A Rose in the Rough

As Aaron has become more enthusiastic about his new photography hobby, we thought it would be interesting to incorporate some more art and technique into each fashion post.  Originally I had envisioned to shoot this outfit in the middle of a dirty dumpster alley, or in front of some sort of rotted old barn to add a chaotic background, but this backdrop was kind of neat too.

Dress: Old, can't remember where I got it from

Ballet flats: J.Crew

We still have much to learn about photography, but adding bits of art/emotion into these shoots have made it so much more fun. 

Have a great weekend!

Drugged out Grace.

Don't be a poser, but if you have to...

My close friend, talented photographer, and now photography blogger Samantha Bartlett had asked me a few weeks ago to do a guest post on how to pose for the camera. I couldn't help but snicker to myself because I still don't have the faintest clue what I'm doing. If you watch Aaron and I take pictures, it's usually me standing awkwardly, and Aaron saying stuff like: "Too stiff. Too fake. Smile more!! Your arm looks funny. Stop looking constipated. Look over there! Squirrel!!

In any event, I thought I could have a little fun with this and share some of the top 8 go-to stances that have worked somewhat for Sunny with a side of. Yes, I collectively have named these poses:

1. THE "SMILE AT NOTHING"

This one is probably the easiest to do. Just relax your body and stare off at the nearest tree, lamp post or telephone wire, then think of something funny. You'd be surprised how well this technique works, and you still look somewhat natural.

 2. THE "WHATEVER"

Not a care in the world. Nope. Not paying any attention. Not listening.

3. "MY PRETEND EAR PIECE"

My hair often gets in the way, so may pictures are captured of me trying to tuck my hair back... which ends up looking like I'm talking on an invisible ear piece. It works, somehow.
Roger that.

4. "THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER"

Oh say can you see...

5. THE SIT

Sitting works much better than squatting- which is an awkward position to begin with, and I risk ripping my pants. The trick is to always keep your back straight.

6. MESSY HAIR

There are all sorts of ways you can mess with your hair, get closer portrait shots and have fun with it. It's also much easier to do this when there is a strong wind out. 

7. HIDE IN THE BUSHES

Use the nature around you to be part of the camera frame, especially if you need to hide your crooked skirts/pants.

8. THE "RE-ADJUSTING MY BOTTOMS"

In this case, my skirt was crooked. However, while you are adjusting your bottoms, you can turn it into a pose. This is a variation of "hands on the hips", except I think this looks maybe a little bit less forced.

Top: Generously contributed by Lalamagic

Skirt: J.Crew

Bag: Target (Philip Lim)

Shoes: Ferragamo

Bottom line is, it doesn't matter if you're a beginner fashion blogger or top model, do what you are comfortable with. There's really no right or wrong way, as long as you're connecting with the photographer, enjoying the experience and having fun. With time, the rest will fall together naturally. Have an awesome weekend, everyone!!! Check out Samantha's photography blog!

She's not afraid of us. Not one single bit

Transformed

Top: Urban Outfitters   |      Jeans: J.Brand     |      Purse: Prada Gaufre

We traveled back to Chicago almost every weekend in August and September mostly for weddings, but the last two weekends, our family made last minute travel plans back to the city so I could finally experience being an extra in a movie! (Thank you to Aaron for babysitting)

Transformer’s 4- in theaters planned for June 27^th, 2014. If you guys go see it, look for the tiny little dot resembling an Asian woman in the corner of an office building caught in an explosion, screaming for her life and protecting her purse. That’s me! If I’m lucky, I may also be seen walking behind Mark Wahlberg in a few split second shots. Haha

I’m sorry, under contract I can’t give any details about my experience or inside scoops about the movie, but I guarantee that there will be lots of action, and if there’s anything you know about Michael Bay films, you will not get a shortage of explosions!

I met some great friends in all walks of life. Not all movie extras are professional actors/actresses! Most are everyday people with corporate jobs who, like me, occasionally do this for fun. It was neat to see how movies are made from behind the scenes, and meet all the talented cast/crew members who make it possible. I have a whole new appreciation for movies now, and will definitely be paying more attention to the background who usually get ignored. It can be a pretty tough job!

I found this picture that someone captured on the web (I wasn't able to take pictures on set). I'm standing right behind Michael Bay!

Photocredit

Ahh let’s see, what else is new… I turned 31 last Thursday. I feel so old. My hips are starting to hurt.

The Ropes Course

In grade school gym class, I was that kid. The sad little buck-toothed, four eyed, scrawny kid who no one wanted on their team because I was awful at performing any sort of athletic activity with the least bit of coherency. I was that kid who got picked very last, even after the fat, smelly kid. I remember very clearly the day that I had a chance to prove myself worthy to my peers... it was our 5th grade end of the year obstacle course relay-race, and I was (for some absurd reason) the very last person. I was the game winning participant. They chose me to finish the last portion of the relay-race by climbing a rope to the ceiling. I'll keep the story short, as I prefer not to elicit any post-traumatic memories... but lets just say that my team lost, and I was found dangling, struggling and wiggling at the bottom of the rope after everyone had already finished.

This shirt reminds me of my athletic failures, in particular... anything that has to do with a ropes course. Ah well, life goes on. Good thing I don't need to climb any ropes nowadays, right?

Sweater: Banana Republic

Shorts: J.Crew

Sandals: ShopRuche

Purse: F21

Lets just hope Grace grows up with better athletics skills than I had :)

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Linking up with Coffee beans and bobby pins

Whale you be my friend?

I think it's so phenomenal what a camera can capture. It can take a nuclear polluted pond (Pictured behind me) and make it appear like we are in Bora Bora. (OH HOW I WISH WE ARE IN BORA BORA!!)

