AIMEE J'ADORE

Lash Extensions on More Good Day Oregon

2011-02-06T07:28:00.001-08:00

It's been such a crazy week!

Last Monday this segment aired on Fox 12's, "More Good Day Oregon" and everyone is excited to try Eyelash Extensions!

I love doing Lash Extensions, they are so pretty and make anyone feel better and save so much time! No need to wear mascara anymore, and they are applied in several lengths and sizes for the most natural look. And for those of you who want big, glam lashes everyday, I have those lengths for you too! They last 3-4 weeks, and are after that just minimal touch ups are needed every so often. A perfect idea for brides-to-be, busy moms, and literally anyone looking for a more youthful look.

Hundreds of stars get them - Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Ashley Green from Twilight and Ivana Trump to name a few!

Kimberly Maus, the host on Fox12, came into the salon and her Lash Extensions applied for the first time. She loved it! It was so much fun to show them to her and have her experience them. She told me she's so ecstatic to not have to fuss with mascara anymore!

Press Release Jan 31, 2011

2011-01-31T08:16:00.000-08:00

Press Release Jan 31, 2011

Portland, Oregon – January 31, 2011 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is thrilled to announce Aimee J'Adore has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 for Makeup and Hair Stylist of the Year!

Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.

Aimee J'Adore stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud Aimee J'Adore for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.”

We are happy to announce that Aimee J'Adore is among the very best Makeup and Hair Stylists within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011.

For more information on the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire.com, the nation's leading technology company serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 local wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives local businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. Businesses that join the WeddingWire Network appear on WeddingWire.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), ProjectWedding.com and Weddingbee.com (both part of eHarmony), and Celebrations.com (part of the 1-800-Flowers family of brands, NASDAQ: FLWS).

2011

2011-01-20T17:30:00.000-08:00

I can't believe we are already at 2011! There are so many great things that will be happening this year - I can only give thanks and keep sharing smiles with you all!

I'm so happy to announce my new website is finally up! It needed a major overhaul, and this is everything I was hoping it would be. Check it out!

www.aimeejadore.com

There are so many great features, along with my featured prints of different aspects in my portfolio, the list of services I offer, my blogspot and youtube upload directly to the website, plus you can find my twitter feed! Also you can click on any of the icons and "share" a picture or post on your own facebook page, twitter or blogspot!

In other news, I've recently moved to a new salon! While I was sad to leave my friends at Vis A Vis, I knew I needed to make this move to open up more time for my clients. At the newly remodeled Absolutely You Salon on Belmont, I'm able to be there any day of the week to book appointments and so now have much more flexibility to accomodate everyone! I'm offering a 20% discount on new Haircut or Color client services (first time visit), and specials on Lash Extensions and the Brazilian Blowout. Come see me at my new place!

Aimee J'Adore Makeup is also growing and will (hopefully soon!) be available for purchase online at www.aimeejadore.com Private Makeup Lessons are also being booked - I love doing these so much! I find it so fun to be able to sit down with you ladies and be able to show you anything you've always wanted to learn. Maybe there's something you've always wondered about, or wanted to know how its done! I love these personal appointments so that you can have that one on one time you've always wanted with a professional stylist.

Segments on MORE Good Day Oregon, Fox12 are still continuing! Next week we are taping two back to back and they will be showing in a few weeks. One will be how to choose your Makeup and Hair Stylist for your wedding - a great one for all you Brides! - and the second will be showing the host, Kim, getting Lash Extensions for the first time! All you wanted to know about this fun trend! Watch my twitter feed and I'll be updating everyone about showtimes!

Thanks for checking in and reading - I really love what I do! I see it as making people feel happy about themselves. We all have so much pressure, pain and burdens to bear in our daily lives and I truly enjoy making women (and men!) feel relaxed, and enjoy a little time doing something for themselves. I love making the world a more beautiful place! And by bringing more smiles, I feel my job is done :)

xoxo
Aimee J'Adore

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2010-12-28T17:27:00.000-08:00

Hope you all have been having a wonderful time with family and friends this holiday! It's been a busy month, and I'm so looking forward to the New Year. :)

Great News! I will be featured in a series of segments on Good Day Oregon, Fox12 - highlighting different Makeup and Hair techniques and tips, hot trends, how to save money and still have the best beauty products around! Watch Mon-Friday, 9-10am on channel 12! I do a short segment every few weeks, and I'll announce which mornings they will air on my facebook and twitter! Feel free to email me with thoughts or suggestions on what YOU want to hear about.

Here's a quick clip of a segment that aired today!

Commercial Videos!

2010-12-02T09:53:00.000-08:00

Yes, the commercial spots are finally coming to life! I'm so happy to share these and there's even a couple more to come.

The first is the Behind the Scenes video of our fashion shoot that will be used in part for the actual advertisement. That day was such an incredible gift. So many talented people (about 25 people!) came together with me to create this production. Choosing the models, the designer, the location, the music, the hair and makeup design - it was ALOT of work :) But SO worth it. It was about a 12 hour day there at the Aurora Airport and couldn't have been possible with every single person there!

At one point I was just standing there, watching everyone, looking at this beautiful set that we created, and I felt so humbled that every single person was there because they wanted to be a part of my vision. I was completely blown away. And I can't thank everyone enough.

The next videos are the advertisements for two of the speciality services I offer at the salon. These are for Eyelash Extensions and for the Keratin Smoothing treatment, the Brazilian Blowout. The filming day at the salon was a good 8-10 hours or so, thanks again to everyone who made this possible. The patient models, Vanessa and Helen, photographers Levy and Chris, and videographer Norm for watching hours of (I'm sure) boring footage to make something eye-catching and wonderful!

What's been up!

2010-10-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy summer, and now a non-stop fall! :) I've tried to update when I can, but it's just so ridiculously sad. I apologize. :)

A little opener clip - the rest coming soon!

The last two months (not the ENTIRE two months, just days in between of all the regular work :))were spent working on a filmed commercial that will show the different services I offer. Thanks to the Synergy Film Group, this commercial is going to be really awesome! Alot of people don't realize I do many different things, and I love them all! Makeup and Hair for Bridal, Fashion and Runway, Print, Editorial - you name it! I specialize in Hair Extensions, Lash Extensions and Brazilian Blowouts. I also do specialized Model Photography, where I am photographing beautiful headshots for models and specific projects. Haircuts and Colors are now offered in my beautiful salon space too! On the side, I also do a Mentor Makeup Artist program and Model Coaching. So yeah, it's alot to take in!

We finally finished wrapping up the entire set about a week ago - think about setting up all those different services to be filmed. Sheesh! It was alot of work :) But I do believe it was well worth it. Now I will be able to have a quick and easy to see commercial for everyone to see what I can do for you!

Along with that, I've been settling into my new salon and I love it. It's great to be able to have a place to meet all my clients in! I still go on location for weddings and photoshoots, but for all the rest, I'm in the salon :) Booking weddings now for 2011-2012!

Speaking of weddings - whew what a year! I recently counted up my weddings to date - I've had 68 weddings so far. :) Wow. When I look at that number, I think, how did I do that? Well, I know I've had one wedding (at least) every weekend since March, a few from Jan and Feb, but in the spring/summer/fall it was usually 2-4 weddings a weekend. Phew! Sometimes it was 3 weddings in one day! And normally my average wedding party is 4 ladies. Very rarely have I had just the bride to do! So honestly, I don't even know many brides, bridesmaids, mothers and flower girls is! :) Honestly, I loved every single one!! I feel so special to be such an important part of someone's perfect day. It is a huge gift to me! <3 A huge THANK YOU to all my brides who trusted me for their special day. I love you all!

Also in the last few months, I've been working on my own private label for my own makeup line "Aimee J'Adore Makeup" Yes! It's been so much fun and such an amazing thing to see the products and decide what is best. The makeup is beautiful, flawless and easy to use. I'm happily offering private makeup lessons to anyone who wants to "get to know" makeup all over again, and get some new tips and tricks!

I've been very blessed to have worked with alot of incredible photographers, models and designers - as well as other super talented Makeup Artists and Hair Stylists!

I'm so pleased to say that my work will be featured in the Portland Bride and Groom magazine coming soon! I was so excited to hear it, as well as see another set of mine featured in a prominent designer wedding blog! It's been such a wild ride!

Lastly, feel free to find me on Facebook! My professional page is under "Aimee J'Adore Makeup"! I try to keep up on Twitter too since it seems to be so popular, but I'm not as nifty with it :) Hope you are all well, and I hope to see you soon!

xoxox

Aimee

Brazilian Blowout Controversy - Important Information

2010-10-04T09:28:00.000-07:00

To all my clients and friends!

Thank you for reading:

As a Hair dresser, a Makeup Artist, an Esthetician, and your friend, I'm writing this note to address the latest news about the smoothing treatment from the Brazilian Blowout Company. I have been hearing so much uneducated information amd sensationalized reports from the news channels, that I want to put forth the facts as I have read them and had actual reports.

