i write with light

Photography literally means "to write with light." "Photo" means "light" and "graphy" means "write." This is technically what transpires as you open and close your shutter, sucking light into or out of every corner of your image.

In the case of Lola Rain and Cupcake play with sparklers, we were writing with light on both sides of the camera lens. We had originally planned something very simple for this shoot, but once we lit up those sparklers there was just no stopping us (we're talking close to 2 hours). I so love anything in life that causes you to stop everything and just PLAY. I would never want to live without my sacred quality of playfulness.

etsy treasury inspired by pixar's UP

I am honored each and every time my work is included in a treasury on Etsy, but this one particular treasury has gotten so much attention and proved pretty popular. It already has over 10,000 hits after just a few days. Wow! It was inspired by Pixar's movie UP, which I admit I haven't seen, but given the craze over this theme I think I'm going to have to add it to my Netflix.

Thank you to Little Toad for including my VW Van print. You can find more of my work for sale in my Etsy shop at: www.lolarain.etsy.com

This treasury was also featured on Night Owl Crafts Work.

And you can find the other lovely items included in the treasury by visiting the following shops:

Old New Again

Greatest Friend

Two Turtle-Doves

Skippy Designs

Bragging Bags

Tuwhittuwhoo

Magpie and Cake Boutique

Carol Mai's Vintage Clothing and Delights

Lionsgate Designs

Slightly Embellished

Whimsy Love

Hibou Bleu

Photography by Aime Claire

Old Meets New, Vintage but Classy

Dog Art by Brian Rubenacker

Enjoy!

good friends

To somewhat continue my last post about the power of women, I have to say the power of their bonds to one another is intense. I was inspired to write this entry after reading my beautiful friend Hannah's blog about our weekend in NYC celebrating my upcoming nuptials. It was the absolute perfect way to celebrate both the new commitment I share with my soon-to-be husband and the bonds (my girls) that have carried me through the years until I met him.

At any rate, I've been feeling so incredibly lucky and appreciative (more so than usual that is) ever since last weekend. I was overpowered by the love and support, and amazing personalities I'm blessed to have in my life. From my amazing sister-in-law who drove down Friday to help with anything and everything needed to prepare for the parties, stayed up gossiping with me in bed deep into the night and who is always there with an understanding and gentle heart; to my generous friend Natalie who flew to the east coast all the way from San Francisco and baked cupcakes, decorated my apartment in flowers, helped with all the errands and acted as my stylist and hair dresser, not to mention her constant support via email; to my great friend Emily who has been there with me all the way, helping me find the perfect wedding dress, listening to me laugh, cry, vent or jump up and down with excitement throughout my engagement, and making sure my bachelorette party had just the right amount of raunchiness; to my dear childhood friend Hannah who has truly watched my life evolve, knows the struggles I've endured and conquered in order to get to this amazing place I stand today, whose friendship has stood the test of time beautifully healing itself after periods of difficulty....and who left her babies overnight for the first time to celebrate with me (wow!).

I felt like I had to write this down, to acknowledge these women (and I'm leaving out several more I could write about! love you all too!) and remind myself of how lucky I am. I would venture to say the bachelorette party was not your standard bachelorette party. Sure, there were raunchy penis straws and silly feather laden accessories for me to wear in public, but as my friend Hannah put it, it was really a women's retreat. It was so nourishing, intense and FUN to watch my friends get to know each other on a deep level so quickly and to also deepen my bonds with each of them in a way only women could understand. The candor and openness of this group was so unusually high.....and the topics discussed were so outrageous and quite honestly pretty steamy at times.

After this weekend I felt a solid foundation underneath me from this wonderful support system, and am looking forward to my future with my fiance Alex even more. It's amazing how a little break from reality, some perspective and a marathon venting/supporting/dish session with your girlfriends can reset things. I love you all and thank you!!

the power of woman

Men might have brute force on their side, but in my opinion, the power a woman possesses is something to truly marvel at. Sometimes we women don't even realize we have this immense power, but it's still there. That's the thing, even when we feel powerless or shy or far less aggressive than a man....the power is there. I think it's built into our anatomy somehow. We persuade, we influence, we mold and shape our environment, we are absolute creators in every respect. And let's face it....we can be scary as hell. It was no surprise to me that on this day in the park, I asked the lovely Cupcake to conjure up this essence of a woman and though she shyly remarked that she couldn't be that powerful and scary, those qualities seemed to just radiate from her anyway.

homemade laundry soap

I guess it's no surprise that an artist might enjoy making just about anything herself. The act of creation in general makes me feel more connected to life rather than living on auto pilot. In that regard, I thoroughly enjoy repurposing old or unused items in my house and making things from scratch. Not only does this save big money, but it is an eco good deed and I am quite committed to respecting the earth in every way possible.

One expensive item that can easily be made yourself, and at a huge fraction of the store bought cost, is laundry detergent. You can make both liquid and powdered versions, but I currently enjoy the powdered version as it is a less involved process to make it and it also packs up nicely for storage. You can store it in a small tupperware or jar. I naturally like to keep mine in an old container that most people would've tossed in the recycling bin after using its contents.

So, here is my recipe for laundry detergent:

Use a grater to grate 1 cup of a biodegradable, vegetable based (castille) bar soap (I like Dr. Bronner's or Mrs. Meyers).

Mix 1 cup grated soap with

1/2 cup washing soda

1/2 cup borax

Use 1 tbsp for light loads; 2 tbsp for heavy loads

one step at a time

I love images that suggest a journey, whether it be a winding road, a set of stairs, a pathway in the forest or a stretch of train tracks. I am constantly thinking about my path in life, and always aware that even if I can see the stretch directly in front of me, the image gets fuzzy and fades into the distance. I suppose this is why I find these images so symbolic and somehow inspiring and encouraging.

You can find these photos (and many more!) for sale in my Etsy shop: www.lolarain.etsy.com

sunrise, sunset

Watching day turn into night, or night turn into day, seems to be an intensely intoxicating and peaceful experience for most human beings. I sometimes wonder if it is merely the parade of striking colors that compels us to marvel in silence no matter how many times we've seen the sun ascend from or fall into the horizon. But, I want to believe it's something deeper than a general admiration for the visually pleasing. I, personally feel centered, appreciative and slip into a semi-meditative state when I stop and pay attention to the beginning or end of the day. The world feels so quiet in those moments, and the grandeur of the earth so palpable.

I had plenty of chances to appreciate a plethora of gorgeous sunrises and sunsets on my recent trip to the Adirondack Mountains. I plunked myself down in my camp chair every night, camera in hand, to watch the sky paint itself in magnificent blues, purples and pinks. And thanks to the natural resetting of my internal clock that occurs when I sleep in the great outdoors, I was awake at 4:45 in the morning....just in time to take in the beautiful summer sunrises. Heaven.