My very cool and kind coworker, Stacie, gave me a vintage Polaroid camera as a wedding gift (check out her Etsy shop to see the cameras, vintage goodies, and DIY gems she sells!). I was thrilled with the camera because A) I love old-fashioned things and B) You get instant gratification with a Polaroid. You point, shoot, the photo spits out, and then you get the surprise/suspence of wondering what the photo will look like.

I took the camera to Nashville, TN when Christopher and I traveled down there for a friend’s wedding, and we had so much fun taking pictures with it!

This is the first picture we took on the camera. We were at the Nashville Riverfront taking a walk after lunch. Stacie gave me all kinds of Polaroid picture-taking tips, and apparently a big part of getting a good picture is hiding the photo from of sunlight as soon as it shoots out. I’m not sure Christopher and I were totally successful with this (probably because every minute I’d peek to see if it was done), but I think the discoloration makes them so quirky vintage cool!

Stacie also gave me a little history of Polaroid film. It’s pricey now and limited in quantity (something to do with the plant that made the chemicals being wiped out by Hurricane Katrina — she’ll have to tell you the story or you can read this article). The new film is finicky, but I think that makes the results that much more unique.

This one turned out good! Christopher and I took a drink break while walking around downtown Nashville. So pensive.

Elvis and me! We had to pretty much stop sidewalk traffic to get this shot.

The wall above me said boots, hats, and apparel. The crazy splotch on it looks kind of ominous, but also kind of neat.

These two shots were taken in Franklin, KY, a tiny little town where we stopped to browse antique shops and eat fried chicken at a mom-and-pop diner.

And this last one was taken at home. Gotta love any picture that has Hermes and Christopher looking so adorable.

I have a couple pictures left in the camera, which I plan to take Christmas morning. I’ll be sure to share them as well!