"I'm going to make everything around me beautiful -
that will be my life."
-Elsie de Wolfe
SEE THE
FAVORITES
emily mitton
I'm a believer in a kind of love that grows stronger over time and almost nine years in, I feel that way more than ever.
I was born in Tennessee and raised in South Dakota, running barefoot on our acreage, walking the gravel roads at sunset, riding horses, building forts in the cotton woods and loving that feeling of dirt in my hands and the sun on my shoulders. A love for hard work, a strong sense of ambition and a thriving appreciation for the purpose of beauty started there...
It's important to remember where we come from, but even more so to appreciate where we are in the present. You know how when you find an old picture from years ago you realize with fresh eyes how special everything was in that moment? Did you see it in the present, too?
Maybe that's why I love my job so much. Photographs have sharpened my senses and trained my eye to look for and soak in the beauty of the now while it's still happening; while it's fragile in the cast of our ability to receive, shape and appreciate it for all that it is. If I can seal this season in a time capsule of beautiful photographs for you to remember and look back on with tears in your eyes, then I'll count it a success, because around here, we believe love is worth waiting for, worth fighting for and worth celebrating.
But I'm not going to lie, I got a special one.
Pictures have a way of giving perspective.
Images by Rebekah Emily and Melissa Blythe
FAVORITES
SEE MORE
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I do like to cook, but really I just love me some good food! Tell me you can relate?! I'm always trying new recipes but rarely can turn down a night out on the town.
BEACHING
Moving to the East Coast has been a dream of ours for years, so you'll find us out here living the salt life, taking the ferries, watching for sea turtles and exploring local islands every chance we get.
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BOUTIQUES
I love a good brick & mortar boutique, but I'll admit that lately, I've been more into online shopping. Some of my favorites right now are Vici and Tusc.
THE FAVES
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RESTAuraNTS
favorites
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Magnolia Magazine
There's something so satisfyingly Pinterest-y about snuggling up with said-Chai-tea in hand and an old-fashioned print magazine in your lap.
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FARMGIRL FLOWERS
Burlap-wrapped and American-grown, these bouquets are designer quality, lush and homey.
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CHAI TEA LATTES
My chai tea latte order is open all seasons, but come winter, I have a special love for a simple dark hot chocolate and in the summer, an iced caramel high-rise.
I've written a list of 100 dreams... to own a boutique, learn how to sketch, sand surf in the desert, camp on the beach, tour Europe, publish music, study interior design, make pottery, go to culinary school, launch a podcast, take a safari trip with my boys...
I'm just getting started.
While I am exploring so many avenues in life that add depth and texture to my days, capturing the best of you and the one with whom you've chosen to journey through life remains a constant and increasingly fulfilling pursuit.
"Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover."
- Mark Twain
BEYOND
THE CAMERA
Ben
Meet
dream. create. repeat.
your life is a canvas
Born in Canada just north of New York, he spent the first part of his childhood with friends from Switzerland, the Netherlands and the UK. When his family moved Stateside just a mile away from Beltrami Island State Forest, exploring the heavily wooded northern region of Minnesota became a regular way of life.
He enlisted as an American Soldier when our relationship was just budding and spent the next nine years serving in the National Guard, obtaining Airborne and Air Assault training and deploying for the better part of a year in Kuwait before moving to the Air Force working in munitions as Staff Sergeant.
He's a certified diver, history buff, political junkie and my all-star second shooter.
EFFORTLESS
REAL STYLE IS
"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same."
- Emily Bronte
Meet Ben
Meet
CEDRIC
Photo by Melissa Blythe
He's seven going on seventeen... an avid reader, lover of all things nature and as confident and full of life as he is prepared with death-defying karate chops. If you're looking for a topic of conversation, ask him about his latest lego creation. Guarantee it will be different every time.
Cedric means "Battle Chieftain" and Paul (his middle name) means "Humble". Sometimes when he's running at full speed past sunset, Ben and I look at each other and with one slight raise of the eyebrow, non-verbally question our choice in selecting a warrior name.
EFFORTLESS
REAL STYLE IS
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."
- Lao Tzu
Meet CEDRIC
MEET
Photo by Melissa Blythe
SPARTAn
Spartan Alexander. A powerful name for such a sweet, fair-skinned baby, I know.
Spartan meaning "disciplined" and Alexander, "defender of mankind," encapsulates our belief that now, more than ever before, we need to be raising a generation of men and women with large, tender hearts and strong backbones. A rising tide of humans with vision, purpose and resolve; willing to sacrifice and stand firm in the brunt of resistance for causes worth advancing. Driven not for any love of the fight itself, but for the love of peace and the motivation of safe haven in the places we call home... embracing dearly those who need our tender attention and careful defense.
EFFORTLESS
REAL STYLE IS
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."
- Lao Tzu
Meet SPARTAN
