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I wore this original look to a Kentucky Derby party so it was very feminine. The florals, pastels, and graphic black and white stripes really played up the preppy girly girl look. SO this room had to scream ladylike luxe. I wanted to daringly mix floral and stripe patterns to make the room pop, with gold accents to keep it "feminine luxe." That linen pastel couch is my favorite part of this room, however. Who wouldn't want to curl up on that with a blanket and journal? Lastly, I love the little cheeky nod to the Kentucky Derby with the horse book ends. Style these either on a bookshelf, fire place mantel, or even on a coffee table on their own as an alternative small statue. When a room is this girly I think it's important to have some balance with something unexpected or anchor it with a dark neutral (like black here). What do you think?

Ahhhhh SHIBORI! My love affair with Shibori (pronounced "SHI bor ee")-let alone the color blue in general-is something for the ages.

I have long appreciated the great art of this ancient Japanese craft of dyeing with indigo. However, since its popularity has picked up many stores are now offering bastardized versions of this unique technique that, quite frankly, look like summer camp tie die to me. I'm not a huge fan. Therefore, whenever I come across something that either was or looks handcrafted and varying in pattern organically I just throw my money at the cashier and run.

This dress is a summer favorite of mine for the myriad indigo hues and patterns as well as the light, breezy material perfect for the hottest months. It was recently in the 100s here and I couldn't be bothered to wear much of anything. However, this is just the sort of thing to do the trick. Plus, maxis mean you don't have to shave...I know you all are with me on that! ;)

How to Style: 
While this is a Japanese dye technique it doesn't need to be literally interpreted as Japanese style. I chose a rope belt and necklace to create a beachy, summer esthetic. You can incorporate other shibori prints too (see how else I styled my pictured bag HERE )-just be sure to select prints with varying sizes and designs so they don't get lost in each other. Indigo blues are perfect for contrasting against warm or bright tones such as browns, tans, reds, pinks, or oranges. This was a very neutral coastal look, but next time I will pair it with a red straw purse and tie up sandals, to play of the colors. Have fun with it!

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Dress: Anthropologie (Similar 1) (Similar 2) (Similar 3) (Similar 4) // Bag: Kestral // Shoes: Anthropologie (Similar 1) (Similar 2) // Necklace: DIY (Similar 1) (Similar 2) // Belt: DIY (Similar 1) (Similar 2)


Have you bought into this Shirbori trend? 
Do you think it's more than a trend (considering it is centuries old)? 
Would you be interested in seeing DIY tutorial on the blog of how to do your own resistance dying? 

*This outfit was shot in San Jose's Downtown Japantown

Let me first state that, despite its simplicity, this is the most comfortable and luxurious feeling dress I have ever worn. When I first wore it on a date with my boyfriend and he was blown away by how soft the material was. Seriously guys, this is the stuff babies would be jealous of. So while I get to walk around looking stylish I feel like I am getting away wearing PJs in public (NEWS ALERT: as you can tell by my big thrills, my life is very exciting).

I love the colors too, as olive green has become a bit of a staple in my wardrobe. It can suit all seasons. For spring I paired it with blush accessories and in summer I let my poppy orange lipstick and heels add color. This look is the neutral, year round look that I love throwing together. It's so simple and I got a lot of compliments (I love actually how throwing on a dress is actually my kind of lazy but people always think you are all dolled up!).

You can imagine I was thrilled when Anthropologie came out with more (and even some colorful) versions of this dress (and they're on sale now too!) It's so versatile you can pair with dressy flats or mules for a work day or gladiators or sneakers for the weekend.

Now excuse me while I go sleep in this silky soft piece of perfection.

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Dress: Anthropologie (Similar) // Hat: H&M (Similar 1) (Similar 2) // Shoes: (Similar 1) (Similar 2) // Bag: Expressions NYC (Similar 1) (Similar 2) // Necklace: Lou & Grey (Similar)

The last few shoots of this series (Parts V-VII) were all about the color, pattern, and fun side of Sherrine's artistic side. We used the dramatic murals of Wynwood Walls in Miami, Florida to play up her colorful side.
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Maxi Dress Option 1 // Maxi Dress Option 2 // Fringe Beaded Necklace Option 1 // Fringe Beaded Necklace Option 2 // Fringe Beaded Necklace Option 3 // Gladiator Sandals Option 1 // Gladiator Sandals Option 2 // Fuchsia Lipstick

The last few shoots of this series (Parts V-VII) were all about the color, pattern, and fun side of Sherrine's artistic side. We used the dramatic murals of Wynwood Walls in Miami, Florida to play up her colorful side.
Get the Look: 

Maxi Dress Option 1 // Maxi Dress Option 2 // Fringe Beaded Necklace Option 1 // Fringe Beaded Necklace Option 2 // Fringe Beaded Necklace Option 3 // Gladiator Sandals Option 1 // Gladiator Sandals Option 2

BRING ON THE COLOR!!!

