EV Photo Chic

LOVEly Day

2012-02-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

What are you and your lovies doing to celebrate today? Joe and I are treating ourselves to a special night out on Friday at Boka but tonight we are staying in and making a yummy chicken curry in coconut milk with soba noodles and unwinding with a glass (or 2) of vino! I always like to write a few sentiments in a card too...yes I'm a card person, but I don't really need a holiday to inspire me to pick up a pen. I just enjoy capturing the moments through words. After all, words are all we have, right! To show those we love that they really matter and that they are enough. And when words aren't enough we can always rely on crafting something sweet like this paper projects above! How great is that giant pom pom heart! May your day be a most lovely one indeed!

DIY Hearts/ Crayon Hearts/ Love Pom Pom

Dress Details

2012-02-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

I've been on a mission (with Pinterest by my side) to narrow down the style of dress that speaks to the way I want to look on my wedding day. If this isn't it..then I don't know what else can top it at this point. I love the styling of the dress including the delicate beaded cap sleeves and the effortlessness of the dress itself. No fussy train or big bulky fabric just a sweet, romantic dress to set the mood for the entire day. To make it all even more special my future mother-in-law Mary Jean is taking on the role as my dress maker! She took my measurements last weekend and together we will work on creating something truly special and one of a kind! I'm excited beyond words to be working with her with this! She's one of the most talented and patient people I've ever met! After she jotted down my measurements, she showed me her wedding dress that she made for her big day! It was so simple with sweet touches added like beaded flowers all along the neckline. This is one project I know I'll be jumping in my pants to share with you... eekk! So excited!

True Story: My almost 5 minutes of Fame

2012-02-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

This actually happened today, this afternoon to be exact. I received a email from a producer for The Nate Berkus show asking me if I could submit a few high res before and after furniture shots that I took of my dresser (found via Apartment Therapy) for a segment they were doing on how to revive furniture. A few minutes after I emailed her back (excitedly) with the photos she sincerely apologizes and tells me that the segment had been canceled! Ah, so close!

DIY: Photo Layouts (via Pugly Pixel)

2012-02-06T17:14:00.000-08:00

I love when I get the chance to learn something new and in return get to share my findings with you on this online community! One of my favorite blog design resources Pugly Pixel recently posted how to create your own photo layouts using layer masks in Photoshop. While this may sound a bit intimidating ( I've have this feeling towards them too), Katrina breaks it down step-by-step and makes it super easy and fun to create your own. I love having the freedom to create new templates to fit how I want my photo story to be organized and laid out. With the help of layer masks you can easily drag and drop your images into your template and then size your photos to your liking. The best part is you can use these over and over and create more whenever your mood or (photo story) strikes! Check out Pugly Pixel to get the full instructions. Here are a few layouts I've already created and are saving to use in future posts! Can't wait to try em out! Thanks Katrina for demistifing layer masks!

Danskin: Move for Change Campaign

2012-02-01T17:45:00.000-08:00

Photos by Danskin

I first spotted this new campaign for Danskin while reading a magazine at the gym. The first thing that caught my eye was the inspiration quotes placed beside popular celebrity names. But what really drew me in was the photography and the soft (natural) lighting that was used in each shot. If this is Danskin shot at reinventing it's brand, it's surely off to a good start. Funny how campaigns like this really do try to strike a cord with its audience. After looking at a few of these ads in the magazine I really did feel inspired and motivated to keep pushing towards a healthier lifestyle. What are your thoughts on this ad campaign? Have you seen it? It makes me happy and keeps me motivated whenever I spot these powerful images and quotes of healthy living used as a daily practice.

Wedding Weekend in Cleveland OH

2012-01-31T18:54:00.000-08:00

Hello and thank you everyone for all your sweet comments while I've been away and feeling a bit under the weather. I've been feeling a lot better. Theresa, I think you nailed it when you said that this road trip would be just what I needed! It feels good to be back from our little weekend road trip to Cleveland Ohio. It was about a 6 and a half hour drive from where we live in Chicago, so instead of driving we decided (last minute) to hop on the Mega Bus! It was great, I got to catch up on some reading, writing, relaxing, and napping! And the wedding was so beautiful, our friends Annie and Steve looked stunning together and looked blissfully happy the entire night. It was so fun to mix and mingle with some of Joe's closest high school friends. We even had time to take a brewery tour at Great Lakes Brewery (yum) and enjoy a great dinner at there pub. Here are a few of my favorite iphone shots from this weekend. Much love to Steve and Annie on starting this new adventure together :)

MIA

2012-01-27T07:10:00.000-08:00

Please excuse me when I say that I've been in rest and recover mode for this week. The soreness has been hanging out in my glands like an annoying pest that just won't go away. Speaking of going away, Joe and I are packing up to head to Cleveland for a long weekend to celebrate in the wedding festivities of Steve and Annie! Joe's known Steve since he was in the 2nd grade!! We hang out with this fun couple (but not often enough) and so I'm looking forward to spending time celebrating them in Annie's hometown of Cleveland Ohio. So hopefully I'll have some fun stories and photos to share with you next week... until then, have a nice weekend! Stay healthy :)

DIY: The Beauty Department

2012-01-18T13:31:00.000-08:00

Photos by The Beauty Department

Have you heard of this great online beauty blog known as The Beauty Department? I spotted it over the weekend as I was browsing through Pintrest. For someone who is looking to shake up the everyday hair and to finally know how to pull off a smokey eye, I think I've found the answer. With great layouts, clean photography, and a DIY attitude, I think this site will be frequented whenever I get in a style rut or just looking to pull off a fun new do... Check it out for yourself!

Inspired by: DIY Wedding Materials

2012-01-17T07:17:00.000-08:00

Hanging Decor, Boutonniere, Bunting, Outdoor Love Set

Book Planter, Bouquet, Table Display, Table Numbers

Fabric Garland, Circle Paper Garland, Heart Music Garland

Moss Paint, Planter, Moss Ring Pillow

Quilting Inspiration by Denyse Schmidt

2012-01-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I rediscovered my love for quilts and all the comforts that they bring. My curiosity and interest came in the form of the book Quilt by Denyse Shmidt. Her modern take on quilt patterns, color pairings, and simplicity really resonated with my love to create something functional, timeless, and authentic. Around the time I picked up this book I also happened to have a collection of tee shirts, in similar neutral colors of cream, white, grey, and tan that I had a feeling would all pair well together. So fueled with inspiration by this book and a season of Project Runway, I set off into my first quilting adventure. I posted about the finished project a few years ago and included some of the lessons I learned in the process. Patience, finding beauty in the flaws just to name a few. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat and I can't wait until inspiration strikes again! Which makes me curious to know, have you ever taken on a long term project that was so worth the wait?

* First Photos & Patterns by: Denyse Shmidt
* What's In Your Toolbox Interview by Design Sponge

Instagram Week

2012-01-13T17:22:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday to you all as we round up the first full work week of the new year! Did it treat you well? I sure hope so! I find that the key to my best and productive work weeks have been by making time to move my body at the end of most days. Even if I can't haul it to the gym, an impromptu dance party in my living room always get the blood and energy flowing just as well! Plus I notice that exercise, in whatever form that may take, almost always guarentees a beautiful night sleep! Cheers to more productive weeks ahead and deep sleep too! Before I head out to start the weekend here are a few Instagram shots that made up my week.
xoxo,
~Liz

Food Bites: Butternut Squash with Ricotta Ravioli

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Since joining the local CSA, Joe and I have been receiving a bounty of butternut squash. So much so that they have taken over the top of our microwave for quite a while now. And besides roasting this veggie (I can only eat so much of this seasonal item) we figured we'd roll up our sleeves and dive into- what else- making butternut squash with homemade ricotta ravioli. It was all quite simple, just time consuming.

To make your own batch of these tasty bites you'll need to roast about 2 butternut squashes (cut them in half lengthwise and discard seeds first) in the oven (450 degrees for about 50 mins). Scoop out the insides into a bowl and add a minced sprig of fresh rose merry, crushed pine nuts, and salt and pepper to taste. This will accompany the ricotta as the ravioli filling. Here's the super easy way to make your own ricotta. Pretty easy, right?! Next roll out your pasta sheets, we used fresh, uncooked sheets. Cut them to the size you want your Ravioloi to be. We played around with a mix of sizes. I liked the bigger sized guys. Next spoon in your squash and ricotta into the middle of one piece. Next brush the edges with a quick egg wash (this is going to help keep all the filling inside your pasta). Top your half with another pasta piece and use a fork to seal all of the pastas edges (as demonstrated by Joe). Cook your pasta according to your desired tenderness. I like mine al dente, you know with a slight bite to it where as Joe prefers his on the verge of dissolving as soon as it enters his mouth..I tell him at least he's dentures will thank him in the future..hehehe! Oh and then the best part of all comes the feasting, yum! We still have a few more squashes in the house, I'd love to hear any tasty suggestions on your favorite way to prepare squash!? Cheers!

