new york city

My New York Birthday Adventure | Personal

My New York Birthday Adventure | Personal

Nathan always gets me the best birthday gifts. We are not exactly 'present' kind of people - I would rather experience something great than get one thing in particular. Each year he has upped the ante, and this year was no different. In January, he told me to pack my bags and find a friend because he wanted to send me to New York City. He knows I fell in love with New York when we visited a couple years ago, and while he is not a big city person he wanted me to go. I asked my friend Jackie and she immediately agreed to come - so our trip was born!

My adventure actually started in Washington, DC, to help represent Tidewater and Tulle at a fun launch party for Elaya Vaughn Bridal by Kate Pankoke, a gorgeous bridal salon that recently moved from Chicago. We got to eat sushi, meet other area professionals, and participate in a Sketch n' Sip to get our creative juices flowing. The whole trip was a ton of fun (and introduced us to the amazing District Taco and SweetGreen), and was the perfect kickstart to my birthday adventure...

Manhattan Engagement Session | New York City Photographer | Matt + Kara

Manhattan Engagement Session | New York City Photographer | Matt + Kara

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I first met Kara eight years ago. We became friends our freshman year at Virginia Tech in a little group of 4 girls who chose to make ridiculous crafts on Friday nights and stay up way too late laughing at absolutely nothing. She knew me before I met Nathan, and I knew her before she met Matt, her soon-to-be husband. In fact, when I visited New York City (click here to see that post!) last week, it was the first time I met him or had seen her in years!

When Kara saw that I was coming to the Big Apple she sent me a message asking for a coffee date...and it soon snowballed into an engagement session in the place she now calls home. Even though we woke up to a rainy day we made it work, stopping at everywhere from the New York Public Library to Rockefeller Center and ending inside Grand Central Station with people everywhere. This was the iconic New York City engagement session - crowded streets, rain coming down, wind everywhere, and a couple truly and deeply in love...

My New York Bridal Fashion Week Adventure | Personal

My New York Bridal Fashion Week Adventure | Personal

At first I considered naming this blog "that one time I met Martha Stewart" but I figured since my trip encompassed several DAYS I would focus on the fact that I got to go to New York Bridal Fashion Week instead! More on that story later...

As the features editor for Tidewater and Tulle, a local wedding blog, I am often given amazing opportunities thanks to my boss and friend Chelsea. When she asked if I wanted to explore New York as the whole city transformed to host bridal fashion week, I immediately said yes! We made travel arrangements, nailed down final details, and I was ready to go.

My trip started right after the hurricane wedding weekend in Maymont. Nathan dropped me off at the bus station that night and I took the overnight Greyhound to the city. I was freezing and barely slept, so when I got to New York at 5:30am with severe exhaustion and rain pounding my face, all I could think about was a nice warm bed! Add in an hour trek and I fell into the comfort at the Omni Berkshire for as long as I could before my first appointment...

Books are my love language, especially fun ones that carry me away with a good story 📖 Lately, they have also been an important place of learning for me. Some recent favorites: 📚 For Fun: #WheretheCrawdadsSing (@authordeliaowens) 📚 For Business: #
In a turn of events that is surprising to exactly no one (myself included, by this point), we have a new house guest this summer! 🏠 At the last minute, a 15-year-old exchange student needed a place to stay, and it just so happened that we have an ex
This is how I've felt during quarantine. Whether it's waking up, or running, or reading, or working when work seemed to slow down for awhile, my mantra was: just. keep. moving. I guess I was in good company when that idea kept me going 😉 . . . #quot
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Hampton Roads, Virginia

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