Hello, August! Thanks for giving me a little time off of work to enjoy summer!

1. The latest West Elm catalog came in the mail and it was so much fun to have the time to sit and ‘real-life pin’

2. We had another guest!! My sister-in-law came to town and we went up to Sturgis to check out the motorcycle rally. I found a pretty teal bike and wondered if should get it for my business. Although I’d probably be terrified to ride it – I just got used to riding a bicycle!!

3. Buzzard’s Roost – Hiking in the Black Hills is so rewarding. No matter which trail you choose, the scenery is always breathtaking. This particular trail has multiple routes – we chose the easiest. :-)

I’ve been making a conscious effort to soak in every day of summer as best I can. I don’t want to be the one on the first day of autumn saying “where did my summer go?” Having my ‘monthly favorites’ list helps keep track of these days full of sunshine.

1: (number one for a reason) visitors!!! My parents came to visit! So did my husband’s parents, but we were too busy working that I forgot to take a photo of them.

2: mangoes – Nothing says summer like fresh fruit! My mouth has also been watering over apricots, peaches, and nectarines.

3: our lawn – We love our front lawn. It’s so pretty and green! This photo is from the very first time Lance mowed the lawn. I warned him this photo might be on the blog, and gave him the opportunity to change clothes, but he is happiest in his neon and camouflage.

4: Scotts Bluff National Monument – With our new house and yard, a lot of our days off are spent working in and around the house. I was thrilled when Josh + Whitney asked me to photograph their wedding in Nebraska, because not only were they so much fun to work with, the change in scenery gave us the freedom to take some time and try a new hike.

5: bike rides – Speaking of trying new things, last week I learned to ride a fancy bike… with gears!! The last bike I ever rode was when I was a little kid and I only ever rode it around our yard at the farm. Now I cruise the whole neighborhood every other morning.

Helloooooo, summer!!! It has been a busy month full of weddings and engagement sessions, as well as office and yard work. Fresh air makes everyone more productive, right?

1. New grass!! – Last week, Lance and I worked on our front yard for six straight hours. We shaped the dirt and seeded grass and put down a germination blanket (the wind in our hill-top neighborhood is ridiculous, and we didn’t want to put in all that hard work to have the wind blow all our seed away…) When I came home from last weekend’s wedding, there were these little sprouts waving ‘hello!’ Only a few more weeks until the rest of the seeds take root and fill in! :-)

2. Summer drinks – When it’s hot out, I like to have my fridge stocked with cool treats. My new favorite drink? Iced chocolate chai. I brew extra-strength chai tea, store it in the fridge, and when I’m ready to cool off, I mix it with chocolate almond milk over ice. Yummmm!

3. Mini Swingline – Office work seems so much more enjoyable with my cute little stapler.

4. Dahlias – I like to think these colorful potted flowers in front of the house made up for the lack of a front lawn earlier in the month.

5. Date night!! – Lance and I went out to eat at Piesano’s (our favorite pizza place in town) and took a stroll around the Outdoor Campus West.

p.s. Several of my ‘favorite things’ make an appearance on Instagram as they happen throughout the month. If you’d like to follow along, and even see some sneak peeks from weddings and engagement sessions, come follow me – my username is studiolb!!

Spring is here!!! Nice weather, weddings, and season finales. :-)

1. I’ll be the first to admit that I enjoy going for a walk, but only when the weather is just right. Too hot? No way. Too windy? Uh-uh. Mid 60’s with a light breeze and lots of sunshine? Perfecto!

2. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Rapid City just celebrated it’s 50th anniversary. We attended the dinner and re-dedication ceremony, and I was recognized for “risking my life and limbs to take the photos” for the new booklet and prayer book. I really wasn’t that concerned for my life nor my limbs… but I don’t think I’ll be climbing up five levels of scaffolding anytime soon.

3. I watch all my shows on Hulu during the day, because when my husband gets home from work in the evening, I like to spend time with him instead of watching tv. Last night was a different story. There was no way I was missing the series finale of The Office. It didn’t disappoint. I don’t want to post any spoilers, but I am so happy with how it all turned out – especially all of Jim’s pranks. :-D

4. My best friend’s wedding!!!!! I got to be her matron of honor, but it was so hard not to have my camera in hand!! My dearest Jill – I had a wonderful day being by your side and I hope you are having a wonderful honeymoon! I can’t wait until you get back so we can have another coffee date to catch up, because last weekend went by too fast. :-)

Welcome to my monthly favorites blog post! This month I am thankful for quality time at home with my husband, a newly-discovered coffee shop, and uncontrollable giggles. 

1. potato art – Spring tends to be a busy time of the year for us, and so by the time Easter rolls around, we can’t wait to spend a weekend at home and cook a delicious meal together!

2. GEICO commercial – ‘Happier than Paul Revere with a cell phone. I’m not a big fan of commercials. Unless they’re funny – and this one makes me laugh out loud every time it plays. :-)

3. more home projects – We are still ‘settling’ into our new home and storage + decorating are constantly on our… my mind. Recent projects have included putting shelving units together, creating wall art from our wedding readings, and getting *all* my purses off of the floor in the closet.

4. game nights – When we’re not working, we’re playing! My parents taught us how to play Mexican Train with Dominoes and we’re both getting pretty good. We’re just hoping these snowy days will be done soon so we can turn our yard from dirt into lawn!!

5. Caribou Coffee in Mitchell – For one whole year, there has been a Caribou Coffee in the County Fair Foods store in Mitchell – and I JUST found out this month!!! Now, this may not be exciting news to many of you reading this… but for this girl, whose last fuel-up before her non-stop trip back to Rapid just got a dose of tasty caffeine, this is big news. :-)

6. warm spring days – Exactly two weeks ago, we were having a fabulous spring. 60-70 degree weather, constant sunshine, birds singing… and then last week we had a record 20 inches of snowfall in one day. That still hasn’t melted. And now they’re predicting another 8-12 inches this week. I am SO ready for summer. Or to go back to Hawaii. Either would be just fine.