Flowers in my Hair (D.I.Y Fresh Flower Chain)

I'd rather wear flowers in my hair, than diamonds around my neck...

I would like to start off by saying this is my first ever Step by Step Tutorial, so hopefully you all will be able to enjoy your flowers as much as I do and it's VERY SIMPLE! You can pretty much do this little project anywhere, i.e. a park, your backyard, a kitchen... Literally ANYWHERE as long as you bring your supplies along. Also a fun way to get your little ones outside and enjoying nature!

For supplies you will need about 10-12 fresh flowers (Depending on the size of the flowers and how you'd like it to fit). I suggest using fresh ones because they're free to pick and it is the perfect time of year around here to do so! But with that said don't just go snipping flowers out of people's yards! Use your own or ask permission**  You may find it easiest to purchase from the store if your access is limited. In order to snip the flowers from the stem you will need a pair of scissors, I used little pruning scissors made for clipping plants but if you really want to be a savage, I suppose you could just use your hands and pull ha! Then all that's needed is a needle and thread.
First measure out how long you would like your flower chain to be, then thread the needle accordingly. Make sure each flower has a tiny bit of stem left to push the needle through.
Pull to the end of the knotted thread and continue this process until the entire length is filled.
Be sure to keep your flowers properly spaced so they sit how you like when you wear them. The spacing will depend on how large the flowers are so be sure to check and make the adjustments before tying the ends together.
Done!

Simple as that! Fresh flowers in your hair all day everyday that smell amazing as well, but watch out for bees!

If you do try this out I'd love to know how you like it and see photos! So many colorful flowers to use, feel free to mix them up and use different ones. I can't wait to make another myself ;) 

XOXO

Shake That Ashh 
 
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Pastel Pony's Past (Birthday Suit Edition)

As much as I loved playing outside with nature and the animals on the farm when I was very young, I  also enjoyed my toys! Most of my favorites consisted of toy dogs, My Little Ponies, Troll Dolls, and Polly Pocket. I still vividly remember playing with them to this day, they were my little treasures. oh and i could never forget the doll house that my grandmother and I had so many memorable moments playing with.  Oh the nostalgia, yes I'm a sucker for it when it comes to my style.

For my twenty fourth birthday this year I decided to go with an outfit that reminded me of my childhood. When I first saw the Unicorn Leggings Black Milk was selling, I just knew I had to have them for my birthday party. They reminded me of the My Little Ponies I was so obsessed with... totally infatuated with the mix of pastel colors! I was extremely fortunate to have an awesome friend actually get them for me,  you rock Tim <3

I ended up getting one of our new colorful bandeau bra tops from work (Victoria's Secret). I decided to go with teal because it's not only one of my favorite colors but also pops well against the pastel color palette I wanted to use.  I painted my nails the same color and used micro beads to add texture to the nails. The micro beads or 'nail caviar' is fun to use for shoots or special occasions but the beads tend to shed quite a bit.

 My grandmother was sweet enough to order me these bad ass holographic wedge sneakers from Urban Outfitters. I thought they would be perfection with my unicorn leggings and boy was I right! The day they arrived and I saw them in person I was so stoked. Officially my new favorite kicks so you will probably end up seeing a lot of outfits with them included this summer, they're soo pretty in the sun! Ugghh so in love <3 ha! The lavender holy sweater top was also something that my grandmother got me. It kept me warm enough for the Spring weather but you could still peep through to the pop of teal underneath to keep it party sexy.

Instead of the traditional birthday tiara you see girls wearing on their birthdays, I decided to switch things up a bit and opted to wear a giant birthday bow covered in rhinestones. The bow was actually a display we used in our store for awhile but I was able to keep it after we were finished using it. It was just the right size to sew in clips so I could put it in my hair, still a bit awkward though so I took it off a few hours into the night. But it did work lovely for the shoot, soooo SPARKLY!

Didn't get many photos of my outfit on the actual night of the party so of course I had to do a shoot in it. Steve Rydgren of ImaginEssance is seriously one of my favorite photographers to work with, he always has the best ideas for locations. He told me about Point Defiance Park in Tacoma and thought it would be just the right time to take photos with the trees in blossom. We ended up finding this huge tree and when I say huge I mean so large the branches actually split the trunk. It was gnarly but gorgeous, giant branches covered in full bloom cherry blossoms everywhere. Was such a magical tree and climbing it took me right back to feeling like a kid again, it was amazing!

Hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed the experience of taking them!

*Birthday Cheers* to another sparkly year of magic&glitter <3

XOXO

Shake That Ashh
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Destroyed to Recreated

"I want to exorcise the demons from your past " - Muse

 As bad as I want to fix everyone I have become close to I can not!

 They must make the choices to change for themselves... I am a huge control freak. I remember having to control every choice I put myself in as a child or my animal. I was the one who was always bossing everyone and everything around... Making them play my way. I have learned in the past couple years that I can not have control of everything. Sometimes I have to learn to adapt to things I never thought I would ever have to think about. That is life. This realization has brought me closer than ever to fabric, something I can manipulate and change whenever I please <3

Destroy the past to recreate the future <3

Old Tee Shirt from Boyfriend's Closet- Altered by Myself

Grey Studded Shorts- Gift from Grandma

Garter Belt- Victoria's Secret

Fish Net Thigh Highs- Lovers

 Vintage Dr. Martens- Thrift Store

Spiral Plugs- Dunnygun Body Jewelry 

To stay current with my upcoming creations and shoots please 'like' me on facebook<--Click link to view page.

XOXO

Shake That Ashh 

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Traveling Dark

I enjoy making a statement with my style and nothing makes a statement greater than this 'Fuck you and your swag' tee I got from Atrocious Works. As soon as I saw it on their facebook page I had to have it, plus they just so happened to be holding a giveaway so I entered and won the tee along with a few other goodies ;p SCORE!

Studded choker used to be a headband...

The bone leggings were something I picked up during the Cyber Monday half off sale on the Black Milk Clothing site. I like that they add to this dark grunge look without being a stereotypical skull.

Of course I had to wear my latest thrifty find, vintage Dr. Martens made in England. I scavenged them at a Goodwill for 20 dollars, real leather! I couldn't believe it and they were my exact shoe size... it was fate<3

When scouting for a location to shoot with my friend Sarah of Sarah Trickler Photography, it started to rain quite a bit but this is Seattle so it's something we've grown accustomed to and doesn't stop us from doing what we need to get done. With that being said we had to find an indoor location with a good amount of lighting. We decided to try out the Light Rail Station near Seatac Airport and it worked out perfectly, even ended up in a restricted stairwell and got yelled at by security just as we finished shooting! I think it was the exact atmosphere needed for this look, especially when shooting in a place we were not supposed to be... plus I love shooting in a public location, something about the attention really feeds me.

Giving the bird to security while shooting in the restricted stairwell! Ha

Sorry I haven't been very consistent with my posts, yesterday was my birthday (yes April fool's day, believe it or not) so I've been a bit distracted. I'm also trying to find an apartment and transfer to the Victoria's Secret downtown. Big changes are on the way for me PLUS I just got a new toy for my birthday that should help me update this blog more often!

 

XOXO

Shake That Ashh
P.S. Print giveaway in happening know on my Facebook page... GO CHECK IT OUT! ;)
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Fairy Tale

"It seems obvious to say that fairy tales have a fantastical element- in other words, magic. This important ingredient often comes in thanks to magical beings like fairies." -Ken Mondschein, PhD

I absolutely love fairy tales! Growing up my grandmother always read classic nursery rhymes and fairy tales to me.  To this very day I still remember a lot of them, as I hold them close to my heart. I have always wanted to do a shoot inspired by them but I still have yet to do so. I did however, do a shoot recently that reminded me of them and I was very pleased with the end result. The idea actually started with an orchid print lingerie piece I picked up on sale at work (Victoria's Secret). One of my all time favorite flowers is an orchid so as soon as I saw this print I wanted it. But of course I waited for it to be marked down in price first, luckily we still had my size :) it was meant to be at that point! It sat in my closet for quite some time but I decided I wanted to use it for fairy concept so I crafted a matching floral crown and did just that.

Makeup inspiration I found via google image search...

I started chatting with Steve Rydgren of ImaginEssance and he was very interested in this concept. He said he had a green screen that we could shoot on and he would then edit the photo up all magical-like. This sounded like a grand idea to me because it is still very cold outside this time of year in Seattle, so we went forth with our planning and he told me about his friends basement he really wanted to shoot in. He described it to me and I decided to throw together another look that would fit better in a creepy basement setting. I even made a neat little pair of gloves to go with it!

