A horse head, a rug and me. A love story.

When I first met my husband he was living in the very quaint town of Malvern Pennsylvania. His home there eventually become our home and I have always had a special place for this little place. When Boutique Buzzz asked me to be a part of a photo shoot for the newly expanded Knots and Weaves store I was super excited. Located upstairs in what years ago was the Malvern firehouse, The Loft at Knots and Weaves features additional home accessories, vintage finds and now an exciting sampling of woman’s fashions from  local boutiques Polka Dots and Nota Bene. It is one of those places where you can grab a friend, grab a latte and spend some time perusing the collections of unique and eye-catching items. The rug gallery is downstairs and it not to be missed. Every rug is like a work of art, each one more beautiful than the next. The owners Jim and Kerry are passionate about what they do and it really shows in their beautiful space.

I have been lucky enough to be able to participate in a few photo shoots. Obviously I am more comfortable when I am behind the scenes, helping to style the shoot, as opposed to having the camera on me where I strain to not appear like a deer in headlights. I have said this before and I can’t emphasize it enough, a good relationship with your photographer is the key to getting a great photo. And it is a relationship type of fit. I need someone who is energetic and can get me out of my shell. I tend to act like a frozen statue when I know I am having my picture taken. Not a good look if you are forgetting to breathe. David Campli of Campli Photography is just that kind of person. He is funny, upbeat and knows how to give you very exacting instructions. This is important because although you are trying to appear relaxed and effortless, you body ends up contorted  and angled very unnaturally. When you think you think you are going to fall over from holding a yoga like pose is when the shot becomes just right. Sometimes even verbal instruction is not enough. David is  not afraid to go the extra mile and show you exactly where you need to be. You can read David’s blog post on our shoot by clicking here. 

Exhibit 1. (sorry so blurry, this is why I am NOT a photographer)

We will revisit David and the horse head in just a bit…

 

A photo shoot is essentially the creation of a story, of a fantasy. In order to achieve the right look hair and makeup is a must. Bring in the oh so beautiful and oh so talented Sabrina Roberts of Sacco Hair Designs and Megan Dyer of The Style Counsel.  These girls performed magic, on me at least. My vote is that next time they are on the other side of the camera! So pretty!

 

 

 

My partner in crime for the day was the drop dead gorgeous Jenny Larkin, a real in the flesh model. Technically speaking I am old enough to be her mother and her legs are long enough to double mine, but she is super sweet and makes it all look very easy. Being on the other side of things I can tell you it is hard. But Jenny has that certain something in front of the camera and the girl has already been off modeling in the big city.

 

Jenny modeled looks from Polka Dots and I modeled looks from Nota Bene Boutique, which happens to be located just a couple blocks away in town. I was feeling super nervous but Martha, owner of Nota Bene came equipped with liquid courage in the form of morning mimosas!

 

The building and it’s contents set the stage for some really perfect backdrops. From color to texture it was all thought out to combine with the outfit to get just the right shot.  Oh yeah and you know when you see people laughing and talking in a photo? Have you ever wondered what they were talking about? Well it is weird and awkward. They tell you to have a fake conversation. I mean that you are talking for real but need to look animated. Another one we were supposed to pretend to play poker and act mad. So hard to do without cracking up. And worrying I was going to cause the table to collapse! I definitely could not be an actress. Here are some of the behind the scenes shot from the shoot. There is a whole lot of equipment and lighting that goes into each scene.

  

 

 

Here are some of my favorite results from the day.

 

 

 

 

Which brings me to the horse head. The shots for the day are sort of loosely planned out, so if we are in the moment and something feels right David just sort of goes with it. I came downstairs after an outfit change to find a rug and horse head on the floor. Umm…what? This is very much akin to that scene in The Godfather.

 

But thankfully there was no blood. And after much confusion on my part, as seen in the pics below, I think the shot actually came out very cool!

 

 

 

All in all it was an amazing day. Super fun and I am beyond thankful to have been a part of it. Make a plan to stop into Malvern and check out all that The Loft at Knots and Weaves has to offer. They are located on  218 E King St, Malvern, PA 19355. You can follow them here on Facebook  and here on Instagram.

 

*Insider Tip – Rethink your clothes.

One of the pieces that I wore in the photo shoot is technically sold as a swim cover-up but it does so much more! The bright colors and tunic design make it the perfect piece to throw on with white denim for a cooler summer night. Great to pack for a weekend getaway as a mulit-tasking piece!

 

*Insider Tip – Learn as you go.

One of my favorite things about doing these type of projects is how I get to meet people that do all kinds of creative endeavors. I love to ask them for tips and tricks along the way. Megan was super helpful as she did my makeup, educating me throughout the process as I asked questions about some of her favorites. You can find them right here on her Instagram post. 

/