.family dinner

One of the best parts of living near your family is being able to share meals together. And let me tell you my family takes advantage of as many opportunities as possible to have a good meal. 

My sister-in-law turned 32 yesterday, so my brother planned the most delicious dinner and invited us all over to celebrate. He grilled bourbon glazed rosemary pork loins and asparagus, smashed some potatoes, and mixed a salad. As we were sitting around the table eating the perfectly charred pork and sipping a smooth Malbec, I was reminded of how blessed I am to live within 1 mile of my siblings and get to share moments like that on a weekly basis (..and how much I am going to miss these moments after I graduate).

Here's what I saw:

Have a lovely Wednesday, my friends.
-Carolyn

.berry college

Last weekend I took off to Rome, Georgia to visit a good friend of mine who attends Berry College. Berry's campus is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, and lucky for me I was there to experience my favorite time of year. Not all of the leaves had taken on that vibrant red hue yet, and there was a gorgeous spectrum from green, to yellow, to red that I had never seen before (see 4 images below).

Here what I saw on a short walk around Berry College:

The weather has been pretty perfect in Tallahassee this week. I think I'm going to take advantage and spend as much time outside as possible!
-C.

.food photography. homemade pesto!

In addition to the okra that I bought at the Farmer's Market, I also snagged some gorgeous sweet basil. The color was rich and the scent was outrageous- my entire apartment smelled of basil. As a longtime pesto lover, I knew immediately how I would use this bunch of deliciousness. 

About a year ago, I purchased a cookbook by Chef Richard Bertinet that to be honest I bought purely based on the incredible photography, but I've since used the book for its actual purpose and every recipe I've made has turned out.

I want to keep practicing my food photography skills, so..

Here's what I saw during the pesto making process:

I hope y'all have a fun weekend! I'm headed to Georgia to visit a friend of mine and secretly hoping for cooler weather and changing leaves. 

-C.

.oh hey, october

Remember this picture? You've seen it before( HERE!).

My friend Emily took it last October. My, how times flies. It sure doesn't seem like a year ago that I went running around in search of red and gold leaves to complete my 4 Seasons series.

October is one of my favorite months of the year. It's cozy and warm, like an old blanket. Every year I welcome it's return, but this year I just forgot. The first of the month came and went. The second came and went. And alas October 3rd is here, and thanks to Emily I am now ready to  carve paint pumpkins, bake pumpkin bread donuts, and don knit scarves.

"Did you know it's October? When the heck was it almost going to be 2013? Crazy." -text from Emily.

Happy (2 days late) October, my friends.
-C.

.food photography

Are you familiar with Garden&Gun Magazine ? If not, you definitely should be. It's a quarterly magazine that publishes stories on food, entertainment, sporting, fashion, and all things delightfully Southern. The articles are informative, the writing is always witty, and the photos are absolutely gorgeous.

Of course, the photography is my favorite part. Their photo editor has a distinct well-trained eye, and continually provides simple, unpretentious photos that instantly mesmerize the viewer [obviously I'm speaking for myself here, but I feel confident you would experience the same sentiment :) ]. 

Last week, I visited my local farmers market and decided to put my purchases to good use [both inside and outside of the kitchen] and tried out my hand at food photography. I tried to imagine if I was photographing for the cover of Garden&Gun. How would I make a pile of fresh okra look so beautiful and appealing that someone would want to pick up the magazine that it graces? 

Here's what I saw:

Have a great day, my friends! And check out Garden&Gun when you need a little distraction from your Monday blues. :)

-C.

.life lately

Hello friends! I have a little update on my life as of late. I recently got a job as an assistant to a local wedding photographer. Her name is Catherine from Woodland Fields Photography, and she is incredible. I am so lucky to be able to observe and learn from her!

So far, I have assisted at three weddings. And just to clarify, "assist" does not mean the same thing as "second shoot." I have merely been caring bags, changing lens, and setting up lighting. ALL important things, mind you. But, to be honest it has been quite difficult to witness all these lovely weddings and not have a camera in hand to capture them. So, what have I been doing? Using my iPhone of course! 8 megapixels of gold. ;)

Here's what I've seen in between carrying a 20 lb camera bag and scarfing down sampling wedding cake:

Have a restful Sunday, my friends :)
-C.

.happy birthday mom

We bake together. We decorate together. We sew together. We pray together. We treasure hunt together. We lunch together. We travel the world together.

Happy birthday to the woman who taught me to never underestimate the power of a can of spray paint and to always keep a bag of chocolate chips in the pantry.

I love you!

-C.