Category archives: personal

old home studio tour!

i am so excited to be sharing my home tour with you on the blog today! i must say, over the last year i’ve mastered the art of living in small spaces and it all began with this one! (the original #thislittlespaceofmine.) my name means “humble” or “small,” so maybe that’s part of it–who knows?!

a huge part of why i love home tours and interiors is because you learn a lot about someone from viewing their space. sharing where you live, eat, breathe, work, and sleep is such an act of vulnerability. i hope this posts adds a little beauty to your day!

i’ve since moved from this spot (and am working on beautifying and personalizing my new space!), but i’m really proud of how i transformed this space into a place i loved coming home to. i didn’t really have a theme or color scheme in mind when i decorated my space, but i knew i wanted it to be bright, modern, and filled with color.

apartment therapy small spaces los angeles interiors photography photo

i didn’t really take many before photos before i moved in last year, but i will say that the walls were a green-beige color (eek, not my style!). i tend to prefer more white, modern, and clean interiors, so once i did some initial cleaning, the absolute first thing i did when i moved in was paint the walls white. white makes small spaces appear larger and brighter, because it reflects light.

*fun tidbit: tyler helped me paint these walls soon after we started dating, before i was even his girlfriend! i mentioned to him that i had just moved and was planning to paint, and when he offered to help and actually showed up at my door it was one of the first times i knew he was serious about us. apparently painting is a way into my heart! haha.

true story: the first color i chose ended up being more of a grey than a true white, so i went back to home depot for a true white color and did a top coat myself. lesson learned: make sure you either bring a swatch of paint color home with you, or test the color on the walls before you buy a gallon of paint!

los angeles interior photographer

my dresser was an ikea rast hack! i bought a bunch of cool drawer pulls from hobby lobby and drilled them into the dresser after i white washed it.  my bed and lamp are also from ikea.

photography by paulina los angeles interiors photography photopf candle co los angeles interior photogarphy

i love candles. like, love them. hence, an abundance of candles everywhere. #noshame

home office interior home studio tour photography photo

does this desk look familar?? it should! ;) here’s what my diy hairpin leg desk looked like in the space!

los angeles home interiors photography photo

i had been collecting frames for a few years, and was so excited to put them to use to build a gallery wall! the frame of the cactus print was a white elephant gift from the holiday party at my old full-time job! can’t believe that will be two years ago this december! the cactus print is from a trip to tucson and is available in the paulina print shop.

gallery wall small spaces home tour photo nighstand home tour small spaces photo los angeles interior photography photo

one thing i discovered from seeing all the florals throughout wedding season last year was that i really love eucalyptus. i recently went to the flower mart to pick up some fresh pieces for the new space!

home office photo gallery wall home tour photo

i’m so grateful to have lived in this space and am amazed at all i was able to accomplish there. it’s a true testament to the idea that “you don’t have to live large to live beautifully.” i achieved and lived through so much in this little space of mine. as time passed, i realized i needed a place where i could run my business without having to worry about roommates’ schedules, among other things. to put it quite literally, i outgrew the space and needed a bigger, true live-work space sanctuary i could call my own. i’m so enamoured by my new studio space and i can’t wait to share more of it with you! it’s my first space all on my own and is literally a dream come true!

follow along on instagram (@thislittlespaceofmine for interior-related posts) and snapchat (@helloitspaulina) for behind-the-scenes sneak peeks as i turn my new studio into a home.

cheers!

…

“all things are possible for one who believes.” —mark 9:23

 

s  o  u  r  c  e  s

  • wall color: behr, ultra pure white
  • frames: assorted; some from ikea, michaels, target
  • photos: assorted; rose bowl flea market, etsy, google, paulina print shop
  • desk: diy: see this post for details
  • nightstand/dresser: ikea rast
  • black & white calligraphy print: rachel jacobson
  • blue mexican blanket (used as floor runner): amazon
  • candles: pf candle co, ikea
  • red, velvety soft decor pillow: bed bath & beyond
  • office chair: office depot
  • girl with glasses print: etsy, jessica illustration

getting out of my comfort zone | adventures in joshua tree

i can hardly believe it’s december! this year has truly been a whirlwind– i’m so excited to blog all the weddings i’ve been photographing this season, features with some of my favorite vendors, as well as personal and other fun projects! november was a month full of travel for me– i was in a different city every weekend! one of those weekends, i ventured out to joshua tree national park with my boyfriend tyler. he took me camping and rock-climbing for the first time! both of those things are pretty out of my comfort zone (heights, eek!), so it was fun experiencing new things with my guy. we went for a night climb and took some long-exposures of the desert night sky.

if you’re in southern california and have been wanting to go on a fun weekend getaway, i would highly recommend joshua tree! it’s absolutely beautiful and just far enough away from home that it makes you feel like you’re on vacay.

