2014 - Reflections on the Past Year's Goals & Resolutions

Every year at this time I like to look back and reflect on the goals I set for myself for 2014.  I find it really interesting to look back and see if I overall achieved what I set out to do that year.  This is usually one of my fav blog posts every year and typically I find that I've done a pretty good job at nailing my goals.

Well I'll admit this year wasn't always an easy one for me in a lot of ways.  I actually kind of chuckled to myself at some of the goals I wrote for myself at the beginning of the year b/c I definitely know there's more work to be done lol!

First though I guess like any good teacher I should touch on the positive and talk about the Goals & Resolutions I do think I did "right"!

Exercise More - Although I've been a little off the bandwagon since my trip I'd definitely give myself a gold star for this one.  I ran a half marathon so right there I'm saying "Good Job, Jessica".  I may have kind of thrown the idea out there a bit before but I don't know if I ever thought I'd actually do it and I'm so happy I did.  Can't wait to beat my time next year!  And I can't believe I just started running a year ago pretty much!

Live a Healthier and More Balanced Lifestyle - Again overall I'm pretty happy with this one.  I did a juice cleanse back in March and since then I've reached a weight and size I don't know if I ever thought I'd see...again been a little off track since my trip but I'm confident I'll get back to that weight again - too many nice dresses and skinny jeans to fit into again ;)  This combined w/ the exercise has really been good for me this year!

Read More - I've definitely found the reading bug again and I'm happy about that.  Having my Kobo really does make a difference and it was great on my trip where I must have read at least 3 books.  I tend to go through phases where I read a ton and then go a couple of mths where I read nothing.  I really should try to read 1 book a month or something b/c truth is once I start reading a book I'll typically finish it in less than a wk.

 Travel More - Well even though I didn't do any small trips like I was hoping I did do a big 3 wk adventure to Central America and did 5 countries while there so I guess I'll give myself a pass on this one. Although I was definitely cutting it close since I only did the trip in late Nov/early Dec.

Network More Within The Bridal Industry - Well I didn't hit the 80 wedding mark like I was hoping for...only came in at 76 but I can tell from my sales that the weddings I was doing were definitely bigger than years past.  Plus I grew my team a little bit more and had more weddings for said team.  And as I mentioned yesterday I've been working on rebranding my wedding business to make it grow even bigger for everyone involved.  I've even networked a bit more w/ some of the other sections/industries in my biz and did a wedding creative so that's good.

So next I'll touch on some of the things I did okay on but definitely could have done better with.

Be More Productive - Most ppl who know me don't believe me when I say this...and maybe I am being too hard on myself but I think I'm actually incredibly lazy and waste a huge amount of time.  I definitely think I've been getting better at being productive.  Especially these past few mths since I got rid of a couple of the toxic things that were holding me back and stopping me from concentrating.  I really need to make lists for myself on a daily basis b/c I think that would help me do more and be more productive.

Stop Concerning Myself So Much With Other People - Not gonna lie this is still something I struggle with.  I've definitely found it helpful to actually just delete or block the feed of certain ppl on my facebook or instagram if I found them to be doing more harm than good to my well being. Although it may not be the most mature thing sometimes the best way for me to not get jealous or compare myself is just to delete and forget about them...although I do need to work on just living w/ it and being happy for everyone else and their success.  Typically I am happy for others success just sometimes when I'm in a down mood it's a bit much for me.

Stop Living In The Past - In some ways I've definitely been a lot better about this and than in other aspects of my life, specifically my last relationship I constantly keep running through "what if" scenarios in my head and that doesn't help anyone...especially me because it played out the way it did and I have to remind myself even if certain things didn't go down there would have probably been other issues at other points anyway.  Although, I'm not going to lie this one has been a hard one...especially during the holidays.

Cut Out Toxic Influences or People - Well even though I would have never put my ex into the "toxic people" category at this time last year b/c we were still together I guess how everything played out he kind of would be there now so I guess it's good we're not together.  Like I've said before I wish things had worked out differently in a lot of ways but they didn't and he was making me miserable, lonely, isolated and sad...and I didn't even realize it until everything was done.  I probably should have realized it sooner so there was definitely some toxicity in my life for several mths this year. And I know for a fact that toxicity definitely affected my productivity in every part of my life unfortunately.

The rest of the list is honestly things I think I failed at achieving pretty miserably lol.

Blog More - Yeah well I blogged less this year than any other year....like A LOT less...so yeah definitely failed at that one.  I think I was just going through so much I just didn't feel I had anything interesting to write about or share.  Hopefully that will change this year and I'll be re-inspired and reinvigorated!

Get More Commercial Work & Do More Creatives - Yeah was definitely not focusing on these things enough last year.  I think I only did 1 creative that got published.  It was a beautiful story but seriously I use to be doing that stuff all the time.  I did also do a wedding creative but I wasn't counting that one.  Commercial work...did a bit but again I really need to focus on this!  I was so busy in the Spring/Summer w/ the wedding stuff that it all got kind of sidetracked.  This is why I really want to start making lists so that I can check things off and be more productive!

Overall I guess I did okay.  Unlike last year I think I didn't necessarily start that strong but I definitely finished strong by time September hit...hopefully I can carry that momentum into next year!

