Calling all Class of 2012 Seniors!!!

Yay! Congrats class of 2012, you have one more year! We’re looking for senior representatives and YOU could be our next model! We have officially begun accepting applications for seniors - class of 2012 - in high schools around the Tampa Bay area. We’re looking for 2-3 models (male and female) for each school. Not everyone who applies will be accepted. Since we are hiring a limited amount of models, we suggest turning in your application today!

Senior Rep, what is that?!

My reps (representatives) are spokespersons for N~Grace Photography! You should be energetic, outgoing, optimistic, personable, enthusiastic, fun and a little wild and crazy ;-) You’ll be getting your pictures taken and talking about the fabulous N~Grace experience! 

Here’s the job description:

You will be a senior model for N~Grace Photography. We’ll choose a fun location to have your photo shoot where you can just be yourself! No more of those boring school pictures! This means we will incorporate all things [YOU] love, like music, your dog, your friends (yes, bring your friends along), your car!, favorite sport, etc. But here’s the thing, you can’t be shy in front of the camera.

You'll receive:

• 3 of your awesome images to post on Facebook
• Personalized Senior Rep cards to pass out to your friends at school 
• A gift card or cash for every person you refer (who books a session)

If this is a job, do I get paid?

Uhhh, yea!!!

You get paid and you get a discount! This is how it works: for every person you refer (who books a session) you’ll receive a $20 visa gift card (or cash)! I know you’re probably saying, “okay, what? I refer 5 people, they book a session and I get $100?” Yes! Your parents will also receive a 10% discount on any purchase from the photo shoot I took with you. Not only will your parents get a discount but your friend - the one who books the session and gets you that $20 visa card - will get a 5% discount on any package when they mention [you] referred them! That sounds fun and easy enough, right? So are you still interested? Good, keep reading. All I need you to do is:

Get your parent’s permission to participate 
“Like” me on Facebook (just look up N~Grace Photography)
Fill out your application HERE

That’s it! That’s all I need to know. Just remember we’re accepting applications for a limited amount of time and for a limited amount of students, so the sooner you email me your application the better! If you know of anyone who would be interested make sure to share this information with them. If you or your parent’s have any questions do not hesitate to send me an email and I will respond as quickly as possible!

Re-decorating part Un

So re-organizing my room has turned into re-Decorating my room! I currently have two huge wooden dressers in my small apartment-like bedroom. One of them has to go! loL 

This is the outline of my bedroom NOW:

The scribbles you see in miscellaneous places are books, pieces of paper and other crap that I have no place to put. 

I cleared out the wider dresser by hanging all of my jeans and just moving the rest of the clothes from that one into the taller dresser. Now my wide dresser is empty and I'd like to get it out of here (I've had it since I was a baby...time to upgrade loL) instead of buying all new furniture I'm thinking I will paint the taller dresser white with a glossy finish remove the wide dresser and replace it with a cute/chic chair and cubby bookshelf like this one:

 Here's an outline of how I'd like my new and improved room to look

That computer you see on my desk is gonna be my big daddy iMac ;-) loL (it's coming soon enough) everything will be neat and organized. I'll have storage to hold my text books along with paperwork for "N~Grace" which is so important to me. I need to know that everything has a proper place.

Now, as for the decor :D.....my walls are a very light/soft yellow which is nice. I like a touch of color but it's not too colorful or bright. My bed is black and the rest of my furniture and doors are white; so I got that yellow, black, and white thing goin on. Mostly just black and white (bc the yellow walls are so light it looks as tho it's an off-white color) That's fine for now. I've created a few inspiration boards that I like and will continue to look at for the next month or so as this "re-decoration" projects goes underway lol

*Desk area*

*bedroom*

Guess what I've been doing..

Yepp...re-organizing my closet has been an all day project. Well, it started as me just reogranizing my closet and spread into me re-organizing my room! loL I'm not done but it's getting there :) 

Happy Wednesday

Dancing in the moon light

My two favorite movies of all time are, "Love and Basketball" and "The Notebook" - I am a complete girly girl and a hopeless romantic! I love watching movies or reading books that express real love between two people, you know, the kind that will make you CRY...Cry...and cry some more until you eventually get a headache from crying so much. Yepp that's me! I used to be the complete opposite (for real), that is, until someone came into my life and changed my entire outlook on life itself! Seriously, I never thought I would be saying (or writing) anything like "oooh I'm soo in love" "I met my soul mate" "I can't live without him" "we belong together" - loL ok ok, you're right I'm not saying all of that just yet. I'm a 20 year old who is still in the process of getting her Bachelors degree; this can't be me right now. Can it? Is it?

