nancy ray photography

recent musings

03.12.10 at 11:54am

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it’s rainy outside and i have a cup of chamomile vanilla tea in hand. i was supposed to teach a photography workshop this morning at my old high school, but my tummy ache & lack of a voice said otherwise. so i sit here, still in my pajamas, editing photos & listening to the laundry spinning in circles. i don’t know about you, but listening to the washer & dryer and to the dishwasher makes me some kind of happy.

so this lovely morning in raleigh, rain & all, i decided i would gather my thoughts a little, mainly about the little things that i love and enjoy. i have been inspired lately by this quote by henry david thoreau, and i’ve been letting it sink into every fiber of my being.

••• Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined. •••

i have so many dreams. i have dreams for nancy ray photography, for my home, for who i am as a wife, a person, and eventually a mom, for the paint colors in each room, for the traveling i want to do. i have layers of dreams, really. i love where i am in life right now – 23, married, entrepreneur, owning our own town home, living in a cute little neighborhood, and meeting amazing couples in love as part of my job. but i am always seeing around the corner, and i think that’s good. i always have the “next step” in mind, which usually terrifies me and excites me.

lately my thoughts have been in our home. i love our home. it’s a 3 story townhome in a neighborhood that feels like it’s right out of a movie. dogs, kids riding bikes, blossoming trees, lakes, fountains, and lots of neighbors. it’s darling! i want every room to reflect me and will, our stories, our tastes. making trips to home depot & ace hardware is a lot of fun. [pictures will make their way to this blog at some point, i promise!]

peter walsh [an organizational guru that i absolutely love] always says that the first step to an organized, orderly home is find the answer to this question: if you could imagine your home and your life looking a certain way, what would it look like? i have been thinking about that a lot with this home, and with my life. in what direction do i want go? in every little area, even. how i dress, how i treat people, how i work.

{oh man, this is going to be a long process.}

so, with all of those thoughts out there {that feels better!}, and my little cup of tea in hand, i have combined lots of little photographs that have reflected my taste lately. i have been loving lots of creams, whites, & grays, combined with lots of texture. and the handbag? just a little something i’ve had my eye on :].

Posted in nancy's life

by Nancy

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bobby willix • senior session

03.10.10 at 4:42pm

bobby is awesome for so many reasons. 1. he loves music 2. he loves to longboard 3. he is my neighbor 4. he goes to my church 5. he has longer hair than i do 6. he likes bright colors 7. he loves jesus 8. he likes to play drums in the woods 9. he is going to appstate 10. he’s a SENIOR!

[i may or may not have asked him to do # 8. :]

on a more serious note, i know bobby is going to do awesome things with his life. he is so gifted, so easygoing, so fun to be around. thanks to an awesome neighbor for allowing me to capture this time in your life!

Posted in seniors

by Nancy

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beauty

03.05.10 at 5:16pm

yesterday i spent all afternoon with a lovely bride, taking her bridal portraits. i am so excited to blog these, but i want to wait until after their wedding so her groom is super surprised when he sees her! i love incorporating personal things into sessions, and since emily loves to read jane austin, her antique collection was a perfect fit. i had to share these two beautiful, simple photos that will get you excited to see the rest! emily, you are stunning. i can’t wait to see drew’s face when he sees you!

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Posted in weddings

by Nancy

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a snowy escape

03.04.10 at 1:57pm

the past few days, will & i escaped to the snowy mountains of west virginia. and when i say snowy, i mean SNOWWEEEEEEE. seriously, just look at the patio door from our room!

i have never seen so much snow in all my life. this is coming from a girl who just spent the last 3 years in snowy boone-town, nc. when we arrived at snowshoe, i couldn’t believe my eyes. the trees were so covered in snow, there was no green left. they were entirely covered from top to bottom with snow & ice. i looked around and felt like i had stepped into Narnia during the reign of the White Witch. it was crazy.

they said it was the best snowfall & the best skiing conditions they have had in 30 years. 30 YEARS! it was beautiful. now, if you know me, you know i’m not that athletic. i have no hand-eye coordination, and the only time i ever tried out for a sport in school, i tried out for soccer. i proceeded to fall down a hill & deem it as the most embarrassing moment of my life, and then not even make the team. yes, I WAS THAT DORKY & UNCOORDINATED. but i’ll save that story for another day.

i simply say that to state that accomplishing anything remotely athletic makes me feel like i can conquer the world. i have been skiing a long time, but it has taken me quite while to feel confident because of my lack o’ coordination. i usually stick to the greens & the blues, but i was enjoying the blues so much that i got up the courage to ski a black diamond. A BLACK DIAMOND YALL! i don’t think you understand – this is the steepest kind of slope to ski down. my sweet hubby (who had been skiing black diamonds all day) encouraged me and a good friend of ours to go for it. CONQUER IT. i looked over the edge, and down i went! and i didn’t fall ONCE!

i was quite proud of myself, to say the least. in the middle of the day, i was able to sneak off by myself to this lovely, rustic little starbucks, where i was much more comfortable. i had my coffee, my computer, my snow, and my self esteem. it was lovely.

here’s to conquering something big this week! don’t hold back. even when you don’t think you can do it, you never know unless you take that first step over the edge.