Tomorrow I'll write my Goals & Resolutions for 2015!  Hope Everyone has a Wonderful New Year!

Pink Martini Spring/Summer Lookbook

Back in late Summer I had the chance to work w/ an amazing team on the Pink Martini Spring/Summer 2014 lookbook!  I knew the day of the shoot we created some really gorgeous pics but I had no idea how awesome they would turn out!  I've literally been waiting months to be able to show some of these pics to you so I'm so glad I finally get the chance to do so.

This may be surprising to some...I know it is to me when I look at the pics but these were actually shot in Hamilton, ON...I love the bohemian, traveler vibe we were able to get w/ this shoot and although my knowledge of Hamilton before this shoot was limited I was very surprised to see just how well it worked for the theme.  Plus the people and stores in the city were so inviting and helpful w/ letting us shoot...coffee shops, clothing stores, fruit markets...none of them had a problem w/ us stopping in and taking some pics...yeah that definitely would not be happening in Toronto lol!

As anyone can tell from the pics the shooting conditions were perfect - warm & sunny but not too hot.  Plus I have to say I've worked on a lot of lookbooks and the clothes in this collection were outstanding!  They looked great in person and fit even better!  I think there was one dress that had to be clipped...literally that's it!  That's almost unheard of for any sort of lookbook or catalog shoot!

The clothes are available online at numerous stores including some of my personal fave - Modcloth and Ruche plus numerous stores around Canada and USA.

As you can see from the makeup and hair I was going for a very soft and pretty look.  Not trying to hard - just soft neutrals on the eyes, flushed/glowy cheek and a soft glossed lip.  For the hair I wanted loose curls...again I wanted it all to look effortless and natural to go w/ the "traveler theme" of the shoot.  Really hope I get to work w/ everyone again on another project!

Special thanks goes out to the entire team on this shoot:

Photographer - Eleanor Dobbins

Model - Kelleth Cuthbert (Sutherland)

Creative Director - Salvina Lauricella

I know it's a lot of pics (and this isn't even all of them...I just couldn't decide on my favs)

No idea how I'll pick just a couple for my site lol!

2014 - Goals, Resolutions & Reflections

One of my favourite blog posts every year has to be my New Years Goals & Reflections post.  I know it's sort of cheesy and most ppl hate resolutions so for the most part I make a habit to not call them resolutions (although I know it says resolutions in the title).

I still really like the idea of starting fresh and having a good look back at the year to kind of take stock in how I did, how I'm doing...what I want to do or achieve in the next year.  Sometimes even when I think I haven't accomplished much or I'm feeling a bit down about my progress I find it really does help to look back at the goals I set for myself...sometimes I even surprise myself and I'm actually pretty impressed w/ some of the things I've achieved.

So first I'd like to take a look back at last year's goals and see how I did on them!

Well my first goal for last year was To Live More In The Moment...I'll be honest I'm not actually quite sure how I did on this one.  I did travel a bit in the beginning of the year - took a trip to Malaysia and Singapore so I def. think that was spontaneous and adventurous.  The Summer was so busy it definitely felt like a big blur to be honest...I may have been living in the moment but that's only b/c I barely had any time to plan before something else came up lol!  I feel overall I enjoyed my year and did some fun and exciting things but I think I could have worked on this one a bit more.

Stop Comparing Myself To Others - This is definitely one that I'm going to have to keep w/ me for next year b/c I'll be honest in the beginning of the year or during the Summer when I was super busy this was easy to do but it's when it gets slower or I'm not as busy that this sort of thing can eat away at me and it's not helpful or productive for myself or my well-being.

Grow My Wedding Business - This is one goal I can definitely say I achieved. I didn't quite reach my 80 wedding mark but I did do 76 weddings this year...even though it was only 4 more wedding than last year the big difference here was that all 76 weddings were MINE...compared to other years where some of the weddings were wedding I worked for other artists and companies.  As well I did start to grow my wedding business roster and booked an additional 20 weddings w/ my staff!

Re-looking at my goals for last year I can kind of see why I've been feeling a bit down on myself the last couple of mths...the Summer was amazing but I'm not going to lie Nov & Dec were not great for me...I think a lot of it had to do w/ the fact that I really didn't achieve my goals for Commercial Work & Productivity.  Overall did I make more money this year - Yes...my business grew quite a bit but I know there is still so much more I can do!

One thing I definitely feel proud for finally getting on track w/ is Saving Money.  I pay my credit card in full every month.  All my debt besides one small student loan is paid off (and I'm working on that loan).  Plus I started saving for my future this year and even got a financial planner.

So re-looking at the year I definitely think I started out strong but then sort of lost steam near the end.  I need to look at why this happened...perhaps I was just a bit burnt out from the crazy Summer...perhaps it's other reasons.  All I know is that I have to make sure that doesn't happen again this year!  Which leads me to this years GOALS!  This years goals are a few from the past, a few that I want to continue to build on my from last year and a couple of new ones...lots to achieve in the upcoming mths!

