Purple

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Everyone has a color that they don't like. For me it has always been purple. I don't know what it is, but I have never warmed up to the color. Magenta is about the closest I can get to the color. What is really interesting is that I'm not alone in my dislike for purple. I often find that people either are obsessed with the color to a crazy degree or they really don't like it either.

Well, up until a couple weeks ago I didn't own anything purple. The closest thing I had was a Marc Jacobs midi skirt with purple feathers on it. LE TOTE sent me this sheer purple floral shirt, something I would never have picked for myself, so I thought I'd give it a whirl.

Well, it turns out purple is growing on me. It still may not be the first color I reach for, but I sure do like this blouse. What about you? Do you have a color that you have never been fond of?

Get the look: blouse, skirt, shoes

Photos by Michelle Herrick

My Summer Outfit

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A simple white dress is my summer go-to item when I want to get ready for a date with my hubby, go out with the girls or have a business meeting. You can dress it up or down with sandals or heels, a blazer or a chambray shirt, jewelry or a simple headband.

This outfit is what I would wear shopping or to a coffee meeting. It's relaxed and yet put together. I also love this combination because the chambray shirt can easily come off and be worn around my waist when it's hot, but it's the perfect cover up with I'm in a cold air conditioned building.

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The tiny white polka dots in this Shop and Apparel shirt really tie in the white dress. I added my white, vintage Dooney & Bourke bag and a colorful headband to pull it all together.

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What's your summer go-to outfit?

Get the look: White dress, chambray shirt, tan sandals, patterned headband

Photos by Michelle Herrick

Styling & Art Direction for The Motion Workshop

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14 professional photographers in one room all learning and wanting to add motion to their skill set - that's why they came to Ale Vidal's Motion Workshop. When Ale asked me to style four different shoots for them to capture I thought, "14 photographers!? This HAS to be good!" Then I thought, "Wouldn't it be SO great to get some clothing brands involved? They would be getting all of this content for their social outlets!"

Years ago my mind wouldn't have gone to brand partnerships it just would have focused on how to execute the shoot well. What I have realized, however, is that executing these shoots well means partnering with brands. Access to clothing is the hardest part for a stylist, so if you can add value to the brands that you want to work with by providing quality content and social sharing then it's a win, win for all parties involved.

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So, before I approached brands to be a part of these shoots, Ale identified two high school senior themes, a bridal style and an engaged couple based on the background of her attendees. From there I started using secret Pinterest boards to solidify the mood, the style and the scenes with Ale. Then I was able to start dreaming about what brands would be a good fit for the different styles.

View More: http://imaginale.pass.us/themotionworkshop

Lulu*s sent us wardrobe for both high school senior shoots - a soft, natural prairie girl and a loud, bold, music lovin' girl. Lulu*s market is very young so they were a perfect match. Just one outfit was needed for both girls.

For the prairie girl we wanted a pastel palette, a dress that felt ultra feminine and innocent. We chose a blonde model with light eyes - Kacey from Agency AZ was amazing. Braids are a youthful hairstyle, as well as minimal makeup. Miriam Kenly and Stephanie are pros at bringing visions to life. For the scene, we thought about a basket of flowers for her to play with. I loved the idea of a clothes line with fabrics that would blow in the wind. Hilary Kram, a wonderful florist and creative, added some beautiful greens and floral to the clothes line to create more interest.

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For the music lovin' high school senior we wanted to portray a girl that loved NYLON magazine. I chose a bold color palette and stuck with the current fashion trends such as mini skirts and muscle tees. The bright lipstick Stephanie Neiheisel created from a MAC pigment was genius. It matched her skirt perfectly. We decided to keep her hair down so that it would move well for the camera as she jumped on the bed and whipped it back and forth. Teens love to listen to music and these gold Frends headphones were the perfect fashion accessory. There's nothing that reminds me of being a teenager more than flipping through magazine and filling out quizzes. Because our model, Emily of Agency AZ, was being put in a studio setting Ale loved the idea of having some cool floral elements to make it a bit more interesting. Hilary did a an amazing job with stringing some carnations. It was simple, but a powerful set element.

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We also had a young couple in their 20's who were pretending to be engaged who embodied a laid back, L.A. style. Lulus*s also outfitted the bride-to-be. Katherine Thornhill was our model and she is actually a wedding planner that helps brides prepare for their engagement shoots a lot. She and her boyfriend, Chris, were a real couple that could emote and express love on camera. I chose a maxi dress for her and layered a ton of jewelry on her hands to create interest for the camera. A center part with her long locks further ensured the boho vibe of their style. For Chris, we actually worked with a small budget and his wardrobe to come up with a simple, somewhat 'hipster' outfit. Simply peg rolling his pants and rolling his sleeves was a detail that took an easily preppy look to a more casual, west coast vibe. For the set we layered oriental carpets and pillows of different textures and colors. We also used a hammock that swung back and forth for motion purposes.

View More: http://imaginale.pass.us/themotionworkshop

For our sensual, moody, haunting bride we started looking at bridal boutique partnerships, but nothing seemed to fit the high fashion quality that was needed to make this bride different from the rest. I had recently done some Pinterest consulting for Fame & Partners and remembered that they make custom dresses. After falling in love with a black dress, I asked if they could design it in white...and they did! The silk chiffon material was PERFECT for movement. For the set, we chose to pose her by ivy and a beautiful water fountain filled with roses. The movement of the water was great for motion!