This investigation into the contents of the Brazilian Blowout smoothing treatment began when a stylist, Molly Scutton of Platform Artistic Salon in Portland, Oregon, claimed she was experiencing physical reactions, such as coughing and water eyes, from preforming the hair treatment on clients. It should be noted that Molly is NOT a certified Brazilian Blowout Stylist and if she was preforming the treatment, she was doing so untrained. Molly's salon submitted a sample of the product that they claim is Brazilian Blowout's "Acai Professional Smoothing Solution". Brazilian Blowout has checked their files and according to their records, "the last bottle of solution purchased from this salon was back on January 18th, 2010 (Shipped to Platform Artistic Salon but billed to a different stylist). Certainly nowhere near the August 12th 2010 date that OHSU claims a bottle was shipped to Platform Artistic Salon". It appears there are some unanswered questions regarding the sample submitted to the Oregon branch of OSHA.

That being said, personally, I'm disappointed by the reports coming out of Oregon Health and Safety University. Last week it was reported that an older formula from Brazil was found to have formaldehyde. Fellow hairstylists were not too disturbed by the results because we knew that the older formula contained formaldehyde, and that was it was reformulated for the US. We were anxiously awaiting test results of the newest formula, which according to the company is formaldehyde-free. In fact, the official statement from the company's PR is that the formula is "hyde-free meaning that none of the formaldehyde cousins are present in the formula. Today the story changes.

According to the newest test done by an Oregon OSHA laboratory it does indeed contain formaldehyde from the sample sent in by Molly. OSHA will be testing the smoothing solution sent in by the Brazilian Blowout Company to ensure the validity of the claims. In the meantime, Brazilian Blowout has posted this:

"At Brazilian Blowout, the safety of our products, stylists and consumers is our number one priority. We stand behind the integrity of our product, and affirm that our professional solution is indeed formaldehyde-free.

As a result of the Oregon division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) recent claim, Brazilian Blowout is conducting a thorough investigation of these allegations to ensure that accurate data is released to the public.

With regards to OSHA's claim, the actual source of the formulation tested has not been identified, and was not submitted by the Brazilian Blowout company itself. Because OSHA did not request a sample from the company directly, there is no reason to believe that the formulation tested and found positive for traces of formaldehyde was indeed Brazilian Blowout product. This represents a clear violation of proper testing protocol, and this gross negligence on the part of OSHA invalidates all findings that have been released as a result of OSHA's testing."

While I'm disappointed that the company is standing more on a wobbly leg of a technicality, I will hope that we will hear more good news in the very near future after a more thorough investigation. One of the major points too, is that the exposure to any of the product is very limited to the clients! These warnings are very much for the worry of too much exposure to the stylist who preforms this service regularly.

The majority of keratin treatments actually DO contain formaldehyde. Due to the popularity of this type of hair treatment, it’s time for brands, salons and stylists to take action for the healthy of everyone involved:

■Salons who opt to continue to use keratin treatments, including the brand name Brazilian Blowout that contain formaldehyde should install an air filtration system, and offer eye shields and masks to the stylists and clients for their protection. Jordana Lorraine uses a filtration system designed to be used with formulas that contain formaldehyde and similar ingredients to protect her clients and herself.
■Keratin hair treatment brands should be upfront with stylists and increase their training and suggested safety precautions.

■Stylists should be upfront with clients and the potential risks, as well as making the salon environment as safe

A note from Jordana Lorraine:

Please note that while this may have exposed a big untruth, which people have a right to be upset about, it does not say that these treatments should be banned, just labeled accurately and handled more carefully. I believe that service providers and consumers deserve to be informed and educated on the topic, and provided with protective measures while working with any chemical. Just as we wear gloves when bleaching, and manicurists wear masks when working with acrylic, guidelines should be imposed on how to use this product safely.

I am grateful that my curious and concerned mind has already led me to set up a 3-part air filtration system to protect my clients and myself from potential harm. More on this, coming soon! For now, you can learn a bit about it at www.SafeBrazilian.com“

So all in all, what we are taking from this is that the treatment is not banned, will not be, and is safe for clients with the OSHA approved precautions in place. Air filters, eyewear, and proper ventilation - as well as being properly trained and certified - will ensure a safe and protected environment for both the client and the stylist.

When one door closes - hey there's an open window!

2010-06-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, it's been too long since my last blog - but I actually have a reason besides the usual "I'm busy non-stop and haven't had a moment to spare!!" My computer got a virus (very much my fault I will add. Don't click on things you think MIGHT be sketchy! bad aimee!), and ended up killing my hard drive. I KNOW. Talk about a nightmare. But about 3 weeks ago I had backed up my computer to an external drive (some sort of strange premonition?? I don't know), and so it just took me a bit to get a new drive, install it and get things all up and running again. I know, yay for me lol :) Guess I learned a trick or two all those years...

So I wanted to at least show you some new pretty things I've been doing fashion makueup-wise. Besides it being full on wedding season and having one, sometimes even two or three weddings booked every weekend until October, I've been busy working with Koin6, Fox12 and CBS. It's so much fun being the stylist for their news anchors. They are all great people, and I'm such a geek - I love being on set! Now if we could just get those Twilight movies back in town I would be in my own little heaven.... ;)

I had my 27th birthday ealier this month and it was so much fun :) I can't believe how time is flying by! My boyfriend, Paul surprised me with all these wonderful gifts and the cutest one of all was a new baby kitten! He's such a sweetheart! I really feel so lucky to be in love with my best friend. <3 <3 <3 And to all my friends who sent birthday wishes, thank you!!! I got over 300 emails, texts and phone calls wishing me a happy day, I was completely blown away. Thank you to all my friends, clients and loved ones!!!

Here's a couple images from some fashion shoots -

Lots to update...

2010-06-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

The past few months have been non-stop, and I don't see it ending anytime soon! I'm certified for Hair Extensions, and Lash Extensions and that with all of my usual photoshoots and weddings have left me little time to get online! :) I wanted to post some pictures, these are so fun!

Hair Extensions are so much fun to me - every woman wants long hair in her life, and sometimes our hair just doesn't want to cooperate! Nicki called me and wanted to talk about getting some hair extensions for her wavy shoulder length curls. She said she's always wanted to have long hair, but it never seemed to get past her shoulders. So we put in some gorgeous fusion extensions on her, and she's been loving them these past few months!!

Sometimes I have clients that just want a pop of color to their hair without the chemical damage, or the fading that is so normal for vibrant colored hair. Leslie was one as such! Loved it!!!

April came to me after a tramautic experience when dyeing her hair from brunette to blond. Her hair was ravaged from the process, and she had to have 14 inches cut off of her beautiful long hair! She decided to nourish her hair by staying brunette, and came to me to add her length back in. I love being able to give back to people!

And as for lashes - who doesn't love long, lush, lashes!! No false lashes here!

They are weightless, feel like your own, and can be tailored to your own style. I really love my job! When ladies look in the mirror and say "wow!", that's when I'm happy that THEY are happy! :)

Libby Boggs

2010-05-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity a few weeks ago to head up by own photoshoot with one of Portland's best fashion models - Libby Boggs. She's so beautiful, and such an incredible young woman! I was asked by a photographer if I would mind spending some time at the studio, showing him how I style a shoot for a fashion set. This photographer is well known for his impeccable glamour work, but he felt that he couldn't grasp the fashion side of things. I didn't feel that I was the best person to teach him how to shoot fashion, but he insisted that when I get behind the camera, I see things that he feels he doesn't! So I invited Libby out, and she graciously gave me her time. We just had fun with it - changed outfits a few times, just put some creative flow out there. It was hard to choose, there were so many great shots! I deliberately gave them a muted, dreamlike feel - Here were some of my favorites -

Weddings!

2010-05-14T08:39:00.000-07:00

Wedding season is definitely upon us, and I love it! Doing bridal makeup and hair styling is one of my favorite things - I love meeting each bride, hearing the details of their flowers, their dresses and the excitement surrounding the big day. For me, it's such an honor to play such a close and intimate part for each of these wonderful women. Each of these ladies puts their trust me that I will make them look their most beautiful, their most perfect for one of the most important days of their lives! Sharing the day with loved ones and to be photographed and have those pictures stay with them forever, to show their families and friends, and later on their children and grandchildren. I look on it as a great honor and a great privilege to be the stylist that they choose be there for them! For this ladies, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Although I do so many weddings, the hardest part is actually just getting some photos after the wedding to show! :) But Karen made such a point to get me some pictures, I so appreciate that Karen! Here I wanted to show Karen's beautiful day!

Karen was such a wonderful bride, so lovely inside and out! At her consultation, we went over all the details and she wanted a soft, romantic bridal look for her day. On the wedding day at the beautiful Governer Hotel, the day was a full of sunshine for the happy couple. All morning I got the ladies ready, her two bridesmaids, the mothers and the bride - what struck me about these ladies was the profound love in the room. At every wedding, I am warmed by the happiness and love that is shared between the ladies as they prepare the bride to be married. So much care, so much thought. And with Karen's family around her, I felt it so strongly that I even teared up as they helped her into her gown! Such a beautiful family and a beautiful day....thank you my dear, for letting me be a part of it. xoxo

Below is a link to the photographers blog with lots of lovely pictures of Karen and Jason's day! Thank you!!

http://youlooknicetodayphoto.com/?p=1129

Miss Oregon Teen USA

2010-05-09T19:55:00.000-07:00

I am so backlogged with new images from shoots, that I'm just beside myself. I really need to make it a resolution to update at least once a week! :) The most fresh images in my mind are these - I did a shoot with iBeauty Photography for Cara Nardini, the most recent pagaent winner for Miss Oregon Teen USA. She was so sweet, and incredibly mature for just 17! We talked a long time about the different things the pageants support and all the wonderful causes she can help with her title. Here's a couple from the shoot!

