CoffeeTalk Vlog: Taking Fashion Pictures In Public

Chelsea asks, How do you take fashion post pictures in public? Well, the short answer is you just kind of go ahead and do it.  The long answer is, you just go ahead and do it, with these things in mind.

Here are the posts I reference in this vlog:

On Self-Portraits - thoughts on taking self-portraits
No Shame - it helps a lot to just not care.
These Are My Peeps? - everyone in my neighborhood is nuts, so what's one lady taking pictures of herself? 

*linking up with Rags To Stitches*

Raw Kale and Toddlers

Top - Winners //  Skirt - F21 dress that I converted to a skirt  //  Belt - swapped  //  Hat & Sunnies - F21

Our friends call us the Hippie parents.  And I always wonder why exactly.  Sure we grow veggies in our garden, eat organic, gluten and dairy free as well.  And no we don't stress over her eating dirt or kissing the dog; germs are good for her immunity.  But here's what explained things for me. 

I was busy juicing veggie juice for all of us.  I turned around to see Baby Girl standing and munching on the raw kale from the bowl of veggies prepped for juicing.  She was happily eating away and smiling at me.  I smiled back and started juicing.  Then she got upset because I juiced her 'snack' *that's what she called it*  Juicing veggies, and a girl who gets upset when you take away her raw kale?  Yup, we're hippie parents all right.  If by 'hippie' you mean kick ass awesome! Come on, a toddler who eats raw kale and likes it?!  That's got to be some kind of achievement.

I'll Let You In On The Lie

Top - Zara  //  Jeans - Gap  //  Shoes - Rocketdog from Winners  //  Necklace - Ruche  //  

Sunnies - F21  //  Bag - patches scoured from the internet

I didn't wear this today or yesterday.  Today I'm sick, as I was yesterday, so really I'm not fit for human consumption.  This I wore a few days ago and the photos have been sitting on my computer.  The lie is this, I post daily outfits here, but sometimes they're no on the exact day I wore them.  I try to be as recent as possible.  I also try to show you the reality, to the best of my ability, but today I'm sick and that's when these pictures come to save the day.

They give me a chance to interact with you.  Give you a chance to see an outfit that I did in fact wear.  And they give me a chance to wallow in my PJs with a pot of tea.

*linking up with Style Sessions*

Triple Braided Braid

This is a fun twist on a regular braid.  Something with a little more eye interest than a plain braid.

iPad Mini giveaway!

Chantilly ~ ChantillySongs Marisa ~ The Shades of Monet Chronicles Lisa ~ Lala Faux Bois Shell ~ Kitty and Buck Marilyn ~ Pulp Sushi Sammy ~ The Cookie Button Amanda E ~ Little Lady Little City Regina ~ Acute Designs Katherine ~ Of Corgis and Cocktails Amanda A. ~ Little Tranquility Joanna ~ ModaMama Roxy ~ GrrFiesty Vanessa ~ Take Only Memories Sabrina ~ The Little Owl Miss Angie ~ My So-Called Chaos Shai ~ Vagabond Studio Chelsea ~ Life Unpublished Lauren ~ A Wild Tonic Jenna ~ Kitty Cat Stevens Jessa ~ Caked Blog

Today, I'm happy to be taking part in an amazing giveaway hosted by ChantillySongs and some other blogger friends! We've all banded together to bring you an awesome prize for one lucky reader- a 16GB iPad Mini in white or black!! Why is this prize is awesome? The iPad Mini is a perfect and convenient device for busy people of all stripes. Great to take with you when you're on the go, and don't have room to lug your laptop along with you. You can use it as a reader, check email or browse the Internet on it, write to-do lists, reminders, record inspiration, and more! Please note: This giveaway will be open until May 30th, and will be open only in the US, Canada, Germany, the UK, and Australia. Also, by the way, every single one of these ladies is worth getting to know. Take a moment to check out their links, find some new favorites, and enter away!

Enter after the jump.
 GOOD LUCK!!

The Classic Combo...

Dress -ASOS  //  Sweater - Smart Set  //  Boots - Call it Spring  //  Necklace - gift

...a dress and cardigan.  Throw in a pair of boots like I have and the result is a veritable cliche of dressing.  But you know my thoughts on a cliche?  It's there for a reason.  This sartorial cliche exists because those things fit together.  I love this trifecta of clothing, and I'm not giving it up no matter how cliche that is.  'Cause I'm no quiter *sorry, to throw in an actual cliche somewhere*

p.s. I'm downright giddy that I can wear dresses and boots without tights right now.

On Self-Portraits

Tank - Brandy Melville  //  Pants - don't remember (no tag)  //  Boots - Cheap shop in Chinatown  //  Necklace - Threadsence  //  Rings - Threadsence, F21 and other Misc

One of my favorite music artists sings, "You ain't nothin' special. You're no more celestial than anyone else."  That's something to keep in mind.  Yes, you are one of a kind, but so is everyone else.

That brings me to what I want to say today:  for all you/us bloggers, when taking pictures of yourself just get over it.  You're not the most *anything* in the world - beautiful, ugly, graceful, awkward, funny, etc etc.  You are just you.  And for your blog/site, your readers want to see you.  Warts, bruises, love handles, scars, smiles, dimples and all.  

So when taking self portraits, just relax, have some fun and get used to seeing your face in all is made up glory and it's made down normal.  I've come to *mostly - flawed remember?* accept that I'm also not the most of *anything*.  So you guys see me made up, but you also see me with a face mask on and you also see me like this:

We're all flawed and imperfect beings.  But at the same while perfection might be fascinating to look at momentarily, in the long run you'd get either bored or very sad.  Whereas, well, with someone like me, you can think to yourself, "Well, at least I don't make those faces in public!"  
*Because, come on, I know you make them in private*