The Proposal

I hope you are sitting down and have a bit of time on your hands because this is going to be a long and descriptive story!!!

So it all started a few days before my handsome man (MHM) would be arriving. 

My sister Megan was convinced that MHM was going to propose while he was visiting this time.

I had told her about his instructing me to pick a nice place to eat with a view of the water and that I had to dress "nice".

Of course she immediately tells me I need a new dress and she was pretty sure he was going to propose there.

I was not so convinced and told her I had way too many clothes as it was and if I bought a new dress for proposal purposes that would mean I was expecting it! 

Well the day came and I had two outfits picked out, I let him choose which one I would wear.

We stopped on the bay and enjoyed the sunset, no proposal.

We went to dinner (delicious), No Proposal.

We decided to take a night walk on the beach and enjoyed watching the waves roll in......NO PROPOSAL!

We went home and all I could think was a very smug(and mature;)) "I told you so Megan."

The next day MHM said he just wanted to relax the whole day and maybe just do dinner closer to home in Dothan that night.

 I had mentioned before he got here that I had recently shot a maternity session in the creek and I would love to take him back there! 

He brought that idea up and we decided that was what we were going to do, ALAS, to my dismay he didn't bring his swim trunks!

I was really looking forward to getting into the water but I wasn't going in without him so he suggested I just bring my Camera and we go for a small hike.

I agreed and we packed the bug spray, my camera, water, and more bug spray! 

And we were off! 

 I had taken MHM to the creek once or twice before but this time I went in from the opposite side.(Important part of the story)
We ran into this guy's web and decided that was as good a place as any to start our walk. 

The creek is one of my favorite places in the world and it's mostly because of how peaceful it is.
The first time MHM and I were able to be alone and hang out for an hour or more was when I took him on a tour of the creek.

And just like that hot day in August of 2011 we ran into spiders EVERYWHERE!

He also kept tripping the same way he did and always does! 

Well while he carried my camera bag and led the way I followed along taking pictures of all of the little pretties and he would pause and wait for me to catch up. 

He would point out different angles for me and kept looking for a place narrow enough to cross the creek.  

He wanted to go back to the enormous cypress stump we had seen on our first visit to see how much it had changed in four years.

But the creek never seemed to be narrow enough to cross and neither one of us wanted to walk in the water with our tennis shoes on!

Did I mention the spiders everywhere?
This wolf spider had a ton of babies on her back!

After finally realizing we weren't going to be able to cross I suggested we head back since a mosquito had bitten me in the middle of my eyebrows and another had bitten him on the cheek.
I'd take spiders over mosquitos any day!

On our way back he decided to chance crossing this fallen dead tree just to get to the other side. 

I basically told him "Good luck with that" After it looked like he was about to be successful the top of the tree broke off leaving him with one soggy tennis shoe and a lost resolve for getting to the other side.

When we get about half way back to our destination I hear MHM trip, I'm used to him tripping and usually just ask if he's okay without looking back, but this time sounded bad!
I turned around and he had a grimace on his face, he said "I think I rolled my ankle."
To top things off we were on a muddy bank and he slipped twice trying to get up the side, I asked if he could walk on it and he said he didn't think so.
He started to take the weight off of it by kneeling, still in obvious pain, in my mind I'm thinking "If he had to take a knee he's either a pansy or it's serious."
He still had my camera bag on his back and I told him to carry the bag and he could get on my back, I knew I was going to have to make several stops but I didn't know what else to do!
I turned around and squatted down so he could get on my back, he said "Piper..." in a tone of voice that said be realistic as he turned me around while still on bended knee he continued where he left off but in a very different tone, maybe even a tiny bit shaky "... Williams, Will you marry me?"
He had a ring in his hand and all I could say was "Are you serious?!"
The ring was not my style at all so honestly I avoided eye contact with it and he gave me a look that said WELL?
I said yes and put my head down saying "are you serious" (I was happy and excited but I was also very much in shock and worried he was teasing me!)
As I bring my head back up the ring he is pulling out of his pocket on a hot pink cord is not the same ring he had proposed with and it was perfect in every way!
So he really was teasing me in a way!
He had planned everything and kept trying to go back to the stump to propose which explained his persistence about crossing the creek and not wanting to go swimming!
I had no makeup on and I was wearing a T-shirt and jogging shorts!
The funny thing and the best part was that days before when Megan was telling me he would propose she asked how I would want to be proposed to and I said I wanted to be hiking just the two of us doing our favorite thing just being together.
The fact that he had been planning all of this for awhile means he really knows me so well! 

MHM said I was acting weird after he proposed and my only reasoning is A. I've never been proposed to before! B. I was still very much in shock and C. I didn't want to show how much more I preferred my real ring over the other one he proposed with. 

(I felt like a jerk!)

At least he knows that I said yes to him and not the ring!!!

I knew that the proposal was more about wanting to spend forever with  the one that brightens your thoughts even when you are not together and drives you crazy mostly in good ways but sometimes in bad ways too! ;)

In all seriousness though, this man of mine is so considerate and loving I could go on but I don't want to make people sick! 

