Alyse French Photography | Houston-Based Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer

Today is beautiful. Hurricane Don is on his way to Corpus Christi, so Houston’s skies are dark and overcast. All the blinds are closed, and the only light I see comes from my computer screen and the candles flickering on the dining room table. I’m wearing Dylan’s shirt. I’ve worn his shirts for the past three days. They are his and I love them. Plus I’m bad at doing laundry. ;) Ray LaMontagne is singing “Hold You In My Arms” and Sully is warming my feet while laying in his favorite place in our whole home. Right underneath my desk. I’ve been productive enough today to last about three days. The rush a photographer gets from getting caught up on editing, mailing out discs, and updating insurance policies is unreal. Oh, and lest I forget – THE HOUSE IS CLEAN. Cuh-lean. Clean. If you’ve ever wanted to pay us a visit, now would be the best time..

I wasn’t planning on blogging today. But I just needed to write this down. It’s the simple things. And today, I am so thankful…

When I was about 12-years-old, my parents decided my siblings and I were old enough to understand analogies concerning toothpaste and the fact that once you use hurtful words towards one another, you can’t take it back. We were each given a paper plate and a tube of toothpaste, and told to squeeze all of its contents onto our plates. The ah-ha moment was supposed to happen when attempting to refill the tubes with the plated paste. But I was much too cool for such an analogy, and spent an hour trying to prove my parents wrong. I got every last minty molecule back inside that Crest tube. And whenever I think about it, I feel sorta awesome and rebellious. :)

Gosh that Sully is a tricky fellow. Every time we catch him being naughty, and he SEES us catch him? He stops. But only for as long as we stare at him. Guess what little buddy? I will still know you were chewing on your gate because you’re allergic to plastic and your whole snout and jowl combination will turn bright red… That JUST happened.

I know I’ve written about it before, but I am in LOVE with Pinterest. I spent the better half of a very lazy Sunday afternoon creating all sorts of boards I just can’t stop adding to. With pins I am DETERMINED to make happen someday… And I’ve already started. Yesterday I whipped up a little balsamic and parmesan roasted cauliflower via Pinterest inspiration. And it was heavenly. Speaking of Pinterest (not cauliflower), one of my favorite blogs in the blogosphere, Young House Love, has issued a design challenge to actually create something we’ve pinned rather than just gawk at it on our screens. I am SO in. I promise to blog about it, and I promise it will be more involved than cauliflower! Anyone else up to it?!

I am SO excited for September to just happen already. Not only will Dylan and I get to travel back north for his brother’s wedding, but my sister will be visiting for about a week at the end of the month. She will FINALLY get to meet her dogphew. :) And experience Houston for all it’s worth. My goal is to get all my family to move here within the next ten years. So I might have my job cut out for me. To all my native Houstonian readers – what are some legit Houstonian things to do when visiting?

Spotify… I have NO idea how it’s legal. But apparently it is! And that makes me a happy girl, because it is the most INCREDIBLE thing in the world. And we don’t even have to sneak it behind our 8th grade computer teachers’ backs! ;) I’m currently rediscovering all the music I used to listen to back then as well. Which brings me to this week’s song of the week.

Song of the Week: In the House of Tom Bombadil by Nickel Creek. Once upon a time, my dad surprised me with a trip to Vermont, just the two of us, to see Nickel Creek live in concert. It’s one of those memories I’ll never forget. Yes, because of the time spent with my dad. But perhaps even more so because of all the drunk women who fell on us at a BLUEGRASS concert. I mean, seriously? Bluegrass? Anyway! In the House of Tom Bombadil is one of Nickel Creek‘s most amaaazing songs. And you should listen to it HERE! :)

And here is a behind the scenes sneak of Dylan and I in action at one of our recently blogged shoots of Mustard Seed Photography. It makes me laugh every single time because it totally encapsulates our relationship. He is too good for me. :)

Happy Tuesday!!