floral fantasies

season's greetings!

2011-12-04T21:27:00.001-08:00

I know it's been a while since I have made a post over on this neck of the woods, so - hello! Life has been nonstop the past few months with work, photoshoots, and applying to colleges (eeeeek!). I promise to start updating more regularly again after the holiday craziness dies down.

Tonight my bff Amanda joined my family in decorating our tree! Every year we make hot cocoa, put on some holiday tunes, santa hats, and jingle bells and unwrap our favorite ornaments. It was a great treat to have Amanda here with us this year.

I wish you all the happiest and least stressful holiday season.

xx M

life lately

2011-09-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

life lately has been full of good friends (from near & far), new friends, travels, photographs, extended errands, and laughter.

a few weeks ago n'tima and steven drove down to southern california and the two of them + amanda and myself camped out at madeline's for the extended weekend. we had a jolly good time dining at downtown disney, having brunch in laguna beach, vintage shopping, flea-marketing, nail painting, and enjoying each others' company.

i went back to work tuesday & wednesday after labor day, and then departed for bakersfield on wednesday afternoon. i helped marielle shoot a beauty pageant in her area thursday evening, and we spent the time surrounding taking photos and eating.

friday, i packed up my car and marielle and did the 200 mile drive back down south. we stayed at madeline's friday night, and headed out friday morning for a very special day in the desert.

i shot samantha & joshua's engagement portraits with the help from my girls in joshua tree national park, and it was lovely. expect the image set on my photo blog some time next week!

on sunday, i drove (yet another 85 miles) back home, just in time for a photoshoot with a lovely group of girls from kappa kappa gamma. amanda helped me out (which i am eternally grateful for, this woman is my right hand lady, best friend, life partner, etc).

life has been nonstop lately and i'm loving every moment of it.

-M

day off: gone shopping

2011-08-25T23:33:00.000-07:00

shirt: f21; skirt: vintage - thrifted; shoes: urban outfitters; leather bag: vintage.

nails: essie's "cute as a button" and ring: vintage inherited amethyst from my aunt with the same name

I spent my day off sleeping in, painting my nails, drinking coffee, and thrifting! I hit up two local Salvation Army's and a Buffalo Exchange (higher-end clothing, second-hand). My finds:

100% silk tank (that's more of a crop on me) $2

gold sequin top - $3.50

final touch midi skirt from buffalo exchange - $12.75

blouse - $4, shorts $2

shorts - $2.99

I also picked up a 36point5 maxi dress for $25.50 at BE (splurge of the day, but it's in perfect condition and I love it) and a camera, which I'll elaborate on later.

what i'm loving lately - august 2011

2011-08-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

hi all! i've gotten a few requests to do another "what i'm loving lately" post, so i thought i'd share with you a few of the things getting some extra love from yours truly in the last couple of months.

gadgets & toys

the yashica LM! this camera was passed down from my father's father, and i finally got it repaired and cleaned up. i've only run three rolls through it so far (the film & processing costs a pretty penny), but i have already fallen deeply in love with shooting medium format.

it's an art unlike any other! very different than 35mm and digital, definitely.

instant film! a few weeks ago, i painted this box to store all of the instant film prints i have taken so far (a large majority of them from this summer alone)! i'm addicted (and my ebay & bank accounts are not loving this one)

my trusty ray ban eyeglasses. i got a new prescription a few months ago and finally filled it in these frames, and boy, can i finally see the difference. i used to only need glasses for reading and driving, but i'm finding myself reaching for them more often these days, especially in taking photos! can't live without these guys.

goodies & good deals

if you didn't know this about me already, i'm a nail polish freak. i buy it, i hoard it, but i do use it! i usually change my nail color every 3 or 4 days. essie® brand polish is absolutely amazing! it's longwearing and high quality, not to mention they have a mouthwatering selection of colors. gotta love it.

sheer blouses! they're light enough for september in california, but pretty enough to translate from day to night in a beat.