Inspired by: Dip Dyed Home Goods

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Antique Spoons, Side Table, Candles, Tablecloth, Baskets, Curtains

I always love to find new and unique DIY techniques to help reinvent and give home pieces a fresh new look. I realize this dip dyed technique has been floating around the online community for a while but it's only just now pulled me into seeing its possibilities for a certain coffee table that I think would be a perfect dip dye canidate! Do you have any home decor trends that are calling you to rethink any home goods?

6 Ways to Keep Blogging...

2012-01-09T06:57:00.000-08:00

1. If you take public transportation to work everyday, use that time to think, sketch, write, and or plan shots to photograph for your next post. Carry a purse size notebook, use your notes app on your iPhone, iPad, and use it wherever you go. You never know when a brilliant idea will strike!

2. If its possible schedule an afternoon of photography to add to posts in the making. For example if you know you want to post a book review and photograph what your wearing for your night out next week, why not schedule to photograph all to photo stories in one afternoon. That way when you finish the writing portion of your post, you can quickly pull out your photographs and edit them into your post. I find this saves a lot of time and really motivates me to post more when I have good photographs for a few posts already ready to complete my photo story for a post.

3. Make it an enjoyable habit to photograph daily outings, events, and everything in between. Start thinking of these snapshots of daily life as creative inspiration for future posts.

4. Schedule posts over the weekend. This has worked really well for me in the past. Set aside a Sat/Sun morning to write, photograph, and schedule posts for the coming week ahead. I know your weekend time is precious, so really commit yourself to editing posts you'll be proud to publish.

5. If you have a Google email account (and are away from your home computer for most of the day, like me)

start writing future posts in Goggle docs. When you finish them, you can just cut and paste them into your blog when you return home from the office later in the evening.

6. Blog during lunch. I don't really do this much (because I love to socialize with my lunch ladies) but when I have something so exciting to share with you that it can't wait until night, I happily eat at my desk and blog away!

Those are just some blog tips that continue to work for me while I commute to and from the city everyday to my job as a commercial photographer/stylist . Do you have any advise or tips that have worked for you as a blogger and 9 to 5 er? I'm not going to dismiss those who stay at home to raise there families either! I give you mama's lots of credit because your job's are probably just beginning when 5pm rolls around. I'd sure love to know how you manage to keep it all in balance too!!

Let's Connect via Instagram!

2012-01-06T16:59:00.001-08:00

I can't think of a better way to end the first week of the new year than by following each other through Instagram, how about you?

I know since the BYW fall course Holly introduced her students to use this friendly app as another way to share and connect with other fellow bloggers and I have to admit that since I joined over the holidays (on my iPad) I love taking photos and playing around with the fun photo filters that you can select from. But the best part really is being able to share with other Instagramers (this is where you come in!) So whadda ya say? Let's share and connect beyond the blogosphere walls and really get a sneak peak into each others daily happenings!! Ready? Okay I'll go first, follow me and my photos @ evphotogal. Happy weekend to you and hope to meet ya via Instagram ladies and gents!

Gifts from White Nest

2012-01-05T18:13:00.000-08:00

Top photo by me. All other photography by White Nest.

Joe and I look forward to the Renegade Craft fair every year in Chicago. It's just a great vibe with yummy eats and such a collection of crafty talent it makes my head spin (but in a good way)! I love to talk with the artisians that set up shop every summer. It's nice to get to know who you buy from, right! Joe noticed my loving gaze when we entered the booth of White Nest. But being his sly self he just pretended not to notice. So it was a nice surprise indeed when I recieved 2 lovely gifts from White Nest for the holidays! Can you tell I love birds?! Haha, well now they have a space on my wall and on the couch. They are both minimal works of art and I am happy to have them in our interior mix! They are currently having a great sale right now if you'd like a piece for your home too.

Bring IT!

2012-01-04T19:39:00.000-08:00

What's in Front:

* Salsa dance lessons with Joe.

* Doing something that scares me!

* Getting lost in a handful of best sellers.

* Going on a date with myself.

* Disconnecting for a long weekend.

* Transition from paper products ( calendar, post its, address book ) to my iPad.

* Planning a total DIY wedding!

* Training & Completing the Chicago Marathon.

* Abs! (even if they only last for the year).

* Photographing more weddings.

* Hosting more dinner parties.

* Juicing!

What's Behind:

* Feeling sorry.

* Technology before bedtime.

* Nail biting...I'm over it, it's time!!

* Trying to please everyone.

* Self Doubt

* Excuses

* My Twenties ( and I'm happy for it :)

2011 Highlights

2012-01-01T16:16:00.000-08:00

Exciting News!!

2011-12-28T13:54:00.000-08:00

I'm still in the crazy ( I can't believe this is happening) and madly in love with my fiance mode! Ahhh!!!
I'm so excited to be sharing this moment here with you now! Let me tell you how it all happened. Joe has been going to his parents house for the past few weeks to work on my Christmas gift. He was making this beautiful white washed chest in which to present me with the ring that he designed for me. I was stunned and surprised to say the least! The opening of the chest was very dramatic as it happened on Christmas day at around 11pm. The light was shining down on the opened ring alongside a lovely landscape of lovely moss, air & succulent plants. Joe recited a poem that he had written before he asked me if I would marry him. By then of course I was crying, laughing, in shock, and just exploding with joyful emotion as I replied with a YES, yes, yes!! It's been a lot of excitement to take in as I also turned the big 30 the day after on the 26th! I couldn't think of a better way to spend my special day by spreading the good news to my family and friends and now to all my blog friends! AAhhhh... I going to bask in these good feelings for a bit longer. So please excuse my absence in the meantime :)

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

Wishing you and your family a warm and joyful Christmas!

Cheers,

~Liz & Joe

Design Download: Summit Avenue Design

DIY: "Lace" Ribbon

2011-12-22T07:08:00.000-08:00

I look forward to wrapping my gifts tonight, especially getting to use some of this lace ribbon to complete some special gifts! Although this does take some time to complete (I did mine while vegging in front of the tv) it's totally re useable and because the color choice is not very holiday specific, it would be great to use for a birthday, house warming, or hostess gift too! I'm loving the results and I hope you get a chance to paint a spool or two yourself :) Happy wrapping!

Holiday Home

2011-12-19T19:40:00.000-08:00

When I take a moment to think about this holiday season I feel blessed with an abundance like no other this year. Blessed to have my family (close by), a sound body and mind, love that continues to grow, confidence, peace of mind, and a steadfast passion to create- all on the brink of my 30th birthday (no less). And a large part of this happiness comes from this little creative outlet of a blog and all the great people I've been so fortunate to meet along the way! Your comments truly inspire me and help to motivate me to keep going and growing. Thank you for all your encouraging thoughts and good cheer.
I can't wait to keep pouring my thoughts and ideas and share them with you here! Here are a few snippets of what my home currently looks like this year. Check out another amazing holiday home from my friend Theresa from inspirationCooperative. Theresa said by sharing photos of your home, it's almost as if we (bloggers) are spending the holidays together! I couldn't agree more with you Theresa!

Handmade Holiday: Vanilla Extract

2011-12-14T20:12:00.000-08:00

A perfectly simple gift for those who love to express themselves in the form of baked goods. Joe and I whipped up a small batch of these bottles for a few of our family members (sshhh.. don't tell). They are already turning a yummy carmel color but they won't reach full potency until the end of next month, hey something that our family will HAVE to wait to use! Feel free to get creative and create your own label or download one of mine here. Anyway you make it, this is sure to be a gift that will continue to give all year long :)

Home for the Holidays: Photo Session

2011-12-13T06:04:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend Joe and I spent Saturday afternoon capturing my friend Jill and her family in their beautiful home. Jill works as a photo stylist, so I was even more excited to see how she had decorated this year for the holidays. We had so much fun photographing her and the family decorating the tree, drinking lots of coffee and just spending the afternoon together. The hard part for me was picking out my favorites to share with you today. Happy Holidays!

