Look Book Photo Shoot

In May I completed my 6th year in the shop (yippeeee!!).  I've been wanting to put together a Look Book -- pairing up my jewels along with some great clothing.   It's been a long time since I actually did a photo shoot (other than Etsy listings).  The last one was in Downtown LA in mid-2008....

I love DTLA!!  All the graffitti walls and murals.  I love it.

It's amazing to think how much my life has changed in just a few years.  I've gone from living downtown in one of the biggest cities in the world, to living in a super small beach town in Central America.  In that last round of pictures, I never would have imagined that I'd be where I am now with the shop and all the great opportunities that have come along with it.  

I started thinking about what I'd like to photograph and how.  Over the past 3 or so years, my jewelry line has kinda' morphed into two distinct looks and lines.  I have the big chunky pieces that were what started my jewelry line.

But in addition to that, I've been working with a lot of sheet metal, creating cuffs, and geometric necklaces, earrings and rings.  Lots of layering and mixing metals.  

I decided that the first (of more to come) photos would be of the sheet metal jewelry because for the past few months, that's been where I've felt most inspired.  Plus, it seems to reflect more of the style that I'm wearing these days.

I hit up my friend Hollie, a beautiful graphic and clothing designer who visits Costa Rica with enough frequency that it's difficult not to consider her a part time resident.  I ran a few ideas by her and asked if she might be interested in being my model on her next trip here.  I don't even know that she heard what I wanted to do - I'm pretty sure all she heard was "come to Costa Rica" and lickey-split she was booking her ticket.  Don't gotta' twist her arm to come here!!

She showed up with two suitcases full of great clothing that went p-e-r-f-e-c-t with what I wanted to photograph.  God I love that girl!  It was awesome to see the clothing come together with the jewelry exactly how I had envisioned.  I couldn't have picked a better wardrobe even if I had gone out and purchased it myself.

We got super duper lucky because she ended up house sitting for a friend who was nice enough to allow us to use his space for the pics.  Lots of white walls and natural light.  Also an awesome Keith Herring mural that the talented Ms. Hollie painted on one of her prior trips.  ((sigh))....this girl.  

We rang up our friend Emily who arrived with her usual spunky attitude and the show began.  Total we took about 500 pictures over the next 3.5 hours. 

The ladies worked it, we laughed, goofed off and the on-site doggie guard, Rai, flirted and supervised.  I think he liked seeing all the half naked ladies running around.  Boys!!!    

After reviewing the pics and now slowly going through them and editing, I gotta' say, they turned out better than I ever could have hoped for.  These chicas did a great job!  I'm slowly going through them, posting them on Etsy, Instagram and Facebook.

But here's a peek at a few of my faves....

Ms. Emily

Ms. Hollie looking like a doll.

I mean really Rai!!

I'll be continuing to post over the coming weeks.  Also, in August Hollie will be back again (like I said -- frequent visitor!) and we hope to do another round - beach front.  

The Aging Game....

Growing.  

Growing up.  

Grown up.  

Growing old.  

Old. 

Why does it seem that everyone is getting younger and younger?  Or is it just that as I go through my own life journey, I realize how very young I was when I was "that" age??

The area I live in tends to attract lots of young people from all over the world.  Late teens, early to mid 20 somethings.  Free. Traveling.  Having fun.  No worries (or from my perspective 20 years later, knowing that there were rarely any real worries in the long run!)  Not stressing about tomorrow, living for today.  Not having a care.  And now that you mention it, not really being clear about what it is that they should be caring about in the first place. 

Ahhhh, the bliss of youth.  

A girlfriend and I recently had a chuckle.  I'm 41 and she's turning 42 soon.  Living in this youth attracting area, we realized that it is probably just about the only place on earth that we've been referred to as an "older woman" in a sense that actually makes us feel ((gulp)) old.   Not middle age...older.  What a hoot! 

Recently, I caught myself watching a table of three traveling young ladies at a bar.  I'd guestimate they were between the ages of 18-20, from somewhere in South America.  Young.  Flawless.  Beautiful.  Free.  Laughing.  And (hopefully) with their whole lives ahead of them. They can choose anything at this point.  I started to flashback and daydream about myself at the age.  The choices I made.  The roads those decisions led me down.  And it's funny because at that age, you have no idea what the outcome will be, or how much true potential you have.  Everything and anything is at your grasp if you only choose it.  But life is ironic that way because you only come to those realizations by making the choices, good or bad, and traveling the roads they take you down.  Only through hindsight can you see things crystal clear.  (Guess that's where the saying "Hindsight is 20/20" must've home from, huh?)

But you know, "youth" is a funny thing.  It's determined from what point in time you take a look.   I may look at these travelers I encounter and think they are soooo young and with the vast world in front of them.  But 20 years ago, I was that young woman, yet to someone 20 years older than me, I still am.

This occurred to me when two women I'd estimate to be in their early 70's strolled through the shop and we starting chatting about how I came to be living in this tropical paradise.  They asked all the standard questions "do you like it here?", "did you come alone?" "will you ever go back to the U.S.?"  The one woman looks at the other and says "Ahhhh, can you imagine having so much time and opportunity left?" 

And she's right.

What a strange world it is that puts so many head-trips on the impossible task of remaining young forever and then discourages you as you get older, as if your time has already run out while you're still in the processes of living your life.  

I think it too easy to lose sight of the fact that no matter where you are in this youth-game, you still have what's ahead of you - ahead. 

 

The Age Game

Growing.  Growing up.  Grown up.  Growing old.  Old. 

Why does it seem that everyone is getting younger and younger?  Or is it just that as I go through my own life journey, I realize how very young I was when I was that age??

The area I live in has a tourist season which brings lots of young people from all over the world.  Late teens, early-mid 20's.  Free. Traveling.  Having fun.  No worries (or from this perspective 20 years later knowing that there were rarely any real worries in the long run!)  Not worrying about tomorrow, today.  Not having a care.  And now that you mention it, not yet knowing exactly what it is they should be caring about in the first place. Ahhhh, the bliss of youth.  

A girlfriend of mine had a chuckle the other day.  I'm 41 and she's turning 42 soon.  Since we do live in this youth attracting area, it is really just about the only place on earth that we've been considered an "older woman".   What a hoot!

I caught myself watching a table of 3 of these "youngsters" at a bar the other night.  I'd say they were between the ages of 18-20, from somewhere in South America.  Young.  Flawless.  Beautiful.  Free.  Laughing.  And (hopefully) with their whole lives ahead of them. They can choose anything at this point.  I started to flashback/daydream about myself at the age.  The choices I made.  The roads those decisions led me down.  And it's funny because at that age, you have no idea what the outcome will be.  Or how much potential you have.  You only come to those realizations by making the choices, good or bad, and traveling the roads to which they lead.

But you know, "youth" is a funny thing.  It's determined from what point in time you take a look.   I may look at these travelers I encounter and think they are so young and with the vast world in front of them.  But 20 years ago, I was that young woman to someone and to someone 20 years older than me, I still am.

This occurred to me recently when I met two women I'd estimate to be in their early 70's.  We chatted about how I came to be living in this tropical paradise and all the standard questions "do you like it here?", "did you come alone?"  The one woman looks at the other and says "ahhhh, to have so much time and opportunity left." 

And she's right.

What a strange world it is that puts so many head-trips on the impossible task of remaining young forever.  I think it is so easy to lose sight of the fact that no matter where you are in this youth-game, you still have what's ahead of you - ahead. 

In the end, you just gotta embrace where you are and realize, that you are TODAY the youngest you will be for the rest of your life.