Glitter Pictures

I like shiny and glittery things so when I saw pictures of glitter it inspired me to create some sparkly pictures of my own.

Winner

The winner of the Celeste Savon gift basket was Amy!! Congrats! I hope you enjoy.

Today I wanted to talk about how I love to model and or take pictures of themed shoots. But I rarely like the way I look in a picture. I always see something that I dislike about myself. My thin lips or my face that looks too round when I smile. What makes me like the picture is the detail put into the props, the poses, and that it becomes more than just a photograph it is a work of art. I think modeling in themed shoots is also a form of acting. You get to convey emotions and feelings through your facial expressions or your body language that makes the picture believable.

As soon as the weather gets better I will be out traipsing through the woods and fields with my tripod and camera practicing my modeling and photographing so that one day my pictures will be worth a thousand words.

Win A Christmas Gift Basket

Enter to win this cute Christmas gift basket which is filled with Celeste Savon natural bath products (peppermint lip balm, peppermint candy cane soap, and petit four soap). Comment on this post and follow my blog. You can also enter again on my business Facebook page Here
A winner will be chosen on the 18th
The winner will have two days to contact us or a new one will be chosen.

Love Taking Pictures

Today I was wanting to create some beautiful pictures but I didn't have anyone to photograph or to photograph me and I still need to work out how to use my tripod and remote clicker. So I had a little shoot with my new awesome trunk and pillow.. I was hunting for Christmas decor and found the pillow and bird nest and  had to get them. I didn't find any Christmas stuff that I liked but I need to hurry and decorate. Christmas is my favorite holiday and I want the house feeling cozy for as long as possible. This will be my first time decorating my own house. Since we went to college out of town we would just come up for Christmas so there was never any need to decorate plus we had the tiniest house. Jon is not into spending money or decorating so it is up to me to get the house like I want it.. I am wondering if I should even attempt outside lights..

 

I love the shabby chic and vintage looks that are really popular right now. My living room, kitchen table, and bedroom are all shabby chic styles and if money had permitted I would have done the rest of the house.  I think my bed is one of my favorite furniture pieces. When the painter is finished I will put up pictures. I will be after Christmas.

Christmas Products

Christmas soap cupcakes and petit fours

I have been working double time making soaps and candles for Christmas festivals and the launch of my website. Right now I am in love with peppermint essential oil. I have been adding it to everything even thinking about putting it in my natural deodorant.  Like my page on Facebook.

Peppermint Candy Cane Soap

Teavana

Teavana's Cococaramel Sea Salt herbal tea.

I tried this tea a few weeks ago when I went to Teavana. It taste great and is zero calories! I have a huge sweet tooth and I am trying to cut back so this tea is a great way to satisfy my cravings. It has a very light flavor so adding more than it recommends is a must.
Growing up I was never a tea fan. I liked the idea of tea and would try to drink it on and off but I never could find a tea that I liked. That is until I was in Georgia a few years back and tried one of Teavana's blends. I was so excited that I had finally found not just one tea that I liked but ten..
I bought blends of Samurai Chair Mate & White Ayurvedic Chai and Blueberry Bliss & Strawberry Lemonade. The white tea is a little tricky because your water has to be the perfect temperature or it will taste bitter. It took a few tries before I could make it bitter free.

Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

 This is on my Christmas list for this year. It will make me a perfect cup of tea every time. I am looking forward to all the benefits of drinking herbal teas. I am just going to have to brush with activated charcoal more than once a week.

Fall Shoot Part Two

 

I love getting great pictures of my niece and nephews. It takes a little time to capture them but they look awesome once you get the shot. Since Jon won't help me take pictures I think I am going to get a tripod because I have all these shoots I want to do before it gets too cold. He is recovering from a septoplasty so maybe in a couple of weeks I will try to get him to take them.

Fall Shoot With My Niece And Nephews

This week I had a shoot with my sisters and their children. It was fun but frantic since we arrived at the cotton field later than expected. We had probably less than an hour before we started losing the light so we quickly shot the  pictures.

This is Luna my younger sister Rebecca's baby. She is 5 months old and a little cutie.

Then there is Eli my older sister Jessica's baby. He is 10 months old and very chubby and cute.

Matthew is my older sisters child.. Now two he is growing up so fast and he loves his aunt Rachael. He is the sweetest toddler I have ever been around. He always wants my attention and loves to play cars with me. He was the hardest to photograph because he just wants to run around and I had no clue how to change my camera setting so he wouldn't be blurry. Luckily I got a few clear shots. We are planning on having another shoot this Saturday since we didn't get to use all the props I had..
I loaded the car with a cute round table and chairs along with bird cages and other things. Maybe I should start practicing with the camera and maybe start doing pictures. Since I have been in love with photography for years now.

