a May day at Cannon Beach

This rain has been making the whole Winn clan a little nuts, so on Saturday day we looked at the forecast for the beach and it said only a 10% chance of rain, so we went for it! We hopped in the car, drove the 2 hours and arrived happily at Cannon Beach, Oregon -one of our very favorite places! We had no idea what we were in for weather wise, it always seems to be different at the beach then anywhere even close to the beach, as we drove it rained, it was sunny, it was cloudy, etc.. When we actually got to the beach it was pretty darn nice! It was as good as we could have hoped and at some moments...even warm. Brennan was thrilled to be in the water even though it was freezing! In her shivering voice she would say "this is so much fun, I love this!" It was a great day, ending with dinner at my favorite pizza joint on the planet and salt water taffy. Great day at the beach. xo

warning: LOTS of pics of my cute girl in this post!









































































Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

oh this weather...

I'm not gonna lie, this weather is really getting to me. Its no secret that after 12 years of living in California that I long for sunshine, on a very regular basis. After a year in Ireland and a year in Oregon I'm DYING for some sun, literally going a little nuts. Most of the time, summers in the northwest are amazing, the best place to be, really. I'm anxiously awaiting Portland's summer arrival and am feeling like its an eternity away.

I'm also anxiously awaiting the closing of our new home. I've heard from many folks how closings are often not on time and that's just the way it goes, and unfortunately that's been the case for us as well. Sigh. Thankfully we have a gracious seller who has been beyond patient and for that, we are extremely thankful. So, we wait...and hopefully our home will be our home next week (please, Lord!). I'm of course anxious to move in, although not anxious to get to Waco at the start of a hot summer. Sometimes its so hard to be present in the moment and not long for a further day/time. I remember when I was at Malibu (the Young Life camp in Canada, not the city in California), having the best week of my life (which remains true to this day), there was a sign (I believe it was on the ground) and it said "be here now." We all thought that was a pretty funny sign, for obvious reasons but then our leader went on to explain how really profound it was- to actually be present in this beautiful place. To not long for home or to be looking forward to something that was coming up, but to be present, in this place.in this moment in time. Soak up every second of what will be a very short week in hindsight, and take in all God wants you to experience. That moment has stuck with me for the past 17 years. I'm really trying to be here now, in Oregon, in this nasty rain, to not long for my new life (and SUNSHINE) that awaits me, but to live in this moment where I am, right now. God knows. He knows what we need and when we need it.

I must say, with exciting newness on the horizon also comes new planning, and decorating, and fun things like that. I've been inspired lately by blog posts, pictures, magazines, etc that get my wheels turning. I've had several people ask to see more photos of the inside of my home and I will definitely be sharing some before/after shots but for now I'm in the dreaming stage. I love our new home, love it, its more than I ever hoped or dreamed it would be. One of the great things about our home is that its old (the #1 must have on my list) but that the kitchen and bathrooms have been re-done (a total bonus since it is 100 years old). The thing about having a newly re-modeled house is that so many things are new but they aren't things I would have necessarily picked out. The person who chose the new fixtures, paint colors, etc did an excellent job and its gorgeous, just not what I would have chosen per se. With that said, I'm not going to be wasteful and get rid of brand new things just b/c they aren't what I would have chosen but I am going to re-paint and add my own touches, etc.. Over time I'm sure I'll put in some new flooring here, take out carpet there, etc... but that's a ways off. I do however want some opinions on something that I struggle with (I realize this is a decorating question, not life or death but I do genuinely want to hear your thoughts). I love old homes, the character, charm, and history is so beautiful to me. I like a home to keep the integrity of the time it was built (with obvious modern updates) but to not ruin it with things that don't make sense for the time of the home. With that said, our home has lots of beautiful dark wood, I love it, I really do. However, with that said, I'm thinking of painting the wood white...is that criminal? Am I horrible for even suggesting such a thing?! I realize its my home, and for the first time ever I get to decide, but I'm really torn. Anyone who knows me at all knows how much I love light, open, airy spaces, and white is my favorite color. So...it makes sense that I want to lighten it up a bit, but its so beautiful how it is! Anyway, if you have an opinion I'd love to hear it! Here is a picture of the main living area where most of the dark wood resides. If you have thoughts, lets here 'em!

California in July?

So I'm thinking of heading back to California in July for a whirlwind photo shoot weekend, anyone want in? If so, let me know! Right now I'm thinking it would be the weekend of 9th-11th. If you're interested email me (mollywinn2@yahoo.com) and we can talk pricing, times, locations, etc.. Hope it works out! xo

Lauren+Lyle = Married!

I honestly don't know where to start. To say I was honored when Lauren and Lyle hired me to shoot their wedding would be a massive understatement. Lauren thought of every detail and this wedding was hands down one of the most beautiful I have ever been seen. Lauren was a stunning bride, and Lyle was of course dashing in his classy suit. Their love was so evident and magical that really, all I had to do was show up.

could.not.have.asked.for.a.more.beautiful.day.

the men looking oh so handsome



a few details...



they turned the photos from their engagement shoot into their guest book, so cute/clever!





I was thrilled when they opted to see each other before the ceremony, we had more time to spend on their photos and I love that I was able to capture this moment...













we re-lived a few moments from their engagement session...







another throw back to the engagement session, love it!










the stunning bride....




the lovely ladies...


the handsome groom....





it was so sweet and personal how the attendants were the siblings of the bride and groom



they said more traditional vows and then wrote some personal things to each other, I'm not gonna lie, I teared up a little...



an uninvited (but for Lauren and Lyle) a very welcome guest



















Lauren hand made these beautiful flowers with each guest's name on them to tell them where to sit, so pretty!



the bride and groom brewed their own beer for the occassion and everyone was drinking out of mason jars, so cool!




rather than the traditional cake, they had several different kinds of pie, delish!!



then...the party really started!





Lauren and Lyle, thank you for choosing me to be the one to capture your day and your love, what a t.r.e.a.t. I wish you all God's blessing and every happiness in the world. xo