Haha. Again...

Well, you've heard it before but here goes again:

I just launched my NEW BLOG! Here's a little taste to get you hooked:

Check it out and leave me some comment love!

I will be posting my latest updates and sessions on that blog, so please update your feeds.

Love ya'll!

Cait.

Inspiration and Prayer

Inspiration (adj): 1. the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions; 2. the act of influencing or suggesting opinions.

I love being inspired. I used to get discouraged and put down when I saw other people succeeding; I felt like a looser. Then I realized that I could learn from everyone. Now when I get inspired, it makes me want to DO something. I always want to grow, to improve when I'm inspired. It's the reason I stalk blogs. Why I try to be artsy and creative. I'm always looking to improve.

A few things that inspire me.

1. Lady Vintique. I adore these handmade, one-of-a-kind headbands made my Lyndzee. I just got mine in the mail and I LOVE it. I wear it all the time. Thank you Lyndzee! Not only a genius at amazing headbands, but also an awesome photographer!




2. {grey} likesweddings. Any time I need inspiration, this is where I go. love it, Love it, LOVE it.

3. David & Amy Wenzel. I don't know much about David and Amy. I made a very brief stop at their blogs today after reading Jasmine Star's post about them and here's what she said:

"In a very, very small nutshell, a few days ago David was joking with friends and accidentally hit his head. A few minutes later, he couldn't think straight and had a hard time talking...the following day, he had a seizure and was rushed to the hospital. Doctors assumed to find bleeding in the brain, but what they didn't expect was to also find a tumor. Doctors want to send David to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for brain surgery and, if eligible, chemo treatment. For now, Amy and David are waiting."

When I visited their blogs, I was deeply moved. This is a very trying time in their life, but through it all they are clinging to God and his promises. Read Amy's latest blog post and you'll see why I am so impressed, inspired, encouraged, and challenged by their hearts. I don't know if I've ever trusted God to that extent and I'm not in a trial near like theirs. I am inspired to live my life, whatever trials come, to the glory of God.

Though they may or may not ever me, nor I them, I know that we serve the same God and the best way I can help them is by prayer. Join me in lifting these two amazing individuals up in prayer.

Rick & Lauren - Engaged

I said it could be awkward since I had never met them before. Friends of a friend, they were strangers to me. Strangers or not, I was so excited to meet them. I sat down with Lauren over coffee and I knew there was no way we would remain acquaintances. She's stylish, adorable, and extraordinarily organized. Almost scarily organized. As we start talking about all her fun details, she pulls out her wedding planning notebook and shows us photos of her bridesmaid dresses, cake, invitations, and color scheme. I LOVED it. Felt like I was getting an insider's sneak peak. Oh, and she was wearing super cute heels. You had me at the heels, Lauren. ;)

We met at Rick and Lauren's house and to tell the truth, I was a little stressed out. I am completely unfamiliar with the area we were planning on shooting in and we didn't have time to location scout. So when I asked if there were any cool place that they knew of and Lauren mentioned there was some abandoned stuff and old trees in the back, I was all over it. Look, how cute?


The shoot was the first time I'd met Rick, and let me tell you. I was so impressed. He is one of those people who is completely comfortable and natural in front of the camera, helping others around him feel comfortable. Not to mention he's a pilot, which means pretty cool in my books.



I love the way he looks at her. His eyes speak volumes of his adoration for her. Can't you see it?



I adored these windows!



Rick seemed to think this would make a better image than the one I planned. It certainly made Lauren laugh and provoked a tickle fight.



Um yes. I LOVE this one.



Rick and Lauren, I am honored you allowed me to capture your love for one another and I am SO excited to shoot your wedding in a few weeks!

Graduating Class of 2009

Graduation. Commencement. Baccalaureate. Whatever you want to call it, it's a big deal. It's a recognition and celebration of a 12 year achievement. It's the ending of one thing and the beginning of something else, something new, and most likely, something bigger.

