I Get To Be The Model

I enjoy talking to all of my customers and have become acquainted with the life events for many of my more regular customers.  One customer who has a fairly active and interesting social life will often ask me "So what fun and exciting things have you done lately?"  Most of the time, I don't have anything too significant to tell her!  The energy, time commitment, and monetary demands of owning a business tend to limit much of my fun!  I am fortunate to get together with friends for lovely brunches, lunches and dinners on occasion but those events, coupled with one night a week out with my husband and my January trip to Tampa, summarize the "fun and exciting" for me.  Until last week.

In my end of year post, I mentioned that Zoe was going to be in a coffee table book/magazine publication called The Scout Guide.  An edition is being developed for Alexandria/Arlington/McLean.  The planned publication is the March/April timeframe so they are beginning to take pictures for the guide now.  I scheduled my picture for Monday, February 13th, knowing that Zoe would be closed for the day.

One of the focus areas of the guide is to let people see the person behind the business as well as feature the business.  So I knew I would be in the photographs.  First step was to take care of my always unruly hair.  May I just say how much I love my stylist Linda at Ernst & Co. in Springfield, VA.  She actually came in early that day just to do my hair prior to a class they all had to take at the salon.   What was even more amazing that no matter where I went that day (the grocery store, etc.) people stopped me to tell me how great my hair looked.  If only Linda could come to my house every morning!

I am also a minimalist on make-up and wanted my make-up to be camera ready.  The Alexandria Gazette-Packet had a "Talk of the Town" article in December on places that would do your make-up so I placed  a call to Bellacara, a beautiful cosmetics boutique in Old Town.   I was very pleased with the work that my make-up artist did for me - I had explained to her that I would be photographed but it would not be a close-up.  I so wish I knew how to do all of the wonderful eye make-up she did for me!

Then it was off to the store to get dressed.  I had chosen a look that I felt was representative of who I am - fashionable, stylish, comfortable.  I chose a Chan Luu Embroidered Top over a Chan Luu Cami and my white Red Engine Jeans.  I topped it off with a necklace that I already owned and some amazing Steve Madden platforms that I had found at DSW (picture coming at the bottom of the post)!

The photographer, Amanda Fillmore Martin, and the stylist, Kathryn Martin, arrived right on time.  They have been retained by The Scout Guide to style and photograph all of the shoots.  Kathryn quickly went to work in moving things around to take advantage of Zoe's big bay windows.  We also redressed all of the mannequins and placed new items in the cubbies of the IKEA sweater case.  The owner of The Scout Guide, Jessica Richardson, also joined in the fun!

One of the poses Kathryn had me sit in was one where I have one leg tucked under me and the other hanging down while sitting on the sweater case.  I love the pose but I definitely would have done some stretching prior to the afternoon had I known!  My middle aged body doesn't contort like that any more!

It was so much fun to have other people figuring everything out for the afternoon.  All I had to do was follow their direction and smile!  The time flew by and within an hour and a half, they had all the shots they needed and we put the store back together.

On Monday, Amanda sent me a link to the proofs.  I was very pleased with the results and my only change will hopefully be to reduce the brightness in the window behind me.  What do you think of my favorite?

Oh, and before I forget, I must share the shoes (Jim, I know you are reading - they were very inexpensive!)

Sigh.  Then it was back to the real world.  But I thoroughly enjoyed my "model for the day" experience.

Next up:  Fall 2012 Market