La Romana Dominican Republic

The view of the sea from our villa. This was the first time for my husband and I to travel outside the US. And no not everyone speaks English here most don't speak English  and I only know a few words of Spanish so it was interesting.. The next time I go anywhere outside the US I plan on learning some basic phrases.

The place we stayed at was gorgeous. It is kind of a different world compared to the city La Romana. We went into town and it all looked like the ghetto places back home. We were a little scared to get out and mingle with the locals.

We had an infinity pool in the backyard.

The delicious sauteed creamy cheese lobster.

Dancing with a guy at Altos De Chavon.

Seven Deadly Sins ~ Gluttony Photo Shoot

I had yet another amazing shoot with Addie Talley. She was shooting the seven deadly sins. I was gluttony the bunny. I loved the location that we shot at and it has me wanting to shoot my Alice theme there but we are in the process of moving so I think I need to hold off any shoots until we get settled into our new home. It was really weird seeing myself as a bunny. The vintage gritty look of the pictures makes them look outstanding. Right now I am liking the vintage shabby chic picture effects, clothes and everything else.
Go check out the rest of the series on Addie's blog here

Natural Probiotic Deodorant

I have been really excited to make my own deodorant and let me tell you it works better than the deodorant from the store. It has Shea butter which keeps your underarms soft and smooth. I have some for sell on my copious store if you are interested in a deodorant that actually works.

This toner works wonders for your skin. I have been using it and my skin looks clearer and less red. It has sandalwood, neroli, lavender, rose, roman chamomile, helichrysum italicum, and witch hazel hydrosol. Glycerin lemongrass EO and aloe vera liquid along with grapefruit seed extract were also blended.
http://copious.com/profiles/rachael-2

Alice in Wonderland

I am getting excited about the Alice in Wonderland shoot I have been planning for months. It is slow going since I have a lot of things to buy to make it look how I want it to. Here are a few outfits I will be using.

I wanted to wear something blue but I didn't want it to be the usual Alice looking dress I wanted something different. I also ordered this tea set but it has been hard finding a place that has it in stock.  I hope I can get it because it has a vintage shabby chic feel which I love.

 All I need to complete this shoot is a cute little table and chairs and then find a nice location with a cool looking big tree.

Yo'Sweetz A Dessert Cafe

YO'Sweetz Strawberry Popsicle

My mother-in-law just opened a yogurt and Popsicle shop. The yogurt is not made from a powder and the Popsicles are fresh fruit. We had a promotional shoot today. My husband Jon took the pictures while I modeled and edited the pictures.

Avocado my favorite Popsicle

The Popsicle are made fresh with only fruit and no added dyes or chemical flavorings. I am trying to stay away from all the nasty chemicals and preservatives so I like eating these pops and I am getting a serving of fruit as well. Not just chemically flavored sugar water..

Fruit suspended in orange blossom water

 We are going to work on having cupcakes as well.. I will probably help with decorating the cupcakes since I would say I am pretty decent at it for no training and little experience. If you are ever in the area stop by for an ultimate dessert experience.

The cozy chic sitting area

 YO'sweetz
5187 Getwell Rd
Southaven, MS 38671

Rebecca's Baby Shower

My sisters shower was this past Saturday and I think that it turned out beautiful. I might just be biased but I will let you decide. My sisters and I worked on decorations and desserts. I made Cake pops which looked just darling.

And my little sister helped me make the cupcakes. I tried out pipping bows and flowers. Maybe this summer I will take some cake decorating classes if I have time.. I am suppose to get a website for my business up and running this summer.

The diaper cake and burp cloth cupcakes that I made. I even made the toppers for the cupcakes by hand cutting and gluing them together using specialty paper.

My nephew Eli napping.

Products And Shoot Inspiration

 My nephew Matthew Easter egg hunting.

 OK I have been so busy with planning new shoots and my bath business is taking off I haven't kept up with blogging. The Purple Elephant Boutique in Columbus and Starkville is now carrying my products and there are a few more boutiques that are interested. I have started creating graduation and mother's day gift sets as well.

Here are some of my favorite soap products.

My cute soap Popsicle. My nephew likes it he thinks it's a hammer.

This flower soap is complementary when you purchase a gift set worth $35 or more.

I am also making solid perfume which I am putting in vintage boxes or new Jeweled ones.

Here are some pictures that are inspiring me for my next shoots. Jon says he can't photograph any shoots until after his finals in May. That is why there has been a lack of pictures.

I am also getting to work with the amazing Addie again on her seven deadly sins shoot. It is going to be really awesome since all her pictures look fantastic. Go check out Addies latest themed shoot Cinderella. http://talleyimages.blogspot.com/2012/04/cinderella-part-two-third-night.html