18 First Ever Blate.

Photo Credit to Laura Rowe Photography

So, this weekend was very relaxing, indeed. The highlight of it was having my first ever 'blate' (blogger-date) with Laura from Twirl! I was so excited to meet her and have been admiring her blog since finding it some months back. Laura is seriously one of the sweetest people, I enjoyed chatting with her SO much! We are kicking ourselves for not having this 'blate' sooner before she moves. But, I am just so glad we did meet up and get to know eachother! Laura and I did a photo session swap, and we had so much fun with it! I cannot wait to debut some of their photos I took :) I definitely appreciate Laura letting me "warm up" my hands again in photography because it has been some time since I've gotten to do a photo shoot on people. Those pictures are coming very soon!! 

Also, if you are in Birmingham or the surrounding area and are wanting some pictures taken, email me at britt{at}themagnoliapair{dot}com. I am doing some freebie sessions until my hands are completely "warmed up" again  and would LOVE to take your pictures  :) 

As for Friday night, we enjoyed dinner and drinks with friends and DVR'd the Olympics so we could catch it on Saturday day. 

Saturday, would you believe I actually did have some luck in persuading my husband to take me to H&M? Literally made my entire day! We were there for 1 1/2 hours, then drove right back to Birmingham! So worth it though, and I have some new things to do outfit posts in now, yay! Thanks for all the advice on Friday from you guys, it worked :) 

Also, Congrats to Shelly for winning the Shabby Apple Gift card! Thank you friend for entering! 

How was your weekend? I hope it was just the best! Happy Monday!

8 Friday Folks

It's Friday..YAY! I have been looking forward to this day since Monday!
Let's see, we don't have too much planned for the weekend. I will be meeting up with a fellow blogger, Laura, from Twirl ! She and I are doing a couples photo shoot swap and I cannot wait! Will be so exciting to meet her and take some fun pictures!
Also, before that, we will be watching the Olympics and rooting for the USA! We have been looking forward to it for awhile, so we're pumped!
Oh, and then I am going to try to convince my husband that we need to make the 1.5 hour trip to Huntsville so I can go to H&M! Any tips of persuasion?

Enough of me, you lovelies have two new friends to make today! So, let's start the introduction!

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blog   //   pinterest 

Meet Mary! Mary is my real life blogger friend! Yes, Mary and I have been knowing each other since we were little (like 4, I think). Cool fact about Mary is that she has 6 brothers, and she is the only girl. How crazy is that? Mary and I went to school together since we were in elementary school till college and even got married on the same day/year! Her husband is in law school in New Orleans and she is loving life as a new wife. She is new to blogging, but y'all, she's already got lots of fun posts so I know you will enjoy getting to know her more! Mary is so sweet, funny, and just the happiest person I know, so go say hi and give her a warm welcome  :)

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 blog  // twitter // facebook // etsy // pinterest

Meet Jess! Jess is the lovely girl behind the blog Swenson Love. Aside from having one of the prettiest blog designs, Jess is such a sweetheart and ever since she contacted me, I've been reading her blog since! She has the cutest little family and you will just adore this post about their little boy and his boots. Jess has this really great DIY tutorial on how to make a leather braided headband, and now I wanna make it. Also, she is an amazing photographer, I simply love this shoot she did, and my favorite are the balloon ones, so pretty! And, don't forget to check out her cookie recipe that looks just delicious, I could stick my hand through the screen and just grab one! Go say Hi to Jess!

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How great are these two? I am just loving both of their blogs! be sure to head over and make some new friends today! 

Also, if you are interested in sponsoring, please email me at britt{at}themagnoliapair{dot}com ! And visit my advertise page for more info. 

Have a wonderful weekend y'all !

Oh, and don't forget to enter the Giveaway from Shabby Apple for a $50 gift card!

18 Happy Birthday Rayne Puppy!

So, today is the day that Joel and I marked as her birthday! When we picked her up from the high kill shelter On August 26, 20011, they explained that she was 11 weeks old. We later found out that she was a mere 4 weeks old when we took her home. So we counted back a month, and said that this would be her day!

I cannot believe how much fun we've had with this little ball of energy! She really completes our family and brings us so much happiness and love.

You can read about the day we brought her home here. Since then, she has put a dent in our wallet by eating our carpet, and has brought us so much laughter! You can read some of her other posts here.

Rayne is a huge part of our life and even though she is bad at times, we still love her so much. I really hope she lives a long life with us and that our children can meet her one day. I am totally envisioning a Marley and Me moment when Rayne will greet our children by the driveway and walk them to the house. I look forward to that day :)

We love you Rayne Rue! 

Oh, and don't forget to enter the Giveaway from Shabby Apple for a $50 gift card!

