I have a passion for the ordinary moments in life. The ones that are easily overlooked, taken for granted, dismissed as too "normal" but really hold so much beauty. Sometimes it's easy to see if something is beautiful or not -- a flaming sun slipping behind clouds, crooked, time worn streets of Europe, the quiet ebb and flow of a turquoise ocean. There's no denying that these are works of art, but there are times where the quiet, subtle moments hidden in an everyday routine outshine even the most glorious sunset.

We leads me to the reveal of a new project -- Everyday Moments, a collaboration between Ellie and myself. Brought on by our mutual love of those fleeting, special times, once a month we're going to share our favorite images from the past month. No posing, no directing, just simple, sweet life. I'm not going to lie -- I'm excited about this project. As a photographer, I notice things, but I'm often too lazy to go get my camera and try to accurately capture what I'm seeing. This will give me incentive; a little push that's good for me. There are times when I'm more focused on the lighting and background, making me miss the moment. For this project? I'm focusing on the memories instead of the settings.

c a m e l   r i d e

s a n d b o x   c r e a t i o n s

s h e   i s   a   m o n k e y   a t    h e a r t

w e   l i k e   t h e   l i b r a r y

s u n s e t   w a l k

j u m p

l i f e

h i k e   i n   t h e   r a i n

a l i n a  +  l i l l y

e a r l y   m o r n i n g   c r a f t s

Photography is so much more than just capturing something beautiful -- it's about capturing life. It's about freezing a second in time that draws you back. Here's to everyday moments.

And tonight? I'm planning to see The Help (finally, finally) with my sister and mama tonight. What are your Friday night plans?

Have a wonderful weekend, friends.

-carlotta

p.s. last chance for sponsoring pastor's girl's ponderings in october! please email me for rates if you're interested.

I like my sponsors. And I like you. And to celebrate both, here's a little giveaway to brighten your day.

Ashley of The Poppy Chain Boutique creates some gorgeous jewelry. She's super sweet and is also a sponsor for this month -- and she's giving away a twenty five dollar gift certificate to her shop. Looking for a little something special to spice up your fall wardrobe? Ashley 's shop features pieces that are the perfect mix of vintage and modern, fun and girly.

Also, just for the lovely readers of pastor's girl's ponderings, you can get twenty percent off your order with the code PGP20 -- don't miss this opportunity!

And not only is Ashley giving away something, Romi, another lovely sponsor, has made this lovely locket especially for you. I'm in love with the edginess it adds to an outfit -- perfect for the nautical trend I'm rather head over heels for.

Want to enter to be one of two lucky winners? Here's how it works.

mandatory entry

answer this question: what are you most looking forward to in October?

extra entries

+ follow pastor's girl's ponderings on google friend connect

+ follow me on twitter (@pastorsgirl) 

+ tweet about the giveaway (make sure to link to me so we can track your tweet!)

+ follow Ashley's blog
+"heart" Romi's shop on etsy

Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

Giveaway ends Sunday, October 2nd and winners will be announced shortly afterwards.

Have fun and good luck!

-carlotta

p.s. I'm now accepting sponsors for october! please email me for more information.

Sometimes it's good to to act on an impulse. It's been a dream of mine to go on a shoot in an industrial area with a ballerina. The juxtaposition between girly and edgy gets me every time. Lucky for me, my dear friend Reagan, who has been taking ballet for over ten years and is in a professional division, agreed to help me out with my idea. After a little shopping, she slipped on her leotard and skirt and laced up her pointe shoes. We explored and climbed onto dumpsters (ahem, me), laughed and got into uncomfortable positions for that shot. You know -- the one that requires effort and maybe a even a bit of risk but is so worth it in the end. Have I ever mentioned how much I love photography? And industrial settings.

other highlights of this weekend:

All the super sweet birthday wishes from y'all (I read every single one and oh, they made my day. Thank you so much!) and a surprise visit from Reagan, which turned into her spending the whole weekend with us. I love my friends + family so much.

New moccasins -- they were much needed as my old ones were literally falling apart.

MeMe's birthday yesterday; she's eight! I can't believe it. I remember when she came into this world so clearly. My little Mariam Elizabeth, growing up so fast I can hardly keep up. I love you so much, MeMe!

Reading reading reading -- I devoured two books in three days.

The safe arrival of my sister Alina late last night, who's sitting right next to me at the moment. We're so glad she's here with us for a few weeks!

What were some of your favorites from this weekend?

-carlotta

I woke up early this morning. The birds were chirping in the tree outside my window and the sun slowly made its ascent up into the sky. I wrapped the blankets tighter around me as I lay in bed, listening to the soft rustle of the wind through the trees and the sounds of my family stirring downstairs.
I like birthdays. A lot. They're my favorite actually -- I love the idea of setting aside the day just to celebrate a person's life, the surprises, the food, doing special things.

Today is my birthday. I've always been one that gets so incredibly happy over days like these -- when I was younger (and okay, now too), I'd have a countdown from three months away. But as the years have progressed, the excitement has waned a bit too. I suppose it comes with growing up.

scored this beauty at an estate sale today. so in love.

I struggled with the decision to share my age. As someone who was often mistaken for much younger as a child, I liked the idea of people thinking I was older than I really am. I was afraid that if I shared my age, I'd be looked down upon and my thoughts dismissed. While I realized how ridiculous those thoughts are, there was some part of me that wanted to keep my age a secret. But while this may seem silly to make such a big deal over it, I think it's good for me, to remind myself that I'm still young and it's okay not to take everything upon my shoulders. Sure, it's so easy to get caught up in age and creating an aura of mystery, but it's not always for the better.

Last night, I took a good long look at myself in the mirror. But it wasn't a vain kind of look, it was a deep, soul searching kind of look. I'm not going to lie, I felt a bit melancholy and my heart was rather heavy. This past year was good to me -- I've grown and learned, both mentally and physically and so many exciting things have happened to me. I wasn't sad because I was turning a new age, it was just the knowledge that I'm leaving behind another year of my life, a year I know I'll never get back.
Fifteen is a strange age; it's a limbo between girl and woman, not quite grown up but not a child anymore either. Sometimes it feels strange that I'm still a teenager -- there are times I long to be freed from the shackles of a little thing called school and to live life, fully and completely. And other times I wish I were little again. These feelings run through my mind with each birthday, leaving me excited for the year to come and a bit sad at the same time.

My name is Carlotta and I'm fifteen today. There's a whole new year stretched in front of me like a blank slate and you better well believe I'm going to live it to the fullest. And now? I'll start small, by eating a piece of oreo ice cream cake and celebrating this new year of life.

Happy Friday, y'all.

-carlotta