Masthead header

Wedding Wednesday: DIY Cupcake Poms

For today’s Wedding Wednesday I have a fun little DIY project: Cupcake Poms!! Well, ok, I don’t know if that’s what they’re actually called, as I didn’t think this idea up on my own. I actually saw it on Pinterest, but when I went the original website it was in a different langauge. It looked so lovely and easy to make, though, that I thought I’d try it myself! And here are the results…

See?! Lovely, right?? Here’s the scoop on how to make them. For supplies you need a hot glue gun and glue sticks, a foam ball, cupcake wrappers, and sewing pins (make sure they have heads on them).

Poke the pin through the inside center of the cupcake wrapper. (This is why it needs a head, so that it stays in the wrapper.) A little tip, I would suggest getting pins a color that will match the colors of your wrappers, as they show through sometimes. For the colors I chose (white and pink), the pearl pins were perfect.

Once the pin is through, hold onto it and pull the wrapper back. You don’t have to be very gentle, but make sure to hold the pin head so it doesn’t rip through the wrapper. (I did that a few times.) 

Next, place a drop of glue right where the pin comes out. 

Once the glue is on, quickly push the pin and wrapper into the foam ball, making sure to push the pin all the way into the ball. A lot of the time it felt like it went in, but if I opened the wrapper a little I could see that it really hadn’t. So check it and push it all the way down if needed to be sure it doesn’t fall out. Although be careful not to burn yourself on this step… (I only did twice, which isn’t bad for someone who is somewhat craft challenged.)

Then just have at it! You don’t need to place the pins super tight because the wrappers cover a bit and you can play with them a little to shape them. For the two that I made, I got large white wrappers and regular pink wrappers. On the bigger foam ball I used mostly the white wrappers, with a few pink ones interspersed, and then all pink ones for the smaller foam ball.

And here is what they look like all finished.

(Oh and please excuse the cupcake decorating. I’m clearly not a baker, and as I found out this morning I don’t have the patience to be one, either. Ha.)

If I’m being totally honest, these were a little more challenging to make than I thought they would be. It definitely took me a while to get the hang of it. But by the end I was moving pretty fast! Just don’t expect to be able to whip one of these babies out in 15 minutes ;) Hope this inspires some of you!! And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Happy Wednesday!

 

Red Pine Lodge Wedding: Micia + Seth

Last month I had the privilege of shooting Micia and Seth’s breathtaking Canyons Resort wedding with Dustin Izatt, and what a privilege it was!! The couple painstakingly planned every last little detail, and to say it paid off would be an understatement. The day was flawless. When I say flawless, though, I don’t mean the day didn’t have it’s fair share of hiccups. It was flawless because, even in the midst of a few things going wrong (including the string that held Micia’s dress together breaking while she got dressed!), it could not have been a more joyful day. Micia and Seth celebrated their love together with their family and closest friends. The rest was all just icing on the extremely satisfying and delicious wedding cake!

Congratulations Micia and Seth, on such a beautiful, meaningful wedding!! It was truly honor to witness. And a REALLY big thanks to Dustin for having me along!!! Be sure to check out his blog here.

The guys had no problem chilling while they waited for the girls to get ready… 

The groom himself! 

Micia’s Augusta Jones wedding gown was so gorgeous! The detail on it was stunning. 

And did I mention her Badgley Mischka shoes?! Yeah, loved those too. 

Up the gondola!

The ceremony details were so simple and lovely.

Married!!

Love how happy they are!

The beautiful newlyweds :)

Seriously, how adorable are they?!

Micia, you looked so beautiful…

LOVE this.

Favorite.

Lookin’ sharp, Seth. Very sharp!

And my gosh Micia… talk about timeless beauty!

The reception decor was a mix of rustic and elegant. So basically, it was amazing.

One word… YUM.

I’ll finish with a few from their first dance :)

Congrats again you two!!!

