the paper pony

Paper Hearts

2012-02-14T12:49:00.000-08:00

I, like always, was pulling something together last minute for Valentine's Day and in a pinch as I had no cute bags for the little gits I was giving. Old W magazines & origami saved the day. I chose the most colorful fashion spreads, cut the pages to 10 in. square and folded these up. They are about 6 in. and the gifts fit perfectly in the envelope.

Finally, justification for magazine hoarding.

Check out my Instagram to see what we are doing today and have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Dance it Out

2012-02-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

Love these! Your favorite film/television dances. Illustrations by Neiges Borges - see more on Dancing Plague of 1518 and buy prints here.

[ via iwatchstuff and my bff Faith's cool husband Ryan ]

Personal Pinatas

2012-02-08T11:24:00.000-08:00

I've not been blogging, but I have been working and making lots of things. We have two big parties coming up this weekend - B's 4th birthday and a shower for friends adopting from Africa. These little pinatas-in-the-making are favors for Baker's party. I really wanted to do these, but cutting out approx. 25 and taping them all together seemed crazy. While papier mache is totally sane...

They will look like this when they're done with a little treat inside. No matter how busy, I will always make time for this kind of thing. Paper crafts, Forest helping, glass of wine, Downton Abbey. Relax!

Frye Family :: Oxnard Beach Park

2012-01-04T15:06:00.000-08:00

The Hock Family :: Carpinteria Bluffs

2011-12-22T09:53:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite families...and next time we do photos there will be seven of them! Sarah & Davis are in Ethiopia right now meeting the three new additions, or the "bigs" as they are called. It's a beautiful story of faith & love, so appropriate for this season.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays xoxo

The cutest flash drives you ever did see

2011-11-09T23:25:00.000-08:00

Annie did it, and I thought it was brilliant. So now I have these cute little flash drives to deliver image files on instead of DVDs. It is almost 2012, after all!

They're like digital petit fours. I think Marie Antoinette would eat them up.

Happy Weekend + I love Instagram

2011-10-21T12:45:00.000-07:00

Do you Instagram? Find me @ rayacarlisle and I'd love to follow you!

Happy Weekend! xoxo

Seven Years

2011-10-17T14:25:00.000-07:00

[photo by David Jay]

Today we celebrate seven years of being married. I'm sure I've told this story before, but it rained on our wedding day which seems like the worst thing that could happen, but really it turned out to be kind of magical. The sky was incredible and people still talk about dancing in the rain. I mean, how often do you get to dance in the rain? Next time we have wet weather I'm dragging Forest outside for old times' sake.

Red Lipstick Times...

2011-10-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

One of the most enduring and stylish metrics for measuring the severity of hard times is sales of red lipstick. First noted during the dark days of Wold War II, when the popularity of the glamorous but relatively inexpensive pick-me-up skyrocketed, it has proven to be a surprisingly accurate barometer ever since. But it goes beyond makeup. Time and time again, when the going gets tough, the tough get glowing.

- Harper’s Bazaar: Greatest Hits by Glenda Bailey

Kartika & Allen's Wedding :: Casa Real Pleasanton, CA

2011-09-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

Love these two. And these two love each other and their friends so much. I remember so much laughing at this wedding. Laughing and smiling. Congratulations Kartika & Allen!

Walking Georgetown

2011-09-27T23:37:00.000-07:00

I have a new favorite city and it's name is Georgetown. My bestie Faith has lived there for the last two years while she & her husband get smarter at Georgetown U. After shooting a wedding in Connecticut we drove to DC and I got to spend a week with her and her new beautiful baby boy, Iggy.

We walked the babies all over the town and there is more painted door eye-candy than I have ever seen. It made me so happy. Also making me happy: Georgetown Cupcake. The coconut and the "birthday cake" were delicious. Just like the cake your mom made you for your 8th birthday.

Also of note is 2Amy's Pizza (via F.E. Castleberry), Founding Farmers and shopping on Wisconsin Ave. Have you been to Georgetown? What are your favorite spots?

Group Picture

2011-09-08T21:02:00.000-07:00

Katie & David's Engagement :: Santa Barbara

2011-08-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

In July I spent an afternoon with Katie & David at the Courthouse and the Palm tree speckled lawns by the ocean. I have been shooting some film at every wedding for about a year and a half, but Katie & David agreed to an all film engagement session and wedding. I have been considering moving to mostly film in 2012 and after this I am pretty certain that's what's going to happen. Film is just so freeing and exciting. Their wedding was a week ago today and I pick up the proofs from the lab today - such suspense!

Happy Weekend

2011-08-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

A sneak peek from my wedding two weeks ago - I was inspired by the latest J Crew catalog, if you saw that. Even with the craziness of two kids I have been having so much fun this wedding season. What a great job I have. We are off on a little camping adventure for a few days and ready for some much needed fresh air. I'm just going to sit and breath in the mountain air and nap with Genevieve every chance I get.

