Vintage Sophistication

This photo shoot was so much fun! It was my first time working with a team. The shoot was organized to feature Mari Palmer's vintage fashion jewelry at Bel Canto Designs. She is the one who created all this beautiful jewelry seen in the photos. The models looked exquisite wearing her pieces!

My responsibility was the photo styling, selection of props, and close-up shots of the jewelry. I did not get many shots of the models, so please check out Craig Carpenter's GORGEOUS photos of them here! Craig of Luster Studios is a photographer I truly admire and it was such an honor for him to invite me to be a part of this shoot.

The spectacular venue was the Chateau Bellvie, which was the perfect setting for this theme. The owners are kind, wonderful people and it was joy getting to know them.

Liz Perniciaro did an incredible job on the hair and make-up! I was amazed at how these models were transformed into a different time period. Each woman was so beautiful, so make sure you check out the rest of the ladies on Craig's page.

I could not have survived that day without the help of Mum. She was right there holding up props and helping me throughout the shoot. She also provided a lot of the items we ended up using. THANK YOU!


I am planning on catching up on some old photos I have been meaning to post for a while, so come back soon!

Featured in Romantic Homes - Ooh La La!

I am delighted to be featured in the latest issue of Romantic Homes magazine! The chief editor, Jacqueline deMontravel is a lovely person and a joy to work with. She has been kind enough to feature my work in three different publications. Romantic Homes has quite a mix of vintage, feminine, and modern touches.
This issue is available in stores through March. So far I have seen it at Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, and select grocery stores. You can also purchase it through their website here.

I knew this particular issue had a French theme, so Mum and I got to work right away scheming up ideas for the photos you see above. The location is at a local French bistro in Durham, North Carolina called Vin Rouge. Mum scouted out their beautiful courtyard when she was in the area. It was the perfect spot for the set-up! I wanted the table setting to look as if it could actually be in France. This styling was a little more traditional and vintage than I am used to working with, but it was fun to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new.

I have to tell you... one of the greatest joys of photo styling is eating the food after your hard work! :)


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As promised in my previous post, I will now announce the winner of the Artful Blogging magazine giveaway. The winner is.... *drumroll*

Michelle of Decor and the Dog!

This is actually one of my favorite blogs and one that I follow regularly. Michelle and her husband have the most adorable Wire Fox Terrier named Ike. The blog features the charming Ike and showcases their incredible handy work on their home! Michelle's writing is hilarious and I often find myself chuckling while reading her posts. Please check out Decor and the Dog!

Michelle - I will be contacting you shortly to discuss the details. Thank you to those of you who participated! I used a random generator entering the numerical order that you posted to be fair. I really enjoyed reading your responses to the questions!

Published in Artful Blogging Magazine + Giveaway!

It is an absolute honor to be included in Artful Blogging magazine alongside many artists that I truly admire. I teared up when I first opened the pages and saw my work. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the whole staff. This is my first time being published and I am thrilled it is with such a beautifully designed publication.

When I was approached by Artful Blogging, I was asked to contribute some of my work and to write about a specific incident or anecdote that demonstrates how blogging fits into my life. It was difficult writing about myself, but it made me realize how much blogging has impacted my life and career.

You can find Artful Blogging at Barnes & Noble in the crafts section or order it from the Somerset Studio website here. It is a quarterly magazine, so this issue will be available February-April. You can also possibly win a copy here!

I am doing my very first giveaway on the blog. Leave a comment on this post answering one (or more) of the following questions:

- What is your favorite blog?
- Why do you read blogs?- What is your favorite topic to blog about?
- Why do you blog?

I will pick the winner randomly. Just make sure that you leave your e-mail address when you post a comment because I need a way to get in touch with you. I will announce the winner next time. Good luck! :)

A Valentine's Day Snack

We'll start with the popcorn...



A strange combination? Yes!
Delicious? Yes!


This is supposed to be messy and finger-lickin' good, so make sure you have a napkin on hand when consuming!


Stop licking the screen.






...and now for the pomtinis!