17 If you really knew me

So, I saw this from Jenni, then realized Kristin was the mastermind, so since she's basically my new blog obsession, I am joining in on the fun :)

I started out funny, then got serious, then got funny again... Enjoy the roller coaster, ha!

You would know that I am shy until I get to know someone, then I can't seem to shut up.

You'd know that I am a huge animal lover. I can sob my eyes out during water for elephants, but not shed a tear when a human dies in a movie. Side note: I have gotten better at crying in movies when humans die..

You would know that I hate my toe nails long and clip them way too short.. And love my fingernails long (even though I bite them sometimes).

You would know that I am just about the most indecisive person ever. I purposely did not have a detailed wedding because I could never decide on one thing. For example, on my wedding day I only wore one piece of jewelry (earrings) because I simply couldn't decide on the rest. Same goes for the rest of that day. 

You would know that I am very sensitive. I don't handle confrontation or mean people too well. Although, give me a a drink and I'll put your words back in your mouth.

You'd know that I don't like to wear make up. The thought of having to wash it off just annoys me.

You'd know that I don't share space well.

You'd know that I am a night owl, and if you wake me up before 10am on the weekend, than you've awaken a monster.

You'd know that I never had a best girl friend. I always was the awkward third wheel joining in on two people who were already BFF. But, I finally found my best friend, and I married him. Side Note: Husband has the exact same story :) 


Well, this was fun! If you have any questions after reading this, you can ask me Here ! 


Oh, and I posted a Giveaway to Shabby Apple today, also! Click here to enter!

3 Shabby Apple Giveaway!

Well today I have something fun for y'all! How about a $50 shop credit to Shabby Apple? I thought that would turn some heads.

And, they are having an amazing summer sale right now with items for 20% off! I'm really wishing I could enter this, so I can go get me some goods. So, enter my name won't ya? I kid. I kid. The lucky winner will receive a $50 shop credit to go towards any item in their online store!

Just some of my favorite dresses they have. Can you tell I like the nautical theme? 

Shabby Apple

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Mandatory: 

Follow The Magnolia Pair via GFC 

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* The giveaway will end at 12:01am on July 31st! *

Good luck & be sure to head over to check out Shabby Apple! 

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12 Weekend Snippets

Well it's Monday already, huh? I don't know about y'all but I am really enjoying these summer weekends. There's always something exciting going on whether it's celebrating birthdays, BBQ's, weddings, etc. August is approaching fast, so I am going to try to enjoy every last weekend with the husband, because once school starts for him, weekends like these won't come too often.

As mentioned all last week, I am over the moon about my canon 5D camera that I got, so I took a lot of time to get used to it over the weekend. As you can see, I am not in any of the pictures below... No, I don't trust anyone with my camera yet... not even my husband. So, maybe next time? Sorry folks.

Hope you enjoy the pictures! And for the fellow Batman fanatics...go read my character chatter below!

Friday night we went camping in our backyard living room. Yep, pulled out the sleeping bags and all. 

Even Rayne joined in...and pink teddy bear..

Saturday we spent a lot of time outside and I spent time just admiring our backyard a little bit. I am still so excited to have one! 

I was a good cheerleader while the husband built our new patio furniture :) 

I also kept him good and hydrated. That's important ladies! 

Spent lots of time admiring my flowers that Joel got me for our One year :) I'm not very traditional as you can see. No roses for this girl!

This little brat loves being outside so much that she pays no attention to Joel and I when were outside. It's becoming a problem. 

After a long day of work and errands, we decided to treat ourselves to some steak! It was so good y'all! Oh, and clearly, I should not be a food photographer...that photo is awful, ha.

Then on Sunday, we went to see The Dark Knight Rises... which I had been putting off seeing since that's my movie, y'all. After seeing Batman Begins, I was hooked on the series and knew more about Batman than my guy friends. The trilogy ending was kind of bittersweet.Joel really wanted to see it, so I bit the bullet and we bought tickets for Sunday.I was an emotional mess the ENTIRE time. I swear the girl next to me regretted telling me that her seat was open because I think she wanted to slip me a XANAX. With all of the ups and downs of that movie and thinking about who could/would/should die, I was in tears I'd say 75% of the over 2 hour film. 

But, I do need to say that I (of course) loved the film and thought it was incredible. With the way it ended I really do have peace of mind and hope for it to continue. Maybe Nolan will change his mind, and Bale too? 

Character Chatter: {Some SPOILERS..So, do not read if you don't want to know!!}

Bruce AKA Batman: Did a really good job, duh. I'm really glad he ages well. And, I loved watching him go from a cripple to literally superhero!

