Simply Jessie » travel

Nathan and Stephanie. September 27, 2009.

Jessie — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:42:36 +0000

Nathan and Stephanie are two very special people , both individually and apart. Their wedding was about one another, and about being true to themselves. These pictures are filled with two people that are ridiculously in love ( its soooooo obvious ) and enjoying every minute of one another’s company. We laughed ALL day long. Stephanie is like sunshine everywhere she goes… The ceremony was at Irvine Park in St. Paul Minnesota. The grass was strewn with quilts and chairs for all to see them become one. It was simple, it was beautiful, it was them. These two are special to one another and to so many others. Thank you, thank you for allowing Eric and I to be such a big part of your very special day and for trusting us with capturing what the two of you have together. I’m not going to lie.. as I sat here editing…. I got teary when I was organizing this post just because of how you two look at one another. I thought several times last Saturday that THIS is why I love my job, THIS is how it SHOULD be.

We started off the day at the Stone Arch Bridge that connects St. Paul to Minneapolis. Nate walked from St. Paul… Stephanie from Minneapolis…

We escaped the harsh sunlight by ducking under the bridge…

Off to the Sculpture Gardens in Minneapolis… These are my favorites from the day. Incredible. These are the ones that make me choke up.

Irvine Park, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Since Nathan and Stephanie are both artists, their guest book were three canvases everyone painted on as they arrived.

The new Mr. and Mrs…..

Last but not least….(thanks to Eric’s long arm)

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Vacation – Part 2- Palouse

Jessie — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:41:49 +0000

For the second leg of our trip, we were in Eastern Washington visiting family and enjoying the wide open spaces. Eric’s grandfather, Otto, is an avid photographer and took us for hours through the Palouse, to select barns and photo opportunities. The Palouse is a region of the Northwest United States and it stretches from eastern Washington to Northern Idaho. It is incredibly rich farm land, largely wheat producing but also produces lentils, canola and barley. It is FULL of big sky, rolling hills, textures, historical barns and much more. It is largely unknown , so to have our own personal tour guide was invaluable. We only had a few hours, but I think you could spend at least a week photographing this region. In the spring, the rolling hills are all different shades of green. For our trip, most of the crops had been harvested already. I am hoping to return another time when it is full of green crops and wild flowers. It is such a vast and interesting part of the US.

My favorite image of the day.

It was amazing to stretch out, see wide open sky and wide open land. It gave both Eric and I space to breathe deeply. I mean, don’t you want to be here??!!

The next few pictures are from the top of Steptoe Butte. It is a quartzite island jutting out from the loess hills that surround it. It has a windy paved road that leads you to the top. I have no idea how far we could see.

This next picture is incredible. What you are looking at is land! I took this at an overlook from Steptoe butte with a 500mm lens. The lines you see within are from the agricultural equipment harvesting and tilling the land.

This lovely building was an old flour mill in a neighboring small town.

Wheat and more wheat!!

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Flip flops, tank tops and spanish moss

Jessie — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:19:06 +0000

The trip was a success! We made the long long drive and enjoyed the southern temperatures and Savannah’s charm. I wondered happily along in their historic district and down Broughton Street with some of their quanit shops. Everyone was extrememly friendly and I can’t remember the last time I had time like that just for me, and enjoyed it so. I was equiped with my camera and a little cash and had a wonderful time. The sunshine did wonders for my soul.

Here are some of the beautiful Savannah homes with the old live oaks.

Azalea buds ready to blossom....there were a few bloom but Savannah will soon be teeming with azaleas in full bloom!

Found a few azalea blossoms to enjoy.

Camelia bloom. Classic southern flower.

Broughton street has lots of quaint shops. One store after another of art, design, local coffee, restaurants, jewelry, unique clothing and more!

24e was a 2 story high end furniture store. It displayed Knoll pieces among others. They also work closely with the furniture design students at SCAD

Savannah Bee Company. This was one of my favorite places I went into. It was like a honey wine bar. You could taste each of their 7 honey's while an employee informed you of the bloom the bee pollinated, the differences of each flavor. I loved it and left with the Tupelo Honey. It was my favorite. A must stop place for Savannah!

I couldn't leave you all without a wonderful pic of the Spanish moss. I LOVE this stuff. It drapes from all the Live Oaks and is a constant reminder of where you are!

This is just one of many green spaces littered throughout this historic area. Every block you walk, the street is interrupted with these spaces of trees, benches and azalea bushes. Literally the streets go around each space with care preserving these sanctuaries. Look at the benches for insight into the size of these trees. It is hard to understand how wonderfully large and old they were.

Eric snapped this photo as we got back in the car to head back to Chicago. You should ALL go. It is wonderfully charming and friendly with many places to lay in the green grass and enjoy the coming spring!

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Heading to the south…

Jessie — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:33:36 +0000

Eric and I are headed to the south this weekend, Savannah Georgia. I am hoping for some fried chicken, homemade mac and cheese, flip flops and spanish moss. Stay tuned for some pics!!!

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