Rain Droplets

"Rain is grace; rain is the sky descending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life."

- John Updike 

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Rain Droplets

Photography by Carolyn Thombs Fine Art & Photography

It was such a rainy day, but not that bone chilling rain that happens so often in the winter. It was a soft comfortable rain. When there was a slight break in the rain where it digressed into a soft misting of rain, I took advantage and ran outside to check and see if the mail had come yet, that is when I saw this perfect spider web, its home owner currently absent. The rain droplets had formed perfectly on the intricate lace pattern.

I ran inside and grabbed my camera and just started shooting. Next I noticed our small rose bush had two gorgeous blooms on it and the rain had weighed them down so much that some of them were hanging upside down. I then traveled to our larger rose bush, that we had planted for our dog Chloe, and there were even more blooms to capture! The soft mist that was still falling didn't bug me at all and I captured all of the beautiful droplets stippling the roses and ivy.

I finally went back inside after I felt satisfied that I got every vantage point and every shot I could have ever wanted. I uploaded the images to my computer and put them in a folder. I didn't look at them until recently and am so overjoyed with how they turned out! I didn't even have to edit much, I mainly fiddled with the contrast, clarity and upped the blacks where needed.

What do you guys think?

All images are available for print in various sizes and various forms. Email bookings@carolynthombs.com for more information and pricing. 

quote from Brainy Quote

Product Review: Altchek MD Depuff Eye Pads

Altchek MD Depuff Eye Pads

I came across these eye pads when Brittanny Taylor launched her new site 1am Beauty. Since it was right before Christmas I decided to check it out to see if there were any pieces I wanted to get for gifts or stocking stuffers. That is when I came across these eye pads! I had been wanting to try this type of product for sometime, so I ordered a box! When I got the box I took out a few to put in stockings and then kept the rest for myself.

Of course I had to try them right away! And let me tell you they immediately felt  refreshing and I instantly became relaxed. So already I was in love with this product! Even if they turned out not to really work very well I figured hey, at least they work pretty damn well as just a stress reliever and who doesn't need an abundance of those in your life?!

After the allotted 30 minutes (actually I wore them for an hour) I removed them and my under eye area looked so much smoother and hydrated. Those are the immediate effects, I did not expect my eyes to look like I had just gotten an eye lift. If that is what you expect from your skincare then please lower your expectations a bit because good skincare takes a little bit of time to truly work and repetition. To sum things up, would I buy these again...? Hell yes! Now here for some sciencey stuff.

These are for depuffing, hydrating and refreshing. They with help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and puffiness while hydrating the sensitive and fragile skin under the eyes. This is what you can expect: Immediately refreshed and revitalized tired eyes, hydrated and replenished skin around the eyes, the Retinyl Palmitate (one of the primary antioxidants found in skin which can also offer sun protection) helps to renew and improve the skin's resilience, lines and wrinkles will be diminished and smoothed, and the antioxidants present will help the delicate eye area to build a resistance to environmental stressors.

The suggested use is 2-3 times a week and each time wear for a minimum of 30 minutes. Cleanse your skin and then apply each one. I either put them on during the day if I am just working from home or in the evening while watching Downton Abbey or NCIS. After one use I definitely noticed that my eyes looked and felt more refreshed so I can only imagine if I continue this regimen as directed how much happier my eyes will be.

If you have tried these methods found in my previous post on baggage,  and they didn't totally do the job for you; then add these great eye pads into your regimen. They are not only refreshing but you really can see a difference.

Style Inspiration

Here is some beautiful style inspiration for you to feast your eyes upon! Enjoy the rest of your week!!

Blonde Bedhead: Pink + Grey

Lauren Conrad: Brigitte Bardot-Inspired Holiday Hair

Hello Fashion: Metallic New Year's Eve

Who What Wear: An Easy Chic Outfit You Can Copy Tonight

Le Happy: Love Out of Lust

Who What Wear: This Just Might Be The Chicest Christmas- Sweater Inspired Dress

Who doesn't love grey and pink paired together, Brigitte Bardot, sparkly green, emerald green and leather, stripes and cute foxes!!!

Dressed Down

Outfit Details:

top: Piperlime Collection (on major sale now too!!!)

pants: Express

clutch: Hand painted by Me

ring: BCBG MaxAzria

boots: Asos (similar)

sunglasses: Asos (similar)

After Christmas Piperlime always has an amazing sale (additional 50% off of sales items!), so of course since I got a gift card to use at Piperlime I totally took advantage of the sale! This sweater is one of the pieces I got this time around.

When choosing pieces from the sale items I thought of these criteria when perusing the selection:  something I have been wanting for some time, would fill a void in my wardrobe, add diversity to my wardrobe and I can create at least 3 outfits with the piece. Lately I have been wanting comfy easy to throw on sweaters to wear on a casual day of working or running errands. This sweater fit into the category of filling a void in my wardrobe and also adds some diversity to my wardrobe since I didn't have anything like it.

These are the usual steps I try to take before making a purchase, this helps me to keep my errant spending at a minimum (for the most part) and to try and fill my wardrobe with pieces I love, instead of having pieces that I will never wear. So if you are trying to cut back on random shopping sprees that result in buying millions of things and only really loving 3 of the pieces; try to come up with some criteria like I have to keep needless spending at bay. Another tip I have is to have a list of things that you really need in your wardrobe, and add to the list whenever you think of something. So before you shop look over the list and see what is on there to remind yourself to stay on track.


What steps do you take to keep your shopping addiction at bay?

2015 Plans

Recently I was reading this post from Brittanny Taylor: The Problem with Resolutions and it made me realize that the reason I never stuck to my "resolutions" for more than a month, was because I never painted my resolutions in a positive light. 

So I changed this post from 2015 Resolutions to 2015 Plans! 

Here are some of my plans for the coming year:

Of course the new year had to start off with a new planner!! I got this off of Etsy from the Sugar & Type boutique. I love this new planner, it has a budget page before each month (trying to be more financially responsible this year) and a section for goals, inspiration and accomplishments. Definitely adds a more positive spin on getting things done, which hopefully will take out some of the stress that can accumulate.

I also am working on keeping a steady workflow instead of my usual bursts of trying to get a million tasks done in one day. Now I am being more realistic about what I want to get done and what I will be able to get done. The first step in this new way of organizing my many jobs I juggle was the new scheduling technique I came up with ( you can find it in this post : A La Carte Scheduling: The Life of a Freelancer).

So my plans this year include implementing this scheduling more into my life and therefore eliminating needless stress. This all leads to me enjoying the fact that "life is [most definitely] beautiful" ( my cousin gave me that framed word art) and learning to enjoy it more instead of just working and missing all the beauty.

In regards to my makeup artistry business I am excited to continue building relationships with all the amazing creative that I have the honor of working with and can't wait to meet even more as my business grows.

I also plan on finally updating my website fully because I have so many exciting shoots I want to share with all of you!!

My parents gave me this awesome easel for Christmas, so I am so excited to continue my many started pieces of art and to finally finish some of them!

And last but not least I now have these absolutely gorgeous pieces of art for my feet to walk into the new year in super fresh style (thanks to my amazing sister Katie:) ). The shoes are from Taylor Says and there are so many others I would love to add to my shoe collection!! There are few things better than a beautiful new pair of heels; they give your feet new life and add a spicy edge to your step.  I can't wait to share all the new outfits I am going to pair these with on here for all of you! 

What plans do you have for 2015 that have you excited?! Any new shoes that have your feet giddy with excitement?