If you would like to learn more about the collaboration process and see photos of the shoot, check out this past post.

TRUTH: I’ve never polished anything other than silver before in my life.

Yesterday, I finally sat down to learn how to polish shoes, and make my trusty brown boots look brand spankin’ new. It only took five minutes after watching the video below.

I made sure I had my cream polish that matched the color of my boots, a brush and an old t-shirt (you can use an old rag). I followed the instruction of the video…and…Voila!

They are nice and pretty!

TIP: Do this outside. The smell is PRETTY strong!

When I found out that she and Rob were coming to visit, I knew I wanted to do a photo shoot with them because Rob has an AMAZING wardrobe full of three piece suits, vintage denim, Billy Reid clothing…He’s probably the most stylish man I personally know. In fact, Rob used to write menswear posts for this blog about a year ago.

Men around here just don’t have the same type of wardrobe. So after talking with my talented photographer pal Gina Meola, we decided to do a southern styled mock engagement shoot in Arizona. Yep, Arizona. So, how did we make that happen?

It all started with the clothes, of course. I made a inspiration board for them using my favorite online tool, Pinterest. I knew Rob had an amazing suit he had been wanting to use, which was an excellent way to portray the formality of style in the South. For Michelle, I made sure there was a touch of prep, femininity and country in each outfit.

From there we Skyped and passed cell phone pics back and forth to make sure Rob and Michelle had everything they needed before arriving in Phoenix.

Once they arrived, we make sure the outfits worked. With a couple of tweaks and some accessorizing the outfits were perfected! We also made sure Michelle’s hair was everything she wanted it to be with some help from my good friend Kim Cornwell. I also got to play makeup artist. Teehee!

For locations I found the perfect little craftsman style home in downtown Phoenix. You’ll see those types of homes everywhere in Texas. Plus, Rob and Michelle had just purchased their first home that has a similar look. We also shot at the Phoenix Public Market, which is a place that offered all sorts of interesting details and these REALLY awesome bikes thanks to Keith – an employee of the market. That place is genuinely awesome.

And from there Gina Meola waved her magic camera, and captured the most beautiful photos of two people I love so much and their love for each other. It was such a joy!

I hope you love the photos!!!

To see more photos from this shoot, check out Gina’s blog!

Well, this spring and summer it may just be your first time, as well as mine, because these floral patterns are springing up all over the place in stores like Anthropologie….

And Urban Outfitters…

So, what do you think? Are you bold enough to sport this print from the waist down?

Top image from B. Jones Style

This is the first time that I’ve ever forked over major dollars for professional development, but I really believe that I’m going to meet some wonderful people and I hope to learn SOOO much about how to be a better business woman and blogger.

The conference is going to be held in snowy Salt Lake City. I’m not sure how my Arizona clothes are going to hold up there, but let’s just hope that I’m having so much fun that I don’t even notice it, right?

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to know if you’re attending this conference too and meet up with you! Leave a comment, send me a tweet or mention something on Facebook, and we can try to connect!

Now…what to wear…

So, for those of you wanting to pursue fashion styling, here are a couple of tips to prepare you for backstage at runway shows.

1. Wear all black – It’s professional. Think of runway like the theater and of yourself as a stagehand. All black is the way to go.

2. Wear flat, closed toe shoes – Usually you’re on your feet for a good 6-8 hours for a runway event. You want to be comfortable. You also wanted be protected from your toes being stepped on, rolling racks rolling over you, pins sticking you, etc.

3. Unzip & unbutton everything before the show starts – Your models will love you forever if you remember to do this because it will help clothing changes move faster!

4. Put accessories in lunch baggies and hang them with each look – That way you can keep track of all of the jewelry and know that it’s in a safe spot

5. Line clothes up left to right with the front of the outfit facing left – This is how people read, and this is how you look at clothes. Next time you’re in a store look at how they organize their racks. It’s just like this. This will help you stay organized and your models know what look comes first, second third, etc.

6. Use the model’s comp card to mark their rack – Every model usually has a card with their name and head shots. Place this to the left or right of a rolling rack. That way models know what clothes are theirs and wear to put their belongings.

7. Lay out shoes for each look and put a sticky note with the number that corresponds to the look on the pair of shoes – Every look has a number for a runway show, and sometimes during the chaos of changing models can forget what goes with what. These numbers will help dressers and models keep track.

8. Clip all tags and place them in a zip lock bag before the show – There’s nothing worse than seeing a sales tag flapping down the runway. It’s in the details!

9. Be critical – Everything shows under the bright lights of the runway. Threads, wrinkles, missed buttons, zippers that aren’t up all of the way, bows that are sloppily tied can all be distractions from the performance.

10. Runway shows exist to sell clothes – Remember who your client is and what the goal is. Sell their clothes! You’ll have a happy client if you do everything in your power to make that happen!

Photos: What Would Kiki Wear, To Young, unknown, They All Hate Us, Dormify, The Live I will Live

Don’t over think getting dressed. Take time to do your makeup and hair, but if all you want to wear is a v-neck t-shirt, a scarf and jeans..AWESOME. Having simple, chic style all comes down to having a closet full of basics that are well made and fit you properly.

Heck, that’s the basis of menswear. You ever wonder why even fashionable guys can still get dressed in five minutes? That’s why!

You may have seen some of these images below on my blog before, but I purposely did that to just remind you that simple is sexy and not just a fashion trend!

Photos: Wit & Delight, Brigadeiro, ZARA, Anthropologie, The Electric, La Dolce Vita

Check out some of this inspiration I spotted!

Make the pattern preppy and girly like below

Or grunge it up…

So what do you think? Do you like polka dots? Or do they remind you too much of Minnie Mouse?

Photos: Kate Spade, The Glitter Guide, Anthropologie, Zara, Ruche, Coco + Kelley

Seriously though, citrus colors are about to take over the fashion world as spring approaches. You don’t have to take my word for it either. Pantone, the authority on color trends, said so. You can read about it here. 

So, are you ready to leave your teals and maroons behind yet?

Maybe after seeing this fruity inspiration you will be. =)

Photos (from left to right): All Things Stylish, All Pretty Little Things, Unknown, Bobbi Brown, The Neotraditionalist, Matchbook Magazine.

Kat and Omid have great style and taste, so I was able to pull wonderful clothes from their closets. Kat loves a touch of sparkle in every outfit, so we did exactly that. She also made sure her hair and makeup were perfect for the shoot. Ashley Nicole did a FABULOUS job!!!

Omid is a structural engineer at a local architecture firm, so he likes very simple clean lines. So, I chose classic, timeless pieces for his outfits.

Of course, we made sure that the colors and textures were very complementary to the location of their shoot – Tempe Center for the Arts.

I can’t wait to meet more 2012 love birds! To see more photos from their engagement shoot, click here.