I had two weddings to attend this past weekend, but I didn’t have a purse to match my outfits!!! I found this clutch online for $155 and I thought to myself ‘I could make that.’ So I did!

Here’s what I saw online:

And here’s my finished product:

My total cost of materials was $10.03!!!

I am still a 4-H member at heart!! :-)

Brian + Barb came all the way from Brookings to do their engagement session out here with me! Brian is going to grad school for athletic training, and Barb is an athletic trainer for South Dakota State University. They are very busy people, so it was great that they could take a weekend and vacation in the Black Hills! Brian went to high school with Lance, and they lived together for a couple years in college, so Lance talked us into doing photos a little earlier so that we could drive around Custer State Park, visit the Purple Pie Place in Custer and hit up Deadwood before it was time to call it a day.

Brian + Barb – thanks so much for coming out to Rapid for photos! Lance and I had a great time hanging out with you and we can’t wait for your wedding in June!!

Almost two weeks ago, my friend Halley came in to the coffee shop where I work and we got to talking about our lives lately, what we’re up to, wedding photography, January 2nd…. :-) Halley set up Chad and Brianne a couple years ago and they JUST got engaged and are planning their wedding for this January. Then, Halley set me up with Brianne and her mom that night!

For their engagement session, Chad drove us all around in a canyon near Rapid City – take a good look at all these photos, because I will probably never take my car through that terrain for a session!! :-)

Their engagement story is one of the sweetest I’ve ever heard!! Bri + Chad are very much outdoors people. They’ve done some hunting and fishing together, but Bri had never been night fishing. Bri reeled one fish in and made Chad unhook it for her. Fish are pretty gross to touch, I’m with her on that. Before Chad tossed the line back in, he attached a little something to the end of the line (don’t worry, it wasn’t the ring!). Bri reeled the line back in, pulling up weeds and muck from the bottom and swung it over to Chad again to unhook it. This time, it wasn’t a fish, it was a metal plate with a fish carved onto it . He wiped it off, told Bri there was something written on it and couldn’t make out what it said and got down on one knee, showing it to her as she read “will you marry me?” *awwwwww* :-)

Congrats, you two!!! I’m so excited for your wedding this January!!

Check back this evening for the rest of my favorites from Bri + Chad’s engagement session this weekend!!

I FINALLY am totally and completely unpacked!! I know where everything is in my apartment, I just need to re-arrange a little bit more so that everything is where I want it to be instead of just where it got put when I was unpacking. :-)

My entryway hall:

View of the kitchen and my office from the entryway hall:

I have a dishwasher!!!! And Prairie Berry wine. :-)

I heart Jim.

My dining nook-turned-into-office:

View of the living room/kitchen from my office:

Yes, I kept the green couches.

The living room. Again. From the other corner.

On the left is the hallway to my bedroom and bathroom, on the right is my entry hallway.

My loves:

The bathroom.

The bedroom. The throw quilt on my bed was my apartment warming gift from mom – she’s the best.

Big closet. :-)

Coming up next: Bri + Chad’s engagement sesson!!!!!