Homespun Forte » troy grover photography

Snail Mail Surprise

aimee — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:40:17 +0000

Yesterday I had a day. The beginnings of a sore throat, long lines at the DMV, & the need for an extra dose of patience everywhere I went – which I didn’t have. Ever had one of those days where everything just takes forever? When all the traffic lights are red & customer service seems to overlook you. Yeah, one of those days. When I finally got home, a little package was waiting for me on the kitchen table. I opened it up to find an encouraging card & adorable little headband from the Rohnert girls. That was the sweetest thing someone has done for me in a long time…and it sure turned my day around! These strong women of God, Ashlee & Heather have a wealth of inspiration as well & are a great follow. Thank you so much girls!

I love the crafty cut outs on the card!

Rohnert head band photo shoot by my hubby Troy Grover

Even George loves my new accessory!

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Vineyard Bachelorette Continued

aimee — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 05:53:59 +0000

The past few days I have been in the sunny state of Arizona for friends Alex & Alyssa’s wedding. The beautiful event took place at the Wigwam Resort on March 12th. In honor of their special day, I thought it would be fitting to post Alyssa’s Bachelorette photos! We had an amazing time in the Temecula vineyards! Alyssa surrounds herself with beautiful people & touches their lives in so many ways! Here are some of the photos from our trip. Congratulations Alex & Alyssa! The love you have cultivated over the past seven years of your relationship is inspiring to many!

Above: The festive red trolley that toured us around the Temecula wineries.

The beautiful bride wine tasting with the girls.

We were even served out of the barrel!

One of my favorite pictures of the day – her eyes are gorgeous!

While wine tasting, we ran into a group of men doing the same!

They loved the bride-to-be & gave her a toast from across the room.

So Alyssa walked over to thank them…

And they were so excited for her, they wanted a group photo….not to worry Alex, we found out they were all gay!

Watch: Alex’s Proposal Video

Congrats again A&A! So happy for you both!

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{Industrial Elegance}

aimee — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:39:46 +0000

One of my best friends, Lindye Galloway Events asked me to design a table scape with her for the Utterly Engaged New Years party. Sixteen teams contested in the “modern” themed challenge. Each team was given a budget of $150 for the centerpiece which had to be made of industrial materials, paper or fabric as an alternative to a floral arrangement. We decided on a modern glam theme & used industrial & paper materials to accomplish our look. Each paper shade was constructed with chicken wire, spray painted parchment paper & lots of patience!

The incredibly talented Jasmine Star photographed all of the table scapes entered in the Utterly Engaged design challenge. You can view the other tables and event happenings featured in the Utterly Engaged magazine. We were so honored to receive editor’s choice in their latest issue! To read more & view our DIY video click HERE

We had a blast doing the challenge together & walked away feeling like our time & efforts paid off! A huge thank you to our amazing husbands Troy & Winn for their love and support!

Photos below by Troy Grover Photography

Below: our inspiration board featuring the fabulous Gwen Sefani & this great DIY paper wreath!

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DIY Sushi!!

aimee — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:17:26 +0000

For our wedding, my sister-in-law gave us all the necessities for rolling our own sushi, complete with recipe cards & a shopping list! As avid sushi lovers, we were so excited to try it out! We decided it would be fun to attempt this adventure with our friends & fellow photographers the Frenzels. Here are a couple photos of all the ingredients we used! We had such a fun time & are excited to roll again – but next time with bandannas like the pro’s :)

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Flora and Fauna

aimee — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:52:40 +0000

The drive down to the Newport peninsula is in full bloom! I’m not sure if the trees have been falsely alerted that it’s spring, but they look beautiful! Driving past the white and purple blossoms have lifted my spirits this rainy season. The first day of Spring on March 20th is fast approaching! In the meantime, I hope these little sunshine girls (from the wedding we shot last weekend) will put a smile on your face!

Photo by me.

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The Lately

aimee — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:32:03 +0000

It has turned out to be quite the busy month! So sorry I haven’t been blogging as usual. We took a trip out to Omaha last week for a late wedding reception with Troy’s family, then busily began designing for the Utterly Engaged party, celebrated my Birthday on Friday & then traveled out to Palm Desert for a relaxing getaway! All of that to say, I am finally home & dreaming up my next projects!

Here are a few photos to catch you up on the lately!

I took some pictures with my new camera of Omaha’s wintry trees.

We shot engagement photos for an adorable couple in Omaha.

Fresh flowers & a new spring purse were given to me on my Birthday from Troy :)

We witnessed the calm after the storm in Newport Beach.

And then laughed so hard at my friend Billy’s take on the recent weather!!

We played and played in Pam Dessert with Ellie the comfort golden & her parents Lindye & Winn Galloway.