GOALS for 2014

Cut Out Toxic Influences or People - If a person or thing isn't a positive influence on my life or pulls me into any sort of negative mindset or direction I need to cut it or them out.  Sometimes I find myself getting too caught up in negative things or people that don't actually matter when I should be focusing on and striving to improve relations w/ people and things that do matter. Overall I try to live a fairly optimistic and positive life so I don't want negative things creeping in and affecting that.

Live A Healthier and More Balanced Life - I think an overall theme for this year might be cutting out the bad and embracing the good.  Despite feeling somewhat down professional the last couple of mths I would say I've definitely gotten more balance in my health and well being.  I feel I'm finally on track to reach a few weight loss goals I've set for myself.  And before xmas I was down 15-20 pounds from the year before and even fitting into some jeans I haven't worn since my time in Shanghai! (I've put on a few pounds over the holidays though).  I want to keep on track and eat a cleaner and healthier diet...cut down on my sugar and bad carbs and exercise more.  I just need to find the balance between my personal life and my work life lol!  I have a problem where when one is good the other sort of falls away and vice versa...I need to work on this!

Exercise More - My boyfriend and I have started playing squash which is a good start and I'm happy to be doing that again.  We were running outside before this awful cold weather set in.  I really want to get back into the running and I want to run a half marathon this year at some point.  I don't know when exactly but I want to find one either in the Spring or Fall.  Plus I want to start doing my Insanity workout dvds again...it's freakin' cold out right now so I need to do something to keep me active!

Travel More...Even If It's Just Small Trips - The last few years I've definitely been traveling more and seen some really interesting places and met some really interesting people.  I think this year I'd like to mix it up w/ doing some small trips mixed in w/ some larger and more adventurous ones!  There might be a trip to Vancouver, Vegas and NYC this year...plus also the possibility of something in South America at some point...have to make sure these things become a reality and not just something that's talked about though!

Read More -  I got a Kobo for Christmas and I've already downloaded a bunch of books.  I know it's almost like working out to me (but for my mind)...once I get back into it it's not that hard I just need to get back in the habit of reading again.  I got a Kobo b/c I'll be honest I hate clutter and I just didn't want to collect anymore books in my place.  I think the idea of getting more books was actually holding me back from reading...as silly as it is.

Get More Commercial Work - I know I say this one EVERY year but it's an important one and to be honest the one I'm usually least satisfied w/ my success in.  I really need to network more...I know this...and I sort of hate this.  I'll be honest I'm somewhat of an introvert and this is probably one of things I have the most trouble w/ but I need to get over that and start making some new connections and meeting new photographers and production companies.  Plus I have to do a better job and keeping and building the business relationships I already have established.  I need to get over this idea that I'm "bugging people" lol.

Do More Creatives & Get Published More - In years past I've actually done a lot of creatives and seen my work in a bunch of publications but that is definitely something I let fall behind this year.  A large part of it had to do w/ the fact that I was spending so much time focusing on my wedding business and having that grow that I wasn't looking to do creatives or see my work in magazines...b/c well it doesn't actually pay anything lol!  I did however get editorials in both Noi.se Magazine and MEGA Man Magazine so that was pretty cool!  Plus I have plans to go to NYC this Aug. to work w/ Todd Anthony Tyler for a few upcoming projects for Numero Thailand so that could be pretty exciting!

Network More Within The Bridal Industry - My wedding biz has been growing steadily and somewhat rapidly over the past couple of years which if nothing else in my business life is something I'm pretty proud of.  But of course with anything there is always room for improvement. I want to bring my bridal business to the next level.  I want to do 80 weddings this year and I want to grow my team and the number of weddings they do as well!  I need to reach out to more wedding photographers and planners and possibly do some wedding creatives for publication and what not as I really want to elevate the level of my business.

Blog More - I'll admit I was somewhat lazy w/ this blog this year and there have even been points where I wondered if I wanted to keep it going.  Like working out sometimes I find it hard to start but once I get into the groove of blogging I really do enjoy it so I need to remember that and not look at it as such a chore sometimes b/c in truth it's suppose to be fun.  Plus I really need to make sure I do my Product Review blogs quicker...sometimes I've taken FAR too long to write a review on products I've received from companies.

Stop Living In the Past - I can't change certain decisions or outcomes for things that happened both personally or professionally in my past so I need to stop replaying them in my mind sometimes.  It's not productive to anyone and in fact it can be quite detrimental to not only my present but also my future.  I can only control the things I do today and how they will build for things in the future.

Stop Concerning Myself So Much With Other People - I need to really focus on ME...and stop comparing myself to everyone else out there.  I can only control my actions and my outcome so I need to block out the negativity I feel creeping in when I get jealous of other people's success.  I need to remember to be happy for other people's success whether it be personal or professional and not angry about it.  That's just a negative downward cycle that I don't want to be part of..and I'm actually a bit disappointed in myself that I've let it affect me at various times this year!

Be More Productive - Again another repeat from last year...but it's a big one and there is always room for improvement on this one!  Sometimes I feel the busier I am the more productive I am w/ my time.  It's when I'm less busy that I start wasting time more.  There are always things I can be doing for my business and I need to remember this instead of spending countless hours playing Candy Crush ;)

So that's a pretty big list for the year!  I feel good about it though and I think 2014 is going to be my best year yet!

