Friendview: My sister in-law!

Welcome back to Friendviews!! 

If you are new to it, feel free to read about what & why it is here.

Now, meet my dear sister in-law, Jaci!
 

Last summer I was blessed with two new sisters! The ironic thing about it is that Jaci was actually a good friend before she was a sister! We became friends at college & even better friends when she was roommates with my best friend, Jessy! I have so many good memories from hanging out at their apartment for girls nights & game nights! It was the summer of my wedding that Jaci ended up meeting Jonny's oldest brother Steve, through Jessy! 

I remember having a forth of July party and seeing the two of them interact for, I think, the second time ever! We all knew there was a spark there and a fire of love about to set a blaze. It's history from there...

Jaci is such an inspiring person with all of her creativity, photography, & her caring generous heart! She is such a down-to-earth person & so light-hearted. I admire her simplistic outlook on life and the fact that she keeps her faith as the foundation in everything. She always has a way of bringing things back to the basics & helps you refocus on what's most important - God!

She is someone I look up to in many areas, especially since we have a lot of the same interests! She is who I look to for inspiration in cooking, crafts, fashion, & photography! She is currently pursuing her photography business in Charleston, SC & is doing an amazing job. Go check out her blog here & find her business on facebook here!

I absolutely love her style & her outlook on fashion! Here's a little of what she has to say...

What is your favorite color & why? 

Gray! In my opinion it goes with everything, and it can convey so many different moods. I'd suggest that everyone own a versitile gray cardigan!

How would you describe your style? 

I suppose you could call it eclectic and classic. I love to use classic staples as my base and throw in vintage or more creative pieces. I also love to put together unexpected color combinations.

Where do you shop most often?

 I like to shop anywhere that carries quality pieces with good sales. For example, LOFT has beautiful dresses and tops that go on final sale and then get an additional percentage off. I'm all about getting things more than 80% off! If I had all the money in the world, though, I'd shop at Anthropologie because it's my perfect style fit!

What is your creative outlet?

 Photography, mostly. It's a way of expressing both the simplest joys in life, and the greatest.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

 That's what I'd like to know! Photography is my passion and joy, but I also love to plan events and teach hands-on/active things. I've always really loved the idea of owning my own business too. Currently I'm trying to sort out how to best use my skills and interests. Maybe I should plan parties where I can teach photography at my own studio, ha!

What is your 5 year plan/goal in life? 

 I'm just trying to get through the next few weeks!
In the next five years, while not mapped out, my wonderful husband and I hope to buy a home and start a family of our own. It would be amazing to be established as a full-time family and wedding photographer within that time too!

Friendview: Artsy Sarah

Let me introduce you to my friend Sarah! I have known Sarah since we were both seniors in High School! I was the new girl at BL High my senior year and I remember Sarah being that sweet, shy girl who was always so creative and artsy! I envied (and still do) her talent in all areas; photography, painting, drawing, sewing, decorating, style, etc.

There was no one else we wanted to do our wedding photography but her, and she did an A-mazing job! She has such a great eye for fun poses and always gives an artsy feel to anything she puts her hands on. She is the one who took the photo in my header (it was our engagement shoot)... I'm very excited to have her do another photo shoot of me sometime soon! I won a free session from her photography blog, go check it out!

She has the cutest "daughter" ever! Her name is Juneau... And she even married her high school sweetheart (Charlie), who happens to be an amazing chef! What a perfect match, a photographer & a chef. This calls for some tasty pictures!

I went ahead and asked her a little bit about her style and life goals...

What is your favorite color & why?
My fav color (or lack of color rather) is White. Its simple, pure, clean and reflects the most light. It's a clean canvas. Green is a close runner up and tends to be the color I wear more often.

How would you describe your style?
Practical: I wear whats clean and wear whats comfortable for work rather than a cuter ensemble that might get in the way.
weird or offbeat: I don't like sticking to the rules and I'm okay with wearing things that don't match.
inconsistent: in high school I dressed like a hippy with long skirts and florals, now I like a modern and clean look but often switch up things based on my mood. A lot of my wardrobe is neutral/solid (which I am working on expanding). Skinny jeans are a staple, along with cardigans.

Where do you shop most often?
I shop very infrequently but my favorite stores are Gap and Ann Taylor loft (the clearance racks). Gap for their jeans, and Anne Taylor because the clothes last a long time (quality). Free clothes are nice too!

What is your creative outlet?
Photography for one but as it is my job, I've turned back to my art, painting and drawing as a more relaxing creative outlet. Whirring on the ol sewing machine is super fun too.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A grown up who doesn't forget what it's like to be a kid....or perhaps something along the lines of an Art Curator...or a Professional Photographer working for national geographic, or a Painter, or just plain filthy rich (hey I'm being honest).

