I've seen lots of these "in my purse" blog posts floating around the internet the past few months, and while I've always enjoyed looking at them and reading them, I've never done one of my own. But today, with the given snow and perpetual indoors time, I thought this would be THE perfect time to try one of my own! Enjoy reading, and hopefully you'll get to know me a little better. :)

1. My purse: I am a clutch carrier to the end. Me carrying a big bag purse means I'll be knocking over lamps and glass objects in antique stores all day long. Really, I'm no good at big bags...they become dangerous on my shoulder. I've been carrying little clutches for about 5 or 6 years now. This little Fossil jewel was a Christmas present. It's deceivingly roomy inside, and I love how I can fit all my essentials inside (I really am a minimalist at heart). The Fossil designers knew what they were doing, because it usually serves as a great conversation piece as well. 

2. iPod headphones: My sis-in-law gave me this cute yellow case to keep the wires untangled and out of the way. I believe she got it at the Container Store. 

3. Phone: You now know my secret. I don't have an iPhone. I have a Sprint Instinct. I can't really say it's horrible, or anything, but I do know that deep down, I can't wait for my contract to be up so that I can run stand in line for an iPhone. 

4. Hotel Pen: I've never been much of a collector, because I don't like clutter. However, I found my collector fix in middle school, when I decided to collect hotel pens. Practical, no storage, no clutter--perfect! I have about a million and trust me, I never have to buy new pens. Friends now bring me hotel pens when they return from trips, just because they know I have a thing for them. 

5. Lip Balm: Nivea Lip Moisturizer. Basic yet amazing. It's all I ever use.

6. Wallet: There's no room for a typical wallet in my bag, so I use this little card case instead. It holds the basics. Scott got me this particular one from JewelWeed's etsy store. Check out her stuff...it's all so beautiful and eco-friendly!

7. Lip Gloss: On the very rare occasion that I wear lip color, I wear Almay. Really though, I pretty much threw this in my bag just to feel like a grown up. :)

8. Instant Hand Sanitizer: Another gift from my sis-in-law. It's the tiniest bottle you've ever seen, but it has lasted me a long time. What can I say? I don't really like germs.

9. iPod: Since I don't have an iPhone, I still have to carry my iPod with me. Old school. That's fine with me though. At least I can jam out anytime I want. And trust me, I do. :)

10. Keys: The best part about my keychain is how deceivingly macho it is. I have a dad who really likes to keep the girls in his family prepared, thus the swiss army knife, and yellow thing. What is the yellow thing, you ask? Well, if I ever drive my car into a lake or other body of water, I can break out my windows just by pressing it against the glass, AND (of course there's more!) I can slice off my seatbelt with the other side. Prepared. Yes.

So there you have it! Now it's your turn. :)

(And here's a photo just to prove that you that everything CAN indeed fit into my purse.) 

If you're in Abilene this weekend, come by Empty Bowls this Saturday at Highland Church of Christ between 11am and 7pm. What is Empty Bowls you ask? Only the coolest thing ever!! Just stop by, pick out a hand crafted ceramic bowl (made by local artists), donate $10 or so, fill up your bowl with delicious soup, and enjoy the meal. Best part? You get to take your bowl home! Keep it as a reminder of all of the empty bowls in this world. Other best part? 100% of the proceeds from this event will go toward ending local and global hunger.

I'm so excited to be donating a portrait session for the silent auction. There will be lots of fabulous things to bid on, and again, all proceeds go to ending hunger. Watch for my little table, and bid to have a portrait session with CJP!

So you've been invited. See you there!

Okay, confession: I am one of those people who LOVES Valentine's day. Who cares that I've spent lots of V-days without a significant other...I still adore it. A holiday about love?! I'll take it! I'm not so much about the ultra sappy part, but I've always been beautifully blessed to have so much love in my life worth celebrating--friends, family, and yes, my Lord Jesus. We should celebrate (and live) love every day. V-day always helps remind me of this.