Cara the Peacock Lady!

2010-04-21T17:04:00.000-07:00

It was several weeks ago that Cara got in touch with me and said she wanted to hire me to do a peacock theme for a gorgeous new headshot. I definitely liked the idea, so I thought about lots of lovely ways to create the look for her. We really wanted to incorporate some feathers in there, but how to make it all pull together?

I put Cara's large soft eyes as the focal point, and used layers of royal blue, green and the tiniest hint of yellow. Using the blackest eyeliner, I carved a beautiful shape around her eyes to give her an animal feel. With glowing skin, her lips stayed a soft nude so as not to detract from her eyes, and then I swept her hair back into a high bang with some texture. We tried several different poses and angles and these struck me the most. Each so different, with different emotions. Beautiful job Cara! And as always, iBeauty really captured each shot!

MA Photography

2010-04-19T15:09:00.000-07:00

I've had a blast working several shoots with Michael Andrus this past month, and I really wanted to sit down today and show some of the final work! :) He's a wonderful photographer, with great sense of humor. He is great if you need some special rates for starting up your modeling portfolio, or taking those gorgeous senior pictures. Check these out!

Several weeks ago, Michael called me in for a shoot and I met Teddi - she's such a lovely lady inside and out. Teddi was wanting to update her business cards and profile with new professional images. She still wanted to keep a feminine feel to her look, so I left her hair softly curled and her makeup enhancing her beautiful features.

A few weeks later, Michael called again, and I got to meet the fun Daniella!! She wanted to build up her modeling portfolio here in the states. She's from Venezuala and although she kept saying she was JUST taught English only this last December - she spoke more clearly and fluently that some american's I know!! :) We did something a little smokier for her look, bringing out her amazing eyes...

Last week, I got to meet the beautiful Haley - oh my what a doll! Gorgeous skin, luminous eyes! And yes, she is just 14! Her Mom was there as I applied her makeup, telling me how an agent had scouted Haley and wanted to sign a modeling contract. So smart Mom made a few inquiries and found Michael's well deserved reviews leading her to set up a Modeling Portrait session with him to build her book. I kept her makeup clean and fresh and her hair I tousled up into a lovely romantic 'do.

Later we brought it down for a more casual feel!

The Better Living Fashion Show Weekend

2010-04-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter everyone! I'm sorry, it's been so insane these past few weeks. I know I'm always saying that, but it's so true. I finally have time to sit down and write a bit about the shows last weekend.

Put on by Semper Fashion productions, the fashion shows at the Better Living show were a huge success. The show featured pieces from over seven prominent designers in the Portland area and all highlighted the use of sustainable fabrics and accesories. My favorites were the dresses made from cocoon silk! Gorgeous!

There were about 35-40 models in the shows, so each day all these guys and gals had to be made up! Myself, I did over 25 models each day, trust me, I was tuckered out by the end. :) Jamie from Rumours Salon brought in the mineral makeup line we used for the show, YoungBlood. It gave a natural, and lovely look to everyone. I fell in love with the "LunarDust", such a beautiful highlighter for the cheeks!

Hopefully I'll get some time to post up the previous pics from the tv commercial segments and all that fun. Enjoy these pics from the show! From Merc Photography and random snapshots :)

Fashion Shows at the BETTER LIVING Show this weekend!

2010-03-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

Hey you guys! I'll be heading up the Makeup for the Fashion shows at the Expo Center this weekend - come out and say hello! :) It's been a super crazy couple weeks, I'm sorry I haven't been able to update at all. If you're on my facebook, you'll have seen all the tv spots, behind the scenes pics, and everything in between! It's free admission for the Better Living Show, and there will be walking fashion shows all day, all weekend, with the Runway Shows at 8pm Friday, 8pm Saturday and 2pm Sunday. There will also be a huge VIP party at the Benson Hotel Saturday night - dress to impress!

See you on the runway! hugs!

Holly and Nicki Part I

2010-03-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had a double shoot with Holly and Nicki and iBeauty Photography. The girls had long been wanting to emulate this rocker-edgy look from the 80's! The second set of the day, you'll have to wait and see... :) Hair and Makeup design by me of course :)

Here's Holly rockin her big hair!!

And this headshot of Nicki just took my breath away - wow!! Reminds me of some sort of vampire, Twilight-esque feel :)

Editing by J'Adore

Chinese Culture Fashion Show

2010-03-09T18:13:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago there was a fashion show at the Chinese Cultural Fair at the Convention Center and I was asked to be a key MUA for the show. The wonderful and talented Carrie Hamm (Makeup Artist) contacted me and I'm so glad she did! It was a gorgeous preview of designer clothes for all those visiting the Fair to see. There were 14 models for the show, and I was happy to know many of them. There are so many lovely ladies here in Portland! Model Kate Sson, one of my favorite girls, really wowed the crowd, and model Jillian Rabe was there, effortlessly and so elegantly showcasing the sweeping designs for the finale of the show. Beautiful!!! It was my honor and pleasure to make these ladies up, and everything went so wonderfully :) Here are a few random pics - wish I had more!! :)

Caitlyn

2010-03-08T07:49:00.000-08:00

Forgive me! I've had no time to post - and now I have such a backlog of images oh dear. :)

This image was from a shoot with Jim of JTO Photo and he did such a lovely job with the lighting and beauty of this shot. It was such a pleasure to work with Caitlyn! She is only 19 years old, but after we had settled into makeup and were chatting, I was amazed by her maturity and the wisdom beyond her years. This beautiful headshot is one of my new favorites of my collection.

Maksim Take Two

2010-02-21T11:07:00.000-08:00

Hope you all are doing well; I just wanted to show you some new images I got back from a shoot with the wonderful Maksim. As a model, Maksim is so refreshing because he comes to his shoots with loads of ideas and samples of high fashion commercial ads from magazines such as VOGUE and INTERVIEW. All of these images were Maksim's ideas with myself doing the hair styling and makeup, Tom from iBeauty capturing the photos and creating killer lighting to set the mood. Wonderful job everyone!

Vanessa

2010-02-15T17:54:00.000-08:00

As a Makeup Artist, it is best to find a healthy balance between doing an equal amount of creative work, and commerical work, so that one's portfolio is not overwhelmed by too much artistic tendancies, nor by the simplicity of clean makeup images. I laugh to myself because it seems that I have become known for, not only my dependability,speed, and technical execution, but for the crazy, colorful and the downright outrageous artistic beauty shots everyone loves. I adore color and the idea of taking the face and enhancing it with creative balance (or imbalance!), creating imaginative photos and out-of-this-world art; but I also love to the bottom of my heart the beauty of the face with just the simplest, cleanest makeup. Just enough that it compels the viewer to be lost in the serenity of the moment, and to note the beautiful lighting, the soft face and the light in the eyes.

I'm really just musing out loud, because I've noticed lately that for all the shoots I'm being hired for - they are ones that want the color! The extreme! The POW!! I love it, it makes me smile :) I love both sides of the coin my dears. I'm planning on working on more shoots on my own to take the soft, clean makeup faces I've been craving. More to come.. :)

I finally have a moment to update you guys with this wonderful shot from my shoot with the lovely Vanessa. She wanted something with a pop of color, but to keep the focus in it's place. A soft, romantic braid for her hair...I really wanted to bring out her lovely eyes without overpowering them, and the canary yellow really did the trick. iBeauty Photography really captured the calm, ethereal beauty! Beautiful job everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's weekend and told your loved ones how much they mean to you. We lose out on those chances sooner than we think! I'm so happy to be in love and loved by my best friend, I couldn't ask for more. I wish you all the same true love and happiness...xoxoxxo

Already Gone

2010-02-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I am so sorry for not updating at all - I have literally been SO swamped that I have had no time. :) Just wanted to pop on here and let you know things are going fantastic. I have several new piles of images to go through and update for here, and I will try to get those up soon. I can't believe it's February already. February?? Really?? As my piano teacher used to sing, "time flies when you're havin fun!!"

I've had this song stuck in my head for days!! I heard it on the radio for a long time before I even realized it was Kelly Clarkson. So random! This is the official video, and I have to say, it's the cheesiest video I've EVER seen. But the song is very good. Kudos Kelly.

And the other side...

2010-01-18T16:24:00.000-08:00

At the same shoot with Marley, she wanted to imitate an image of Kim Kardashian she had seen. A high fashion beauty shot - very edgy, very moody coloring. I love how these came out! iBeauty Photography, Hair and Makeup and editing by yours truly :)

An angel...

