Maria's Shoot

Had my first styling gig this past weekend. Maria, for those of you who don't know her, is my former roommate and partner in crime...also the other half of the MARisty entity. She's an aspiring model, teacher, artist, chef, energizer bunny....and the list goes on. So this shoot was one for her portfolio and her new photographer friend who thought she had a 'cute face' and needed to shoot it (in a non-creepy way of course..he was very professional and brought along his assistants...wife and daughter). Anyways he was kind enough to allow me to tag along and assist. It was  location shoot done on the outskirts of the MSU campus.

He said MSU held off on plowing down a section of the cornfields so that he can have it for that day to shoot in, and he along with his family came out the night before to clear out a patch inside the field. So they can shoot in an area completely surrounded by the corn stalks.

 It felt really cool and the real deal when they busted out the giant light reflectors (obviously I'm an amateur at this...excited over equipment ha ha).

Maria asked me to style her for the shoot, so I made sure to set out enough options to choose from..if it were possible I would've packed up my whole closet to have maximized the options possible.

I chose to focus on two pallets...above were the flirty pastels...

...and to contrast I picked pieces to be the dark sexy/edgy choices. I brought along some other neutral pieces that would work in between the two pallets, but I forgot to document those ;0)

Deciding which looks to choose from was a lot of fun with Maria, she was like my very own life size Barbie!!

We did a few test shots in the apartment before heading out to remember which pieces we were for sure going to use on site. I'm glad I did take some photos beforehand because once we started the shoot, I never really got a chance to take my own pictures because I was so busy dressing her and ensuring that each outfit had all the essential pieces (along with cleaning off mud from her shoes...they kept sinking in wet soil).

Here's a few stolen shots of our make-shift dressing room and Maria working it for the camera ;0)

After the shoot was done Maria and I decided we wanted to play some more and take our own pictures...since we were already on site and the field was free (plus we had a trunk full of clothes that needed to be shot. So here's a few results of what came to be our silly, impromptu and super fun post-photo shoot...shoot??

Seen lots of capes this season, so I figured I'd dig out my 2 year old cape and give it another go ;0)

Had to bust out my personal fave...the fur vest (sorry PETA) it's so soft!!! [Notice: Maria attempting to eat the corn on that last shot...it was a long shoot]

 

I was convinced that this red sweater was going to make the shoot, but alas there wasn't enough time, so I made sure I shot some before the days end. Just LOVE having that color in the field...just pops! [Notice: Maria trying to eat the corn...again].

Last shots of the day for Ms. Maria, seen here rockin' her fave white pea coat and the last photo just to show what's underneath ;0)

If we weren't so hungry and just tired from all the dressing and undressing, we would've shot more outfits, but our fuel levels were running extra low and having a meal at the new and improved Brody cafeteria was deeply clouding our thoughts. So we packed up our things (more like threw everything in the trunk) and headed home. The day didn't end there, but I'll save that for a later post and another story along with it ;0) 

I lied...Maria wasn't the last shots of the day...it was yours truly!!! I just wanted to separate my images from Maria's gorgeous ones ;0P

I don't think the pictures I took with my camera would even remotely compare to those taken by the professional photographer (mine are better...jk), but it SUPER fun trying my hand at it. I still need a whole lot of practice and read the rest of the manual for the Canon. As for styling, it's definitely something I would love to continue doing. I really do love clothes and the infinite amount of ways to put them together.

Peace, Love & lots of style friends!!!

Happy Birthday MoM!!!

All women become like their mothers.  That is their tragedy.  No man does.  That's his.  ~Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895

Because I am my mother's daughter in so many ways, it's a little scary, for her special day I've decided to dedicate a post of all things ELNORA!!! Since she is an extension of myself...or I'm the extension of her (I'm sure she'll argue it to be the latter) it's only fitting that I honor her. Because lets face it....without her glorious delivery to this world *ty-9 years ago.....one, you wouldn't be reading this blog; two, you would know one less Filipina in this world (technically three, but I don't know if you've met my siblings), and tres...can't think of a third, but know there should be one here ;0]

So here's a picture montage of all things Elnora 'MoM' Cano:

Once upon a time...Clara and Terencio fell in love...then got married...then had kids...five of them.

She was one of four girls, the middle child (like me!) of the five.

An honor student and performer, partaking in local pageants to dance competitions, an all around star...she made her parents proud.

The social butterfly that she is, making friends required little effort on her part.

Growing up to become a loving wife...

...a hot/stylish momma...

...and most importantly, the stabilizer in our family, the glue that holds us together.

 

So on you're special day, I want to make it known to all and say it LOUD and PROUD how blessed I am that God presented you to this world for all of us to share mom!

You're the kindest person I know, and you along with dad have made this life, so far, one I wouldn't trade for anything else.

 

 

 

 

 Thanks for sharing everything you have...especially you're shoe size and wardrobe with me ;0)

 

.LoVe YoU.

Peace, Love & kisses to all the 'cool' mamas out there!!!

 

Comfortably In Between.