2013 Goals & Resolutions!

Happy New Year Everyone!  I finished out the year w/ a fun night out w/ one of my long time friends Sophia.  She came over earlier in the night and I did her Hair & Makeup at my NEW makeup station...she's actually the first one to use it!  Then we hit the town for some dancing and drinking...perhaps maybe a bit too much drinking at the end ;)  Hence why I needed an extra day to write this post...yesterday was a bit of a write off to say the least lol!  But it was a great night and I had a great time...and it felt good to get myself all done up again for a night on the town.  Actually, I can't remember the last time I did that...still nice to know this old girl can clean up okay if she wants to ;)  Plus, it gave me another chance to play around w/ my clip-in bangs!  I was debating for mths about getting bangs again but it's such a commitment and when you're hair is as long as mine such a pain to grow out.  I got these off of ebay and they are awesome...it allows me to have bangs when I want but not be committed to them full time!  They are actually bangs plus a top cover of hair that lays over the rest of your head so they blend more naturally into your regular hair and you can see the clips or seams of the bangs part.

But enough about that...let's get onto this years Goals & Resolutions!

As I mentioned before I think I did a good job last year but I definitely have some new goals for myself this year!

1. Live More In The Moment! - I have a tendency to be a major planner and thinker.  It's really hard for me to make a quick decision about things and I often go over and over things in my head until it drives me crazy.  Of course I still need to plan for my future but a lot of times I think I miss out on opportunities right in front of me b/c I'm thinking too much about the future and almost being too responsible if that makes sense.  This year I want to take some chances, have some fun and not think things to death!  This also leads into me keeping up w/ my traveling resolution of last year!  I want to take some spur of the moment trips this year...maybe it's not always the most "responsible" thing to do but you only live once and I should learn to enjoy my time more now b/c I'm sure there will come a point where I won't have this much time to only think about myself and be selfish!

2. Stop Comparing Myself To Others - As I said above I tend to get in my head a bit too much and over think things and do a lot of "What Ifs"...this isn't helpful for anyone.  I can't change the past, the choices I've made and the directions I've taken.  I need to stop comparing my successes and failures to those around me.  I'll admit it, sometimes I get envious of my peers when I feel like they are getting awesome opportunities that I'm not getting or that ppl that were once behind me are now passing me by.  I have to stop beating myself up over these things and remember all the good things I too have achieved in the past year.  And guess what, if I don't want to be passed by I have to figure out what it is I need to do to pass them by and do it!  None of this feeling sorry for myself crap!

3. Grow My Wedding Business EVEN MORE! - So last year I had a record year for myself w/ 72 weddings...this year I might be overstretching it a touch but I'd love to hit the 80 mark!  Also, I'm expanding my business so that I also have a team of artists that works w/ me that I can hopefully send out on weddings when I'm already booked.  There were so many dates I had to constantly turn away b/c I was already booked...I'd love to supply artists for these weddings (and make a little more money ;) ).  Plus I'm working w/ another artist to do some Wedding Makeup & Hair workshops for other Makeup and Hair artists..trying to grow my brand and all ;)...more to come on that one later!

4. Do More Commercial Work - I know I said it last year but it's worth repeating.  I'm not going to hit my goals for myself unless I find more of a balance between wedding work and commercial work.  And w/ that I need to get out there and do some more creatives too!  Sometimes I just get too busy doing other stuff that I forget why I got into this business in the first place and the kind of work I want to do!

5. Finish Decorating & Organizing My Apt. - Well I've started this whole home decoration and organizing kick and now I just need to finish it...but it will take time...and of course $$$.  Next I think I want to do some organizing for my kitchen!  Can't do too much decorating in there but it could definitely use some better storage options.  Plus I want to put some stuff up on the walls of my apt....they are so bare and they need some personality.  I have one picture that I still need to get framed and hung...also on the to-do list lol!  Probably most important and definitely most costly - I need to get a wardrobe for my room!  I LOVE my apt. but the one thing that is lacking in it is closet space...my clothes are currently jammed WAY too tightly in a tiny dresser in my bedroom and a tiny closet in my living room...time to be a big girl and invest in a wardrobe!

6. Save Money - I did an amazing job last year of paying of my debt...now I just need to keep it up and put all that money I was using to pay off stuff towards saving for my future.  Sometimes once we get caught up on the debt we want to live a little more free and start spending b/c we've been so restrictive for so long...and of course that's okay...but I need to think about my future too!

7. Be More Productive With My Time - Most ppl don't believe me about this one but I feel like I'm actually a REALLY lazy person and not productive enough w/ my time AT ALL!  I think I need to start creating my lists for myself and scheduling myself a bit more.  When you're self employed it's easy to just waste a few hours doing this or that and I need to stop doing that!  I need to start scheduling things like workouts and blog posting.  I think if I make them a priority and actually have them in my schedule as things TO DO I'll be much more likely to do them!

So I think that's a good start for the year!  Let's hope I continue to achieve my goals like I have in past years!