Cat Woman: Gosh Anne Hathaway was a badass in this movie, and I am glad they picked her for the part. I love a girl in action, who does it well.That kiss at the end. And then, the end end... amazing! Still in awe over her and Batman living happily ever after :)

Robin: Perfect Perfect cast. I swear, could he be any cuter and perfect for this role? Favorite part was definitely the bus scene at the end when he tries to give those kids hope. melted my heart. And, now I'm hopeful he'll begin/keep the series going? 

Alfred: Always perfect. I lost it at the end when Alfred cried and said he had failed his parents. I was really hoping at the very end when he sees Bruce in Italy, that they would hug it out, ya know... oh well. 

Fox: I mean, I started crying the second he came on the screen. This guy just melts my heart. And, I don't even want to begin on my thoughts when he was climbing the ladder as the water was pouring in. 

Commissioner Gordon: He...does not age well. Poor guy. But, he did a good job in this movie. Maybe because he had a somewhat smaller part this time, he didn't really shine, ya know. Except when he was on the bus. That was his one time to shine. 

Miss Tate: Aka bad woman.... I really loved her and loved that her and Bruce Ahem 'got it on'. So, when I found out she was the bad guy, I was super mad. Even though as a newbie to Batman, she did amazing. The goal was to convince, and dang, she did it good. 

Bane: Ridiculously scary character. I mean, terrifying really. And, I couldn't understand what he was saying half the time. Kinda made me mad. But, I loved the plot with him as the the bad guy. It was amazing what they did with the story. 

Cillian Murphy AKA Scarecrow: I am SO glad he made an appearance in this movie. Am I the only one googly-eyed for him? He had me at the mere age of 16-17 for sure. 

Okay, I just had to talk about it a bit. Clearly I have an obsession. 

Hope y'all had an awesome weekend! Anyone else see the Dark Knight Rises? You know I'd love to chat with you about it :)

22 5 Things

So, today I am linking up with Lauren for High Five for Friday! I am really excited because I've never linked up before. I am definitely happy to share some 5 things today too :)

1. First and the most important, is that the husband and I made ONE YEAR on Monday (July 16th). We had a wonderful and relaxing night together. It was amazing to reminisce about how great this past year has been and how excited we are for our future :)

2. I got my Canon 5D and my 24-70mm lens in the mail on Wednesday. I am over the moon excited about getting back into the field and finally taking some high quality photos.

3. Getting our air condition fixed on Tuesday evening was pretty ground breaking. After waking up on Friday morning hot and flustered, we just thought it was the morning sun shining in. Little did we know that we would come home to an A/C that was totally fried. We had to wait until Tuesday to get it fixed. Talk about rough... even poor Rayne was miserable. But now it's all good, thank goodness! 

4. One year anniversay gift giving was very special. Joel and I (Joel especially) worked really hard on some sentimental gifts to give each other. And although my gift was thoughtful, it was evident that Joel won most the most artistic gift. Lucky for me, I got to keep it. And now I can't wait to find a frame for the painting. I am so excited and blessed to have him in my life. What a keeper for life :) 

5. I have been looking into joining a gym or taking some fitness classes. About three years ago I was introduced to Crossfit (before it became huge) and I really enjoyed it and saw results pretty quickly. I really want to get back into it, so I've been heavily looking into it, but for some reason the gyms around here think it's okay to charge $250 a month... Not cool...Not cool... My search continues. But, I am still hopeful! 

image source

How was your week? 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead! I will have my camera glued to my hands the whole time :) 

Oh, and yesterday I created a formspring, so Ask away guys! (click the pic)

 

0 Ask Me.

So, today for no particular reason I decided to create a formspring. I am really not sure why, but I guess it has something to do with the many questions I get in emails about everything from: where did you get your dress, how do you balance life as a med student's wife, and more. Hopefully it will be fun. ha.

So, I'd like to direct your attention to the little button I made on the right side bar that says "Ask Me Anything." Feel free to ask me anything, really, I will be open. I know some people get negative comments and have chosen to delete their formsprings, but I think there will be a lot of good from it. And, it'll be fun, right?

I also downloaded the app, so I should be good on responding quickly. Thank you technology :)

So, HERE is my formspring, or just click below. I can't wait to see what questions you have!

5 Dreams Do Come True .

Good day, people! If you follow me on Instagram {britt_themagnoliapair} you saw that my highly anticipated Canon 5D camera came in! Y'all this has been a dream for a couple of years to me. I am so excited to finally have it. As soon as we moved to Birmingham, I have been thinking heavily about re-creating my business and buying that 5D. I am just so happy to finally have it in my hands. Photography is my passion and I am so motivated to start up again :) So, to say at the least, my mind is elsewhere focusing on how to take pictures rather than how to write... Thank you to all on instagram for the sweet comment and likes, means so much that y'all shared your excitement for me!

So...Today I am going to be sharing some new reads for you to check out. These ladies are just fabulous and I know you will just love their blogs! 