The best thing about the impending cold, make that freezing cold season, mother nature provides us a buffer to prevent us from experiencing the shock of shifting temperatures of hot summer days to the biting cold of winter. Fall or autumn...which ever you prefer, is here to ease the pain and give us that warm fuzzy feeling (and holds as a warning that we need to winterize our closets). The warm-enough days and cool nights is the perfect time to bust out those cliched plaid shirts and light boots, along with the cardigans that work perfectly well, especially if worn over those ever so thin summer tanks. I find this season, like spring, a time where my closet/wardrobe goes through an identity crisis. Where hot and cold appropriate apparels are thrown together, sometimes the outcomes are good...for me they're fun!






 My sister and I rockin' our best Fall garb @ Frankenmuth







boots, long sweater, and a hat to top it all off







Love mixing my summer shorts with tights and lace-up boots (which I found in my mom's archives...a few sizes bigger, but nothing a pair of thick socks couldn't fix).





My plaid inspiration, this guy knows whats up ;0)

So far this fall season has been a lot of fun for me, the stresses of school and work are not there for once and I can truly appreciate the wonders of the changing season. I have so many more autumn pictures to share, but I'm trying not to spend too much time uploading images (my laptop is a little sick and can't handle the strenuous activity of photo uploading unfortunately). Hope all of you are enjoying the changing season as much as I am!! Peace, love & crunchy leaves!!!



Shabby chic

Shabby chic is a form of interior design where furniture and furnishings are either chosen for their age and signs of wear and tear or new items are distressed to achieve the appearance of an antique.<sup>[1][wikipedia]

For me shabby chic is all about the idea of being vintage. I often think that I was born in the wrong era, always fantasizing about living life in the times where elegant corset gowns were worn and days where Facebook stalking didn't exist, instead you had 'gentleman callers' paying you visits in hopes of getting to know you. The Victorian era is one of my favorite, I can't get enough of movies and books about that epoch. Something about the pastels and soft feminine designs connected to that time is just so appealing to me. Maybe it's the hopeless romantic hiding in me that attracts me to that particular time and also the simplicity of life; where days were spent outside enjoying the fresh air, not cooped inside the house, wasting time texting, web surfing, and updating statuses. Like all fantasies, they only last for that minute or second you have to enjoy them, then you are sucked back into reality which is much harder to ignore. So in my own way of living in my fantasy, I've decided to surround myself with all things vintage. As a self-proclaimed thrift store connoisseur, finding greatest value in things in the most unlikely places, I set out on a  mission to collect as much Victorian-esque items I can find. The plan was to turn my bedroom, my place of solace, into my very own fantasy! Here's what I came up with...</sup>

 I wanted to create a collage of all things I considered 'shabby chic'

 I've had this old tarnished candelabra for years, and now it found its perfect place in my room again.

 I spent two days going to resale shops (mostly Value World) to find old frames I could repaint. Not sure who the little boy is, but it came in one of the frames I bought.

 Everyone loves to see before and after shots....so BEFORE...

 ..and AFTER!!!

 I consider this to  be the centerpiece of my room.

 No chic room is complete without one of Ms. Hepburn's classics.

I think I came pretty close to my initial sketches of how I wanted it all to turn out.

 My very own fantasy world, I decided to keep my bed area and desk to myself, it really is a personal space for me and this is all I'm willing to share for now (plus they're not looking as neat as I wish them to be ;0P ).

There's nothing wrong living in a fantasy world, just as long as you can walk out of it at will.

Peace, love & chic-ness!!

A good story to tell.

"In principle I believe that every human being on this planet has at least one good story to tell his neighbor" -Paulo Coelho

As my first post I figured it was fitting to tell the story as to why I decided to finally start this past overdue blog. Sharing with the world my life experiences and ideas is something I've been planning to do with my very own blog, but actually finding the courage to do it was a daunting task for me. I've made numerous excuses as to why I'm not ready or as to why there wouldn't be enough time to really nurture a 'good blog'. Thinking about it, these excuses all sound like a load of...you know what. Just a mixture of sheer procrastination on my part and the lack of courage to finally start something. As they say, nothing good ever happens when you don't try anything at all, well these past few months have been my ticking time bomb. Graduating from school and not having anything too exciting lined up was slowly driving me mad and pushed me more and more to that state of just complete and utter boredom. Then like a ray of light sent from above (cue angels singing in  unison sound) I stumbled into one of Paulo Coelho's '20 Second Read' blog entry. Now I wasn't new to Mr. Coelho's writing and infinite wisdom, I've read a few of his books and quoted the man numerous times on Facebook and Twitter. This particular post had something I think I was looking for, it was the catalyst I've long been waiting for, or just the perfect excuse to finally jump start this blog of mine.

I can keep going on here and quote every part of that entry that inspired me (which was basically the whole thing) but this is my first entry and I don't want to bore anyone away with just the first post. I promise more exciting pictures and subdued posts in terms of word count in the future ;0) But for those curious enough to read this great inspiration of mine...here's the directions:      http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2010/10/10/20-sec-read-writing-eng-espa-port/

Who knows maybe this will inspire you to start your own blog, or if your already a blogger yourself, then it will further strengthen your will to share your words to others. As Mr. Coelho said, "Join those who sing, tell stories, enjoy life and have happiness in their eyes....tell your story, even if it’s only for your family to read." (Sorry, I lied about not quoting him, just couldn't resist)

Peace, love & abundant blogging friends!!!