My sweets!!  I am oh so excited to kick off the Valentine’s Day countdown with this awesome giveaway from Susannah Gill-Photographic Storytelling…

Susannah is an amazing photographer who recently migrated to the Bay Area from New York City with her husband and crazy-adorable son (the kid has red hair and brown eyes… I didn’t even know that combination was possible!)

Travis and I had the pleasure of working with Susannah a few months ago for a “one more time” shoot.  We got back into our wedding clothes a year after the big day and took some beautiful pictures that we’re so excited to hang all over our home.  It was a really fun way to celebrate a year of marriage, especially because we didn’t have time for tons of photos on the actual wedding day.

From experience I can tell you that being photographed by Susannah is a dream.  She has such a sweet and energetic personality.  That energy is contagious and I think it really comes across in her photos.  Check out some of the shots from our shoot with her…

(P.S. that gorgeous bouquet I’m holding in our shoot was courtesy of Seascape Flowers… if you live in the Santa Cruz area, you must check them out.)

So here’s the exciting part:

Since it’s officially February and Valentine’s Day is just two weeks away, Susannah is helping you get into the spirit by giving away a photo shoot for you and your sweetie!  Are you recently engaged (or hoping he’ll put a ring on it on February 14th?)  Are you celebrating an anniversary?  Expecting a baby and need some sweet couple photos while it’s still just the two of you?  If you live in the Bay Area (or want to take a little vacation to this neck of the woods) this awesome prize will give you the chance to mark the occasion!

AND… just to sweeten the pot… I’ll be stepping into my “other shoes” and offering my hair and makeup services for the shoot as well!

Are you swooning yet?

Here’s how to enter this giveaway…

1) Leave a comment on this post for ONE ENTRY.

2) Leave a comment on another {bb} post (and tell me about it here) for ONE ENTRY.

3) “Like” the Susannah Gill Facebook Page (and tell me about it here) for TWO ENTRIES.

4) “Like” {blending beautiful} on Facebook (and tell me about it here) for TWO ENTRIES.

5) Blog, tweet, or write a Facebook post sharing this contest for FOUR ENTRIES.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry to make sure you get credit for all of your “likes”, shares, etc…

Also note: This contest is limited to couples who live in or can travel to the Bay Area (Monterey/Carmel to San Francisco).

Visit Susannah Gill-Photographic Storytelling’s blog to see more of her beautiful work and feel free to check out my hair and makeup Facebook page if you’d like to look at mine.

The contest ends at midnight on February 13th, a winner will be selected at random, and I’ll announce the winner on Valentine’s Day.  Good luck!

Update: Congratulations to our winner, Whitney Damiani!  Thanks to everyone who entered.  xo

Sorry I disappeared last week, my sweets!  The holidays had Travis and I running around like crazy.  But I’m happy to be back today with an exciting giveaway from Printcopia!  Printcopia creates beautiful custom prints of your favorite photos, either framed or on canvas.

I recently ordered a 8″ x 10″ canvas print to display on our mantle and I absolutely adore it!  (Photo by Susannah Gill Photography.)

I was really pleased with the quality and it was so easy to order and design the look of this piece— wouldn’t these make great holiday gifts?

You can win a 8″ x 10″ canvas print of your own… here’s how to enter:

1) Leave a comment on this post for ONE entry.

2) Leave a comment on another post (and tell me about it here) for ONE entry.

3) Become a fan of {blending beautiful} on Facebook (and tell me about it here) for TWO entries.

4) Follow {blending beautiful} on Pinterest (and tell me about it here) for TWO entries.

5) Post a link to {blending beautiful} on your blog/website/facebook page/twitter (and tell me about it here) for FOUR entries.

All entries must be in by midnight on Sunday (12/2)… a winner will be posted here on Monday (12/3).

Don’t forget to check out the Printcopia sister sites, where you can order custom car magnets, vinyl banners, and lawn signs!

P.S.- Printcopia is having an awesome Cyber Monday sale… 50% off their canvases through 12/3!

Sorry for the late post today, my sweets!  This is such a busy week and the hours are just flying by…

I’m excited to share a few snapshots of our wedding album with you, if you’d like to see.