$creaming deal$ ! - these wedge booties were on sale for $39.95 at urban and i couldn't say no. they're SO comfy!

i picked up this skirt at anthropologie a month or two ago, and you're not going to believe how much i paid for it. original price: $78. on clearance for $19.99 + an additional 25% off. with taxes i ended up paying $16 and some change, and proceeded to grab my bag and run out of the store before they could realize that i robbed them.

lately, i've been feeling a special appreciation for my pup. she smiles for the camera.

she plays games on the computer

and she's always at the foot of the bed when i need her. man's best friend, fo' real.

I wanted to finish off this post with a few things I'm excited for.

fall clothing, and the patterns and colors like this:

visits to see faraway friends

my best friend lives in San Francisco, these were taken on the days that she left to go back up (the left is from 2010, and the right is from last week).

visits from good people

so, my friends, i hope august has been treating you well, and be joyful that we still have nearly 3 months of late sunsets and days that are longer than the nights. in the meantime, i suggest you turn on some *NSync Pandora radio (seriously it's amazing)

and take care.

love always,
maryclaire

p.s. for the time being, i've suspended posting photos to my flickr account! to view my current work, see my photo blog! http://maryclaireroman.blogspot.com/

up north

2011-07-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

last weekend two girlfriends and i drove 8 hours to the sacramento area and stayed with another lovely friend of ours & her hubby for 2 days and 3 nights. we took photos and ate amazing (home cooked) meals and had girl time (while the mr. was at work of course) and it was just an all around relaxing, theraputic, much needed weekend. i just wanted to share a few photos from the trip with you all xx

the following are all medium format, shot on ektar 120 film in a seagull tlr.

Potentially my favorite shot of them all - N'tima is a perfect model!

the next batch were shot on various brands of 35mm film inside a canon ae-1

breakfast <3

Photo taken by Madeline

(the next one is digital :O)

and finally the rest are instax 210 wides and polaroid 669's!

the collection of our cameras! excluding my digital camera and the instax i took it with

the four ladies, taken graciously by Mr. Preusser

Marielle has a bad habit of blinking...ON THE NUMBER THREE. (<3)

Normally I'd do an in-depth recap of the trip, but Madeline has already done an amazing job of that right over here! Go read it, seriously. XO!

an update and some good news!

2011-07-13T23:16:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I'm writing from my best friend-slash-business manager Amanda's couch at 10:40 pm on Wednesday July 13th because I have good news! After months of "meaning to get to it,"I finally set up my own personal photography website!

It's still very basic and simple, but it gets the job done.

Go to http://www.maryclaireroman.com and check it out!

Amanda and I just designed and ordered business cards this evening as well, things are starting to fall into place and I am so happy :) Amanda is such an amazing administrative director!

Last weekend was one of the best I've had in awhile! I was off work, and got to spend time seeing friends, relaxing, and doing a little bit of everything that needed to be done. Saturday afternoon, I lounged by the pool with Amanda, and got some sun. Then we went to the thrift store, where I bought an amazing purple skirt for only $4! Following dinner at Corner Bakery, Manda and I stopped at a favorite quick photo spot to take some photos in the skirt.

On Sunday, I drove up to Los Angeles with Kourtney and Amanda to meet up with some lovely lady friends for shopping, fine dining, and photo adventures.

Chrissie White, Instax 210 in Los Angeles, CA.

Kourtney, Instax 210

Amanda, 35mm film

Amanda snapped this shot of me in LA! See her flickr for more gorgeous film photos.

On Monday evening, I picked Mia up at the train station, and we had a quick little photoshoot in the area.

I am so in love with the Polaroids! I always adore working with Mia. She is one of my best friends, and she is such a skilled model! I feel the most at ease shooting her, for sure.

Tomorrow I work from 8:30-2:30, and then I'll go home to pack for Friday's road trip and the promising weekend with three of my favorite girls (and one spiffy man)! I'm going up to see the Harry Potter premier with Madeline tomorrow night, and then we leave bright and early friday morning. I cannot wait!

Have a joyous rest of your week, my dear friends.

xx,

Mary Claire

July, July, July!