2012 - Reflections on Goals & Resolutions

Every year around this time I like to do a little reflection on the past year.  Look at the goals I set for myself...see how far I've come...how far I still want to go.  Overall, this has been a very good year!  My wedding business has grown exponentially in the past 3 years.  First year I did 20 weddings, last year I did 48 weddings and this year I finished out the year w/ 72 weddings!

And again like last year I pretty much doubled my income!  This is amazing for me and it's allowed me to do a lot of things this year that I'd only dreamed of.  Now again, not to say I'm rolling in the money..but I did okay, and I lived okay this year.  I still of course want to continue to grow next year but I'm also realistic and know there is no way I'll see that sort of growth again.

So let's take a look back at my goals from last year and how I did:

1. Travel More - I did travel this year...took me almost the entire year to do it but I did at least get one really good trip in lol!  I'm not going to lie, it's hard to justify taking time of work and worrying about the jobs I might be missing out on but I also have to take a break sometime and just enjoy life!  So in Nov. I went to India for a two week tour...which in turn turned into a 3 week tour!  I figure almost 2 years w/out a vacation I can take an extra week lol.  And the business didn't complete fall to bits or anything like that lol.  I of course wasn't able to keep up w/ things the way I would have liked but I didn't really miss that much work so it was okay.  Plus the trip was a life changing adventure so no matter what it was worth it!

2. Learn Moderation in Living - I think this one is definitely more of a life goal than a yearly goal...b/c I still need to work on this one lol.  I think I did better this year for sure but one this is for sure the word "moderation" was definitely not in my vocabulary in India or over Christmas lol.

3. Grow My Business EVEN MORE - As I mentioned above I definitely did this one.  Going from 48 weddings to just over 70 was a huge growth.  I did more commercial work as well and even had a few cool gigs - def. I highlight was seeing my work on Billboards across Toronto for the Orville Redenbacher campaign.

4. MORE Self Promotion - Yeah I definitely did some good work on this front.  I was definitely very proactive about getting reviews and pics from past brides for promotional materials.  I built an EVEN better wedding website! Got connected w/ some cool companies for product reviews, did some guest posts on other blogs and even had my work featured a couple of times on Style Me Pretty...but again can always improve ;)

6.  Debt & Savings - This is one goal I DEFINITELY am proud to say I achieved!  I paid of my Line of Credit - $20 000 in just over 10 mths!  This is probably one of my biggest accomplishments EVER!  There was a point where I'm not going to lie I NEVER saw that thing going away but I kept working and working and putting ALL the money I could onto that thing until it was gone!  Savings...I've definitely worked on that one too...I actually have money in the account.  Plus I was able to save enough to send myself on that 3 wk vacation to India.  My credit card is always paid in full.  Still have a bit of student loan but that's not bad.  Still do need to start saving for the future...like investments and stuff.

7. Read More! - Yep definitely been doing that!  Even read two books over my vacation.  Feels good to be reading again.  I probably still could work on keeping up-to-date w/ current events around the world...as I will admit gossip sites are an addiction of mine but not necessarily that informative about the REAL world around us lol.

There are some other goals I achieved for myself this year that I didn't necessarily have set at the beginning of last year.

I started looking after myself a bit better.  Went to the dentist for the first time in over 4 yrs...EEK...happy to say though still no cavities :)  I must be blessed w/ good genetics for teeth!  Got new glasses.  Started to see a massage therapist...with my job comes a lot of back problems and I need to stay on top of that stuff!  Even finally made an appt. for a dermatologist...although I had to re-schedule it for Jan. b/c my original appt. happened to fall during my extra week in India.

Plus one thing I've really jumped into full force in just the past mth is working on my HOME...and making it a HOME!  I'm not going to lie I have trouble w/ decorating and home stuff...I've moved around A LOT in my life and therefore never really done much decorating.  The thought of it actually stresses me out...but this year I decided to invest in me and my home!  Before I was always making excuses that I could spend the money on more important things but w/ the debt paid off I thought now was time.

I love my apt. and in Apr. I'll have been here 2 yrs...time to actually make it feel like a home lol!  With the help of a friend I built a Home Studio to host my trials at...this is very exciting and it looks so professional!  I also redid the layout of my living room.  Bought a new desk and made a new office space to go along w/ my new studio!  Bought a rug as the old one was looking a little rough lol!  Plus I've added a lot of storage elements to my apt!  I want to de-clutter EVERYTHING!  I hate clutter and I want things to look as clean and professional as possible!  I feel like de-cluttering my living space will help to de-clutter my life!

So overall it's been a good year and I've done a lot of good stuff!  Next post I'll write about my Goals for 2013...and boy do I have some lol!

Appfinity AppDrive Unboxing Gone Wrong

Thought I'd share w/ you a cute web commercial I worked on a couple of mths ago w/ RUNE Entertainment Inc!  It's a clever take on the the "unboxing videos" that are so popular on YouTube.  I'm not going to lie...I didn't even know what an "unboxing video" was until this commercial.  My YouTube knowledge is limited to Makeup & Hair tutorials and reviews pretty much lol!

Anyway, here's the video...wait for the end (it's the best part ;) )

Billboards Full Of Irresistiful!