2010-01-16T09:56:00.000-08:00

Last week, I got together with one of my favorite models, Marley, and with Tom from iBeauty Photography we had a wonderful shoot. Marley wanted to create a beautiful, soft, ethereal look for her portfolio, so I kept her makeup to soft pastels and muted tones. I coaxed her hair into a soft, angelic halo of upswept curls and we used shimmer, sparkle and even wisps of feathers to create this look! Kudos to everyone, the headshot is one of my favorite photos to date :)

Jennifer Ann

2010-01-05T17:08:00.001-08:00

I had a wonderful shoot ages and ages ago with model, Jennifer, and photographer Don Conrad of Paris Photography - and I just got the images today! I was very excited to get these. Jennifer is an incredible model, and SUCH a gorgeous woman inside and out. It was a true pleasure to work with her. She's definitely a face you don't forget - such stunning features! Don captured her beautiful look in this mezmerizing and darkly stunning set. Makeup and Hair by me.

Let the wave take you

2009-12-28T13:29:00.000-08:00

I've had several people ask me - between my Makeup Artistry, my Photography, my Hair Styling and my Modeling - what started it all and what drove me to pursue it? I'm here to lay to rest all the musings right now.

For starters, my mother can tell you I've been doing my own hair since I was a little girl. Playing "makeup" and posing for the camera was always in my genes. And I remember singing "the Little Mermaid" to my classmates at recess as they all sat around and listened. All these different art forms have always just been inside me. It's as simple as that.

I can recall when I was 16 or 17, I took my younger sister Jacqui and her friend and did their makeup, hair and styled their clothes and I took their pictures and we did my first "photoshoot" in the backyard.

I began to dabble in modeling myself then, but it was and has always been for the artistic beauty of it. The passion and expression I love to put into each image is what shows - I love beauty and love stretching myself in modeling to make something beautiful. Modeling for fashion or runway? I'm just not tall enough my dears :) And truly, I would be completely bored with that. I'm not trying to be the center of attention. I am just passionate about creating art with the lines of my arms, or my hands, or my face, or my body. That is what is truly beautiful to me.

From the modeling that I started 6 or 7 years ago, I found an opportunity and mentors to spur me on to pursue my TRUE love. The Makeup Artist. I have always been a painter, and "painting" on the face is my favorite of all. I love how hair can be twisted and shaped to create different moods and it lends the final effect to the look. Hair styling has always been a bit more of a strain for me, as Makeup Artistry is where my ease and creativity flow easily.

Which then led me to Hair Design school - once I had the finances to finally avail myself to study, I've thrown myself into it wholeheartedly. It's helped so much with understanding the intricacies of special hair-do's and has really helped me to amp up my fashion hair design styling for photoshoots. Obviously, this is all so very much in my blood! I wouldn't be happier doing anything else.

Which lastly this brings us right back again to my photography - I've always been fascinated by beauty in images. And whether I am in front of, behind or behind the scenes, as long as an incredible piece of art and beauty comes from it, I am happy and at peace. :)

Find what you love to do and do it! Let the wave take you :)

Alex

2009-12-28T08:10:00.000-08:00

Last week I met Alex (below) and we had a wonderful shoot together. Her mother, Dawn, had contacted me about giving Alex her first modeling shoot for her portfolio for her birthday. Believe it or not, but Alex is just 15! Standing easily at 5'10 or so and her mature countenance, it was hard to remember she is still quite young. Alex was so fun to work with and really learned alot her first shoot. I'm sure she will have quite a career ahead of her.

Merry Christmas~

2009-12-24T17:44:00.000-08:00

Another Christmas has come blowing through town... I suppose one could use this time to sit and reflect on the past - but all I see now is the warmth of the present. It's been a hard and wonderful year, one with so much growth and learning. I am thankful for all that I have, and I cherish the people in my life. My best wishes goes out to my friends and those whom have given me a helping hand this past year. I thank those as well, who have shown me that I need only my own backbone to calmly stand on my own two feet. I have dreams, and everyday I am making those dreams come true! All we have is the strength of our convictions and our integrity. I am proud to live by my honor and purpose. May you do the same! Merry Christmas my friends!

Jaimie

2009-12-22T08:21:00.000-08:00

I met with Jaimie last week for another photoshoot with Chris Holmes - now, Jaimie is a brand new model - this was only her second shoot! She just got signed with an agency straight off the bat, so she was wanting some pictures to start her portfolio. I had brought along a lovely black dress of mine because she said she didn't have much to wear, and it fit her to a T. :) After hair and makeup, I helped her with some simple poses and Chris did a wonderful job with these images. Looking through them, I had to smile. They remind me very much of myself when I was starting out. And even in the full body shots - she kind of looks how I did too! Especially her hair - I guess I just like full wavy hair like that :)

Kate and Kristen

2009-12-20T10:18:00.000-08:00

IMPORTANT:

To finish my certification for hair design, I am welcoming everyone to come see me for any Haircuts, Hair Coloring, Updo's, or Hair Extensions! I do not get paid for these services - get this deal while it lasts. Please email or call me for details :)

***********

In the past few weeks I've had a few shoots with Mike Larremore, and his images are fresh, fun and full of interest. For Kate, (yes, the same Kate as below! what a small world!), we went to the Art Institute of Portland and used one of the art studios to shoot in. I styled Kate with soft colors and kept her hair romantic and unkempt.

The other shoot was with Kristen Rautenbach, whom I have long waited to work with. She was so much fun, and really knew how to pose! Working against a fiery orange background can be daunting, but Kristen pulled it off with ease.

Kate Son

2009-12-12T09:24:00.000-08:00

I have to apologize, I have been SO swamped with everything lately, that I just haven't had a moment to sit down and update. We are well, steering clear of all that swine flu business lol and I hope all is well with you! I wanted to show you a beautiful new set that I did with this new photographer, Chris Holmes.

Chris has been wanting to get into more of the fashion side of things, so he hired me to help him design his next several series of shoots. Our first set was with the lovely Kate Son, and I had such a wonderful time with her. She is so beautiful and truly has a heart of gold. I'm looking forward to another shoot with her this weekend! Take a look :)

Fingerwaves!

2009-11-21T10:45:00.000-08:00

My friend Linsday, did these beautiful fingerwaves on me yesterday, and I promised her I would capture them in a photo for her. What do you think? Fingerwaves are SO HARD to do, and she and I were perfecting our skills yesterday. I love all these amazing things I'm learning, it's so much fun.

Thanks for all the support guys, you're the best!

Maksim

2009-11-08T08:55:00.001-08:00

Things have been SO busy, but I wanted to put up these preliminary photos from my shoot with Maksim and Pete Bady. Awesome work you guys! Maksim is an up and coming model, full of energy and ideas, I loved it! He was so easy to work with and had several ideas for wardrobe and styling for each of the sets. Pete Bady really blew me away with his lighting skills and it was really a killer shoot. Thanks to everyone for all their hard work! I'll be putting up more as I get them :)

Alexandria

2009-10-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

Alexa had contacted me a month or so ago, and said she wanted to do a Greed and Destruction concept. I was interested in the idea, and we had a fun shoot pulling it together. Alexa is so fun and quite the little actress! She wanted the first set to be quite snooty, and vain, and the second set, to show how devastating her loss of wealth would be.

PFW 2009

2009-10-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

Portland Fashion Week 2009

Backstage @ FUSE

2009-09-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

FUSE was an absolutely incredible show - one of the biggest and most gorgeous fashion shows produced in PDX. I'm still blown away by how grand and beautiful everything was! It was hosted in the ballroom of the Portland Art Museum, featuring dozens of top Portland designers and elite designers from Bejing, China.

Behind the scenes, my day started at 4pm, when I landed at Smashcut Studios to start on the makeup for the models. Myself, Nadia Kingston, Carrie Hamm, George M, and Caprice Hammon were the Makeup Artists for the show. Anyone who knows Caprice, knows they are working with the best! Caprice created the two look for us to style the models with, and the Smashcut Hair team was right behind us. When I arrived a bit before 4pm, we were told that the models were running about an hour behind! That's normal how things go :) It wasn't till later that the lost hour really put us into crunch time!

The models arrived by shuttle at 5pm, and we set to work at once. I finished my girls, and playfully reprimanded them not to lose ALL their lipstick as they giggled and went off to Starbucks. The shuttle arrived around 7:30 to take us all over to the Portland Art Museum. Arriving at the red carpet, we made our way thru and into the main ballroom to the runway. I was blown away by the beauty of it!

We moved on to the dressing rooms backstage and it was a flurry of models, designers, hair stylists and makeup artists. We had 8 more ladies to do their makeup on and 5 men! - and the show started at 9pm. I wish I could have gotten some pictures of all the hurry back there. It was an amazing rush of adrenaline - at one point one of my models was perched on a high table as I'm attaching her fake eyelashes, back to back with Caprice applying blush to her model and George asking if anyone has any more of the Look 2 lipstick - and the show manager is running past the door raising his voice over the chaos "FIFTEEN MINUTES till showtime. And we ARE starting on TIME". I wasn't worried, I knew we would have all the models ready in time. It was down to the wire, but at 2 minutes to the show, we were complete, everyone was dressed and we were backstage and poised :)

Watching the models walk in the lovely designs was another thing altogether. The lights, the music - it was one of the best show this town has ever seen! (here are some pics from the show)

International Fashion Show - FUSE - tomorrow!

