Maestro for a Day

Sleeping Beauty

EDITOR'S NOTE: 
This post is making its debut on www.basicallyamazing.blogspot.com today. My friend Ashley reviews books, and while I am not an avid reader I wanted to pitch into their 2 weeks of blissful "Fairytale Fortnight" where they are featuring various guest authors and different posts about fairytales. The majority of these pictures were taken on a white seamless and backgrounds were photoshopped in afterwards to create a finished scene. I wanted to take a modern approach but keep key elements. For example, in the "Once Upon a Dream" scene, I had thought about putting in squirrels and bunnies but instead scattered stardust. Still enchanted forest, minus the small game lurking around her feet. For more behind the scenes, check out the video below!

Daybook Meet and Greet

EDITOR'S NOTE: Sydney Poulton of The Daybook has over 5,000 followers and tons more hits on top of that daily. She takes a fashion blogger approach, with her husband Tyson behind his Canon 5D snapping shots of her trendy yet classic outfits. She recently was flown to California to do a LookBook for Threadsence. I was thrilled to get some 1 on 1 time with her for a few minutes and calmly talk about my adoration for her blog. Another highlight was meeting Brandilyn, co-owner of the party's venue Panache: a chic store on Main Street. I eyed a mauve billowy blouse on the wall and her husband rang me up on the spot. I can't wait to wear it for a Work Ready post! I played People Bingo, (didn't win) got my picture taken on the photobooth wall, and mingled with a room full of people that were also in the coolest place in Rexburg at the same time. It was a great night to be in 4 inch heels.

Feliz Easter

EDITOR'S NOTE:
In Spanish, we say "Feliz Pascua" although the tradition of dying eggs and giving easter baskets is strange to the Mexican culture. They celebrate "semana santa" or "holy week" and many don't have to work. Yes vacation in Rexburg for spring break can be a bit of an oxymoron, but cashing in on Reese's peanut butter eggs, Starburst jelly beans, and Cadburry eggs has me nodding for another trip next year.

Thursday on Spring Break

Glam

EDITOR'S NOTE:
"Friends in high places" specifically refers to Josh Petersen, co-founder of Innov8 in Rexburg, Idaho.(See Muses on the right) He let me have a swing at studio photography tonight, and I am truly converted. His doors will officially open to the public May 6th.

Work Ready

Editor in Chief

   I am temporarily teaching a 7th grade 1:1 laptop group for the rest of the year due to a novice teacher having a meltdown and calling it quits right around Valentine's Day. I now wear 2 hats: training the Middle School staff in how to effectively teach with technology to students who come to school with Macbooks, and teaching Media Literacy to a group of 15, 6 periods a week. I got lucky with getting the Media Literacy 4th quarter. It was right up my alley, and an area I actually have background in. For an extensive end of the year project my small yet lively group will be transformed into a working magazine staff to put together a publication online. What better way to study media and writing, than to live it? My sister Victoria is an Executive Editor of Pittsburgh's leading socialite revista WHIRL and walked me through on a Skype call how to do this the right way.
   Students will be applying to 1 of 5 departments. 3 slots are available in each. ART DIRECTION, MANAGING EDITORS, EXECUTIVE EDITORS, AD REPS, and EDITORS. Responsibilities and desirable traits were posted and they have Spring Break to apply for the department they want to work for in the month of May. 
   Just to get everyone in tip top shape, I posted on our class site classified ads and a little "Meet the Editor" spread. 


I just love a little healthy competition...

Full Bloom

EDITOR'S NOTE:
All pictures were taken in Claudia's own home. When I happily told her the pictures look as if they were taken in a studio she replied, "That's because we don't have anything on our walls!"

Table for Two

EDITOR'S NOTE: 
Because Rory had night school on our anniversary, we took a trip downtown after work today to beat the dinner rush. (It's still playing it safe going at 6, since the dinner bell rings around 9:00pm in Mexico) It was quite the trek too. We walked two blocks to the metro then took two subway routes to get downtown, with a lot of pushing and shoving along the way. More walking once downtown and the sun was not shy. I had spotted this restaurant on our first river walk when we moved here a year and a half ago. This was a special and much anticipated dinner. We swatted some mosquitos and watched the tour guide boats float by. But when the jazz music started to play it turned into an anniversary celebration. A cover of "Creep" by Radiohead played which strummed a heartstring for both of us. Rory asked me to dance and we swayed in a hot breeze waiting for BBQ ribs to come to the table. Don't believe Radiohead can go Jazz? Check out Karen Souza. In the hour or so we dined, I heard Jessica Simpson's "Public Affair", Oasis' "Wonderwall" and Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" like I never have before.

Work Ready

EDITOR'S NOTE:
ZARA is a creative, beautiful mashup of styles similar to EXPRESS and Banana Republic. It was flagshipped in Spain and was described by Louis Vuitton's fashion director to be "possibly the most innovative and devastating retailer in the world." They have an extremely short product life cycle, only shelving styles for up to 4 weeks before new goods are in. This encourages ZARA fans to check in often. ZARA also designs, produces, and distributes by itself. It is claimed that ZARA only needs 2 weeks to develop a new product and get it into stores, and launches 10,000 new designs every year. And if that weren't impressive enough, ZARA has a 0 advertising policy. Strictly word of mouth, walk into a store, and never be the same. It is an international brand dotting the globe heavier in Europe and Latin America. Although, it has 49 stores in the US, mostly in New York and California. Like the look? You're in luck: ZARA is launching online stores in US, Canada, and South Korea this year.
http://www.zara.com