Thanksgiving

“G I V E   T H A N K S   T O   T H E   LORD,  F O R   H E   I S   G O O D”

Psalm 107:1

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Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday now that I think about it. It’s such an incredible day to spend time with your loved ones and to be reminded of how blessed we truly are (even in times where we seem to be focused on the bad instead of the good). I know that I take a lot of things for granted at times, and one of my upcoming New Year’s resolutions is to spend every single day like it’s Thanksgiving. Being thankful is something that can be incredibly difficult during hard moments of our lives, but counting our blessings can remind us how fortunate we really are. Lately I’ve been taking the time to count my blessings, even the tiniest ones, every single night before I go to bed.

Something I am especially thankful for this year is baby Lili, my third cousin and the newest addition to our family. She is absolutely precious, and I am so glad that we got to celebrate her first Thanksgiving with her. Lili is beautiful , and she is definitely a big blessing.

I wanted to share some photos from my Thanksgiving. I took almost 700 photos yesterday, so I did my best to narrow it down to my twenty or so (which wasn’t easy, especially because baby Lili is crazy photogenic). Thanksgiving this year was one of the best I think our family has ever had. With the gorgeous weather, we celebrated outside and enjoyed the lovely day together.

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For those that have been asking about my camera/photography, I am a huge fan of Canon. But for me what makes the most prominent difference is shooting manual and understanding light! Getting the perfect shot is a lot about manipulating/learning about your camera settings, finding the perfect lighting, embracing creativity, and being in the right place at the right time. Find what inspires you. I’ve also been getting a lot of questions lately about my editing, and my best advice is to find a unique style that works for you & practice every single day. Practice makes perfect, and I learn new things daily. Over the past few months, I have fallen in love with shooting photos of the wonderful people and places around me. It’s such a blessing to be able to capture so many beautiful moments of my life and the lives of my friends and family.

I have been shooting family portraits pretty much every single day this week. Though I am booked for the rest of the Thanksgiving break, I do have some availabilities in December/January if you are looking for affordable portraits (whether it be family, senior, engagement, etc.)! Don’t hesitate to shoot me an email 🙂 I’d love to work with you!

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Thanksgiving 2016 was definitely one for the books. So thankful for my wonderful family and friends. Thankful for the ups of life and the downs that help us grow and prosper. Thankful for my health, for the places I have traveled to, for the friendships that have carried me through my worst moments, for the family that loves me unconditionally, and for Jesus’ love. Additionally, I am so thankful for each and every one of you and all the support I have received over the past few years. I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

xoxo,

Mackenzie

Sparks Fly

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crop top (similar, cheaper dupe here) // star shorts // liquid lipstick (in ‘kitten heels‘) // necklace (similar) // red star sweater (shown on my mom- sold out, linked similar)

Hello, hello! I hope that you all had a wonderful 4th of July weekend! The 4th of July is definitely one of my very favorite holidays of the year. It was so nice to spend the weekend in Laguna with my family, eating hamburgers and exploring the city! My parents are going to be in the bay area this weekend, so it will be really nice to enjoy two weekends in a row with them.

Let me know what you did for the 4th of July!

xoxo,

Mackenzie

Gift Guide: Bestfriend

bestiegiftguide1. metallic phone charger | 2. studded lipstick | 3. vineyard vines hat | 4. fuzzy socks | 5. candle | 6. coloring book | 7. daisy rollerball perfume | 8. zebra dish | 9. kate spade earrings | 10. kate spade planner | 11. lilly pulitzer phone case | 12. cactus phone case | 13. portable phone charger | 14. eyeshadow palette | 15. bubble bath

Hello, Hello! Finals week is almost over for me, and Christmas is just 14 days away! The only thing getting me through these stressful five days of cumulative exams is the fact that I will be on the beach in Maui this upcoming Monday! Maui is my favorite place in the entire world, and I’m beyond excited to have a relaxing getaway with my family.

I apologize that I have not been posting as frequently as I would like to. However, I have some really exciting things coming up on the blog soon! This post has been requested so many times over the past month on my Tumblr, and I decided to finally answer it in a more visual post. I did make a list earlier this week of ‘25 gifts under $25‘ which you can check out here! One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is the shopping. I absolutely love shopping and picking out gifts for my friends and family. Shopping for your best friend is always especially fun! In addition to the ideas above, I’ve listed some additional gift ideas at the bottom of this post as well.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

xoxo

Gift Guide: Makeup Addict

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  1. Palettes: Vice 4, Chocolate Bar, Naked2 Basics, Naked Smokey, Contour Palette
  2. Value Sets: Party Poppers 12 Days of Gorgeous, Too Faced Blush/Lip SetSephora Favorites Beauty Closet
  3. Stocking Stuffers: Beauty Blender, They’re Real: Sexy on the Run, Statement Lash Essentials, Jem and the Holograms Lipstick,
  4. Individual Goodies: Watts Up Highlighter, Liquid Lipstick, Marc Jacobs Nail Polish, Better than Sex Mascara, Sweethearts Blush

I am addicted to makeup. That is a well-known fact that I can’t even try to deny. So every year when my family asks what I want for the holidays, they are never too shocked when I mention a new palette or lipstick. Makeup always makes a great gift (whether it’s for your sister, mom, bestie, or even yourself!). I selected several makeup gift ideas from my favorite place to shop- Sephora!

Thank you so much for checking out my blog! I would love to hear which makeup products/gifts are on your wish list/shopping list this year!xoxo

Thanksgiving Outfit Ideas

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velvet dress | long necklace | riding boots


 

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fur vest | swing dress | black tights | booties


 My favorite holiday of the year is not too far away. Just thinking about all the turkey and pumpkin pie to come helps motivate me to push through these next two weeks of school. I realized the other day that I have only been home two days in the past six months, which is absolutely crazy. I am so ready to enjoy some much-needed time with my family!

What are you most excited for this Thanksgiving?
xoxo
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