In Parts I-IV the headshots were purposefully moody and seductive when it came to color and lighting. Previously, we selected deep greens and turquoises (they are her colors) to go with her eyes and really make those pop. While our backgrounds were neutral and organic to put the focus on her face and eyes.

In the rest of this series (Parts V-VII) we brought in vibrant patterns and an overall feeling of playfulness. Since these were all shot in Miami we, OF COURSE, took advantage of Wynwood Walls. That meant lots of COLORFUL MURALS!

What was fun for me: Seeing how different she could appear depending on how we parted her hair, touched up her make up / contouring, or how the lighting effected the shot. While I'm still learning how to shoot and edit cohesively, I don't mind the myriad looks we were able to get out of these shoots. Hopefully, this will also give her better options when selecting what she needs for gigs, websites, streaming profiles, etc.
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Shocking Pink Lipstick // Cobalt Blue Chiffon Shirt Dress Option 1 // Cobalt Blue Chiffon Shirt Dress Option 2 // Cobalt Blue Chiffon Shirt Dress Option 3 // Minimal Gold Bar Necklace Option 1 // Minimal Gold Bar Necklace Option 2 // Minimal Gold Bar Necklace Option 3 //

I recently got to spend time with my beautiful cousin and shoot her artist headshots for her work. She is a professional jazz singer and has her doctorate in, and is a professor of, vocal jazz. We had fun with these as they are for her gigs and can show more movement, style, and edge than your standard professional headshots.

We went shopping for her outfits she could use for gigs and the headshots. I had a lot of fun styling her looks, especially this one! The fringe on the green suede adds the perfect element of style and movement to the outfit.
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Suede Fringe Option 1 // Suede Fringe Option 2 // White Skinny Jeans // Gladiator Sandals Option 1 // Gladiator Sandals Option 2 // Long Minimal Necklace // Aviators // Pink Lipstick

I loved the movement created with the wind and her body in this set of our series. I had her stand in a doorway of a gazebo right on the ocean, so the wind and reflection of light of the water acted like the perfect photographer's assistants. We did contouring and "strobing" with her make up to play up her features and you can appreciate how the light really illuminated those. She looked like a dreamy mermaid in my mind. Simply stunning.

I think this was when she started to have more fun with shooting and you could tell with how comfortable she was getting in front of the camera. I love watching someone I am shooting start to come alive on film. Before we start or sometimes as a break I often tell those I'm shooting to flip their heads upside down for a moment and shake their body so they are more organic and loose. It really works. The sexiest someone can look is when they are relaxed and confident in their own skin, and it really shows on camera.

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Hot Pink Ring Option 1 // Hot Pink Ring Option 2 // Scalloped Dress Option 1 // Scalloped Dress Option 2 // Scalloped Dress Option 3

I recently had the privilege of shooting my lovely cousin's headshots. She is a professional jazz singer and has her doctorate in, and is a professor of, vocal jazz (and I couldn't be prouder). I am sharing some of my favorites of her headshots in a short series over this week.

We shot this in a old coral cave at Villa Vizcaya in Miami, FL. While these are stylized for headshots, I really love how moody some of these turned out. The lighting really showed off her beautiful skin and vibrant eyes. She reminds me of an old school Hollywood starlet.
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Hot Pink Ring Option 1 // Hot Pink Ring Option 2 // Scalloped Top Option 1 // Scalloped Top Option 2

I recently had the privilege of shooting my lovely cousin's headshots. She is a professional jazz singer and has her doctorate in, and is a professor of, vocal jazz (basically, over all a total Wonder Woman). I will be sharing some of my favorites of her headshots in a short series over this week.

This set is great to me because I caught the different stages of her smiling and love all the laughter crinkles and sparkling eyes! She allowed me to do her make up and after some convincing I talked her into experimenting with color. Until this shoot she didn't think she could wear vibrant lipsticks. Now she loves the bright colors so much she went out and bought several pink and purple lipsticks, and they look fantastic on her!
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Hot Pink Ring Option 1 // Hot Pink Ring Option 2 // Scalloped Top Option 1 // Scalloped Top Option 2