She woke up in a sea of green. Tracing her steps back from where she came…enchanted by the golden hue that the sunlight left on her hair…curious how far off the path she would wander.
Embracing the warmth of the earth beneath her, she stopped for a moment, to feel the trees brush lightly atop her skin, whispering their melodies of a sweet summer breeze that dances through their branches and flow through ones soul.
Echoing tides of a blue bird’s song remind her of her happiness…an obsolete path.
A woodwind’s song of playful curiosity; a dance of sorts.
Fairy Tale Maiden
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of working with Ms. Alyssa Lumpee (model) again on this fairytale inspired shoot that I’ve been daydreaming about. I have probably driven by this location too many times to count, and am always wanted to take a look around for future photoshoot possibilities. It’s tucked away and hidden behind a car dealership, but it’s a little gem. Who knew there were castles in California?
If you know me, you know that I love the Renaissance era…especially the clothing. You can often find me working on a new sewing project for the Ren Faire…challenging myself with yards of unique fabrics, and corset based patterns. The dress in these images was made by me when I was in high school. There is a gold blouse that usually goes under it, but I took it out for this shoot because of the cape. Corset was purchased from a friend of a friend, cape was given to my by a friend who found it while antique shopping, and the dried flower crown was purchased from a merchant at the Ren Faire.
I’d like to continue to explore with photography like this. It hits right at home for me. Magic, whimsy, dreamlike. Trying to incorporate this into engagement photos, or weddings would be nice. It’s always nice to meet adventurous people who aren’t afraid of getting a little dirty to capture the right shot, and having the patience to let me create the perfect shot. It’s the photo that you’re going to blow up and frame on your wall, the one you could stare at forever, the image that captures the essence of the day as a whole. Sometimes the shot I think I’m going for ends up being something completely different, yet better than I imagined. That’s the magic of it all; it comes to you in a spontaneous way.
More images from this series can be found on my Flickr
Sewing Adventures-The Gift of Aprons!
This past Christmas I decided that I wanted to make gifts instead of buying them. I thought…it might be more affordable, more personal. I love sewing, I love being able to express my creativity through creation! I had recently made my own vintage style apron I flaunted off for Thanksgiving. After Face-timing with my family who went crazy over my apron, my mind was made up. Aprons for Christmas it would be! I used Simplicity patterns #1221 in styles A, B, and C!
If you know anything about my family, we are big Disney fans. So I immediately went in search for Disney printed cottons. Amazon had a surprisingly good selection of quilting fabrics, and with the 2 day shipping, I was grateful it spared me a trip to Joann Fabrics, or the DTLA fashion district. Tinker bell was perfect for my mom and her sister’s. I used a softer stretch cotton/poly blend for the pocket and the ties. I also added a nice gold bias tape for the edges to give it that magic touch.
I really wish I took a photo of the Sleeping Beauty inspired apron I made…I used all different hues of blue (dark and light) with a gold trimmed pocket. I used bright pink thread for the whole thing, as to give it that “Make it Pink/Blue” effect. It was styled like the white apron I was wearing on Thanksgiving, without the wavy trimming. Ideally I would have set up my photo backdrop with a dress form, but I just ran out of time!
For my sister’s apron I wanted to do something special. I used pattern style B on the Simplicity 1221. A solid yellow for the skirt, and this adorable seven dwarves pattern for the pockets…to top it off, a red ribbon tie for a signature snow white red bow look. I still have some of the dwarf material left, I’d like to do something with the remnants in the near future.
Until my next sewing adventure!