Kelli Trontel

Theres nothing greater than seeing your work in print. Whether its a wall print, hanging in a clients home or gracing pages of a magazine.

Im thrilled to finally be able to share images of this photoshoot from last summer. It was REALLY hard to keep this hidden on my hard drive, anxiously awaiting to see it in print….in a beautiful publication called SMITTEN MAGAZINE. VOL 12 was just released and you can view the entire magazine online, or purchase a copy to be held in your hands. Whats even more exciting is that you can not only find one feature of mine, but TWO in this gorgeous magazine, available worldwide.

This was a collaboration between Darci & Arden of Beargrass Gardens and I. Our gaol was simple….to create something that inspired us deeply. To create and dream on a whole new level. To push boundaries and stretch far from our comfort zones. A personal project that we would put 100% of our heart into…..

When deciding on a theme, Darci instantly thought of “FORAGING”.  Finding beautiful and natural florals and botanicals growing right in her backyard.  Darci and Arden woke up early the day of the shoot and explored the woods and their property to find what would make up everything for our beautiful Bride.  We were all truly inspired and with this styled shoot, and our hope is to inspire others to simply look at their surroundings and imagine what can be created with the beautiful “basics” the Earth provides. I mean, we live in Montana and what better place to find natural treasures and photographing them in their element.

It’s truly an honor to have these images grace SMITTEN MAGAZINE. Thank you to Becky for choosing this to be included in Vol 12.

Below are a few of my favorite images from this shoot.

Photography: Kelli Trontel
Styling & Florals: Beargrass Gardens Floral & Events
Dress: Gossamer
Ribbon: Silk & Willow
Model: Brooke O’Briant

It had been one year since we “Kelli & Vanessa” were together…..face to face. And about 7 years since we were together sans kids. While on our trip to Northern California [Morgan Hill, Monterey, San Jose & San Francisco] we figured out that we’ve never really been on a “girls / just because” trip. So, needless to say….this time together was pretty special…..and we soaked every moment in.

We are speaking at the Pursuit Conference in October so this is what sparked the idea of planning our trip- so we could work on our talking points together. Of course we worked on our talk, but we also were very intentional about exploring and adventuring together.

The best part of the trip for us was just spending every minute together. Whether we were laughing, tearing up from honest and raw conversations, staying up late, sleeping in, talking photography and oils…..it was too much fun.

We decided to split our trip up into a few different blog posts, so below are our images from Monterey, where we walked around Fishermans Wharf & Lovers Point Beach. The weather was great! Well, I guess that depends on who you ask. HA! It was HOT to the Montana girl and COLD to the Texas gal.

Vanessa had NEVER had clam chowder so what better place to try the real deal at The Fish Hopper, right on the water!

Monterey is such a charming city…..very family friendly….and just beautiful.

Here’s a glimpse into our California adventures!

Part 2 : San Francisco coming soon!
xoxo

Its been a while since I have really written actual blog posts on this blog of mine. Lately it’s been quick posts around Ezras 52 Week Project. I really want to get back into writing…..and sharing more of our life and what we love as a family.

A few months ago, Vanessa and I signed a promotional/marketing deal with Zonderkidz™, the children’s division of Zondervan Book Publishers. Pretty awesome, huh?! We are super excited about this partnership. We are passionate about sharing content with you that has enriched our own family and home lives. There is something about books that can’t be replaced by video games and battery operated gadgets. Collectively, we have been intentional about curating a book collection for our children and carving out time in our busy lives to stop, slow down and enjoy reading.

This month was my month to review a book and it could not have been a more perfect fit.

If you remember, “Little Explorer” was the theme for Ezras 2nd birthday party last year….

I pray that Ezra will always be an explorer…..an explorer of people all around the world, Gods love and Gods beautiful creation. This was the verse I chose for his life…and prayed over him this year:

“For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break fourth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” –Isaiah 55:12

The Day Is Waiting is about looking up and looking out…..being adventurous, while noticing people and things around you. The beautiful illustrations take us on a tour of our wonderful world and reminds us that no matter how far our adventures take us, we always have home to return to.

This book will be a staple and a wonderful addition to our ever growing collection of books. I love the way books encourage a spirit of imagination, especially this one here. Its a short and easy read…..and Ezra has loved this “turtle book.”

If you’re not following us on Instagram– you should! We will be giving away a FREE COPY of this book tomorrow- so be sure and find us and follow us for more details!