Cyn Kain Photography

Lisa + Dave | Raleigh, NC | Engaged

cynkain — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:29:42 +0000

I have been so excited to meet Lisa and Dave! They braved the early morning chill of January for their engagement session – even though it was super cold, you would never know it by looking at these photos filled with gorgeous, warm sunlight. And not to mention they were awesomely cute and cozy together for the camera :)

I will be shooting in Charleston, SC this fall for Lisa and Dave’s wedding…needless to say I am super stoked!!! Charleston is hands down one of my favorite cities…pretty streets, sandy beaches, history and lots of yummy food!

Congratulations Lisa and Dave! Looking forward to October!

Shoesday

cynkain — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:42:20 +0000

Oh my was it hard to say goodbye to vacation with the hubs. We had a fantastic time during our mini-getaway to DC last week. One thing I always love about cities like DC and New York is packing – I have so much fun planning my outfits. Both cities require lots of walking – so of course I had comfy, stylish outfits for daytime – then fun dressier outfits in the evening…you know, those outfits that require us ladies to wear those shoes we have a love-hate relationship with :)

Anyhow – I am in love with these shoes by Chloé. Perfect for a city chic outfit, don’t you agree?

Choose Love.

cynkain — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:11:07 +0000

It is that one time of the year dedicated to love. The day we are supposed to show appreciation to the loved ones in our lives. While the day is a great excuse to eat lots of treats, swoon over lovely flowers and is full of fun – whether it is a date night with your better half or a night out with your best ladies – today can also be a great reminder for us all to act with love more often.

While re-branding last year I knew I wanted a tagline/signature (for lack of a better word) for people to associate me and Cyn Kain Photography with. With much thought and word play, I decided on “Choose Love”. It is simple, but absolutely how I feel about every situation life throws at us. I know that these words have actually impacted people which makes me so thankful. A few months after my brand launch I received this message from an amazingly talented photographer – this photographer who I call a friend – a friend who I have actually never met (we connected through MTH) – a friend who has a HUGE, kind heart. She was going through a rough time and said this ::

“… I’ve been so angry, confused and bitter…when she called me today, I realized that I had to CHOOSE LOVE. Loving someone is a choice, and your sweet words came flooding in. I get it now.”

Her choice to act with love was a turning point in how she would handle this overwhelmingly tough time in her life. Yes, it can be hard. Yes, it is not always fun. But love is always a choice. Reminding myself to live like this, full of love, has made me a better person. Love always does a body and mind good. Love always prevails.

Now go eat some yummy chocolates and spread some love! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Foodie Friday :: Valentine’s Day Style

cynkain — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:19:06 +0000

Alright friends! This Friday I bring to you two super easy treats for Valentine’s day. Whether you’re cooking for your better half or looking for a fun activity to do with the kiddos, these two will do the trick! For this post, I got together with a super talented baker, Courtney who has her own cooking blog :: Cook like a Champion. I was lucky enough to meet her earlier this year as she booked me for her newborn session (which is right around the corner, yay!) – seriously the friends I get to make along the way is one of my favorite things about my job.

First up, Courtney whipped up Chocolate Mousse. Now I shy away from making mousse, because it’s reputation is tough and very time consuming. I seriously think this took 15 minutes from start to finish. Super easy and delicious!

Courtney found this recipe on Sweet Tooth.
What you need ::
1-1/2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup Nutella spread
2 tbsp hot water (not boiling)
2 tsp instant espresso
Dash of Kahlua
6 Chocolate-hazelnut pirouette cookies
Chocolate and chopped hazelnuts for topping

Next up we couldn’t resist the novelty of fresh baked, made-from-scratch sugar cookies…with homemade buttercream icing. YUM!
Visit Cook Like a Champion for the delish details of these Sugar Cookies :)

I hope you make some time to whip up your favorite sweet treat – or try something new! Happy Friday!

Mo + Mike | Washington, DC | Engaged

cynkain — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:57:38 +0000

I am super excited to have met these two. They laugh, A LOT. Mo + Mike are getting married in less than a month at the Four Seasons in Washington, DC and after spending a few hours with these two, there is no doubt that this wedding is going to be one for the books. Let the official countdown begin!

Love the streets of DC. The mister and I will be spending a few days there next week and I cannot wait!
Looking forward to March! Oh and a big THANK YOU for my glass of wine not firing me after I locked y’all out of your own home ;)

Shoesday :: Valentine’s Date Night

cynkain — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:12:58 +0000

Seeing that Valentine’s Day is one week away, I thought I would find some fun shoes to inspire your date night next week! Yep, I am one of those gals who enjoy’s valentine’s day. I realize there are some out there who protest the day, think its a money making scheme, too commercialized (yes, I’ll admit this one a bit), but to be honest, griping about it doesn’t do anything positive. I say embrace the opportunity to celebrate love and to remind ourselves how much we have to be thankful for – and not just love with our main squeeze, but with family and friends too. Ok off my soapbox.

This will my 8th Valentine’s Day with the hubs. On our very first one he cooked me a delicious 4 course meal at his apartment (with lots of flowers waiting – I seriously adore flowers, year round – they are always in our home!)…from then on we decided that Valentine’s day is the perfect occasion to stay in and have fun cooking together. This year we will be breaking our tradition as we will be in Washington, DC most of next week for a mini-getaway during his time off work. If anyone has any suggestion as to where we should eat in DC for a romantic night, please let me know!