Check out the film Ale made here and to hear from Ale about why she held the motion workshop, visit her blog here.

All of this production wouldn't have been possible without a stellar team and wonderful brand partnerships. Please go follow all of these people and brands!

Event // www.themotionworkshop.com

Photos by Ale Vidal  & Mary Claire Photography // www.imaginaledesign.com // www. maryclaire-photography.com Styling and Art Direction by AVE Styles // www.avestyles.com

Bride: Madeleine Alexandra // alexandrafashionco.blogspot.com High school seniors // Kacey & Emily // www.theagencyaz.com Engaged couple // Katherine & Chris // www.luckyandinlove.com Make-up: SN Makeup // www.snmakeupartist.com Hair: Miriam Kenly // instagram.com/mirmaidkenl Florals: Hilary Lamb // hilarylambphoto.blogspot.com Wedding dress by Fame and Partners // www.fameandpartners.com Clothes by Lulu*s // www.lulus.com

Speaking at Alt Summit - The After

I did it! I spoke at Alt Summit and I didn't throw up. (Yes, that was my first goal.) Was I more nervous than anything I have ever done before? Yes! I was more nervous to speak at Alt than to walk down the aisle at my wedding. Why? Not only did everyone spend big money to glean important information to grow their businesses, but some people flew from across the globe and country to get this information. It HAD to be good and relevant! Plus, there were brands like The Honest Co. sitting in my session, and boy would I feel terrible steering Jessica Alba the wrong way.

Thankfully, I had Rachel Faucett of Handmade Charlotte by my side. Together, we divided and conquered the beast of Pinterest Strategies. She added such humor and confidence. Her laid back personality really kept my type-A, intense personality in check. I really felt like we balanced each other out well.

For those that couldn't make the talk and for those that weren't able to attend Alt Summit at all, I wanted to share a top 10 list of things to do for your Pinterest account.

TOP TEN PINTEREST TIPS

1. Verify your website - This will ensure that people can click through to your site when they are viewing your Pinterest profile

2. Less than 20% of the images on Pinterest have a face. YES! Try to avoid putting faces in the content you pin. When people are dreaming about their lives it's weird to have a face staring back at them.

3. Stay true to your style while pinning. Don't pin anything that you wouldn't buy, wear or make yourself.

4. Stay vertical - vertical images out perform horizontal photos by a long shot. They take up more real estate on Pinterest.

5. When pinning your content try to pin a couple images of similar content at the same time. This will ensure that the viewer will focus on the topic you are sharing rather than hoping you get noticed in the feed of competing images of many different subjects (i.e. decor, recipes, fashion, beauty, etc.)

6. Always check where the image links to. You don't want to give people dead links. I have made this mistake myself and it has cost me followers and given me many a bad comment.

7. Engage with your audience. Follow back or reply to their comments when you see fit.

8. Check out related pins when you find something you love. Often times you will find something else you love as you scroll down. This is always how I find great content.

9. Product images don't perform that well. Try to show products in lifestyle settings.

10. The average user spends almost 15 minutes at a time on Pinterest. If you are going to invest in the social platform aim for 15 minutes a session at least. (I, on the other hand, should probably cut myself off a little more often. It's addicting!!)

If you have more questions about Pinterest or how to create good content for the platform, please shoot me an email. alexandra@avestyles.com Also, follow along on Pinterest to see what I am pinning, http://www.pinterest.com/alexandraevjen/. A BIG thank you to Alt Summit for having me there. I hope to be back again!

Photos by Justin Hackworth

Boudoir Redefined

Sometimes you are just struck by an image and inspired immediately. I saw an image on Pinterest (click here), and right away I knew I wanted to do a photo shoot that celebrated the natural beauty of the female body. I loved the idea of seeing water droplets on the skin, golden sun rays illuminating the body and hair blowing in the breeze. Liz Evans was the perfect photographer for this project because she has a whole company called Boudoir Redefined seeking to redefine the celebration of the female form. Boudoir doesn't always need to be smokey eyes and bed sheets. Boudoir doesn't even mean a woman isn't wearing clothes...Boudoir is purely celebrating the female body.

I thought Kelsey would be the perfect model for this project. I had the chance to work with her during a bridal shoot, and I was just entranced by her beautiful skin. She was really excited about the project too! Azure Shaffer did her makeup on the bridal shoot and did an AMAZING job. I knew I wanted her back for this, especially since she knew her skin already.

After three months of planning we headed out to the Salt River. It was a scorcher of a day. We all ended up in the water which was perfect to keep us cool. There were a couple of Tim Gunn make it work moments like sewing her into her bralette. It all worked out in the end.

I loved this shoot because it was so simple. It wasn't about the clothes at all. It was just about the feeling, the light and the confidence of being a women. I did, however, get to use an amazing French vintage nighgown my mom's friend gave me. It was the PERFECT slip for this project. It had lace ties all down the side. A simple bralette and high-waisted swim bottoms from Urban Outfitters was the perfect second look.

Photography by Liz Evans, Boudoir Redefined Art Direction and Styling by Alex Evjen, AVE Styles Modeling by Kelsey Groetken, Agency AZ Makeup by Azure Schaffer, Artistry by Azure Assistant Styling by Alyssa Hodson