This past Wednesday Brie and I attended a Tampa Photoclub meeting hosted by Divine Light Wedding Photography. It was my first time going to one of their get-togethers and I hope it won’t be my last – what fun it was! This month’s focus was on photographing children. We all went to a playground down the road from the DL Studio, and once there, the little models were free to play and run, and we to run after them with our cameras. These are some of my photos from the day.

I’ve been drinking my coffee from this small little cup, which I have had since the time my bedroom walls were The 100 Acre Woods. It is the perfect amount for me, and I can usually finish it before it gets cold.

I like comfortable clothes. Sometimes I like them just a little too much, which can lead me to staying in my pajamas most of the day. My love of soft cardigans and slip-on flats has often earned my style the description of being…well, let’s just say beyond my years. Below are a few pieces of clothing that are easy-going without being sloppy, in my opinion. Gray (or is it “grey”? I never know) always makes me cozy, and I like the “lounge” feel of open-front wraps. The Vans pictured here I recently purchased and they are great – however, my oldest sister tells me she could have found the same shoe at Walmart. Maybe she’s right. In an effort to add a little sparkle to this simple, everyday look, I am trying to accessorize with jewelry more, like the bow ring.

“The finest clothing made is a person’s skin, but, of course, society demands something more than this.” – Mark Twain

Last month I began taking a French class, and let me tell you, it is hard. After hours of studying the French language, I often get discouraged and would like to throw in the towel. So, yesterday I made a small list of French things that I love, which will hopefully help to re-inspire me with reasons to learn français. It’s worth a try, right?

1. The movie Sabrina. It’s one of my favorites, both the original with Audrey Hepburn, and the remake with Harrison Ford. Very romantic.

Linus: [while slow dancing with his brother's girlfriend] How do you say in French my sister has a yellow pencil?
Sabrina: Ma soeur a un crayon jaune.
Linus: How do you say my brother has a lovely girl?
Sabrina: Mon frère a une gentille petite amie.
Linus: And how do you say I wish I were my brother?

“A woman happy in love, she burns the soufflé; a woman unhappy in love, she forgets to turn on the oven”

2. French Berets. They are really cute and fun to wear, especially paired with a scarf during the winter.

3. The Madeline books. They are stories about a little French orphan girl who often gets herself into trouble. I picked a few of them up at a yard sale about a year ago and I think the illustrations are very sweet. “In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines. In two straight lines they broke their bread and brushed their teeth and went to bed. They smiled at the good and frowned at the bad, and sometimes they were very sad. They left the house at half past nine in two straight lines in rain or shine. The smallest one was Madeline.”

4. French toast, french fries, and french bread. All very tasty reasons to press on and learn how I might order them in a restaurant in France, if I should ever travel there.

5. The music of Feist, Corinne Bailey Rae, and the“Paris” album by Putumayo. All of their albums feature songs with some French lyrics, and I’d like to know what I am saying when I sing along. That would be good.

There, now I already feel more inspired. La vie en rose!

Hey Seniors! If you’re graduating this year, it’s time to get serious about making plans for YOUR Senior Portraits. Check out this page to see just a sampling of the kind of images you can expect from us. If you’re looking for something young, fresh and modern, book a Senior Portrait Session with us today! Call me, Brie at (727) 458-0135, and we can talk about all your ideas, I’ll answer any questions you may have and we can get something set up right away. Bonus, we can also design custom Graduation Announcements with the images from your session. We can talk about that when you call to book a session.

Here is my first style board of the year. (Sorry, I didn’t get to do one for January because of the holidays and getting back into the swing of things.) Remember, this is a monthly feature so come back in the beginning of March for something new.

This month, in an effort to realize a style for myself that doesn’t involve spending much money, I’m focusing on wardrobe staples. I’m learning more and more that if you love fashion and style in this economic age, you have to learn to be a really thrifty shopper with an ingenious eye for seeing the potential in a single item of clothing. If it can’t be re-mixed in a handful of different ways, why bother?

So here is my little list of things that I think are wardrobe staples for me:

• Oversized denim men’s shirt with black skinny pants
• Denim jumper-esque dress
• Basic striped boatneck tee
• All purpose cardigan
• Tweed shorts
• Plaid button down
• Navy pencil skirt
• Gray skirt (with or without tights)
• Bonus: Sailor-inspired coordinates
• Easy canvas pull ons
• Vintage-inspired oxford pumps (so trendy right now but still such a classic look)
• Simple oxford flat

My staple items all have a definite menswear vibe in a neutral palette which I really love as a base for layering on girly, pretty things in bright colors or patterns. Each one of these pieces could be worn any number of different ways using various seasonal accessories. To me, their silhouettes have a timeless appeal that I won’t have to worry about going out of style in 6 months.

So there’s my first attempt at a style board. I used a mix of Polyvore and Photoshop to create it.