Most pomtini recipes are a little too tart because they often use grapefruit juice combined with the normal pomegranate juice. Skip the grapefruit juice and get pomegranate CHERRY juice!




In this video, Martha Stewart shows you a really easy way to get the pomegranate seeds out.
They are like little jewels packed with flavor - I love the seeds!




Now pomegranate seeds are available year round in the produce section of the grocery store.
You can see what they look like packaged here.

Try out these fun recipes for your sweetie on Valentine's Day! They are great for a fancy movie night at home. These two recipes wake up your taste buds with savory, salty, sweet, spicy, and sour notes. The popcorn combination may turn you off, but I promise it is yummy!

Every year my husband and I switch off who is in charge of Valentine's Day festivities. That person has to plan the day's events and keep it a secret from the other. It is romantic and it makes it easier on our budget too! Last year I discovered that I accidentally did two years in a row and this blog was the proof (I knew I kept this blog for a reason!). I'm not sure what Corey has planned, but I am just looking forward to spending time with him. :)

I often hear single people or anti-romantics grumble about Valentine's Day. It is all about your perspective of the holiday! Valentine's Day should be a time to show someone you love that you care about them - surprise your mom with flowers or spoil your dog with a new bone! Although we don't necessarily need a holiday to remind us to show our affection for others, it is a nice opportunity to make someone feel special.

Happy Valentine's Day!

DIY Map Trays

When Styled magazine gave me free reign to produce a DIY project for their magazine, Mum and I jumped at the chance to do something with a map theme! I adore maps... they are gender neutral, beautiful, and informative. Each one tells a story and can be so personal. It was a lot of fun coming up with a theme and color scheme for each tray. It was also the perfect excuse to re-do Mum's thrift store coffee table (seen in the "Table for Two" photo) and I must say that it looks fabulous in her home! It really catches your attention when you enter the room. Have fun with your maps - I would love to see your "worldly" creations!

My photos are featured on pages 36-39 of the latest issue of Styled magazine. You can view it here (it is the one released on February 2nd with donuts on the cover).

EclaireArt's Facelift

Here is a little video about my life.
If you are living a life you can be passionate about, you are "into something good".

Welcome to the new and improved EclaireArt!

There are some subtle changes around here. All of the headers have been re-done on the side pages. My goal for the site update was to incorporate social media/subscription options and to create a clean, aesthetically pleasing look that is easy to navigate.

Check out the changes:



The "Portfolio" (Photography & Photo Styling) page is now up to date with all my recent photos (aside from the ones being published).



The "About" page has been updated with the video and more information about photo styling.



These little guys are social media buttons and help give you options for us to connect.

* The first button is for the RSS feed subscription, which is a method of updating you when I do new blog posts.
* The "f" button is for Facebook. If you click "Like" on EclaireArt's Facebook page, you can get notifications in your news feed about new blog posts.
* The "P" button is for Pinterest, an amazing image board site. I literally just got started at 4am this morning, but you can check out the boards I made so far. I created an EclaireArt board, which will just feature photos from this site. I also have other inspiration boards where I gathered images throughout the internet that I thought were appealing and grouped them together. It is a lot of fun!
* The little envelope button is for e-mailing and it will start an e-mail to me in your default program. You can also e-mail me through the contact tab.



Towards the top is a new search bar, where you can search the website alone for key words to better navigate to specific pages.



There is also a "follow by e-mail" bar where you can enter your e-mail in order to receive notifications of new blog posts.



The new "Pet Photography" tab is at the top, which I will update on a regular basis. Just click on the buttons for each pet to see a specific post. I am hoping to do the same thing for the recipe section once I organize it a little better.



Yui now has her own page! I kind of like the dog, you know? I will continue to update future posts she is in at the bottom of that page.

You can also "grab a button" by copying and pasting the html coding and placing it on your own site to link back to mine. - Thank you if you do!


Hopefully these changes to the site will make it easier for you to navigate and subscribe. I have some exciting news to share with you soon. Thanks for stopping by and take care!