Amanda @aglamlifestyle giving us all the outfit inspo from Loveshack Fancy pretty and frilly, to leather on leather street style glam, to weekend chic in The Village.
Read moreNYFW: A Glam Lifestyle
Entourage of Style
L I F E . S T Y L E D .
Winter Essentials
Winter Essentials from Pretty In Pink Megan
L I F E . S T Y L E D .
Pretty in Pink Megan making a statement with her winter wardrobe.
Read moreRain and Shine
Rain & Shine with Erica Jay Taylor
L I F E . S T Y L E D .
Erica Jay Taylor of @missericajay brightening up a rainy day during New York Fashion Week.
Read moreLovely Layered Looks
Lovely Layered Looks
L I F E . S T Y L E D .
Collins Tuohy Smith beckoning spring to come through with her looks for New York Fashion Week.
Read moreNaturally Neutral Street Style
Naturally Neutral Street Style
L I F E . S T Y L E D .
Charmed By Camille with monochromatic looks during New York Fashion Week to get you through winter.
Read moreWhy NYFW?
Why NYFW?
L I F E . S T Y L E D .
When I first started photographing bloggers, which was almost by chance in the first place, I was shooting a group of bloggers in Downtown Dallas and everyone was asking who was going to New York Fashion Week. A science major in college and steadfast in practicality, I was confused by this conversation. Can you just choose to go to a fashion week? I thought it was invite-only. I thought it was, for lack of a better word, for important people.
I got my first taste of New York Memorial Day weekend of 2016. I was a second shooter at a wedding in Princeton, NJ, and the lead photographer suggested we hop over to NYC for the rest of the weekend. True to my practical tendencies, I typically set the bar low for new experiences, tempering any disappointment that might come from greater expectations. New York was wonderful.
Four days after I got home I was on another early flight from Dallas to La Guardia, this time going as a blogger’s photographer for the long weekend. That was my first look into what I call “Club Blogger.” The truth is that bloggers are “important people.” With less runway shows and more “exhibitions” influencers are able to interact, share with their audience, and sometimes even get products to shoot, share, and earn commission on. It’s all very interactive and of course brands benefit from people sharing what they’re putting out.
I saw the business side of blogging. I was still living in a world of making these beautiful moments, dressing the part, dancing in sunlight, sipping martinis in a dark bar — curating and enjoying moments that I could dance around and take photos of to share with the world! It’s not quite that simple. There’s deadlines and guidelines and quotas. I wouldn’t say it was disheartening, I would say I’m thankful I got a good look at what it takes to produce killer content to get brands to notice you and take you seriously.
Since that first taste, I promised myself I would go back every New York Fashion Week — both September and February.
I continue to go because (and Jacey Duprie touches on this beautifully) I heart NYC, and I especially love embracing a city by photographing people in it. New York offers nearly every background I could hope for, I love the light, and I love that bloggers are there with inspiring looks. I actually prefer February because I’m a sucker for photographing layers, coats, boots, and menswear inspired looks. Whenever I get back to Dallas, I find myself explaining, “I love going to New York and I love that when I leave I know I’ll be back in six months. I love photographing people and I love photographing people in New York. NYFW is a great time to go because everyone’s there! I’m always happy to go, and if I can offset a trip to New York even a little bit by photographing people, then that’s great!” By going every year I’ve built up a client base of people who know they can shoot with me. If you’re curious, just go. Immerse yourself, don’t wait until your “credentials” line up, just jump in.
Fashion Week is for important people. I’m not important people, but I love photographing them. I love being up for anything and meeting new people. It’s always an adventure. I learned last September when I was getting far too serious about the numbers of my final payout from the weekend, that the experience has to be more than numbers on a balance sheet, and that was the worst experience so far. I almost left early. I’ve since remembered to embrace whatever comes my way. I’ve shot with some of my favorite bloggers — people I followed while studying bio and just imagining what it would be like to have a life that let me travel and wear the clothes I want and meet fascinating people.
Let yourself explore. Let yourself create. Let yourself breathe.
I go because I love it.
xo Becca
part one of a fashion week reflection, part two on how I shoot while I’m in New York
Travel Recap: NYFW SS2018 | Part One
Ever since my first trip to New York Fashion Week in the fall of 2016, I decided I was going to go to every September and February, unless I had a major reason not to (like my mom's birthday celebration last September - I consider that a pretty good reason.)
This February was special. I was there with my very best friends - most live in the same city as me, but of course we found a way to see each other across the country more easily than it is for us to get together in Dallas.
It was a whirlwind trip, but here's a highlight real of my favorite shoots, where we [wish we] stayed, where we ate, and how we fashionably avoided the rain.
This is probably about half the looks I shot while I was in New York, but this post is destined to be photo-heavy as-is, and I don't think you need to see EVERY outfit I shot. I don't even want to see that.
