* Fair warning there are a lot of photos. You may want to look at from your desktop, because it might take a while on a phone. We hope you enjoy them.*

We decided to have some fun with our engagement photos, and since Jessica is a photographer we did our own shoot. It was fun, a bit crazy, sometimes challenging, we both felt a bit glamorous, and Jack learned more about photography in the process.

1. Gather images from the 1920's to 1930's. Study the lighting, poses, expressions, clothing, hair, and makeup. 

2. Shop. Locate a brown herringbone suit and vest for Jack, with a paisley tie, and a gold chain to tuck into his vest. Include his new two tone, wingtip, oxford shoes that we picked out for his wedding suit. 

3. Get a long gown and vintage jewelry for Jessica. Try to find shoes that represent a bit of the 1930's.

4. Jack cuts his hair. This is a BIG deal! He has had the same style of hair since the mid 70's, and we're both in complete shock still that he did it! He also cut off most of his facial hair until he shaped the perfect pencil mustache.

5. Discuss the location. We decided on the Columbia Gorge Hotel in Oregon. It is a 6 hour drive from where we live in Idaho. We went there on a whim a couple years ago in 2013. We were tired from driving from a trip to the OR coast, pulled in, got a room, and had a fantastic time! It was beautiful, authentic feeling, and the food was amazing. (We ate the same meal that we had back in 2013. Only this time we had much better service. Our server was incredibly friendly to talk with. The wine and food was as good as it was back then too.)  It was hands down the "it" location for us to go back and make another memory. Last time we were there we took photographs starting at midnight and up to a few hours into the morning, so we decided to do that again, since the hotel was a full house for Memorial weekend this year. We did take some during the next day though. 
 
6. Include some images at  Jessica's new in home studio. 


*Click on image to view.

Just a few getting ready shots.

Some photos of Columbia Gorge taken from our first trip back in  September 2013. It is a special memory for us, and we had so much fun running around this old hotel and taking photos. We pulled in, tired, and wanting to rest, but we ended up staying awake until 4 in the morning. Then we got up early, after only a couple hours sleep and went back at it shooting during the day. We did a handful of shots trying to get a "ghostly" feel to the images. Plus, there is a really cool shot I took of a comet over the hotel that night!

Thank you for visiting our new site, and viewing all these photos. They are special to us, and really hope you love them. We are so excited to finally be engaged. Please stay tuned for upcoming blogs, and when we reveal where we are getting married! ;) Feel free to share the blog/site/ comment below. P.S. if you want to do a fun theme shoot/couple shoot contact Jessica over at her photography website.

Glorious Greens
 
 Green vegetables are the foods most commonly missing in modern diets. Learning to incorporate dark, leafy greens into the diet is essential to establishing good, strong health. When you nourish yourself with greens, you may naturally crowd out the foods that make you sick. Greens help build your internal rainforest and strengthen the blood and respiratory system. Leafy green vegetables are also high-alkaline foods which may be beneficial to people exposed to higher amounts of pollution in urban areas. The alkaline minerals in our bodies are used to neutralize acidic conditions caused by the environment. Green vegetables will help to replenish our alkaline mineral stores and continue to filter out pollutants (1). Green is associated with spring, the time of renewal, refreshment and vital energy. In Traditional Chinese medicine, green is related to the liver, emotional stability and creativity.
Nutritionally, greens are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and vitamins A, C, E and K. They are loaded with fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals. Although choosing organic is recommended, eating non-organic greens is still preferable to not eating any greens at all!

Some of the proven and possible benefits of consuming dark leafy greens are:

• Blood purification
• Cancer prevention
• Improved circulation
• Strengthened immune system
• Promotion of healthy intestinal flora
• Promotion of subtle, light and flexible energy
• Improved liver, gall bladder and kidney function
• Cleared congestion, especially in lungs by reducing mucus

 
There are a wide variety of greens to choose from, so try to find options that you will enjoy and eat often. If you get bored with your favorites, be adventurous and explore new greens that you’ve never tried before. Broccoli is one option which is very popular among adults and children. Also try to include bok choy, napa cabbage, kale, collards, watercress, mustard greens, broccoli rabe, dandelion and other dark, leafy greens. Green cabbage is great cooked or raw, or in the form of sauerkraut. Arugula, endive, chicory, lettuce, mesclun and wild greens are generally eaten raw, but can be consumed in any creative way you enjoy. Spinach, Swiss chard and beet greens are best eaten in moderation because they are high in oxalic acid, which inhibits the absorption of the calcium these foods contain (2). However, rotating between a variety of green vegetables shouldn’t cause any nutritional consequences in regards to calcium (3).
 
Cooking Greens
Try a variety of methods like steaming, boiling, sautéing in oil, water sautéing, waterless cooking or lightly pickling (as in a pressed salad). Boiling helps greens plump and relax. Boil for under a minute so that nutrients do not get lost in the water. You can also drink the cooking water as a health-giving broth or tea if you’re using organic greens. Steaming makes greens more fibrous and tight, which helps you feel fuller, longer. This is a great method to help curb your appetite for those trying to lose weight (4). Raw salad is also a wonderful preparation for greens. It’s refreshing, cooling and supplies live enzymes.