Happy Friday!

2011-12-09T07:22:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday to you today! Did this week fly by or what? My guess is the weeks are going to continue to fly by until the holiday hits so I best put on my running shoes and make a mad dash to get my gift buying underway this weekend! I have some fun DIY gifts and some handmade holiday decor to share with you next week, so please come on back soon! Today I leave with a great wallpaper download to add to your desktop by designer/illustrator Lisa Rupp from That's Happy. I have this one as my wallpaper on my work computer to help make my day a little brighter! Have a lovely weekend :)

Crafty Girl: Gift Guide

2011-12-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

1) Cross Stitch iphone case 3) Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos 5) 2012 Skinny Calendar
2) MyFonts gift certificate 4) Sewing Classes from The Needle Shop 6) Amy Butler Patterns

Book Review: Amy Butler Midwest Modern

2011-12-05T08:42:00.000-08:00

Photographs by David Butler

Happy Monday to everyone today!! Today I'm happy to share a book review of one of my most creative inspirational people..Amy Butler. She is and continues to be a creative force in the fabric design, pattern, and craft world. Constantly expanding her hard and soft lines to include everything from plates, rugs, wallpaper, bedding, patterns, and a line of stationary (just to name a few). I received this book Midwest Modern from my brother a few years ago for Christmas and I still reference it to help me whenever I am stuck in a creative rut or just need a fresh new perspective on things. It's more of a lifestyle book and I think that's why I keep this book within arms reach on the bookshelf at home. My favorite section of the book is getting a tour of her interiors where she displays a lot of her fabrics and patterns as a kind of rotating gallery of products while getting a glimpse of her studio space on the lower level of her home. How fun to be able to divide your home into a completely separate work and live space! A girl can dream, right?! I hope to make room for this dream someday down the road at our next place. But for now I'm glad to have a book where I can seek new creative ideas in design, home interiors, prints, fabrics, and home/work life.

DIY Advent Calendar

2011-12-01T20:45:00.000-08:00

Enjoy this little DIY I put together for you to countdown the 25 days of Christmas! I got this idea when I found out that these plastic sleeves were going to be thrown out at work. I thought they would be the perfect size for a project like an advent calendar. And since I don't have a mantel, I pinned these to the garland going up the stairs instead. They just add a nice pop of holiday color to the staircase, I think. Have fun making one for yourself! Let me know how yours turns out :)

Save the Date Engagement Session

2011-12-01T08:26:00.000-08:00

Joe and I finished editing our last engagement session last night. We followed the soon to be newlyweds Zain and Jim around the Old Town and Lincoln Park neighborhoods in Chicago to capture their fun and over the moon (for each other) spirit. The couple wanted to use their engagement session as their save the dates, so we helped them to spell it out for there guests in a fun and creative way. I can't wait to see how the bride to be puts all these together into a slide show for family and friends. The toughest part will be for sure picking out the best ones :) Congrats to Zain and Jim and thanks for letting Joe and I capture these love awesome moments!

Coach House Pictures

Photo Booth Pics

2011-11-29T17:05:00.000-08:00

Hello! Just popping in real quick to share with you a few of my favorite photo booth snapshots the guests at our last wedding captured! I worked with the bride Renee to create a fun backdrop using her pretty fall wedding colors of orange, chocolate brown and cream. We created a few chalkboard frames for guests to write or draw messages for the newlyweds. We had a blast going through all the many images. Our first photo booth was a hit!! I can't wait for the next one we get to put together!
I'm off to finish editing an engagement session Joe and I shot in Chicago last weekend....more of that to come soon :)

Thankful for...

2011-11-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

Finally being able to make meringue!! Yes it's true, this simple yet tricky mixing of egg whites and sugar has eluded me for the past few holidays. Whenever I have tried to make it it always came out to runny and not at all like the beautiful glossy peaks you see in the recipes. What's the secret you ask? Room temperature eggs (I left mine out overnight) and a heat proof bowl. I mixed my ingredients in a plastic bowl, making sure it was squeaky clean beforehand (any oil can contaminate the egg mixture). That's it, that's all!

My family are serious foodies (my parents cooked a "test" turkey a few weeks ago). So I decided to make a test pie at home first, as to make sure it would not disappoint. I found this recipe in the Nov issue of Martha Stewart. Trust me when I say this pie is as delish as it looks! I'm off to watch the rest of the Macy's Day Parade in my pj's! Have a healthy happy Thanksgiving :)

Yogi Words

2011-11-22T18:05:00.000-08:00

Do you ever hold a product you use daily so near and dear to your heart that you jump at the chance to share your joy with others? My joy of choice comes in the form of tea, Yogi tea to be exact! This organic tea (Green is my flavor) has such a great blend of lemongrass, grape seed extract, dandelion root, and Irish moss powder....yum right? Oh, but it offers so much more comfort than you would expect in a warm beverage. Yogi tea brings me a thoughtful offering of uplifting words with each sip. Words that make me think, smile, laugh and give thanks as I go on about my day. It's the little things like Yogi tea that brings me joy and helps me to see the greater blessings in my life. You can find this green tea and other Yogi varieties at your local Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. It's my weekly staple that I take great pleasure in sharing! Do you have any great daily staples that bring you joy? Do share, I'd love to know!

Loving: Fossil. Life. Style

2011-11-20T07:34:00.001-08:00

I thought it's be nice to share something with you today to give you a little break from holiday talk. It's a bit of eye candy before you fill your plate later this week! Take a few minutes to head over to Fossil's fun lifestyle website full of fun things to download, read, and indulge in. Like meeting one of their art director's, learn how to sew a reuseable tote, get inspired by some cool iphone apps, or flip through a fossil designers sketchbook. It's calorie free, inspirational full eye candy! Enjoy :)

Photo Styling Tips

2011-11-16T10:37:00.000-08:00

A while back I posted about how in the recent months I've been given the opportunity to style for some clients of ours at work. As many of you know I work as a commercial photographer for a large printing company. Our photography dept shoots for an arrange of commercial clients that sell clothing, food, medical supplies, and housewares just to name a few. My managers decided to take me up on my offer to start styling part time after they saw my apartment on Apartment Therapy posted a few months ago. So today I thought I'd share with you 2 different type of styling tips for 2 different types of photography (room and product) I've worked on these this week alongside one of our best photographers Mark. He is so much fun to work with and a lighting genius to say the least! I'd like to note that these are just my opinions/suggestions about prop styling and I hope that they give you something to think about for your next photo shoot. I'd love to answer (as best as I can) any other questions you might have too on the subject of styling and photography. Take care!

Busy like a Bee...

2011-11-14T06:43:00.000-08:00

Hi dear friends! Remember me? I wanted to show you what I've been up to this last week. Joe and I launched Coach House Pictures the website (yippee)! We are still working on adding more samples to the gallery pages, like of the wedding we shot for Renee and Chris last weekend! We had a blast capturing their special day. Head on over and check out our new site! I'd love to hear your rants & raves about it! Oh and while you're there Facebook friend our fan page too :) Your the best friends a photo gal could ever ask for!

Halloween Tricks & Treats!

2011-10-31T19:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween to you all today! So glad you can join me today for this double topic post today! I got loads of great feedback from bloggers loving the post I did about photographing on different "surfaces" last week. So I thought I'd share with you another fun (and free) background to set your photographs on, paint chips! This works especially great for small objects to photograph, but you could also create a grid with these to shoot larger objects against! Fun, right?! Bonus: You'll have a rainbow of swatches to choose from at your local hardware store. Just don't go crazy and stuff them all in your purse from sheer excitement, you might get some weird looks from store employees :) I shot a small pairing of pumpkins against a few different paint chips, just to get your creative gears turning for your next mini-photo shoot ideas.

I seem to have an endless supply of pumpkins these days, since our fall outing from last week to the pumpkin patch. So I also included some easy ideas I'm using this season to display my gourds indoors and out. Inside we keep them grouped together, on top of the microwave, no less :) Until we find a better use for them... I smell a pie in my near future! And then I also used them to decorate my small outdoor landing area. I also picked up a hay bale during our country outing last week, for (get this) 5 dollars!! Holla! You can only find those steals in the country baby! :) Okay, sorry I'm back.

