2011 December Archive - Caroline Joy Photography

Archive for December, 2011

Happy Friday!
December 23

It’s here.

My heart is filled to the brim with joy and excitement. What a year it’s been. I look back on this year with nothing but gratitude. I’m thankful for the sweet times, the friendships grown, the opportunities, the unexpected blessings, and especially the amazing love story that swept me up this year. But I’m also thankful for the times of trial. My heart is full, just knowing that the Lord is faithful. Truly. It’s in those hardest moments that He shows up…and even provides peace, strength, and abundance. Oh friends, I pray that this Christmas you are so aware that you are secure in the arms of the everlasting God. All because Jesus came and made a way. I pray that you are filled with joy.

–

Friends, this is my last blog post for the year. I’ll be taking off the rest of the year to spend time with my families and friends. I’m so looking forward to the time of rest that’s ahead, but I’ll be back on January 1st! New Years is one of my very favorite days, and I have an exciting giveaway planned along with my goals for 2012. I can’t wait to share and start the New Year with you!

Sending so much love to you and yours this Christmas.

Caroline

Posted in Personal, Pinterest | 1 Comment »

Aimee & Vantana, engagements part II, west hills CA
December 21

This is the last little batch from Aimee & Vantana’s engagements and wedding weekend. :) It goes without saying that all the props they brought were beyond perfect. But I must say, I adore that Aimee brought a bouquet for this session! Ladies, think about bringing a bouquet to your engagement session. There’s something way too fun about carrying around fresh flowers. :)

So much love in these photos.

Posted in Engagements | 1 Comment »

an inspiring workspace
December 19

If you’ve been following me on twitter this year, you know that it’s been a wild year. I’ve moved from Abilene, to Dallas, to Austin. Not to mention I got married. :) The year has felt like one non-stop, transition-y whirlwind.

Until now. *happy sigh*

Life has slowed down to a beautiful pace since Aaron and I got married in October. We’re all settled in our happy house here, and I just finished designing my home studio. My goal was to create a calming, airy workspace with minimal clutter. I can’t help but smile when I walk into this refreshing space–I instantly feel calmed by the barely-there blue on the walls.

Grab a cup of coffee and join me for a visit in my studio. Welcome!

Below: This is my packaging station. Hidden inside the top drawer are all of my shipping boxes, business cards, ribbon, lace, and stationary. The second drawer holds office supplies like pens and postage. I also stow current projects inside when I’m not working on them, so I can keep clutter to a minimum. Right now, I’ve got a project going on so you can see it on top.

Below: A while back, I switched from a desktop Mac to a laptop. This really opened up my office layout options, and since I’ve never been a fan of desks, I decided to use a modern white pedestal table instead. I also traded the typical desk chair for a cozy settee. I love it! It feels like I’m working in a window seat. And let’s just face it. Girls love window seats. :)

Below: Here’s what you see when you walk in. My workflow board is hanging discreetly on the left. It’s not super pretty, but it’s a necessity!

Below: I hide all of my daily office supplies behind a boxed plant, so you can’t see the clutter when you walk in. I only keep necessities here–pens, notepads, hard drives, etc. My inspiration board is an ever changing collection of images that spark my love for photography and weddings.

Below: A favorite quote from a favorite documentary: Press Pause Play. I tend to be a perfectionist. Anyone else? :)

Below: My office supplies caddy is an antique mail sorter. How cute is that?! And on the left, you can see another table top left blank for projects.

Below: This giant grey chest is mostly storage: older files, album samples, full hard drives, etc. Aaron helps me edit, so we have an Apple Time Machine. We can store all our current files on it and both remotely access and edit them from our own laptops. Cool, right? I highly recommend it if you work with another person.

Below: I’m a big believer in making the work environment as pleasant as possible, so candle burning is a must.

Thanks for joining me! I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Posted in A Day In The Office, Personal | 11 Comments »

Happy Friday!
December 16

I’m so into glitter right now because of the holidays – who isn’t? – that I created a new board on Pinterest: GLITTER! I think you’ll love it.

This weekend I’ll be shooting my last 2011 wedding. Woohoo! Then, time to focus on slowing down to savor Christmas, time with my family, and time with my new family! I hope you have the loveliest of weekends, whatever you may be doing. :)

Caroline

Posted in Personal, Pinterest | 1 Comment »

Wedding Shoes!
December 14

It’s no secret that I love photographing a bride’s shoes. I remember picking out my own wedding shoes earlier this year. My mom and I made such sweet memories shopping for understated flats that felt Audrey Hepburn-ish. It may seem small, but isn’t it the little things that make a big difference? :)

Here’s a collection of my favorite shoe shots from weddings this year.

Just for fun, I’d love to hear about your wedding shoes and how you found them. Join the conversation and leave a comment. :)

Posted in Bridals, Weddings | 4 Comments »

Audrey, Getting Ready, Huntsville AL
December 12

There is something purely amazing that happens when a girl gets ready for her wedding day. I’m currently in love with the idea of having a Getting Ready Party, complete with ladylike invitations and pretty loungewear.

Here’s Audrey as she prepares for her wedding day with her bridesmaids. The natural progression and emotion of these photos make me happy.

Posted in Bridals, Weddings | 7 Comments »

Well, goodness! I’m blogging my own wedding!
December 7

What a joy that I get to share my very own wedding with you! You know, if you had asked me, this time last year, if I thought I’d be getting married soon, I would have laughed you right out the door! But oh, the Lord has incredible, surprising plans sometimes. He (re)introduced Aaron and I in January; we actually went to high school together. Aaron was living in Dallas, I was living in Abilene. All of a sudden we were back in touch (thanks to none other than Facebook), texting up a storm, and planning our first date for the coming Saturday.

I just smile when I think of it. It happened like lightning. Yes, we are that couple who said “I love you” on the first date. We just knew. And eight months later, we were married.

We feel so blessed when we look at these photos that Ryan Ray took. Goodness, he is a brilliant photographer and SUCH a delight to work with. I am simply obsessed with the photos below! :) Visit his blog to see more, and make sure to take a look at our feature on Once Wed blog.

Posted in Personal | 7 Comments »

Aimee & Vantana, West Hills CA
December 1

Warm, golden light makes my heart happy. So does that tree. And that open field. And those mountains. And that pink balloon. And Aimee and Vantana. You might remember their wedding a few posts back. Fun Fact: Aimee is a graphic designer for Disney! How fantastic is that?! :) Part two of their engagement session will be coming soon.