What is your 5 year plan/goal in life?
To search for where God would like me to be...and maybe possibly, hopefully figure that out. To start a family someday and improve in my role as a wife. To travel whenever given the opportunity and to maintain and cherish the friendships I have been blessed with.


*Don't forget to go check Sarah out at her personal blog and at her photography blog!

Sisterly love.

It is my pleasure to introduce you to my lovely sister, Sheila!! If you grew up with a sister you'll relate to and understand this post the best. My sister is fun, bubbly, silly, smart & opinionated! She is also five years older than I am... Growing up together was quite the challenge. I'll admit, we 'hated' each other! The age difference (& personality differences) caused many issues since we were constantly at different points in life (and maturity levels). We were continually fighting & bickering with each other (mostly about sharing clothes). Then she went off to college and I continued living my high school life! People always told us that once we were "adults" we would cherish each other and become "friends".... Truly, they were right! Not just friends, but best friends! My sister was/is the one person there for me through the rough times of moving, college, & marriage.

[Yep, this picture describes her crazy personality to a 'T'!]

The only down side to having her as my best friend is the fact that her & her husband live across the U.S. from us. They ended up moving to Idaho this past year to raise support for her husband's job at Youth Dynamics. So often I wish I could just call her up to go grab some coffee and get some shopping in... but at least we have Facebook & Skype to help us keep up with those daily hours of convo!

[Here we are with our wonderful husbands. They're both keepers.]

My sister is such an amazing person and such an inspiration to me that I wanted y'all to have a chance to meet her. You can keep updated on her adventures and how their ministry is going by checking out her blog here... Here's a little of what she has to say about life and style!

What is your favorite color & why?
Black. It is diverse, classic, and flattering to all styles.
How would you describe your style?
Classic and conservative
Where do you shop most often?
Where do I shop? Yep, I'll admit it, Walmart. Where would I like to shop? The Limited, Bannana Republic, Coach, and Victoria Beckham's line.
What is your creative outlet?
Sitting by a cozy fireplace. Music. Water such as streams, lakes, rivers, and the ocean. Mountains. A good book.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
The principal of a Christian school.
What is your 5 year plan/goal in life?
To get a masters in Education and/or Leadership. To have 2 adorable kids and to be right where God wants me.

-Here's to the best sister in the world!!!-

Besties.

So, I'm starting a new thing that I'm calling Friendview... I want y'all to know me better which means you need to meet some of my friends! Also, I want you to see how style & fashion effect everyone daily. So, I'm going to do some interviews with friends! Here's the first one...

A few months ago I had the pleasure of having my best friend, Jessy visit from VA (and I got to do a photo shoot of her). We've been best friends since the beginning of college... Can you believe it?! I'm old enough to say "my college friends" and it means that years (2) have gone by since I graduated! Crazy. But any way. Because she moved back to VA after graduation, our relationship (still just as good as ever) has become lots of tumblr updates, twitter posts, blog updates, and facebook chats! Just the other day we spent several hours chatting on facebook, which is how the new banner on my page came about. Jessy created it and continued to perfect it, sending it to me each time to see if it was perfect for the blog! Jessy studied Communications in college so she got to take a lot of all those fun classes (film and video production, web design, graphic arts, photoshop, cinematography). I'm so thankful for her and the fact that her creativity is in such a different area than mine...

This is the typical cool Jessy! Classy & real.

What wonderful personality she has. Silly & fun!

and of course, stylish.

I asked her several questions, so y'all could get to know her a little better...
What is your favorite color & why?
It always changes, but I always come back to yellow. I like that it's bright and cheerful, plus it reminds me of the sun which always raises my spirits during these winter months!
How would you describe your style?
My style is comfortable and casual. I usually just wear jeans and a t-shirt, sometimes a nice blouse. When it's warmer out I do like to wear dresses and skirts. I love unique pieces that I don't see people wear very often!
Where do you shop most often?
I love Target for their prices, and I find a lot of cute stuff at Pac Sun. Although most of their clothes are targeted towards teenagers, I love their denim and I can usually find some other things that are little more grown-up and trendy.
What is your creative outlet?
I really need to work on this! I used to write a lot but haven't in a really long time. I blog, does that count? :) I'm buying a ukulele pretty soon so I can express myself through sweet island music, and I want to learn how to knit and screen print.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Happy! I've come to realize that you don't always get the career you went to school for. The most important thing is to find something you love, even if it's just a hobby, and find someone to share it with. That's pretty much all I want.
What is your 5 year plan/goal in life?

I want to find a full-time job and move into an apartment with my adorable kitten, Cola, and then be awesome all day long. :)