In other news, I'm sorry to tell you that I am signing off my blog until next week as Joe and I have so much to prepare for this weeks wedding we are shooting together! I'm talking planning some shots, buying more gear, getting our website in order, ordering business cards, the works! Oh, and we are also setting up a photo booth for the wedding in between everything else. Yep, it's a lot of work. But who am I to complain?! So until next week, take care!

Post Details:
Photography: evphotogal
Photo Templates: Pugly Pixel
Font: Journal

Happy Friday!

2011-10-28T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hooray we made it to the end of the week! I don't know about you but this week was a bit of a struggle for me. Feeling out of balance of sorts mentally and feeling some stress at my 9-5 job. Most of those unplasant feelings have diminished a bit as I was able to sort out feelings last night in my hot yoga class. It's only been my second week going, but when I say it's transforming, I mean that I feel like a calmer, saner, and healthier being when I leave the class. It's the best way (I've found so far) to decompress after a long week of work and it leaves me feeling totally refreshed to finish my last day of work on Friday. Not to mention I sleep like a baby at night! Transforming, I kid you not! And it's a fun way for Joe and I to schedule a gym date every week too!

I wish I could tell you that my weekend will be relaxing, but Joe and I have lots of exciting plans in the works for our new business adventure called Coach House Pictures. So we will be designing business cards and website pages to get that side of the business more organized. Until next week! Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for joining me this week :)

All Into Fall

2011-10-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I first want to give a warm welcome to those who have found my lil blog via BYW.
And a giant thank you for all your sweet comments I've received this week. It has truly inspired me to keep posting everyday this week (so far), yippee!! Today I wanted to share a small table top duo I shot around this time last year. Along with them I wanted to share a few tricks to compose a shot like this, without emptying your wallet.

I'm always looking for fun and interesting surfaces to photograph on and this one I used cost only 99 cents at my local Michael's craft store. It looks pretty close to the worn surface look I was seeking. Another source for inspiration is taking a trip to your local farm stand, farmers market, or orchard. They tend to have the freshest in session produce you can find. Plus they make for great holiday decor around your home after you've photographed them. And finally try going on a walk in your neighborhood. It's fun to collect fallen leaves from the trees and inspect all the different varieties that surround you. After your done with them put each leaf in between pages of a heavy book and come Thanksgiving you'll have a festive and creative element to add to your festive table! Have fun!

Shades of Autumn

2011-10-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

It never truly feels like Fall until I get to experience something in nature. When the air is crisp and the smell of burning leaves fills the air. This past weekend Joe and I packed our car and headed out of the city for a much needed time in the country. We met up with some friends in McHenry at Stade's Farm. It's a quaint family owned farm located 50 miles outside the city. It was definitely worth the trip! We had a blast taking a hay ride to a REAL pumpkin patch were we picked out the best looking gourds. My friends jokingly asked if this was better that shopping at Aldi, where I usually go to buy my pumpkins. And oh was it ever! We stayed until the sun went down indulging in there famous hot apple cider donuts, hot coco, and sweet corn on the cob. Later that night we headed back to my good friend Alise's house were we carved our pumpkins and roasted all the yummy seeds! We had a blast and can't wait for next years fall outing!

Pattern by Orla Kiely

2011-10-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

All Photographs found in Pattern.

I poured through this lovely book by Orla Kiely called Pattern as soon as I got it home and since I've
been totally inspired by the BYW e-course I'm currently taking, I thought it might be a good idea to parallel how other successful creative's work and how they are influenced to keep creating fresh and new ideas into the world. Orla Kiely is one such influential designer with a hugely successful global brand that started out with handbags and has since expanded to include accessories, travel & homeware (you might have seen some at Target), and a womenswear line. Despite how big her brand has grown in size, it was refreshing to read that her ideas come from practicing new ways of learning to see the world around her. By discovering what you gravitate towards in shape, colors, moods, and themes, you start to develop a confidence in your own preferences which trains your eye to be a more critical editor.

"Inspiration is always the beginning of the design process. Next comes the research phase, where you delve into it all in more detail, gathering information of various kinds and trying out ideas in sketches and drawings." I've included just a few of my favorite patterns and photos from this book, but it truly is a great visual resource of inspiration and a wealth of information about building and sustaining a brand with new ideas that have a lasting impact.

Free Download: Vintage Bias Tape Labels

2011-10-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd start the week off by sharing a fun free download I worked on over the weekend. I have a small but plentiful collection of vintage bias tape that I've been sourcing from flea and antique markets for the past few years. And having been inspired by Katrina lately (and all her lovely design downloads), I decided to share with you a few of my favorites from the collection, in 3 color ways, and turned them into labels for your personal use. I like to use these as captions in my posts and I'll probably be using them as labels for my sidebar tabs sometime in the near future, I hope :) Until then, enjoy these here!

Photo Frame: EV Photo Chic

Weekend Works

2011-10-21T17:12:00.000-07:00

Hello Friday! You're here and I'm so happy that you are :) Joe and I have a jam packed weekend, starting with a trip to the pumpkin patch and corn maze with friends tomorrow. As for the rest of the weekend I will more than likely be spending it behind the sewing machine creating a paper project for an upcoming event for Coach House Pictures (we are shooting are first wedding together in a few weeks, eep!) I'm so excited to be taking on this new photo adventure with my best friend by my side, none the less :) For now we still have lots to plan and will be working like bees up until the day! I can't wait to share with you highlights of what we capture! Until then, have an inspirational weekend!

Photography: evphotogal
Photo frame: Pugly Pixel
Font: Fling

Loving: Lost Type Fonts

2011-10-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

Recently I've been on the hunt for a font to spruce up our Coach House Pictures logo and yesterday I may have found it. Or, so I thought! I found this little jewel of a site called Lost Type fonts. It's founders wanted to create a unique place where its designers get 100% of the profit they make from each font but here's the other fun twist, you decide how much you want to pay for each font! Check out the library of fonts they currently have available. These are some of my favorites above. Time to start deciding which one of these will make the final cut! Which font speaks to you the most?

Craft Product Review: Scissors & Punch

2011-10-17T05:55:00.000-07:00

Crafting is one of my great loves! And to find products that are smart, help me to save time, and create great results? One of my goals is to find these products, test them and then share the results with my lovely readers! This weekend I tested out my newest Martha Stewart crafting products for an upcoming project and they are now an essential part of my craft closet. The first product is fringe scissors, they have 5 scissor blades in one handle. A great time saving tool to create your own streamers and other fringe like projects, like my fringe backdrop. And the second is an all over circle punch. Unlike most paper punches, where you can only punch a shape on the border of the paper, this punch lets you punch anywhere on your paper. Which means you get more punches per paper and less waste, great! I used a medium weight card stock to create this paper garland. Thanks Martha for creating such handy tools for crafters like me :) Oh, and the product design is easy on the eyes, so I don't mind displaying any of her craft products either because they just look so pretty.

Photography: evphotogal
Fabric Ribbon: evphotogal
Blog Template: Pugly Pixel

DIY- Binder Cover Tutorial

2011-10-14T06:41:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned earlier last week I signed up for Holly's Blogging Your Way e-course and one of the things I knew I wanted to have in place was a pretty binder where I can collect all my paperwork and store other creative findings. And since I'm trying to reuse materials that I already own, I decided to cover a plain 3 ring binder that I wasn't using. The paper I used for the outside was a role of pretty paper I found at the dollar store. I really like the contrast of lacy paper paired with the shipping brown paper on the inside. Pretty meets functional, what a great combo! I was so excited by the way it turned out that I put together this DIY tutorial so you can cover your own! I had fun putting together these illustrations (straight from my sketchbook) and photographic tutorial. I think it would be great to cover a few binders, that way you'll always have a place to store your many inspirations! I keep one in the kitchen to keep all my magazine recipes handy. Have a lovely weekend :)

Photo template & tape: Pugly Pixel

Joe = Tasty Portfolio

2011-10-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

Photography: Joe Bankmann

My guy has been working hard in the kitchen! Here are some of his tastier fare, hmmm. I can almost smell that peach & blueberry pie! Trust me, it tasted as good as it looks! A nice little perk to living with a food photographer, there are always some ingredients that didn't quite make the cut. A few weeks ago we had a produce aisle of heirloom tomatoes in our kitchen. We had so much that we devoured them in salads for over a week! Oh, it was difficult to go back to the regular cherry or plum varieties after that! But it's nice to know that there is always an abundance of something else around the corner. Right now we are slammed with salami! This could spell trouble :)

Engagement Session- Annie & Steve

2011-10-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

I finished my editing late last night and couldn't wait to share my favorites with you this morning! Yippee! Here they are! Joe and I had so much fun running around the Old Town neighborhood to capture these shots. Love and Fall were both in the air, mixed in with some great light! What more could we have asked for? Thanks Annie & Steve for a great afternoon!

