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May 21 2013

3 Years Later

This picture is from our second day here in Chicago. We had both moved into our own apartments in Streeterville and Gold Coast. We wandered around our new neighborhoods and toured Northwestern’s law campus excitedly. Neither of us had any idea what this law school journey would be like at all.

The very next day, our third day in Chicago, Travis proposed! Travis’s first semester in law school suddenly became very hectic. In 4 months we (read: our moms) planned a wedding, I had two bridal showers in Utah and Colorado, I shot a wedding in Canada, Travis rocked all of this finals, and a few days after Christmas we got married!

Engagement photo by Karen ReVelle.

Our first apartment together was an adventure in itself. Although we lived in a fantastic area, our building was old, and the wiring outdated. We could only have one appliance on at a time. If we had the TV on and decided to use the microwave, or toaster, or anything else the circuit would trip and we’d start the entire process over! We laugh about it now but it was frustrating whenever I tried to make a big dinner. We didn’t have a dishwasher and we both hand washed way too many dishes. Our first apartment was far from ideal but some of our best memories were there.

Since moving to Chicago and getting married we’ve been to St. Thomas, St. Marteen, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Italy. Between the two of us we’ve lived in 4 different apartments in Chicago. We’ve survived 3 years without a car and subsequently have walked countless miles. We’ve carried groceries home, become good friends with our doormen, gone without cable, taken dozens of taxis, explored the city via the L, ate thousands of calories of deep dish pizza and Chicago hot dogs….we embraced all the good and bad things about city life.

Graduation Day

And now it’s all over. Three years of law school. Done. I can hardly believe it. Sometimes it felt like the reading, writing, and test taking would never end. Travis, you didn’t just get through law school, you excelled at it. You inspired me with your focus and hard work. I literally never saw your stressed or overwhelmed. I don’t know how that’s even possible, but you did it. There were moments that I was afraid, or unsure, and you calmed my fears. You lead us both with faith and strength and I couldn’t be prouder to call you my husband.

Our entire marriage you’ve been a student; law school is all we know. Soon you will be starting your law career and who knows where the road will lead us now. I am excited for all the possibilities that lie ahead not only for you, but for us. Here we go!

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May 15 2013

Ashley + Brad | Engaged

While both Ashley and Brad would tell you that the way they met is pretty ordinary, it’s easy to tell they share an extraordinary love. You can see it in the way Ashley’s eyes light up anytime she looks at Brad. Or how Brad, even though he might be tired of pictures, can’t help but smile anytime he looks over his fiance.

Their  engagement session took place just north of Fort Collins, near Brad’s parent’s home. It turned out to be the perfect Colorado setting.

We started their session next to a cute white fence:

I love red barns so of course I was very excited when Ashley said she wanted to go to this red barn nearby. It’s beautiful and I’m thankful that their neighbors let us shoot there for a few minutes!

 

Love the way they look at each other!

My favorite! Ashley, you’re gorgeous!

I love the ring they picked out together! Simply beautiful.

One last picture as the sun sets:

Congrats Ashley & Brad! I had so much fun spending the afternoon with the two of you! So excited for your wedding later this summer!

xo

Tiffany

 

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Melissa Martinez - May 16, 2013 - 4:03 pm

Fantastic photos. So beautiful!

May 10 2013

Bruiser + Little Dog

I miss these pups! Bruiser on the left, Little Dog on the right. How did these two cuties get their names? I’m so glad you asked. Bruiser was the first to join our family. It’s not really a secret that I love Legally Blonde, and when Bruiser was a baby he reminded us of Elle’s dog.

Little Dog joined our family two years later. We found him on a road trip and we all fell in love with him. Both me and my siblings chipped in money to buy a tiny Chiweenie (part Chihuahua, part Dachshund). He was the cutest little puppy ever. My Dad was not on this road trip so we surprised him with this cutie. I would say it was a good surprise as they are now best pals.

Upon arriving home we tried to figure a name for him. My Dad and brothers had names they liked but were unacceptable to me, my sister, and Mom. And the names us girls suggested were also deemed unworthy. Time passed and we kept calling him Little Dog, and before long it became his name. Although his “official” name is still cause for debate in our home, Little Dog has stuck with him. Besides, he is pretty little and he is a dog! It’s perfect.

I still consider them “my” puppies, but they are still family dogs. Lately Travis and I have been extremely puppy hungry. And by lately I mean the past 3 years. We want our own dogs to have with us everyday, and also become best friends with Bruiser and Little Dog! We’ve talked about future puppy names, looked up breeds we love…can you tell we’re excited? Hopefully we can fulfill our puppy dreams soon!

xo

Tiffany

p.s. What is your favorite dog breed and why?

 

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Logan - May 16, 2013 - 7:12 pm

Oh my gosh. Get a dog!!! I’ve never had a small dog, mostly because I prefer dogs I can run with, but Little Dog is absolutely adorable! Before I got my first dog, I kept telling Zach that I had an empty dog-shaped hole in my heart. He thought I was being stupid, but our dogs are like everything that is right in the world. Pure joy.

