Freckled Face

Something quirky about me that you probably don't know is that I kind of have an obsession with freckles. I don't have ANY freckles, and I definitely want what I can't have. They are the cutest form of polka dots in my opinion! They remind me of the summer and the all-American style that I love so much. I seriously want to take my eye liner to my nose some days. Yes, I know. I'm WEIRD! But how can you look at the pictures below and not love those tiny brown dots?

Photos: Julia's Blogg, Matthew Priestley, Favim, unknown, Le Petit Francais

Reality Check

I had a much needed reality check the other day, and I feel like I should share a bit about it with all of you because I have a feeling some of you may be dealing with similar distractions, and life is too short not to work on your junk, no? Yesterday morning I got to sip coffee, eat some yummy breakfast and catch up on life with a dear friend of mine. We were talking about my business, and I brought up how a lot of times I feel discouraged when I look at people that are my same age or younger with much larger and successful styling businesses. We discussed my "competitors" a bit, and then, not as directly as I'm putting it, my friend challenged me by posing the question, "How do you really know that they're doing better than you?" I replied, "Because it seems like it online. I mean, they have a lot of advertising, they are hiring an assistant, etc." Well, it turns out my friend actually knew this specific competitor a bit more than I, and mentioned that this person had not made a profit until VERY recently. I was pretty surprised by this because everything online made this fellow stylist seem like she was larger than life.

AND THEN it occurred to me how much I rely on social media, blogging and websites to tell me about a person, and furthermore, make judgements about their success. I suppose this gets down to the golden rule of not judging a book by its cover, right? Heck, in fashion people do this all of the time by judging outfits, and using the silly logic that if you dress well your life is great or you're SUPER talented. STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!

Comparison is a dangerous battle many of us fight DAILY - no matter what your age is, where you live, or what your profession is. I LOVE social media because I love communicating, but it definitely can paint a false reality.

So, for those of you that may think of me as put together, raking in the dough and always picture perfect, let me be the first to tell you that I have PLENTY of flaws, I don't always have the best outfits, I'm have MAJOR hatred toward my hair these days and my life is not always a walk in the park. Moreover, I can be a workaholic, lack follow through on many ideas, and I swear in the car a lot.

So, there you go! Let's stop comparing and just keep our eyes focused on the true prize. Your ultimate prize may look different, but mine is deep relationships with God, my husband, my family and my friends. Success in fashion is just icing on the cake.

A Stylist's Tool Box

After my first couple of shoots and some fashion emergencies that were remedied Macgyver style, I quickly learned it's a good idea to have a fashion tool box on hand, as well as some other key items for things such as stains, rips, a bad fit, broken jewelry, etc... So, I thought that it would be helpful to share some top tool box items with photographers, stylists and/or anyone about to be in front of the camera. Always be prepared, right? Besides, the last thing a photographer wants are more items to Photoshop. The goal should always be to look as flawless as possible.

So, here we go...

1. Scissors - Great for random threads, cutting tags, etc.

2. Safety pins - I use them for broken clasps on necklaces, keeping clothes in place, ensuring a better fit, etc.

3. Clothing clamps - Great for changing the fit of something loose and baggy to tight and fitted.

4. STEAMER - Wrinkles happen and they look bad on camera. It's just good to have on hand. I got a compact one from Bed Bath & Beyond.

5. Portable garment rack - helps keep clothes organized and wrinkle free. Definitely get one on wheels. I got mine for $16.00 at Target.

6. Lotion - Skin gets ashy and it shows on camera.

7. Extra panty hose or tights - Sometimes an outfit just needs it. Great to have on hand.

8. Small sewing kit - I've yet to have to use one, but things happen.

9. Clear nail polish - for runs in stockings

10. Kleenex and baby wipes - Kleenex can sometimes help rub off stains, but if it doesn't work break out the baby wipes. They are awesome at getting off deodorant. It's a trick I learned at J.Crew.

11. Deodorant - Sweaty pits happen and the last thing you want are wet marks on camera.

I also carry wardrobe enhancers with me, but we'll get to that in a later post. =) I hope this is helpful!

Fashion Plates

Do you remember Fashion Plates? Those pink plates that had Barbie looking figures on them, and you could mix and match the outfits and then color them in?

I had totally forgotten about this awesome toy until I rummaged through the closet of Local Lily's Brandi Walsh. She showed them to me thinking I would get a kick out of it, and of course I had to sit down and color a bit.

I had forgotten how much I love to color and how AWESOME and simple the toys were back then. It seriously made me want to go out and buy some coloring books and just doodle for an hour. For me, it's one of those activities that totally relaxes my mind.

Does anyone else out there love to color or remember playing with Fashion Plates???

Image sources: unknown, Pattern of Life, Alex Evjen

A Place to Call Our Own

For the past nine years I have rented apartments and houses, and I can now say that I have a place of my VERY OWN! Ryan and I are still in Phoenix, Arizona, and we've moved to a cute neighborhood surrounded by old and young people. We've already met the neighbors, and they are the sweetest people!

I can't tell you how excited I am! This house is such a blessing and a great reminder that patience and saving really do make everything worth it in the end...AND now I can do WHATEVER I want to it!!! I can change my paint colors five times, rip out carpet, etc. In fact, I've already been on a home makeover rampage. I find myself overwhelmed at all of the changes I want to make at times, but then I remember I should slow down and really enjoy the process.

If you have been reading this blog for awhile, you probably know that I love architecture. I also enjoy a mix of contemporary and mid-century modern things. In fact, here are some items from my Pinterest board. Our first priority though is our back and front yard. Right now it looks like Where the Wild Things Are. You can check out the vibe of what we're wanting to create on my Modern Yard inspiration board.

For those of you that are home owners, I would love any tips and lessons learned from the decorating, remodeling and general home-ownership adventure!