Shy Heart Studios

I am such a nerd for Christmas.

My husband likes Christmas too but he likes to try to stifle me until December 1st usually. We have a light-hearted argument as Thanksgiving draws near every year about decorating for Christmas because he knows I like to decorate the moment Thanksgiving is over. I’m not SUPER crazy – I don’t ever want to decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving because I love the fall decor too and I like to let Thanksgiving have it’s time 😛 As a kid I always felt bad for Thanksgiving because all the stores just skipped right over it… and I thought the holiday probably had some legit feelings and was probably pretty depressed about it.

But anyway – back to not being “allowed” to bust out the Christmas decor until December 1st… last year I played a little game with myself. Each day after Thanksgiving I snuck out one small piece of Christmas decor and put it around the house to see if my husband would notice. The first couple of days he didn’t notice, so I put bigger items out and he finally did. I thought I was pretty funny… so did he. But because we bought a real tree – I still couldn’t get my tree as early as I would have liked since I wanted it to last until Christmas.

This year we decided to get a fake tree. Last year we went to three or four different lots before we found a decent tree. Everything seemed half dead already due to the drought and it was a wake up call for us… We decided that being in California with this drought, it was probably not a very good idea to buy into the real Christmas tree market that takes up water resources. So just before Thanksgiving we bought our fake tree. And since it wasn’t up in the rafters where I couldn’t reach it, I had this great plan to put it up by myself the Monday after Thanksgiving while Randy was at work… BEFORE December 1st. Which I found to be a hilarious idea… But he threw me a curve ball you guys!!! We were out at dinner on Black Friday and he spoke the magic words; words I never thought I’d hear  from my husbands mouth; words that nearly made me fall out of my chair and certainly made me question the authenticity of this being who looked like my husband but certainly wasn’t talking like him… uttering a question he had never uttered before… “Do you want to put the Christmas tree up tonight?” I stared at him dumbfounded trying to make sure that the words he spoke were the same words I heard… wondering if maybe I imagined it, I said, “excuse me?” AND HE SAID IT AGAIN!!!! He’s probably never seen a smile on my face so bright as he did in that moment. So although I couldn’t play my funny game again this year… I was happier than a pig in shit when we got home and started decorating. By Friday night my home was now my little Christmas haven and every time I come in the house or come down the stairs and see it, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

The next day I dragged my cousin Stacey out to Joshua Tree with me for the weekend to photograph some couples in the desert. I didn’t so much drag her as I asked her to come with me and she was like “hell yes.” We both equally have an obsession with Joshua tree. So while it was hard to pull myself away from my sweet magical house full of Christmas… I was amped to be back in a place that I feel is every bit as magical as Christmas. I photographed three engagement sessions in Joshua Tree and loved them all equally!

First up was Jade & Casey – avid campers and adventurers who moved to California from Connecticut a couple of years ago, and were absolutely the perfect couple to go on this adventure with! Take a look:

See why I’m so obsessed!? All the heart eyes!

For more information on engagement sessions locally or an adventure shoot like this one, check out my website and drop me a line at http://www.briannacaster.com