Winter Fields | Shelly + Daniel

Shelly and I have been friends since we were babies; we've grown up together and shared so much of life together. We consider each other as family, and I am extremely blessed to have a friend whom I can truly call my own sister. It's really a rare thing to find these days.

When Shelly and Daniel asked me to shoot their e-session, it was a great honor for me. A couple weeks ago, we stomped around snowy Bull Run to take some photos. There was a whole lot of laughing and giggling. Shelly and Daniel are such an adorable and fun couple--you can see in these photos! We'll be having another shoot in the spring/summer so keep your eyes peeled.

First Wedding | Lauren + Steven

Earlier this month, I was asked by my good friend to second shoot a wedding with her at Hilton Mclean, and I enjoyed it so much. The bride and groom were stinking adorable and hilarious together, and I couldn't stop smiling at their first look. At first, I was pretty nervous that I would destroy everything and lose all my memory cards, but once we started shooting, it was an incredible experience. I'm very thankful to have been a part of it. Here are a few shots of what went down!

An Unexpected Purchase

This past winter, I bought a motorcycle jacket. Moto jackets have always been a bit intimidating to me, and to be honest, I was not really seeking one out. I just like to admire them and appreciate them from afar, like pixie cuts or tight-rope walking or lions. I don't know. I've never actually seen a lion in person. Regardless, I digress.

For my own style, I used to be into much more feminine pieces, but as of late, my taste has streamlined and become more minimal, which you can see in my small PINTEREST. I don't really dabble in trends, partially because I'm a student and don't make enough money to constantly update my wardrobe and partially because the idea of wearing an item for only a short amount of time really irks me, and I am far from being edgy. Therefore, leather motorcycle jackets--the epitome of bikeriness (totally not a word) and edginess--make me uncomfortable and just looked wrong when tried on. But all has changed since I found this.

 

No, it's not leather, so maybe I'm cheating. But the shape is the same. The wool fabric and dark navy color make this motorcycle jacket less intense. To me, this is much more crisp and wearable, and it fits well in my wardrobe. I don't look as awkward, which is always a plus, and I got it on super uper sale--even bigger plus. Maybe one day I'll be able to wear a leather jacket, but for now, this is enough. For anybody wanting a less formidable moto jacket, I would suggest looking into different colors and fabrics such as these: HERE (this season's version - it also comes in different colors/fabrics) or HERE.

How To: Half Moon Nails

Once my recital ended, one of the first things I did in my spare time was paint my nails. It sounds a bit silly, but if you're a female instrumentalist, you know that being able to paint--or even grow--your nails is a rare opportunity. And this time, I decided to go the extra mile and do a half-moon manicure. Super exciting. Half-moon manicures are essentially the opposite of French manicures; instead of highlighting the tips of your nails, you highlight the moons. It's really quick and easy. I'm terrible at nail art, so if I can do it, you can too. All that's needed are some sticky labels, two different colors of nail polish, a pencil, and scissors. If you choose to paint the moons a lighter color than the rest of the nail bed, you can simply use BINDER REINFORCEMENTS. But if you want the moons to be darker, I think this is an easy way to do so. You can also just use French manicure strips if you'd rather not draw and cut, but you won't get as defined of a circle.

Step 1: Paint the entire nail bed with your color of choice. I went with Loreal's How Romantic. It's a  pretty color, but it's streaky and therefore very annoying. I had to do about 3-4 coats.

Step 2: Cut out a strip of labels, leaving them adhered to the paper backing. Outline the shape of the moons with a pencil, and make sure to draw them wide enough so you have buffer space when painting the nails. Cut out each strip.

Step 3: Peel off the strips and place them accordingly onto your nails. Paint below the labels to create the moons. I used two coats for each nail and set them to dry.

Step 4: Remove the strips, add a layer of clear top coat, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You can stare at them adoringly, stick them in front of your friends' faces, whatever comes to you.

Blessings and Flowers

This past Saturday, my friend and I held our joint senior recital, and it was both an incredibly fun and incredibly scary experience. I pretty much panicked all morning and early afternoon...and also tried to shove down as many bananas as possible. Tip for the nervous: bananas and pomegranates have natural beta-blockers. While I don't know/think the bananas actually worked, seeing all my family and friends who came despite their busy schedules and the long trip down to Charlottesville made me feel so, so blessed. They helped calm me down, for sure. Now that I'm on the flip-side of things and the performance didn't turn into a giant train wreck--all thanks to God--I am really glad to have done a senior recital in my last year as an undergraduate student. Even though it's nothing huge, it has really challenged me to grow as a cellist and as a person, particularly in the area of self-confidence.

Also, my sweet friends and family gave me such BEAUTIFUL flowers. I haven't received so many flowers since my high school graduation. They're so stinking pretty. Every time I look at them, I want to explode. Here are snapshots of just a few of them.

 

 

I wanted to do more of an object study, so clearly these are staged. My room has had recital stress tornado right through it--there was no time to be a lady. But aren't these flowers gorgeous? Two of my closest sister-friends helped me arrange all of them when we got home late after dinner, even though they were tired. They did such a good job! Not to be excessive, but I am again so, so thankful and blessed by the people in my life.

Graffiato - Washington, DC

This is a bit of an oldie, but I figure why not! I am by no means an expert on food, but maybe this could be helpful to someone out there who reads this tiny little blog. As for myself, I just eat. And if I like, I like. 

Last month, Sie and I went to Graffiato per recommendation of her co-worker. Essentially, they serve artisanal pizzas and small plates. We ordered the Countryman and the White House, both of which came out in about fifteen to twenty minutes.

The pizza above is the Countryman. I think it was covered in fontina, black truffle oil, and some sort of pesto. But the exciting part of it all was watching the waiter pop the soft egg and spread it all over. 

The White House was topped with ricotta cheese, black pepper honey, and prosciutto. Though my friend's coworker RAVED about the Countryman, we actually preferred the White House--it had a nice balance of sweetness from the ricotta and honey and saltiness from the proscuitto. The flavors of the Countryman seemed a bit muddled when put together. As for the ambiance, it was dimly lit inside, so photographing things proved to be quite difficult. And it was loud--not family/bebe appropriate. 

In summary, I would say if you can appreciate the nuances of crafted pizzas, then this may be worth a shot for you. I thought the food was good, but for the price point, I don't think I would be hankering for another go unless someone else wanted to try it. Honestly, I love classic Italian margherita pizzas that are hugemongous, thin, delightfully cheesy and basilly, and cheap. If you're looking for that kind of pizzeria, I would recommend Pomodoro's in Fairfax. They don't have the margherita on the menu, I think, but trust me, it is there. And it is the bomb-dot-com. 

Cafe Hunting

I've been home for the summer, and I've desperately been wanting to find a nice little nook at which to work. Unfortunately, the cafes in the Northern Virginia are not ideal; they're almost all chains or Korean bakeries and are incredibly loud. Not that there's anything wrong with chains, but I like the idiosyncrasies of individual shops. I've settled with Caribou Coffee for now. My friend and I are going to cafe hunt for the rest of the our time here, and hopefully I can share some secret finds.

I'll be trying to update this baby (Is it weird to call my blog that? It probably is.) more often from now on--promise!