Photography: Coach House Pictures

Flowers: A New Leaf

Weekend Stretch!

2011-10-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

Good Saturday morning to you in blog land! With my morning coffee in hand I'm spending a beautiful fall morning editing an engagement shoot Joe and I worked on last Sunday with this lovely couple! Annie and Steve made our night, with there sweet looks and gestures. We followed them around in there Old Town Chicago neighborhood. Fall was in the air and love was following closely behind :)
After our session we ended up going out for Thai food, my fav! And talking about there wedding coming up in January. Thanks Annie and Steve for letting us capture such sweet moments!

Photography: Coach House Pictures
Flowers: A New Leaf

In the Work Kitchen

2011-10-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks I've been helping out at work in the styling arena! Our photo producer has seen me in action over the last several months and now seems relieved every time she hands a project over to me, having full confidence that I can style shoots and get the art directors approval. Which makes me happy at the end of a long day! Here are a few kitchen shots we did last week. I had fun shopping for all the baked goodies I used to prop the donut and cake pop makers. Yum!

The Barnes Family

2011-10-03T06:07:00.000-07:00

Just a quick sneak peek at what Coach House Pictures has been up to! As I announced a few weeks ago, this is our new photography adventure that Joe and I have been growing. We had so much fun photographing the Barnes family! There boys are so energetic and lively! We loved following them around there Bucktown neighborhood (which just happens to be ours too) and capturing them in the moment. Here are a few of my favorite shots. Check out our blog to see the full posting of this photo session. Happy Monday and a great start to your week!

Photography: Coach House Pictures

New Feature: Before & Afters

2011-09-27T21:04:00.000-07:00

After going through my iphoto folders this past weekend I decided that I thought it might be fun to share with you all my DIY's I've worked on over the past few years and ones that I am currently working on in a new feature I'm simply calling Before & Afters. I'm making it a permanent addition to my sidebar to make it easy to find and browse through too! I'd love to see some before and afters that you are working on! Send me a link or photo to evphotogal@gmail.com, I'd love to see the transformation, whether it be an interior space, furniture, or and object you tweaked to work for you!

Free Design Download: Photo Frames

2011-09-24T19:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday to you! I had a crazy fun filled prop styling week at work. I'll be glad to share the photos with you next week, but for today I'm excited to share another free design download! As a photographer, I can never get enough photo frames to download. Sometimes they just add that perfect touch to digital photographs, you know what I'm saying? Well here they are in all 3 of my favorite formats. 4x5, medium, and polaroid! Be sure to check out my other free digital downloads here too. These are for personal use only, thank you. Enjoy and have a lovely weekend!

Hex Background & Glitter Dots: Pugly Pixel

Photos: EV Photography

My Memories Suite- Giveaway!!

2011-09-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

I couldn’t think of a better way to start the week then to be hosting my first giveaway! My Memories Suite, a digital scrap booking software is up for grabs for one very lucky winner today! I have to honestly say that as much as I love getting crafty, I’ve really never been drawn to traditional scrap booking mainly because the thought of planning all the details, papers, and
embellishments gives me a headache. After using this product for over a week now, I can truly say that digital scrap booking is way more up my alley!
   This smart digital scrap booking software is intuitive, easy to use, fun, and let’s you truly be creative. With plenty of templates for you to drag and drop your photos into you really have full creative control to make each page your own- with My Memories Suite. Create scrapbook layouts, photo books, cards, calenders, slide shows,videos, you name it! If you’re looking to create a traditional album once you’re finished editing, print each page on your home printer to add to an existing album or create a hardbound book to share with family and friends. Looking for a quick way to share your albums fast? Your just a click away from turning your albums into a movie to play as a DVD or on your iPod.

After taking time to create some pages of my own here are a few of my favorite features included in My Memories Suite:

* huge collection of photo layout templates
* simple drag and drop photo feature
* wide range of colored background papers and textures
* great collection of embellishments including buttons, ribbons, stiches, and dots
* ability to color correct photos including red eye reduction.
* fun photo filters to give your photos a vintage feel or a classic in black and white
* ability to change the opacity on any element (including background paper) to help make your
  photos take center stage and shine on every page!
* And best of all- No messy glue and paper scraps to pick up after!

Contest entry details:

(1.) Visit www.MyMemories.com, choose your favorite digital paper pack or layout, then come back here (to my blog ) and leave a comment telling me which ones you would love to create with.

(2.) Please include your name and email address in your comment entry.

(3.) Contest ends midnight Sept 25th. The winner will be drawn at random and will be announced and contacted on Monday Sept 26th. Good luck to all!

**As a special to all my readers My Memories Suite is offering a special promo code that provides a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - $20 value!) Just enter this special code at checkout: STMMMS47265

* Please note: This unique code is ONLY good for My Memories Suite v2

Pages created using My Memories Suite software.

Photography: EV Photo Gal

Blogging Your Way e-course

2011-09-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

Photo: Holly Becker

Happy Friday to you! I'm so excited to be joining the group of ladies over at decor8 for the Blogging Your Way e-course seminar starting early next month. I hope to learn more about the ins and outs of the blogging lifestyle, work on creating more of a niche and style for this blog, and to meet new blog friends in the process. I had the chance to meet and greet Holly when she was on her book tour through Chicago last month, so joining her class this year will be such a treat! It's not to late to sign up, hurry over and check out the exciting outline Holly has lined up for this years seminar! Can't wait to get the creative gears turning!

Two Years & Many Many More!

2011-09-13T07:10:00.000-07:00

Today i'm happily sharing 2 years of living life with my best friend. It was only 2 years ago when we met up for a game of tennis, had lunch at Sultans Market, and strolled through the Renegade Handmade craft fair. We ended the long day by sharing a bottle of wine while lol-ing at The Office. I knew after our first date that I had found someone special. Fast forward to today and I'm still the happiest girl in the Midwest :)

Coach House Pictures

Friday Fancies: Fashion Forward

2011-09-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

I could get used to this shorter work week! Couldn't you?! Alas, it's Friday and time for another fun Friday Fancies post. In honor of NY Fashion week, AV of Long Distance Loving picked the theme of fashion forward for this weeks post. Coming up with this weeks post was really fun and quite self-indulgent, if I do say so myself. For anyone who knows me, my everyday style is pretty casual and laid back. A mix between preppy and bohemian (or at least I like to imagine so). Which is why I had fun picking out these pieces. I love the emerald green pop of color against the textured nude one shoulder dress. Earthy gold/emerald earrings bring color to the face and this leopard clutch is a fine unexpected touch of pattern to finish off this look. Thanks for stopping by this week. Have a comforting weekend.

One. One Shoulder Dress $45

Two. Louboutin $945

Three. Starburst Earrings $95

Four. Leopard Clutch $415

Farmer's Market

2011-09-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

Joe went to the farmers early this week. This bounty of beauties were calling my name.

So I gave myself up for the challenge and decided to shoot them as soon as I came home from work.

Working with natural window light is very fleeting, so I knew I had to work efficiently. I was happy with what I came up with too! I love the crispness of shooting against the black chalkboard surface. I think it really makes the produce shine! In other news Joe and I recently joined a local CSA. I can't wait to stage the next impromptu photo shoot of the seasonal produce we'll be getting each week. Yum!!

Post Details: Manilla tape by Pugly Pixel

Introducing: Coach House Pictures

2011-09-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

Happy holiday to you today on this beautiful (fallish feeling) Chicago day! I have exciting news that I can finally share with you. Joe and I are taking on a new creative adventure together known as Coach House Pictures. I just wrapped editing photos from our first couples photo shoot last weekend. Below are a few of my favorite photos from the shoot, to view the complete session and to learn more about our business stop by our blog :) We are open for business and would love to capture your story.

Friday Fancies: Labor Day Chic

2011-09-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

TGIF, it's a long weekend!! Yay :) For this weeks Friday Fancies theme I created a special Labor Day Chic- Chicago style!! Since this weekends forecast is going to be B-utiful a few of us girls are kicking the weekend off by spending the afternoon at Oak Street Beach. I'm so excited to lay in the sun with a cold drink and girly magazines. The perfect way to salute a long summer weekend! Cheers and enjoy your long weekend too!