Day 1
Packed day of shoots, counting the my oat milk lattes as meals, and wishing I had sprung for a cute boutique hotel to feel fancy AF on my "business trip."
10:00 AM | Amy | Fashion Jackson | Ludlow Hotel
12:00 PM | Stephanie | Stephanie Taylor Jackson | Midtown Manhattan
1:00 PM | Nita | Next with Nita | Midtown Manhattan
2:00 PM | Amy | Fashion Jackson | SOHO
4:00 PM | Rachel | Pink Peonies | Meatpacking District
Breakfast: Oat Milk Latte sipped while working in the lobby of the Ludlow Hotel
Lunch: Butternut Squash Soup at NOMO SOHO
Dinner: Vegetable Curry Bowl at Jack's Wife Freda
How to Spend 24 Hours at the Joule
"You can't give from an empty vessel"
A great mantra I learned earlier this year and repeat to myself often, but it is easier said than done. Especially when you have a job that never really has a clear "clocking out" time.
By a series of good fortune, though, Andrew and I happened upon a blissful and coffee-filled 24 hours to celebrate our two year anniversary. Converging was an invitation to stay at the Joule and having just traded engagement photos from some very nice bottles of champagne. So bring on the Dom and fluffy robes, we enjoyed ourselves an ultimate staycation. And we brought Truman along - WHAT more could a girl ask for.
How did we spend our time? Mostly food. We were going to try to go to the spa but of course tried to get so much done the Saturday before checking in, it would have been a bit much to squeeze in. So we're saving that for a day (hopefully) in the near future because I've heard wonderful things about the Joule Spa.
1. Activated Charcoal Drinks by the Joule Pool
Just make sure you don't spill any on your clothes
The Joule pool is a guest-only amenity which is refreshing in many ways since what Dallasite isn't trying to hang out at a nice hotel pool in these dog days of summer.
2. Champagne and Getting Ready for Dinner
Here's a thing you may or may not know: I'm obsessed with my dog Truman Capote. After the pool we headed back to the room to hang out with T, sip some champagne, and get ready for dinner. The rooms are so luxurious down to every detail. And the robes are heaven.
3. Dinner at Americano
Put plates of fried risotto balls, whole branzino, stuffed zucchini blossoms, apple tart, and tiramisu, and multiple glasses of wine in front of us and we are up for the challenge. Haven't come across any dish I haven't loved at Americano (which also happens to be on my list of most inspiring spaces in Dallas).
4. Breakfast in Bed
Everything was delicious, everything felt decadent and 'vacation-worthy' but a huge part for us was getting to snuggle with our puppy and spend more time together.
5. Coffee at Weekend + Browse Taschen Books
Look closely. This is the point of the ENTIRE POST.
After enjoying a leisurely breakfast in bed, we went downstairs to Weekend Coffee so I could get my almondmilklattewithalittlebitofvanilla (I'm not human without it). I was excited to show Andrew around Taschen Books and pointed out my favorite on the shelves: Helmut Newton's Polorids - just a brilliant book you have to check it out. ("Brilliant" in the British sense, is how I'm saying it in my head). We were in luck! What I was showing Andrew happened to be their last copy, AND we got a percentage off since it had been on display and showed subtle finger prints but that's about it. (We are saving for a car so every little discount gets us really excited.)
We buy it, I look up at him and smile, I feel warm and fuzzy inside. I'm so excited to own this bit of culture. We get in the elevator. We are too adorbs I guess, and as Andrew kisses my cheek... COFFEE. Coffee on my shoes, on the floor, and on every single page of the book.
I may have overreacted.
He felt so bad but I honestly didn't respond very well, which is unusual for us. I think sometimes there is pressure for an occasion to just go *so* perfectly, I tend to analyze every little interaction comparing it to the ideal image I see. It was a good lesson for me, because I hadn't realized I had been doing it until our ride home and we were both a little frustrated and I had some time to think about how I handled it.
A week later, a package arrived for me. A brand spanking new pristine copy of the book, sent from my loving, thoughtful husband, "so I could tear out and hang the pages of the coffee-stained one and keep the other one as a beautiful coffee table book".... I married an amazing man. And remind myself to always take a breath, be patient, and work as a team through anything.
Coffee on my coffee table book...
Love you Duke Joseph
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Inspiring Spaces - Dallas
SOCIETY
Bishop Arts District
SOCIETY by Jackson Vaughn is a tiny candle shop in the Bishop Arts District that looks - and smells - exactly like you walked into someone's candle-filled study. It's eclectic but cohesive. Knick knacks and enough scents to spend a whole afternoon smelling. Walking in is instantly relaxing and cozy, and even though it's small, it's easy to get lost in there.
