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  • Hello…

    my name is Jill and I'm a wedding and portrait photographer based in Staunton, Virginia.
    I married my best friend and we recently started a farm. That's right y'all, I'm a farmers wife! (insert country accent) So, on my blog you will not only find my latest photography work, you'll also be able to keep up with what's happening on the farm!
    Thanks for stopping by!

    xo,
    Jill

May 16, 2012

Todd & Tara | Manteo, NC Wedding

Manteo, North Carolina is a quaint little town on the sound side of the Outer Banks. There are coffee shops, cafes, antique stores, boutiques, and it’s all right by the water…what more could you want? My family vacations there in the summers and it was such a tease to only be there for the day, but it made for the perfect backdrop for Todd and Tara’s wedding day!

I arrived in Manteo and met Tara at the hair salon. She was her usually bubbly self and not the least bit overwhelmed or nervous.  The rest of the day was a dream. Everything went perfectly smooth from the Elizabethan Garden ceremony to the aquarium reception…yes you read that correctly, the reception was at an aquarium! I honestly didn’t know what to expect when Tara told me the location, but when I got there, I was blown away! I felt like a kid all over again and it was probably one of the most unique reception venues I have seen!

I loved being able to spend the day with Todd and Tara and all their wonderful friends and family. Todd and Tara are the most perfect compliment to one another. Todd is reserved and Tara is outgoing, and together they work magically to balance each other out.  It is beautiful to see and I couldn’t be more happy for these two as they enter this new journey in life together!

Congrats Todd & Tara and have a wonderful honeymoon in Hawaii…don’t worry, I’m only slightly jealous! Tara wore her mom’s veil…gosh they just don’t make em like they used to!These girls were so much fun!mmmm..love this!Yeah.. I think that shark was eyeing the cake…probably the guests too!As you can see, an aquarium reception doubles as a field trip for all the kids!

Posted in Weddings

Show Hide 7 comments

Laura Gordon - May 16, 2012 - 5:43 pm

Oh em gee, coolest reception location ever! Great work Jill :)

Sandra Easley - May 16, 2012 - 4:03 pm

The pictures are wonderful! You do such amazing work! Such a beautiful wedding!

molly - May 16, 2012 - 2:55 pm

jill these are STUNNING. she is so gorgeous and i love everything about this wedding!! you are awesome!!

Abby Grace - May 16, 2012 - 1:24 pm

I really enjoy how light and airy your photos are. It’s a relaxing experience to come to your blog and view your images!

Tammy Lampert - May 16, 2012 - 1:12 pm

Beautiful pictures Jill – AMAZING!! A fantastic job as always :)

Tara - May 16, 2012 - 12:58 pm

These are sooooo wonderful! It all went by so fast, so I am soo happy we have such great pictures to remember it all by.

Katelyn James - May 16, 2012 - 12:55 pm

LOVE THIS! beautiful Jill!!

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May 14, 2012

Tara & Todd | Sneak Peek

Todd and Tara got married this weekend and their wedding could not have been more beautiful! I can’t wait to share more!!!Happy Monday!!

Posted in Sneak Peek

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Michelle Amarillo - May 18, 2012 - 5:17 pm

What a beautiful day for a wedding! Great shots Jilly and congrats Tara!

Tara - May 14, 2012 - 11:11 am

These are Fabulous!!! LOVE IT ~ can’t wait to see the rest!

Tammy Lampert - May 14, 2012 - 9:39 am

BEAUTIFUL Wedding!! Can’t wait to see more pictures!! Great to see you!

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May 10, 2012

DIY Pillow Project

“So what are you doing tomorrow?”, Buddy said as we got into bed the other night. “Well, I think I’m just gonna to make some pillows and blog about it.” There was a moment of silence and then it happened…we erupted with laughter at the absurdity of my statement. “Really?! You’re going to make pillows and blog about it? That’s your day?”

We laughed for a solid 5 minutes straight…to the point where I was crying. And then I answered, “Yes, that’s what I’m doing tomorrow, tough life, I know!”

Well folks, I did it. I made pillows and here’s the corresponding blog post…at least I followed through!:)

I love the textures of these fabrics! I cut the fabric to the desired size and then folded it in half so that I only had to sew 3 sides and not all four. And in case you’re a pillow-making novice…you start by sewing the fabric inside out.Once you get to your last side, you leave a 4-5 inch hole. This is where you’ll flip the pillow back to the right side and insert the filling. I start by filling the corners and then work my way back.Since I was only sewing three straight lines, stuffing the pillows definitely took a lot longer than the sewing.

Once the pillow is stuffed to your liking, you hand-sew the rest of the pillow shut. I like a full, heavy pillow so I put a lot of stuffing in.

On the second pillow I found a much easier way to get an even cut (if you’re making a square pillow). Fold the fabric in half, then just bring one corner down to make a right triangle and boom, you’ve got an even edge to cut from. DRUMROLL please……Ta-daaaa… aren’t they beauts?!Mmmm…I just love this buttery yellow color.I’m loving these fabrics…they just look so rich! The blue one has crowns in the pattern which makes it look regal! Not to mention it reminds me of a claddagh ring!and here they are in a guest bedroom…

This project only took me about 45min-1hr  to do! And it’s pretty straight forward, so happy pillow-making!

Posted in Getting Crafty, My Life

Show Hide 5 comments

Tara - May 14, 2012 - 12:08 am

Love the fabric – especially the blue crowns. So luxurious and simple to make. I love the laughing about blogging about pillows, so much fun!

Amanda West - May 11, 2012 - 8:23 am

Beautiful, love the colors and the patterns. And the one with the crown reminds me of being God’s daughter, a princess. May try to find it for the girls new room when we move!!

Michelle Amarillo - May 10, 2012 - 9:10 am

These are so awesome Jilly! Great choice of colors and patterns too, i love your taste! I love Martha Stewart DIY projects :) I’ve got a couple in line for the house!

ali w - May 10, 2012 - 7:46 am

brilliant. i love them!!

molly - May 10, 2012 - 7:42 am

AHHHH i need a sewing machine. I am terrible at sewing – but I have been wanting to make some throw pillows for our living room haha. John thinks I’m crazy. But hey, why not? I LOVE these, jill!!

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