Double Yellow Lines..

.. mean do not cross. Didn't you ever read a driver's manual?

~Cupcake

get carried away...

Some moments simply carry you away to a place free from the manmade world, free from worry, conflict or confusion, free from the past and the future. This place for me is often found in nature. I simply cannot experience anything but the present moment when I turn my face up to the suddenly warm sun, feeling the fragrant buds of spring tickling my nose and breathing in the rebirth of this joyous season. Ahhhh....spring is here!

~Lola Rain

A Day Around The Bay

A fierce woman of the Sunset, SF. 'Nuff said.

~Cupcake

Yellow

Look at the stars,

Look how they shine for you,

And everything you do,

Yeah they were all yellow,

I came along

I wrote a song for you

And all the things you do

And it was called yellow

So then I took my turn

Oh all the things I've done

And it was all yellow

Your skin

Oh yeah your skin and bones

Turn into something beautiful

D'you know you know I love you so

You know I love you so

-Coldplay "Yellow"

~Cupcake

Snow Covered Backdrop

Ahhhh, the snow! I have a confession to make. This is probably the closest I've ever come to the snow and I can't complain. Cold weather? Black Ice? No Thanks. I think I'll keep my distance.

~Cupcake

Up In The Air

I recently found myself up in the middle of nowhere California. This place is also called Ukiah. My boyfriend and I were up in the mountains for a few days and I couldn't help but look up. The view from the ground is amazing! If I had the guts I would climb one of those trees and see the view from the top. For now I'll stick to the ground.

~Cupcake

Hoopin'

Anyone up for a game?

~Cupcake

Man's Best Friend

It's interesting to me how dogs are so loyal to their owners. You could be gone for months on end and they will still remember you and be SO excited to know that you're back. Enjoy! Look at my flickr account for more!

~Cupcake

Flower power

Today I stood in the lobby of my apartment building, still sweating from my workout, hair pulled back in a wavy mess more resembling a nest than anything, when my fiance surprised me with flowers. It was at that moment I felt blessed....not solely on account of my extraordinary, constantly thoughtful, enormously loving partner in life, but for a lifetime of receiving flowers. My father set the bar relatively high when it comes to lavishing his daughter with trinkets of love and floral gestures. But today I was struck by the power a flower has to make a girl, even swathed in her sweaty gym clothes, feel like a lady.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

xo Lola Rain

Public Figures

There's something uniquely fascinating about watching public figures in action. Not necessarily when they are "on," but the moments behind the scenes. I have never felt a line separating myself from those who live in the public eye so I don't experience a physical or psychological reaction to their presence. To me, they are only human beings and the fascinating part is simply observing how these individuals live in the space of "famous." It seems we have a skewed interpretation of what that means thanks to our media obsessed culture. But it's not the scandal or secrets I myself look to extract from my observations, it's the things that make us all the same that I am drawn toward.

~Lola Rain

Look to the sky, it never lies

Rarely in life do we fully appreciate the simple existences constantly surrounding, supporting and enhancing our lives. We take these things for granted rather than marvel at the utter complexity of their existence, rather than contemplating that underneath the constant material flow of life, lies a natural world that takes its time, is never anything but honest and exists without pretense. I am more drawn to nature and to the earth than I am to the material world because of this...because it is what makes sense to me and allows manufactured life to melt away.

A simple thing like the sky above us elicits a sense of awe and wonder in me. We may ignore it, but it’s always there. It's impact is strong, and it's constant moodiness can alter our own moods. But even more profound is the way it reminds me of a simple fact: we live on a round piece of matter, floating magically in the midst of an immense universe. And if you really stop to think about that, to realize we’ve created a life far more complex than necessary, to understand that we are simply a part of this natural wonder, then you can discover a feeling of appreciation and a lesson to be learned from all that is natural.

If anything, you can count on the sky to connect you to the earth and yourself. The next time the summer sky opens up into a fantastical rain storm, run out onto the hot pavement, feel the rain pour from above...and just feel alive.

~Lola Rain

Introducing Lola Rain...

When I was 14 years old, I was given an ancient camera and the tools to make my own film while away at summer camp. As I stood in the dark room, developing the images I had chosen to capture, I discovered a powerful way to represent the world through my eye. I still have on my wall that first photo I took and developed, a black and white rendering of old canoe oars…and it still lights me up.

My passion hasn’t been consistently present, I found myself in business school instead of art school, I’ve tried to imitate what seemed like a more normal or responsible path in life…but the artist in me has always cried out, has always shaken and forced me to abandon high paying jobs, environments that didn’t inspire or support my true path, relationships that suffocated my colorful soul.

So here I am. I don’t have a plan or any idea where my art will lead me. I only know that with every click of my camera’s shutter opening and closing, with every idea that springs from my mind and splatters itself across a glossy piece of paper, with every folder filled with another 600 pictures on my computer desk top, I feel more alive.

Introducing Cupcake...

My name is Natalie aka Cupcake. I'm a small town kinda girl living in the big (well, actually, really small) city. I adore cupcakes! (Hence the nickname)

I get inspiration from the people and things around me. I love the randomness of life and how unexpectedly people and situations happen. (This is what Lola Rain and I have in common!) I admire the unexpected beauty in things. I feel like you can really capture an image in B&W. There is something pure and innocent to it, yet it leaves you open to possibilities. Architecture and landscapes tend to take my breath away. Puppies and animals are a weakness of mine.

I enjoy photography because it’s lively and free. There are no rules, no limits and no boundaries.