May 09 2013

Italy Part 2: Florence

This is part 1 of our time in Florence. We stayed a little over 4 days in Florence. There is so much to do and never enough time in this amazing city.

We actually stayed in a hotel outside the main part of the city, which meant we took a 10 minute bus every morning and evening. This turned out to be perfect for us. We saved a LOT of money by not staying in the center of Florence. I am not exaggerating; we were amazed by how much money we saved. The bus system was extremely reliable and we had no trouble figuring out how to use it. We also bought the Firenze card, which covered our bus fares for 3 days.

We hadn’t originally planned on getting the Firenze card but we were so glad we did. It paid for itself the first day we used it, and we ended up going to additional sites and museums we hadn’t originally planned on.

We began exploring the city by stopping by one of the most famous parts of Florence: the Duomo.

A bird sitting on the Duomo’s facade:

The outside doors:

The inside is beautiful as well, but definitely simpler than the outside facade. I love candlelit churches, and I like to donate and light a candle myself whenever possible.

It’s hard to take pictures of the ceiling! This picture doesn’t do it justice at all, but the dome is gorgeous. A few days later we climbed up the Duomo and saw it close up.

Still inside the Duomo:

Art and sculptures everywhere. I couldn’t get enough.

Next we went to Palazza Vecchio. It’s next to the Uffizi, and I think it’s often overlooked. To be honest, it was Travis who really wanted to explore this building. I’m so glad we did. We went in thinking we would spend maybe 45 minutes here but it took us over 2 hours to get through it. This fortress/palace was home to many of the Medici family and EVERY room is exquisite.

This room alone had amazing artwork on the walls and ceilings:

The ceiling:

Another ceiling!

One of the coolest rooms was the map room. It was interesting to see all of their maps, and how wrong they were. Some maps even had pictures of sea monsters in the ocean.

Giant globe also in the map room.

Left: View of the Duomo Right: Pretty wallpaper.

After we were done exploring all of the rooms we decided to climb up and see the fortress/tower.

Left: A random lock. Right: A tiny window on our way up.

The view from the top was amazing! For awhile we were the only ones up there. An amazing view of the Duomo:

Left: The Duomo’s bell tower Right: City of Florence from up high.

After Palazza Vecchio we grabbed lunch and explored Piazza della Signoria. We also admired the statues in Loggia dei Lanzi, also known as the Loggia della Signoria.  After our lunch break we headed to the Uffizi. Again, we totally underestimated how much time we would spend inside. We ended up spending 4 entire hours inside, and probably would have stayed longer if our feet weren’t so tired! It is HUGE and there is so much to take in!

View from inside the Uffizi:

Even though our feet were incredibly tired I convinced Travis to walk along the river for a minute to see Ponte Vecchio:

For dinner that night we had a divine seafood pizza and salad located at the Piazza della Signoria.

A picture of us from that night:

The next day we decided to go to more museums on our list. First we went to see the Medici Chapel. No pictures allowed, but it was incredible. We grabbed an early lunch since it was raining when we left the building. After lunch we walked over to the Accademia. We literally walked right into the Accademia, it was crazy! Yet another reason to go to Italy during off season. This was the second time seeing the David and it was just as magical as the first time. It still remains one of my favorite parts of Italy.

Another one of my favorite parts of the Accademia are Michaelangelo’s unfinished works, called the “prisoners.” It seems as if there are people trapped inside the marble. It makes what Michaelangelo said so much clearer, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.”

Travis figuring out which way we need to go. He’s a master at directions:

After the Accademia it was still raining so we went the Galileo museum. It was a nice change of pace for us.  An entire museum dedicated to science, which Travis liked just a little more than the art museums. ;) It was incredible to see what Galileo and other scientists during the Renaissance discovered. You can also see Galileo’s finger! A little gem of a museum.

That evening it rained, and most people hurried inside. Unfortunately for Travis, I wanted to stay out and take pictures. Bless his heart, I have such a great husband!

A super cute old couple:

I love how bikes are everywhere! There is no public transit in the center, so you either walk or bike around.

We finished the day with a nice dinner:

Seafood salad. So yummy.

Gnocchi with gorgonzola and pear. I die.

The restaurant was right in front of my favorite carousel. So romantic..

A stranger took this picture of us. It was rainy and dark  so it isn’t perfect but I love it anyway. :)

Florence Part 2 coming soon!

xo

Previous Italy posts:

Italy Part 1: Assisi

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Logan - May 16, 2013 - 7:20 pm

I love the Prisoners!! I think they are so incredibly beautiful. Also, I don’t think we went into the Palazza Vecchio, but I am totally regretting it now. What incredible views! As always, I love all your photographs! It’s been so long since I’ve been to Florence, but all these photos have me itching to get back!