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A Peek into Modern Glam

aimee — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:20:14 +0000

One of my best friends, Lindye Galloway Events asked me to design a table scape with her for the Utterly Engaged New Years party. Sixteen teams contested in the “modern” themed challenge. We decided on a modern glam theme & used industrial & paper materials to accomplish our look. We had a blast doing the challenge together & walked away feeling like our time & efforts paid off! A huge thank you to our amazing husbands Troy & Winn for their love and support! More photos to come after the February release of Utterly Engaged magazine.

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you a-muse me

aimee — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 06:50:56 +0000

Yesterday morning I met up for coffee with my friend Allison, who I worked at Montage Laguna Beach with this past summer. While we were talking she mentioned how neat it was that Troy and I are in the same “muse” now. I love that word, MUSE. I’ve been thinking about that today & re-appreciating where I’m at in the midst of wedding busyness. Looking back, I never thought that I would have the opportunity to work side by side with Troy. He has taught me so many new things & it’s nice to step back and take it in. Troy, thank you so much for encouraging me & bringing me into this creative realm that I am beginning to love so much!

A look back…

I remember going along on Troy’s first wedding to help assist him throughout the day…posing the bride below.

I remember this summer when we went up to David Jay’s house with my sister, where we talked about blogging, photography and life.

We also have good memories attending the SmugMug seminars, where we’ve been able to hear photographers like Jasmine Star and Becker share from the heart. It has been such an encouraging experience to network with other photographers as well!

This past summer Troy and I were able to be the model couple for a Photog shootout in San Juan Capistrano. It was such a learning experience for us & gave us a whole new understanding of how it feels to be on the other side of the lens. Here is a shot that Jasmine Star snapped during the day.

What I have been enjoying most in this journey so far is hunting for good photo spots & helping pose our clients! It has been artistically challenging & I love it! Below, me looking ever-so-serious as Troy tests out the light :)

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Will The Real Slim Shady Please Stand Up.

aimee — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:16:07 +0000

One of the toughest decisions of an engagement shoot is what to wear. After all, you are paying a good deal of money for that ‘oh so good’ photographer of yours. It seems to be, that when it comes to choosing the perfect outfit, couples tend to go safe rather than fun. I call this style the oreo. Matching white shirts and jeans, or black shirts and jeans, or maybe one of each. Though this can be a very safe look, it looks strangely familiar. Think for a minute of all of the white shirts & jeans you’ve seen posing by the beach. Wouldn’t you rather spice up that shoot with some personality?

Here are a couple tips for choosing your ensemble!

1. Wear something that has lots of movement. Movement allows for more candid shots & real interactions. Comfortable pants, a flirty dress, material with a structure that slims, but the flexibility to move.

2. Feel free to wear fun colors and patterns. Some photographers prefer neutral or plain colored clothing so as to not interfere with the background. However, this is a very limiting idea. A good photographer should be inspired by your clothing & find backdrops that flatter your kickin style.

3. Wear layers & fun accessories. Your favorite scarf, his stylin hat, loud jewelry, big watches, a bright pair of shoes – whatever you absolutely love!

4. Be sure to wear outfits that compliment each other and are on the same level of dressiness. A T-shirt and flip flops will look unbalanced next to dangling earrings, a dress, and high heels.

5. And remember – be yourself! An engagement shoot isn’t something to break out in hives about. It’s a documentation of your unique love & your exciting road ahead!

Below are a few outfit ideas for inspiration.

This couple is so stylish! They pass the test for complimenting each other’s dressiness. (photo by Clay Austin)

This couple might look familiar. My sister Promise and her husband Brian Wurzell. They did a casual engagement shoot in Seattle. The scarf, layers and Starbucks cups add a special touch. (photo by Troy Grover)

I love, love this shoot! This couple truly looks to be in their element. The green hat & guitar are so fun. (photo by He & She Photography)

An easy winter look. Her bright scarf adds a pop of color (photo by Troy Grover)

Very edgy. Great belt and fun graphic-T. (photo by Promise Tangeman)

This couple looks like they came straight out of the Notebook. Love her sunny yellow shoes & the bicycle as a prop! (Photo by Simply Bloom Photography)

Love the layered necklaces, plaid shirt and peacock feather! Polished look! (photo by Troy Grover)

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frozen but hot?

aimee — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:47:53 +0000

While in Las Vegas shooting a wedding with Troy Grover, we visited a fun restaurant called Serendipity. The word serendipity means accidently discovering something fortunate. I would say that happened to us :) Really cool lamps & design inside. A blogger I found who documents ceilings snapped this great shot!

I also got to try Serendipity’s famous frozen hot chocolate & it was sooo good! Slurp.

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