I've Got The Month Of May

Photo cred: Meagan Abell

May has been so very good to me.
There have been beautiful not too hot, not too cold, almost-summer-nights filled with good conversation, notebooks and journals bursting with new, happy and interesting thoughts and revelations, fun lists made, ears filled with new music, cameras chock full of photos, rolls of film in need of developing, new freckles, new books, weddings and engagements, some goodbyes along with some hellos, an astounding amount of new likes on the Facebook page (I still just can't get over it, you guys are awesome), the most profitable month yet with my business, new loves, discovery and many many new and exciting adventures, dreams and plans in the works.
Pretty much all of my favorite things.

Thanks for being swell May.
I know you'll be just as lovely next time you come around, but thanks for being especially nice this time.


Vanished Frontier

source

This was a photo I found around this time last year, and it's remained sort of a staple image for me when I think of road trips. Especially cross country ones.
Remember when I talked about how I, as a photographer, think of and see everything as a photo?
Well I guess this sort of ties in with that.

It's been a dream of mine to do a road trip across the United States for quite some time now. I don't really know when it started, but I imagine most people have a desire to do it at one time or another.
I mean how could you not?
Maybe it's even something, as an American, you're just born with wanting to do.
Especially if you've ever had a taste of out West. 
Which I am fortunate enough to have had, with many adventurous family vacations and trips to New Mexico, Idaho, Arizona, Montana, Nevada, Wyoming, etc.
And then of course recently California.
(Photos from which I still plan on sharing once I get through wedding season!)

There's just something so mysterious and romantic about the home of the vanished American frontier.
It's vastness, it's beauty, it's ungraspable wonder.
I don't know if it is just because I am an American, and this is my home, but there's something that makes me want/need, to explore it and see it, touch it and feel it and experience it in the most real way possible, in as many ways possible.

Life According To Instagram

This week I...

-Went sailing! Photos forthcoming. Obviously.
-Read five books. And started two more. Summer reading has been going most excellently (I know I know, it's not technically summer yet...)
-Shared a new favorite quote
-Shot TWO weddings in one weekend! Oh it was so much fun. I cannot wait to share the photos!
-Announced a super awesome giveaway! Make sure you check it out.
-Talked about routines
-Shared a verse I read and especially loved


Follow me on Instagram at @agirlnamedleney


He Will Quiet You With His Love

Shot with 35mm film/Minolta x-700

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. 
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing" 
-Zephaniah 3:17

I read the above verse this morning during devotions and it just really hit me.
How amazing and perfect God's love is.
It's overwhelming sometimes.
He loves us so much.
His love is so great and so vast that it can calm even the most drastic and extreme fears.
His love can reassure and comfort us like nothing else can.
What an incredible thing that is.
I'm letting His love quiet me today.
Letting it envelop me and embrace me and cover me completely.
You'd think it'd be a suffocating sort of thing. 
A love that big.
But it's one of the most, if not the most, freeing things in existence.


Blog Design Giveaway With The 25th Hour


I'm super excited to share this giveaway with you all today!
Up for one lucky reader is a free blog design package (a $150 value) from Melissa of The 25th Hour!

 Melissa recently launched MAV Designs, where she offers graphic design and photography services. You can browse her portfolio website or check out her lifestyle blog, The 25th Hour.

This girl is fabulous. I'm speaking from personal experience here. She's featured me on her blog, as well as bought a few of my knits, she's used her design skills to help me tweak a few things here and there on my own blog, as well as make those cute tabs on my Facebook page!
She's so super talented and such a pleasure to work with. 
Again, I'm speaking from personal experience.
She's the bees knees. :)
Read on for how you can enter to win!


* Blog design giveaway*
Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry...

{Mandatory Entries}
Follow The 25th Hour via Bloglovin
Follow A Girl Named Leney via GFC or Bloglovin


{Additional Entries}

Like The 25th Hour on Facebook
Like A Girl Named Leney on Facebook
Follow Melissa on Twitter
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Follow Melissa on Instagram
Follow A Girl Named Leney on Instagram
Tweet about giveaway and leave a link
Facebook about giveaway and leave a link
Blog about giveaway and leave a link

Remember, the more entries the more chances you have of winning!
Giveaway ends June 4th at 12am EST

*Winner will receive the Sweetheart Blog Design Package valued at $150*

Check back to this post next, next Tuesday to see if you've won!
Good luck everyone!

Routines

Shot with 35mm film/Minolta x-700

I've become somewhat of a morning person this past month or so.
There's something rather lovely about waking up and getting your day started when the sun is getting started too.
It also has to do with the feelings of this quote.
Coffee has also become quite a routinely thing for me in the mornings as well.
I don't even think it's really the aspect of "I have to have it or I will be a zombie for the rest of the day", because honestly I'm quite fine without it (then again maybe I'm just not addicted yet). 
But I like the routine of it. 
The act of going downstairs, heating up a cup of it and walking back upstairs with it to do devotions and check email and get my day started.
It's nice to have little routines sometimes.
It gives you a starting point for things.
A point at which you can know how things are going to turn out afterwards and plan accordingly from there.
Granted we should always hold our routines loosely and remain flexible, because there will inevitably be unforeseeable changes and interruptions at times, but I think it's okay to have them still.
Just so long as they don't become the end all be all for us.



Life According To Instagram

This week I...

-Posted a second Fashion Friday's post!
-Finished reading The Sun Also Rises. Loved it. So happy to be reading on a regular basis again.
-Introduced a new feature called Things I Love Thursday
-Had a fun travel themed shoot with a pretty beautiful gal. Photos coming soon!
-Went to THE BEACH. Oh it was glorious. A very needed little getaway from work and busyness.
-Shared some photos of a recent out of town adventure
-Talked about some just givens
-Found some photos from a favorite rainy day



Follow me on Instagram at @agirlnamedleney

Forgotten Places

These photos were taken a little over a month ago while location scouting for this engagement session.
Kourtney has shown up on the blog before, and I always love photographing her because (once you see the photos you won't need to take my word for it) she's gorgeous.
Not to mention one of my dearest friends.
I'm not biased about her beauty though.
Promise.
I loved this little abandoned house we found. 
We didn't end up using it for the engagement session, but it made for a perfect spot for an impromptu mini shoot.
Forgotten places are often just right for that sort of thing.
It almost brings a little remembrance and beauty back to them.
And I like that.


See?
I told you she was beautiful.


Fashion Friday's: Second Shooting

Hurray!
Finally another Fashion Friday's post.
This was an outfit I wore while second shooting a wedding with Meagan last week.
General rule of thumb when shooting a wedding: Always wear something with pockets.
There's always a rushed moment where you have to have another memory card, battery, or stick a lens cap or business cards somewhere. And it's hard to have your camera bag on you 24/7.
Second rule of thumb: Wear comfy shoes.
When shooting a wedding you are pretty much on your feet from morning until late at night. It's a long day. A fun and super exciting day, but still long!
So you want your feet to not hate you afterwards.
Especially because you will inevitably start dancing along to Thrift Shop during the reception.
You know, at some point.
It's just a given.



Outfit details
Skirt- Vintage (used to be my Aunts when she was my age actually!)
Belt- Vintage (thanks Mom)
Shirt- Primark
Shoes- Thrifted and given to me by my pen pal  (Thanks Alex!)
Watch: Michael Kors
Sunglasses: Asos
Striped Bag: Baggu
Brown Camera Bag: Vintage via Etsy

All photos by Meagan Abell