GEORGIA ON MY MIND...

illustration by mike lowery

I'm heading out to Atlanta later this week to shoot a wedding and I love this little illustration I came across - I hope I have time to try Holy Taco as well as check out that little cemetery on the left with the cute ghost...

Traveling and getting to explore new cities is one of my favorite parts of my job. And I actually really look forward to plane rides because it's one of the only times I can sit around and watch an entire season of a new show on my laptop or read a bunch of magazines and not feel guilty... One thing I do want to do differently for this trip however, is pack up some yummy, healthy food. Plane food makes me sick, airport food is junk, but I think bringing along these golden potstickers by 101 Cookbooks might be just the ticket!

xo

PALM SPRINGS ON FILM...

 I shoot 100% digital for all my professional jobs, but I love shooting film for fun. Yes, I love the way it looks, but my favorite part is definitely where I don't have to do any editing afterwards... Instead of spending hours trying to get the colors juuuuust right, I get the scans back from my lab and assume that however the image looks is exactly how it's supposed to look. Done! Easy!

Anyways, these are from a recent trip out to The Ace in Palm Springs to attend a welcome home celebration for our friend Mary who just spent the last 6 months volunteering at an orphanage in Uganda. You can see more photos from the event on instagram using the hashtag #maryshipsterhomecoming (Mary's Hipster Homecoming). She's starting a company called We Spread the Love and will be returning to Uganda later this year - if you go to her website you can learn more about what they're doing and how you can help and donate. You can also follow along on instagram at @wespreadthelove.

xo

TULUM

I just got home from my first visit to Mexico and it was even more amazing than I had hoped for! Sarah and I stayed at Ahau Tulum with a room right off of the beach. It was so relaxing and magical that a few days in, I could barely even remember what my life in L.A. looked like. All I wanted was for Rodney to pack up the dog and the cat and fly down to Tulum where we could live happily ever after.

While I'm thrilled to be reunited with my family and excited to get back to work (lots of fun projects and things in the works!!), I'm not going to lie, it's a little rough being back right now. Only because, while I was gone, Rodney began remodeling our kitchen (yay!), but the house is crazy right now! If you've ever lived through a remodel, then you know. I've been confined to working from bed the last 2 days (not as fun as it sounds) because there's plastic covering the entire living room & everything else (drawers, pots, pans, dishes, food, towels, etc) is piled so high in my office that I can't reach my desk! But, I know it will all be worth it - I took photos before he started and I'll do a little "Before & After" post when it's done - you won't believe how different it looks!!

The photo above is one of my favorite iphone photos from the trip. To see more, check out my Instagram.

xo

HASTA LUEGO...

image by stephan wurth for vogue mexico, may 2010

I've been talking about it for weeks and now it's actually happening - I'm on my way to Mexico! I'll be staying in the jungle somewhere so I may or may not have access to the internet. So, if you're a client trying to order prints or email me or anything like that, I'll be back on Thursday 2/21.

Meanwhile, how great is this photo? I want to be on a beach so badly! That sand looks like it's made out of flour. I'm crossing my fingers that it's really warm and sunny the whole time we're there.

I hope everyone has a happy valentines day! Rodney and I celebrated last night with dinner at Lucques (so good!)

xo

PRETTY FLY

I'm heading out to Mexico in just a few days and have been trying to figure out what to pack. So, while it was on my mind, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite flying essentials. I have to be super comfortable on the plane, but I don't want to look like a total mess. ;)

1. David Lerner Footed Leggings - did you see that? Footed leggings! Which means you can wear cute easy to slip on and off flats and not have to walk through security barefoot.

2. Rebecca Minkoff Oliver Bag (pictured here in 'sand') - big, beautiful hobo bag - carry on everything you need: wallet, ipad, passport, a lightweight blanket, magazines and then some!

3. Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent, Sage Embroidered Flats - comfortable and they slip on and off in a flash (and you don't have to be barefoot in the gross airport because of your awesome new leggings!)

4. Lala Beach Blanket by Lemlem - it's lightweight and small enough to squish into your purse, but big enough to use as a blanket on the plane and if you're headed somewhere warm and sunny, well, it is a beach blanket.

5.Helmut Lang Round Neck T-shirt - planes make me feel gross and bloated and the terrible food I eat in the airport (Burger King) and on the plane (one of each kind of snack pack, please) doesn't help. So I like clothes that are stretchy and loose and hide how awful I feel.

