No, seriously – this guy right here was the first person [ever] to show me what RAW/.CR2 was – on my first, entry-level DSLR. Oh what a *Rebel* I was, shooting in JPG. (Camera Joke. Funny? Leave a comment telling me I’m not lame. Really awful joke? Oops, but no oops. I love puns.)

A little snippet about yourself + what you do/love.

“I’m a photographer and artist from Baltimore.  I work mostly in editorial fashion and portraiture, and mixed media fine arts. I stumbled onto photography, really, by accident. I was always a figurative artist, but couldn’t render human form in a way that I was okay with. So I began to add photographic elements to my paintings and it went from there.

I love cooking and gardening. My home has a koi pond, herb and veggie garden; I spend a lot of time there. I’m also into cocktails and the art of creating high quality drinks. This, I find, is helpful when you entertain.”

Who + what influences your style?

My style is influenced by old movies and shows (like Mad Men), but also blogs like The Sartorialist and Everlane.

Outfit #1 / Shirt: Express / Tie: Express / Blazer: H&M / Belt: Thrift / Pants: Levi’s / Shoes: Urban Outfitters / Pin: JWatson Creative / Bracelets: Gifts (Handmade)

Favorite place(s) to shop?

“I don’t really have a favorite place to shop. Wherever I find good looks – I grab them (so long as they aren’t too pricey). I am a freelancer after all.”

Tell me something random [about yourself]!

“I tend to love fruit juices, but not a lot of fruit. I love orange juice (it’s just about my favorite thing to drink other than water, tea, or liquor)… but I hate oranges themselves. Also, I’m annoyingly particular about my cocktails – much to the chagrin of my friends.”

Outfit #2 / Cardigan: Express / Shirt: H&M / Belt: Thrift / Pants: H&M / Shoes: Target

Misa and Rob are an incredible couple and we truly enjoyed spending the morning with them, photographing their love. They’ll be tying the knot later this year and we absolutely cannot wait to see these two again.

Can you tell that Misa and Rob are Baltimore sports fans? We loved their orange + purple choice of attire.

1. If you hadn’t already noticed… the blog has been completely revamped (it was about time for the change to happen). I finally got a chance to sit down and just focus on making the blog more stylish. Everything from the logo to the social media icons was custom created by yours truly! A slight website revamp will also be occurring at some point in the future.
2. I’m honored to announce that we are now a Preferred Wedding Artist on Green Wedding Shoes – how exciting!
3. We’re making some major progress with Charm City Wed! The official launch date has yet to be released, but we’re looking to announce that sometime very soon. Stay tuned! :)
4. Thursday Therapy DC was an absolute BLAST! I love connecting with other like-minded vendors and I’m so glad that Evan & Jennifer from MyDeejay have set up this monthly local networking event. You two are incredible!

Above Photo: Recently, Chad took a weekend trip to Asheville, North Carolina to visit his older brother, Scott. They spent one of the beautiful days hiking through the Blue Ridge Mountains – and Chad was able to capture some breathtaking scenery. More images to come in a later blog post! :)

This girl? She’s pretty spiffy. I recently met up with her for the first time and our personalities just “clicked.” We sipped coffee shop drinks, shared wedding stories, and just had an all-around great time. She actually just got married a couple of weeks ago (how awesome is that?!) – so a huge congrats to her + her love, Alex!

A little snippet about yourself + what you do/love.

“Gosh… I don’t know. I’ll just tell you the oddest and most basic things about myself.

I’m from southern California – Orange County born and raised. I’ve been an ‘artist’ all of my life. My parents used to sit me down with paper and crayons and I’d be at it for hours – just scribbling away! I took oil painting lessons when I got a little older, then learned how to sew my own clothing in high school (yes I would wear them too!). I took photography classes in high school & college (loved developing film) and then followed my artistic passion to a career in photography!

I love animals, plants… and, I guess, nature in general. I’m a total hippie and enjoy eating food that I’ve grown or randomly find growing in nature (I got this curiosity from backpacking trips in places like Sequoia with my dad). I have two wonderful fluffy white dogs: Pakalolo & Desmond. They are Maltese and are completely different (personality-wise) from each other.

I travel often (a little too often really). Oh – and the biggest news this month? I just got married to the most amazing man I could have ever dreamed of… on April 14th 2012!

Also, to answer the question everyone asks when they learn I’m from California: I love living on the east coast and do not miss California at all (as of yet).”

“There are two cameras here: The older camera is an antique Brownie. The ‘newer’ camera is a Pentax - my very
first camera. I got it in high school – when I started taking classes – and even sewed my own camera strap!”

Outfit #1 / Hat: Loehmann’s / Necklace: Loehmann’s / Shirt: J.Crew / Pants: Madewell / Shoes: Modcloth / Earrings: Target

Who + what influences your style?

