Desert Rendezvous

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Game changer. That's what this project is to me. A career-shifting, game-changing, spirit-awakening styled shoot with incredible talent and passion.

Last September I became a mom. I added another role to my life and made the balancing act of work and life even harder. It has taken me a year to get the hang of things, and along the way I think my styling has suffered. At the end of this past spring I found myself taking projects simply to keep my portfolio fresh and make it appear that I'm still busy. Let me tell ya, that is the WRONG reason to approach anything. Though others may not notice, I promise you will look at your work and feel dissatisfaction if you take jobs for those reasons.

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Fast forward to June, my dear friend Alejandra Vidal asked me to be a part of a brand project for...wait for it...Jasmine Star! I said yes within seconds. If you don't know Jasmine Star's work and haven't read her blog you will now and you can thank me later. She's one of the most REAL and sincere people I have ever met. She is a dynamic speaker, writer and photographer that gets to work with dream brides every day.

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As Alejandra and I began to plan and flesh this story out using the amazing power of Pinterest, the character and personalities of the models came to life. I was able to visualize what they would eat, drink and say. I knew what kind of music he would listen to and what she would throw on for the day. My simple task of styling morphed into art direction. Soon enough we added a prop stylist (Misha West) because we knew this project needed that kind of attention to detail. Of course, hair, makeup and a kick butt location were all figured out, and then the day came that Alejandra and Jasmine captured the story through motion and photography. More than that they captured the feeling of the moment.

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You guys, this was a game changer. Watch the video and you'll see what I mean.

Desert Rendezvous with Jasmine Star from Ale Vidal - Imaginale on Vimeo.

I was never good at math, but here's an equation that I will always calculate before I decide to accept a project. Passion for the subject + Plenty of planning + Great team = Beautiful work

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This styled shoot elevated Jasmine's brand even further. Seeing her pictures makes me feel something, and it makes me want to feel it all of the time. All I can say is, a new chapter has begun. You can definitely count on seeing more art direction from me and more motion from Alejandra. As for Miss Jasmine, well, that girl is on FIRE as Alicia Keys would say.

To read Alejandra's experience with the project, click here. To read Jasmine's experience, click here.

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Photography by Jasmine Star // www.jasminestar.com Cinematography & Video by Imaginale Design // www.imaginaledesign.com Art Direction & Styling by AVE Styles // www.avestyles.com Prop Stylist: Misha West // www.mishawest.com Modeling by Jess Lenstrohm and Black Johansson of Agency AZ // www.theagencyaz.com Make up by Stephanie Neiheisel of SN Makeup // www.snmakeupartist.com Hair by Kim Cornwell Clothing provided by Frances Vintage // www.francesvintage.com Location (Jennifer Bush) // www.chateaustudiophotography.com

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January Issue of EMMA Magazine

The first full issue of EMMA Magazine has been released. You may notice a familiar face and baby bump on the cover. =) Pregnancy definitely is a time of new beginnings, so inside the issue you'll find my top maternity style picks. You'll also see a beautiful photo shoot featuring fashions from a local boutique called Frances Vintage worn by popular style blogger, Chelsea Brown. Alejandra Vidal photographed the looks, Heather Wilson did the makeup and hair, and I styled Miss Chelsea. It was such a fun collaboration, and it made me want to own that Free People lace dress!

Check out the new issue, and definitely head on over to Frances if you're looking for unique jewelry and beautiful clothes.

One Piece Three Ways Part 2

I'm continuing yesterday's post on how to style three outfits using one central piece of clothing. This time I'm in front of the camera and Alejandra took the pictures. I've chosen to focus on stripes. Stripes are continuing to be huge in fashion, and you no longer have to fear them.

I decided to style three different outfits based on different types of personal style such as preppy, artsy and feminine. I did this because I know a lot of outfit posts that you see on fashion blogs showcase great style, but you may not personally relate to it. I wanted to create something for everyone with this exercise.

1. The Bold Artist - Combining bright colored pants and mismatched patterns is definitely bold, but it's also so fun. I'm the person that likes to dress for their mood, and sometimes I get the urge to put unusual things together to express my spunky attitude.