Post Design Details: Shipping Tag by Pugly Pixel
Outfit: Found using Pintrest, Reads: Amazon, Lives: Desire To Inspire, Shops: Riley, Pitaya, Scout, Brooklyn Industries, Sprout Home, Dines: The Bristol

Loving: Ruche Fall Look Book

2011-08-31T13:49:00.000-07:00

Happy mid weekday to you!! Phew, this week has flown by, hasn't it for you too? Today I'm crushing on the Ruche Professional Fall Wardrobe look book. Since I work in a photo studio jeans and tees are a staple in my wardrobe. But lately however I've been dressing things up by wearing skirts and dresses. Below is one of my fav work wear outfits. I can't wait to transition some of my summer staples into the fall. Pairing my skirts and dresses with tights and boots, I'll be able to extend there mileage for sure! What pieces do you own that you're planning on wearing into the Fall season?

Photo by Zoe Tyler. Waiting to take the train home after a hard days work!

Photographer: Andy Barnes

2011-08-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

After pouring over the latest Jayson Home & Garden fall catalog I just had to find out who the photographer behind the gorgeous interiors and stills are. Andy Barnes, a local Chicago based photographer is the creator behind the images. Aren't they dark and beautiful!? I love the abandon
looking spaces they chose to shoot there vintage inspired furniture collections. If you want to see more of him brilliant work you should check out his website too. You'll be glad you did :)

New Feature: Free Design Downloads!

2011-08-29T06:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday to you all! I hope your weekend was filled with lots of enjoyment and laughter. I have exciting news to share with you! I'm re-introducing my free design downloads link for anyone to download and use for there crafty/blog/design needs. They were created in photoshop in a 8x10 page layout and are ready to print out at home or to be cut and pasted into your blog/website. The two downloads that are available for download are fun labels and tags. I used the tags with ribbon as a design detail in my last post just to give you an idea. Let me know if you have any questions about how to use them, I'm happy to help. You can find the link button on the right side of my blog under the Free Design Downloads button. Please be sure to include a link to your blog or website if you do decide to use them in a digital format. If not, I'd love to see how you use them in real life! Send me a snapshot or link to your blog post. Happy designing!

Photography & Designs: EV Photo Chic

Friday Fancies: Weddings

2011-08-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

My Style Foodie friend invited me to partake in Cornflake Dreams Friday Fancies theme for the week. And little did I know that it would be about a subject I've been dreaming about for the past few months.... weddings!! I've always seen myself having a wedding close to home so I could invite all my
closest friends and family. And so I could plan and really have my hands in all the DIY details I have in mind for my special day. I've been collecting these images on my gmail photos link and I'm sorry to say that I don't have links to share for them but I got most of them by scrolling through sites like Grey Likes weddings, 100 Layer Cake, and Style Me Pretty- all really great places to find wedding inspiration galore! Be sure to check out the other Friday Fancies entries too! Happy Weekend to you :)

Post Details: Ric Rak provided by Pugly Pixel, white tags with red ribbon by me.

Toot Toot!

2011-08-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I never officially (and I'm all about official) shared with you my labor of love for the past year! The quaint & comfy coach house Joe and I call home. It was photographed by the awesome Apartment Therapy editor Jason Loper last month. Today I share with you a few of my favorite photos from the shoot. But you can check out the full post including all the juicy resource details here. Our home is a continual work in progress, in fact I was writing a list today on my morning commute of decor details I'd like to complete before the summers over. Mostly because it involves painting and leaving the windows open for long periods for things to dry. The details of that I'll leave for another day. For now we are enjoying all the work we put into the place by having a few impromptu bbq's, chill'n with the neighbors with cocktails, and just enjoying summer in the city. Oh and did I mention we signed another year on the lease? I truly take comfort in the fact that we can nest another year in a space I feel we have made our own. What's on your decor to do list before the summers end?

Photography: Jason Loper

Summer Comforts

2011-08-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

What I love most about the summer months is enjoying all that comfort food can only bring as the temps stay high. This summer Joe's been in the kitchen a lot cooking up the yummiest of comforts for his food portfolio! And the best part is that after all the food styling and photos have been taken, we get to enjoy the ones that didn't make the cut. How about indulging in a little comfort yourself today?

Styling & Photography: Joe Bankmann

Monday Thoughts

2011-08-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

A beautiful and inspiring quote to jumpstart your Monday! Check out the rest of Pretty Zoo's quote series. They're amazing and eye catching to boot! This was true for me for the last 2 weeks. For those of you who don't know I work as a commercial photographer for a photo studio. And the last several weeks (because our in house photo stylist's) were on vacation my bosses gave me the opportunity to style several environment shots for one of our newest and busiest clients. I worked with one of our most talented and easy going photographers, which helped to make the weeks go by even smoother . I had so much fun styling these shoots and did them with surprising ease and confidence. With the help and encouragement from another fellow friend, these past few weeks have really made me consider other career options besides photography. For the past (almost) 6 years commercial photography has been my safe comfortable cushion. In other words my safety. I don't know if it's because I am approaching my 30th birthday at the end of this year but I've been feeling more and more like I need a change of pace and I find myself seeking new challenges that my day to day work no longer offers me. I'm not at all ungrateful for anything that this safety has given me over the past few years but I'll soon be ready to make a leap and do something that's scary and new and exciting.

There's still time....

2011-08-18T07:54:00.000-07:00

I've been spotting quite a few fall posts invading the sunny summer blogland air. I don't know about you, but I'm holding on to the very last bloom of summer. I can't get enough of the heat and warm breezes. If you feel like summer has come and gone and you feel like you have yet to partake in summertime fun, here are a few things that are awaiting your company.

Like these DIY picnic invites found over at Eat Drink Chic. Something so sweet and simple to hand out to your closet friends. Joe and I have been enjoying picnics at our local park nearby and at Ravinia this past weekend.

Create a celebratory pinata! I thought this would be fun to make and not just numbers too! Drop by Oh Happy Day to get the full DIY scoop!

And last but not least take a popcicle break and sit back and enjoy the dog days that only summer can bring. Find the complete recipes over at Chez Beeper s blog. What is still on your to do list this summer?

Summer Loving and Happenings

2011-08-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

Hello blogland! I bet your wondering where I've been for so long?! I've been throughly delighting and basking in the warm summer air. I really can't get enough of it. I've been spending time with my loves in my life, doing away with cable television, devouring one library book after another, packing picnics to view movies in the park, experiencing my first country music concert, camping and hiking through Starved Rock, taking neighborly strolls to the local dog park, keeping my cool with frozen treats, joining my brave sis for Sunday morning long runs along the lakefront (she's training for the Chicago Marathon). And last but not least, I've been working tirelessly on our place and was super excited to have our home featured on Apartment Therapy last month too! It was fun working towards getting our place to feel more lived in (with the help of countless DIY's) as well as adding a jolt of color happiness on the surrounding kitchen walls. Joe and I loved how everything came together and we just renewed our lease for a second year!! Yay :) We are here to stay!! How's your summer been? I hope you've been getting the most out of it and enjoying as many experiences as well as creating new memories along the way.

Below and above are a few snapshots of our flourishing succulent garden display in our front bay window. These babies are thriving like you wouldn't believe! And with so little effort on my part, once a week watering is all they need! I highly recommend all variety of succulents for the green thumb impaired :) I found mine at my local Home Depot, all under $6 a piece. And the wood containers I found at a local Goodwill store for a $1 each! I covered some books with brown craft paper and splurged on some fun wrapping paper from the Container Store to give the display some height and pops of color.

Keep the Summer loving coming.....

Photos by EV Photography

Feature on Apartment Therapy!

2011-06-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

Read the full story over at Apartment Therapy of this before and after! Thanks Jason for taking the time to come over for a house tour.

Please Turn This Space into THE Place!

2011-06-07T17:02:00.000-07:00

To: Making it Lovely
From: A space that dreams of being social one day.

While I may only be a mere 16 x 20 feet in size and the only things that tend to hang around are weeds, ladders, and the occasional trash bag waiting to be thrown out- I'm hoping this letter will be my chance to change things around for the better! I would give all the fertile soil in the world to become THE social hangout spot for the summer! Please turn my bbq and smore dreams into a reality!