2009-09-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

SUPER psyched about tomorrow's Fashion Show - I'm going to be on the team of Makeup Artist's for the show. :) It's going to be freaking awesome.

http://www.katu.com/entertainment/events/59058922.html

Portland Fashion Synergy Presents

— FUSE —

A Black Tie Fashion Show Fundraiser

featuring designers from China and Portland

Friday, September 25, 2009
Portland Art Museum Kridel Grand Ballroom

1219 SW Park Avenue

Red-Carpet Pre-Party at 7 pm

Doors Open/Seating Starts at 8 pm

Fashion Show at 9 pm

Off-Site After Party Immediately Following

VIP Seating $150

General Admission $100

Tickets at www.pdxfashionsynergy.com/FUSE/

Ticket prices include a one-year PDXFS membership!

PDXFS Thanks Premier Partners and Sponsors:

Portland Art Museum , Art Institute of Portland, Mario's & Smashcut

All proceeds to Fuse an international fashion show support education scholarships, programs and events that create and expand business opportunities for current and next generation apparel industry professionals and support a thriving and sustainable apparel industry in Portland, Oregon.

FUSE is the highlight of a visit to Portland by a delegation of distinguished Chinese guests from the local government, university and fashion association in Zhengzhou, in the Chinese province of Henan. PDXFS is developing a strategic business relationship with this group in order to create professional and economic growth opportunities for Portland designers and students by opening the door to China and positioning Portland as a center for sophisticated, cutting edge design in the United States. As part of this relationship, PDXFS is exploring opportunities for student exchange between Chinese and Portland-based apparel design and manufacturing programs, and is discussing options for selling apparel from Portland designers to the Chinese market.

Our deadlines are tight and we’re moving fast. If you would like to participate in FUSE and related activities as a designer, boutique owner, sponsor or donor, please contact us today at info@pdxfashionsynergy.com!

In related news, PDXFS also announced that it is partnering with the Portland Art Museum to provide a fashion component for the gala opening event, as a part of their upcoming exhibit, China Design Now (October 10, 2009 – January 17, 2010). PDXFS will be providing eight exclusive looks from famous Chinese fashion designer, Chong Jing, to showcase during the cocktail hour. Visit www.portlandartmuseum.org for event details.

Mr T PDX

2009-09-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

I finally had the opportunity to work with "Mr T" and it was such a great shoot. The lovely Miss Meredith was our subject that day and I am once again struck by her ability to create emotional images. Mr T was upbeat, and absolutely hilarious. And LOOK at the beautiful work he captured! He wanted me to create a "Twiggy" inspired look for Meredith, and with her beautiful eyes it was a simple masterpiece. Bravo my friends!

Spotlight: Designer, Michelle DeCourcy

2009-09-17T07:29:00.000-07:00

"Michelle DeCourcy has been designing women's fashion since 2000, and has appeared in People, Cosmopolitan, Vogue Europe, Lucky, In Style and the LA Times. Her designs have been worn by scores of recording and film industry celebrities including: Norah Jones, Faith Hill, Sheryl Crow, Christina Aguilera, Michelle Branch, Mary Kate Olsen and Allison Krauss. For more information: www.MichelleDecourcy.com."

I had the most amazing opportunity last week to work intimately with Michelle DeCourcy for her Spring 2010 Collection, "La Vie". I was called to be the key Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist for the shoot! Talk about excited :D This shoot was to showcase her new line, and the images are now gracing her website - www.MichelleDecourcy.com.

When we met for the fitting for model, Jillian Rabe, I was, of course, a little nervous. But Michelle was so warm and down to earth, it was such a pleasure to work with her! She even told me that I reminded her so much of "Jennifer". (Aniston!) Ha! Well, she would know better than I :) Michelle and I hand-picked the half dozen pieces that were to be showcased by Jillian, and I fell in love with every piece I touched. Michelle truly knows how to create impeccably designed clothes that are chic, and stylish but also SO comfortable that you want to just wrap yourself up in them eveyday.

Michelle and I talked in detail about the look that she wanted to define her Spring 2010 collection. Beautiful, clean skin, wide and playful eyes, and a pop of fuschia colored lips. Hair that's touchable and beach-y! Not too polished, but still stylish. Sort of the grown up "rocker girl" she described. :) I was so pleased that Michelle loved the work I did on Jillian! She did mention that she's had horrible MUA's in LA, and it was so nice to have one that nailed it on the head the first time. :) Yay :)

Press:
"After an 18 month self-prescribed hiatus, Portland fashion designer Michelle DeCourcy will mark her return on the runway at Portland Fashion Week's Designer Collections Show on Friday, October 9th. Her new line - La Vie is scheduled for release in Spring 2010, and makes its debut at the annual fashion show that celebrates Portland's top design talent."

Bernadette

2009-09-15T07:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the absolute pleasure of shooting Bernadette in the studio - she was so much fun! She wanted to add a casual lifestyle/ fall-feeling look to her portfolio, so out came the hats and sweaters! With her fiery red hair and her bright eyes, it's been super hard to choose from so many pictures. Fantastic! :)

Hair.Makeup.Photo by me.

Sierra

2009-09-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

Last week I had new model, Sierra, over to give her a more sophisticated look for her portfolio. We went over model posing, use of light and overall just learning how to relate to the camera. She was such a sweet girl and we had alot of fun! Look at the cute pics we got!

Hair.Makeup.Photo by me.

Alyssa Lei

2009-09-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, Alyssa came and we went over some ideas she wanted to add to her portfolio. Something soft and romantic, and then maybe something fun with bright makeup. For the first I ended up using some flowers and soft lighting to create the effect she wanted, and then for the second, I had some crazy fiery fabric that I framing around her face with some colorful makeup to match. It was really fun, and we got some great shots! Here's a few!

Hair.Makeup.Photo by me.

Erica Annie

2009-09-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

Last week was one of my favorite shoots ever :) I have been thinking about this concept for a long time, and, being a Makeup Artist - I knew I'd have enough things handy to pull it off! Erica was the perfect model for this - beautiful, funny and easy to work with. My friend Valerie came over and was so patient with me as I directed her to move pieces of product here, there, no, over there lol. I wanted this to be (obviously) very girly, but also with a sense of maturity and womanliness - and Erica truly captured it all!

Hair.Makeup.Photo by me.

Miss Mary

2009-09-06T18:10:00.001-07:00

Oh my gosh, I can't believe I haven't updated in so long. It's been so insanely busy! Mary came over the week and we did a very fun shoot with her. First we did a set with her reminiscent of old Hollywood glamour. Very fun! What I loved about Mary was that although she is a young woman, she has a very mature look about her. So she was easily able to pull off these looks. Then we gave her a soft, touchable look with some windswept hair. Lovely!

Hair/Makeup/Photography by me.

Kyleen

2009-08-31T08:08:00.000-07:00

Last week Kyleen came to visit and we had such a great time at her shoot! The reason I had wanted to shoot with her, was that not only was she so beautiful, but that I could tell from her portfolio that she had such a perfect, gorgeous complexion. Us ladies know, that's hard to come by! I have long wanted to do a side by side shot on the same face - namely, that half of the models face would be her own natural skin, and on the other I would paint natural beauty makeup. And look how lovely it came out!

Kyleen was so fun to be around, that we decided we wanted to do another set with her. So I changed her hair, tossed her a dress and worked on some funky makeup for her. She is such a good model, knows how to pose naturally and create beautiful lines with the light. Thank you so much Kyleen!

Kaycee

2009-08-26T07:54:00.001-07:00

Last week I had Kaycee to the studio to play for the day, it was great! She wanted something beautiful, and also something a little edgy.

For her makeup for the beauty look, all I wanted to do was play up her amazing red hair. Sticking to a natural pallet for her eyes and with just the right amount of color on her lips, her incredible blue eyes came right out. Gorgeous!

For her second look, Kaycee had brought along 3 plaid shirts that were the same style, just different colors. She wanted a "mod" feel, and asked me to paint her lips opposing shades. She wanted it to be a series -- Love it!!

And this last photo I just had to include, its one of my absolute favorites. Her eyes are so stunning! This was taken just in natural light,

Yesterday....

2009-08-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had a double shoot with Tom from Inner Beauty Photography and WOW! I just had to post these right away. He is so amazing with his lighting skills and is really taking it to the next level. These are gorgeous!

Miss Vanessa wanted to do an ultra rock feel, something edgy to add to her port. She came all the way out from Astoria to shoot! After this headshot, we gave her a slammin guitar - and just wait till you see those! more to come....

And Miss Nicki wanted to shoot again, which I'm always honored to because she's one of the fastest growing new "it" models in Portland - and this girl can move! Check out these gorgeous "vogue" feel photos we did...

It's been a slow week....

2009-08-17T16:15:00.000-07:00

Ahh, it's been a rather kick back week, just wanted to stop in and say hello. Was under the weather a bit, but all better now yay. I'll be settling into a round of shoots starting tomorrow, but just thought I'd show a self portrait I randomly got the other day. The natural light from the window was coming in so beautifully that I thought I'd just grab my camera and take a shot. And wah-la! Natural window light has the softest and most beautiful ways about it...