HOUNDSTOOTH
Sylvan Thirty
Houndstooth Coffee is a slightly mellower Houndstooth than it's sister location on Henderson. The muted greens, natural wood, and sleek blacks and whites, make this a perfect place to get some work done, but mostly chat with a friendly neighbor. It makes the city of Dallas feel like a small town, where most people who walk through stop to say hello, catch up, and go on with their days. Natural light streams in, and the palm fronds that lean against the side windows make you feel like you could be anywhere in the world (other than Dallas).
Set & Co.
Davis Street
Housewares, magazines, furniture, and every other perfectly-curated trinket you can imagine. Walking in to Set & Co. is like walking into your interior-designer-friend's house and wanting everything for yourself but then actually being able to buy it. It is owned by a husband and wife who are just as cool as their store and it is always a welcome space where you can wander, peruse, and treat yourself.
Place on Parry
Fair Park
Place on Parry is a blank canvas plus a little bit more. An all-white event space that is literally anything you want it to be. Rentable as a photo studio, workshop space, a place to host a dinner or engagement party, it's lofty ceilings and open floor plan are perfect for letting your creativity take over. It has a huge window in serving as the street-side wall that let's in so much light, that would make any photographer swoon.
Americano
The Joule Hotel
The food is amazing, that's a given. But the color palette at Americano is what makes this Italian-American restaurant inside the Joule Hotel so special. Lovely hues of turquoise, red, and green against a black grid of windows really transports diners into a world where siestas and afternoon Aperol spritzes replace the mid-afternoon slump and another cup of bland coffee. It's comfortable, it's happy, there's pizza - it's wonderful. Added bonus: there's a neon sign in the very back that reads: IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD. (what Instagram dreams are made of)
Local Press & Brew
Oak Cliff
The best place about Local Press & Brew is that this coffee shop slash juice bar not only makes all their products locally, but they also sell and support work of local artisans. It's sleek and contemporary without losing any sense of hospitality. White subway tile, minimal wood stools, marble tables, a wall of mirrors, and beautifully displayed local goods make Local a perfect place to stop in, grab a green juice, take a breath, recharge, and tackle the rest of the day.
Austin Recap - Can't Travel Without My Vital Proteins
Is it a photographer thing to love grey skies and gloomy weather? If you follow my Instagram, almost every photo I post was taken when it was overcast, and then I went and did the unthinkable and posted a photo that was taken in full sun at high noon. I'm actually staring at my phone and it is giving me anxiety because #instagramaesthetic
oh good it got three likes
If there were ever a place to appreciate the gifts of spring, it's Austin. I actually walked by a house with beautiful blooms and told my husband, "I don't hate pink anymore." Talk about revelations. There is something about birds chirping and flowers growing that makes me want to be outside more, go for more runs, smell the roses...
Backstory: I have been eyeing Vital Proteins basically because I want the skin of a six year old. So I asked, and I got a lot of great feedback and got some for my own. Maybe it's this vibrancy of spring, but I really do have more energy and feel like my skin looks healthier. It could also be that I'm trying to drink more water and eat healthier, but I figure that, if anything, I'm getting an extra 9+ grams of protein one to two times a day.
So far I've tried Vital Proteins in my almond milk latte, grapefruit juice, coconut water, beet juice, and ginger lemon water, and it's pretty close to tasteless if you give it a few extra minutes to thoroughly dissolve. My favorite is one packet + 1 cup of coconut water in a ball jar, shake it up, and fill the rest with ice.
With the promise of youthful skin, hair, and nails, and letting Austin inspire me to pick up my camera and take more tourist photos than I usually do, I had Andrew take some photos of me while we were strolling waiting for a table at Cafe No Sé. (We spend all our time on South Congress, always). Maybe this could be left for another post, but who am I not to kill two birds with one blog post.
I need to jump in front of the camera more often because, well there aren't ever any photos of me, but mostly because I realize how hard it is to know what to do, where to stand, what it will look like... bloggers I respect you so much!! (and bravo to Mr. Patton for having the patience for met to teach him how to use my Mark III)
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you are thinking about getting vital proteins, buy some and see how you feel. I definitely recommend it in terms of feeling like my energy levels are better (coming from someone who needs to nap at 3 every day). Pretty close to flavorless, the travel packs are really handy, and they are kosher, so wins all around
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How Do You Define Adventure?
Wanderlust hits us like a wave more frequently than we are able to do anything about it. I imagine hotel rooms with fluffy white sheets, camel rides through the Sahara, or Icelandic hikes ending in styled editorials.
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Five Lessons I Should Have Learned A Long Time Ago // NYFW Recap
As a photographer, I'd say I walk a fun line between understanding fashion and completely not understanding fashion. I can appreciate the beautiful, the artistic, even the eccentric, but there are still some garments and getups that leave me at a loss.
