All Things Lovely

The Nephs Christmas

2009-12-22T07:16:00.000-05:00

As many of you are aware, my nephews are a constant on the blog, mainly because I love them, and secondly, because they are ridiculously cute. Here are just a few of my favorites from our little impromptu holiday session!

Brandon is normally very bashful, so I love these photos of him looking really cool and happy in his cute little flannel shirt and dirty wash jeans.

Figgy Pudding

2009-12-21T06:17:00.003-05:00

I doubt Berry, Plum and Fig are colors that come to mind during the holidays, but I love them for their richness, softness and rustic luxury that those deep fruit jewel tones evoke!

images via Boucheron, Martha Stewart, Marchesa, Polly Wreford, Diedre Rooney

Matte Art

2009-12-18T07:32:00.004-05:00

I admit I find a lot of cool things on etsy by typing in odd keywords. I discovered the wonderful world of Matte Art when I was looking for cat paintings, because, let's face it, I have a sickness, and the only cure is more Gracie cat! Luckily, my kitten obsession lead me to the beautiful and fantastic illustrations of Matte Stevens, a West Coast based artist with a style that reminds me of the vintage Shag posters, only with a more European flair in beautiful muted tones. If you are scrambling to find gifts for those who are hard to please, I can't imagine anyone not being genuinely delighted with one of these beautiful prints. The Central Park print is one of my favorites, and there are so many more amazing, limited edition prints for under $60 that you can't go wrong!

Glitter Mint

2009-12-17T07:41:00.001-05:00

May your Holidays be filled with fresh bright greens and sparkling glitter!

images via Polly Wreford, Martha Stewart, the movie Atonement

Fall Family Fun

2009-12-16T07:23:00.001-05:00

This family session took place a little over a month ago in the unseasonably warm November. The beautiful Jennifer Grove of Sky Blue Events and I are often collaborators, and also friends, and this was the first time I was introduced to her lovely family. Nic came along and tested a few cameras for his blog, with a little help of Lady C of course!

I love knowing that the images we had so much fun creating together will serve as framed memories in the families gorgeous Federal Hill home, and of course, as their Holiday greeting for friends and family. Thank you so much J, M and Lady C for spending the afternoon with me and allowing me to be a part of your amazing lives!

WinterBerry

2009-12-15T06:49:00.000-05:00

Why not have a Rustic Country Winter Wedding in WinterBerry

images via Country Living, J.Crew, Jennifer Carroll Events

Boudoir Beauty

2009-12-14T07:10:00.001-05:00

This shoot took place in my very own boudoir, and despite it's small stature, I have the best natural light, and we had so much fun playing dress up as a surprise for her newylwed husband!

Virgin Adventures in BeautyLand

2009-12-11T06:22:00.006-05:00

I'll be turning 30 in a few months, and I confess, I'm less than thrilled about it. I'm not old, but I'm no spring chicken either. I'm at the point where things that happened 10 years ago aren't a hazy childhood memory, but bright shining images from my adulthood, albeit young adulthood. I understand now what all those adults meant when they said "it's like you're put on fast forward"...it seemed to take me forever to get to 21, and the time between high school and legal drinking age felt like a life sentence, made further humiliation with a rubber stamp emblazoned on my hand like the scarlet letter of my sheepish adolescence. But that's long gone. Long. Gone. As I climb the roller coaster hill toward 30, I want to go back in time and kick my younger self for not being more diligent about fitness, skincare and my overall health. I used to run on the sidewalks and now my hips ache when it rains. I never gave a thought to what I would look like when I got older, that was a long way off, I remember thinking, and I'll deal with it then. I think 30 is a hard age for women in particular-that's when you are no longer a young, beautiful girl, it's harder and harder to keep the weight off, cellulite arrives and wrinkles become a new factor-not to mention you still are dealing with acute acne!

It's hard to make the confession of vanity without seeming like a complete self absorbed neurotic indulgent, but, I will. I'm Kristen and I'm Vain. Kinda. I don't preen and stare at myself all day long, and I hardly think I'm the most beautiful thing, and there are definitely things I hate about my appearance, as well as things I've grown to appreciate, tolerate, and things I'm thankful for. I want to look good, and I see nothing wrong with that, so if you do think there is something wrong with a little vanity, you can judge me and snicker, and you can stop reading, because I doubt you'll like where this leads.