Awaiting transformation always,

Bucktown Beaut

Spudnik Press

2011-06-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine sent me an invitation to join her last night to attend a pattern design workshop over at a chill community printshop space called Spudnik Press. The director Angee hosts a range of talented creatives to come and teach on a wide range of design/print workshops. So when I heard that they were having a workshop on how to repeat patterns, I jumped at the chance to learn something new!
Megan Lee, designer and extraordinary crafty gal ran the workshop with friendliness and taught us how to turn a design into a repeating pattern that could be used as wallpaper or on fabric. She showed us a few tricks to help turn simple designs into intricate and interesting repeating patterns that line up seamlessly (or pretty darn close, at least)! Here is my quick pattern drawing that I came up with.

I can't wait to play around with other drawings and experiment new ways of application. Printing on fabric and paper is my next creative goal. And now I feel like I have a better understanding of what it takes to make it work! Thanks Angee and Megan! I look forward to attending next months creative workshop! Keep em coming :)

Photo Strip of Spring

2011-03-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

Until Spring decides to show it's face, I've created a quick photo strip inspired by spring. Wouldn't these be great to send to help brighten someones day! Create your own by heading over to Paislee Press to download a free photo booth strip (just like the real thing- minus the wait time). Even though we are so so close to experiencing warmer days to come, it's nice to know that I can check out lots of Spring inspiration via blogland ;)

March Happy!

2011-03-02T09:43:00.000-08:00

Hello to a promise of warmer weather and sun rises on my way to work! I welcome March today with open arms in hopes that I'll be winding down on wearing multiple layers to keep warm. And I welcome this week with a hope full outlook as Joe and I returned yesterday from a long ski weekend we took with family and friends at Granite Peak, WI. Our weekend was filled with good company, deer and moose sightings, cozy fires, board games, and of course skiing! The time spent away was totally what I needed to come back to my comfortable surroundings. Don't you just miss your home and love it that much more when you return from a trip?! We walked in last night after being gone for two nights and the first thing I couldn't wait to do was fall into my clean bed! And a few hours later, I did :) Today I wanted to share some wall stencil inspiration. A perfect solution for renters like us who still want to add a punch to our walls. I like to give Joe a say in the decor details, he does have to live with them too after all :) We are almost in agreement with this one from Cutting Edge Stencils. I love the soothing graphic shapes and I can't wait to see how it will look in our kitchen. The stencils from the photos below are from Royal Design Studio. Any home projects on your to-do list for this month?

Where Oh Where?

2011-02-24T11:20:00.000-08:00

I find myself asking today where has this week gone? Really, it's Thursday already! I must confess the possibility of taking on this challenge has consumed my thoughts these last several days. Combined with the support of my co-workers who have faced the tri challenge and lived to share their stories :) I am truly excited for this challenge, now I just have to face how much it's going to cost to get a complete overhaul on my bike. It's seen better days. But I hope to have it back on the road within a few weeks. If your looking to start a challenge (physical or not) I highly recommend the You Can Do It Handbook. I was reading the stories of past triathletes and the tips they offer on how to get started. It's got great references on almost any challenge your looking to take on too. Such as scuba diving, organizing, volunteering, to writing your first novel. So come on, YOU can do IT!

Happy Friday

2011-02-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

Wishing every one a happy friday today! If you live in the midwest, get out and enjoy the fresh spring like weather we've been having this week :) I hope it's here to stay! I'm super excited for tonight because I am hosting my first craft night with lots more crafty gals joining in this time around! It's sure to be a great night for sure! I'll keep ya posted on what I end up crafting :)

Post Valentines

2011-02-15T07:50:00.000-08:00

Happy post Valentines Day to you! I was so busy this weekend getting ready for yesterday. Making my valentines for the kids and figuring out what Joe and I wanted to make for our V-Day dinner. We were both excited to make this recipe from Real Simple and its officially now my favorite meal!! Are you a lover or hater of this holiday? I'm kinda in between. Although I don't need a day on the calender to tell me when or how to share my affection, I also don't need a reason not to. I think Joe and I do a good job of showing how much we care and appreciate each other in small everyday ways. And that's as much and all I could ask for. How did you spend your special day yesterday?

Loving: Crafterall

2011-02-10T11:22:00.000-08:00

Looking through my favorite shops on Etsy this morning my eye was captured by these awesomely crafted cards/ paper art. They remind me of what the Midwest might look like from somewhere high up in the air, right? Check out the shop Crafterall to see more beautiful layers upon layers of colored paper. Stay warm :)

Inspiration

2011-02-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

Hi all, I've been mia these last few days due to a busier than ever work schedule. I went looking for some much needed inspiration this morning and I found what I was looking for along with a few inspirational podcast that I wanted to share with you. If your not familiar with podcasts, all you need is itunes and patience to dig through there library of podcasts. The best part is is that they are free to dowmload and listen to. I look forward to loading these episodes weekly so I have something (other than music) to ride along with me on my train commute. Below are the current podcasts I subscribe to right now. I'd love to hear of any podcast recommendations that you might have to share too!

Quote from Joy Ever After

Printable Valentines

2011-02-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

Remember when you used to hand out Valentines to everyone in your class? These cute Valentines by One Charming Party kind of remind me of those early years when every one of your classmates was your friend. These are prefect and ready to just download and print! I think my niece and nephew will really get a kick outta them :)

In the House

2011-02-02T11:14:00.000-08:00

For those of you spending the day indoors today due to a massive snowfall, I hope you are having a most wonderful snow day full of anything that you want to do! The photo studio is closed which means I got to sleep in this morning and make an awesome egg breakfast for Joe and I. Last week Joe was working on a few food photo portfolio samples. Our place was overrun by props, food, lights, and various yummy smells coming from the kitchen. The best part for me was getting to feast on some of the food afterwards. We dined on a surf and turf dinner one night, the crabs were so meaty and tasty dipped in a little butter and the vanilla cake from Bake was so moist and rich. I ended up bringing the rest to work just so I wouldn't be tempted to eat another slice.

Photography by Joe Bankmann

Birthday Wishes

2011-01-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend, this handsome boy turns 8!! I can hardly believe what an awesome little person he is turning out to be. He's developing athletic skills like it's second nature and is creative to boot( he constructed wallets out of multi-colored duct tape for all the guys in the family for Christmas gifts). That'a boy!! But the thing that melts my heart the most about my special nephew Sam, is the way he cuddles up next to me on the couch. There's almost nothing like it, I'm telling you! Happy Birthday Sam, may you continue to nurture you talents and spread your fun loving energy.

Current State of Mind

2011-01-27T19:31:00.000-08:00

Tonight as I was powering through my treadmill run at the gym, I got to thinking about all the positive reinforcements I have in place to motivate me to get to the gym after a long day of work. To start, I created an ipod playlist called WORK FOR IT (yes, I'm screaming to myself by putting it in caps :) Here are just a few motivating lines from some of the songs that are on this playlist and here is where I go to be inspired by another fellow runner and all around awesomely creative talent. What songs get you off the couch and motivate you to move during these cold winter days? I'd love to know!

Telepopmusik- Breathe

"Another day.........just breathe".

Seal-Crazy

"But we're never gonna survive unless we get a

little crazy".

Joy Williams- New Day

" Another chance, another try

open your eyes, cause the sun is

about to shine, it's a new day!"

Loving: Hand drawn Valentines

2011-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Today I'm loving these super cute and personal hand drawn Valentines by Two Brunettes. Aren't they so adorable! How great would it be to send these out! But if it's not in the budget they also have a printable download that you can print for free! To download click here. Ahhh love...it's in the air and soon to be on paper :)

Images by Two Brunettes

Chicago Street Photographer Exhibit

2011-01-21T10:09:00.000-08:00

My photographer friend at work sent me this link and I just couldn't wait to share it. Vivian Maier who worked as a nanny in Chicago and the North Shore for most of her career is now being compared to Evan Walkers for all her street photographs she captured in the 50's-early 70's. It's a crazy story that you must go and see this video to get all the details, but to sum it up over 100,000 negatives and more than 3,000 prints of her work were discovered in an estate auction shortly before her death in 2009. Some of those prints are currently being exhibited at the Chicago Cultural Center until April of this year and it's free to go and check out! I am personally not a big fan of street photography but her work just blows my mind! I can't to go see these in person. Have a great weekend, stay warm & toasty!!

