Busy, Busy, Busy...

I've had a lot going on in the last few weeks, which is why I haven't been blogging regularly, but I figured I'd share some of what has been keeping me busy with all of you. And yes, some of it is style and fashion-related.

First, I took a trip to New York City with some coworkers for an awesome conference. We came back from our trip feeling energized and excited to get back to work. While we were there, we were able to see the 9/11 Memorial which was very powerful.

We were also able to see a Broadway show in our downtime: 

Unfortunately, I did not document any of our outfits while I was there. It was just so hectic. Our days were jam-packed from the moment we got up until we crashed in our hotel room at night. It was a fabulous trip.

Since coming back, things have still been very busy. I've styled a magazine photo shoot:

Is this model gorgeous or what? She's wearing Hudson by Amsale with flowers by Kate Parker Designs, Hair by Lena Hartford of Hair that Moves and make-up by Joanne McDonough of Joya Beauty. The whole shoot was very architectural with pops of blue-print blue throughout (hence the bright blue necklace and ribbon around the bouquet). I can't wait to see the actual photos- these were all snapped on my phone, so they're nothing like the end product. I'll try to remember to post the photos from the shoot once it's published. The veil we used was absolutely EPIC. 

Other than that, I've been busy with friends- I've been to a Pinterest Party, down to Boston for a girl's shopping weekend and for the last few days I've been planning a spa-themed birthday slumber party for the Professor's daughter. I'll post more as soon as I have time. Check back soon and as always, thanks for reading! 

My Day With Joya Beauty

Remember how excited I was last week for my makeup lesson with Joya Beauty? If not, you can read the post here. Well, today was the big day and I loved every minute I spent with Joanne!

I even made a video to tell you guys all about the experience, so enjoy!



I have to admit, learning to record a video, then edit it and then upload it to YouTube all in one day was a little daunting. Fortunately, Macs are pretty much designed to be user-friendly, and it only took a few minutes of playing around to figure it out. Granted, the video is as simple as it gets, but maybe next time I'll be able to add some music or fun transitions or who even knows what else? They sky's the limit, as they say.

Feel free to comment on anything to do with this post- my makeup, Joya Beauty, my video recording and editing skills- anything at all! And have a great day!

Joya Beauty- Not Just Makeup

I am so excited to share with you guys about Joya Beauty that I just couldn't wait until next week. I know Joanne because of mutual acquaintances in the wedding industry. She's pretty much the bees knees when it comes to make-up artists, and she does make-up for loads of Madeleine's brides. Just last Saturday she came to the store to do make-up trials for brides. Of course she did an amazing job. I love watching her work- she really is an artist.

Last March, I had a facial at her studio and it was an enlightening experience. It was my first facial and I doubt I would ever get a facial anywhere else after experiencing one at Joya. I went in with oily, splotchy red skin and I left with a clean, healthy glow and the products to appropriately address my particular skin issues. You know from the photograph in THIS POST a few years ago that my skin is incredibly sensitive and I'm incredibly sensitive to my blemishes and imperfections. I showed Joanne the same picture that you saw in that post and she delivered not only in terms of the products she used, but in the approach. She really made me feel like my skin was beautiful. That I was beautiful.

After such a great experience and several months with clear, non-oily skin, I decided to experience another aspect of her amazing skills. I booked a make-up lesson. I'm hoping to learn how to use my make-up in better ways. I'm not looking for the basics- I think I've got those down. I'm looking for the tricks. The special tips that only make-up artists know. I'm looking to learn about tools and how to use and take care of them. I'm looking for some mad skillz, yo. And I'm gonna get 'em.

Finally, as a frame of reference, here's a great example of what my daily make-up looks like:

Have you ever had a professional make-up lesson? Or attended a make-up workshop? Where did you go? Who did you work with? Leave a comment and tell me all about it. I will definitely be writing a follow-up post to tell you all about my make-up lesson with Joanne!