My vanity is weird, and I focus on areas of myself in lump sums. One month, I was freaked out about "jowls" because I didn't feel like my skin was as springy as it had once been, and my cheeks were fuller from being a little chubbier than I was used to, so I started drying my hair upside down, spending more time on my inversion table and spent money of creams that keep skin elastic. Another month I was worried about lip wrinkles, so I made a conscious effort not to pucker unnecessarily. I know what you're picturing, I'm walking around stone faced and kissing my husband by ramming my blank face and lifeless lips into his cheeks. No, not quite, I just didn't make pouting faces, or angry lips-I avoided the little meaningless things that triggered me to make a strange face where I clenched my lips, thus, leading to the inevitable lip wrinkles. I focus on my forehead, crows feet, sunken eyes and try to figure out how to bring my face back to it's once youthful life. know, I sound like a bit of a nutter, but I know I'm not alone. It's what girls do. We focus on our flaws and ways to improve them, hide them, ignore them and cope with them, real, imaginary, or exaggerated in our minds.

This week, I happened to be down in the ever fabulous Baltimore (for those who have an opinion on Baltimore based on John Waters kitsch and the Wire, there is a lot more to Charm City and it's surrounding burbs than you know!). I was doing a shoot, had a few meetings and was attending a party of the uber amazing Jennifer Grove of Sky Blue Events. While in Baltimore, I was staying with my good friend, client and beauty guru Madeleine Homes of La Papillon, who in my opinion (and many of our friends) should have her own television show. Madeleine is hysterically funny, refreshingly honest, humble, sweet and incredibly smart. She knows the beauty and skincare business like she's the matriarch of it all, and so I trust her with my face, which is the same as trusting her with my life, because I'm just that vain.

I've always been on the fence about plastic surgery, injectables, fillers and the like. On one hand, I'm very open to it because of the wonders it can achieve, and on the other, I love my cats, but I don't wanna look like them...

or like the artist formerly known as Kenny Rogers!

I prefer to age gracefully a la Demi Moore!
I was sulking about my skin and how I'm getting wrinkles and still dealing with clogged pores and the occasional zit, and Madeleine suggested I try a chemical peel. My mind immediately went to the episode of Sex and the City where Samantha had a peel and her face looked like Beef Carpaccio.

My heart began to flutter and nausea set in at the thought of chemicals eating away at a layer of my skin. I admit that my thoughts were fearful and completely and utterly ludicrous and irrational. "What if more than a layer of skin comes off?" "What if it gives me third degree burns" "what if it leaves me without a face, so I look like Skelator?

So, I asked Madeleine, who gently held my hand and explained to me that my skin was like an onion, and like an onion, the outer layer is rough, abused and often looks really undesirable, but underneath, the onion has fresh layers that are full of life and beauty. As I sat back on the table, my heart still racing, Madeleine gave me a Jack Sparrow fan to point at my face in case I felt a burn. I'm sure she could feel my heart pounding, since I was really nervous about the Chemical Peel. I was, after all, in virgin territory when it comes to sophisticated skincare and medical procedures like this.

My mind racing, Madeleine talked me through everything, giving me fair warning as to what I could expect. I always worry when I sign a medical waiver that I'll be the .0001% whose face falls off as a result of the procedure. First, Madeleine double cleansed my face to make sure it was free of dirt, debris and makeup. Then came the application of the chemical peel, which Madeleine explained was a combination of things that, coming from her, sounded perfectly normal and calming, although I missed some of it because my inner voice was yelping "OHMAGOSHOMAGOSHOMAGOSH", not because of any sensation, but because of something much worse-human anticipation! The peel went on gently, and Madeleine swabbed my face with it lightly. I could feel a slight tingling, and as the peel set in, the sensation mounted and all I can liken it to is that your face feels the way your mouth does when you bite unexpectedly into a medium hot pepper. It's not painful, it's not really a hot or heat, it's more spicy on the face. The peel is left on to activate over time, and Madeleine assured me that the peel self neutralizes, so I was in no danger of losing my face and becoming a walking skull. After the application, I got up and grabbed my things, feeling perfectly normal, face in tact. Madeleine told me to avoid touching or rubbing my face, and that I couldn't wash my face until the next morning, to really let the peel do it's job. She warned me my face might feel tight and that the peel could make me look a little yellower, although I noticed nothing major-just a slight yellowing, but nothing jaundicey by any stretch. She gave me a little at home care kit for cleansing, moisturizing and sun protection. Since the skin peeling will be revealing fresh new skin, that new skin will be very sensitive, so I need to be extra careful with the sun. And speaking of sun, Madeleine said the peeling would take a few days, and with the procedure performed on Thursday, I should be done "molting" by Tuesday or Wednesday, and that the peeling would be like a sunburn, but that I should not peel the skin, just let it naturally slough off, or gentle massage it while cleansing, or else I could hurt my new skin. The most difficult part was not peeling my skin off-since my face was basic molting like a snake, and the hardest urge to resist was to scratch, because my face did itch for a day or two, on and off, just enough to make me really want to scratch the bejeezus out of my fragile new skin. But I held strong, snuck a few little pulls of the dead skin, since I'm human and can't resist the urge to peel skin or pop bubble wrap, but all in all, I was a good little patient, following Madeleine's easy to follow instructions, and within 3-4 days, I was pretty much normal looking again.