But whether you stay in or go out this Valentine’s Day , it is still so much fun picking out an outfit and some cute little shoes to match :)

1 + 2 :: Adorable shoes by Vivenne Westwood (Images by Max Wanger – found on Fashion Binge)
3 :: J.Crew ballet flats in poppy
4 :: Kate Spade Charm

I picked the above shoes as inspiration. The Vivienne Westwood shoes are quirky and unique. The J.Crew ballet flats are probably what you would have found on me if the hubs and I were eating in (combined with a fun top and skinny jeans, of course), And I had to throw in a fun sparkly shoe into the mix for those of y’all going out big – and Kate Spade knows how to do sparkle!

Now with all the fun and gorgeous shoes out there, your options are endless – however you can never go wrong in a classic pair of black pumps – they always class up an outfit and fit any occasion.Image found on Pinterest (Originated from STREETFSN)

Here is to some cute footwear on Valentine’s day – hey we all can use an excuse to go shoe shopping, right? Happy Shoesday!

Foodie Friday :: Shrimp and Zucchini Bowtie Pasta

cynkain — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:34:22 +0000

Happy Friday, friends!! I plan to make this a new addition to my blog because I love food and it’s always so fun when I get to try out a new recipe. Since I cook most every night I will be picking my favorite meal from the week and sharing it here on the blog!

This week’s favorite meal is a Shrimp and Zucchini Bowtie Pasta. It is SUPER HEALTHY (well, minus the bread on the side – but I think it is impossible for me to eat pasta without bread, seriously.) and even more important, it is really simple and fast to make.

I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, Skinny Taste. I made a few minor adjustments, which are reflected in my shopping list below, and followed the same cooking instructions. Visit HERE To see original ingredient list and cooking instructions. If you try this out, let me know what you think!

Shopping list :

1 lb shrimp, shelled and deviened (12 oz peeled weight) *Buy frozen when they’re not in season and/or want to save money OR Chicken :)
12 oz uncooked bowtie pasta
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 shallots, diced
2 zucchini, julienned or cubed
4 tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup fat free chicken broth
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
cooking spray
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Fresh ground pepper
Local parmesan cheese on top with fresh parsley for garnish

Personal Notes :

*You will notice I hardly ever add salt (even when asked for) – I usually just add pepper. Especially if the dish has a little cheese in. I find that the cheese adds all the extra sodium we need.

*I doubled the pasta amount so we could have left overs – YUM!

*I used more zucchini and tomatoes than the original recipe calls for – part because I cooked more pasta and part because I wanted to amp up the veggies!

Meet Ann Marie. She is going bald for the kids.

cynkain — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:07:05 +0000

Ok y’all…please meet my sweet friend, Ann Marie. In less than 1 month. She will be going bald. As in shaving.her.head.with.no.guard.BALD.

Why is she going bald? For the kids…those awesome kiddos out there who are bravely fighting cancer everyday. She and many others will be uniting with kids fighting cancer in hopes to find a cure through St. Baldrick’s. St. Baldrick’s is a volunteer-driven charity and for the next few weeks Ann Marie will be raising money to help find cures and to give hope to all those fighting cancer.

I feel so lucky to have met Ann Marie. She is KIND. She is FUNNY. She is GENUINE. And she has one the BIGGEST HEARTS I know. I realize that many of you reading this now do not personally know Ann Marie – but I am willing to bet most of you have had a loved one battle cancer. Any donations you friends can spare will be very much appreciated.

On February 25, I will be documenting Ann Marie and her teammates shave their heads. I will be sure to share moments from that day as well as thoughts personally from Ann Marie. Ann Marie is a middle school teacher and has over 16 students from her school participating in this amazing cause.

Please donate towards Ann Marie’s fundraising cause HERE
*Help Ann Marie exceed her goal HERE
**Find out more about St. Baldrick’s HERE

Whether you are able to donate or not – saying a prayer for these kids and sending happy thoughts Ann Marie’s way will be much appreciated! Thank you, friends!

Shoesday

cynkain — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:45:16 +0000

I get super excited on Tuesdays to see everyone’s Tuesday Shoesday post so I decided to jump on the bandwagon. I mean, I adore shoes – I look at them online all.the.time. – so why not share what I see…the good, the bad and unique.

It is awesomely bright and sunny today with a high is 67 degrees. This gorgeous weather is what lead me to these shoes. I want to put on a fun bright dress, these Christian Louboutin shoes and skip around town. Can y’all tell I am so ready for spring?

They’re simple and versatile. What do y’all think?

Meet Baby Hayes + what’s to come in February | Durham, NC | Newborn

cynkain — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:46:32 +0000

Some of y’all already got a sneak peek of this adorable little man on my facebook page…For those that didn’t, please meet Harrison Hayes. Like all little ones, he has the most adorable fingers and toes. He is perfectly healthy and looks just like his daddy.

It’s hard to believe it will be February this week. There is lots I will be doing this month – one of which will be blogging more…lots more. Of course blogging my shoots, about wedding goodies, but what I am most excited about blogging is FOOD. I love to eat…so it’s a good thing I love to cook! Disclaimer :: I am no Julia Child and I am not whipping up these recipes off the top of my head – but I sure do to enjoy finding a delish recipe, modifying it to our liking and calling myself a master chef ;)

So get ready, my first food post will be this Friday! Now I am pleased to introduce little man Harrison…

Leo is one of Katie and John’s sweet pups. He is already so protective of little brother, Harrison. Wherever Harrison goes…Leo follows. No doubt they will grow up best buds. Not photographed are Harrison’s other furry siblings :: 2 pups and 2 cats :)