15 Creative Couple Photos

*confession: I'm cheating a bit today... I also posted this exact same post over on Love Actually Blog today* 

I don't know if you ooh and ahh over the latest couples photography these days, but I do. Makes me wish I could go back to our dating/engaged days and capture it all in a whole new way. But, just because we are "old married folk", doesn't mean we can't act like newlyweds and capture some great moments of life in creative ways. 

Often times, it's planning how to pose for pictures that is the hardest. Having a plan of what you want is a good idea.  {Trust me, our biggest arguments usually occur during our annual couples photo shoot. Sad, but true. We are smiling, but we usually aren't happy for those few minutes..ha!}

So get your your camera, tripod, and favorite editing software ready.... here are:

Lauren from Busy Bee Lauren and her hubby on a picnic with a polaroid.
I really really really want a picture like this.

Hostess with the Mostess shows you how to MAKE this flashy little heart prop...this could be cool (and a little less "valentiney") in black & white, too!

This would be an AWESOME photo for any of you married/engaged college-goers or college alums! My friend, Rhiannon over at Hey Gorgeous featured this photo from Onelove Photography. In my case, hubby and I would both be holding true-blue BYU signs... :)


I-love this I-Phone Kiss... Did you even know there was such a thing? There is now. I found this HERE through SugarDoodle. There are other versions floating around the web in color...this was just my favorite!

Fairytale Photo...I think so. (found via Tumblr) And guess what? You can snap this one right in the middle of your Bookstore Date. And then you'll live happily ever after...

Barefoot & Fancy Free....  I really love how playful this picture is! If I couldn't see their feet on the ground, I'd think that their shadows actually are leaping into the air for a kiss... (source)

Groom Sold Separately spelled this one out for us, but it's an easy photo to take for yourself. Just grab your scrabble game and a mini tripod...oh, and while you're at it, how about a little Scrabble Date?

You can make each other happy, when skies are gray... How sweet is this? (super sorry...I have no credit to this photo? anyone want to help me out?)

My husband is always asking for pictures where we don't just "stare at the camera and smile". He would like this one from ISPWP Wedding Photos. It's gonna be a tricky one to shoot, though!

I looove photos that capture a real-life story about a couple. In my case, we'd have a bottle of Pepsi and a bottle of Coke side-by-side to showcase our our ongoing battle over which beverage is better. You can draw inspiration from many other sweet, fun-loving shots from Ashley Therese Photography.

...too cute for words --- from Candice K. Photography

From Post Cards & Pretties, this one's a little nerdy, retro, funky....and perfect!

You do the math. Brilliant photo found via Perfectly Practical Bride.

...this Sunset Smooch comes from my own collection of photos (yup, that's me and the Mr.) Sunsets are perfect opportunities for candid, lovey-dovey photos.

AND, finally....this one from sj2 photography, how simple and sweet with the ampersand prop! It's a perfect photo from engagement through 100 years of marriage to celebrate you & the one you love!


This photo session is over... time to start yours! Good luck!

Emergency Preparedness for Couples

It seems to me as if a lot of the resources for emergency preparedness are directed to families...with houses...with extra freezers...and lots of storage.

I don't have any of those things.

BUT-- that is no excuse! I still believe being prepared is super important, even for couples still in school, young professionals, etc. It's taken me a while (and a few times of doing it wrong) to finally figure out how to make this work for us (in our small apartment). Hopefully some of you young couples can use this to your advantage and get your emergency supply organized!

72 Hour Kit

We keep this backpack pre-loaded and ready to go in a moment's notice. We keep it in a closet near our front door.

There are sooo many 72 hour kit supply lists as you look around the web and I sorted through many to create a list best suited for our needs.

In addition to our backpack, I have a "Grab List" of items that are not in the backpack. They are things we use regularly and cannot keep pre-loaded. Our plan (if we have the time...) is to throw these things into another backpack. (change of clothes, extra water bottles, extra flashlight, passport, wallet, phones, sunglasses, extra keys, cash/coins, a book, deck of cards, etc.). We'd also want to grab our sleeping bag kept in storage.

It's important that you know what's in your 72 hour kit, so make a list. If you want to easily add to or replace an item in your kit, it's a lot easier to refer to this list then to have to dig around in the kit to see what you have (it's going to be packed pretty tightly and you want to keep it that way!) Also, for food items and medication, you want to rotate or replace the perishable items according to their expiration dates. Having this list makes this a convenient and quick process:

These items should last years, but when the expiration date approaches, you'll know without having to pull out each item! Hit the grocery store and replace the items as needed.

Our new resolution is to check our 72 Hour Kit every October (during LDS General Conference) to make sure everything is still in good condition and replace/rotate any soon-to-expire food.

2 Week Supply

There's no food storage room in our apartment, but we have one cupboard dedicated to a 2 week supply of food (in addition to our regularly stocked cupboards). (Tiny kitchen? What about under your bed...in a closet? Make an extra shelf up high in a closet. Whatever you gotta do!) We also have one large plastic tote for an emergency essentials supply (in case we couldn't leave the house, stores didn't have food, etc.)

I decided on 2 weeks because, honestly, that's all I have room for. You can do less or more depending on your situation.

