classic

Elegant and Traditional Bridal Inspiration

This February, Claire Duran of Claire Duran Weddings & Events invited me to collaborate on a traditional and elegant bridal inspiration shoot. I was super excited to work with her and Elizabeth Fogarty for the first time on a frigid day in February. Despite the biting cold, the three of us had a lot of fun capturing the gorgeous details of a beaded vintage Gossamer dress, whimsical bouquet by Petals by the Shore, and the elegant braided twist that Melissa artfully created with my hair. Tiffany gave me a neutral pout and delicately lined eyes to complete the look. Liz captured everything beautifully against the majestic marble columns of the Jefferson Memorial – even the magical sun flare at golden hour – and photos were featured on Cottage Hill Magazine in April.

Vintage Garden Bridal Inspiration

Last summer I participated in a fun styled shoot at the historic Oatlands property in Virginia with some very talented vendors, and our work was featured on Magnolia Rouge in March! It was a fairly hot day, but Lissa Ryan Photography beautifully captured all of the intricate details of the vintage crown, veil, and gorgeous gown from Gossamer.

The perfect mix of floral colors and textures arranged by Succulents and Saffron highlighted the bright purple hues of the garden, and my classic hair and makeup by Phenomenal Faces and Georgetown Bride created a delicate look for our ethereal bridal shoot.

Whimsical Wedding Hair by PSC Hair Artistry

If you’ve been looking for the perfect whimsical wedding hair style and the person to do it, look no further. Paige Clifton of PSC Hair Artistry transformed my long locks into a sweet spirally up do, suited for a lovely crown of red roses, for a styled shoot at the beginning of March. Paige is based out of Annapolis, Maryland, and is launching her website on May 1, 2015!

In the meantime, you can check out her artful handiwork on Instagram @pschairartistry. Her beautiful hair designs were also recently featured in a Buzz Feed article, 8 Must-Have Looks for the 2015 Bride. I would say “I do” to any of these looks!

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Enaura Bridal Gown
Les Fleurs Floral Crown

Hair by PSC Hair Artistry
Makeup by Ashley Yalana
Coordinating by Pop the Cork Designs

Photography by CJK Visuals

The Classic Black Skirt

Winter is always the toughest season for me to feel stylish and chic when all I want to do (other than stay snuggled in bed) is wrap myself in the biggest scarf I own, lug on my warmest boots, and call it a day. Wearing the same boots and scarves can get tiresome though, so my trick of the trendy trade is to focus on easy key pieces in my wardrobe. One of those items is the classic black skirt: long enough to wear to work (and keep those thighs warm), but short enough to wear with your favorite tall boots and cozy socks.

The black skirt is not only flattering on everyone (bold statement, I know), but it pairs well with a blouse and blazer for a day at the office and with a sweater and scarf for a lunch with friends, date night, or weekend outing. I teamed with with Heather Mae from Curves and Croissants to showcase our skirts on a very cold day in Northeast D.C., so we opted for the more casual layered look. Heather believes that layers are the curvy girl’s best friend and I’m right there with her. Layers are every girl’s best friend this time of year.

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Vintage Liz Claiborne Jacket
INC Black Pencil Skirt old | similar
Gap Quilted Sweatshirt on sale!
Unisa Gillean Over The Knee Boots

Photography by Sarah Stuart Walters

I {heart} Vintage

With ever evolving fashion trends, it’s nice to know that there will always be classic pieces to fall back on. I have always had a flare for styling vintage pieces and it helps that most of them came from my mother’s 60’s and 70’s wardrobe. In addition to my mom’s fantastic clothes and collecting a few things of my own along the way, I have also received some great vintage pieces as gifts. My sister gave me this lovely camel jacket from a thrift shop two years ago, which is still a trendy color and the perfect complement to white lace. The thing to remember is, you don’t have to completely redo your wardrobe every time the next big thing is in style. Try mixing some vintage in with the modern and you can accomplish the same [or an even better] unique look.