Waterfall Wedding Weekend

Location: Lake Norman, NC & Carrigan Farms Rock Quary 

One of my very best friends got married last weekend! I was so lucky to get to be a part of the special occasion.  Alyssa and I have been friends since we were 8 years old, 20 years of friendship and still going strong. I felt so honored that she asked me to be a bridesmaid so I could be there through the whole process.

The whole week up until the wedding it was gross and rainy and calling for a high chance of thunderstorms.  Instead we got a gorgeously perfect day for an outdoor wedding by a waterfall.  Everything couldn't have gone better. 

We stayed on the lake in a house with the bridal party for the whole weekend for all of the fun festivities.  We had a delicious girls brunch, got our nails done on Friday before the rehearsal dinner.  Then Saturday was full of last minute touches, mimosas, and getting our hair and makeup done. 

The wedding itself was so lovely.  There were many tears but only because everyone was so happy.  I have never seen a couple more perfect for each other than these two and I couldn't be more excited for them.  After the ceremony we had the best dinner and then danced the night away, just like she wanted! It was such a special weekend.

Congrats to the bride and groom!! 

Outer Banks 2017 | A Clamming Adventure

Location: Pamlico Sound, Outer Banks, North Carolina

Details: Team Dempsey Guide Service 

Have you ever been clamming?  This was a first for me for sure; but it was an absolute blast! My sister and her boyfriend arranged the whole trip for us.  We headed down to the marina to get on our boat.  The day was pretty cloudy and lightly rainy; the weather didn't stop us from going and having a good time. By the end of the trip the sun started peeking through the clouds a little!

We took the boat out to the Pamlico Sound where a sand bar was formed.  We just got out of the boat to about knee deep water and walked out in the middle of the sound to the sand bar.  Basically you walk around in the water digging your heels into the sand until you hit a clam.

Did you know a clam spends it's whole life going only vertical and never moving away from their original spot?

Our limit was 200 clams.  You can't get more than that because clams, like oysters, are natural water filters and we want our earth to have nice clean water.  As a group we found way more than 200 in just the little spot we were walking around in.  We counted them out at the end of the trip and threw the excess away.

The 200 that we did catch we cooked up later that evening.  They were so fresh and delicious. We literally just had clams and wine for dinner and it was pure bliss.

If you are ever in the Hatteras region of the Outer Banks contact Team Dempsey Guide Service! This links to their facebook page.  They did a fantastic job of taking us out for our clamming trip and a little bit of fishing for my dad to test out his new pole.  They run these clamming trips and also purely fishing trips out on the sound!

This was an amazing way to spend part of our day on the island.  Clamming was definitely one of the most unique experiences I have ever had.

P.S. RIP to the hat I am wearing in these photos.  I flipped my kayak on a huge wave two days later and sadly the hat got taken away by the ocean while I was in survival mode.  Now I am in search of a new favorite hat, any recommendations?

What is the most interesting thing you have ever done at the beach?!

2016 | A Year In Review

2016 was so full for me.  My life still in a lot of transition throughout this year.  There were some big unknowns about how my life would unfold, but reflecting back on this year, I realized that the unknowns didn't stop me from being brave, trying new things, and having some really great adventures.

Some of my favorite memories from this year are:

1. Starting this blog.  Getting back into photography and sharing my heart has been so fulfilling and I can't wait to see where it takes me for 2017.  My hope is that this will be a place where hearts can be shared and authentic community can be built.

2. Really moving back to Charlotte.  I have always had one foot in this city.  And for the first 6 months of 2016 I was living in two cities at the same time [literally, I had 2 separate rents!] the end of July I finally planted some roots and made the move to be here in the city I love and will always call home.

3. I left Boone.  Not without one last hike to Rough Ridge. Boone has been so good to me.  I lived there for 6 total years of my life.  The second time I lived there was a healing experience for me.  I learned so much about myself spending time in those majestic mountains.  My soul will be forever grateful for the slow pace of life and the many mountains I climbed.

4.  I took Mike on a birthday trip to Asheville in June.  We had a wonderful time wandering the city, finding fun breweries to try, and meeting up with some friends who live there.

5. In November, I ran my second half marathon in Savannah.  You can read all about that trip here.

6. Mike and I celebrated 1 year of dating at the High Country Beer Fest.

7. One of my goals for my last summer in Boone was to do all the things I have always wanted to do but never seemed to get around to it.  So one day we rented Kayaks on Price Lake and soaked up the water, sunshine, and exercise.

8. A little lesson I have learned this year is to be more present in the moment.  I have spent many quiet moments reflecting, journaling, reading my bible and time in prayer.  These are my favorite moments and they make the biggest impact.

9. Renaissance Festival.  There is one every fall in Charlotte and it's so much fun.  A day full of flower crowns, medieval costumes, shows, jousting, good beer, turkey legs, and song.

10. I started working as an elementary school counselor. I worked for my internship at a school in Charlotte and was asked back for this school year.  I am so grateful for my job and the lessons it teaches me every day.  Our theme for this school year is Racing with Excellence so we kicked off the 2016/17 school year at the speedway in Concord!

11.  My Uncle got married! They have been dating for 20 years.  It was so much fun to gather with family in Georgia and celebrate love while dancing the night away!

12. I graduated with my Masters degree in May! Such a huge accomplishment.  So many things fell into place for my dreams to come true with this one.  The whole experience will always be cherished as such a blessing.

13. Technically this was the end of 2015, but I didn't have this blog yet, so I am sharing now.  Last Christmas was spent in Peru with my sister.  We got to go to Machu Picchu. Oh, what a breathtaking, awe inspiring, wonder of the world that was. Being in those Andes mountains was something I will never forget.

14. I took a trip to Raleigh to meet Mikes family and to see where he grew up. It was such a fun little trip to explore another part of the state and get to know him a little bit more.

15. I tried Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga for the first time.  A friend and I went to a class on Watauga Lake - which quickly became my favorite summer spot. The class was so challenging, yet serene and lovely all at the same time.  I highly recommend it and will definitely jump if I get another opportunity.

16. Dad and I tried our hand at gardening in the spring.  We built a raised bed in my parents yard.  The garden was filled with veggies that fed us all summer long.  I never knew there were so many ways to eat eggplants but when your garden is fruitful you get creative quick!

What are some of your favorite 2016 memories?