Ever since I saw my first Orville ad on the subway last mth I've been on the hunt to find the others!  The problem is the wedding campaign is the only one on the subway and the other 2 are around in billboard format...and for some reason I was NEVER seeing these billboards lol!

I got word from one of the actors on the shoot that ALL 3 billboardds were around the Danforth and Eglinton area...very East and way past anywhere I normally go (I have a thing about going East...ssshhh ;) ).  So I was waiting for an opportunity when I had a car to go search for these billboards and see them in person.

That opportunity came this Sat. after my two wedding jobs.  To be honest definitely not the most ideal day to go snapping pictures of random billboards as it was raining and even mildly hailing at one point but you gotta do what you gotta do!

So I drove all the way East into Scarborough and found these bad boys for myself!  Very cool to see your work in such a GIANT format!  Saw all 3 of them!  Took pictures of the Cheerleading campaign but then when I went to take pics of the Movie Premiere campaign the angle of the billboard was too far away to get a good pic!  Luckily, another fellow artist friend of mine told me he'd seen that very campaign all over his neighbourhood in downtown Toronto.  So I then drove back downtown and found that pic just East of Jarvis and Dundas E in a small poster format.  Funny thing is literally the next day on Dundas E. West of Jarvis I saw it also in a giant billboard format!  So it's everywhere and I've just been missing it lol!

Here's the pics...pretty cool indeed!

Handfuls of Irresistiful All Over The Subway!

Back in July I had the amazing pleasure of working on a REALLY COOL and HUGE campaign for Orville Redenbacher's new Ready to Eat Popcorn!  It was a two day job where we shot 3 campaigns...which meant a lot of work and long hours.  But the cast and crew were amazing and I really do have to thank my two awesome assistants that day - Ashley Readings and Jade Truscott for their help....I should also mention the catering was top notch...always a very important thing on commercial jobs in my book ;)

One of my big goals for my career is to do more commercial work so landing this job was a BIG deal to me b/c it's a big name client and it's a big campaign...NATIONAL apparently in fact!  Commercial work isn't the most glamorous or exciting but guess what it pays well ;)

So anyway, apparently the campaigns are on billboards, buses, and subways...although I've only seen the one on the subway so far :( (Ashley has seen the billboards though).

There are three scenarios:

1. A cheerleader eating the popcorn and a pyramid of cheerleaders toppling over  b/c they are distracted by the popcorn.

2. A movie star on the red carpet being ignored by the fans and paparazzi b/c they are distracted by someone eating the popcorn

3. A bride about to walk down the aisle and her family is in the front row ignoring her b/c they are too busy eating the popcorn

As you can see they are really cute, funny and creative ads!

On Sunday I was on the subway on my way to a wedding and I saw the wedding campaign ad...very exciting to see one's work on the subway!  I snapped some shots w/ my iPhone so please excuse the not so great quality.

If you're out and you see the other ads I'd love to hear where...maybe I can track them down myself!

Btw the campaign was shot by the incredible photographer team of Raina + Wilson...they have some really great work.  I really hope I get the chance to work w/ them again in the future!

I've tried the Sweet & Salty and it's Delish ;)

American Essentials Pics

You may remember back in Dec. I did a Look Book shoot for a great men's loungewear clothing line called American Essentials.  I shared some hot behind the scenes pics I took featuring B&M model Jerald.  It was a really fun and easy going shoot w/ a great team that I hope to work w/ again soon!

The photographer William Suarez recently shared w/ me some of the pics from the shoot so of course I wanted to share a couple w/ you b/c I think they are a good example of good commercial men's work.  I've mentioned before I really don't like to put too much makeup on men in general.  Just clean them up and this shoot illustrates that idea perfectly...esp. w/ the bed head type hair they wanted for the day.

Goals, Resolutions & Reflections 2012 Edition!

I know it's about a wk after New Years and usually I would have posted this sooner but after a crazy whirlwind Dec. I wanted to take a week off from the blog and just catch up on some things.  Every year I like to reflect on the past year - what I've accomplished, what I still need to work on, how far I've come etc.

I just re-read my post from last year about my Resolutions for the New Year and it really reminds me one of the reasons I love having a blog so much.  It's always so amazing and interesting to me go back and remind myself where I was at that point in my life.  What was going on, how I was feeling, where I saw myself going...all of that.

Last year I had such a sense of renewed optimism and I have to say for the most part I've really carried that through this entire year!  I still feel very optimistic about everything the future holds for me.  In general I think I'm a pretty optimistic person.  Sometimes, this surprises ppl b/c I am very blunt, sometimes harsh and a realist by nature but I'm also very positive and I do believe in striving to be the best you can and continually working towards the future whatever that may hold.

After re-reading last years Resolutions/Goals I think I did pretty well...but you know what I could have def. done better!  Let's talk about what I did well!

I def. accomplished my goals for my Bridal Business and Website!  I built a new bridal website and I think that helped the biz a lot!  My first year doing Bridal I worked on approx. 20 weddings and this year I kicked my goal to double that out of the water...by year end I had worked on approx. 48 weddings I believe!  Plus I already have several booked for this year already!  Last year at this time I had no weddings booked at this time!