It's a little weird to think that I am graduating this year. Little more than a month, rather! It's crazy. I've always wanted to be here: on the brink of finishing this four-year trial through fire we call high school; what I thought would be the hardest years of my life. In seventh grade, I looked at the seniors and whoa. THEY were awesome. They were the people I wanted to be like, to hang out with, to notice me. So mature, and having it all together, they were starting a life as an adult. I didn't recognize that their maturity and 'having it all together' was because they persevered through high school and had learned hard lessons. I thought they were just like that; just awesome. Haha... Wow. I had no idea. Now that I'm in the place I looked up to, I can see how incredibly wrong I was. I sin now more than I did then. There's no such thing as 'having it all together' and mature? HA! Not. There are so many parts of growing up that I saw as 'secondary' to becoming an adult. I thought being an adult was about being free from the confines of school (what did I think about college?), getting your own car and driving wherever and whenever you wanted (car payments, gas, and insurance?), hanging out with your friends all the time (job? career?), no one to tell you what to do (or guide you) or where to be. Whatever I thought this time in my life would look like, it wasn't too much of a shock when it finally came (other than how fast it came) because I have two incredible parents. They nipped my perception of growing up in the bud. They told me that being an adult is way more than the fun things. It's hard. There's growing. There's stretching. There's trials. There's failure. But. In the midst of all the 'harsh' realities of adulthood, there is hope. There's grace. There's blessings. Because there's a Savior and a helper.

I still don't feel ready to be an adult. I mean, I'm SO ready to be done with high school (and ALL that implies), don't get me wrong. But I'm so immature. I am irresponsible. I don't feel like I've prepared well enough. Instead of laying a foundation that will act as a springboard into my future, I feel like I've just gotten by, by the skin of my teeth. Now I believe these next years will be the hardest ones yet. I have so many habits and character flaws to tear down and then reconstruct. It's going to be hard work. Harder than I think or want. But I know that it's often in the times that seem the hardest that the bear the most fruit, show the most growth. I am so excited about what's ahead. About my future. All that God has planned for me. I'm a little intimidated because I think it's going to be big. I think God has plans for me that I can't even imagine now. THAT is what I'm excited about. Growing closer to God, learning more about Him, affecting people for his glory.

All of that to say I am a senior and senior's need pictures and I got my senior pictures done. Despite the overwhelming number of people who asked me, I did NOT shoot my own seniors. Haha, no. Actually, it was the fulfillment of a dream for me to have the incredible Jamie Delaine come to the backwoods of North Carolina and take my senior pictures. I'm so grateful that she was willing to endure the 17hr travel days to do this for me. I not only had an awesomely fun time with her, but I feel pretty when I look at these images and that means the world to me. So thank you Jamie. It means a lot to me. (And thanks for blogging so I could steal these to blog :D )

Please head over to Jamie's blog to see the rest of the images and make sure to check out the slideshow! Some of my favorite images are in the slideshow. (Gosh, now I feel really vain posting pics of me on my blog... )

Frank & Alyssa - Spring (ENGAGED!)

Yes. I know you already know. It WAS over two months ago. But here it is: Frank and Alyssa are engaged!!!

In case you aren't aware, Frank proposed to my good friend, Alyssa way back in February. It's opening night of the play Alyssa and I were both helping with, so I'm up to my elbows in make up and safety pins when she walks in. *I've known Alyssa for about three years and she and Frank have been dating for two of those years (I think. Sorry for not knowing.) and I kind of thought something like this might be coming. However, being the opening night of the play, I had no thoughts about engagements. * She's smiling but her face is hinting to me that something is different and I should notice. Quickly looking her over and, seeing no new highlights, piercings, or anything, I ask "What?" There's a moment of just smiling and waiting and then she lifts her left hand. I only waited long enough to see the sparkle before I screamed *apparently, though I remember only exclaiming excitedly* and did a swaying, jumping, laughing, squeezing hug. Aaaaaand everyone in the room looked at me funny. But you know what? My friend just got engaged and I'm a little excited! From then on, every time I looked at her I just smiled happily. I sat beside her as the play opened and kept getting distracted by the sparkly catching the lights. I think I hugged her 67 times that night.

So. This is part one of four seasons shoot I am doing with these two people I love. I will put the proposal story in the next installment.

Frank and Alyssa, I am so excited for you as you continue to walk towards Christ, but as your paths continue to merge. These are just a few of my favorites from our 'spring' escapade, but I hope you enjoy them. Alyssa was so giggly and smiley, it was absolutely infectious. Um, yes. She is gorgeous. Hands down, my favorite of Alyssa. So lovely... And I love their interaction in this image. I asked them to sit Indian style on the couch *in a drizzle* and they gave me a slightly odd look, but complied and oh so cute.