As a photographer, I am often mesmerized, and sometimes, maniacally obsessed with lighting and shadow.  These images of Grammy award winning songstress Adele, are so beautifully lit, that I can’t help being drawn into the images.  Photographed by Mert Atlas and Marcus Piggott for the March 2012 issue of Vogue Magazine.

If you would like to see additional images, please click here.

source:  Vogue.com

As I view this dramatically lit fashion editorial, I can’t help but long for a cold and gloomy wintry day (which we rarely experience here in Los Angeles), that’s just perfect for steaming hot chocolate and snuggling under thick warm blankets.

Award winning photographer Erik Almås photographed Annabella B. for Genlux Holiday 2011.  Styled by Shannon Dunn.

Thank you for your wonderful comments and emails!  Have a super fantastic week!!

On Saturday, I arrived home from my Photoshop class bleary-eyed, and happily discovered this beautiful floral arrangement, a purple and red gift wrapped box complete with a pretty pink bow, and a card.

The flowers, comprised of, fuschia Moth orchids, bluesy-purplish hydrangea, mahogany purple sweet peas and brilliant sky blue hyacinths were totally unexpected!  Not only that, I didn’t realize that we were celebrating Valentine’s Day early (sometimes wonderful hubby can be such a sneak ♥).

On Sunday, I left church services early, photographed a graceful ballerina, began reading this book  (it’s on my bucket list to someday publish a book of poetry) and nearly finished my weekend chores.

Inspiring links that caught my eye…

• Fête Magazine
• The City of Light
• DYI Oscar Party

Wishing you a beautiful and blessed week!

I  love  the  pairing of  blue and white.  It’s  both  simple  yet elegant and there are innumerable hues of  blue to select from…Azure blue to Midnight blue, Powder blue to Prussian blue, Robins egg blue to Cobalt blue…ah, so dreamily romantic to me.

1.  The Enid Cream Tin Tea Hamper is just perfect for an afternoon picnic.

2.  I find these tasting notes charmingly irresistible…“Beviamo Moscato d’Asti NV is fragrant and frizzante with vibrant  flavors and aromas of ripe stone fruit, tangerines, and honey. The wine is concentrated and flavorful, but not overly rich or heavy; sweet, yet balanced”

3.  Soooo pretty is the Diana F+ Quing Hua medium format film plastic camera.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll receive one for Valentine’s Day.

4.  “Mille Nuits (a thousand nights) evokes the richness of palaces, with a narrow cut that glitters in the light”  Baccarat Mille Nuits Midnight Flute.

5.  A beautiful mélange of sparkling Sapphires, White Gold, and Diamonds (ah, so lovely…heavy sigh).  Ring by Cartier.

6.  I can just imagine a fragrant bouquet of Madame Hardy heirloom roses inside this handcrafted contemporary Baccarat Eye Vase.  Madame Hardy roses can be purchased here.

7.  The German crystal company, Carl Rotter, has been in business since 1850.  World renown for their handcrafted cased crystal glass, Rotter tumblers are magnificent collectible treasures.  Shown here Carl Rotter Tumbler No. 66.

8.  Kiri bone china dinnerware is adorned with soft blue botanicals inspired by Japanese elm water color painting.

A side note, please excuse my tardiness.  This entry was to post last Friday, unfortunately I mistakenly dated the entry for 2/3/13.  This explains why I’m posting today under Fabulous Friday Finds.

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a terrific weekend.  Brooke Shields New York townhouse is featured in the March 2012 issue of Architectural Digest.

Shields collaborated with designer David Flint Wood and MADE architects on the 1910 era four-story Greenwich Village townhouse.

Best wishes for a creative, exciting, and fabulous week!

source: photography by William Waldron for Architectural Digest.

These questions are courtesy of The Little Things We Do.

If money wasn’t an issue, the first thing I’d cross off my life list is:  establish a philanthropic charitable foundation dedicated to awarding college scholarships.  The second item I’d cross off my list is purchasing a vacation home on the East Coast, in either Martha’s Vineyard or The Hamptons.

Using a napkin and blotting the excess grease off of pizza and french fries is something I like that other people think is weird.

If my life were a movie right now, the title would be:  Living Life Like It’s Golden.  I’ve determined that this year will be my best year ever in terms of personal growth and reaching beyond my comfort zone.

Three things I’m looking forward to this month are:  purchasing fresh flowers from the LA Flower Market, celebrating Valentine’s Day, and the start of school.  This semester, I’m taking beginning film making classes.

My favorite song to sing in the shower is:  oddly enough, I don’t sing in the shower.  I generally visualize all the lovely things I wish to accomplish for the day.

If I found out that the production of Green and Black’s Organic Milk Chocolate Bar with Toffee and Jo Malone’s Grapefruit Body and Hand Wash  was ending this month, I’d go out and buy as much as I could today.

One thing I’ll never grow tired of:  photography and traveling (okay, so it’s two things).  No matter where I travel to, it’s always an adventure, an opportunity to hear unfamiliar sounds, see new sights, smell fresh scents, taste different flavors, and touch/immerse myself in new surroundings.

Have a wonderfully relaxing weekend!

As a photographer, I love to inspect and view vintage (before digital and photoshop) black and white prints.  I’m always intrigued and mesmerized by the midnight blacks, crisp whites, bright highlights, dark shadows, and the visible grains of emulsion known as graininess.

These images were photographed by Daniela Federici and can be found in her book 8½ and in A Second Decade of Guess by P. Marciano.

source: edited and scanned by CGS

St. Valentine’s Day serves as inspiration for this weeks wardrobe selection.  I would love to celebrate a romantic Valentine’s evening by dining by candlelight in a 5-star restaurant followed by dancing at a salsa club.

I gasped with delight when I discovered the Michael Kors crepe jersey dress in merlot. It drapes beautifully across the body creating a svelte and feminine silhouette. Quite lovely indeed!

“Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Quote: Martin Luther King, Jr.

source: Left Top to Bottom: photographer Jorge A. Marquez via Flickr; photographer Paul Scala via MycroMag.com; Right Top to Bottom: photographer Affirmative Earth via Flickr;  photographer kCorrick via Flickr.

I absolutely love the sleeveless coat in photo 6!  Mariano Vivanco photographed Kendra Spears for the Winter 2011 issue of Muse Magazine.   Styled by Beth Fenton.

source: FGR