Valentine’s Day Round-Up

February 8, 2016 by Anna Dean Leave a Comment

Hey loves! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. I spent this beautiful Monday morning sipping my coffee, doing laundry, catching up on chores and browsing through some of my favorite blogs. I found so many lovely Valentine ideas. I thought I would share the cuteness with y’all. What are some ways that you going to let your special someone know they are loved this Valentines?

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How delicious do these DIY eclairs look from Camille Styles Blog?! Ahhhh!

I have a serious obsession with Anne Rifle Bond’s stationary brand, “Rifle Paper Co” and to me Valentine’s day screams florals. I would totally buy someone a gift just so I could use this precious wrapping paper!

These tassel balloons from Love Garlands on etsy are awesome!

These sea salt truffles from Lolli and Pops are to die for!! So is taking a trip to their candy store. I love the timeless vintage feel.

I don’t know about you, but buy me some pretty flowers and I will be your best friend forever. These peonies make me so happy! I’m also a sucker for rananculus. Image via pinterest.

Throw a beautiful valentine party for all your friends! Image via Magnolia Rouge.

Breakfast in bed anyone? Image via Pinterest.

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Loving this classic makeup look by Amanda Steele for valentines day.

I’m digging this eucalyptus heart wreath via The Earnest Home. It’s simple and pretty.

I am a sucker for stationary and cards! How fun are these designs from Belle and Union Co?! Even better, they are from TEXAS:)

Mail out some cute cards with these vintage stamps from Underwood Letterpress!

Heart nails? Okay!

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image via pinterest.

Check out this Valentines day gift box via Waffles and Honey!! Swooning over here!

Give your hubs this cute coupon for a free makeout sesh;)

It’s Valentines. Does that mean I can wear a flower crown and dye my hair pastel pink? Because, I totally will! Image via Ciara Richardson.

Life lately

October 6, 2015 by Anna Dean Leave a Comment

Y’all, sometimes (let’s be honest) a lot of the times life gets crazy & hard. I’ve learned that everyone has battles they are facing, but it’s about seeing the good in them. For the past several months I’ve been wayy out of my comfort zone working with my husband as a welder helper. If you know me then you are probably laughing thinking about me buffing pipe in my huge jumpsuit & hardhat lol! But anyways- so far we have worked in 6 states this year! It’s been hard & fun & interesting & freaking hot! And I thought about quitting around 29 times (a day). We usually work 7 days a week, 12 hr days & come home soaked in sweat & dirt. We don’t feel like doing a thing because we are SO tired. It is exhausting! Sometimes I complain but honestly I am thankful that we have a job & for the time I get to spend with Gary. (Like 24 hrs all day everyday bwahaha). We have laughed our faces off, driven a million miles, argued & gotten on each other’s nerves, stayed in strange hotels, met some really nice people, & seen some cool places. I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

Gary teaches me something new every single day. He is seriously brilliant & so hard working. After 3 1/2 years of marriage he never fails to impress me. Honestly I still can’t believe I get to be his wife. So many people ask us, “How do you spend all day working together without ripping each others heads off?” lol. I am not saying we are perfect, we have to work at it! But through everything, we have really learned to work well together. We argue but we know how to move on and get over it. I am so thankful that I got a chance to work with him. I respect & love him even more for it:) I will say that I definitely have a new appreciation for his job. Its hard work people. Being out in the heat all day is rough. Its hard being away from family & friends. It’s hard never knowing where we will be. It’s hard not being able to make any plans. But it’s okay! I am learning to let go & breathe & trust in God’s timing & plans for us. Plus, sometimes it ruins all the magic if you have your life all planned out:) And honestly I think it’s these years that we will look back on & find the most beautiful. These years of us just traveling around in this little camper of ours just going wherever life takes us:)

Finding your worth in Jesus

April 10, 2015 by Anna Dean 2 Comments

“It’s not who you are that holds you back, It’s who you think you’re not.” The truth is, we all struggle with not feeling good enough. Not smart enough, not pretty enough, not funny enough, not skinny enough, not successful enough. There is SO much pressure for us to be perfect all of the time. We constantly compare ourselves to others. Social media sites like Facebook and Instagram are filled with people who, in our eyes have it all together. But to be honest, we all have problems. Nobody is perfect.

I struggle with this a lot. It’s usually when I feel distant to God. When I’m not in the word. I let the lies of the devil creep in and steal my joy and tell me that I am not good enough. He tells me that my dreams are stupid and my story isn’t important. He tries to destroy the perfect plans that Jesus has for me. This is when I have to take a step back and remind myself of who I am in Christ. That I am made worthy through the blood of Jesus. That I don’t need validation from other people to be happy, because Jesus loves me and I am important to him. He started a good work in all of our hearts and he will complete it.