You came to read the proposal not my wedding vows! ^_^

And since I've officially made this the longest post ever I'll quickly tell "the rest of the story."

We headed home and I couldn't get ahold of my mom to tell her the news so I wouldn't let Mike change his Facebook status to engaged!

(That would be the worst way for a mom to find out!!!)

All the while I'm getting ready to go to dinner at my favorite restaurant. 

I finally tell my mom and then call my sister, my dad and my best friends.

Megan who lives on the way to the restaurant said we absolutely had to stop by to show her the ring so we got on the road stopping only to take a few selfies for social media.

We get to Megan's house and of course we start screaming while holding hands. (Major girl moment)

She said she loved the ring and knew that other people were dying to see it too.

My Mom and Dad and most of my extended family come out from my sisters house bombarding me with hugs and kisses and I cried for the second time that day.

My sister knew the entire time when and where he was going to propose, she and my Mom helped him execute his plan for a surprise engagement dinner with most of my loved ones, Korean food, Pictures of Mike and I and pink roses everywhere!

 I was too excited to eat!

(I ate leftovers later!)

The entire time was magical and it was all meticulously planned by My Love.

I know everyone says it but I think I really am the luckiest girl in the world! 

And a fun fact is that the ring he proposed with was my niece's(She's 8) and one of the times I was babysitting her last year she came to me with one of her play rings to try it on my finger and said that she would give it to Mike so he could propose to me! 

AND HE DID!!!

He really did think of everything!

Well that was my long and detailed story and when people ask me to tell the story of how he proposed I'm going to just direct them to this post! :p 

Just kidding... kind of! 

I'll try to keep posting about wedding details and what not as the process starts! 

My Fiancé lovingly said I have to give him at least a month to recharge after planning the surprise of a lifetime! 

So basically August 17th can't get here any sooner! :D  

And if anyone wants to hear the significance of the ring you will just have to ask me in person! ;)

xoxo

Piper Arielle

Photos by: Piper

Jurassic Gardens

Water lilies are one of my favorite flowers. 

Perhaps it's that whole analogy about something beautiful and pure growing out of muddy/corrupt  water.

It's just a reminder that good things can come from what is deemed bad and something bad can come from something recognized as good.

Isn't it funny how nature reminds us of these things, and so many other lessons we should remember?  

Or maybe I just like them because they are REALLY pretty! 

Can I get a lipstick in this shade?

The Botanical Garden in Naples, Fl. is full of all sorts of shady relaxing areas and Colton, Chase and Mike enjoyed utilizing them while I resembled a honey bee buzzing from blossom to blossom. 

It Was Hot!!!

We each had a giant bottle of Aloe juice to help with the heat and if you haven't had that before then you need to change that immediately!!!!

Aww, they may not tell you but they really enjoyed themselves in the gardens despite Colton's initial grumblings!

Of course I had to get a few pictures with my handsome man! 

This was the first time I'd worn lipstick around him so I had to make sure it was a stain that wouldn't scare him away from kissing me! ;)

(It was a lipstick I made into a stain, I may do a blog about how to do that but it's so easy it might be common knowledge! Let me know if you anyone wants to see that!) :D

So this hanging air plant garden was such a cool idea I may be doing it for my future home! 

Colton looks like he's smelling them but he's just checking out how to recreate it! :P 

This may seem out of place for the beautiful Botanical Garden pictures but yes indeed there was a Dinosaur exhibit going on until July 5 and it was awesome! 

The Dinos were life-sized, moved and this guy made you feel uncomfortable even with the knowledge of it being 100% fake.

I may or may not have stepped over a short little fence to get this shot and closer to the action!

(I'm a rebel)  

We only had one casualty which is pretty good statistically speaking compared to Jurassic World (Which we watched the night before this exhibit making it that much better)! 

We made friends with the locals.

 Met real life reptiles.

Not to mention some pretty menacing trees! 

We agreed that it would be a very hard decision to pick between climbing this tree or just be eaten by a velociraptor... This was a very real and very funny conversation but maybe you had to be there! 

Attempted an OOTD picture and later realized my shoes were being blocked by nature! 

(Facepalm)

All three of the guys and my handsome man being a gentleman by carrying my camera bag! ^_^

Not a great picture quality wise but perfect quality time wise... You see what I did there?

Another one of this cutie and I because we rarely take pictures this good together!!!

Haha he doesn't like taking pictures in general so this is a rare gem!

 In order to keep this post from being one giant scrapbook from our trip(it already is) I will not post every single orchid from the Orchid garden but just know that it is GORGEOUS!!!

Needless to say but I will anyways, Visit this magical place if you are ever in the Naples area and take people with you who will really appreciate it! 

Like I mentioned before, Colton wasn't really onboard for this little excursion but ended up being very impressed and I'd like to think it was a highlight for him! 

Chase, Mike and I had been one time before for a christmas light event at night so even without seeing all of the plants we knew it was going to be amazing and looked forward to seeing it again in the daylight!

This place is family friendly with a bit of walking so water is a must on hot summer days! 