Read moreLa La Land
For many, "home for the holidays" means cozying up by the fire, hoping for a white Christmas, and donning festive flannel pajamas. Maybe I made most of that up based on my novelty idea of what Christmas means outside of a Southern Californian weather pattern. For me, "home for the holidays" elicits more of a generalized "vacation time with family and friends and hopefully hiking." Checked all of those off this year, with a handful of Yahtzee games and visits with family to boot.
Dallas, as I've stated and reiterated and and repeated too many times to count, is my second home sweet home. The more I live in and explore Dallas, the more I love it. But we all know that. Los Angeles is still a mystery to me. Eighteen years and some change of living in LA, and it still feels like a mystery to me. So I finally ventured out of my usual Manhattan Beach and Santa Monica destinations and did what any tourist would do - go to the most Instagram-worthy spots north of LAX.
First, I had the absolute pleasure of photographing my best friend and her family at a beautiful park off Arroyo Seco Parkway (the first freeway in the Western US by the way), aptly names Arroyo Seco Park
Second spot: coffee at POT Cafe and brunch at the Commissary at The Line Hotel. I will just say the greenhouse ambiance was really interesting and fun to photograph and I loved catching up with two good friends, and enjoyed a fun shoot with Fe who is in amazing LA blogger.
Third installment of my hometown adventures was rooftop drinks at the Ace Hotel, which is where I will likely return whenever I am back in LA, probably because it reminded me of somewhere I'd go in Dallas or Austin..
Also went to the Bungalow, but if my goal is to end this post on a high note, I won't go into it.
San Diego Recap + Favorite Fall H'orderves
Princeton, New York, Houston, Austin, Napa, San Francisco, and Rome, but there is nothing like a laid-back weekend at my sister's house in Del Mar. It's my version of a perfect weekend getaway - mornings reading to my nephews and sipping coffee, and evenings playing bocce ball and cooking and visiting with family.
I thought this would be a fun time to try some new recipes (and utilize her beautiful kitchen).
HAM AND PEAR CROSTINI
Makes 2 dozen
Though these small bites are perfectly tasty made with an ordinary French baguette, choose a whole wheat or seeded one for a bit more flavor.
½ baguette (or 1 demi-baguette), cut into 24 slices
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 ripe but firm pears, halved, cored and cut into 24 wedges
1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley
¾ pound leftover spiral-sliced ham (or another flavorful ham), cut into bite-sized pieces and warmed (we used prosciutto)
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Brush baguette slices all over with oil and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake, flipping halfway through, until just crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, maple syrup, salt and pepper to make a dressing. Toss pears in half the dressing and arrange in a single layer on a large, parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast, flipping pears halfway through, until tender and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Toss parsley with remaining dressing. Top each crostini with a piece of ham and then a wedge of pear and few leaves of parsley.
* we added some honey drizzled on top to add a little more sweetness to balance the salt in the prosciutto
More recipes can be found on West Elm's Blog Front + Main. If you try out a recipe, every new food photo shared on Instagram with #westelmxwfm, West Elm & Whole Foods Market will donate $1 to the Whole Planet Foundation, helping to alleviate poverty worldwide
Sponsored by West Elm + Whole Foods
Rome: A Home Away From Home
A quote I revisit every day: "Home is wherever I'm with you". Andrew and I have both been traveling constantly, and separately, for the past few months and this trip to Rome was the longest amount of time we have spent together since August. Along with spending quality time together, Andrew and I got to visit with friends - some of whom we haven't seen since our wedding in July of 2015.
Both Andrew and I had spent our semesters abroad in Rome in 2010 and 2011, and that was when we checked off most of our museum, monument, and church tours. On this trip, we simply strolled through the streets, sipped plenty of espresso and Aperol spritzes, and ate pasta and cheese to our heart's content.
Some highlights of the trip: gathering wine, cheese, prosciutto, and crackers from a small shop and walking to the Borghese gardens for a small sunset picnic laughing harder than we have in so long with some of our best friends. The group of us one day were shown around the city by an American priest who took us to to top of the seminary and the view was more than breathtaking. The entirety of Rome, from the Vatican to the "wedding cake" - it took us all several moments to drift back down to reality and realize how lucky we were to experience this together. Finally, the purpose of our entire journey, was the wedding of one of our dearest friends - a beautiful, magical sacrament of marriage at St. Peter's Basilica where I was asked to second shoot. Suffice it to say that will go down as one of the most magical wedding to photograph and I count myself truly blessed to capture at least part of it through my lens.
It's difficult to articulate a trip or an experience, and that is why I love photography. Jump in and explore - photos are an invitation to join in the moment and develop your own story around them.
“The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.”