John Muir said that going to the woods is going home, and I couldn’t agree more. One of the best parts about living in the Pacific Northwest is being surrounded by countless forests.
Fujifilm 400h. Canon AE-1.
Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
The Pacific Northwest
Tags: forests, forests and fog, pacific northwest forests
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011
Happy Birthday, My Dearest Friend
Mr. Shumate. My husband. My best friend. You are the most important person in my life. I am so happy you were born 28 years ago today. Because let’s be realistic here. Who else could put up with my pancake/waffle Saturdays? (Even though I know you get so sick of breakfast food, you put up with it.) Who else could put up with my sentimental ways? (Which is a nice way of saying I am sort of a pack-rat.) Without you I would surely die an old maid.
If I could only count all the ways I love you. I don’t think it’s a coincidence we both love Christmas more than the typical human being. Or fall or summer. Or spring for that matter. Even though we can’t agree on equally liking the rain, that’s okay. Because we can’t like ALL of the same things. But I am so glad you like to spend your time with me. Because if I could have it my way, I would spend every minute of the rest of my life with you. I don’t care if that makes people want to gag. Thinking of being away from your sweet face makes my heart ache.
You make me laugh. Hard. You bring so much joy into our home. And you always make sure our home is full of love. I really, really appreciate that. I have so much more to say, but I’ll save the juicy stuff for your birthday card.
Thanks for making me fall in love with you 5 and a half years ago. We have 100 more birthdays to celebrate and forever after that.
Sunday, July 24th, 2011
My Girls at Five Months
There is nothing that Jaquilyn has wanted more than to be a mother. And now, four months away from our little girl’s arrival, there is nothing more beautiful than watching her prepare for that role. It hasn’t been the easiest ride to get to this point, but the joy and excitement we feel continues to build in anticipation.
And in case you didn’t see the announcement of our exciting news, be sure to watch the video!
Tags: maternity portraits
Wednesday, June 1st, 2011
Sunset on the Lake : Columbia, South Carolina
We recently traveled to Columbia, South Carolina, to attend our beautiful niece’s funeral. It was a bittersweet trip filled with many miracles and tender moments. On Saturday, Jaquilyn and I escaped for a few moments to take the canoe out onto the lake. It was a sweet experience that reflected the peace that has enveloped us and our family in the past few weeks. With the sky covered in pink, we couldn’t help but think of our sweet Ella, as she was always vocal about her love for the color. Thank you all for your love, prayers and thoughts on behalf of us and our family.
Tags: canoe, south carolina, sunset
Sunday, May 8th, 2011
Letterpress Business Cards : Seattle
When we started to think about making business cards with our new branding, there was one thing we knew for sure — they would be letterpress. The quality and aesthetic of letterpress offer something that your typical $50 ordered-over-the-internet business cards don’t provide. The impression creates depth and dimension, adding instant value to your card, and in effect, your brand. We talked with our dear friend and designer, Evan MacDonald, and decided that we would make them ourselves at Evan’s office in Pioneer Square. We had polymer plates made and spent an entire night last week in the trenches with Evan and his wife, Lindsay. It was a lot of work, but it was rewarding to actually create cards that represent our brand.
Here is a behind-the-scenes video of the process, complete with Jaquilyn being distracted by talk of the royal wedding.
Tags: letterpress, letterpress business cards, photography business cards
Friday, April 8th, 2011
Spring : Tacoma
Living in the Northwest has its pros and cons. We’re now in our second week of April, struggling to feel hopeful of a spring that should be here by now. It seems like we get a few beautiful warm days and then we’re hit with rain and sleet. I recently went for a walk in our neighborhood wearing my most springy dress in the closet. It was biting cold, but I did indeed find some proof that it’s here and will only get better.
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
A Walk in the Park : Tacoma
We hope you’re enjoying the autumn colors and cool, crisp air as much as we are.
Thursday, October 21st, 2010
Welcome to the new site! We’re pretty excited with it. It still has that new site smell. Be sure to update your links! To help celebrate, we are having a post-launch/pre-holiday/mid-fall sale.
Sunday, September 5th, 2010
Northwest Trek
Of all the creatures I saw at Northwest Trek, this was by far my favorite. More weddings coming soon. Jaquilyn and I are insanely busy getting them ready to share. 