I def. made more money!  I won't get into numbers but let's just say I almost doubled what I made last year from Makeup & Hair work!  No I'm not rolling in the $$$ trust me lol!  But that's a HUGE improvement and I did get more commercial/fashion paid work and I def. got more bridal work!  Plus I'm feeling very optimistic that that number will only continue to grow!

I updated my blog more!  And I think overall I was giving some pretty good content so I'm happy about that!  In fact last year I wrote more blog entries than any other year I've had the blog!

I've improved on my Hair Skills a ton!  As you all know I've even done several weddings where I've just done the hair!  Two years ago I never would have dreamed about that!  I do still need to work on the airbrushing though...I got some new airbrush foundations and I think that will make a HUGE difference b/c I was just NOT LOVING the brand I had!

I've def. stepped up and started paying off some of my debt so that makes me REALLY happy b/c anyone who knows me knows I HATE debt!  It took awhile just to catch up on things b/c I'm not going to lie the beg. of last year was really slow at first, plus there was moving to a new place and all the expenses that go along w/ that.  But now I'm on the right track and I'm feeling good!  I do need to start saving though...that's one area I still need to work on!

I've networked w/ more ppl in the biz but again it's an area I need to work on...I'll be honest ppl are surprised by this b/c one on one I'm quite outgoing and even a bit loud but I have a real problem at parties and events going up to ppl I don't know and talking...plus I have a weird phobia of the phone...I really don't know where I'd be w/out the internet I swear!

I didn't get an agent but you know what I'm not that sad about that one...it wasn't the right time and I did okay on my own...doesn't mean I'm not going to try again this year though ;)

The thing I actually probably didn't stick to the most was the working out and weight loss.  Disappointing I know esp. since I was doing so good at the end of last year!  This is the one thing I'd probably give myself an F on!  In 2010 I was really good about working out!  I was doing Boot Camp, I had a personal trainer at one point, I was going to the gym reg. I don't really know what went wrong on that front in 2011 so I'm not going to make excuses but just say that is def. NOT going to happen this year!  I literally live 1 min from my gym so there are NO EXCUSES!

Okay now on to my GOALS for this YEAR!

1. Travel More!  Traveling is REALLY important to me and that's one area I really neglected last year.  Probably b/c I was busy building my business and trying to catch up on the debt game but I'm going to make it a priority again this year!  The only trip I went on last year was a few days in Las Vegas in Feb...that was almost a year ago...that's not acceptable lol!

2. Learn Moderation in Living! I'm not going to make ABSOLUTES about Eating, Working Out & Weight Loss b/c I think that's a bit of my problem - I'm ALL or NOTHING!  When I'm on I'm on but when I'm off Holy Shit lol!  So this year I want to learn not to beat myself up if I have a bad meal or don't hit the gym 5 days/wk.  Of course I want to loss weight and get in better shape but I need to take baby steps.  I want to drink MORE WATER!  This is something I need to work on...and I actually have to make an effort to drink 8 glasses a day.  I need to take the stairs more...I did this in Shanghai and well it doesn't hurt lol. Eat for hunger not boredom or emotional reasons.

3. Grow My Business EVEN MORE!  I worked on approx. 48 Weddings last year - this year I want AT LEAST 60!  I also want to work on networking and building relationships more so that I can build my Commercial/Fashion business more.  Yes, I love my brides but I also need something to occupy more time during the wk lol!

4. MORE Self Promotion!  I think I'm okay at getting my name out there but I could do better.  This goes along w/ the networking but I want to find more ways to promote myself and "my brand".  Whether it's approaching ppl to do Guest Blog posts, reaching out to brands to collaborate w/ or just meeting new ppl.

5. Debt & Savings! I WILL pay off my Line of Credit this Year!  And I WILL start Saving more aggressively for the Future!  Overall I'll be honest I am pretty good and living within my means and budgeting my money...I'm proud of that b/c there are A LOT of ppl who aren't!

6. Read More!  I know this sounds kind of silly but I really feel like I'm not evolving mentally enough lately and I think it's b/c I'm not reading as much as I use to.  I'm a curious person and I want to start reading more again and just overall keep myself up-to-date on current events and the world around me.  I'm part of what can be a very superficial business and I don't want to let myself become too ill informed or lazy intellectually. I also just feel sometimes like my language and vocabulary skills are going to shit...I only speak one language as it is, it would be nice if I was fluent in it lol!

I think that's a good start there!  Those are all pretty big Goals w/ multiple steps and levels...I'm sure as the year goes on the list will grow and change for me but I'm curious to see next year where I'll be and what will have changed!

Good Luck & Happy Belated New Years to Everyone!  Many New Posts w/ New & Exciting Work to Come!

American Essentials - Behind the Scenes

Yesterday I got the chance to work on a really fun and easy going Look Book shoot for a Men's Lounge Wear Company called - American Essentials.  It's great working on shoots like this b/c

1. It's Men's Grooming which let's be real usually tends to be VERY simple in terms of Makeup/Hair.  In fact I stand by the rule I don't even put full foundation on most men.  Just moisturize, prime, conceal where necessary and some powder foundation and we're good.  The biggest part of my day was just pushing the hair off the model's face lol.  Plus they wanted him to have a bed head sort of look for most of the day so it wasn't like the hair had to be "perfect".

