Posts tagged Seasons

Annika & Ray

Life in the city seems to speed by faster than normal, maybe it's because the city never sleeps. Stories formed here thrive by the glow of the skyline at night. Stories you point to and say "this changed us for the better".

I love to tell these stories - of couples and the closing of a chapter of their life kindled by a sacred connection with the city they love. So when Annika texted me to share the news about their upcoming move to New York (RIGHT when we were moving closer to Chicago!) I knew I had to tell their story.

We started in Lake Shore Park, where they got engaged, taxied to museum campus, where they'd run after work, and ended in their empty apartment.

Chicago Skyline Goodbye Story - Annika & Ray | Alicia Sturdy, #hitherandhold | www.aliciasturdy.com

Chicago Skyline Goodbye Story - Annika & Ray | Alicia Sturdy, Hither & Hold | www.aliciasturdy.com

As their moving boxes were packed waiting to be put on the truck, I asked them to take a few minutes to breath in the last moments here. To answer the question, "Without you, this city would have felt ___" and "Before you, this city felt ___". They whispered each other secrets kept only in their heart and now between just two.

To view the rest of the gallery, click here (http://printshop.aliciasturdy.com/gallery/annika-ray-goodbye-session/) and don't miss the special 10 second video preview of Annika & Ray's session ONLY on my Instagram (@aliciasturdy)!

marriageAliciaNovember 6, 2015Chicago, City Story, Connecticut Photography, Goodbye, Love, Moving, Seasons, SkylineComment

Sturdy Saturday - it's the weekend!

{To kick off the weekend – mosey on over here to enter my giveaway - one photoshoot in Connecticut, one shoot in the NY/MA/RI area}OK! The weekend is here! Here is what we're up to.EatLast weekend I made the most divine pot of glorious stew, Beef Bourguignon. Recipe here, courtesy of Ina of course.WearIt has been chilly here this week, and my fall clothes have been resurrected. This is a jacket that was literally in the back of my closet. I got it from a friend in a clothing exchange - and I've never worn it before! It's the perfect coat for walking through big piles of leaves on the perfect fall day. See what else I've been pinning for fall clothing inspiration.GoWe're in the city soaking up autumn in New York (why not?). Oh, and one other little thing, I'm running 20 miles today. 15 days until the New York City marathon!Don't forget - I'm giving away two photoshoots, click here for more details and enter today! Just think of those Christmas cards coming up...! Entries will be accepted until Sunday the 21st at noon EST.

Food, Giveaway!, Life, WeekendOctober 20, 2012Alicia Sturdy, Beef Bourguignon, City, clothing, Connecticut, fall, Giveaway, Ina Garten, Life, New York City, Photographer, Photoshoot, pinterest, Recipes, Rest, Saturday morning, Seasons, Story Comments

the hedbergs last hurrah.

They're moving in to a new season of life, and with that, moving out of New England. So, we wanted to do a little photo shoot to capture life in their little corner of New Hampshire. There was a lot of romping through fields, pulling over for "the perfect light" and of course a NH covered bridge. The best part? We ended the evening over a giant pizza at the best place in town.

We are here at their house again this weekend - the last weekend! We packed the kitchen, ate pringles & teddy grahams. We watched REV (our new favorite excuse for talking in British accents & testing Erikka's Kate Middleton IQ) and now we're sitting on the couch together watching Friends. So, bye bye my friends - we love you, we will miss you, and we will see you real soon.

UncategorizedMelissa LoveAugust 25, 2012Connecticut, Friends, Just Because, Ministry, New Hampshire, Photographer, Photoshoot, Seasons Comments

the hedbergs last hurrah.

So - my friends are moving.Erikka was my college roommate for two years, and is one of my best friends. Her husband Eric has been the director at a camp in New Hampshire for the past 5 summers. She moved there after they got married 4 years ago, and luckily last year when we moved to the East Coast this put us a mere 2 hours away from them.They're moving in to a new season of life, and with that, moving out of New England. So, we wanted to do a little photo shoot to capture life in their little corner of New Hampshire. There was a lot of romping through fields, pulling over for "the perfect light" and of course a NH covered bridge. The best part? We ended the evening over a giant pizza at the best place in town.We are here at their house again this weekend - the last weekend! We packed the kitchen, ate pringles & teddy grahams. We watched REV (our new favorite excuse for talking in British accents & testing Erikka's Kate Middleton IQ) and now we're sitting on the couch together watching Friends. So, bye bye my friends - we love you, we will miss you, and we will see you real soon.

Life, PhotosAugust 25, 2012Connecticut, Friends, Just Because, Ministry, New Hampshire, Photographer, Photoshoot, Seasons Comments

move forward.

My husband is a movie lover. All things movies, he loves. He is even one of those people who goes to the movies by himself (I shouldn't make fun of him, I am one of those people who eats alone at a restaurant). One of the movies he loves (don't judge) is Just Friends with Ryan Reynolds. It. Is. Ridiculous. But - so quotable.One of my favorite, most quoted clips from the film is when Anna Faris sings a song called "Forgiveness". It's hilarious and just plain silly, but something about it today has one line stuck in my head.Forgiveness is more than saying sorry.I just came out a season that was hard on my soul. I felt I was wandering, reaching out to grasp whatever thought, idea, identity seemed to be "right", and ended up not lost, but wandering. As I move farther away from that time, and thankfully have had friends to ask me the right questions (at times hard questions) - I have done a myriad of things in the name of "forgiveness". I have confronted and emailed those who I have felt hurt by, those whom I've hurt, I have journaled letters never sent, I have asked God to please help me "get over" feeling the anger and frustration I had. But yet, at the end I still felt "wronged".How did I get here? And where is here? I hadn't really moved. I have gone through the steps, the motions of forgiveness. I was trying to fake it til I made it for crying out loud! Why was I still so angry?And then one Monday morning, I was talking on the phone to a dear friend who has walked along side me through this, and she said a simple statement - "I think you just need to forgive."Although she has said this to me 100s of times, I know the Lord put my heart in a place where I could truly hear it clearly. A place where I could understand forgiveness is more than an email, more than "still being right", more than feeling justified. Even now, my phone just lit up with a text message from a girl in our youth group at church. It was one of those chain text-message pictures people send around, but I couldn't see the picture clearly, only the word "Forgiveness" light up on the screen. The first thought flashed through my head, "WHO can see my computer?! That I'm about to write this!?" Nobody of course - but I'm going to take that as one more little sign from God that this truly is the right road to keep traveling. That I have truly forgiven not only in my head, but in my heart. And I need to continue doing that not just today, but every day.No matter the history, no matter the hurt. Without looking back, forgiveness means letting go. Giving it over. And moving forward.

Deeds, Life, My Faith-, Thoughts, WordsAugust 13, 2012forgiveness, God, Me, Movie Quotes, Seasons Comment

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