Skytop Apple Orchard | Flat Rock, NC

Right on top of the mountain lived the perfect apple orchard where all your dreams of apple slushies, apple donuts, apple butter and apple cider could come alive. A couple weekends ago, some friends and I made our way to Flat Rock, NC and spent the afternoon picking our favorite apples and giving our sweet tooth something to talk about. It was also the perfect afternoon to use my new Canon 60D camera (upgrade!). Nothing like picking apples with the mountains surrounding you and friends right by your side.

We even had an impromptu photo shoot of Tommy + Laura here.

I love these mountains.

Tomahawk + Laurabird

Birds of a feather flock together.

Sometimes living in the mountains has its perks like living close to the perfect apple orchard. In between yummy apple cider donuts, apple picking and apple slushies, I just had to take advantage of photographing these little love birds. They let me use them as models while I tried my new camera (yay!) before my big wedding gig. Thank you Laura + Tommy for being the most naturally photogenic couple! You both are so beautiful inside and out.

More apple orchard pictures to come!

JOSEPH + KATIE

The mountains - the beautiful backdrop for a beautiful kind of love.

Joseph and Katie met and fell in love with these mountains as their backdrop. It was only appropriate to take some photographs of them in celebration of their engagement. One sunny morning they dressed up, slipped their Chacos on and we took off to Pretty Place and Lake Sudie of Camp Greenville. Aren't they a beautiful couple?

The mountains are a beautiful place and it is wonderful watching love grow from them. Here's to Joseph and Katie, my wonderful camp friends. I love that even with their fancy button ups, dresses, dressy shirts and one heck of an engagement ring, they are still rockin' the Chacos. Yeah, definitely camp folk :)

TUESDAY TUNES | MOUNTAINS

Photograph + Design (c) Melissa

The mountains have a special place in my heart. So far, they have been the place where I experienced the most changes in my life - the good, the bad, the ugly, but mostly the learning. The photo above is one of my favorite views off of 421 on the drive up to Boone. This weekend I am taking a short trip up there for business, and of course for pleasure. It will forever be one of those places that means the world to me. It's my little haven. Remember that letter I wrote to Boone? It's amazing how much one place can change you.

Here are a collection of songs that remind me of Appalachian + Boone.
I can't wait to be reunited this weekend! Even if only for a weekend.

PLAYLIST //
1 | 1904 - The Tallest Man on Earth
2 | The Avalanche - Sufjan Stevens
3 | Mountain Sound - Of Monsters And Men
4 | The Cave - Mumford & Sons
5 | Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show
6 | Die Die Die - The Avett Brothers
7 | Learning To Fly - Tom Petty
8 | Sodom, South Georgia - Iron & Wine
9 | Meet Me In The Morning - Bob Dylan
10 | Crossroads - Tracy Chapman
11 | Rooster - Toubab Krewe
12 | Rivers And Roads - The Head And The Heart
13 | Take Me Home, Country Road - John Denver
14 | Tin Man - The Avett Brothers
15 | Falling Away - Benjamin Pacheco
16 | Stubborn Love - The Lumineers
17 | Towers - Bon Iver
18 | When I Go - Brett Dennen
19 | Four Winds - Bright Eyes
20 | Pink Moon - Nick Drake
21 | All The Trees Of The Fields Will Clap Their Hands - Sufjan Stevens
22 | Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap
23 | Mixtape - Tift Merritt
24 | Sing - Travis
25 | Suzanna - The Wildbirds
26 | Dance, Dance, Dance - Steven Miller Band
27 | Home - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
28 | Down In The Valley - The Head And The Heart
29 | Winter - Joshua Radin
30 | Mountain And The Sea - Ingrid Michaelson
31 | Flowers In Your Hair - The Lumineers

Happy Listening!

Listen on 8tracks | Spotify*

*Click on the link and choose Spotify as the application. It will automatically take you to the playlist! Be sure to subscribe to keep the playlist on your queue :)