Have a lovely weekend!

The babes

2011-07-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

[ Kodak Portra 800, Contax 645 camera ]

I've been shooting a lot more film lately and it makes me so happy. Here are a few of my quickly growing children. Genevieve is four and a half months already!

Rebecca & Brad's Wedding :: Downtown Los Angeles

2011-07-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to share my favorites from Rebecca & Brad's Wedding at Cafe Pinot, downtown LA. Despite it being quite blustery (well, it was more like a windstorm but blustery sounds nicer) the day was beautiful. Bash, Please brought the flowers and designy goods (striped table cloths!) and The Flashdance brought the beats. If a three-month old hadn't been at home waiting for me, it would have been very hard to leave.

Rebecca & Brad are wonderful, genuine, fun, cool, witty, creative, beautiful...just awesome in general. Their joint toast was one of my favorite parts of the night and I loved their approach to this day...just the right amount of decor & details without it being overdone is how to do it. Effortlessly chic, indeed.

Mazel Tov Rebecca & Brad!

Brad and Rebecca's Wedding on Snippet & Ink

2011-07-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Snippet & Ink for sharing Rebecca & Brad's wedding yesterday! Snippet & Ink is one of the first wedding blogs I ever read and it's still one I check daily. I love Kathryn's sensibilities - she always shares beautiful, sweet things.

I'll be sharing my favorites later today and be sure to visit Snippet & Ink to hear from Rebecca about planning their day and see the credit list for all the talented creatives involved.

Click here to see the post

Stuck

2011-06-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

Poor balloons. Spotted near Traction Ave, downtown LA during a recent engagement session.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

{ My dad & me }

{Forest being great with our kids}

Feeling so thankful to have some of the best dads in my life. How did we get this lucky?

My dad is one of the most real people I know. He is a great story teller, a talent my brother inherited from him - when they get together we just sit back and watch them "talk story" and laugh. His pearls of wisdom I cling to and he's always the person I want to call when I'm dealing with a tough situation.

Clyde, Forest's dad, can pretty much fix everything. His patience is other-wordly: I've seen evidence of this when he explains to Baker in detail how an engine works or is helping us with yet another house project (he lives closer so he gets roped into these often).

And Forest, as shown by these photos, has such a kind heart. He knows how to love us best and takes care of his whole family so well. As I type he & Baker are out working on our new front walk, on Father's Day. Such a good man I tell you.

We are heading to Ojai later, our Mother's/Father's Day tradition. Hope you have some lovely plans to celebrate the Fathers in your life. xoxo

Like a Ballerina

2011-06-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

Do you think we are sometimes influenced or inspired by things we've seen without really thinking about it? When this bride said some images of her were reminiscent of Degas, I was delighted. From the minute she stepped into her dress she looked like a ballerina...

Florals + Stripes

2011-06-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

[images by Kailas Photography and Camilla Akrans]

Strawfoot Handmade

2011-05-31T23:41:00.000-07:00

I love this new women's beach bag from Strawfoot Handmade. Available at Stripe in Santa Cruz, CA.

Happy Weekend

2011-05-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

Honestly, today was a bear of a day. Most of the morning involved one or both children crying and it seemed like just getting dressed might be too daunting a task. But after an hour at the pool the three year-old is napping and...ahhhh. He will not go to bed until 10pm tonight because of this nap, but if it means an hour of quiet and 10 minutes for me to escape with the new Anthology, then so be it. All the wacky color in Eunice Moyle's home (above) is strangely calming right now. The whole issue is really gorgeous, cover to cover.

Sunday I'm shooting my first wedding of the season and am nervous/stressed, but looking forward to it. I still get nervous before every wedding - keeps me on my toes. Rebecca & Brad are a very cool couple and I get to see the Bash,Please ladies and photograph all the gettin' down brought by The Flashdance so obviously it's going to be an awesome day. Give me thirty minutes and I'll be smiling ear to ear, so happy that I get to photograph weddings as my job. Happens every time.

Happy long weekend to you! xoxo

Ariel Gordon Jewelry

2011-05-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

My friend Samantha hosted a trunk show for Ariel Gordon last weekend and I wanted to buy pretty much everything. My favorites are the hammered gold hoop earrings and the silk woven chain bracelets. Also love that love knot ring which I *think* I spotted on Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids (new favorite funny movie, by the way).

P.S. Sam has a fabulous blog called Could I Have That and modeled for Ariel's look book...

photos by Tyler Jennings for Ariel Gordon.

Color Moment: Blue & Yellow

2011-05-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

photo by Raya Carlisle. skirt and vase via Anthropologie.