Not a Creature was Stirring...

Hello Lovelies~

I hope this holiday week finds you all doing well out there! Are you ready for Christmas if you celebrate it? All those stockings hung and presents wrapped? I am so ready and I have so much to share with you all!

To start, let's talk some business. I mentioned a few posts ago that I ordered some new business cards for the new year. Well, they came in and I'm so happy with them! Moo cards does an amazing job and I chose the rounded corner, Printfinity option, which means I could pick different designs for my card backs! This is perfect for a portrait/lifestyle photographer like myself who has several different styles/skill-sets to offer. Well, here they are. I am absolutely delighted with them, you guys.

What else? Oh, for those of you who have followed the blog for awhile, I have alluded to a big secret project I've been working on for awhile. I am still hard at work on it and I am so happy with how it's going so far. I have a sneak peek to share. This shot is part of one of the final shots I'm editing. Yes, that's a Boy Scout carrying a very wee, very precious, very blonde little girl. Eeek! I can't wait to release this series!

And I also recently did a test shoot of step-by-step photography for a company called Demand Media Studios. This company uses professional contract photographers to create step-by-step photography for big-name websites like Livestrong and Martha Stewart Living. Well, great news! I was chosen to be a pro photographer who can start shooting for these sites. I am very excited to develop my professional portfolio in this way. Take a look at my test shoot. Such fun.

And STAG has been going like gangbusters for the holidays and that's just great. Getting quality vintage gifts to people all over the country (and even the world), makes me really happy. And it also frees up space in the shop for new, great things! Like, this amazing fabric that I found recently! Winter-weight tweeds, wools and plaids perfect for skirts or vests or pillows or anything, really. And more great plaid shirts will be available soon, including the two below, as well as the entire styled shot below. That is a micro-weave men's button down, with a red, wool knit necktie and a tweet jacket that's super sharp. I make it super easy to look good in vintage. All you have to do is click a button!

And I have recently come across an art opening that I wish I could attend so badly! You lucky folks out in L.A. should check out the Gallery 1988 - Required Reading show! Amazing artwork completely based on novels that are traditionally required at some point during one's education in the U.S. Some of my favorites are below, the piece from Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 by Glen Brogan and the piece from Heart of Darkness by Anthony Petrie. Such good things, you guys.

And let's wrap up with a bit of personal holiday things. To start, I thought you might enjoy these photos of my sister and I with Santa many years ago. Ha! Such fun, no? I'm glad to have these to remember those Christmases before I knew who Santa really was…

And I think I mentioned last post that I ordered my holiday cards from a wonderful design studio in the UK called Telegramme Studio? Well, those came in and I sent them to the very special people in my life. I was so delighted with them. I seldom design my own holiday cards, preferring instead to design a Halloween card to celebrate the anniversary of opening my first business. Needless to say, I have high standards in the card arena and these fit the bill and then some. Just look at them. Completely cunning.

And we've had some beautiful winter weather up here in Maine already. Several snow storms have covered the ground with white and it makes the sky look absolutely beautiful at sunset, bouncing that light right back up into the clouds. I finally got a really nice shot of what I see every day here. I am so lucky, don't you think?

That's a wrap for the week, Lovelies! On behalf of myself, The Stapelia Company, Jessica Beebe Photography & Stag Vintage, I wish you and yours a very happy and healthy holiday season!

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Turkey with all the Trimmings...

Hello Lovelies~

I hope this week after the Thanksgiving holiday finds you all doing well! So much to share as usual over here in wintery Maine. Let's get down to the business piece first, shall we?

To start, after several years of not painting, I was doodling and got inspired to do a series of work inspired by 60's children's illustrations. The Top Crown Series, as I've named it, is now complete and listed in the shop for sale! These mini paintings are so cheery and fun and each piece is also accented with glittery details! I love them very much and I hope you do too. I think they will make some people very happy this holiday season!

What else? Oh, well STAG is also being stocked up with wonderful, unique, high-end vintage items for the holiday season! What better way to say you care to the men in your life than to give a special gift that you can't get at the mall? I even have some pretty things for the ladies out there, as well as vintage holiday decorations that will brighten the homes of the customers who snap them up! Just a few of these great items are shown below.

These golf shoes are about the craziest thing I've ever seen in men's footwear. Like clown shoes with a purpose.

For the ladies: A purple 100% wool blazer. Beautiful.

And for those of you who have a hard time thinking of things for that special someone, I am doing a Stag Item of the Day every weekday between now and December 20th to get those ideas percolating. Those will be posted on the STAG Facebook page!

It's not all work and no play around here, Lovelies! Oh, no. Thanksgiving was this past weekend and I joined some very good friends for a day of laughter, friendship and good food. (When your family lives across the country, your second family becomes as dear to you as your real one.) I did the baking, which included a lemon torte (hard to do, but I figured it out) and a pumpkin cheesecake with a candied pretzel crust (easier to do because I've practiced). Both were delicious. (Well, the whole day was delicious, frankly.) What a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season. I'm a very lucky girl!