2011-07-05T22:48:00.000-07:00

I love this song by the Decemberists - it fits the mood of July so well, in my opinion! Light and fun and memorable. July makes me smile because it's summertime, and the air is warm, and this particular month has always held wonderful things for me. Last summer, I spent the month of July learning, rehearsing for, and performing a full length stage musical called Once On This Island, as well as hosting and attending numerous epic sleepovers, pool parties, and photo shoots into dusk.

I am exceptionally excited for the events of the upcoming month. At the end of next week, I get to go see the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 premier at midnight with my girl Madeline! Then immediately after (we're talkin' the premier ends at 3 am and we set out at 10 am), we head off on our epic roadtrip adventure with Marielle to stay with N'tima and Steven for a few nights! We are very excited.

So far, July has held nothing but happiness. I finally got my film camera (my baby) back last week and she has been right by my side ever since. I had a little photoshoot with my friend Kevin on Sunday! Here are some of the shots:

That last photo is a polaroid! I have been completely obsessed with my newest favorite toy, the Polaroid Automatic 103 Land Camera! I snagged 7 packs of expired film for it off eBay, and I've stocked up on the currently manufactured & sold Fujifilm FP-100C as well.

This is a sample of one of the expired shots (double exposed, too)! In love.

On Saturday, my mom picked up this Minolta XG-1 35mm camera (as well as a little Canonet rangefinder 35mm camera) all for $7!

I bought a $6 battery for it, and shot a test roll to make sure it was working properly, and voila! This evening I gladly gifted the camera to my younger sister, Grace, to learn on and love, as she's been pestering me for one for quite some time. She'll take fabulous care of it.

Yesterday was the Fourth of July, and I spent it with a handful of my fabulous girlfriends. Faux-jitos (virgin mojitos), lavender cupcakes, a rousing game of wiffle ball, and a fireworks show ended a wonderful and relaxing holiday weekend.

lovely Breanna in Polaroid form (sidenote: I got a new scanner for the first time since 1998 and I am very pleased, hence the influx of instant film for you all)

my wiffle ball team, Lauren, Me, Brooke, and Leah

the more lame, not as cool wiffle ball team (Jen, Dominique, Juliet, and Breanna)

the sunlight in the park was heavenly so I snapped shots of my girls. Pictured here is Lauren :)

Jenifer, being ridiculously cute and SpOrTy!

Lauren snapped this of me, and my HILARIOUS girlfriends (aka my ~POSSE~)

Hope everyone had a lovely & safe 4th of July weekend, and here's to a blessed and joyful rest of the month to you all!

xo Mary Claire

p.s. look at my photo blog for regular photo updates and full photo shoot posts!

what i'm loving lately!

2011-06-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

hello readers! i've seen other bloggers/vloggers doing "june favorites" posts, and other posts of the like, so i decided i'd share with you what i'm loving lately. i know it's usually limited to clothes and/or make-up, but i want to share a few extra things. enjoy! :)

i'm currently in love with lace! it's such a pretty, girly fabric, and it's being incorporated into so many trends lately. these are my two favorite lace tops, the one on the left is from necessary clothing boutique in soho, and the right was $15 at forever 21! the light weight of the fabric makes it totally wearable for summer, even with sleeves.

pleated midi skirts are coming back! i found this one at a salvation army for under $3 :O they're a classic, flattering piece, and i think every girl should have one in her wardrobe. i've gone a bit skirt crazy, this is one of 5 or 6 that i've picked up this month!

