Last week, my friend, Breena, sent out an e-mail inviting a few of us to join her for the Nordstrom makeup event.  What’s a Nordstrom makeup event, you might ask?  Well, I asked the same thing – and also said yes right away, as the combination of Saturday morning, a group of friends, and makeup, all sounded like something I did not want to miss out on!  Below is the “before” picture, at 8:30am, as we got ready to experience some makeover magic.  The morning began with a great video showcasing various makeup routines for the spring as done by each of the makeup brands.  We then took turns getting makeup lessons (this is what Bobbi Brown calls them, rather than makeovers – it’s all semantics, and implies that it would be possible to look this good on our own without their help, which I think might be impossible for those of us who are makeup impaired…), and finished off with snapping photos outside.  The highlight for me was probably getting to have so many fun friends willing to let me play around with the camera with them!  Kelli manned the camera while I was in a makeup chair, and captured the fabulous shot of Andrea (one of the blondes) holding the Bobbi Brown mirror.  And Ashley was kind enough to take some photos of me after I had my makeup all done, too!  All in all, a very successful morning and one that I would love a repeat of sooner rather than later.

(Left to Right:  Tiffany, Casey, Breena, Kelli, Liz, Stefanie, Tisha, Heather.  Missing from this photo: Andrea, Ashley and me)

A month after her real birthday, we finally managed to have a “cake party” for Evera.  It’s hard to believe our baby girl is 5 years old already, although in some ways, with her independence, adventurous spirit, and leadership traits, this girl seems like she has been 5 for the last 4 years or so.  She keeps herself busy making new friends (whether we’re school, Costco, or the DMV), skipping around without a care in the world, carting her stuffies around, packing for trips 6 months in advance, making up songs, and disciplining her cat.  Last night she tried on a fairy dress that her friend, Sabine, gave her for her birthday, and allowed me to take a couple of photos before she moved on to her next activity.  Here’s our much loved, not-so-little-anymore fairy.

Yes, this is the very same site that just recently was “ModNostalgia”… and now the change is official.  The process began last March when I decided that it was time to consult the professionals for a look and feel that would go along with my photography style, and would be something I would be proud of.  Something I was excited to tell people about.  It all began with a simple inquiry to Hey, Sweet Pea (www.heysweetpea.com), asking for some information on what they offer.  I was so impressed by their logo portfolio, I only dreamed that I could one day have my very own logo designed by them!   I filled out questionnaires, collected examples and images of logos, colours and patterns that felt like me, and chatted over Skype with them.  Now, 10 months later, I not only have a new logo, but also a whole new name for my business.  Not what I had planned in the beginning, but in order to fully transform into this new brand, we had to leave ModNostalgia in the past.

This is a whole lot of change for me, but I’m thrilled with how much the people at Hey, Sweet Pea got me.   To give you a taste of what I’m talking about, some words that came out were: playful, inspired, enduring, empowering, inner and outer beauty, kindred, and grace.  I get tingles just reading those words again.  They communicate so much of my vision for what I want this photography business to be.  A place where my clients feel like they can be themselves, and have that show in the images we make together.  Tales of beauty inside and out.

Check out the mood board that Hey, Sweet Pea put together – a kind of collage of the colour, texture, and feel of Storytree Studios.  The beginning of an exciting new chapter.