Ahhh I shouldn't get into all of this right now. I'm really just thinking of our date last night. It was so nice. We went out to dinner with my mom and brother at this cool Thai restaurant downtown. Later we walked around the pier and I swear it was like a scene from my favorite movie! "The notebook" to be precise loL....we walked to the back of the pier and there is an outdoor deck with a huge area that looks like it could be a dance floor. Overhead is a roof with those christmas lights hanging and turned on overlooking the moonlit water. It was the most romantic scene and I said, "I wish there was music so we could dance." You want music, I got you. So he pulls out his phone and plays what we call our song. Eric Benet's "spend my life with you" he pulls me close and we dance under the moon light. I've never done anything like that before and it was just perfect. My thoughts of how relaxing and wonderful that it felt to be in that moment kept being interrupted by thoughts of our first dance - you know, a 1st dance at your wedding. Really Nina, your wedding?! Crazy right?! Think my marital clock is ticking yet? loL We danced, we talked, we were together and it was great.

Make Your Own Fabric Flower Bouquet (Tutorial by Josephine Sicad)

Since this weeks theme is flowers, I thought this looks like a fun and EASY DIY project :)

Materials:
Fabric flowers & assorted flower hair-clips (I would have loved fresh flowers but I wanted to have something I could keep forever)
Cotton twine
A few scraps of wool
Scissors
An egg beater/whisk

Step 1:
Hold on to the whisk as shown on the image and with a little force, try to deform it into a oval/circular shape. You can use tiny wires or something to tie on the criss-cross parts to keep them stay in shape if you need to.

Step 2:
Stuff the scraps of wool inside in whisk. This will help form the shape of the bouquet.

Step 3:
Can you believe you’re almost done? I told you it was easy!
Detach the flowers from the necklaces and attach them to pins/hair clips then start clipping them and the assorted hair clips onto the whistk until you’ve covered all of the wool area to form the bouquet – go mad and be creative! I enjoyed this part so much,

You can pin/use wire to attach the flowers without clips on onto the curves of the whisk (not really to the wool directly as the wool only helps forming the whole shape.)

Step 4:
Cut off a fair length of the cotton twine and wrap it around the egg beater stem to cover the metal.

And then…voila! You’re done!

Hope you’ll enjoy making your own pretty bouquet soon!

Tutorial & Photography by Josephine Sicad

Bridal Bouquet Inspiration

I've always been the type of girl who likes looking at (and receiving ;-) ) flowers. The right combination of colors and smells are just so appeasing to me. I gotta tell you, last week (not on valentines day) my boyfriend surprised me with a dozen roses! :D I mean, how can that not put a smile on any girls face?! It's the way he did it though that caught me by surprise. I usually know when he's up to something but here we are on the phone like we are every night talking about whatever and he says, "Nina, I think there is something on your front porch." Huh?? Are you here? "No, I was passing by on my way home.." Well, why didn't you stop by? "Because it's like midnight and I needed to get home, but for real I think there is something on your porch" Like you said it's midnight, I'll just get it in the morning. "No, Nina I think you should look at it now.." (me being the slow one that I am, I'm still not catching on) You do realize it's midnight, and dark out? Why do you want me to...(immediately the light bulb turns on!) Oohhh!! Did you bring me something? loL "I don't know.." (I can hear the smile on his face). I open the door and there they are, a beautiful dozen roses packaged and wrapped nicely sitting on the front porch table :) I sent him hugs and kisses over the phone. It was a beautiful way of saying "I'm thinking of you"

Wow, ummm enough about me and my excitements...on to the real post at hand: Bouquet Inspirations! As seen on The Knot website these tips are as colorful and inspiring as all of you brides are :) I hope these tips are inspiring and helpful. Happy planning!

Quick Fact: Hey, did you know that the tradition of carrying a bouquet came from brides wanting to ward off evil spirits? (I believe that's where the tradition of throwing rice came from as well) 

Tip 1: Channel History

Ever wonder why many brides carry stephanotis in their wedding bouquets (besides the fact that the flowers are so unique and gorgeous)? These creamy, star-shape florets carry a symbolic meaning of happiness in marriage. Says who, you ask? Many such floral traditions are rooted in the conservative Victorian era, when every flower was given a symbolic meaning so that men could express their sentiments without words. Armed with a new edict, men began courting ladies not with love letters or serenades but with bouquets -- and soon a lady receiving coral-color roses knew her suitor was expressing the first signs of desire, while a young maiden receiving a dainty cluster of violets might blush at the notion that her secret admirer had expressed his faithfulness to her. Learn the meanings of these popular wedding flowers and incorporate a little bit of history into your wedding day.

Here are a few of our favorites to get you started:

• lily of the valley = happiness

• calla lily = beauty

• freesia = innocence

• gardenia = joy

• orchid = love

• lilac = first signs of love

• anemone = expectation

Tip 2: Color-Code It

Choosing colorful flowers that match your wedding palette is an obvious way to personalize your bouquet. But just because you’ve picked a pretty green-and-purple combo for your wedding, doesn’t mean your flowers need to scream eggplant! Colorful adornments -- from ribbons and fabric to beads and baubles -- will make any bouquet meaningful. We love going with monochromatic blooms and bringing in color through the shape -- and shade -- of unusual additions, such as dark, rich berries, brilliant green succulents, or even jewel-tone sugared grapes. Other examples: Do as the Romans did in times of celebration and add stalks of herbs to your bouquet, such as sweet-scented, pale purple lavender. Or take a bundle of typical white wedding blooms, like stephanotis or calla lilies, and tie the bouquet with a green wrap secured with a purple snap or button. You might even string purple- and green-accented paper cranes (for good luck) from your bouquet.