My husband is now head over heels, or shall I say head over loafers obsessed with photography. He is watching youtube videos non-stop, studying the manual and upgrading lenses on a camera that's not even ours. He's taking pictures of the keyboard as we speak. 

Whale shirt and shorts: Jcrew

Belt: Shopruche

Thank you so much to everyone for leaving such encouraging and loving comments on my last post about Grace's special gift. Thanks also for the emails. There are a few of you who I don't know how to properly thank and respond to, since I wasn't able to find a blog to comment back on or an email address that I can write to, so I just wanted to say thank you again on this post.

I have met so many great friends through Sunny with a side of. This has been such a wonderful community, I appreciate all of you for following/reading and being a part of our lives. It has also been exciting getting to know all of you as well. 

So this is just a super brief post to express my gratitude to you, I've really enjoyed all your friendship. Lets stay in touch:

Facebook |  Bloglovin |  Instagram | GFC

Whale you be my friend? ;)

Linking up this week with Style Elixir, Fashion and Beauty Finds, and Real girl glam

Gingham styling when I retire

Top: Banana Republic

Shorts: Jcrew

Flats: Jcrew

Bag: Prada

So this topic has nothing to do with the outfit, but I think most of you have figured out by now that I babble about random things completely unrelated to fashion posts. That’s what makes blogging fun, I suppose. You get to do/say a little bit of everything. Today my random, nonsense thought of the day was triggered by a home visit that I made to one of my older patients last week who lives by himself. It got me thinking…

Have you guys ever thought about what you would want to do on a typical day after you retire? You must think I’m crazy. Maybe I’m just working around too many old people. Seriously though, our lives are busy now, but one day (for me, 35 years from now), we will have NO WORK to do. No deadlines to meet. No projects to complete. Our days will be free and empty…. To do what?

So I was thinking about this in the bathroom the other day how I would want to plan out each day:

My daily retirement schedule:

Wake up at ANYTIME! Lets say 9AM.  

Read the paper (or maybe in 2048 they’ll have CMR** brain chips that will deliver all information to us through wireless magnetic downloads), have breakfast and drink my coffee.

10-10:30 AM: Gentle exercising - Tai Chi (This has been proven to reduce the risk of falls in the elderly) or Yoga, if my osteoporotic hips will still allow

10:30-11AM: Shower and get my hair did with my nursing home friends

11-Noon: Watch The Price is right. This show will be on FOREVER…. And I will watch it through my CMR brain chip. Either that, or Young and the Restless, which will also be on forever.

Noon-1: Lunch

1-3 pm: Nap time! Yes, I love long naps

3-4 pm: Tea and biscuits with the ladies. Maybe play some Mahjong or cards, specifically Euchre

4-6 pm: Happy hour: Read my favorite books. Boy so many books to catch up on. I want to re-read all the classics, all the Stephen King and Michael Crichton series, maybe re-read the Babysitters Club. Knit/sew for the grandkids. Do my quiet-times/read the word/pray. Take granny blog pictures of the latest and greatest denture products and hearing aids J Yes, I will still be blogging at that time. Will you still be reading along? My goal is 10,000 bloglovin friends by that time

6-7 pm: Dinner

7-8 pm After dinner walk/stroll/exercise regimen

And here’s the best part:

8pm- Bedtime: Popcorn and movie night EVERY NIGHT. I plan to catch up on all the TV show series I’ve stopped following- like LOST, Glee, Grey’s anatomy, 24 and Breaking Bad. Just to name a few.

HOW AWESOME WOULD THESE DAYS BE??? What would you guys do?? I can't wait to retire. Golden years, here I come!

**CMR = cellular memory review

Linking up this week with Style Elixir, Coffeebeans and Bobby Pins, Plane Pretty

Parks, Pool Parties and Barbecues: Long live Summer 2013

This week we discovered some new local Parks...

Top: Shopruche (Old)

Shorts: J.Crew

Wedges: Clarks

Aaron's shirt: Southern tide

Enjoyed a pool party and met some new friends

....and indulged in a backyard Barbecue

Maybe I'm experiencing some sort of midlife crisis at 30, but lately I've been wanting to capture every memory. I can't stop taking pictures and documenting everything that we are doing. These small snippets of happiness with friends and family are only a part of a chapter of our lives that will soon change again. Who knows, this time next year we could be somewhere else with a whole new group of friends. Will I ever be able to do this with the same people again?

Think back to your life 10 years ago. What were you doing then? What were some of your most pleasant memories? 10 years ago I was in college, having the time of my life with a group of God-loving friends who shaped my character and soul, and whom I will never forget. Those details are stored on an organic memory-drive deep within my brain that will someday probably degenerate into nothing. Not to sound morbid. I can't tell you how many times I've wished that I could go back to those days and live out those times again, but change is inevitable, and change is good. Change is life.

I want Grace to look back and see how happy she was while she was growing up. We are so fortunate to live in a time period where technology allows us to capture such intricate and attentive details of our lives. As silly as it sounds, documenting something as simple as what we did during our summer of 2013 with great friends and family will be met with smiles and nostalgia in another 10 years from now. Especially when Grace, at age 12 asks us someday "What was I like as a baby?"

She'll see these pictures and know that she loved to smile, she had a good friend named Annabelle who she shared corn and toys with together, she enjoyed pool parties and stroller rides to the park, grandma and grandpa loved her dearly, and her mommy use to be young and tried to be fashionable... but oh for pete's sake what IS MOMMY WEARING?

I hope it's okay that I weave some snippets of my life with my attempted fashion posts. It helps me remember, appreciate, and give thanks for all the great things that God continues to bless our lives with. Thank you for being part of it!

Linking up this week with Plane Pretty