I must say, I'm glad I took the plunge and let Madeleine have her way with me, because my skin is much more radient, it's softer, and those fine lines aren't so noticeable. All the nervousness and anticipation, along with the social stigma of getting my feet wet in the world of cosmetic enhancement was well worth it. In the end, no matter what number my age is and how I'm feeling, I have only this one face to present to the world, so I'd better take care of it!

Carl's Boudoir

2009-12-10T07:32:00.001-05:00

Yeah, I know what you're thinking..I've gone of the deep end, but I love to laugh, and there is nothing cuter than Carl, the friendly and adorable Sphinx of our previous Boudoir Badass, SB!
I've done many a boudoir session where pets find their way into the photos, so we decided to give Carl an impromptu mini-session, and I must say, he rocked it!

Ice & Emerald

2009-12-09T07:33:00.000-05:00

A soft and pretty palette for a romantic winter elopement at a cozy bed & breakfast...

Images, Martha Stewart, Country Living, Sarah Seven

Lovely Lirola

2009-12-08T07:57:00.001-05:00

If you haven't already, consider doing most of your holiday shopping over on Etsy. You can find just about anything you would want, and I'm sure you'll want to add a few of these beautiful dresses, wraps and tops from Isreali designer Lirola to your wish list..I know I do!

Snow and Bark

2009-12-07T07:24:00.000-05:00

For a laid back, organic winter fete, why not go with a snowy white and earthy bark.

Images Style Me Pretty, Martha Stewart, Country Living, Mary Anne Taylor

Sexy B*$@&

2009-12-04T07:59:00.001-05:00

It's been a while since I was privy to post a boudoir session, but the one from a few weeks ago with SBA, as she will be dubbed, was too good not to share! We had the most fun ever during her shoot, and I could not have done it without the makeup wizardry of Kristen Lober. Not that SBA needed much help, she's naturally gorgeous.

I love how very Scarlet O'Hara she looks in these two

Haute Boudoir really has become my absolute, hands down, favorite aspect of photography. I get to play fashion photography, meet amazing people & give women an awesome experience. I'm starting my research and planning now for my first ever Boudoir Marathon Series with the talented Kristen Lober here on the east coast, and we are thinking of doing a "Christmas in July" Marathon, so that all you ladies have plenty of time to get that someone special a Holiday Gift he'll never forget! Potential cities are Philadelphia/Atlantic City/Wilmington/Rehoboth Beach/Baltimore/DC. We are open to other locations, and need at least 8 sittings per location. If you are interested, email me your location preference to be put on the waiting list!

Champagne & Evergreen

2009-12-02T07:22:00.000-05:00

What do you get when you mix a hazy Champagne Hue with springs of fresh Evergreen? A Dreamy palette perfect for a Winter Wedding!

Images, Rachel Weiscz, Martha Stewart, Country Living, Wedding Chicks, White Owl

Christmas Cookies

2009-12-02T05:28:00.000-05:00

These Cookie Assortments from Organic Living are really quite adorable-the ones you can color would make great stocking stuffers for little ones..

Christmas Cocktails

2009-12-01T05:28:00.000-05:00

Loving these adorable Candy Cane Garnishes for Holiday Cocktails. A must have for any Holiday Party, Hostess or even a Great New Years Bash! Wouldn't these be really cute in a Winter Wedding Cocktail, I'm just sayin....

Thinking Pink

2009-11-30T06:58:00.003-05:00

A Pink Wedding in Winter is unexpectedly lovely...

dress, Timeless Vixen Etsy, Flowers, Drinks, Cake & Table, Martha Stewart, Shoes, Louboutin

Put a Bow on It

2009-11-28T08:57:00.003-05:00

Love this Holiday Packaging by Erbert and Gerbert's Holiday Subs!

Happy Thanksgiving, I'll CUT YOU...

2009-11-25T21:18:00.004-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours, although Gracie might cut you, so be careful!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-23T09:50:00.003-05:00

It's only Monday, but for most people, The week leading upto Thanksgiving is hectic-wrapping up loose ends, travel plans, the actual travel, shopping, packing, blah blah blah. I sometimes feel like I need a reminder to stop and celebrate the holidays, and to be thankful for all that I have, most importantly, the people in my life. The Holidays always make me nostalgic, and it starts every year when the leaves start the change and the smell of the Autumn rustles in. I am brought back to my childhood and youth, thinking of High school Field Hockey, Homecoming dances, and then I keep going back and remember the smell of crayons, those black and white marble notebooks you HAD to have or else the teacher would get mad. As a kid, it seemed like the time between the start of school, leaves changing and the holidays took forever, but now, it's sort of a blur. So I always try to take a little time to look back and remember why I love the holidays. I have to get in touch with my inner child to really understand why it's so important to stop and smell the turkey.