I have so many more pictures but I will leave you with these and maybe one day I'll post more just of the amazing vegetation!!! 

xoxo

Piper Arielle

Photos by: Me minus the ones I'm in those were taken by Colton and Mike, Chase just stood there and looked cool. ;)

Sabrina Fair

It takes me forever to blog these days! 

These were some fun last minute photos my cousin Taran and I did while she was visiting almost a month ago... yeah, i'm slacking! :(

If you couldn't tell by the title I was inspired by Audrey Hepburn's Sabrina and Miss Sophia Loren to add a tiny bit more sizzle to the mix!

Audrey's Givenchy costumes are jaw droppingly gorgeous however I didn't pull from my imaginary closet of Givenchy, Chanel and Dior for this shoot!!!

(I would have but like I said it's imaginary.)

Instead I styled taran in vintage finds minus the necklace and earrings.

If you haven't seen Sabrina and you enjoy classic movies I recommend it whole heartedly!!!

I also love the one with Harrison Ford from the 90's but that's irrelevant and I'm trying my best not to ramble on like I usually do! ;)

Model, hair and makeup by Taran Winkler.

Photography and wardrobe styling by me.

xoxo

Piper Arielle

Siren in Sequins

So I know that I have said this before and those who know me on a personal level already know this but... I'm a photographer... Yes, another one! ;) 

I'm getting less and less time to blog because of it but I'm not abandoning my baby just yet!!!

So let me tell you about this Naturally gorgeous girl named Melissa!

I started following this her on Instagram about a year ago and when I found out she lived near me I just KNEW I had to do a photo shoot with her!!!

I'm pretty sure she thought I was a stalker with how often I commented and kept inviting her to do a photo shoot!(Which I rarely do!)

Well I'd also wanted to do a mermaid inspired shoot and set my heart on this beauty as my 

Bohemian Siren.

 It took a year but we finally both had time and just made it happen!

From the beginning I knew that I wanted to do EVERYTHING for this shoot!

I have so many talented friends that I work with all of the time but I really wanted to challenge myself by doing complete styling from her clothes to her hair and makeup on top of the photography!

And I LOVED IT!!!

Of course it would be impossible for this girl to look anything but stunning even without my assistance but that's kind of why I picked her! ;)

It was rainy and cloudy that day but I kind of enjoyed the moodiness of it all plus it meant that the beach was almost entirely deserted!

A big thank you to Melissa for helping me with this photo shoot and for being just as beautiful on the inside as she is the outside.

I'm so thankful for the experiences I have been able to have and the people I never would have known without this job/hobby of mine.

If you're interested in following this total babe her instagram name is @lissagordon.

My personal account is @piperbydesign and my photography page is @piperarielle in case you didn't already know! :)

I'll be starting a website soon for my photography so I'm sure I will post a blog about it when I do! 

You will be able to contact me their for any business enquiries.

Those who are interested the earrings are Sorrelli but everything else minus the bikini top is from my personal closet and I don't think they carry any of the items! The pants were from a local boutique called Vita Luna and she may be able to order more I'm not sure! :) 

I hope everyone is having a nice night and is getting ready for Mother's Day!!!

xoxo

Piper Arielle

photos by: Piper (Myself)

I Spy and April Fools

Pretty little shells on the barrier.

Mom and dad being adorable.

The tiniest crab you barely can see in the palm of my hand.

"En Garde you savage"-crab

A cousin holding a sleeping Nephew.

Always a mischievous smile from my Grandma.

The sweetest stinker in the world.

I met this dog and now I want a dog with a beard.

Every night was a completely different and wonderful display of light and shadow like a watercolor painting. 

My handsome man on the top bunk checking his emails early in the morning.

  

Now for the story on how this handsome fellow tricked me twice on April Fools.

On April 1st in the afternoon he talked to me on the phone before going into work as usual. 

I told him I was so excited to see him the next day (when we planned for him to arrive) and I hoped he would have a wonderful day.

Later that night 12:00am I'm curling my cousins hair (that's a normal activity for midnight, right?) he calls me like he normally does when he gets out of work.

He's on speaker phone because my hands are full so everyone can hear him.

I ask how his day went and if it was hard, he says "It could have been but maybe I drove all day and night and I'm in front of the house right now."

Of course I don't believe him but get excited anyways despite myself, my brother starts walking out of the front door to check.

Everyone who was still awake at the time follows me to the front where I walk around outside looking high and low saying "You're not here. I don't see you, I don't believe you, where are you?!!!"

He then proceeds to yell "APRIL FOOLS!"

I told him it wasn't funny with a smile on my face and walked back inside where he popped out from a side hallway, I literally hit the floor (A habit of mine when my emotions crash, good or bad) and yes I had been April Fooled twice in less than 5 minutes!

I nearly cried but held it together just enough to jump back up and attempt to squeeze the sneaky son of a gun to death! 

BEST April Fools EVER!!!

He had coordinated everything with Megan just to surprise me!

The surprise part was great but I got to have my handsome man with me one extra day, that was truly the tops.

xoxo

Piper Arielle

Photos By: Piper (moi)