A Reflection

2009-08-11T08:29:00.001-07:00

So the lovely Hollie came over to play with me yesterday, and the shots came out so marvelous that I just had to post a final for you all. We had wanted to do something fun with these crazy large lashes, but getting the right angle to show off the lashes and still show the lovely lady was quite a trick. It wasn't till I spied a mirror that my grandmother had given me, that I thought this might work. Thanks Gramma! :) It is the same picture, same reflection ( I had someone say they thought I had photoshopped in a different relection into the glass - oh man!! I'm not THAT good! ha!) But this shot came out so lovely, thanks Hollie!

I just had to post...

2009-08-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

Finally finished with the headshot from a shoot I composed last week. Meredith you are such a doll! Her fiery red hair and beautiful skin was all I needed to finally bring this idea to life. A simple, but eye catching design, very painstakingly drawn....

The Wildes

2009-08-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

Had another couple shoots with Julian and Raven Wilde last week - gorgeous ladies, the ever beautiful location and sets, a stunning combination! Very glamorous and fierce. Careful if you're at work - these ladies are little scantily clad!! :)

Playing

2009-08-07T15:18:00.001-07:00

I was trying out some different lighting techniques the other day, and hey, you throw a fan in there and do a little collage thing and you get some cool pictures ;)

Guess who?

2009-08-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

I had my dear friend Marley the other day to help me with a very fun "poweder-y" concept :) She is such a doll! Always so patient as I'm setting up lights, adjusting here and there, and then finally essentially "clicking" the picture herself with the remote trigger while I held up my makeup props to her face! :) It was alot of fun Marley, I hope you enjoyed it too! :) hugs!

Sandria

2009-07-31T12:57:00.000-07:00

I had another chance yesterday to do some photography work with a new model named Sandria - she was so wonderful! Full of life and charm, and absolutely as sweet as can be. She was the most polite model I've ever worked with too!! Saying "thank you" for this and "thank you" for that. Such a dear lady. I'll work with you again anytime hun!! xoxo!

So I did Sandria hair and makeup, and then I set her up under some lights to get these beauty shots. I hope you like them, I sure do!

Paris

2009-07-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago I had a shoot with Marley again (*she was our MAC Barbie look a while back :)) and we were shooting with Don Conrad from Paris Photography. Don did an incredible job once again, bringing out all the subtleties of her beauty with the natural makeup to enhance her lovely features. Gorgeous job Don!

More paint?

2009-07-27T16:42:00.000-07:00

So after I did the "paint splash" shoot with Melissa, I've been getting tons of comments on how great the concept was executed and how so many models want those pictures in their portfolios. Last week, we had Fred come in the studio and he wanted orange and blue paint to painted down his face, sort of "terminator" style. :) Tom asked Fred if he could throw his head back and let out a roar and the shots came out really cool! Thanks Fred for being such a great actor and standing the 90 degree weather!!

Then miss Lucy Lovette came in and we had a great time soaking her hair down and doing some beauty makeup to give her a wonderful soft look for her portfolio. Lovely angles and light!

J'Adore Photography

2009-07-26T15:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am delving into photography now. I bought a camera months ago and have been trying to learn all the ins and outs. I have the advantage of being on hundreds of different types of photoshoots, seeing all sorts of studios, light set ups and equipment AS WELL as being a model myself. For me it's more about enjoying the power of creativity and using light to create different effects. I'm still very much a beginner, and it will probably stay a hobby, but I'm very much enjoying seeing where it takes me. Makeup Artistry will always be my first love, but photography is a close second. :)

I've done a few photoshoots here and there, learning how to use lights and better angles. Last week this lovely lady, Stefanie, came to my studio and she let me play with my new strobes. :) Under my posing direction, she was really quite a nice model!

Floofie

2009-07-24T08:08:00.001-07:00

This was another set with Mike and I just got some pics back. Floofie was the model's name, and she is such a sweetheart. We really had fun with the colorful corset and skirt set, and used the blues to create an edgy fashion look to offset the industrial setting. pretty fun stuff!

Velocity

2009-07-23T06:44:00.000-07:00

This shoot was last week with a model from out of town named Velocity. She had such a fun personality and brought alot of edge to the shoot. With her flaming hair and lip hoops, it definitely wasn't your run-of-the-mill look! :) And even though it was 90+ degrees out that day, she never complained even when wearing several layers of designer clothes. Mike Lareemore was the photographer, and was alot of fun too. Thanks for a good shoot!

Round 2

2009-07-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

This was our second set with Nicki that day - a simplistic beauty headshot to bring out her wonderful cheekbones and lovely facial features. She wanted to have some extreme eyelashes to make it a modern look, and these spotted quail-like lashes emphasized her eyes and brought drama to an otherwise simple beauty look.

Tom, from Inner Beauty Photography, once again captured the perfect lighting and set up for these shots. You're amazing! And for this beauty shot, Tom allowed me to do the editing for it. There is alot more work to skin editing than most people realize, and I'm quite tickled about how beautifully everything came together.

ooooo la la!

2009-07-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

Been super busy, having shoots almost everyday, but I wanted to stop a minute and show you some work I just got in. This was with Nicki - she is incredible! So versatile and so so beautiful. We did several looks for her that day, and this is one of the sets. I'll continue to post more as I receive them. You may recognize this picture, as it is a remake of a shot that was done in the 60's - and then Lindsay Lohan redid it her herself a few years back. Nicki bears a resemblance to Lindsay, so it was really fun to recreate it. Beautiful!!

And the headshot...Wow!

Julian and Raven Wilde

2009-07-16T09:05:00.001-07:00

I finally had the chance to work with Julian and Raven Wilde (www.wildevision.com) on one of their fantasy shoots. As a memorable creative team, Raven is the wardrobe stylist, and you can see she is truly Julian's right hand woman :) Their creativity and art absolutely sizzles around them! Their photography is not just a photograph - it is artistic beauty in it's purest sense, it's opulence and decadence. Plus they are the nicest people to be around, and the appreciation of beauty is always at its highest pitch.

Shea Marie was the lucky lady to be with us that night, and the whole theme was to be the beauty of the tropics. "Baja!" we kept saying! Definitely one of my favorite shoots so far, and I'm very much looking forward to working with them again!!

just some nonesense

2009-07-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

I was working on the computer and a friend sent me a link to youtube video she had made. I ended up surfing around and found this from Twilight. I love this song, and Edward and Bella are yummy :)

And this one I just had to laugh!! So so so Scandalous!!! :D

And since we're talking about crushes I guess, I totally am in love with Kat Von D!!!

just stoppin by...

2009-07-13T19:06:00.001-07:00

Seriously, work has been non-stop! Which is a good thing, but yes, I'm tired. :) I need a vacation :) I should have tons of new work flooding my inbox soon, but I got one today so I thought I'd post it. Vanessa is so incredibly lovely, and this picture was so simple and serene. She is beauty itself!

On the flip side, I've had this song stuck in my head for days now! It's a very sweet song, very sad too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKi125iqnFg

Happy 4th

2009-07-05T13:48:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to give a little shout out and hope you all had a great 4th of July. Things have been busy, but got to relax for the 4th. Watching the fireworks with my love couldn't be better, but we also went and saw the new Transformers movie - which I'll say was killer. Definitely a worthy second to the first movie (even with some of the annoying things they put in and/or left out). Anyway, here's a peek at some fun stuff a model, Melissa, asked me to do last week. This is not the final picture, but one of the set - thanks again Tom, these were so fun!

Miss Vanessa

2009-06-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

I had the joy of working with two spectacular models, Vanessa and Nikki. Both girls have such exceptional talent and beauty and both only about 19! I also had my wonderful assistant Jaydee at the the shoot, it was alot of fun. I don't have a headshot of Nikki in yet, but once I do I will put it up!!

Vanessa wanted a beauty headshot styled after this lovely lily. Something clean but beautiful. I was struck by how gorgeous this photo is! Tom, once again you blow me away, wonderful job!

the lovely Valerie

2009-06-22T12:44:00.001-07:00

Valerie is a dear friend of mine, a lovely woman inside and out. I had the privilege the other day to do her makeup and hair and let me take wonderful portraits of her. Valerie has never modeled before but she was a complete natural in front of the camera. Everything was so fresh and easy for her, I hardly had to coach her at all! But what I love most about Valerie is her truth and friendship. She has stood by me through thick and thin and doesn't put up with anyone's bull! I am proud to have her as one of my dearest friends. <3

MAC Barbie

2009-06-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

Finally have the new MAC Barbie work that I did with the lovely Marley several weeks ago. What do you think? You've seen the MAC ads right? We decided to do our own spin on it :)

New Website

2009-06-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

Yay, the new website is finally done. I'm getting busy with bridal work this summer, and hopefully this new site will take it even farther! hugs!

For some reason the embedding cropped off some of the site. Click on the link for a full view.

www.wix.com/AimeeJAdore/Makeup

Free website - Wix.com

Modeling Jewelry

2009-06-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

Here is some work from some shoots that I styled the models to showcase different designer jewelry collections. I can't wait to see more of these, they truly came out lovely! Beautiful lighting as always, Pete!

See the Sun Again

2009-06-10T09:49:00.000-07:00

I've always loved this song by Dido - I'm a big fan of her music. But this song is so poignant and truthful.

