Sunny Days by the Ocean...

Hello Lovelies~

I hope this week finds you all doing well out there. I am doing just swell over here! Let's jump right in, shall we?

To start, I believe I mentioned in my last post that I was hired to photograph some classic cars for a client recently for the cover of a local tourist publication up here in Maine. Well, the shots came out so well, I decided they should be sold as archival fine art prints over at Stapelia. 60' Cadillac & '65 Mustang are perfect for that beach house or 4th of July guest gift and while I don't do a ton of patriotic work, I felt this is really more classic American summer, so it was okay. Ha!

And speaking of classic American summer, I have dropped a ton of great vintage over at STAG this past week and some of it (like that set of Girl Scout camping flatware down there), could definitely be used for summer fun. But I'm especially excited to present some very nice vintage clothing items namely; a starch-front men's dress shirt from 1914 in perfect condition, a 1940's era Good Luck Brand heavy wool work shirt and that snappy micro-plaid summer blazer! Whoo doggies, STAG is on fire, y'all!

I believe you all remember my Last Ones Standing work that was part of the joint Life Is A Gas show that I'm in with a very good painter friend of mine? Well, the artist reception was Friday and it was such fun! Quite a few people came through to look at the work and the space was big, airy and beautiful. Oh, and because the work started with gas masks, it was only fitting that there were some present... like the one modeled by the elegant Ms. Bridget (painter) below. Ha! What an odd life I live...

And here's the most exciting news of all! I was recently asked by Jack Tar 207 (an amazing fashion blog based out of Portland, Maine) to photograph their group for promotional purposes! I was very flattered they asked me to do it and I eagerly agreed. Well, what a fun day. We played out by the water for half a day and then got ice cream after. And they are quite pleased with how they came out, so I am too! Another satisfied client gets the full Jessica Beebe Photography treatment... (Hahaha. I kid. No, not really.) Look at some below, and follow their Facebook page for more!

Let's wrap with an amazing film I discovered on an art blog I follow. Richard Mosse's work in The Enclave is breathtaking. It's not just the material that makes it fascinating to watch, it's also the fact that he shot this movie on 16mm infrared film, so everything looks bright, and technicolor and pink! What?! Watch the below to see what I mean. I am such a fan of color, so this was a treat for sure...




Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Crawfish, Crick-ettes & Soft Baby Chickens...

Hello Lovelies~

I hope you are doing well out there as usual! Things here are heating right up. Literally. Maine has had some pretty hot weather lately and I love it. Summers in Maine are kind of the best ever. Where to start?

First, another reminder, I am donating a piece to the Ronald McDonald House's Purses with Purpose Fundraiser. I just dropped it off as a matter of fact! An 8 x 10 print of my Sea Fence photo, matted and framed in a bright white, contemporary 11 x 14 frame. Perfect for that summer home or living room. Plus, do I need to say it's for a good cause again? If you're local, it's Thursday, click the link for details on how you can help!

What else? Oh, my S'mores piece has been featured on Motorland Vintage America's summer brochure at their gallery and car showroom! If you recall, I did a Vacationland shoot for their space last fall and decided to do a couple of conceptual shots there at the end involving... a Yeti. Oh, yes. Well, the owner felt that nothing said Maine Summer like a Yeti attack. Lucky me! Take a look. I will be working with the fine folks at Motorland again this summer on various projects. What a great group of men.

Well, Father's Day is right around the corner, and that's sort of a big deal over at STAG. Needless to say, I have been beefing the shop up with great items just for the special man in your life. Plus, June 12th is STAG's first anniversary! So, I decided a celebration was in order. June 16th, I am having a storewide sale just for you: 15% off when you enter "Father" as the coupon code when you check out. Get Dad the very best: Get STAG Vintage!

Well, it's not all work and no play over here, fear not! Some very good friends decided to throw a "bug party BBQ" this past weekend to kick off summer. What is that, you ask? Well, they ordered Crick-ettes (dried crickets) and made those available for eating(!!!) along with an entire selection of Bloody Mary mixes and of course, normal food. Like those beautiful crawfish. I haven't had crawfish since I moved from Missouri. (Needless to say Mainers eat lobster.) But they were very good. It was such fun. Plus, I got to hold a baby chicken and kiss its soft, fuzzy head which sort of made my night. If this party was any indication, this summer will be a very good one.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

A Whole Lot of Vintage Action...

Hello Lovelies~

I hope you are all well out there and that those of you who live in the U.S. enjoyed your holiday weekends for Memorial Day! I sure did. It was very busy and also very relaxing. (Yes, that's possible - in my life, at least...) Let's jump right in, shall we?

To start, in anticipation of Father's Day, I have added a ton of great items to the STAG store just for the boys out there (or the women who love them). Tons of great ties, manly knick knacks and some great vintage wool sporting shirts including the two below. And let's not forget that nautical side. I think this sea captain hat or anchor wall hanging would do the trick, don't you? Give Dad the very best... Give him STAG Vintage.