CORAL. no matter what, this hue will always be one of my favorites to wear - whether in clothing or lipstick, it just makes a statement. M.A.C.'s creme lipstick ($14.50) in Vegas Volt (left) moisturizes and texturizes, and wears SO well. This dress, from Necessary Clothing, $22 (right) has a fun geometric print on top, and the a-line skirt hits right above the knee for a perfect summer fit.

ahhh, shoes. i have always been a shoe lover, but lately for some reason i just can't.stop.buying.them.

the floral t-strap wedges mimic the jeffrey campbells of the same style (but about $120 cheaper...). i had been searching for a pair exactly like the Mixx brand white eyelet boots for EVER, when i found this pair (ON SALE) in a little union circle boutique, i was ecstatic.

this pot of maybelline new york eyestudio gel liner was around $8, and is literally the best eyeliner i've ever owned. first of all, it has lasted forever, and it's not even half-gone. it lasts all day without a touchup - or if you're me and you don't wash off your makeup before bed occasionally, from morning until the next night. i HIGHLY recommend you go out and purchase this right now. it should be in stock anywhere maybelline is sold!

my next make-up product rave: e.l.f. Eyebrow Kit. long-wearing, the perfect shade, and easily manipulable. nothing better. and the best part? it costs three dollars. most e.l.f. products are really quality, their aim is to provide higher-end products for drugstore prices, and they have eyeshadows and brushes for $1! and it seriously does compare to the higher end brow kits (like anastasia brow, etc). go to www.eyeslipsface.com and check out their products!

instant film! i stocked up on instax, polaroid, and pack film because unfortunately my canon ae-1, my main film camera & baby, is broken and will probably be out of service for a bit of time. at least until i can rally up $120 for the repairs.

new toys :) left: minolta super a rangefinder camera, thrifted for $20! i'm running a test roll through it right now, but the shutter seems to be working just fine, so we'll see! on the right is the polaroid automatic 100, an instant pack film camera that i have been wanting for a long time! i got this one off of ebay for about $15, now i'm just waiting for the battery to arrive in the mail!

i heard about The Civil Wars a year or so back, but only recently have i gotten a chance to sit down and listen through an entire album of theirs. i adore their sound, and their album Barton Hollow has been my soundtrack for weeks

thanks for reading, i hope my favorites could inspire you to go out and get summer-fied!

xoxo,

maryclaire

p.s. a big thank you to my beautiful and lovely momma for helping with some of the above photos! she's talented, huh?! ;)

the city that never sleeps.

2011-06-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

the big apple. the city that never sleeps. the empire state. or as i like to refer to it, the city that holds my heart & soul. new york city is a place of excitement, diversity, exuberance, and passion. it's a place for dreamers, it's the city that makes you feel alive. being the incredibly lucky & privileged woman that i am, i got to spend 8 days exploring and carving out this city i hope to soon call "home."

i could spend this post writing on and on about the exact events and stories of what i did each day i was there, but i don't want to bore you all, or lose the magic of the memories for myself. instead i'll give you a bit of an extended overview.

while in the city, i had the pleasure of meeting up with many an internet-friend!

(from top to bottom): sandy honig, michelle pathe, jordan tiberio, monika balazy, natalie kucken, and matt holmes.

i had so much fun hanging out with these lovely people.

i actually got to spend an entire day with michelle, and that was one of my favorite days in the city out of them all. we ate (a lot), walked, failed at thrifting, took photos, toured the met's alexander mcqueen exhibit, had starbucks (twice), laughed, talked, walked, did i say walked? it was wonderful.

one of the main reasons i went to nyc was to check out a few schools! i'm taking the next year off of college (after having completed my first year at community college) to research more and decide where i would like to end up next fall. i visited the school of visual arts and the fashion institute of technology while in the city, both of which are amazing photography schools with emphases in fashion! i still have a lot of learning and research to do, but i definitely plan on living in new york city very soon, whether or not for school.

my mother and i were there for 8 days and so we had a lot of freedom to go exploring. we:

visited times square late at night. the last time i was in new york city i was fifteen years old and don't really remember appreciating the magnificence of the square like i did this time.

had my first dunkin donuts experience!

did the touristy things - here i am in front of the plaza hotel (eloise at the plaza, anyone?)

visited sheep's lawn (and quite a bit more of the expansive central park)

became public transit aficionadas (the subway system intrigued me so entirely! functional and efficient public transit is literally nonexistent in southern california)

walked fifth avenue (and i wore the right shoes this time!)

my dad was doing business in DC and he met up with us for a few days! we saw Memphis on broadway and it was one of the most incredible musicals i have ever seen! the score is amazing, i highly recommend seeing it and/or purchasing the OST.