“Art, maintenance, and friends are some of my biggest influences. I can’t keep up with high-maintenance outfits – I need something quick and easy that doesn’t look like I threw it on (even though I probably just did). I look online for the latest trends, along with things coming up for the next season.”

Outfit #2 / Dress: ideeli / Necklace: Loehmann’s / Earrings: Target / Shoes: Steve Madden / Paper Flower: Diana Regalario

Tell me something random [about yourself]!

“When my parents got married, they bought a house on Marcella Lane in Santa Ana, CA. So when my mom was expecting me (I’m the oldest child), they decided to name me after the street we lived on!”

“I normally wear glasses in my day to day life now since I spend so much time on the computer. I recently purchased this J.Crew blouse at an outlet mall in Austin, during my bachelorette party with my bridesmaids (the week prior to my wedding day). We did a lot of shopping.

Also – a note on the Jade Bracelet: Alex bought this for me when we visited San Francisco’s famous China Town. It was one of the very first gifts he bought for me. Unlike my wedding ring, this bracelet fits very small and can not be removed from my wrist. It took lots of lotion/force to get it on and it’ll be there until the stone cracks.”

Outfit #3 / Bracelets: Loehmann’s / Earrings: Target / Blouse: J.Crew / Shirt: Madewell / Pants: Anthropologie / Shoes: Qupid

Thanks, Marcella, for allowing me to photograph you + share your style on the blog!

PS – You may have noticed that I missed last week’s Friday (sorry guys!). I’ve been busy working on
Baltimore’s newest blog: Charm City Wed. Check out the pre-launch site! Full site coming soonish. :)

A special shout out goes to some of our friends in the industry: Natalie & Krista from Bayside Bride, Bree at Capitol Romance, and Janelle from Baltimore Bride! Also, a huge thanks to my wonderful husband, Chad, for coming up with our clever tag line: Be More Inspired.

However – starting this week – I’ll be beginning a new blogging project for Fridays. Fridays will still feature fashion – but no longer primarily my own. I absolutely love connecting with and supporting other creative artists, so I thought it would be fabulous to feature styles from fashionable artists, students, photographers, designers, bloggers, and [insert other profession here]. I’m aiming to feature a different individual every week (for as long as I can + there is interest).

A mega thanks and a huge shout out goes to the oh-so-wonderful Jessica Stoker, who allowed me to photograph/interview her gorgeous self (seriously, this girl is crazy photogenic!) for my very first Featured Artist + Fashion Friday Post!

I LOVE her Polaroid camera. Jess purchased it recently in MINT condition and collects her film from The Impossible Project.

A little snippet about yourself + what you do/love.

“I’ve been a painter since I was 13. I stayed with oils for around 10 years, then switched to acrylics (due to the cost of materials and, well, it’s hard to keep an oil painting around kids and expect it not to get messed up due to the long drying time). Oils have always been my first love and I intend to go back to them one day. As I got older, I started branching out into other forms of art; mixed media, digital manipulations, conceptual photography, etc. These were avenues I felt I could best express myself – with an ease of modifying as the concept, idea, or mood flowed through me.

Everyone has their own creative process and mine is fairly simplistic. The things that inspire me the most – regardless of the outlet I feel the need to release it through – are pretty much the same: poetry, music, and other artists. Life and circumstance play a large role in any artist’s inspiration – but poetry, music, and other artists are the spark and catalyst for my creativity.

I started in photography at a very young age but have run my own business for 5 years. I love what I do and am very excited to see where my passion takes me throughout my life.”

Who + what influences your style?

“My personal style is all over the place. I’d consider it grungy and boho – with a smidge of old man. My style is not inspired by any one person, but more or less my mood. I try not to stay too inline with trend, since I’m a strong believer in personal style and character (regardless of impending trends). I love old style elements like my “old man sweater” with elbow patches, my antique pocket watch necklace, or my antique skeleton key necklace. The grunge tends to come out in elements of my wardrobe such as combat boots, ripped jeans, and old band t-shirts. I always try to soften my look with some feminine pieces whether a filigree ring, floral scarf, or a colorful cardigan.”

Outfit #1 / Blazer: Forever 21 / Shirt: Target / Jeans: Rewind / Shoes: Steve Madden
Necklace: Handmade with Antique Key (via eBay) / Teal Ring: Forever 21 / Opal Ring: Heirloom

Favorite place(s) to shop?

“I really like Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe for basic elements that you can dress up… and I love their cheap costume jewelry. In conjunction with the basics, I tend to shop for my statement pieces online via ShopStyle.com. It’s a great tool if you’re quickly looking for something specific.”