Posted in nancy's life

by Nancy

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happy march!

03.01.10 at 10:00am

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why hello, march! you always seem to come to quickly because february is so short. but that’s okay, because i like you. you mark the beginning of spring and warm weather, which is so refreshing. when i lived in boone, you were still very cold and snowy, but now that i’m in raleigh, i know you’ll be bringing sunshine and warmth. you also mark the kick-off of my wedding season, which i am so excited about. do you know why? because this is going to be my best year yet.

so, onto my goals for march:

decide on paint colors for our living room & bedroom
paint the studio! put on the finishing touches :]
continue to run in our neighborhood
drink more water
have a video•chat ice cream meeting with caroline
create a work schedule that is efficient in my studio
go skiing! woot woot!
teach a workshop in my old high school
journal more [ 3x's a week]

and my goals from last month, which i did [& didn't] complete:

buy a loveseat for my new studio
set up redcart (online gallery & shopping cart)
finish setting up shootq
complete taxes & send in. [ booo.] accountant not available ’til march
close on our townhome! [woo hoo!] banks are silly. but we are closing very soon!
go running in our new neighborhood
get stickers for my packaging materials
begin workshop planning with caroline
get a massage; pamper myself! scheduled: march 10th
decorate for valentine’s day, celebrate with hubby
finish updating the families section of the website
start planning a few styled shoots (i have some exciting things in mind!)
start the Bible study for my high school girls at church
finish every session & edits before february ends. all done before wedding season!
begin a bible study

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by Nancy

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ben & elkie • engagement session on a farm • part 2

02.26.10 at 2:37pm

another thing i love about elkie and ben is how much fun they have together. they know how to play & make each other laugh, and they aren’t shy about their affection. well, maybe elkie was a little, but that made them even cuter together. :]

we laughed a lot about the difference in their hands. elkie’s hands were soft and flawless, beautifully adorned with her engagement ring. ben’s hands were the rugged hands of a hard worker, with callouses, scrapes & cuts. i honestly loved the contrast between feminine and masculine, i couldn’t help but photograph them. and why not while holding fresh farm eggs?

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the soft light and romantic moments went perfectly together.

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below: this is quickly turning into one of my personal favorites. it’s like they’re in a dream!

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below: this is the spot where he proposed, and YES! he hung those lights. what a proposal!

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elkie and ben, THANK YOU. i know i told you what a fun & awesome time i had, and i meant it! you two are something special. the Lord is going to use you in awesome ways, and i so excited that you are starting this journey together. i can’t wait until june!!

Posted in engagements

by Nancy

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ben & elkie • engagement session on a farm

02.25.10 at 4:37pm

i don’t even know where to begin! this couple made such an impression on me. when i first met with elkie and her mom, they were some of the most genuine, down to earth people i’ve ever met. they told me all about what ben & elkie’s wedding day will be like, and how when elkie walks down the aisle, all eyes will be on ben. why? because HE LOVES HER. he loves her so much, everyone can’t wait to see his face. after spending a few hours with elkie & ben, i know exactly what they mean. ben is so enamored with elkie, and elkie with ben. it is so sweet, and i honestly feel so privileged to be a part of this incredible couples life, even for a short time!

when i asked elkie if there was a sentimental spot they would like for their engagement session, she mentioned the fact that ben worked on a farm that was really special to them. [at this point, i was secretly jumping up and down. a farm? seriously!? what an amazing location!] when i arrived, it was so much better than i even anticipated! i would go into explaining how beautiful it is, but i’ll let the photos speak for themselves. just make sure you pay attention to all the adorable animals! and one last thing you should know: this barn is where ben proposed. {swoon!}

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below: this little guy made more noise than you could ever imagine! it was a brave feat to catch him :]

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the chickens weren’t as noisy, but they were also quite difficult to catch! i love this next series of chicken photos :]

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i must say, i was a little afraid of this cow. she kept walking towards me… but i just made the most of it!

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the open space was beautiful. it was so refreshing to be outside on all that land, and it made for some seriously beautiful photos.

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see what i mean? they are so in love.

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there are so many wonderful photos to share, i couldn’t fit them all in one post. come back soon for part 2!

