I recently had the incredibly fun and wonderful opportunity to photograph a sweet, talented, and beautiful (inside and out!) friend in some stunning bridal gowns.  Add in a pretty awesome location.  And the loveliest blooms you ever did see!  We were all going gaga for these florals the entire day!  I may have even twirled and sang while holding them between shots a few times…ok, so I totally did do that!  I just couldn’t help myself!  Ok, have I mentioned that Julia is gorgeous?!  Aside from being a wonderfully talented makeup artist, she just happens to know how to work it for the camera too.  What a beauty!!!  Spring is just a few short weeks away, which is somewhat hard to believe after all of the snow outside my window right now!  What better way to await spring’s arrival than with a little sneak peek at some of the loveliness from this dream shoot!

A huge thank you to our amazing creative team who made this happen!  You guys are the best!  What a fun day!

Florals: Meg Catherine Flowers // MUA: Julia Wadsworth Makeup Artistry // Hair Stylist: Courtney of G Michael Salon // Bridal Gowns + Accessories: Blue House Bridal // Venue: Mill Top Banquet & Conference Center // Model: Julia // Photography: Stewart Imagery

I met Valerie when I was about 7 months pregnant with Remington in the midst of an insane heat wave blasting the Midwest.  Reggie and I were part of a car show taking place in the heart of downtown Carmel, and it just so happened that we parked just up the street from Blue House Bridal.  I told Reggie I’d be back in a few minutes, and off I went, hoping to meet a fellow wedding industry peer and perhaps to find some cool air!  And here we are almost two years later, and besides becoming a wonderful client, Valerie has become a sweet friend of mine.  We both have little boys – just 2 months apart! – and we love them both dearly!  I’m excited to see them hang out and become great friends over the years!  A while back, I stopped by to visit Valerie at Blue House Bridal.  I just love her boutique, her dresses, and her passion for her business.  I’ve been excited to share more, so let’s just get right to it!  Stewart Imagery asked Blue House a few questions to help you get to know them a bit better.  For more information, visit their website and connect with them on Facebook.

One of my goals for 2010 was to work on a personal project.  While I love, love, LOVE photographing weddings, engagements, families, seniors, and kiddos, I wanted to take on something a little different.  What was my inspiration for this project?  Summer in Provence, a beautiful region in the south of France.  I studied French for 4 years in high school, and hosted an exchange student, who is still one of my great friends.  Hi Karine!  The following year, I was fortunate enough to travel to France to visit Paris and then to stay with Karine’s family.  They took me on adventures to many places along France’s southern coast.  It was such an amazing experience!  I majored in French in college, continuing my love for and study of the language, history, and art.  Although I haven’t been back to France…yet!…I continue to be inspired by all that I’ve learned about the French culture, their language, their people, and the wonderful family who opened their doors and hearts to me.  I pulled together some things I’ve collected to incorporate into my concept: an old typewriter, some fabric from my trip, some vintage cameras, some French poems from my college text books, and some items from some new friends who helped make this project come alive, Union Street Flowers & Gifts and Beauchamp Antiques. 

A huge thank you to Union Street Flowers & Gifts and Beauchamp Antiques for their generosity in making my vision for this project come to fruition!  It was so much fun!  Thank you, thank you, thank you! 

Tracy and I met in college at IU-Bloomington, and have been great friends ever since. After discovering that our workplaces were less than a mile apart, we would meet for lunch and talk about our lives, our ‘9-5’, and other happenings. We soon discovered that we shared something else in common…we both yearned for more out of our career, to doing something that we truly enjoyed, to create something all our own that would have meaning and a positive impact on others. We would toss various ideas back and forth, most of them sounding silly to our own ears as soon as the words were uttered. Tracy had come up with something. Something good, something promising, something real. I remember the spark in her eyes and the sheer excitement in her voice as she told me what that something was. I’m very pleased to introduce Frangipani Body Products! And I was so honored when she asked me to photograph her line of products! We got together for some portraits, and I asked her a few questions about Frangipani and running her own business. Check out Tracy’s Lifestyle Session!

Meet Tracy!
My dear friend, the one with the chair. She’s got even more style…check out her living room!
I’ve been very excited to do her portraits…see why?

And “the chair”! Tracy, you are beautiful, inside and out! I love this one!

stewart imagery: Why & how did you start Frangipani? What were some of the influences that inspired you to create your products?

Tracy: I started Frangipani after suffering from a combination of sensitive, acne-prone skin with rosacea. I was so frustrated with the products on the market I started reading and created my own products. It wasn’t long before I started noticing a real difference in my skin and decided to create the whole line!

stewart imagery: What is your favorite thing/best part about having your own business?

Tracy: Since graduating from college, I had a very structured job. Long hours that were sometimes completely out of my control. It was an adjustment at first but I have really started to enjoy having the freedom to work when I want. If I want to take the afternoon off, I can. It might mean I work that night but at least I have the choice! Having your own business is really rewarding as well. All of the successes are so much sweeter!

stewart imagery: What words of advice can you share that may help someone go for their dream? What was the best advice you have been given?

Tracy: Wow. What a hard question! It is so scary to go after your dream! I consider myself lucky for being given the opportunity to work on Frangipani full time. I guess I would tell people to remember life is short. Do what you love. The best advice I have been given is to remember what your contribution should be to your company. Early on, I thought I could build my own website. I had built them years before and thought it would be like riding a bike. It wasn’t! My friend told me to remember that my commitment to Frangipani should be through the product line, not the website. I could pay someone to build the website. I couldn’t pay someone to develop the products. So that is what I did and my time was spent in a much wiser way.

Tracy loves to laugh! When she laughs, it’s just contagious, and this is SO her. Favorite!

stewart imagery: What is your favorite Frangipani product and why?

Tracy: I think that is a toss up. The Protective Serum is my favorite because it was my first product. It helped heal my rosacea flare-ups and convinced me that oil was actually good for my skin. The Shea Butter Softening Lotion is my other favorite because I tried MANY different versions before I got to the final product. It was a labor of love and I was so happy when I finally created something so wonderful!

The Environment Triple Set for Oily Skin contains Tracy’s favorite products!

After doing some indoor portraits, Tracy had suggested we go play in the snow…
what a perfect idea!

stewart imagery: What would you like for people to know about Frangipani?

Tracy: Frangipani is all about peaceful, natural skin care. There are no chemicals or synthetics, just pure plant-based ingredients. You can buy everything online or local to Indianapolis at Georgetown Market, Just Hair, and Nature’s Pharm with retail outlets expanding every day!

Workin’ it in the snow! You rock, Tracy!

Tracy, I am so happy and excited for you! You are reaching for the stars with your dream, and I couldn’t be more proud of you! You are an inspiration to me and to so many others, and for that, I can’t thank you enough. And thank you so much for totally rocking your session, both indoors and braving the cold, it was well worth it and TONS of fun!