we went a little shop-crazy in soho...but hey, how often is a california girl in the fashion capitol of the country! i budgeted for this anyway. we ended up coming home with four new pairs of shoes between my mother and me...hehe.

i tried on the Jeffrey Campbell Lita's that i have been eyeing since they came out, but the guy at the shoe store told me that they are coming out with 17 new colors for fall in august and so i decided to wait until then to empty my pockets ;) and surprisingly they were really easy to walk in! oh, platforms.

i got to do two photo shoots as well!

hannah contacted me a few weeks before i finalized my trip to ask about hiring me, and it just so happened that she goes to school in the city and i let her know i was planning a trip, so we organized a shoot and we had SO much fun. she was gorgeous and a natural in front of the camera!

earlier in the week, i had the pleasure of shooting with kelly @ apm models. again, super fun and easy to work with. loved her attitude and down to earth personality!

i tried to keep track of the outfits i wore so i could share them with you, but i sort of lost track of any type of organizational efforts. here is the outfit i wore on the first day of the trip, a vintage pleated mini skirt (thrifted, $2), a nude lightweight tank top (forever 21, $2.80), and my mother's blush colored quarter-sleeved cardigan (juicy couture, garage sale-d!). my bag is from target and it is my go-to hobo bag, it's comfortable, and holds a BUNCH of stuff (camera's, anybody?)!

when it was time to go home, we felt ready. we got to do pretty much everything one would have on the list, and we were ready to go home to our own beds and precious puppy dog! new york city truly is the creator's environment, i was so inspired by each and every person on the sidewalk, building lighting up at sunset, musician playing at the subway station, window displays in times square, and simply the atmosphere of being in a city with a story. i cannot wait to return for more adventures.

until next time,

2011-05-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! Many of you may already know this, but as of 4 pm eastern standard time, I am in New York City for a week! I have a chock-full schedule and plenty of photo fun planned, so stay tuned!

The plane ride was a pleasant 5 hours, and we arrived into JFK at 3:45 as planned :)

My first purchase...Dunkin Donuts! First DD experience (we don't have them where I'm from in California!)

My mom and I checked into our hotel after a grueling 2 hour traffic jam, took a nap, and then had a late dinner in Midtown at Sacco's

There's nothing quite like New York City at night...

All of these awesome images were taken using my favorite iPhone photo app, Instagram! It's too fun.

Anywho, tomorrow is shopping and Broadway! Hope everyone is lovely.

-xo maryclaire

free at last!

2011-05-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

happy wednesday everybody! today i had my final class of the semester (class = turning in the final paper) and so i am now officially on summer break! it's been a long time coming, so i dressed up today to celebrate. pink lips, a new dress, and some heels can add happiness to any girl's day :)

forever 21 dress (22.80 & it came with the belt!), steve madden wedges (49.95 at nordstrom rack!), old school men's american eagle cardigan (39.95) for when it got chilly.

lately;

my wonderful cousin audrey graduated from cal state university monterey bay back in december, and she asked me to take some photos of her for her grad announcements! my good friend mia came along to help out with lighting and assisting. we had fun!

i snapped this hilarious photo of mia after i jokingly named her "my slave"

look at those purple tones. gotta love film &hearts;

and don't worry, i managed to get at least one good shot of mia too :)

this past weekend, one of my best friends, jen, came home from college for the summer! we spent saturday afternoon watching silly specials about sandwiches on pbs, eating donuts, and surprising our other good friend leah at school and taking her out for dinner and a movie!

we ate at macaroni grill and saw the movie bridesmaids! it was amazingly hilarious. i highly recommend seeing it!

on sunday, jen and i grabbed starbucks and headed of to fashion island to get some much-needed friend/shopping time, and grab some essentials for the vacations we both have coming up. jen is heading to hawaii this weekend, and i'm off to the big apple the following weekend!

a few of the goodies i picked up: MAC coral lipstick Vegas that i've been yearning for, two tops, a dress, and jeans from forever21, white braided skinny belt from forever21, and Revlon's Va Va Violet lipstick!