The Gloves! Made from ripped up lace & watch parts...

"In English, we tend to get 'fairies' mixed up with the other world of Celtic mythology and with elves, brownies, and other spirits and picture them as tiny, harmless winged beings. However, this is far too narrow of a reading: fairies could also be terrible and scary." -Ken Mondschein, PhD

All the makeup, hair, and wardrobe styling was done by myself, photos taken and edited by Steve. This was our very first time shooting together and I had a blast. He's an amazing photographer to collaborate with and I plan to do it all again very soon! Hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do <3

Magic*

The necklace I'm wearing was a gift from my best friend Sarah <3

Dirty little feets!

Cheap lace skirt I cut up...

My spiked crown is actually a necklace ;)

I will be raffling off a print from this set of photos on my page so please 'like' me on FACEBOOK for your chance to win!

XOXO

Shake That Ashh

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Frugal Finds

First photo shoot with the new hair in the new year, Cheers to 2013! Hair cut & colored by the talented Ava at Tiger Lily Salon

Like most people who are really into the lovely world of fashion, I tend to be a bit of a shopaholic. I will spend hours, if not days shopping if you allow me. I tend to spend most of the time just browsing though, I really love digging through the rough and finding the hidden treasures you may have never noticed if you wouldn't have taken that extra bit of time. It's all about the right price as well. I have no problem paying full price for my favorite independent designers to keep them in business and making magical creations but you will NEVER catch me paying full price for 'fast fashion' retail. BARF! (side note: in case you do not know, fast fashion is when retailers take unique or high-end designs and make cheaper/factory made versions of them) I do work in a mall so I tend to stop in and dig through clearance racks in some retailers like Forever21 and H&M. From time to time I get lucky and discover something that's just the right price. If it's not exactly how I like it, I try to recreate it and make it into something more appealing. That's the main reason I love going to thrift stores or buying items waaay marked down from the original price, I don't feel so bad totally destroying it and recreating my own design with it.

Before & After Photos of Buttons

I found this jacket on clearance at Forever 21 for $12 but the buttons on it were atrocious plastic gold. So I went to the local fabric store and they were having a sale on buttons, it worked out perfectly. I was able to purchase 22 buttons for $11, which means I spent a total of $23 on a brand new jacket! So happy I decided to purchase it, even if the original buttons weren't great... easy fix!

NEW BUTTONS!

 
Tan Jacket- Forever21
Bottle Necklace- Handmade by Myself
Cowl Neck Sweatshirt- Farinaz Taghavi
Brown Leather Boot- Thrift Store
New Buttons- Fabric Store

'Watch Maker's Spare Parts'
Close up of the necklace I'm wearing in the previous photo, made by myself... Out of a mini bottle, watch parts, and wire.

I was very self conscious about my right eye during this shoot cause it was super swollen and gross. But Sarah did an amazing job shooting and you could not even tell at all! Thank you Sarah!! Plugs from UK Custom Plugs

 You will notice that a good chunk of the photo's on my blog will be taken by Sarah Trickler from Sarah Trickler Photography. She is a very dear friend of mine and we work on tons of projects together. We make a fabulous team because we have very similar interests and ideas. When shooting together we are constantly throwing ideas back and forth and usually something epic comes from it!

Sarah & I being silly at the craft store in between sets

After a day of shooting and adventuring in the cold and fog we decided it was time to bring it inside and play with some lights for a project Sarah has been working on. This ties in with her photos 'Hidden Powers' and 'Hidden Sight', check them out! She titled one of the photos below 'Magica Occulta Lux' which means 'Magic of Hidden Light'. Her friend Jason came up with this title and the series of photos using the 'fairy berry' lights and giant fire balls are dedicated to him, you rock Jason!

The flower was something Sarah picked up at the craft store and the feathers in my hair were purchased off etsy. This gorgeous dress was created by Discerpo Necto Decrepitus. The necklace was made by Sarah herself, you can purchase her creations on her etsy page by clicking here.

 To stay current with my upcoming creations and shoots please 'like' me on facebook<--Click link to view page.

XOXO

Shake That Ashh

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