The great thing about black and white striped shirts is that they truly go with everything.

Now, I would classify my everyday style as preppy, so this look comes straight from my usual line up of outfits.

I love my jeggings, I love wearing blazers and I often wear neck scarves. To me, this is an easy, classic outfit that I know I can rely on for style and comfort.

Last, but not least, is a very feminine east coast outfit. Tweed is one of my favorite things about fall and winter. So, I put my long-sleeved shirt underneath my tweed jumper, added some colored tights, and topped it off with some classic round-toe pumps. So feminine, flirty and happy.

Don't forget that your shirts can often go underneath things and not just over them.

I hope you enjoyed this mini series and are inspired to create outfits from your closet. A little creativity could spare you a shopping trip and money!

To hear from Alejandra what it was like to photograph this experience, click here.

One Piece Three Ways

It's about time that I actually did some how-to style posts don't you think? My good friend Alejandra Vidal of Imaginale Design approached me with the idea of using one piece of clothing in three different looks. So, I took her up on the idea. She came over to my house with a suitcase of clothes and asked me to work my magic with what she brought.

The piece that her three outfits revolve around is an awesome dusty coral blazer. I'm going to do my best to explain the inter-workings of my mind. haha. I hope you find it helpful.

Oh, and a little side note...I took the pictures of Alejandra! Maybe there's a bit of a photographer in me after all.

First up is a spring transitional look. I paired the blazer with an oxford button-down, so the top part of the outfit looks very classic and sophisticated. However, I juxtaposed tattered shorts and booties for some easy edge. Opposites do attract!

For her next look, I grabbed a gold sequined top, black skinny jeans and some black "wow factor" shoes.

This outfit fits with Alejandra's personality the most. She loves a bit of sparkle and a bit of edge in everything.

Gold is a really hot color right now and preferred over silver in the fashion world. So, if you see something gold grab it.

This outfit would be great for drinks and dinner with friends or a date night. It's a great balance of femininity and boldness.

Her last look is perfect for client meetings, but isn't boring in the slightest.

I saw this beautiful pastel dress she had, and it looked lovely with the blazer, but it needed a bit more. With the addition of the navy cardigan and belt, the outfit was taken to the next level. Without the sweater it would be a great summer look, but not the best to wear right now.

In this season of fashion it's all about mixing and matching patterns (you can read about it here), so I thought her round-toe leopard pumps were perfect. The brown tones still fit into the color equation.

You could even add some knit tights to this look to make it work for winter.

Check out Alejandra's post about her experience being styled by me, and how it felt to be put in outfits she would never put together herself.

Also, tomorrow I'll showcase some outfits I put together for myself. Yep, I'm in front of the camera this time. eek!

Part 2: Menswear "Falling" Shoot

The inspiration of this menswear shoot, in collaboration with photographer Alejandra Vidal and model Alex Lasheen, came from Robert Pattinson's Vanity Fair photo shoot. The debonair musician that Pattinson portrayed inspired Alejandra and Alex Lasheen, and then when they came to me with the concept I interpreted the idea to fit with the west coast relaxed menswear style. I also did this because instead of a piano we had a guitar, and our photo shoot location was in a gorgeous Phoenix home of Geoff Trachtenberg.

I gave Alex four looks with a couple variations on the looks. The outfits weren't complex at all. In fact, they were meant be simple and look accessible, as if this character woke up in the morning and just put his t-shirt and jeans on.

The truth is that sometimes a v-neck t-shirt and a great pair of jeans make the best looking outfit for a man, no?

Add a button down shirt, and then you have some more dimension.

Add a black blazer and then you're ready to go out on a date with a special someone.

When you're home relaxing maybe it's just a comfy cardigan over a henley. No fuss, all comfort and casual style.

A timeless classic is a white shirt and jeans. For the summer, a white linen shirt like this one is a great investment.

I hope you enjoyed the photo shoot. Don't forget to check out our awesome fashion video shared in yesterday's blog post.