we magically happened to spend the exact same amount of money at forever 21 so i snapped a photo of the receipts with my iPhone & the app Instagram!

on the way home from our shopping adventure, we made a quick photo stop to finish up the roll i had left in my camera.

jen took this one of me:

later tonight i'm going with my mother to the mall to pick out new frames for my most recent eye prescription, as it's becoming a terrible pain to receive roll after roll of film with at least 50-60% of the photos blurry :|

oh, by the way: you can leave me a comment down below letting me know what you'd like to see more of on this blog! make-up tips, hairstyling how-to's, playlists, more fashion & shopping deals (a few of which amanda and i already have planned!), fun and easy diy's? i'd love to hear from you!

have a wonderful wednesday night, followers!

lots of love,

maryclaire

what i'm wearing - 5/11/11

2011-05-11T14:08:00.000-07:00

another outfit post! lately i can't get enough of high-waisted anything paired with cropped tops and heels. it's such a classic, summery combo.

i picked up these shorts at the salvation army on monday and they fit me like a glove. isn't it just magical when that happens? i rolled cuffed the ends of the shorts twice because they were an awkward length. 30% off of $4 made these beauties less than $3!

the accessories: beads were a gift from my sister a few christmases ago, i love how colorful they are. they go with virtually every color scheme because of how rainbow-y they are! the earrings are years and years old! i went through a phase for about 3 years where i just bought and bought earrings - i have hundreds of pairs! i think these were from h&m.

and just another detail shot of my shorts. love the pleats :)

lastly: the SHOES!! i am going through a shoe obsession lately! i blogged about these in my last post, but here they are actually coordinated into an outfit. for $35 on sale? i couldn't say no! my white crochet crop top was $12.95 at h&m :)

i've been lusting after these jeffrey cambpell platform wedges for quite some time, but my working student's budget doesn't like the sound of $130.

i found these at forever 21, and although they're not exactly the same, $25.80 is do-able and they will suffice until i can bring myself to splurge on the JC's!

i'm also loving wedged oxfords this season, and free people has a sale on these dolce vita suede ones that i might have to grab come friday (payday!)

hope everyone is having a great day! and remember. fashion doesn't have to break the bank.

maryclaire

2011-05-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

the beginning of this past week was ridiculously warm & nice out, so i took the opportunity to make one of my favorite summer thirst-quenchers - sun tea! it's super easy.

fill a pitcher with cold water, throw in 5 or 6 teabags (i used 3 peach & 3 black currant for a fruity mix), and set it out in the sun for the day. i put it out before work around 11, and left it out until i got home around 8. the heat from the sun will brew the tea for you without using the stove during the summer - saving gas & electric, and keeping your house cool in the summer heat. :)

on friday afternoon, i went to the mall with my girls amanda and leah and we did a little shopping. milano shoes was having a buy one get one 50% off sale, so amanda and i took advantage and we each got a pair and saved some money! i also had a bit of luck at forever21 (like always, hehe) with this cute floral top (check out the detailed back) and polka dot tunic. thanks to my lovely sister grace for modeling my finds for me :)

friday night us girls headed to our friend ava's house for one of her fabulous get-togethers:

ava and me! we always have so much fun. isn't she gorgeous!?

on saturday, amanda and i helped lacey and nikki get ready for their prom, and then helped take photos of them before the dance! the girls looked beautiful:

nikki's dress was hand-made by a family friend and designed by nikki herself! i was so in love with it.

today is mother's day, and we spent the early afternoon by gardening as a family. my house is now full of wonderful fragrant flowers :)

roses from our front yard, wild sweet peas from the flower fields, and the bouquet i gave my mother for mama's day!

i hope everyone had a fabulous weekend, i send all the mama's, grandmama's, and mama's-to-be giant thank you's and love &hearts;

-xo mcr

p.s. if you'd like to see any of the photos larger - just click on them!