Lovely Freebie Textures

2011-01-20T07:54:00.000-08:00

If your longing for sunshine and blue skies like I am today, then maybe this lovely collection of free textures by Lost & Taken will give you a little jolt of happiness, if not only for a few moments :)
Take a peek through there texture gallery, I bet you'll look through every category like I just did. If your looking to spice up your blog background, header or button Lost & Taken textures are available for use for both personal and commercial projects including web templates and designs. Donations to the site are not required but greatly appreciated. Here are just some of my favorites.... hmmm so many possibliltes!

Bokeh

Motion Blur

Wood

Experimental

Happy Friday

2011-01-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

Photos by Jennifer Squires

Hello! Let's hear it for the weekend!! Woot woot :) Work has been crazy this week, but fun. New photo stylists in the studio have brought much needed energy to our small photo group. How has your week been? Do you feel this sense of renewal because of the new year? I'm sure feeling it. My thoughts this week have been full of hope and possibilites. Whatever your weekend may bring, I hope you find time to unplug, recharge and focus on being the best possible you!

Surprise Birthday Decor

2011-01-10T10:28:00.000-08:00

My big sis is turning the big 3-0 this Saturday. And to celebrate her big day she and her husband are throwing it at her favorite sushi restaurant, Tank Sushi in the city! It's a really quaint, fun atmosphere located in Logan Square. And as a surprise to her I wanted to decorate the room that they have reserved for dinner. I called the restaurant this morning and they said it would be fine to come in early to decorate the room. So I have lots to do this week!! I've put together an inspiration board for the party and will use this as a guide. I love the pink and yellow color pallette! I can't wait to get started! And I can't wait to see her smile when she walks in! Wish me luck :)

Photos by Creature Comforts and Martha Stewart

Mac App Store!

2011-01-07T07:39:00.000-08:00

The long awaited Mac app store is open and stocked with awesome apps for your Mac! If you are one of those people (like me) still without an iphone, and have started to feel left out by all the others who have these great apps on their phones, then check out the new store. I still won't be able to take them with me when I'm not at home, but at least I can have some cleaver apps to look forward to! Here are a few of my favorite ones. Happy Friday to you!

Compartments App- Take inventory/organize your stuff

rubiTrack App- Exercise Journal/Tracker

Sketchbook Pro- Digital Sketchpad

Fearless Creativity

2011-01-06T13:02:00.000-08:00

Print by lilco press

Hello and a very happy Thursday to you all! I can across this inspirational article on Etsy about how to overcome the roadblocks of fear when it comes to creating for yourself or to sell. I am my worst critic when it comes to critiquing my own work but I've learned that most of my best ideas happen in the most organic ways. And when I come up with an idea I give it time to rest and then come back to it a few days later and make any changes. But this is a good article on ways to push yourself through the doubtful creative times.

Welcoming a New Year

2011-01-04T18:04:00.000-08:00

It's so exciting to return to the blogging world after being off line for the holidays. I especially look forward to reading about fellow bloggers plans for the new year and what they hope to accomplish in the coming months. I too have had time to think about what I want to really focus my efforts on in 2011 and I'm excited to announce that I am in the works of developing a new online shop. I'm a little hesitant to talk in detail about this new endeavor, however I am excited to have already started creating some inventory and brainstorming ideas for more.

I can tell you that my new shop will feature decor for the home and other little knacks that make a home feel cozy and lived in. The shop will feature a combination of paper crafts, sewing projects, and art that is easy on the environment and have a unique handmade aesthetic to each piece.

I can't wait to share more...but for now I can share with you the space and place where most of my creations have begone to take shape. Small you say? Yep! It's my craft closet and one of the first "rooms" that I decorated when we first moved into the coach house. It's small yet holds all of my craft supplies including my sewing machine and paper rolls. My favorite part are the magnetic boards I hung on the inside of the doors to serve as inspiration boards. That and the fact that I can make a mess and at the end of the day close the doors to conceal all the work in progress.
Wish me luck on this huge undertaking! I'm really excited and motivated to start on something that I am utterly passionate about. And I can't wait to share with you it's progress along the way.

Hooray for new creative challenges and great beginnings to the new year!

A New Design for the New Year!

2010-12-27T14:46:00.000-08:00

Hello and Welcome to the newly redesigned EV Photo Chic blog. I've been working on creating a new header and background design for a while, (mostly while on my lunch break) but here is it!! What do you think? I'm working on adding more to the blog as well such as pages and other fun things to browse through. I'd love to hear what else (if any) you'd like me to include.

Happiness Is....

2010-12-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

* creating a DIY holiday
* spending Christmas with my best friend
* taking a week off to unwind and nest
* hosting dinner/cocktails for friends and family
* creating new memories
* thigh high socks
* creating photo calenders as gifts
* being so blessed to have a home, health, and family
* getting a great Groupon deal
* waking up to sunshine
* seeing where a little creative inspiration can take you
* growing out my hair
* paid time off
* making gingerbread cookies and royal icing from scratch
* decorating my first REAL Christmas tree
* comfy cozy nights on our new couch
* year end bonuses!
* ice skating on my Birthday (I'm turning 29, eek!)

EV Photography

What is happiness for you this holiday season? It's fun to look back on the years, here is my post on happiness from 2008 :)

I am taking a staycation for the next week and a half. So I will be back to blogging next year :)
Thanks for tuning in this year, and thank you for all your positive words. Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to you!

xoxo,

~Liz

One to Watch

2010-12-22T07:54:00.000-08:00

If you're looking to take a break from holiday favorites, then head to the theaters to see this psychological thriller Black Swan. Natalie's character, an obsessed ballerina seeks perfection but at what price? You'll just have to find out! Since most of the scenes are shot with a hand held camera, there's a realism factor, meaning you feel like your actually on stage with the actors as they dance. I my opinion, it's a must see on the big screen! It's up for at least 12 nominations, so I can't wait to see how many awards they take home. Are there any movies out now that you could recommend?

Today I Want: Scrapwood Wallpaper

2010-12-21T12:15:00.000-08:00

What I wouldn't give to have all my walls covered in this perfectly un-perfect scrap wood wallpaper. I secretly want to live in a cabin in the city and this would just make any cabin like renovation much more doable, no?! Sigh... it's way out of any price range I can afford for paper. But a girl can still daydream!

Home Happenings

2010-12-20T06:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday to you all. It felt great this morning to stretch my legs after spending a much needed weekend mostly at home. And for great reason too, our couch that we've been much anticipating has finally arrived!! Joe and I love it and after being without a comfy place to unwind at the end of the day for weeks now, it's a much needed piece of furniture especially around this time of year. The only changes I made in the solid pillows was a switch in color. I traded in the turquoise for a chartreuse pair. I love the pop of color against the charcoal gray couch.

I also treated myself to a sheepskin throw I've had my eye on for a while. I love the soft comfy texture against the Herman Miller chair.

Oh and a little greenery on my kitchen window sill is well on it's way to sprouting. I planted these paper whites a few weeks ago and am enjoying watching them grow a little more each day.

After the Gift Wrapping is Done...

2010-12-17T07:08:00.000-08:00

I hope to be doing more of this real soon! Happy Friday to you all! I'm taking a half day from work today but just wanted to share with you some inspiring needle work from textile designer Karen Barbe. Her blog is so calming to scroll through, it makes me want to hibernate with my sewing machine for a week. It's been a while, but I feel like this time of the year just brings the sewing out of me. What kind of creative project is stirring in your brain this time of the year?

Photos by Karen Barbe

Cookie Exchange

2010-12-16T07:46:00.000-08:00

Every year (for the past 8 years) the women in my family get together around the holidays to share in one another's favorite baked goodies. For my cookie of choice this year I decided to tackle the gingerbread variety. In part because I love anything with ginger in it and my favorite part is the decorating. I used this recipe from Martha Stewart, because one it calls for fresh and ground ginger and because I loved the photo as a source for decorating inspiration. You can find more if you pick up this months issue of Good Housekeeping too :) I decided to make and bake the cookies at my place so that we could relax and really enjoy decorating them the next day together. Today I have for you some of the cookie exchange highlights.

Scalloped graphics provided by Pugly Pixel.

Guest Blogging Today...

2010-12-14T09:44:00.000-08:00

Come check out this quick and crafty DIY I put together for blogger gal Courtney over at You Will Won't You? For those of you who don't know Courtney and I go way back. We went to the same grade school and even had a class together at Columbia College in Chicago...yep! Head on over to her blog to start crafting your own paper doily snowflakes!