This weekend, I plan on decorating my own place for Christmas and I'm very excited! There's nothing better than sitting in your living room reading or drinking a glass of wine with just the light of the tree on, no? And I will be playing my Christmas records the entire time. Because, you can't beat Bing Crosby's voice on a record with a little hiss and some cracks and pops. Don't you agree? Happy Winter, Lovelies!

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Chill in the Air...

Hello Lovelies~

I hope this week finds you doing well out there! There is so much going on here, I scarcely know where to begin. Let's begin with the latest business news, shall we?

To start, in anticipation of the holiday season, I am loading STAG up with some truly great vintage items just perfect for gift-giving! Knick-knacks, men's items, some women's items, vintage Christmas decorations, oh yes! We are getting in the spirit over there. Among the great items are the two things below: a vintage pair of men's Nantucket Red slacks (nothing says "New England Prep" like those) and a great vintage wool Arrow plaid camp shirt. (There are a lot of camp shirts in the shop right now, actually, so if you're in the market, swing on by!) Plus, from Thanksgiving to December 20th, I will be posting gift ideas over on the STAG Facebook page straight from the STAG inventory, so follow along if you don't already.

What else? Oh! I was recently asked to shoot a piece based on the Rocky Horror Picture Show to go into a calendar that benefits Rocky for a Cause, an organization that donates its proceeds to benefit Equality Maine, which is a LGBT political advocacy organization. I got Dr. Frankenfurter and I was completely flattered to get the star of the show! The entire calendar was females only, so I found a wonderful female model who was very comfortable strutting her stuff in a freezing cold abandoned building for the cause! Haha. It was such a fun day. Take a look at some of the shots. She's great, no?

I also did a shoot recently for the Ollo Hair Salon here in Portland, Maine. This terrific group of ladies needed some shots for their new website, and I came to their aid. Ha. What a fun shoot this was! So much beauty and style and so many laughs. It was a complete pleasure. And they're delighted with the results! So, another happy client. If you're local and in need of a style tune-up, stop by and make an appointment and tell them Jessica sent you!

I am so very lucky to have a completely eclectic group of talented, interesting and intelligent friends who have such interesting hobbies and pastimes. Among these friends, is my good friend Timothy, who just recently got his pilot's license! He has been asking me to go up with him since summer and both my schedule and the weather haven't cooperated. Until this past weekend! We went up for an hour right at sunset and as the shots below show, it was truly one of the most breathtaking experiences I've had in recent memory. I'm a very lucky girl, you guys.

Okay. Enough business for this week! I have found some amazing things I want to share with you all. First, I stumbled across Telegramme Studio out of the UK last week on Pinterest and I'm embarrassed to admit, about an hour and a half later, I managed to pull myself away from their sites! Wow. Completely impeccable design on every level: their website, their work, their Instagram feed, you name it, it's perfect. Plus, they have gig posters and greeting cards that are drool-worthy and that's not all! They have Christmas cards too... Goodness. All hand-done letterpress. Just. I'm in love.

And let's end with this amazing thing: GPS shoes. What? That's right. These smart looking loafers have a GPS tracking system in them. Plus, there are lights and directionals and a map on the leather soles. I can't... I know they're for boys, but I want all of the things. Badly.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Things That Go Bump in the Night...

Hello Lovelies~

I hope this Monday finds you all doing well out there! Things here are so busy and so good I scarcely know where to start. Let's start with some business! I was recently hired to photograph a lovely couple on one of the prettiest Fall days we've had up in Maine this year. The light was perfect, they were delightful and they were very happy with how their shots came out. Winning all around! Here are some of the shots from that day. Such fun.

What else? Oh, I was also hired to do promotional photography for a local salon's website this past weekend. Those shots will be ready next post, but this group of women is so fun, I had to share this outtake of one of the owners. (This shot is totally her in a nutshell and I smile every time I look at it.) Such a rocker. Amazing.

And now that Halloween is behind us, the holidays are just around the corner! In light of this fact, I have found some amazing clothing recently for STAG that I will be adding for vintage gift-giving to the special men (or women) in your life! So many great things coming soon, including this group of vintage men's leisure shirts from the 60's and 70's and winter tweed! Including an entire vintage women's tweed dress suit (the coat is shown below paired with that amazing purple tie). I'm making it super easy to find beautiful, signature pieces for your loved ones this year, right at the push of a button!

But it's not all work and no play here. This past weekend, my friend invited me to a Halloween costume party and it was such fun! Every single person dressed up, which makes it so much better, don't you think? A couple of my favorite people came as well and their costumes were creepy-awesome. Take a look! Love it.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...