Marley

2009-06-01T08:25:00.000-07:00

Now, I still have more pictures of Marley that I want to put up, but I wanted to at least get these two up today. Marley was so sweet and fun to work with! We did two completely different looks for her. The first is this wild high fashion look, drawing attention to her stunning eyes and beautiful skin, and for the second we wanted to play along the MAC Barbie look. Those pictures will be up soon! :) Tom from Inner Beauty blows us away again!!

Pokerface

2009-05-28T07:20:00.000-07:00

I had to giggle...

Apparently some haters have posted this song up for me...

Listening to the words, I'll take that as a compliment. :)

A friend told me - "I love my haters , first, I can be sure they hate me , second, they are people I would be ashamed to be loved by."

I would just say, why spend so much time and energy hating anyone? Live your life, love your friends and use your energy to make you and the ones around you smile! Life is so short my dears....

xoxox

Miss Crystal Gregg

2009-05-24T10:18:00.001-07:00

I worked with the ever-lovely Miss Crystal Gregg again last weekend and I am loving these pics! Crystal was crowned Miss Teen Oregon a year or so ago, and she's growing even more beautiful every year. As always, the credit is given to Tom from Inner Beauty who simply rocks!!!

White Glove Photography

2009-05-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

I had a shoot a few weeks ago for a White Glove Photography, with Kimberely and Dimitri. The photographer wanted to have some artistic bridal shots to help with her website and such, and here they are....

www.whiteglovephotography.com

some more stuff...

2009-05-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

Continuing on the new stuff -- here is Virginia. She is so versatile and so beautiful! She asked me to do a fruity lemon-lime theme, concentrating her makeup on the lovely yellows and greens that we would surround her in.

Originally, this shot started in an inflatable pool that Tom brought into the studio. Somehow we didn't think that (duh) the water coming from the hose to fill up the pool would be FREEZING cold. Virginia stuck a toe and was promptly squealing! I really didn't feel good about her laying in that, but she gamely laid down in the frigid water, while I desperately tried to keep the lemons and limes floating and framing her face. Needless to say, she was quickly turning blue before we could get a decent shot, so I wrapped her up in something warm and we decided to just try using the fruit laying on her and around her for effect. I think it came out beautifully!

Tom is incredible with capturing lovely angles and using soft lights. Thanks for another wonderful shoot buddy!

Another note about Virginia-- check this out!

She told me a few weeks ago she was contacted by the Tyra Banks Show and she had an appearance with Kim Kardashian! Apparently, they were looking for girls to launch her "Queen of the Kims" look alike contest :) So, because she bears such a strong resemblance to Kim, Virginia was flown out to NY and got a spot on the show! Virginia said that it was SO much fun, and that Tyra is even more incredibly beautiful in person. She also said, "Kim is SO tiny!! I was a head and more above her standing next to her!"

A bunch of stuff...

2009-05-10T13:03:00.001-07:00

I have been SO busy and I have so many new pieces to show you!

First, I'll start with Kelsi.

I worked with Kelsi several months ago for the first time and she was so much fun. She wanted a "girl rocker" sort of theme to add to her port, and she brought along her electic guitar. :) This time, she asked me to transform her into a beautiful 1940's lady. What do you think?

I don't have time for more now, but soon!!!

Hair Mannequin Julie

2009-05-04T13:14:00.001-07:00

It was over a month ago this picture was taken, and I finally have the finished print to show you all. Julie was such a great sport for this picture! She has such incredibly beautiful hair, that we decided to use that as our focus. I prepped her hair and wrapped it in different shapes for her face and set on this. It really reminds me of an artistic commercial hair ad - and it was just a test shoot! Thanks Julie for being so lovely! And thanks of course to Tom - you ROCK!

American Idol hmmmm

2009-04-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

I could pretend that I'm NOT one of the 45 million people that watch American Idol every week. I've watched a few seasons, missed a few, but certainly have enjoyed several of the singers that have been spewed across national television. Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, loved Jennifer Hudson and Latoya London, Carrie Underwood - then there's a few we wanted to forget. Like William Hong. Or Fantasia whatever her name was. But my piece today is that I just HAD to comment on the killer star of the season (and all the other season's combined in my humble opinion) - Adam.

I don't even remember what his last name is. Maybe he's like Madonna, he doesn't need his last name. Anyhow, I don't remember it. But I flip on American Idol religiously every week JUST to see what he's going to do. It's obvious he has theatrical experience - I heard he auditioned pre-Idol for Broadway -, he's obviously got the showmanship, and the edgy look that makes him stand out from the rest of the pop-py, ballad driven Idols. But his VOICE. I don't even know what to compare it to. The way he takes a song we've heard over and over again and lends his own creative stamp all over it - amazing. When I heard his melting, haunting version of "Mad World" I was on the edge of my seat. As far as I'm concerned, he's the first contestant on the show that I've ever seen that actually has the "it" factor. Adam has that unique sound, talent and artistry that will (or SHOULD) make him the obvious winner for this season. I guess we will just have to wait and see, but it's apparent that it doesn't matter if he wins the silly Idol crown or not, he will definitly go places.

On a side note -- I've always thought that they should do some sort of "Battle of the American Idols". They should pull each winner from each season and have them compete against eachother to see who America votes for NOW. I do believe that Adam would most certainly be in the top three, if not the winner of them all. What can I say? He's the first REAL talent I've seen on there. Adam rocks. yeh huh.

Hayley Rose

2009-04-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

Very last minute, I got the chance to work with this lovely lady - Hayley Rose. One of the sweetest girls I've met yet. She was bubbling over with enthusiasm and creativity and we chatted the whole shoot. Sometimes you meet those certain people that make you smile from the inside out - and that is Hayley. :)

by Inner Beauty Photography

Beads

2009-04-05T18:27:00.000-07:00

The one...the only....

Michelle Pearl

transformed....

These are teensy tiny glass beads applied free-hand in the pattern they appear. I wanted to create something abstract, graceful and colorful. This took several hours and Michelle was so wonderfully patient. Thank you for being such a doll!!! And thanks to Phil Burnett for letting me finally play out the idea!

Quick stop at the mansion

2009-04-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

I wish I had gotten pictures of this place! Had a shoot at an incredible house - seriously gorgeous. Set way up in the west hills and stunning views all around. I was busy working on the girls, so I didn't have time to pull out my own camera to snap some shots. This was for the PDX Strobist group - here are a couple of the girls, it was a busy day!

Everyone knows Zuzzie, she's gorgeous and she has the most beautiful accent when she talks. I can't recall where she said she was from, but obviously out of the States. :) She's such a doll to work with!

And Ms Peg, Pegatron, I met that day - she was great fun! She rocks the punk look and told me she does alot of her own MUA work as well. She showed me some fantastic eye color that I hadn't seen before (Thanks Peg!!!) and obviously, creates a fascinating picture :)

These pictures were both taken by Micheal with MJDigitalArt - thanks Micheal for sharing these with me!

Miss Mika Newton

2009-03-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, this little lady is just 16. And isn't she lovely? Nothing immature about her. Very composed and self-possessed. Sweet and friendly. This was a few weeks ago, it was a fun shoot. My life has gotten busier and busier but I'm trying to post here whenever I can :)

We started Mika with a very neutral look to bring out her soft almond colored eyes and sweet smile.

Then a very beautiful classic red lip was drawn carefully and her eyes were darkened a bit to shine against the brilliant yellow dress..

Jumping is always welcome in the studio :)

A very elegant and classy young woman.

Makeup Artistry

2009-03-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Being a Makeup Artist is not as easy as it sounds, and I think that's true for anything in the fashion industry. Odd locations, long hours, the need for high levels of constant concentration for perfection, noticing what others sometimes miss are just a few aspects. The Makeup Artist has to be able to interpret the ideas of the stylist, and the photographer to create a whole, cohesive, beautiful, moving photograph. She has to be able to make the right decisions and choose the right layouts, designs and moods for the Makeup and Hair to bring the picture to life. She has to be concise in her application, work quickly, but also make the Model comfortable and relaxed so that the Model can do the best they can in the shoot. The Makeup Artist must have knowledge of all different types of skin, face structures, color palletes and bring all these into an amazing look. Whether it's a subtle fresh face glowing with beauty, or an avant garde look for high fashion - a Makeup Artist carries much weight on her shoulders.

I wouldn't have it any other way. I love my job.

Miss Emma

2009-03-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

SUPER busy weekend ahead, :D but just wanted to post pictures from a shoot with the lovely Emma. Gorgeous gorgeous girl!!

Other than that, I'm LOVING life :D Things couldn't be better :D ciao my lovees

Designer: Janeane Marie

2009-03-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

Had a shoot a few weeks ago with the lovely Miss Janeane Marie. Her work is just beautiful! She is a killer designer here in Portland, and has been prominently featured in several major runway shows. I was asked to style some of her models for a shoot to show off her new designs. Take a peek....

oooh Virginia

2009-02-24T12:05:00.001-08:00

This is my second time working with Virginia, she is such a lovely lady. Just wanted to post a few shots we've gotten back so far from the shoot last weekend. Beautiful!

Make a wish...

Ahh, the Queen of the Nile...

Mascara - an Eye Opener

2009-02-22T14:44:00.000-08:00

It's funny, because there are so many mascaras out there that a lady can have a really daunting task trying to find one. Some people swear that the old pink tube still is the best, while others claim it's not the mascara but the brush style that counts, and finally those that pay $15 and up for a tube because "if it costs more, it must be better".