6. A lucky necklace. This one is a Mini Nameplate Necklace from Baublebar. I always loved Carrie's "Carrie" necklace on SATC. And while I watch the show now and think a lot of stuff is dated, that necklace is still just as cool to me. Anyways, flying makes me a little nervous, so I always wear a lucky necklace. :)

The only thing missing from this list would be a long, lightweight cardigan. I suggest this one from Free People. I need something that is long enough to cover my butt, because leggings are not pants. I also want something light so that it doesn't feel like an ordeal taking it on and off at security and if I decide I don't want to wear it on the plane, I want something I can just toss in my purse.

Do you have anything you love that makes traveling easier? I'd love to hear about it!

xo

2012 IN INSTAGRAMS

(Actually, there's a shot that snuck in here from 2013). But, otherwise, here's a a quick look at some of my adventures (and my animals) last year. Rodney and I were really lucky to take a bunch of trips. A road trip to San Luis Obispo for my birthday, Scotland, Hilton Head Island, Paris & Provence for our belated honeymoon, and one of my local favorites: Palm Springs...!

There's already a lot of exciting things planned for this coming year, including a trip to Tulum, Mexico next month with my friend and fellow Birds of a Feather photographer, Sarah. I'll definitely be taking lots of photos, so be sure to follow along on instagram (jenlaurengrant)!

xo

HONEYMOON // PART 2 // PROVENCE

Here are some images from the second part of our honeymoon spent down in the French countryside. We stayed at the Hotel Le mas Saint Joseph in Saint-Remy-de-Provence.

HONEYMOON // PART 1 // PARIS

So, with our two year anniversary just around the corner, Rodney and I were really happy to finally be able to take our honeymoon. We split our time between Paris and Provence (which I'll be sharing soon). Paris was wonderful - it was a bit rainy most of the time we were there, but we didn't mind. Something about a little rain seems fitting in Paris. We stayed in the Latin Quarter and ate at lots of little cafes, took a dinner cruise along the river Seine, went to the Louvre, Notre Dame, the opera, and took a little day trip to the Chateau de Versailles. We ate breakfast in bed almost every morning and would buy fresh cheese, a baguette, and fresh fruit from a local farmer's market to have as a midnight snack most nights. We stayed in two different hotels in Paris. The first was the Hotel des Deux Continents and the second (and our favorite) was the Residence Henri IV - I think our favorite part was the 2 little rooftop balconies we had in our room. On our last day, we attached a lock with ribbons from our wedding to the Pont des Arts bridge. You're supposed to then throw both keys in the river, but I kept one to make a keepsake Christmas ornament with.

I wish we were still there.

FRANCESTAGRAMS ...

So, Rodney and I got back into town a few days ago and we immediately shot a wedding and now I'm feeling pretty blah. I'm doing my best to fight it off with Airborne & OJ. I've also been eating THIS recipe for quinoa, black bean, and avocado tacos that Sarah posted on A House in the Hills recently, which she says helped her jet lag. It's also a good little detox from all the cheese & baguettes I was eating.

Here are a few Instagram photos from our trip. I'll be posting more "professional" photos soon.

I'd also like to say that I'm going to really try to blog more frequently (I'm pretty sure that's the 10th time I've said that since I started blogging a couple years ago... but this time I mean it!)

I hope everyone is enjoying their 3 day weekend!

xo

WE'RE GOING TO PARIS

photo: GETTY IMAGES

I'm so excited because Rodney and I will finally be heading off on our honeymoon at the end of this month! We've been married almost 2 years now, so I was getting a little worried that the whole honeymoon thing wouldn't happen at all. Then, about a week ago, we pulled the trigger and bought some tickets. We'll be in Paris for a few days, then we'll make a trip down to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence for a few more days and then back up to Paris again. You guys, you have no idea how much I'm looking forward to this. 

Anyone have any restaurant recommendations or things we MUST do while there (besides the obvious like the Louvre, Notre Dame, etc)? 

I found this image recently on Pinterest, and I think we're going to have to do this.  From the blog, Twisted Sifter: "Lovers fasten padlocks to the railings of the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris. The couple then toss the keys into the Seine river below, symbolizing their eternal love." I'm going to buy a pretty gold padlock before we go and tie some ribbons leftover from our wedding to it.

photo: PHILLIPPE GARAVEL

For my clients, this won't impact photos being delivered within the time-frame you've already been given, however, I won't be able to fulfill print orders or respond to emails while I'm away. 

xo

SCOTLAND

SCOTLAND // as some of you know, Rodney and I shot a wedding last month in Peebles, Scotland. It was the most incredible experience and one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I'll be posting photos from the wedding soon!