Posted in engagements

by Nancy

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a few lovelies

02.23.10 at 10:50pm

i was sitting in my living room the other evening talking with a dear friend of mine, and i began dreaming about what i want to do with this quaint townhome will & i now live in. we are finally all settled, but i am ready to make it my own, to paint, to claim this space to reflect me & william. firstly, let me just say that when will and i lived in boone, we lived in an apartment. a tiny apartment. a tiny apartment on the side of a mountain that was really, really old. honestly, it was the perfect “starting out” apartment. we were newlyweds, it was cheap, and it was literally across the street from a river where we would go swimming all the time. [so fun!] but you must understand – i am a visual creature! i love colors, cleanliness, order, texture… and we were allowed to do nothing to that little apartment. the wood paneling was painted white, and that was it. so now that we have a home of our own, i am ready to make it ours.

with that said, here are a few little eye catchers i have noticed lately that i am using for some inspiration. enjoy!

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Posted in favorites, nancy's life

by Nancy

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harper’s 2nd birthday • part 2

02.17.10 at 11:16am

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3 generations:

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i love that this present is bigger than she is!
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here i am assisting harper with reading her birthday card. so cute :].

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and here she is wearing the crown we gave her!

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and we finished the party by feeding the boys. uncle will & i make a great team when it comes to feeding & burping 3 hungry boys!

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now, back to that rainbow cake…. (i can’t stop thinking about it myself…)

since it was SO delicious, and since all of you want to take a big bite of it, here is the recipe:
taken from a blog my sister follows!

Rainbow Cake

You’ll need:

(for the cake)

2 boxes of white cake mix
food coloring (try Ateco)
(for the frosting)
4 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese
1 cup butter
5-6 cups powdered sugar
1 T vanilla

To make the cake:

Mix up one box of the cake mix, following the directions on the box. Separate the prepared mix into three bowls with roughly 1 cup of cake mix per bowl. Add food coloring (red in one bowl, orange in another, and yellow in the third).

Bake the three cakes in round pans according to the box instructions. Make sure to check the cakes about 10 minutes before they are supposed to be done. With less mix in the pans, they can cook faster.

Repeat with the second box of cake mix and the remaining three colors (green, blue, purple).

To make the frosting:

Mix together softened (room temperature) butter and softened (room temperature) cream cheese until well combined. Add vanilla. Combine. Slowly add in powdered sugar. After the 5th cup, taste the frosting. If you’d like it sweeter, add the 6th cup. If not, leave the 6th cup out.

To assemble cake:

Level the tops of each layer of cooled cake with a large bread knife. Slice into the cakes horizontally so that the centers of the cakes are no longer higher than the edges (something that usually happens to them when they are baked). This is important so that the colors will display evenly when the completed cake is cut. Your rainbow will appear warped and not even unless you level the tops of each cake first.

Begin assembly with the purple layer. Set the purple layer on your cake stand or plate. Add enough frosting to cover the layer with enough to spill over the edges (about 1/2 to 1 cup of frosting). Run the flat, smooth side of a large knife around the cake to smooth out the frosting.

Add the blue layer of cake on top of the frosted purple one. Put more frosting in the middle and spread again with the flat, smooth side of a large knife so that the frosting covers the layer and falls out over the edges. Run your knife around the outside edge of the cake as well, to smooth out the sides.

Put the cake into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or the freezer for 1 hour.

Repeat with green layer and then yellow layer.

Put the cake into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or the freezer for 1 hour.

Repeat with orange layer and finally with red layer.

Freezing between each two rounds of layers is recommended. The cake can get really heavy by the time you are adding the 4th, 5th and 6th layers. If it is somewhat frozen at this point, the cake will not get smooshed or crushed. Additionally, it is much easier to frost the cake when it is relatively solid, not wobbling all over the place.

Cover the cake with frosting and run the flat, straight edge of a knife around the top and the edges of the cake to smooth out frosting. Add wording or decorations to the top of the cake with royal icing. Add cream cheese frosting and orange food coloring to a pastry bag and add the orange dollops around the base of the cake.

Voila! Rainbow Cake. Now wasn’t that easy?! [Thanks Mckmama!]

Happy Birthday to Harper!

Posted in families, nancy's life

by Nancy

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harper’s 2nd birthday • part 1

02.16.10 at 10:21am

this weekend my niece turned 2. can i please say that sissy is incredible? as a mom to 4 babies, she knows how to throw a par-TAY!

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the beautiful birthday girl:

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here is harper sitting on her new “beanbag hedgehog.” so cute! she loved her gift from mommy & daddy.

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she’s letting crews borrow her toy :]. i think he liked it!

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the lovely hostess / supermom:

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brace yourself. here is the most beautiful, the most delicious cake known to man.

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ok, funny story time! you know how every 2 year old obsesses about the most random things? well, one of harper’s obsessions is chapstick or lipgloss, which she affectionately calls “lips.” of course she doesn’t put it on as chapstick, but she ends up eating it! so we are constantly hiding “lips” and taking them away because we don’t want her eating that stuff. WELL, when she gets desparate and realizes that she can’t have it, she says, “watch you eat?” as in, “well, if i can’t hold it and eat it, can i at LEAST let it watch me eat?” i’m telling you, this kid is hilarious. so since she couldn’t have it, we allowed the “lips” to “watch you eat.” haha!