If you find yourself struggling with this too, it is important to stay in the word and pray. Don’t give power to your negative thoughts and love yourself for who you are. Appreciate where you are in life & all of the beautiful things you have already accomplished. It is so easy to get caught up in all of the things we haven’t done yet. We live in a society, where we always focus on what’s next. Be present. Live for today. Be patient with your journey. Have a heart of gratitude for everything that comes into your life. Praise the Lord in the good and the bad. Believe in your gifts. They are from God. He created you to uncover them and give them away for his glory. Don’t keep your gifts locked inside of you. The world needs them. The world can be better because of you. Remember that YOU matter. Your unique story matters.

*keep letting your light shine

xo,

Anna

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139: 14

“Have no fear; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:31

three year anniversary + our elopement story

March 24, 2015 by Anna Dean 2 Comments

Three years ago we ditched all of our wedding plans and ran away & got married under a hill country sunset. Y’all, I seriously thought I was living in a dream. The sun was shining, beautiful wildflowers were in bloom, and a perfect Texas breeze was blowing through my hair. Our hearts were racing, free & wild. We couldn’t wait another minute to start our adventure together.

Our original plan was to have a real wedding, but in the back of our minds we both dreamed of something simpler. Just him and I, somewhere beautiful, with no worries about whether or not we were getting all the “rules” of a wedding just right. We wanted that day to be stress free and to be fully focused on each other. Quite frankly, planning a wedding can be stressful & ridiculously expensive! We both kept saying, “goodness, we could go on a really awesome trip with all of this money we are spending!” So, despite the fact that we had already mailed our wedding invitations, our adventurous wild side got the best of us.

We hopped in the car & headed straight for the hill country. We found a sweet bed and breakfast in the heart of my favorite texas town- Round Top, which is known for its antique festival. The Prairie by Rachel Ashwell is simply a dream. We pulled up to charming cottages nestled among fields of beautiful bluebonnets. It just felt so peaceful and free. We knew right then that this was it. This was the place that we would give each other forever.

We gave our parents a phone call, telling them all about our change of plan. Even though there were some tears shed, all in all it went smoother than expected. I think they were just happy that we were doing what we really wanted to do. We hunted down a preacher from Round Top and we said our I do’s under a clear blue sky. After we got hitched, we drove into town & found a quaint garden where people were dancing under the stars to a bluegrass band. They dedicated a song to us & we had our first dance as a married couple. I will forever look back on that day and feel so much joy. Sometimes the things you felt in a moment are too big to be put into words. But it was perfect in every way possible. Eloping was seriously the best decision we have ever made. Rachel and the ladies at the prairie made our day unforgettable. Rachel is just as charming and down to earth as she seems. Amanda marie lackey documented our elopement. She does amazing AmAzing work and is just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen!!

I keep thinking “ There is no way we are going to be able to top that day!” but my hubby proves me wrong all of the time. I am so thankful God brought us together. He is so full of life and passion. He tries to act like a tough guy but he loves with his whole heart and would do anything for anyone. He is the hardest working man I have ever met. He inspires me to be a better person and to never give up on my sometimes silly dreams. I am still so in love with his soul and couldn’t be happier that I married that green eyed boy three years ago.

Anna

PHOTOGRAPHY:

http://amandamarieblog.com

VENUE:

http://www.theprairiebyrachelashwell.com

Hey everyone!

March 10, 2015 by Anna Dean 2 Comments

I’m Anna. I’m a 20 something Texas gal just admiring the beauty of this everyday life. I believe each day should be lived beautifully and authentically. After all, we only get this one life & Jesus called us to live it to the full. I am a professional photographer|antique dealer out on the road with my hunk of a husband & our sweet boxer pup. We live in our RV and travel wherever his job takes us. It may not be a fancy way of life but it is ours and I wouldn’t trade it for all the stars in the sky. Living this way has really taught me to appreciate the simple things in life & to trust in the Lord’s plan for us. Oh, and how to cook in a teensy kitchen! haha. When it is all said and done, I hope to have been a light that reflects Jesus’ glory & share joy and kindness to others. I am passionate about helping people and inspiring others to create a meaningful life. To love fiercely and freely & to always look at the world with new eyes. To dream of places you’ve never been before & to see the vastness of your light & carry it with you wherever you go. To simply live the life that Jesus created you to live.

So this is just a blog about our life, our travels, our souls. It won’t be perfectly written or spellchecked & maybe a little messy. Kind of like life itself. I mostly wanted to create a space to connect with you and share things that I am passionate about. Like photography, Jesus, traveling, décor, healthy living, music, diy projects and recipes. Just whatever I’m feelin’ really; ) I want to hear from YOU too. So introduce yourself..I would love to meet you! I can’t wait to be a part of the blogging community!

Keep letting your light shine

Anna

Anna Dean

A Photography & Lifestyle Blog

Valentine’s Day Round-Up

Life lately

Finding your worth in Jesus

three year anniversary + our elopement story

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