All I can give you here is my own personal opinion from working with countless kinds of mascara. Some may work well for some people and terrible for others, so I'm just telling you what my favorites are and how they worked for me!

Personally, my favorite mascara is the Professional Super Thick by Cover Girl. It's fantastic at delivering a great, lush, uplifting layer to the lashes to create a very full effect. It doesn't smudge under the eyes from the lower lashes, which is a big problem for me because I have lengthy lower lashes. The only fault I find with it is that I haven't been able to find it in a brown formula, only very black or brown black. Brown black isn't bad, but sometimes you want brown especially in the summer to create a great lighter look. Too much black gets boring.

My second fav is the new Colassal. It REALLY lifts open the eye, but I don't give it a ten because I noticed after a while of opening and closing the tube, the formula became rather sticky and made my eyelashes look more spikey than thicker. I don't want to look like I'm going to accidently poke my eye out. Also, another minus to it is that I've only ever seen it in VERY black. No black brown or anything. So it's great fun, but not the best.

My favorite ye-old-standby is Full n Soft, just the regular kind, not the waterproof. (I just prefer to be able to wash it off cleanly at the end of the day). It delivers exactly what it says. The lashes are lifted high, very full and unlike any other mascara, your lashes stay SOFT. Which is a nice feeling. You can brush your fingers across them or give sweet butterfly kisses with this on your lashes. :) It comes in an array of brown, black brown and black, so that's wonderful. And it's low on the smudge factor, and washes away easily.

A couple of mascaras that don't make any kind of cut whatsoever!

Terrible! Worst mascara I ever tried! The brush is weird with no outward bristles and the formula is like a slick goop. I have no idea how they keep selling these. I tried putting it on my lashes (after curling them of course!) and it just made this nasty goop on my eyelashes with no hope for lift. Into the trash!

This one looked promising, but I must have been sensitive to some chemical in it. The white layer that you are supposed to brush on your lashes first for volume and lift? It made my eyes burn and sting so that one went into the trash too. Didn't see a huge lift factor even when I tried to put the actual mascara layer on either.

I bought this brand new mascara (have you seen the commercials??) for $9 just last night to try it out. I was excited to see if it really works like the commercials claim. HA! I did my normal rountine, curled my lashes and pulled out the brush. Looked promising! Proceeded to brush it on...and watched....as my curled eyelashes began to droop...and droop. Hmm. I made sure I had put only a light coat. I went in for a second coat to really give it a chance it case it's a mascara that needs two coats (I only ever need one!) and no, they just drooped farther. What a sad failure. I wiped it off, and then applied my own Super Thick and it was lovely and lifted again. Guess I'll be taking that one back...

Hope you enjoyed that random useless post :)

Inner Beauty Photography and Karabel

2009-02-17T15:08:00.001-08:00

I've been so busy with shoots lately that I haven't had time to update with all the new work I've been doing. Lots to show you! I had a shoot with Inner Beauty Photography - Tom is the best! He's so into his work and so creative. He brought all sorts of accesories and things for Karabel to play with, it was alot of fun. Karabel was so lovely to work with, perfect flawless skin - no retouching needed! Plus she has a beautiful personality to match.

Just a few from our set...

Omega

2009-02-10T15:21:00.000-08:00

New work.....you likey? It's yours truly.

Lil video clip

2009-02-09T09:35:00.000-08:00

There was a videographer at a shoot I did for a bridal company - it's mostly pictures of the model, but I'm in one spot ha, and the Makeup and Hair is my work too. Beautiful pictures!

Playtime

2009-02-05T08:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was waiting for the maintenance guy to come by my place - (don't you just love those "We will arrive between the hours of 8am and 5pm" deals) so I decided that since I couldn't go outside to enjoy the beautiful weather I would bring it in to me. By playing with my camera :)

So....some self portraits I took...

This one I changed to somewhat of a b&w hue because the lines were so lovely

I'm really itching to get out and shoot more, if I could just find the time.... :D

Jessica Hayes - Artistic Headshot

2009-02-04T13:41:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post some new work I did yesterday. I had seen this exact image on the Makeup Show "Blush" and I wanted to try my hand at re-creating it. It was all freehand, and I was able to complete it under an hour. I think I could try for the million dollar contract winner, don't you? lol

Then we changed up her look a few more times just for the fun of it. Amazing what makeup can do to change a person's look!

Victoria Gunn

2009-02-03T09:06:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to show a shoot I had with this awesome lady. Victoria was so fun to work with. She is so creative, and not afraid of anything. She wanted something odd and firecely 80's looking for her port, and wasn't afraid to dress wildly to get it!

My favorite was this last one of her. It seemed to capture more of her real spirit to me.

Somebody's Watchin Me

2009-02-02T08:13:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm completely addicted to this song. lol I can't seem to help moving to the beat when those stupid Geico commercials come on.......I love it!!!

Bon Lou Couture Shoot

2009-01-30T09:35:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday was a very fun afternoon. I met Cindy, the designer and stylist of Bon Lou Couture, and brought to life the colors and presence of her dresses. There were four models, so needless to say it was a non stop shoot. As soon as I finished one model, the next would be sent back to my chair for a makeup change for the next outfit. Like being on a runway show :)

Below is Junia, a minny skinny leggy model for Heffner Models - she was fun. Designer dresses are made for size 1 or 2, and there was no doubt she was made to fit these gowns. This particular gown is from silk brought directly over from India, and it was showcased as the finale at the 2008 Portland Fashion Week.

Virgina is a delight to work with - her perfect skin and beautiful features made it easy to create several looks for her. (more pics to come)

Sage was the photographers daughter, she well established, having modeled since she was 12. She is currently finishing up high school, and we share a great love of chocolate covered pretzels. :) She is here, showcasing jewelry that walked the runway at 2008 Portland Fashion Week.

I have many more pictures, but I will have to add them later. Why? I'm off to another shoot!

hugs

Oh Adessa

2009-01-27T11:16:00.000-08:00

I met Adessa several weeks ago when I was called to do makeup for her shoot. The photographer was my wonderful friend Chris (http://chrisjernigan.com), and since he knows I've been getting into photography myself, he allowed me to take my own shots from the shoot.

Adessa is this tiny little thing, so pretty and as sweet as can be. She brought along her guitar to pose with, but we couldn't seem to get the rocker feeling with her. She was just too sweet :)

She probably looks like she's just 16 in these pictures, but she's actually a well established lady in her twenties and married! It was a fun shoot, and I enjoyed playing with my new camera :)

The lovely Rashel Marie

2009-01-23T09:38:00.000-08:00

I met Rashel for the first time a few weeks ago at a photoshoot. She is such a lovely young woman. So laid back but professional at the same time. Rashel is from Corvallis, but drove all the way up to Portland to shoot. We hit it off so well, and she impressed me very much. Not only is she incredibly beautiful and tall (made me feel like a midget), she is also wonderfully accomplished and intelligent, studying microbiology and other sciences. I love it when I meet models that have a brain :) Makes me feel like I'm not alone (Ha!)

I don't feel that even these final images capture her very intense beauty. I was so happy that she called for another shoot she is having this weekend. I know we will get something wonderful for sure!

A Saturn Style Studios series....

2009-01-16T07:45:00.000-08:00

I haven't modeled in months, I've mostly been focusing on my MUA work that I love. But modeling, for me at least, has always been a form of creative expression and release.

Marie Saturn, of Saturn Style Studios, called me last week to "come and play". :) I love Marie. She is so refreshing and uninhibited. I like to think that I will be as graceful and full of life as she is when I am her age. Marie has years of incredible experiences in front of and behind the camera. A day in her studio is a very big treat.

Marie told me that she wanted to continue with a series that she's been shooting for the past few years. "On the Edge of a Broken Heart". These pictures are raw and emotional, showing the different phases of a grieving heart. She asked me, not even knowing all that's happened to me in the last year! I have gotten past the point of so much grief and I have embraced my new life. But this shoot exercised me in pulling from those experiences to create pictures that are full of truth and beauty.

ode to coffee cake

2009-01-12T08:16:00.001-08:00

There is nothing quite so good as coffee cake. It has it's own little place in the world. It brushes aside its sugary counterparts, the chocolate torte, or cousin strawberry shortcake. My little coffee cake is not dull like hard scones, or mediocre banana muffins. It has it's own sweet simplicity to it that, if done correctly, puts a smile on my face anyday as a tempting afternoon snack.

I have only recently discovered my love for the cinnamon topped treat. Not that I didn't know coffee cake existed before, but I hadn't really noticed it's lovely texture and simple taste. If any of you know me personally, you know that I do not care for the flavor of coffee, therefore, I am not one of the millions who strides into Starbucks day after day to order a granda mocha latte double whip no-smack frappacino. But while visiting said institution with my dear friend Victoria a few months back, I sampled their simple coffeecake - and was hooked.

Perhaps this should be an essay on the obvious amounts of addictive substance that Starbucks MUST be injecting into their consumables to have created even such a loyal follower as I, but I will restrain myself and enjoy my little square of starbucks coffee cake for now. :)

Happy Monday