bohemian photo shoot

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen some pictures from the photo shoot I worked on a few weeks ago.  Well, I’m finally posting more pictures and details! This shoot wasn’t necessarily “for” anything…just for fun! It was a collaboration with a wonderful photographer friend of mine. We both had a tiny spark of a vision and he allowed me to run with it and fill in all of the details. I had so much fun finding inspiration photos, props, jewelry, and outfits. I have done hair and makeup quite a bit, but never styling or wardrobe. It was definitely fun to try out something new!

The idea was a bohemian, 70’s-inspired shoot. I wanted a care-free style that still felt chic. A polished, Anthropologie vibe if you will. Several people have seen the photos and said “I don’t get it.” Don’t think too hard. Just enjoy!

Katie (the gorgeous model) has such lovely features. I die over that eye color and those perfectly plump lips! I gave her a whimsical braided crown across the forehead with loose, un-done curls. Bronze-y lids, lots of lashes, natural looking flushed cheeks, defined brows, and a pretty rose lip. PERFECTION!

on the drive to the location. isn’t she just gorgeous? so glad to have Katie as our model!

So without further adieu, I present to you the AMAZING pictures!

Paramount Theater | Marshall, Texas

I swear Marshall is literally a ghost town until you start taking pictures in the middle of the road!

gah..just perfect!

Mr. Photographer posing Katie perfectly

The above photo is from my iPhone. John had the vision to use this brick storage shed as a backdrop. I agreed it would be interesting, but had no idea how it would end up looking with the graffiti and what not. OH MY GOSH. When he sent me the picture below I almost flipped out. That’s talent, y’all! I don’t even know how he does it. I don’t even want to know!

another favorite. yet again, I already owned all of the jewelry. the charm bracelet is my grandmother’s.

Next, we took our shoot a little ways down the road to North Longview. These beautiful pastures close to where I grew up have always been near and dear to my heart. They were the perfect backdrop. My only regret is that we did not have enough time to get all of the shots we wanted after the sun went down.

a little shot of my big ol’ messy bun in action! haha

total bohemian princess!

Finally, a not-so-serious expression! Definitely a fun, care-free shot. The dress was found at Ross. The necklace was previously a tassel that hung out on my Nanny’s dresser until I revamped it. The lace shawl also belongs to my Nanny. Everything else was something I already owned. I literally cannot express how much fun it was to find all of these things for cheap or free. That’s just my style. I love a good bargain! The lanterns pictured below were created from jars, lace, twine, and wire I already had at home. I absolutely LOVE the ambiance they created for these dusky pictures.

I will always treasure these photos from my first photo shoot! Thanks to John Preston for bringing my vision to life and for allowing me to post these pictures! I can’t wait to work with you again! Thanks Miss Katie (soon-to-be-MRS.) for being the perfect model! I am so thankful for friends and family that believe in me! I hope all of you loved these photos as much as I do!

Don’t forget there is a contact form if you are interested in booking me for makeup for your special event.

To view more of John’s work click here.

To view a video of the shoot, click here.

love, love, love,

Kelsey

wordless wednesday: goodbye summer

that’s the good stuff

I started writing this post about a week ago. I struggled with deciding if I should even post it. I didn’t want to let anyone know that I’d been going through anything. It’s so much easier to pretend things are great. But that’s the problem with our social media obsession–we think things are just fine with everyone. We feel abnormal if our life isn’t perfect. I want this blog to uplift people. This is where I tell my story–where I share the things I’ve experienced. That is what this heart needs. To share, to vent, to learn. That’s what this is all about.

Soooo if the creative arts don’t spark your interest or you’re not too keen on reading about the discovery one’s self, this post is probably not for you. Jarrett, you’re totally excused from reading this one! ;)

cre·a·tive

krēˈātiv

adjective

1. relating to or involving the imagination or original ideas, esp. in the production of an artistic work.

• (of a person) having good imagination or original ideas.synonyms: inventive, imaginative, innovative, experimental, original, artistic, expressive, inspired, visionary, enterprising, resourceful

noun informal

noun: creative

1. a person who is creative, typically in a professional context.

 

I’ve struggled with myself for a long time—with thinking I’m not good enough–wondering what is enough? The enemy has played upon my insecurities for far too long and I’m starting to figure it out. This post is about that discovery and then some. If you’ve ever dealt with that same struggle, I hope you’ll keep reading.

