diy | valentine's day cards

i'm still not absolutely certain that i should post this (it's kindof going to ruin some folks' valentine's day surprise... but in the spirit of sharing all things CRAFTY with ya'll, i'm willing to forego knocking my friends' socks off with how freaking adorable their mail will be come v-day morning)

this post will help you avoid the stereotypical barbie/disney princess/toy story/spongebob square pants valentines that so many of us gave out to our elementary aged classmates oh-so-long ago.  mamas and daddys: this is a fun way to spend an evening with the kids :) it's just messy enough for them to think they're having fun and not so messy that you'll have to take off of work the next day to clean!

i had to make a trip to michael's to start off this project (although most of these things i already had in my craft box) 

these cards + envelopes were on sale for $1/10 pack

i already had the colored paper/pigment/scissors/embossing tool/embossing powder, but these precious valentine stamps were only $1 each!

this is my handy dandy embossing tool aka the crafting version of power tools - slash in reality it's just a mini hair dryer for melting the embossing powder, but power tools are way better 

the pigment and embossing powder i have used before for other projects and will definitely continue using in the future (not just for diy valentine projects)

now for the fun stuff :) i measured out pieces of colored paper to be slightly smaller than the face of the cards (you'll see what i mean in a minute)

and then cut them out, wrote something cute on them, and glued them to the front of my blank cards

i then took my stamp, dipped it on the pigment pad and placed it where i wanted the stamp on the inside of my card.  before it had time to dry i covered the wet pigment with embossing powder

once you shake off the powder, you're left with your stamp!  use the embossing tool to melt the embossing powder to make it shine :)

write something equally as cute on the inside and voila! you have a home-made valentine :)

happy (early) valentine's day ya'll!! go make something cute!

*please excuse how dark these photos are - i craft at night :)

sister session [virginia portrait photographer]

i've been going to church with these gals for ages - we've grown up together. through christmas-play-line-memorization to singing church specials and dancing around as "Darrell the Barrel" we've done it all.

danielle, truly my go-to-partner-in-crime during sunday school/choir practice/VBS/youth group completely understands how spastic and off the wall i am (and for that, i cannot thank her enough)

becca just tends to look at me like i have four heads, but is a well-rounded beauty with a heart big enough for her HUGE family (there's lots of them ya'll).

but for now, i give you: those Lambert girls ;) just to give you a little background knowledge: it was COLD, dreary, and drizzling during this shoot, but these ladies are troopers and handled it like champs

i had to keep myself from making every single one of these black and white, there's something about these that makes my heart happy!

oh becca :) laughing at my antics (i'm ok with it)

purdy thang you

classic:

this is my 'i'm a cute cheerleader' laugh

WIN. thanks for thinking of this location danielle!

i. love. this.

becca wasn't too keen on being in the middle of the road, she was worried about cars coming up from behind them... no cars in sight darlin ;)

lord help the mister who comes between me and my sister <3 

ya'll come back now, ya hear?!

kristen | hampton roads backyard portrait photographer | caitlin elizabeth photography

pop-pop lets kristen and me go through the revolving doors of the bank first, each of us holding scarves tied around $5 worth of pennies.  we are eager to cash in our earnings, and when we hear his loafers squeak onto the marble tiles we each hurridly take a hand and walk to the teller window.  she has our suckers ready - kristen gets yellow and i green, but before she lets kristen slip hers from the counter she asks from behind the golden bars:

'darlin, where'd you get that set of curls?'

my sister quickly quips: 'JC Penny's' and slides her sugary confection from the counter-top.

no, she didn't really get her beautiful hair from Penny's (she had gotten a hair cut that day at the salon though), but she did have quite a head of hair.  thankfully she can brush it on her own now and MAN what a STUNNER she has become.

ya'll are in for a REAL treat - not only do you get to feast your eyes on some gorgeousness (seriously, this chica is breathtaking) but you get to check out my madd styling skillz (that's right, styling, hair and make-up by yours truly <--which i feel like is quite an accomplishment, since if it were up to me i would inhabit sweatpants for approximately 100% of my existence).

BUT, before you meander through the following images - know one thing about miss kristen (and this may be the reason i love her the most): 

she has absolutely no idea how beautiful she is.

  

and with that, i give you kristen :) *she is currently taken fellas, but i have an application you can fill out for a chance to be put on the waiting list to be her beau ;)

these were some of the very first images we took - i knew my job was going to be easy!

the top right expression = really caitlin? you're going to have to try MUCH harder if you're going to get me to smile.

challenge. accepted.

all of this super cool old stuff courtesy of grandmama

 told you i could make you laugh :)

i'm in love with these:

ok seriously?! when did you become a model?

aaaannndddd THIS is why i love you. also - go hug mama and daddy right now for those perfectly straight teeth #bitterthatididntgetbraces

so. much. gorgeousness.

i am really feeling like i got the short end of the stick here mama and daddy.  this girl is WORKIN IT

cutie ;)

i was IN LOVE with the light - i took wayyyy too many pictures of her sitting on this quilt

 again - right image = why i am in love with you

 and we'll end with these detail shots - because i LOVE me some details ;)