2011-05-02T13:57:00.000-07:00

well hey! my first real blog post on this blog! the last three days have been wonderful. i worked every day for the last two weeks, so i finally got a nice (and deserved) 4-day break.

friday i took the opportunity to sleep in, and boy did i. made up for every 7:30 am alarm clock in the last month! around 12:30 i pulled myself out of bed, made some coffee, and cleaned up my room a bit.
i headed out around 2 for an relaxing afternoon of driving with the windows down (to this playlist), errands, thrifting, taking myself out for coffee, and just generally much-needed alone time. while thrifting i picked up a few good things!

this dress was half off (everything i bought, was!), making it $4.50. now i just need a place to wear it!

the shorts are classic mom shorts from the 90's, $1.50! so excited to put these to use.

and yes, i know it's almost summer, but i can't resist a floral print sweater that's less than $2, okay!?

i got home, putzed around a bit, and took some self portraits:

then i met up with my best friend amanda for a girly date night! it's sort of becoming a tradition. we went to california pizza kitchen last weekend, but this night we went to BJ's brewery! it was delish - we split a small deep-dish artichoke/roasted pepper/cheese pizza with a side italian market salad (complete with feta cheese, garbanzo beans, artichoke hearts, and crispy iceberg & romaine lettuce!)

after dinner we grabbed a movie from red box and got accosted by a homeless man, no skin off our backs, yo. we changed into our pj's and sat down to enjoy a night in, full of leftover easter chocolate & easy a. love emma stone!

saturday i met up with my girl madeline for some shopping (retail therapy, hello) and lunch! i always have fun when i'm with her, friends that you can laugh with are the best. i grabbed some amazing things at my favorite - forever21.

i saw this dress on the hanger and thought - pair this with some classic white keds and you're set! so glad it fit. and for $22.80? i couldn't say no ;)

around summer time, i'm always looking for new skirts to add to my wardrobe. i'm not much of a shorts person, and i love dresses, but i need something to wear with my blouses! this multi-colored patterned high-waisted skirt is elastic and only ran me $11.80 :) oh, and it has pockets!

now this photo doesn't do this skirt justice... it's my favorite out of my purchases. i LOVE this color and i don't own hardly any of it, so i was STOKED when it fit perfectly. i'll do an outfit post on this one very soon! $14.80. can't beat f21's prices.

i also picked up a little travel make-up brush set while i was in line (that's where they get ya) but it was only $7 and i've been talking about needing new brushes anyway!

driving home, i decided to take coast highway instead of the boring old freeway. it was SUCH a beautiful day that i rolled down my windows and let the sunshine and salt water waft in.

madeline was kind enough to let me borrow her 50mm f/1.8 lens to test out on my new (old) canon eos rebel xsi, so i took my sister down to the beach to try it out! i'm so happy with the results:

saturday evening closed with some always fabulous chipotle, iced tea, and good music.

sunday i had a photoshoot with mia! mia is one of my closest and oldest friends, and my original model. before she had an agent, before i even had a dslr. we made magic even then, but that's not to say we haven't come a long way, as individuals and as a team!

we met for hair, make-up, and wardrobe consulting around 1 pm, and departed for the flower fields in carlsbad, ca around 3:30. with a small detour to the outlet mall to pick up new jeans for mia, we ended up shooting from around 4:45 until the light went down at 7:30! i have only just base-level edited, but here are a few previews from the shoot:

lucky for us when we got kicked out of the flower fields at 6:30, the beach was just a short drive away

talk about cramming a life into my 3 days off! i have today off of work as well, and i'll probably spend the rest of the day editing photos and drinking lots of coffee (but what's new?).

oh, and if you read all of that, thank you &hearts; (and welcome along for the journey)

xoxo maryclaire

welcome!

2011-04-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

good evening friends! many of you may follow me on other sites such as flickr, my photo blog, and/or tumblr, but here i am to start up a new, different kind of blog. i guess you'd call it a lifestyle blog, a place to share events in my life, what i'm wearing, what i'm making in the kitchen, or artistic inspiration! so here i am, and feel free to join me here on this blogging journey!

lots of love,

mary claire