What else? Oh. I have begun another major fine art photography project that I am very excited about. I won't reveal what it is until I have 4-5 shots done (so folks understand what it's really about). It's the most serious project I've ever done (it's quite hard for me to not go right over into humor, but I'm trying) and I am very, very excited about it. I shot the second piece in the series over the weekend and I offered this prop shot to my Facebook followers just to whet their appetites... Points if you can guess what I'm doing before I tell you!

The Ronald McDonald House is an organization with a mission in which I believe very strongly. It's very hard on families when a child falls ill and the Ronald McDonald House helps families stay close to their wee patient as they get better. I think this makes all the difference. I always donate a framed print to their Purses with Purpose fundraiser and this year was no exception! My Sea Fence print will be available at the event June 6th at the Woodlands Club in Falmouth. Come out if you're local and want to support a great cause.

And on to other news. I am a photographer, and as such, I believe I fall into the majority when I say I am not very comfortable in front of that lens. Nope. Partly because I am camera shy and partly because I am a control freak. Ha! So, it was with a bit of anxiety that I modeled for Jack Tar, a Maine fashion blog, this past weekend. However, it ended up being very fun and I met some great ladies who made me feel very comfortable. It was a sort of cocktail theme and I always do vintage, so I did it up Veronica Lake style with the help of my wonderful makeup artist/hair people. Like the Jack Tar page to see those shots as they go up (and some great local fashion as well)!

Yesterday was a holiday and it was beautiful for the first time in weeks here in Maine. So, after a morning run, I headed out to the local flea market with a friend to shop for STAG, and just in general. Well, I was delighted to spy a vintage pair of women's bowling shoes in white leather with fun bowling pins heels, in almost perfect condition and in my size! What?! That's right. So, after some cleaning and polishing, I am wearing them today and I am completely in love... take a look! Cute, no?

And let me wrap by saying I saw Gatsby over the weekend and I was completely blown away. Completely. For purists, who adore the book, maybe this isn't the movie for you. But for artists like myself, who adore the 20's, notice the smallest details and pay attention to the soundtrack as well, this was just too much. So good. Those colors? The parties? The costumes? And all with a sexy, bass-laden contemporary score? Whew. See it. Please. For me. :)

Plus, there's Leo and those eyes... sigh.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Oh, Oregon...

Hello Lovelies~

I hope you are doing well out there. I have just returned from a whirlwind trip to Oregon to see my sister graduate from college. It was a wonderful visit. Everything went very smoothly until the very last flight from Chicago back to Portland, Maine, when there were so many delays that I didn't arrive home until 3am and had to work the next day. (That was a long one, y'all. But so worth it.) Since that trip took up all of my time this past week, I don't have business to share, so I will just share some photos. Does that sound good? Here we go!

There is an amazing chain called McMenamin's up in the Northwest that takes old, abandoned buildings, historic sites and landmarks, buys them, and turns them into hotels, restaurants and pubs. They do a beautiful job and each one is unique and different. Plus, for someone like myself, who loves architecture, repurposing and old things, going to these places and seeing new life breathed into them makes me very happy. I think Maine could benefit from a company like this. So many great buildings just languishing in disrepair up here. But I digress. We stayed at the Grand Masonic Lodge in Forest Grove, Oregon and it was beautifully restored with art and quirky touches. Like these water pipes... with faces. What a great place. I wish I had taken more pictures of it.

The Northwest specializes in coffee. I mean, love it or hate it, Seattle is the birthplace of Starbucks, the first major chain based on boutique coffee. One of my favorite places for coffee when I lived there was Dutch Bros. It's a drive-thru chain and goodness, I missed it. So, my sister and I had to get a cup. It was just as good as I remembered! (Plus, I'm sort of in love with their logo...)

While we were in Portland, we visited the Oregon History Museum (because, thankfully, the whole group of us are dorks who like that sort of thing), and what a great place! So many interesting tidbits and the displays were great too. This Mid-Century architectural model was a favorite, as was that masthead that was taken out of the waters of China after the boat it was on burned all the way to the water line! It was shipped all the way back to Portland. And a ton of great musicians have gotten their start in Oregon, including Pink Martini, one of my absolute favorite groups, so of course I had to take a picture of that show poster. Good stuff.

 I'm sure you've all seen the fabulous neon sign with the deer on it that says Portland, Oregon. It's been in a ton of movies and TV shows. I adore that sign, and while I didn't have my good camera with me and it was raining, I snapped this shot. It's right in the middle of the city. They really understand the importance of preserving their neon signage out there and I appreciate seeing signs like this still in working order and looking beautiful.

After the graduation, we went to this great bar called Bar Doug Fir, which, as the name somewhat implies, was decorated in a lodge-meets-the-1970's aesthetic that I found completely charming. Especially the blown glass moose head on the wall. Say what?! And then, I opened their menu and saw that they used the same font inside that I used in the logo for Jessica Beebe Photography and it was true love. Hahaha. (We designers notice things like this all the time... it's a blessing and curse.) Here are some shots from that bar. Cute, no?

So, we ended the long weekend with the graduation itself, which was a very nice affair. It has been a very long journey for my sister from high school to college graduate and I found the whole thing very touching. I was so very glad I could share it with her. What great memories. I'm so proud of you, Abigail. You made it!