As a child, leading up to the holidays included making hand-trace turkeys, construction paper feather headbands, and writing oh-so-important essays, on the college rule paper, mind you, about what I'm thankful for. I was so excited for Wednesday, it was a half day, and I'd jump on the bus and head home for a 4 day weekend with friends and family. Waking up Thanksgiving morning, it was early just like for school, but without any of the frustration. No, I was excited to trample down the steps and start watching the Macy's Parade. I was really into the balloons, that's why I tuned in, and it would bug me when they would have the bands, singers, celebrities and dancers. I wanted more balloons, and in my opinion, it could've been all balloons. That's why I ignored the bush league local parades-it was all bands and singers and floats-and not one single balloon. I remember the smells wafting in from the kitchen, and during commercial breaks, trapsing in and begging for samples of deviled eggs, sweet potatoes-with marshmallows-and anything else my parents would fork over as a temporary appeasement until the meal. We always had Thanksgiving early at my house, and then we would visit family and friends, or go to Church. I don't remember the evenings, but the morning and mid-day exist in my mind like it was yesterday. If my brother and I were really hyper, my Dad would take us out into the swamps near our house to trek around in the mud, and maybe play a little catch, or in my case, chase. I grew up in a very rural area, so there was plenty of empty land just perfect for a hyperactive kid on a holiday to run around like crazy and expel all that pent up thanksgiving excitement. I remember the wind whipping through my Dorothy Hamil Hairdo, and the distinct sting of the ball smacking my hands during catch. I remember my brother knocking me down and my Dad hugging me to make it better. The feeling of holding hands walking back to the house to get cleaned up for Thanksgiving Supper feeling perfectly content, and not a care in the world except who gets to snap the wishbone, and possible, will there be some Eggnog for later.

I wish my current cares were the same, but I've traded parade balloon anticipation for tax preparation & paying bills, hand-traced turkeys for last minute deadlines, and feel good hugs for antacid drugs. Yup, I'm officially a grown up, but every Thanksgiving, I try to stop and smell the turkey and remember that in the end, family and friends, and even all those things that have me stressed before the holiday, are what I should be thankful for. Supportive and Loving Family and Friends, Amazing clients, a job that makes me happy, the ability to put food on my table, the fact that I can afford to travel and make a big delicious meal to celebrate with the people who mean the most to me. So I guess I'm thankful for the stress in a way, because I've earned it. For me, the Holidays are a reminder of how much I've grown up, and how much I've stayed the same. It's refreshing and familiar, and it's all about being thankful for both.

Bountiful Harvest

2009-11-20T07:18:00.000-05:00

Set a traditional table this Thanksgiving with some simply chic ideas!

images via Martha Stewart, Country Living, William Sonoma

Berry Thankful

2009-11-19T06:46:00.001-05:00

Festive Berry's, Apple Reds and Plums Please

images via Good Housekeeping, Country Living, William Sonoma

Pre-Holiday Shopping at Terrain

2009-11-18T07:04:00.001-05:00

The other week, the amazing Jennifer of Sky Blue Events (and many of you may know as the Prep-School Mom) ventured over to Terrain at Styers for some browsing, brainstorming and of course, brunch. Every trip to Terrain is different-they have amazing visual displays and the ever changing and evolving space is something you don't want to miss, or else you feel like you might miss something really special.

Michelle & Jason 10.31.09

2009-11-17T08:08:00.004-05:00

I was really excited for Michelle and Jason's Halloween Wedding this year, and despite some rain and daylight savings, we managed to have a haunting good time at the beautiful Old Mill in Media PA!

The rain caused a last minute switch from outdoors to indoors, and the Old Mill did an amazing job transforming the interior into a reception and ceremony space. Sue Davis of Fresh Designs and her team along with Jeanne of Connor Catering are truly inspirational

The rain caused some delays, but aren't the flowers so stunning and so different? Michelle carried a custom copper swirl bouquet, which showed up just in time for the ceremony thanks to Halloween parades and rain! The Bridesmaids carried these beautiful bejeweled basket clusters with rose and calla lily florals in deep plum and crimson, perfect for Halloween!

Michelle's daughter was too cute-she watched Jason the entire time her Mother walked down the aisle to see his expression. I think both expressions are priceless.

And let me tell ya, this group knows how to party.....

Jennifer & Josh 10.18.09

2009-11-16T07:02:00.003-05:00

Heather and I traveled to Amish Country for a Sunday afternoon wedding at the Cameron Estate Inn. I hadn't been to the inn since my own wedding, and it was nice to return for the relaxing October wedding of Jennifer and Josh!