Our 2 week supply is based on having no electricity and using a camp stove with camp fuel inside our house. (yeah....I know you're not supposed to do that. it's an emergency, people!) It includes meals we LIKE....surprised? It's not just a cupboard filled with cans of beans, corn, and bags of rice.

Our 2 Week Supply is organized by meals as such:

(*ps--the lunches section is missing 2 meals...I'm still working on that!)

Some meals are duplicated (as indicated by "x2") and I make sure I keep these supplies stocked in that cupboard and rotated out when I buy any of these items for my regular grocery list. Again, most of these items will last YEARS (even past the expiration date) but a great way to keep the stocked items fresh is to put each meal part on your menu once or twice a month and then replace with new supplies. But again, during October (general conference), I'll make sure I haven't overlooked any items and check dates.

Helpful Tips:

- If it's just the two of you, don't buy bulk-size jars or cans. Although it may be cheaper now, in cases of emergency once opened, you may not have a way to keep the rest of it good. So, buy only the size you need for each meal.

- If space allows, keep your storage in the coolest place in your house...try to avoid warmer spots near appliances, vents, or other heat sources. (Mine happens to be above my fridge...not the BEST of spaces in theory, but it actually doesn't get too warm, so it's okay).

- If you write the expiration date with permanent marker on the package or can where it's easy to see, rotation is a much easier process.

- In addition to our 2 Week Meal Supply, we also have a supply of bulk foods that will keep us alive if need be. My parents sent us a couple of Family Food Storage Starter Kits ($31) which we keep in storage. This will also be nice when it's time to build up our longer-term storage.

As I mentioned, we also keep a plastic tote filled with our emergency essentials...

(It's a little random still, but we plan to keep building on this... every little bit could help!)

Finally, Water.

SUPER important. You've got to store water!! I've lived in Boston nearly 4 years and there have been 2 times in which our water source has been deemed "contaminated" so we couldn't drink our tap water. It was only for a few hours, but even in that short of time, people went NUTS! Within minutes, people were fighting over bottles of water at the store and it was sold out quickly! I wasn't concerned for a moment because I knew I had my supply.

You can store this up with each grocery trip if have none stored now. A great place to start is buying this 7 Gallon Tank from Walmart for $10.88.

I keep this water tank, plus 2 cases of bottled water and a few gallons located in random places in my kitchen. If you don't have space for it, then buy 1 gallon of water at a time and/or cases of bottled water. Remember, planning meals and cooking is useless most times without water. Storing water is a priority.

...............................

Now for the free printables... I've included the 3 Photoshop Files for each list so you can customize them for your needs. They aren't fancy, but if it'll help you organize, they're all yours. You can download HERE

It doesn't have to be complicated or even expensive... but there is a lot of peace that comes from following the counsel of leaders who discuss the importance of being prepared!

Don't get overwhelmed...just do the best you can and build up your storage as space and money allow. Best of luck!

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I've had several questions via email. I'll post the ones here that might be helpful for everyone!

Question: I noticed that you have bread for a couple meals (toast, sandwiches, etc). Do you have the stuff to bake your own bread, or are you just buying bread and rotating it out every week?

I buy those Krusteaz bread kits from walmart or target (or any other grocery store) because they only require you to add water and minimal prep. We recently purchased a Camp Chef outdoor oven/stove combo, which cooks using propane (that we can stock up on). You can also make an oven using a cardboard box and tin foil (google it! or ask a local boyscout!). 

Printable Grocery List

I have a love-hate relationship with grocery shopping. I HATE doing it, but I LOVE getting it over with. I try to go to the grocery store once a month and avoid it all costs other than that. {If you live in the Boston area and have ever shopped at Market Basket you'll understand why.} So, it's pretty important that I plan my shopping trip carefully.

I thought I'd share my grocery list system and include a free printable.

I keep these two lists (one blank and one with commonly purchased items) back to back in a plastic sleeve and use a Vis-a-Vis/Wet Erase marker to write my list. Then I can just erase it once I've shopped and it's ready for new items to be written down once I notice I need to get them on my next shopping trip.

It's pretty simple, I know, but this makes it easier for me. Now, if I could just get some volunteers to help me load the groceries into my house..... :)

You can download the PSD files/Photoshop Templates HERE. It also includes a PDF of the blank grocery list in case you don't have PS/PSE)

Happy Shopping!

*Don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY going on until 1/15

Birthday Calendar Template

I HATE forgetting birthdays...and my goal is to be better at it this year! So I made this:

You can:
* print it for $1.99 at Scrapping Simply (or at Costco)
* print it at home: (when you go to print it, choose "full page photo" and unselect "fit picture to frame")

And then:

* post it in your office
* hang it on your fridge
* keep it in your home organization binder (like mine below)

If you want the design or template, THIS download includes both the PSD/Photoshop template as well as a PNG QuickPage template. (*Note: You must sign in to 4shared to be able to download this file...It is a large file that I can only provide through 4shared.)

Oh, and here's a little tip if you want a different color scheme:
1. Open the template in Photoshop
2. On the layers toolbar, click on the highest layer from the top
3. Create an adjustment layer by clicking on the circle which is 1/2 dark and 1/2 light
3. Select Hue/Saturation
4. Drag the Hue bar either direction until you find a color scheme you like.
*you can also select Photo Filter rather than Hue/Saturation and play with those colors, too!

Enjoy!