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The finish line in eye site! Just one week left and we are almost there! I don’t have a theme for this week. Maybe cravings? But they didn’t overtake my life or anything. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” maybe? Because this week was really all about the pre-planning to make sure that we stayed on top of our game.

If I could describe the first week of clean eating in one word, it would be overwhelmed. The biggest blow came when I realized that we would not be able to eat Chipotle (they use rice bran oil, which is a highly processed oil, and a no go for clean eating). Which meant, that we would be eating in absolutely every meal of the day. As the main cook in the house and the meal planner, that meant that a lot of work fell onto my shoulders. Thank goodness my husband was home on grocery shopping day to help out.

Grace and Trevor are one of the winners of my engagement session giveaway!  They won an engagement session at one of my favorite new locations: The White Tanks.  They are the first couple I have gotten to photograph in this location, and I know they will not be the last!  I absolutely love the views of the desert and the mountain range behind them.  It is a combo that simple cannot be beat.  And all of my fellow West Siders will be glad to know that the Superstitions is not the only spot for epic desert views.

I just realized that I have not really taken a day off in months. Much less two-days off in a row. When I was working a corporate job, the weekend is when I would do things around the house. And while it is easy for me to pop in a load of laundry while working from home, it seems to take a week for that laundry to get put away. There is also the other “I’ll get around to it” tasks that seem to go undone now that I don’t have a dedicated weekend.So, I am planning on taking a few days off (once I finish editing my March weddings and sessions) to take care of some nagging things around the house. I am putting this out there so the universe holds me accountable. I will totes post an update after my days off, so you and the universe knows I kept to my word.

My husband and I were out hiking on Sunday and I casual mentioned the idea of doing a clean eating month. I am not sure if we were talking about diet before this statement, but this idea quickly turned into a reality. We started talking about clean eating for the month of April (just a week away) and before I knew it, we were looking up guidelines, recipes, and making a plan.

Breanne and Caleb had a romantic wedding over looking the Superstition Mountains at the Superstition Manor in Mesa.  Breanne and Caleb met in college and the rest is history.  They call Oregon home with their borador (part lab and part border collie pup).  Breanne grew up in Arizona looking at the Superstition Mountains daily, so she knew that had to be the backdrop for their wedding.  We met when I photographed her cousin’s wedding a few years ago, and was so excited when she contacted me about photographing her wedding!  And even more excited when she told me it was at the Superstition Manor and they were having a Beer Burro!    

Christi and Nate were one of my engagement session winners!  We originally planned to have a fun engagement session in the snow, but Arizona had other plans.  The first weekend we had scheduled, it was going to be 40 mph winds and rain!  What?!  We were able to reschedule, but not until after the snow had melted.  So, we decided to head to Buffalo Park so we could at least get some amazing photos with Humphreys Peak covered in snow as the backdrop.  We had a blast exploring Buffalo Park together.  The pine trees were so green from all the winter snow and rain we had this year.  And we still got those winter feels with the snow covered peaks!  

Once you have found a photographer whose style you like and pricing matches your budget, how do you make sure they are a seasoned professional?  Here are 5 quick questions to ask your photographer that will separate the newbies from the true professionals.

Andrea & Matt were married at The Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch. This was my first time at this venue, and I am in love. There are so many great areas for photos, including areas by the suits where they got ready! (Not to mention, there was a pool table in one of their suites!) Matt and Andrea’s ceremony was at the Paradise Park lawn, which is a secluded green courtyard surrounded by Spanish colonial breezeways. Their ceremony backdrop was an amazing rustic gate covered in the most amazing flower arrangements by Bloom + Blueprint. Are you in love with this venue yet? Because I have not even gotten to the amazing desert garden or the lush walkways!

Michelle and Daniel chose a location I have never been to before for their engagement session: The Mesa Arts Center. I had been in the area before (attending many a concerts at The Nile a block away), but never the arts center. After some heavy creeping the location on Google, I was so excited! They were drawn to the arts center because of its more modern look. I loved the industrial concrete walls that were sprinkled with pops of color and greenery. It was the best of both worlds!