My Top 5 Favorite Hair & Skincare Products {Minimalist Beauty Routine}

| Allison

Hello friends!

I kept internally laughing at myself while making this post because I’m so not a beauty blogger, haha. Still, I wanted to share my favorite products for a simple winter “beauty routine” that’s actually attainable. When I say these are my top 5 beauty products, I mean these are basically the only products I use on a daily or weekly basis. Very, very minimal. 

If you don’t have the patience (or pocketbook) for a cabinet full of fancy products, I hope this post will be helpful to you!

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Black & White Winter Photoshoot

| Allison

Hello friends!

The weather has been awfully cold here recently, so going outdoors for exercise has felt a bit daunting. However, Sully and I braved the cold one day to take a walk in a local park. Everything was windy, brown, and soggy from a recent flood. But I took my camera along and tried to pick out interesting bits of nature to show off beautifully in a black and white format.

Did I succeed in making interesting photos from an ugly landscape? Read on to see what you think. 🙂

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How to Make Your Home Cozy & Beautiful on a Budget

| Allison

Hello friends!

One of my friends recently complimented my house as being “attainably lovely” and that struck me as such a wonderful phrase! As much as I love Pinterest home decor, it often feels unrealistic, expensive, and uncomfortable to actually live in. What if you live in a normal house without room in your budget for Anthropologie and antiques?

Here are a few tips on how to tastefully decorate your house in inexpensive and attainable ways.

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Farewell 2023 {My Year in Review}

| Allison

Hello friends!

It’s time for a post looking back on my 2023. It’s been a pretty laid-back year overall; not filled with as many drastic changes for me as, say, last year when I got married. But it’s been a beautiful year with so much growth and so many wonderful memories made nonetheless.

Enjoy scrolling through my year in review!

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Mary’s Song {a Christmas Poem}

| Allison

Hello friends!

I wanted to continue my (almost) tradition of sharing a nativity-themed piece of writing in preparation for Christmas. As usual, I’ve interspersed the piece with pretty Christmas photos, this time of my family’s beautifully decorated house. But this is a poem rather than a short story, so I’ll also share it as an unbroken whole at the end of the post. 

I hope you enjoy reading this as you prepare to celebrate our Savior’s birth. ❤

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Decorating Our Home for Christmas

| Allison

Hello friends!

It’s finally time for my annual Christmas tree/Christmas decorating post! I went a lot simpler this year than last since there’s so much going on this month and I didn’t want to make too much more work for myself. I still added just enough to make our house feel festive though, especially in the evenings. ❤

Enjoy this small tour around my house with some cozy photographs!

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The Wileys {Family Photoshoot}

| Allison

Hello friends!

I had the privilege of doing a family photoshoot for some friends who recently had a cute baby boy! It was a cloudy, misty day, but the Wileys were so photogenic that the photos turned out amazing anyway. 🙂 I’m excited to share some of my favorites from their gallery with you!

Keep reading for adorable baby expressions and the sweetest family.

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Crystal Frost {a Photoshoot}

| Allison

Hello friends!

I’m back with a nature photoshoot after a short Thanksgiving break. I hope your holidays were great! Mine were a lot of fun but quite jam-packed. Four different Thanksgiving dinners filled me right up. :O

Anyway, I took advantage of the recent frosty weather to play around with my macro lens (aff. link). It’s amazing what beautiful details you can find in an ordinary town yard with a close-up camera and some focused observation.

Enjoy these shots of some beautiful ice crystals!

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