Park City Anytime: (Senior) Julie

Today I’d like to introduce you to a senior whose personality is as sweet as her smile :) Meet the beautiful Julie! She loves to mountain bike and rocks it out on the tennis court. In fact, she’s hoping to continue her tennis game when she goes to college next year! I had SO much fun on this shoot. We couldn’t have asked for better weather, and Julie (and her lovely mom!) were such great company. Enjoy some of my favorites!

Julie, you are such a beautiful girl, inside and out! Which totally shows in your photos, btw :) Thank you for making me laugh, for willingly executing whatever ideas I had lol, and for wanting to spend some time in front of my camera! I hope you love them as much as I loved taking them. And P.S., I don’t care what you say, your scrunchy-nosed laugh is adorable!

Told you… just beautiful! 

Adorable!

She changed into her second outfit, and when she came out with cowboy boots and a cowboy hat, I knew we’d get along juuuust great.

This one. LOVE.

Oh and this one too. Work it Julie!!

Her laugh was so great :)

Lurrved her blue dress against the greenery.

GORGEOUS.

She told me how much she loved water, so I knew we had to grab a few by the pretty stream on the way back.

Then she asked me if she should get in to the water. At first I thought she was joking, but then SHE GOT IN. And I was all YOU ARE AWESOME!!!   

I’ll end on this lovely photo… 

Jessie - May 11, 2012 - 1:01 pm

These are so stunning! I love how beautiful and natural she looks.

A Little Something for Myself

It started as a little seed, a small idea in my head. Maybe it’s because I was in one of those ruts I wrote about on Monday. Maybe it’s because I’ve always been slightly obsessed with horses. Maybe it’s because I simply saw what could be, and I couldn’t get it out of my head. Whatever the reason, the seed planted itself in my head and began to grow. And grow. And grow. Until it was big enough that ignoring it was no longer an option. So in the midst of our busy lives and crazy schedules, I’m taking time out to create some art for myself. To satisfy that never-ending craving I have for all things lovely and beautiful. And I’m pretty stinking excited about it, too.

I have the idea and location set, now I just need a couple. Below is an inspiration board I made to give a glimpse into what I envision the shoot to be. If there is a couple out there who resonates with horses, pretty light, and being in love… email me (dulcephoto@gmail.com). Let’s see if we can’t work something out. You just have to be willing to come to Park City for an evening and spend some time in front of my camera. Easy enough, right?

Let’s make something pretty together :)

Samantha Gossard - May 9, 2012 - 9:55 am

Oh! I wish it could be Brian and I! :)

rooms - May 9, 2012 - 10:25 am

Whoever ends up doing this for you… it’ll be gorgeous. :)

Barb Benson - May 9, 2012 - 11:11 am

I have a wonderful idea…..your uncle Dwight and I would love to be your subjects…we can even provide the horses….you’re coming out here aaannnyywaaayyy…right?

Emily - May 9, 2012 - 11:52 am

LOVE the inspiration board! What a great idea!

Adri - May 9, 2012 - 12:29 pm

I cannot wait to see how this is going to turn out!!!

samantha - May 9, 2012 - 4:41 pm

you could do some with me and James when your here :) I can’t wait to see what you come up with on this!

Cindy - May 9, 2012 - 7:37 pm

Hey Carissa,
I love the board.
i know I’m not a “couple” but I’ve been dying to have someone take pictures of me and my horse!
let’s talk:)

Brooke Fisher - May 17, 2012 - 1:27 pm

Carissa Ben and I would love help you out if your still looking, by the photos it seems like you might be looking for someone that is blonde but I am still lightening my hair let me know if you need anything

Music Monday

As an artist it can be easy to get in a creative rut. We get into a routine and then we just go through the motions, rinse and repeat style. But the truth is, inspiration is all around us. We simply have to look for it.

Stay tuned this week for a special offer I’ll have for a willing couple.

And here’s what’s currently playing as inspiration for me this morning. A little prettiness from The Nationals.

Go find something that inspires you. And have a happy Monday :)