Speaking Easily...

Hello Lovelies~

This could quite possibly be my biggest post ever. I haven't posted in a couple of weeks and things have been building up around here! So much to share...

To start, things are humming along as usual over at STAG Vintage. A lot of great vintage clothing is going into the shop very soon, including the amazing St. Patrick's Day tie below that's hand-painted with a harp, a pipe and a shamrock. (Nothing says: Erin Go Bragh like a leprechaun tie, amiright?) Also, that buffalo plaid hunting hat makes for sharp, early spring headwear and it's in great shape to boot! Stop by often, new things are always posting...

What else? Oh! I haven't done an original digital illustration in a long time. But, our Portland Buy Local directory (that shows local businesses and what they sell here in Portland) was running a cover contest and I decided to throw my hat in the ring. Below are some process shots, but the basic concept was to take a map of the downtown streets of Portland and incorporate some of the local goods people enjoy when they visit: seafood, artwork, great food and drinks, clothing, etc... all with a sort of worn, 1960's children's atlas feel. What do you think? Cross your fingers for me, I feel good about this one!

In photography news I have a ton of stuff to share as well! To start, I have been doing all sorts of head shots lately for all sorts of clients: real estate agents, insurance brokers and even a couple of authors! It's no secret that I adore photographing faces and making people look comfortable and their best, so doing head shots is a joy for me and because different professions require different looks, I'm learning new things as I go, too! Take a look at some of my latest work:

Another client job I'm really excited about is a Sea Bags shoot I did last fall for their Spring 2014 line that was just released today! For those of you not familiar with Sea Bags products, they are, as the name suggests, bags of all types made from sailcloth and other vintage nautical materials sold up here in Maine. They are really high-end and nice looking so it was a wonderful opportunity to shoot some lifestyle/product photography using great product and working with a ton of great models, stylists and another photographer who shot with me. Take a look!

Eeks! I did the most fun thing this past weekend with my Sweetie and our good friends! We got all dolled up and went to a 1920's Speakeasy fundraiser to benefit a local theater up in Brunswick, Maine. Well, it was a theater, so every last person was decked out and there was music and drinks and snacks and games of chance... and live goldfish. I have no idea why there were goldfish, but it was such fun! Don't we look dashing?

And speaking of speakeasies and Prohibition-era libations, I have come across an amazing design company that specializes in liquor bottle label design. Stranger & Stranger do such a beautiful job channeling that vintage vibe with their typography and illustrations, don't you think? Wow...

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

New Year!

Hello Lovelies~

I hope this Monday finds you all in good spirits and ready to start a brand new year. I am excited about all the things on my horizon this coming year and I hope you are too. I have just discounted the rest of my Venomous Vixens 2012 Calendars to a mere $7 each + S/H. Only a few left, grab them while you can!

Those of you who have been reading my blog awhile know that I'm an avid junker and thrifter. I love finding new treasures and cleaning them up and using or selling them. It's a tradition for my Sweetie and I to go thrifting all New Year's Day and this year was no exception. We went to a ton of places and after climbing around in some dirty basements and dusty barns, we found some great things, including a vintage adult-sized clown costume. That's right. And I already know how I'm going to use it in an upcoming photo shoot. Take a look at what else we found below and here.

Clown costume!

This bull head actually goes on a bottle and you can pour liquor out of the mouth! Amazing.

I love ocean-related stuff and these Disney 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea puzzles were the bees knees.

I'm sure most of you have heard of Stanley Kubrick, he's the director of Clockwork Orange and 2001 a Space Odyssey, oh, and The Shining. But did you know he was also a photographer? Yeah, neither did I. And he was quite good at it. Check out these amazing shots! The rest can be found here.

And speaking of amazing things, in my travels through cyberspace recently, I found Stranger & Stranger, a package design company specializing in alcoholic drinks. As you can see from the examples below (just a few of their designs), their look is distinctive and seamlessly melds vintage fonts with modern class. I would buy these bottles just for the labels, Folks. Not kidding.

And while we're on the topic of vintage-inspired class, let's talk about Bonlook, a site specializing in fashion glasses and sunglasses. Well, I wear glasses myself and I love vintage-looking frames, but the few times I've bought a pair, they've been bent or bowed or scratched to the point where I can't actually wear them. Enter, Bonlook! I have earmarked 3 of their styles already and event that was tough... I love them all. Here are a few examples:

Until next time: Unpleasant dreams...