the more i talk about it, the more i get excited about it.
i luuurve supporting the local design/art community. over the years i’ve spent much time volunteering and participating at art shows, fashion shows and other cool local events that bring amazing talents together, and i’ve met so many down-to-earth, creative free spirits like me doing this.
so here’s the deal. i’ve decided to take this pinboard idea and run with it. this is just one of the little projects i’ve been working on, and it all started with the pinboard idea. i thought, “wouldn’t it be great if i created a resource of local & independent vendors of terribly cool vintage, modern design and handmade things available to my awesome brides & blog readers?” you know, pretty, unique things you’d find useful to style your engagement shoot or decorate your wedding.
all are right in my alley of supporting independent artists & designers and tapping into the enormous variety of talents the local community has to offer. win win i say :))
on that note. i would like to invite the local independent designers, artists and vendors to participate in this editorial shoot giveaway. this may include those of you who sell or make pretty things like head-pieces, vintage clothing, letter-press goods, floral designs, handmade/eco-conscious supplies, etc.
here is a sample of an editorial shoot i worked on in the fall for az fashion designer monique martinez. can’t wait to share more local talent with everyone!
so some of you may have noticed my obsession with polaroids lately. well, unfortunately it’s not getting any better. french bag designer philippe roucou for reborn has taken the ultimate awesomeness that is polaroid images and printed them on silk . sweet, yes?
dear blog friends. for those of you like me who think cupid is your homeboy, i’ve got 2 words for you. love shoot.
i’ve decided to run a mini special for valentine’s day. chocolates & roses are just not cool anymore. email or call and we’ll chat! toodles.
if it wasn’t for the pretty clothes, no one would’ve thought a wedding was about to go down. tressa and keith chilled out at the park with us before their ceremony and it seemed as if it was just the two of them, on an ordinary day. i love seeing a bride so completely relaxed. taking the time to enjoy the day, the birds singing, and the man she is about to marry.
tressa & keith were blissful. attentive to each other. at the end of the day this big beautiful chaos of congratulations and compliments started to form around them. hand-shaking and cheek-kissing coming from everywhere. still, they locked eyes with me and gave me the warmest thank you and heartfelt hug. with all the commotion, sometimes a wedding can seem like a big blur and you don’t even remember who was there. though on a day which was all about them, tressa & keith were so humble and thankful for every person present. it felt great to be a part of it and to produce images showing how vibrant yet enchantingly serene this day turned out to be.
i was fortunate enough to be karla’s partner in crime on this assignment. so happy to have her by my side again. even for a day. her and i rocked some major rose petals off. no but really, we did.
little doors and windows have been cracked open. it’s been a very stimulating time of change and growth for me. beautiful light is shining in and i am feeling lifted, and truly thankful for all the support and the love. i’m dreaming up big things lately, some may seem a bit crazy or unattainable. but i like a good challenge ;) here are a few of the exciting things happening within the next few months.
[1.] one editorial photo shoot giveaway for an independent/local designer/artist/vendor. whoot whoot! you’ll be hearing more details about that here within the next few days – this is going to be a really great opportunity and i can’t wait to get working on that.
[2.] one kick ass new blog launching in spring. yes! i am so pumped and my brain is so tired from thinking of all the coolness it will contain.
[3.] one rad spring editorial shoot for ouma’s new collection. finally! i felt it was time for monique and i to collaborate again. her and i “work together like milk and nestle quick” wrote her brother conrad on her facebook page. couldn’t have said it better myself. there’s going to be some magic in the air i tell you. [oh and i like to think i am the nestle quick part] ;)
also to illustrate these great news, here’s a sneak peek of a charming little wedding i’m finishing up. stay tuned and inspired.
so i’m not a mall kind of girl. but i looove paying a visit to the cute local stores in downtown phoenix. my heart jumped when i spotted this mini box of goodness at frances vintage [btw they're having a 75% off winter sale right now. whoot!]. i’d been dying to get my hands on the polaroid notes after seeing them on a blog this summer. it’s seriously the cutest collection of dreamy, vintage and nature-inspired note cards out there.
oh and i’ve updated the pinboard with some sweet new finds. have a lookie ;)
dear blog friends. it’s been a lovely day. but i feel i was holding back on you with this one.. i’ve had such a wonderful response. so here are a few more shots of athea and kevin. can you just feel the love? i have just poured my heart into this series and it’s given so much back already <3
actually. i just needed an excuse to squeeze a little note about the new section here on the blog called pinboard. check it out! this is where i will be posting photo shoot ideas, wedding inspiration, style features, diy props & decorations, and other cool stuff. it will mostly hold vintage-inspired, indie finds and vendor features. i thought it would help answer questions on ‘what to wear // what to bring‘ and give some insights on styling your photo session. i’ve been so lucky to have worked with clients with astounding vision and ideas, and that collaboration has resulted in imagery that is much more unique and meaningful. i want more of that :))
i was meeting athea & kevin at green for lunch. i thought of fixing my untamed hair a bit, pointless idea. i pulled the door open and scanned the crowd for a second. we’d never met before, but i recognized them immediately because they both looked over with the biggest smiles in the room. we hit it off right away, chatting for an hour over yummy food. this couple and i go together like honey on warm toast. not sure whether it was the fact that kevin shared his box of ginger o’s with me in the car or that athea said she was having her wedding dress handmade, but something awesome happened that day. chemistry. how great it is to meet someone and immediately fall in love with them. athea & kevin inspired me beyond words on their engagement session. i gripped my camera tightly as my heart pounded with excitement for what we were creating together. i already knew it was something wonderful. with breath. it’s obvious just looking at the images how completely in love they are. when it was all over, i drove home smiling ear to ear, thankful for the new friends i had made and their lovely spirit. i cannot wait to shoot their wedding in Portland in the fall, on a pear and apple orchard. yeah i may possibly not return.
we played frisbee in a park. climbed a tree. twinkles & butterflies did what they do best. we had no expectations. no idea what was in store for us. only the same appreciation for each other and for the simple things in life. then he looked at me and said let’s come up with 10 fun things we can do tonight!
and so we did.
we hopped on a freight train. went bowling. ate english food. he talked and i listened. we played pool. and finally rocked out to live music.
2 years ago today i went on a pretty awesome date. with this boy. today he is the love of my life. mon amour.
we are certainly not ones to count months or years or to remember anniversaries. honestly we’re not really good at that. and that’s okay. because the truth is it has barely anything to do with time. today though, it felt good to look back and to remember 2 years ago. the fresh twinkles & butterflies, the time-stopping gazes, the breathlessness. so to commemorate.. [or simply just because] we spent one beautiful, beautiful day together. seeking that precious time doing the simple things. leaving the noises of the everyday and the routine behind. tuning off, and mindfully enjoying the simplicity of the day. with his sweet tunes playing in the desert at the golden hour and the warm sun on my face. i took it all in. it was pure, simple and completely fantastic.
we documented this lovely day spent hanging out at the queen creek olive mill before taking off to the lost dutchman state park in Apache Junction and stopping at random antique shops on the way. here it is in motion..