Tip 3: Check Backgrounds

Flowers can speak louder than vows -- in all the pictures, at least. Another way to personalize is to choose flowers that match your personalities or are expressive of your backgrounds and beliefs. For instance, you may choose to give a nod to his Norwegian heritage by including purple heather -- Norway’s signature flower -- in your bouquet and on the guys’ boutonnieres. Or you might pair your birth-month blooms like lily of the valley with chrysanthemum, because he was born in May and you in November. Or maybe your bedroom is always awash in tulips -- your favorite bloom (a good choice, as they represent “consuming love”). Include these (you’ll find them mainly in three popular varieties -- French, Dutch, and Parrot -- though there are 3,000 varieties) in your bouquet. Did he propose while you were road-tripping in Georgia? Consider carrying a nosegay of peach-hued roses.

Tip 4: Keep It In The Family

Delve into your own family history and elevate the personal factor of your bouquet. Give your wedding flowers a homegrown flair by picking peonies from your mother’s garden; or you may choose to carry a cluster of white French tulips because your mother did so, as did her mother and her mother’s mother. There are also less obvious ways to incorporate familial elements into your bouquet: Wrap the stems of your flowers in your favorite fabric topped off with your grandmother’s vintage hat pin, or create a bouquet wrap from an heirloom silk scarf. (Remember though, fabrics may be damaged by water and pins). Consider threading a relative’s pearls around soft rose petals to add sophistication to your wedding; or simply your the florist to take silk ribbons monogrammed with both of your initials and loop them through the bouquet.

Tip 5: Remember To Remember

Keeping in sync with your fiance and your bridesmaids will help you pick personalized flowers. Start by recalling a favorite date that you and your fiance had. Was it the time you enjoyed an afternoon picnic in the park and he brought along a bouquet of your favorite flower -- daffodils -- to commemorate the occasion? Consider carrying these blooms down the aisle. Or maybe he brought you daisies for your first date? Make sure your bouquet is bursting with them. Is his favorite eau de toilet that you wear lavender scented? Ask your florist to incorporate sprigs of sweet-scented lavender into your bouquet and onto his boutonniere. You might even ask your attendants what their favorite flowers are -- you could include each of their favorites into your own arrangement.

Tip 6: Use Your Environment

Gather inspiration from the everyday elements around you. Some fresh takes: Dress a bouquet with faux freshwater pearls because you’re marrying at the beach, or dot your arrangement with small fruits for a touch of spring (we love kumquats, lemons, even cherries). Is your fall fete taking place in a botanical garden of sorts? A motif like butterflies might be an appropriate thread for your details -- let ceramic or fabric ones peek out from behind the flower petals as a nod to the season. We’ve planted the seed -- you’ll need to take it from here.

 Taken with 12-1 Photography

#4, week 1

Working on goal #4 for Feb. shooting a particular item every week. This week I decided it should be dresses. Practice. Practice. Practice. they say, and you'll get better at your craft. Here is me practicing. I know, I know. None of these are wedding dresses, but I needed something to use so these are just a few formal and semi formal dresses I had in my closet :)

Have a great Wednesday guys!

February 2011 Goals

I love talking to Dj, he is a steady dose of support and encouragement to me. I listened to him today as he explained his current goals and how he is in motion to achieve every single one of those goals. Goals...goals are a trip loL..well, at least for me. I love making goals and I usually accomplish them (the ones I have written out and can visually see on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis) but then I write, re-write and re-write once more lists of goals and they begin to pile up one by one and slowly I end up doing nothing. Am I not motivated? Am I just lazy?! I think I can be lazy at times but I'm also a very diligent person, I guess when it comes to certain aspects of my life. Well, most aspects of my life I am diligent but ask me to cook dinner and I'll tell you I have to do homework loL. Anyway I notice my lists consist of 30+ goals that I want (intend) to accomplish in a (seemingly) short period of time.

Here are my thoughts:
1) Choose no more than 8 goals (to post on my blog) per month to try to achieve!
2) Every month list those goals for the world to see (maybe this will give me the extra push I need, if its posted on the web then I have to do it, right?)
3) Throughout the month I'll check off the goals that I accomplish :)
4) Each month when I post a new set of goals I will review the previous month's goals and see how many I actually accomplished.

So here we are, February 1, 2011 a brand new month and a brand new set of goals I'd like to achieve (did you notice how I keep going back and forth between the words "accomplish" and "achieve" is that bad writing? idk lol)

~ Second/Third shoot with 12-1 Photography at the St.Petersburg Yacht Club

~ Actually hang the pictures I have framed

~ Get an anniversary gift for my parents

~ Each week dedicate one item/object to practice shooting. theme: wedding details (i.e. shoes, rings, flowers)
 week 1 (dresses)
 week 2 (shoes)
 week 3
 week 4

~ Re-write 2011 Personal and Business Goals

~ Host an online picture contest

~ Blog about my trip to West Palm Beach