* happiness *

Today, I am running on that high that comes from having gone mall-shopping for the first time in months. 

From wearing two ponytails while tripping around the mall because none of my friends or sisters were with me to be embarrassed. (Moms don't suffer humiliation from pig-tailed daughters--they're cool like that.) 

From defying the odds by finishing the huge burrito and the adorable strawberry shortcake cupcake. 

From having just bought the cutest blue-and-white striped dress this side of heaven. The coupon code and unexpected free shipping brought it to only $18. I love everyone.

From having the comforting assurance of a cinnamon-roll-and-Mexican-love-song-filled, breakfast-in-bed-with-a-movie, photo-editing, Gone With the Wind reading kind of Saturday stretched out in front of me. 

From finally being caught up with my crazy life so I can post here again. Because I missed you. {:(

From sitting here in my plush pink pajama pants with margaritas and polka dots and strawberries on them,

and posting sunshiney pictures. : )

On St. Patrick's day, I got to do a long-awaited photo shoot with my seriously lovely friend Rebekah... the one who my brother is courting. : )

Our prayers for a dry couple hours in the middle of our moody spring were answered. On our way to downtown Vancouver, we were literally driving out from under the grouchy black rainclouds, into the sparkley sunshine. There was even a rainbow. I LOVE GOD. 

The fact that the cherry blossoms were starting to bloom made everything even better. : ) Plus I was wearing hot pink fingernail polish. That's a win/win situation right there.

Rebekah is crazily photogenic. She looked amazing in basically every single one of the 500 photos that I took.

Basically, right when I started to love doing photo shoots and portrait photography, thanks to my DSLR, the sun disappeared from our lives here in Oregon. So I hadn't gotten to play with sunshine at all in my photo shoots.

Suffice it to say, I am now in love with the sun in a major way. I mean, we were always close, but now I have experienced the thrilling delight of incorporating it into photography, and now I scream, "please please please sun, never leave me!" even more often.

She could totally be a supermodel.

Right about here I was like, "Rebekah, why in the world don't you have a fashion blog?? I could be your photographer..." : ) 

Her style is gorgeous, plus she's a natural poser.

Polka dot umbrella--yes.

The most rewarding thing about this photo shoot was how happy it made my brother. : ) We looked at the pictures together and he kept smiling and saying, "She's so pretty..." in a sighing, satisfied, dopey kind of way. 

Now I'm off to eat delicious and unhealthy food and watch a movie in bed. Let me know if you have any Netflix-instant suggestions. : )