2. It's commercial work therefore it pays pretty decent and it's always good to get more clean commercial work in your book.  Esp. for a company like this b/c they have a higher end brand and are putting some money into the shoot therefore you know the pics are going to be solid.

3. The team was great and so nice!  Very relaxed but professional.  I really hope I get to work w/ them all again in the future b/c it just made the day a lot nicer!  And the condo we were shooting in was so nice!  The owner even left tons of snacks for us to munch on lol!  Plus it was only a 10 min walk from my apt...can't beat that!

It's so funny b/c this time of year tends to be a bit slower esp. leading right up to Christmas but I'm actually super busy this wk and I'm really happy that I was able to fit this shoot in.  When Catherine Kaiser, the Art Director contacted me about the shoot I was so happy it didn't conflict w/ any of the other work I had scheduled this wk!  Plus always great to  meet and network w/ new ppl!

The photographer was William Suarez.  Another new person for me but I can't wait to see the finished results from this shoot b/c the stuff I saw in the camera looked gorgeous - so cool and sophisticated!  Perfect for the brand

There was one familiar face on the shoot for me though.  And that was the model Jerald from B&M.  I had actually assisted on a shoot he worked on a couple of years back when I first came back from Shanghai.  I did his grooming and the second I saw him on set I recognized him.  Such a nice guy and professional...plus of course not too hard on the eyes either lol!

Here's some behind the scenes photos from the day!  We shot from early afternoon to night but I can't give too much away from the shoot ;)

I slicked the hair to the side for a couple of the looks

Torlys Web Commercials!

A few wks ago you may remember I got to work w/ a great new team on some web commercials for Torlys Smart Hardwood Flooring.  Well today I got my hands on the two commercials we did and I have to say they are pretty cute in a tongue in cheek sort of way.  Great thing is the client LOVES - YEAH!  Thanks again Signature Video Group can't wait to work w/ you guys again in the future!

So here they are below...check them out!

Video #1


Video #2 - This one is my fav out of the two.  I think the ppl playing the married couple did such a good job...funny thing was they actually knew each other from before b/c they had been hired to play a newly dating couple for a dating website commercial previously and the director had no idea about this when he brought them on for this job - crazy eh!  Apparently, they must look like a good match or something lol!

Torlys Smart Hardwood Flooring - Web Commercial

Last wk I got the chance to work w/ a new client - Torlys Smart Floors and a new production company - Signature Video Group which is always a great thing when you're trying to get your name out there and build that all important clientele!

It's so funny b/c as you can tell by the title of my post the job was for a web commercial (these things are getting very popular these days lol) for a Flooring company...well that's not particularly funny - what's funny is this is my second job for a flooring company and just last mth as you know I did a job for a interior design company.  Apparently I'm building quite the niche for home renovation and design jobs lol!

It was a really relaxed set and the crew was small and there were only two talent to take care of so overall my job was pretty simple.  Usually is for these types of things....usually they just want you to clean up the talent and make them look polished.

The whole concept for the commercial is sort of a play on the whole PC vs. Mac commercials except this is Traditional Hardwood vs. Torlys Smart Hardwood.  The director/writer/producer of the shoot - Chris Stasiuk did a great job writing a cute and witty script and the two actors - Jeremy (Traditional Hardwood) and Vanessa (Torlys) did an amazing job bringing that script to life.  Seriously, you wouldn't believe these two just met b/c they had such great chemistry and as the shoot went on their characters developed more and  more and they took things further and further w/ their reactions and it just made things sooo funny!  Like LOL funny...which doesn't happen often on a commercial shoot and I don't know about you but when I think flooring I don't immediately start rolling on the floor w/ laughter (yes I know that was cheesy lol).

One of the Torlys boss guys was there for part of the shoot too and even he was laughing and just thought it was great!  Chris has several more script ideas so hopefully they will make more of these commercials...and even more hopefully I'll be brought back on for the jobs ;)  Or other jobs w/ the company!

It's great to get in on some of these corporate commercial type jobs b/c even though they might not be the most exciting things they are usually pretty easy and it can be steady work which is ALWAYS good!  After the actors had their basic makeup on all I had to do throughout the shoot was basically powder them and blot the sweat off Jeremy's forehead...it was really hot in the studio...and even hotter under the lights!  I'm always cold so I actually found everything to be pretty comfortable lol but everyone else was definitely glistening.

Below are some behind the scenes shots taken by Randi Lotsberg who was helping out that day...she's also the one that hooked up me w/ the job so thanks Randi!  Def. better than a lot of the behind the scenes pics I take that's for sure lol!

Jeremy and Vanessa on set...FYI Jeremy is actually really cool he's just "in character" as Traditional Hardwood lol...those aren't his real glasses.  If you didn't guess Traditional Hardwood is the "PC" while Torlys is the "Mac" lol.

 Jeremy, Chris and Vanessa

 Whole crew minus Randi who was taking the pic...told you it was small...btw umm I look so short lol!

 Powder, Powder and More Powder

 I Love this One...Jeremy's face is Hilarious!