joshua tree engagement session vacation inspirationphotography by paulina joshua tree engagement photography session photo_0160joshua tree boulder photo joshua tree engagement session photojoshua tree photojoshua tree fine art photography photohot boyfriend photo rock climbing joshua tree photo joshua tree photo desert wedding photographer photo joshau tree engagement session photo yucca tree fine art photograph photo joshua tree black and white photography photo photography by paulina joshua tree engagement photography session photo_0161 photography by paulina joshua tree engagement photography session photo_0162 photography by paulina joshua tree engagement photography session photo_0185 photography by paulina joshua tree engagement photography session photo_0186 photography by paulina joshua tree engagement photography session photo_0157 photography by paulina joshua tree engagement photography session photo_0158 photography by paulina joshua tree engagement photography session photo_0156 photography by paulina joshua tree engagement photography session photo_0188

many of these photos are available as fine art prints in the print shop!

xo

celebrating six months

southern california wedding photographer

six months ago, i became a full-time wedding photographer. you may not have known this because, well, i didn’t announce it. i jumped when i left my then full-time source of income, not quite knowing where i would land. thankfully, photography grew in my life in ways i could not have imagined, and i thank God everyday that i’m able to do this for a living. i’m so grateful for clients who choose me to document their moments for them; for communities of like-minded photographers who support each other; for other wedding vendors and creative professionals who “get it”; for friends who were there when i first started my business three-and-a-half years ago and friends who came along for the ride in later stages; for each and every opportunity that i get to create art and call it my career.

every now and then, i look from side to side and have a “pinch-me” moment—many of the things i imagined and desired that felt so distant to me years and even months ago are now materializing into my life and it’s just such a beautiful thing to experience. in those awe-filled moments, i just can’t believe it: i wake up and feel like i’m living in a dream–but it’s real. this is my life. it’s new for me to be moving into a season of joy—thrilling, fun, fulfilling, and sometimes unbelievable to accept as reality because it in some ways is a dream come true. it’s easy to get so caught up in working and moving forward from day-to-day, but for the past six months, the life of a full-time entrepreneur; the life of a hardworking full-time #girlboss; the life of a creative professional; the life of an artist has been my life. and i couldn’t be more excited to be on this journey.

3 things i know about success

how to be a successful photographer photo

when it comes to my career, i don’t consider myself someone who’s “arrived.” i want to continue to learn and grow and finesse my craft, especially as technology changes. i’ve been shooting professionally for years now, and i’m just now coming into my own as a photographer. that being said, i’m always a little pleasantly surprised when others reach out to me for advice, opportunity or to establish community. it’s been happening more often, though, which has served as a reminder that i do have something unique and valuable to say– that my story, and yours, is important.

here are three things i’ve learned about success along the journey:

1. whatever stage you’re at in life, there’s likely someone who inspires you and someone who is inspired by you.

after a while, your skills begin to feel second-nature (this is a good thing!) which sometimes can lead you to focus more on what you have left to learn and forget what you have accomplished. while it’s great (and necessary) to continue to learn and grow, don’t discount your ability to give back and share the knowledge you learned along the way.

2. success looks different for everyone.

for some, it might take the form of rising to the top of their chosen industry. for others, success might look more like creating the ability to stay home and be present for their children. the important thing is that you define what it looks like for you. that person whose life and accolades you wish you had may be dreaming about your life. don’t measure your life by someone else’s standards.

3. you can’t make it alone.

success usually doesn’t come in the form of champagne toasts and large parties (though it can, and definitely sometimes should!). more often than not, success comes in quietly: a private acknowledgement of yesterday’s hard work bringing your dreams to fruition today. the hundreds of emails sent, networking events attended, and “normal” everyday work of building the life of your dreams will add up in ways you cannot imagine. the important thing is that you keep going. you need a circle of friends, of fellow professionals, of artists, businesspeople, creatives, dreamers to help you see the light inside of you when you’ve lost your way. i’m so honored to have the privilege of getting to know some incredible wedding vendors, and am excited to be featuring them and their businesses on the blog in coming weeks!

so, if you’re having a tough week and are in need of some encouragement, i’m here to tell you that you’re not alone. i’m here to tell you to keep going.

i wrote this letter to you, dear reader, because no one sees your sleepless nights, the times you sit alone on the couch with your arms wrapped around your legs, crying and wondering if you’ll ever be good enough, if you’re doing the right thing, if you’re meant to be pursuing what you feel called to. no one ever sees those moments and no one ever tells those stories. so when you look at someone’s instagram feed and the voices of doubt lead you to wonder if you’re good enough and if you ever will be, know that you already are. know that you need no one else’s permission but your own. and once you give yourself permission to be your highest self, miraculous things will start to happen.

despite the hard days, i know how it feels to be running in circles smiling and laughing with abundant joy after finding clients who value you and your services and hire you to create something beautiful for them. the entrepreneurial life — the life of a small business owner– is not easy by any means, but it is so, so worth it. i don’t know how else to describe that.

with all my love,

paulina

copyright © 2022 photography by paulina.