this past winter, i was inspired by {this} photo. i have been into canning & preserving for almost two years, but i knew that among getting married & moving into a new home, a well-stocked pantry was too high of a goal. so, i decided to set my goal at:

a. making jam as wedding favors

b. making apple sauce or apple butter

c. canning with the use of tomatoes

well, i’ve done all of those things & more! for our wedding, i made 40 jars of strawberry jam. two weeks ago, i made apple butter from sandy’s apples at the farmer’s market & last week i made salsa using tomatillos & tomatoes from the community garden next door. this past weekend, luke’s mom had a surplus of strawberries that she gave us before leaving so yesterday, i made seven jars of strawberry jam. i hope to make some apple sauce before autumn is over, but right now- i’m feeling very proud of myself. 

have you canned or preserved anything this year? & if so- what’s your favorite recipe?

love,

this past labor day weekend, i had the great pleasure of attending & photographing the birthday party of an incredible 90 year old man: luke’s granddad. {the above photos are some of my favorites}. it amazes me to imagine the life that this man has lived & is still healthily living today. i would love to sometime sit down with him & listen to his stories. 

i love being with luke’s family & celebrating with them. to finally be a part of their family means so much to me; they’re all so warm & inviting. their love for food is a great plus, too.

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luke & i have so much to catch-up with this week. but- it should still be a good one! tomorrow afternoon, {kelsey}, luke & i are heading to a flower garden to make photos. after that, i plan to make strawberry jam!

ps. our wedding was featured on {this} blog! we are so happy that so many people have enjoyed looking at our photos & we hope we can be of inspiration for the next couple’s special day. thanks so much, {darci}!

love,

natalie

i really love {his} “office” by the window. whenever he’s away, i like to look at the way he has arranged all of his papers & pens & books. although sometimes they drive me insane, i love his little piles- the piles he makes on top of his desk of library cd’s & store receipts, the piles around the floor of important papers & binders full of notes for class. it just reminds me of him & that’s why I love it all so much.

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there isn’t much to say about today except that it is filled with appointments & places to be. i believe i’d rather much be {here} and spending my day by the water. isn’t it beautiful? thank you {shari}, for such a beautiful photo.

love,

natalie