Letting Nature Take Its Course...

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of photographing the bar mitzvah of a family friend.  The ceremony and the party were at The Grove. This National Historic Landmark is 123 acres of prairie land and  nature trails...discovered by John Kennicott in 1836...anchored by the Kennicott House and the beautiful Redford Estate, which is where the bar mitzvah was held.  The Grove holds a special place in my childhood...growing up, every year starting in kindergarten, our class took a field Trip to the Grove.  I remember drawing pictures in the one room school house, dipping our own candles  in the log cabin and getting lost amongst the trees and trails...

Just a peek of the setting for the festivities.  After the ceremony and lunch, everyone hung out outside, played bags, badminton and explored.

This aorable little boy kept followiing me around and smiling whenever he saw the camera...
I am so happy with the way the rest of the photos turned out!  

I knew it was going to be a long day on my feet, so I opted for some new comfy sandals, dress and a blazer.

 Dress-Sharang via Fox's/Blazer-Gap/Shoes-Charles David via Nordstrom's/Jewelry-Vince Camuto, House of Gemmes, 

Old Navy, Francesca's

These sandals are my newest purchase. The Nordstrom's annual women and girls sale always has some great finds and this year was no different.  I love the rope and gold detailing on the back, the gold toe strap, and of course the fact that they are very comfortable on my big blue toe!

Well, tomorrow is the first day of school.  I feel like a little girl with butterflies in my stomach, trying to decide what to wear, packing my bag with my notebook, laptop and lunch.  Yes, I will be that nerd that is all dressed up. early for class full of coffee and excited to get started.

The future is now...