As The Days Get Longer...

Hello Lovelies~

I hope you are all well out there, as usual! Gosh, there is so much to share, this will be a long post full of pretty things… ready?

To start, let's get the business out of the way. I mentioned last post that I was going to be doing a fine portrait series entitled 1910 that channels sort of an explorer-meets-fashion vibe. Well, the pieces are falling into place for that series and I am getting really excited about it! I designed a mini logo for the series itself both to help give it a unified watermark when the images are done and also to identify it as a series in my portfolio. I went really simple and included the signature crown from my logo as well as my initials to tie it all together. Here it is. What do you think? I also ran it over a photo just to make sure it held up and I believe it does. Subtle, simple and classy are the buzz words for my new work!

And speaking of business, I have found some absolutely amazing pieces recently that are going to go up into STAG very soon. Several amazing vintage coats, including the Windmill Fashion brand coat I mentioned last post for the ladies, the buffalo plaid hunting coat pictured below (I took that for a test drive to work the other day and wow, is that a nice coat! You boys sure are lucky it's too big for me…), and another piece that I will have to get some shots of to share next post. Some of these pieces will be used in the 1910 series before I sell them because they deserve to be photographed properly and the buffalo plaid coat also has pants to go with it and I will be photographing a man in that entire suit very soon! (That shoot will look a bit like the below shot, only less geeky and awkward and more trendy… ha!)

And speaking of stylish plaids, that brown and plaid coat below is my new winter coat! It is a Penfield brand winter coat for the ladies! My sweetheart gave me the heads up about a used one at a local consignment shop and I fell in love with it. It was cheap, stylish and in great shape, so winning all around! I was so happy to find some buffalo plaid that's also a bit girly because I love men's fashion but I wear women's fashion. When the two meet, I am a happy girl.

And lastly, I was asked several months ago to paint a piece for a children's hospital in Seattle. They do an annual fundraiser where painted parasols are auctioned off to benefit the hospital and artists from all over the country are donating pieces. I started mine this past weekend and there are a few process shots below. I am doing an animal carousel themed parasol and I am really excited with how it's coming along so far! It's so nice to do the occasional commission to keep my hand in painting a bit and when I'm not painting all the time I tend to enjoy it much more. I will show more shots as I proceed with this fun project!

And speaking of fun, I have to share this amazing lime cheesecake my friends made for my honey's birthday recently. I didn't even know you could make a lime cheesecake, but they did it and what fun decorations they added! Wow. So pretty. And it tasted delicious as well! We did some serious celebrating and had such a good time. Goodness, I have some amazing people in my life. I am so lucky.

To wrap up, I have recently found the work of an amazing photographer I wanted to share with you. I first discovered Christopher Payne's work with his Asylum series several years back. (A couple of those shots are below.) Stark, beautiful, well-composed with a great eye for color, Payne's work immediately drew me in. I can't say that I'm a big journalistic photography fan, preferring people-based work, typically. But his work hints at the people in these spaces as much as the spaces themselves, I think. Then he did an amazing series called Textiles, that covers textile mills in the Northeast and South and then there's his Steinway series. All are breathtakingly beautiful and you owe it to yourselves to really take some time to enjoy his work. Pieces from all series are shown below.

I will send you off into your weeks with this beautiful Maine sunset I got to experience the other night. Yes, it was that pretty in real life. Goodness, Maine is such a beautiful place to live, you guys.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

A Bright New Year!

Hello Lovelies~

I hope you're all doing well out there in the first few days of the year 2014. I have a really good feeling about this year. I'm fairly certain it's going to be a pretty good one for everyone concerned, don't you?

Let's start with the business side of things as usual. New things have been listed in STAG this past week and good news to the ladies out there: I even have some beautiful vintage items for you! As I've said in the past, most of my items are definitely targeted towards the men in the room, but I occasionally stumble across a vintage piece for women that's so nice, I have to offer it. Because really, Stag is primarily about quality and secondarily about men. Ha! So, in addition to the items below, there are two great, handmade 1960's era cocktail dresses in the shop, as well as several winter skirt suits and Pendleton blazers! And of course, you boys have not been forgotten. That tweed blazer below is so sharp it's dangerous. So, stop on by and start the new year off right.

On the photography side of things, it's been a truly wonderful year. So many new projects, new clients and just an absolute ton of beautiful, inspired work was created. I am so lucky to have a group of friends, colleagues and clients who understand my creative vision and support it both enthusiastically and unconditionally. I can't tell you how grateful I am. Below are just a few of the projects I completed in 2013 and of course, for a more comprehensive album of my work, you may wander by my Flickr page! There are a ton of exciting things coming in 2014, I can't wait to get started!

And speaking of both photography and STAG, I recently found a 1940's era wool, buffalo plaid hunting suit that I plan on offering in Stag. These hunting sets are fairly rare and this one is in great shape. But before I sell it, I'm going to do a promotional shoot using it out in the snowy Maine woods with some vintage props like skis, a sled and perhaps a gun. We've had so much pretty snow out there and this outfit is quintessential vintage Maine and man, so it's happening and it will be fun! Standby for those shots…



But it's not all work and no play over here, so let me tell you about something fun I did recently! I have always loved the outdoors and camping. As a matter of fact, I've camped in many different climates in all different times of the year. That said, I've never winter camped in Maine… until recently. Now, before you say "That's totally bonkers" understand, that I went yurt camping. Which, isn't really roughing it. I had an absolutely wonderful time out there in the white snow and dead quiet of the woods! There was a wood stove for warmth and in fact at one point it was too hot! Which was a bit surreal. Anyway, it was a complete joy and if you're in a state that has yurt sites close by, I highly recommend going if you're someone of intrepid temperament.

And I don't think I blogged at all about Christmas, but really, there isn't much to say that isn't said by everyone when they have a wonderful holiday: it was relaxing, full of laughter and joy, there was too much good food and it was over in a trice. So, I think for visual people like myself, the following sums it all up in one image. This is my good friends' dog… wearing google-eyed glasses. Oh yes, weird and funny. And, she loved it. Hahaha. No, not really.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams!!!