Here's a little walk through my Valentine's day weekend, via the worst video ever made. :-D Seriously, the quality and everything is just THE worst. I am no videographer. But I still wanted to share, because, my goodness, it brings the biggest smile to my face. Scott and I went to Austin to visit his brother, and we had so much fun. Enjoy an unedited peek into our [very silly] weekend. And note the part where we see the first photograph ever taken! That was a surprise planned out by Scott, and I loved it! :-)

Scott's gift for me this weekend was the best! An Anthropologie skirt and shirt that are just delightful! (And a super sweet card as well. :-) ) Hope your Valentine's day was lovely!

So, the past few months I've been getting progressively more excited, because in a couple of months, I'm going to have my first real home! I cannot wait to put lots of "Caroline" style in it! Seriously, cannot waittt! Tonight all that excitement just overcame me, and I spent [way too much] time making little inspiration boards. Starting from scratch, and having a too-tight budget, I'm trying to focus in on key pieces that will make my new place just dazzle.

I think I'm most excited about bringing you dear bloggies along the journey with me! I'll have lots of DIY projects, and fun before-and-afters to photograph and blog. I can't wait for you to see it all! :-D

*all images from decor8 daily updates

When I said a little tiny peek, I really meant it! Boudoir photographs are kept very, very private. Hopefully you can get a little bit of the feel of Mrs. N's session from these few photos, though. She was so wonderful to work with, unbelievably beautiful (inside & out), and was brave enough to even step outside for a few lovely sunshine photos! :-D

And what did Mrs. N think of the session? I received this super sweet card in the mail a couple of days ago. It put the biggest smile on my face!

I'd love to tell you more about boudoir sessions, for all you ladies interested! Just message me!

It was true. We bought our tickets back in the summer, and finally, last week, it really happened: Iron and Wine came to town. 

Okay, yes, you can probably sit down with me and impress me for hours with all the cool bands you've seen all over America, and that semester abroad. But Iron and Wine came to Abilene! Things like this don't happen here. Ever. And it was so good! Loved getting to hear him live. I desperately tried to heed the "No Professional Photography" sign that I *may or may not have seen* but my camera happened to be in my bag. Besides, all I had on it was the 50mm 1.4 and, I mean, it's not an L series, so it's not technically professional...right? I stayed in my seat. I didn't get in anyone's way. I even waited til the very end. I only took a total of 6 shots. All I wanted was a crispity, clear, pretty one. I was totally satisfied with this one. Simple. Emotional. Good enough for me. :)

This was shot 1/25 of a sec, 200 ISO, at f/3 (much higher than normal for desired all-over sharpness). 

I got home from the concert around 11, and immediately fell into bed, after setting my alarm for 3:30AM (!!!). I was to wake up and head to Plano for a workshop put on by Stacy Reeves at 8AM sharp. My forbearing friend Jennifer, came as well, and, angel that she is, drove the whole way. Thanks Jennifer! :) Let me just say that, while the whole sleep deprivation thing was not fun (it felt like freshman year all over again), the workshop was worth every bit of it. If you ever have a chance to hang out with/learn from Stacy, PLEASE DO! She's a brilliant credit to the profession of photography, and I'm so honored to have learned from her. Thank you Stacy! Another friend of mine, Taylor, met us at the workshop. While Taylor and I had been "photography friends" for a while, we had never actually met until that morning...I was so happy to actually get to hang out with her! On top of that, Amanda and Robin, two of my dear Love Affair '09 friends, were there as well! What a sweet surprise!

To all of you wonderful readers who might be pursuing photography, or thinking about it, please, please, please go immediately and print out Stacy's guide to pricing. It will revolutionize your world. Also, and perhaps as a preface to reading Stacy's pricing guide, you should really read this article on the underpricing of photography. It's a little bit of tough love, but it's simply a must read, and a must share for photographers. Make sure you let me know when you check out both of these resources. I'd love to hear what you thought of them!

 {below, left} Photo inspired by my lovely friend Erin of ee photography. Here's to you, friend!

{below, top left} Check out how long that scarf is! Ken educated Scott and I on it's history. Anyone know what it's from? Anyone? 

K&K, we had so much fun with you two. I think you guys are going to be those people who just have way too much fun in marriage. Your humor with each other is so refreshing and awesome! Thanks for being amazing, braving the cold, and running out into that field again...and again...and again. :) Can't wait for your wedding!