promise this was the last fake teaser of our place! The full post is coming in October. :)

Sometimes I get so excited about something, I involuntarily stop breathing and squeal like a pig. And naturally, when I realize something that cool about myself, I include it in Tidbit Tuesday. So there you have it. ;)

And speaking of pig-like sounds… This re-brand is off the HOOK. I can’t even tell you how excited I am to release the new site and blog in just a few weeks. It might be a bit of a shock for some of you, as it’s completely different from the design/brand you see here. With the maturation of my business, I’ve come to realize that my current brand is just “safe.” It’s pretty. It’s girly. And I guess.. It’s me. But it’s only part me. As I’ve grown as both a person and a business-woman this past year, I’ve also grown in my love for good, solid design. Nice lines. Patterns. Colors. Etc. And I really feel my new brand is more “me” than ever. *SQUEAL*

Fact: Life is always more fun when your nails are done. Word on the street says Sally Hansen’s Commander in Chic is the new black. :)

Last night I ordered October’s 1 For Me // 1 For You items. Yes, there are TWO items this time, both from Anthropologie. To say I’m excited about this giveaway would be an understatement. Think: Kitchen. AND. SO. MUCH. FUN.

So for the last month, I’ve had extreme fatigue and eyestrain like never before. And like most of my ailments, I ultimately chalked it up to stress. But when I went for a routine physical and blood work last week, the culprit was caught red-handed. I am officially low in Vitamin D! And suddenly it all makes sense. Since moving to Houston, I literally NEVER go outside. Even when I go to the supermarket, I park underground and never see the light of day. Sure enough, Google then informed me of two main symptoms of low Vitamin D: fatigue and eye problems. BINGO. I am now a changed woman who actually takes her vitamins!

Dylan called me a butt-head this morning. Not blog-appropriate, you say? Yeah, I know. He then went on to say, “If I make you a little mad before I leave for work, you won’t have to be sad all day because you miss me.” False. Now I’m just sad because I miss my mean (but funny) husband. ;)

I was deprived growing up.. Of cool toothbrushes. Why would you buy a $10 battery-powered, hot-pink, glitter-gripped toothbrush which, miraculously, also makes pasta, when you can buy a 33-cent puke-green Dr. Du-More which accomplishes the very same thing (minus the pasta, of course). But! It all changed last week when I realized I’m an adult now, and can buy whatever toothbrush I want! I came home from Randall’s with my first-ever bright blue electric toothbrush. And it is rocking my world twice a day, every day.

Song of the week: Love Never Fails by Brandon Heath. Absolute truth set to the simplest of melodies. This song overwhelms me with every listen-to. Which brings me to a question I think we can all benefit from: What is your favorite song/artist of all time? Because, really, there’s no such thing as too much good music. And my iTunes could use a revamping.

I thought I’d leave you with the tiniest snippet of a hint of a taste of a clue of our rebrand. Because I’m really, really bad at secrets, and I just love to show off Dylan’s photog skillz…

Happy Tuesday!