SISTER SNOW PORTRAITS

This was right before we got the flu on Sunday evening. It was horrible. We had to drive home on Christmas Eve from North Carolina. The snow was so gorgeous though. The light was beautiful and it was so much fun to put on scarves and sweaters. My mom sat inside and watched CSI while Hannah and I went on a walk. We tried to go through the woods...but we kept falling. It was a nice try though! Waking up to a white canvas draped over every tree, rock, and mountain is so beautiful. We went to town and shopped. We even ate lunch at this cute vintage bakery. I ordered a Chai Latte that tasted absolutely wonderful. A man saw me with my camera and asked me to come in another time and take some pictures and email them to him so he could post them on their website! I was so excited. Unfortunately, I was not able to get any pictures because we were in such a rush to get back to the mountain house. I even forgot his email that he told me. I remember his name was Jeff though! That's good. Maybe next time I will be able to grasp that opportunity. 

On Christmas Eve I woke up and was barely able to get out of bed. I sat there and munched on peanut brittle and sipped on hot tea. I basically lived of cough drops. They are like candy. We drove for nine hours and when we got home my mom, Hannah, and I went right to bed and I slept till 2:00pm on Christmas. 

We are all feeling a lot better now! Christmas was amazing. 

MESSY BUNS

It was extremely hot today and very humid. Florida can be awful sometimes. I wish it was cold and windy. Leaves are just beginning to fall from trees. It doesn't even feel like Christmas. But it isn't that hard to change! Just plug in the Christmas lights, eat peppermints, and play Christmas music. It fixes everything. I listen to Christmas music year round. There is no possible way that I can ever tire of listening to Scotty McCreery. I'm obsessed.

Today I spend the day doing homework, editing pictures, and taking walks with my sister. It was so much fun. Weekends are the absolute best. Exams are coming up and today was completely stress free. So wonderful! I wish every day was like this. I woke up at 2:00pm and made myself coffee. I worked on an exam and then spent time outside riding horses. I also went Christmas gift shopping and bought my special someone some presents. I'm so very excited. I then went on a walk with Hannah and while she listened to music, I took pictures. We actually looked like twins today! Today was a day where all I wanted to wear is oversized shirts and Nike shorts. And messy buns are always the best, right? And they are a lot harder than they look. Believe me.

LATE LEAVES

Yes, it is not fall anymore. I miss the colors. Florida never gets beautiful leaves. Every once and a while there are a couple trees spotted around town that have dull red and orange leaves dangling from branches. Fall colors are a rare treat for girls like us. Again this is another post about my family in North Carolina. Yeah...I'm just a tad bit obsessed.  It was the perfect day for a photoshoot so I picked my sister out some cute clothes and did her makeup. I love looking through these photos and remembering how much fun it was.

Walking through warm bright shades of reds, yellows, oranges, and browns that make crunching sounds with every step is one thing I absolutely adore about fall. The sound of a creek running in the distance becomes almost unnoticeable after you have been staying in our tiny cabin on the mountain for a couple days. There are always birds chirping in the background and trees swaying in the cool wind. It makes you want to pull out your favorite plaid shirt and warm shoes. When I picture fall...I imagine Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes, bright red nails and lip stick, moccasins, smokey eyes, messy hair, cute stockings, and tons of laughter. Fall is such a short season though. The beautiful colors only last for a little while. The trees become bare. The sun isn't as warm. The sweaters get replaced with jackets. It's depressing....but only for a bit. Soon it becomes winter. 

There is one person in this world who knows everything and I mean...everything about me. This human being is my other half. She is almost my clone. I am her and she is me. My twin is my everything. I love her so much. Having a twin sister is like having your best friend over every single day and having a slumber party every single night. We do our school together. We go shopping together. We stay up all night eating popcorn and watching horror movies together. She knows me inside and out. I can tell what she's thinking just by glancing at her. I know when she's mad, happy, sad, depressed, anxious, excited, bored, angry, annoyed, and even when she's lying or being truthful. She knows if I'm doing okay or if something is wrong even though she might be at the mall while I'm at home. We can sense each other's emotions through a single text or an email. I have no idea where I would be without her. Yes, we do have our arguments...But they honestly make us stronger. We know why the other person is mad and we know that no matter what we will always be together always. I plan on going to college with her, traveling with her, planning her wedding with her, and growing old with her. Our kids will be best friends and I always want to be where my twin sister is. She is absolutely gorgeous. Hannah, I love you. 

What greater thing is there for two human souls that to feel that they are joined - to strengthen each other - to be at one with each other in silent unspeakable memories. - George Eliot 

CHRISTMAS TREE SHOPPING

A couple weeks ago my sister Hannah and I went Christmas tree shopping. Our hair frizzed in the cool dry North Carolina weather and our makeup smudged. We drank hot cider and played hide and seek among the prickly trees. Christmas music played in the distance from the large white tent where the sent of hot chocolate drifted from. The smell of pine filled the air. I absolutely love looking for the perfect Christmas tree. Of course I brought my camera along and pretty soon we were distracted by taking pictures. We had so much fun. 

Every year my family drives eight hours up to the smokey mountains to get our tree. Something about the atmosphere of hundreds of trees in rows covering small hills surrounded by beautiful mountains is so magical. Every once in a while snow will leave a soft white blanket draping over everything as far as the eye can see. We look for the perfect tree and then strap it onto the top of our van and drive home. It is a tradition and we love it. 

Something I look forward to most is decorating the tree. All the colorful lights and the ornaments that make music when they clink against each other really make the holidays come alive. I adore sitting around the beautiful tree pulling decorations out of cardboard boxes with the sweet smell of sugar cookies filling the kitchen and a crackling fire sounding from the living room. Laugher and smiles make my heart swell. Christmas is coming upon us.