Nevermind that we’ve been married over a year already.  I was the ultimate procrastinator and didn’t put our wedding album together until a couple weeks ago.  This is not a sponsored post, but I have to give serious props to the company we used, Photobook America.

The quality of our album is awesome, and I was able to put the entire thing together myself with an easy-to-use downloadable software from the site.  When it’s time to order, you can choose all kinds of fancy options to make your album extra-snazzy.  We chose not to go above and beyond, and our book still turned out beautiful!

If you’re thinking of ordering an album of your own (I’m thinking a custom photo book would make great holiday gifts!), become a fan of Photobook America on facebook for a 40% discount!

Martine Pinnel is from a small town in Luxembourg, but she followed her dreams to San Francisco at the age of 19. She is a rising star in a competitive industry, with more publications picking up her work all the time. I was lucky enough to ask her a few questions about beauty, modeling, and tips on making regular girls look extra-hot in photos…

Q: What is your favorite type of shoot to do? What sets your great models apart?

A: I definitely enjoy doing fashion editorials the most. When I can execute my own idea, have the perfect team working with me on this vision, come up with a storyline, find the perfect location, the right models, the right wardrobe and when I can see it all come together perfectly. I really enjoy shooting outdoors, in unique locations, that tell a story.

As for the models, I really like when they have very unique features, a beauty that cannot be found everywhere. I prefer their personalities to stand out and they know how to not only take a pretty picture, but they know how to tell a story and make the shoot their own.

Not every model fits every concept I have. I choose the models depending on what shoot I’m doing and if they turn out to be exactly who I’ve been looking for, they can take a photo to a whole other level.

Q: Any tips for girls having their photo taken casually? Poses and clothing that photograph well? Lighting to steer away from?

A: Lifting up your chin is probably my number one tip. It stretches the neck, avoids unflattering chins, and weird/harsh lighting that can create deep shadows on the face, especially the eyes. Eyes are beautiful, so everyone should make sure to show them and not squint too much.

There’s a few tips for posture everyone can follow as well. Standing up straight is always a big plus, as it makes the body always seem longer. Don’t take the photo from above, as it makes your body look shorter. And turning your body ¾ can make it look more flattering as well.

But the most important thing to remember is, to try to feel comfortable in front of the camera!

Q: Any further last-minute beauty tips that you use on a shoot? What do you look for in a perfect portrait shot?

A: I think the only beauty tip I have on shoots right now is: Less is more. Lately I’ve been concentrating on showing the model’s natural beauty, without cakey make-up or overdone brows and lips. Clean skin is always a must and natural beauty is wonderful.

In a perfect portrait shot as far as beauty goes, I once again look for a unique face, angelic beauty, clean skin, an interesting expression on the model’s face, her personality and an interesting look in her eyes.

Photography wise, I make choices of lighting, the lens I use, the depth of field I choose, the angle I shoot the portrait from and the directions I give the model.

So there you have it. Be yourself, even when having your picture taken, and stand up straight like your mother taught you. To see more of Martine’s photography, check out her website.

What do you do to look your best in photos?  Have you used any of Martine’s tips?  (Isn’t her work gorgeous?)  Share your thoughts in the comments!

Having art in your home makes it feel unique, personal, and cozy.  But it can also be a challenge to outfit your space without spending a ton of money.  Fortunately, the web makes it easy to find beautiful pieces of art on a budget.

Long considered the online flea market, Etsy is definitely a great source for wall art (and any other sort you can imagine).

The prints on Etsy are often super affordable and really unique.  Check out my full Etsy art wish list, including the pieces below:

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Zazzle also has a staggering number of poster categories, so if you desperately need an antique railroad track map or a movie poster from 1967, you’re in luck.

The Print Shop at UrbanOutfitters, features pieces that will give your place some indie flair.

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20×200 is a rotating online gallery of limited edition prints.  Each print starts at just $24— they feature styles to suit every home.

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And if you want to create your own art, you can send photos straight from Instagram to Instacanvas, starting at just $32!

Where do you buy art for your home?  Do you ever make your own?  Have you used any of the resources above? Sound off here!