Outfit #2 / Scarf: Target / Shirt: Target / Legwear: Charlotte Russe / Shoes: Aldo
Necklace: Charlotte Russe / Bracelet: Forever 21 / Opal Ring: Heirloom

Tell me something random [about yourself]!

“I don’t know if this is a secret to anyone… but I really, really love bacon! Also… never underestimate the power of a red lip to turn your mood around!”

Outfit #3 / Jacket: JouJou / Shirt: Target / Jeans: Rewind / Shoes: Dr. Martens

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this new twist on Fashion Fridays! Enjoy the weekend! :)

A little over a year ago, I stumbled upon Madera Books. At the time, I was on a quest to discover the “perfect wedding album” – so I sent over an e-mail to Michael Norwood (a fantastic photographer and the founder of Madera Books).

I noticed that, if it was an affordable album, it probably wasn’t something I’d be proud to give to our clients. However, if the quality of the album was great, the cost was probably too expensive. Not to mention, I’m a fan of clean, simple, and timeless products. I encountered many albums that just didn’t reflect my style.

Anyways, Michael quickly e-mailed me back with some information and kindly invited me to attend their first-annual Madera Books Penthouse Party at The Palms, during WPPI 2011. Chad and I attended the awesome party, made some new friends, and took a gander at some Madera Book samples. The quality of their flush mount books are simply top-notch and they are everything we would personally want in a wedding album. Even the ordering process is simple: An easy-as-pie, one-page online form that correctly calculates the price for you – as you customize your book. Oh – and their customer service? Absolutely PHENOMENAL. Michael and Cyndie are the best!

Note: A special thanks goes to Rick (Chad’s dad/father-in-law/awesome guy) for photo assisting + product positioning. :)

Look at how perfectly FLAT these pages rest! Not to mention the incredibly-slim and hardly-noticeable page gutter.

LOVE the spine embossing. Just perfect!

Also: Every Madera Book comes with a beautiful presentation box – for storing your album for generations to come.

So, what do you think? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below!

I’m just going to put it out there: I am a huge fan of the show New Girl and of the oh-so-darling actress, Zooey Deschanel. I’ve loved just about every single outfit that I’ve ever seen her wear… not to mention – she’s just ador(k)able in the show.

Today’s Fashion Friday outfit features one of my favorite polka dotted skirts. The outfit was inspired by Zooey/Jess’ outfit in episode 4 of New Girl. I realized that I owned a similar skirt, white blouse, and flats. Outfit meant to be? I think so. I even found a nice pair of white polka dotted tights + red belt to complement the outfit.

A huge thanks goes to my best friend, Lynn, for snapping these wonderful photographs with my gear. =)

Note: Beginning next week (if all goes as planned), surprise changes will be made to these Fashion Friday posts. Stay tuned!

Blouse: Ann Taylor / Belt: Ann Taylor / Skirt: Causeway / Legwear: Causeway / Shoes: Steve Madden

Happy Friday + Holiday Weekend! ♡

Chris is enrolled at the Naval Academy (soon to graduate) and Lydia was in town from Alabama (loved her darling Southern accent!) for a sweet visit during a school break. To me – it’s fantastic. As Chad and I spent most of our friendship + relationship as students, long-distance, I absolutely love meeting and connecting with other long-distance couples.

We ventured around the Naval Academy campus and downtown Annapolis. I was able to capture some of my favorite engagement photos to date. Because, seriously – these two? They ROCKED this session and their love just radiates from these images…

Chris posed as the Old Spice Guy and we really got a kick out of it.

After shots in casual attire, Lydia wore a cute dress and Chris changed into his uniform. These two are so darn cute!

Ah – SO adorable with the hat! (And it even matched her dress!)

Lydia was a dancer for years… can you tell? Perhaps a little? =)

Lydia & Chris: Thank you so, so much for allowing me to photograph your love for one another. I had a BLAST!

Several things I’d like to address (pun intended – I’m a terrible jokester):

1. I’ve been photographed in this dress twice in the past month (see Abby Grace’s beautiful post) and I’ve had a lot of people ask where I got it. So, the answer? H&M.
2. I’ve realized that the majority of my Fashion Friday posts have included dresses or skirts, so I’m hoping to mix things up for future posts. It’s one of those things that’s difficult for me to stray away from because, if I could, I would wear a dress or skirt every single day of the year. I just love them that much.
3. I need to blog more often – whether it be photography or business-related posts. I’m just tired of seeing my own face on this blog – I feel like it’s coming off as vain and that truly isn’t what I’m going for at all.
4. A huge shoutout goes to everyone attending Borrowed Event this weekend. I’m working like a busy bee to get everything done for our booth and this show is going to be amazing!

Dress: H&M / Shoes: Target / Photography: Self-Portraits