Until next time... unpleasant dreams.

Headed West...

Hello Lovelies~

I hope you are all doing well out there this week. I am doing very well here and I have some things to share with you all.

To start, some of the photographs from my Last Ones Standing series will be on display as part of a joint show with my good friend Bridget McAlonan (an amazing painter) entitled Life is a Gas. The work has a fairly complicated artist statement that involves women's rights and the loss of innocence, but aesthetically, it's really just about gas masks and girls. It should be a neat show and the space is beautiful. The show runs from May 20th - June 30th at the Frank Brockman Gallery in Brunswick, Maine. Artist reception is June 14th 5-7pm. If you're local, come and take a look. I will be at the reception on the 14th and would love to meet you.

What else? In other business news, STAG continues to grow by leaps and bounds. I've made over 200 sales in under a year in business and in the process, I have met a ton of great vintage-loving folks who have told me all about the people they're buying these things for and I love to hear the stories. Whether it's an Ella Fitzgerald record sent to a woman's long-distance boyfriend for Valentine's Day, or a great vintage tie used by a groom on his wedding day, it makes me very happy to find homes for these items with people who love them. Father's Day is just around the corner (June 16th) and I will be listing a ton of great things in the coming weeks, so stop by STAG and get Dad something he will really cherish.

Some fun, personal items. I am a proud glasses wearer. While I do have contacts, I rarely wear them. I am also extremely finicky about frames. It was time for some new glasses and I had something specific in mind: 1960's men's horn rim glasses. There were two problems with this: 1.) Actual vintage frames are typically very bent out of shape and no one in Portland can return them to their former glory, and 2.) Men's horn rims are a bit masculine for my taste. Well, imagine my pleasant surprise, when I found a new pair of 60's-inspired horn rims for girls! The perfect shape and they're not as severe. I looooove my new glasses. What do you think? Good?

And in other news, I am leaving for Oregon tomorrow for several days to visit my sister! I haven't visited her in several years (it's hard when you're bi-coastal) and I can't wait to see her face. She is graduating from college and I wouldn't miss it for the world. I haven't been back to Portland since I lived in Oregon 9+ years ago. I love that city and it's a beautiful time of year to visit. We will have such fun. I am bringing my camera, but hopefully, I won't want to take a moment away to use it. I even found a summery dress for the graduation (and for several other formal events this season, because I do not dress shop often... yuck) that fits my aesthetic perfectly: feminine, tailored and vintage-inspired. Watch out Portland, the Beebe Girls are about to descend upon you... Haha.

And I'm going to wrap up with an amazing and adorable video I found this week. This piece, produced by Saatchi & Heckler, shows children's reactions to foods they're trying for the first time. The music? Those faces? Goodness, this is too much. I think the blonde girl in pig tails is my favorite reaction, but they're all squeeee-worthy. Sweet babies. What a clever idea.




Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Pink Runners and Also Some Kites...

Hello Lovelies!

I hope this week finds you all well out there. Things here are very good and as usual, I have quite a bit to share with you all.

To start, the process video from the Mermaids of Maine shoot has been posted! Take a look below. Wowza. I think my favorite part is the absolutely ridiculous amount of lipstick being applied all over the mouth without regard for the actual lips whatsoever (as per my instructions, which were: "Just go in circles, I want it to look trashy"). So there's that. A big thank you to Jessica Lauren for her videography as usual!



Mermaids of Maine Shoot from Jessica Beebe on Vimeo.

What else? Oh! I was recently asked to donate a portrait session to a silent auction for a very good cause here in Maine. Of course I obliged. The details are below, but the Celebrity Waiter Dinner and silent auction benefit The Sexual Assault Crisis Center, an organization that offers many services with the end goal being to reduce and/or stop sexual assault and violence in Maine. This is something about which I feel very strongly, so I was happy to help. If you're local, consider purchasing a ticket and attending the event, or placing a bid to help.

I have to tell you about the brand new running shoes I bought over the weekend because I am (way too) excited about them! First of all, they make running a dream because I actually found shoes that fit my pronation running style for the first time ever. (Boo on me for not doing it sooner.) And most importantly, they're pink. Eeeps! I love them! (I am such a girl sometimes... haha.) Take a look. Cute, no?

And I was out enjoying the beautiful weather over the weekend and visited our Fort Williams Park - one of my absolute favorite places in Portland. Imagine my delight to see at least 20 kites being flown! I love kites. And there was no end to the amusement watching people trying to get them into the air, dogs chasing them and wee babies running all over the fields underneath them looking up. It sort of made my weekend to be honest. And then that guy in the lower right, flew his kite right into someone's car and that's when I took my leave... haha.

And as always I will wrap up with an artist whose work I admire greatly. Billy Norrby's work sort of brings to mind V. C. Andrews book covers or Nancy Drew and that's one of the reasons I love it. One of many, in fact. The pulpy style and the spot-on execution of the subject matter, combined with a narrative and sense of mystery equal winning as far as I'm concerned. Take a look at some of his pieces. So smooth and polished. Amazing, no?

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...