I’ve loved the arts for as long as I can remember. I’ve always looked for ways to exercise my God-given abilities in some creative outlet: I danced. I sang. I played piano. I played the trumpet. I made jewelry. I wrote. I drew. I painted. I took pictures. I did makeup. I stitched. I crafted. I love all of these things. They each make up a tiny piece of me that can never be taken away. But I never considered myself good. I never thought I was creative enough or interesting enough or inspired enough to create something that someone else could enjoy. I did these things for me, of course; but I wanted to create something that someone outside of myself would love. I never once thought that maybe I wasn’t seeking the right audience—I just thought I wasn’t creating the right things. So I stopped. I stopped creating. I stopped thinking about creating and I lost a little part of my happiness. Now, I can see the bigger picture.–bigger than East Texas. It excites me to know that my work can travel farther than I ever could. Knowing that someone in another country is viewing my blog, for example, is so awesome to me. However, it’s not about my recognition–it’s about making HIS name known. My blog has a platform {however small it may be} to tell someone about Christ and I pray that He is always at the center of each one of my endeavors. With that being said, here are a few things I’ve learned along this journey:

• When you stop worrying about how things are “supposed” to be, you can start creating something that’s worthwhile.

• Stop apologizing for the things that you love.

• Learn to let yourself be vulnerable.

Anyone that has any kind of talent and puts it out there for the world to see is putting themselves in an extremely vulnerable position. If you fail, at least it means you tried. If someone else doesn’t like what you do–WHO CARES? You should be creating things that YOU love. That’s the good stuff…the stuff that matters. Do things that make your heart happy! Creativity aside, I feel like these little bits of “wisdom” {for lack of a better word..I’m so not calling myself wise!} can be applied to so many aspects of life:

Family: every single family is different. Just because you’re not a Pinterest-ing, stay-at-home, home-schooling, fashion-blogging, every-single-meal-cooking mom does not mean you’re not a great mom. Just because you don’t send your child to a private school or make scrapbooks to document each month of your child’s life or make all of your child’s clothes does not mean you don’t love your kiddos! You have to find what works for you and your family. There is no right or wrong. Stop comparing yourself to other people. Remember that everything is not what it seems–people choose what they put on the internet. The rest can be pretty messy. Trust me.

Fashion: this goes back to the creative thing. Style is something so personal and expressive that no two people should have the exact same look. It’s one thing to be inspired by someone’s style but it’s another thing to completely copy it. Be yourself. Don’t buy things just because they’re trendy or popular. Buy things that you love–things that you know you’ll wear for years to come. Guess what…I still wear clothes from high school! I have some really great pieces that have held up well over the years and the best part is I still love them. When you buy into the trends you’re wasting your money. Do you really want to sink your hard earned money into a new wardrobe every season because it’s trendy? I know I don’t! Stick with what you love. Don’t let your own personal style be defined by someone else or by what’s on the runway. If you must have that tribal print top {or other fashionable item} search at places like TJ Maxx and Target. Don’t sink your money into something you know you won’t wear that often anyway. Look for bargains and shop clearance racks. Shop your closet, shop your mom/friend/grandma’s closet. You would not believe the things I’ve found in my Nanny’s closet. Just a little Macklemore style. Ha! It’s way more fun to find a bargain on something and then save that cash treat yourself to a latte. Am I right?

Faith: I will never, ever, ever apologize for what I believe. I will never apologize for loving Jesus. I will not be quiet about a gracious, loving God that has redeemed me. I am REDEEMED! I can’t keep something like that in. I pray that I can fully understand the power of that statement. I’m feeling quite vulnerable as I write about this, but I’m also feeling confident. Confident that someone needs to read this. I don’t want to be shy about my faith. I want to share it. I want to obsess over my relationship with Jesus before I even think about my first cup of coffee in the morning. I want to encourage others just as I have been encouraged. It’s easier said than done, but I know that’s what God wants for me and for you. I also know that when you pray for the will of God it will happen every. single. time. That’s encouraging!

Goodness gracious! If you stayed til the end, props to you. I always start out with an idea about where my post is going and before I know it, all of the million other thoughts in my head spill out onto the keyboard. Just imagine what’s going on inside this red head of mine 24/7! Yikes! And I’m pretty sure I just came up with a new tagline: Family, Fashion, Faith. Except I’m not fashionable. At all. Awkward. Maybe it’s a good tagline for someone else!

And because a post is not complete without a Remi picture….

As Remington would say, “See ya lata, addigatuh!”