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First up is the adorable Krista from Crescendo! I adore her blog, especially the recipes she posts. Plus she is really good at organizing and giving tips from helpful apps, printable's, and more!

Blog // Twitter// Pinterest 

Hello, The Magnolia Pair readers! My name is Krista and I blog at Crescendo. My blog is a lifestyle and organizational blog where I share my three passions of organization, coffee and yummy things! I began my blog last year to keep in touch with family and friends and to document my new life as a working woman in a new city. I love discovering new blogs and 'meeting' new bloggers, so stop on by and say 'hi'!

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Blog // Twitter // Facebook // Pinterest // Bloglovin

Meet Torie! She is an exceptional writer who has a phenomenal blog to show for it. I love a blog with good writing, and her's is nothing less. Torie has even co-written a book, what an accomplishment! You read more about that here. Torie is just like me in the day dream department. She is moving into a house soon and is stirring up some really cute ideas for her new place. You can also get to know more about Torie in this fun and entertaining post called Me, Myself, and I. 

So head over and say HI to these fabulous ladies! 

Y'all have a wonderful Thursday! 

16 Blush Pink Dress

Today, I am really excited to debut a dress that I picked out from Sugarlips! Have you heard of them before? Okay, y'all will love their shop. It's chic, affordable, and they have a large selection of pieces. I am loving all of their dresses right now especially. I wore this dress last night for our one year anniversary, and got so many compliments on it. It's my favorite color and how adorable is the back? This is just one of their many dresses that they have to choose from. Go check them out, you won't regret it!

Dress: SUGARLIPS // Necklace: Simply Chic Jewelry

Love the look? Head to Sugarlips to check out the rest of their apparel! 

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy!

28 One Year Wedding Anniversary!

brittany + joel // trailer from // BRIDE FILM // on Vimeo.

I could post a lot of pictures today, and write a lot of words on how special this day was, but this video pretty much sums up how emotional and amazing our wedding day was.

I cannot believe a year has passed! It has been amazing and I am just so blessed to have found the man I can spend the rest of my life with. I know this life is not always easy, but we work every day to love one another to the fullest and that is why marriage is one of the most rewarding things in life. I cherish our love and it brings me such joy to come home to a loving husband every day. I cannot wait to experience this wonderful future that awaits us.
I love you so much Joel Matthew!

32 My Bridal Portraits

& today I am linking up with Alison for wedding guest, where I am cheating a bit and being my own wedding guest--bride style  :) 

.....Continuing on with Wedding Week ! 

I am so excited to share my bridal photos with y'all today! This was probably one of my favorite occasions during our engagement. I always dreamed about putting on that white wedding dress and seeing myself in it since I was a little girl. Well, I got to experience it a little bit before our wedding during my bridal portraits. 

This day, you would think with my beaming smile (in my photos) that everything went fine and dandy, but it did NOT. Lucky for me though, it did end up having a fairytale ending. 

Early that morning as I was getting my hair, nails, and make up done I kept looking out the window at the dark skies. I shrugged it off thinking it would pass. But, hours later, it did not pass, and only got worse. It was raining and thundering as I sat in my Mom's car trying to hold back some tears. My bridal session was supposed to be at the beautiful Rosedown Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana. 

Once I realized that I had to make a decision at that moment I began freaking out and calling all over Baton Rouge to see if any indoor locations were open for bridals. I called 7 places and had no luck. I was really upset at this point. My photographer was willing to do it another day, but I already had my hair, make up, nails, and bouquet together. I pretty much had to do it that day. 

All of the sudden I realized that I had one option left that I hadn't thought about before... the Louisiana Governor's mansion. A few weeks prior, I had finished my internship with Governor Jindal, so I called over to his mansion and asked for permission to take my photos there. The lady said she had to call me back let me know. I sat there for probably 8 long minutes just waiting to hear "yes". The phone rang, and the lady said to come on over. Those tears dried so fast! I was so excited, like, really excited! I had forgotten how much I cared so much about Rosedown, and could not even believe that I had this opportunity! The lady said she could only remember 2 other brides who had ever had their pictures taken there. 

The Governor's Mansion is beautiful and timeless. A plantation itself, it was so fitting for my portraits. I had so much fun taking them and really was the happiest girl that it all worked out for the better! 

I really thought at that moment that everything I had planned was ruined, but really, I was blessed with something even more amazing that I never thought was a possibility. In this case, I am very happy that it was raining and that God had other plans for me. So... as I conclude, I'll say my favorite little saying, "Everything happens for a reason." 

:: All photos are copyrighted to Collin Richie Photography ::

Thank you so much for reading & looking! I hope you enjoyed the photos and story! 

Only a few more days until our One Year Anniversary!