Tea and Twigs and Twilight (the time of day, not the vampires)

Today I attended the bridal shower for a friend whose wedding I will be photographing in September. It was such a beautiful afternoon. The bride's sister has a keen eye for detail and it made for a lovely party.  It was so good to relax, drink tea, and catch up with old friends.
My favorite parts:

Tiny collector tea spoons

Eclairs and mini jam-filled cheesecakes

Loving the natural and simple vibe: bamboo plates and decorative twigs.

I love watching people open gifts. :)

So good to see these two again!

Bud vases filled with neon blooms on every table.

I ended up staying on into the evening catching up with the family which made for a late drive back home but it was so worth it. And it was a gorgeous evening.   I took a different road home, that wound through the small sleepy towns of northern Indiana.

The sounds, smells, and sights only heightened the cozy feeling of a countryside settling down after a long day.  The kind of ending to a day in which the colors of the landscape bleed and run like a watercolor painting.  Outside the window, houses, trees and power lines rolled by, undisturbed by the sound of my wheels. The air was warm, a tired haze melting dusk into shades of deep purple. The moon grew bright and the landscape gave a final yawn and stretch before the inky black covered the horizon. When the lights of the city began to appear it was as though a celestial match struck against the sky. There was a pop and sizzle and then bright colors exploded above the streetlights in the distance.  The fireworks carried me all the way to my doorstep.

Happy sigh. Roll credits.