ootd: the transition

the nights are getting cooler. the leafs are starting to fade into a golden color. the nights are coming sooner. the hope of autumn is whispering its way into our hearts.

whenever i can get a chance i love to walk around my neighborhood. we are lucky to live in a city where you can walk down the street and come across some kind of water source. i live right around the corner from the bay. this has become one of our favorite spots. there is a street where you can sit and let your feet dangle over the water & take in the beautiful sunset. but sadly tonight, someone stole our favorite spot.



this is one of my favorite outfits. i feel more like myself when fall rolls around. i have never been the type that loves to prance around in shorts.. baring it all. tights.. cardigans.. scarfs.. jackets.. are my thing.
plus, no one wants to see these white legs glowing in the sunlight.





outfit: 

dress: with lavender & lace vintage
tights: cotton on
ankle boots: cotton on
hat: cotton on 
back pack: urban outfitters
earrings: forever 21

PS i miss my favorite ew & bff this photo is dedicated to the mermaid girl




hope you all had a lovely day! now off to go to sleep!

 x's & o's, 
chelsea diane

S P A C E S: Jordana Nicholson's Franklin, TN flat

"When you live in a small one bedroom flat, it’s kind of a no brainer that your favorite space will become the only space that’s really there, ha! My husband Trent and I recently moved a couple miles down the road to a one bedroom apartment in the heart of Downtown Franklin (a suburb outside of Nashville). We were given a 30 day notice to find a new place and that didn’t leave us with many options…cue panic! We found our new home one day before we had to be out of our place and my goodness, that was crazy. We pictured our next home being an actual house (not an apartment!), with lots of character and no shared walls…but when you’re under a time crunch, one cannot be so picky! We signed the lease and quickly moved into our one bedroom place. As much as we didn’t care for the idea of living in a small apartment, we’ve actually come to love it. It’s a newer build with modern features, but we’ve made it feel like home and have quickly fallen in love with our tiny abode. One thing that I loved about moving into a smaller space, was that we were forced to purge and pack only what we could fit into our new place. Starting fresh feels so good and I really love that we’ve kept things minimal and clutter-free. 

Now onto my favorite space! Well, my favorite space would have to be our living room/kitchen, which really is just one giant room haha. It’s where we entertain, cook meals, relax and work. It’s multi-functional, that’s for sure. Our new home blessed us with tall ceilings (woo!) and that’s probably one of our favorite features. What a difference tall ceilings make…They open up the space and make it feel so much bigger than it is. We’ve left the walls pretty bare and have only hung up some shelves that we made ourselves. We weren’t quite sure what to do with this one huge bare wall in our place, so we spent one Saturdaysanding, staining and building these shelves together. We love how they turned out!  

Our new place has really inspired us to keep things simple. Since we don’t have much room, we’ve stopped collecting new pieces (for now) and have enjoyed decorating with what we already have, adding some greenery here and there. I love clean white walls and we’ve purposely kept them bare since they add some much brightness to our home. We’re so thankful for this tiny place of ours, even if we only end up living here for a year, it’s taught us so much already…plus, it’s kind of awesome that it only takes 5 minutes to vacuum the entire place. Ya feel me? ;)"

thank you so much Jordana & Trent for sharing your home with us! I have always admired your eye for simple clean interior design. (plus, i am jealous of your gorgeous kitchen!)

follow her adventures here --> jordanaclaudia

 x's & o's, 
chelsea diane

make-up monday // kaitlin's recent beauty faves

I know it's only august but I can already feel the autumn chill in the morning and evening air, and I don't mind it one bit considering the absolutely uncharacteristically hot, gorgeous summer we've had here! I love season changes, because for me that means a change in not only wardrobe, but hair and makeup as well! here are a few of my recent favorites including body oils, new make-up, and my hair inspiration!



1. Fossil 1954 for Women fragrance
2. AVEDA bronzer in Bronze Glow
3. Milani baked blush in Rose d'Oro
4. Well Body body oils in Litsea & Mint and Jasmine & Clary Sage
5. Lip Smackers in Watermelon and Red Raspberry
6. My Hair-spiration via Pinterest


1 // I was lucky enough to be chosen to be part of Fossil's launch for their very first fragrance, Fossil 1954. it comes in both men & women's versions. I have been wearing this non-stop, it has the perfect combination of feminine-meets-masculine notes, while staying light and fresh and never over-powering.


2 // I used this bronzer on a bride recently when I did her make-up for her wedding, and I was completely in love with the way it made her skin look! it's a gorgeous, bronzey color, not orange at all, and as the name suggests, makes your skin GLOW without sparkling or looking glittery. the only not-so-favorite thing about this is that AVEDA is so eco-friendly that there is minimal packaging and you must purchase a separate re-usable compact to store it in! I just haven't gotten around to that yet ;)


3 // I have mentioned my love for Milani's baked blush in "Luminoso" before, and this is her equally beautiful sister! I picked this shade up because I was looking for a bit of a deeper, rosier color for going into the cooler months, but still something with a pretty golden glow like Luminoso. this is it! gorgeous flecks of gold shimmer and a deep rosy color-- a little goes a long way!


4 // body oils were never something I had really tried or was into until the coconut oil rage started. I do love me some coconut oil, and even though it's light and works wonders, I still feel greasy and I don't feel like it ever fully absorbs into my skin. BUT THEN I tried these handcrafted, amazingly scented body oils from Well Body, specifically made to hydrate and sink into your skin. I will never go back! these are amazing. I can apply them when I get out of the shower and within 30 minutes my skin is super soft but not one bit oily feeling. I love the Litsea + Mint scent so much, smelling fresh and lemony! Jasmine + Clary sage is wonderful too and smells a lot like earl gray tea!


5 // okay, I'm sure at some point we've all used this product. I hadn't owned a Lip Smackers since I was about 10 years old , and for some reason I picked one up, impulsively, while I was at Target the other day. and then the next trip I picked up a SECOND! these are so perfect and summery, the smell and the taste, I just want to eat them! they go on clear, but are much glossier than lip balm or chapstick so it adds a bit more to your lips on those no-lipstick hot summer days! plus the flavors they come in now... YUM!


6 // these are some cuts, colors, bangs, and looks that have been inspiring my personal look lately. as I mentioned, I love the inspiration for change that the changing of seasons brings. I'm not one who is really afraid of changing my hair and doing different things often [within reason, of course.] my job is to inspire whoever sits in my chair in the salon to do something other than what they always have done. if every time my clients see me and I have the same cut & color on my own head, why should they feel the need to change their own? I'm responsible to inspire and encourage them to step out and take those small risks. my philosophy for a lot of things is "you only live once" [yeah, YOLO, I know!] but when else are you going to have bangs, or have gorgeous, red hair? in your next life? NO. now is your time!

x's + o's
kaitlin elaine

follow friday: @deercircus

follow friday is here and we are featuring one of my favorite bloggers deer circus aka bridget park! i feel like this girl and i live parallel lives. we both are wedding photographers & we have beagle puppies (and strapping men!). come  on bridge, lets me real life friends! (plus, i am obsessed with bridget jones diaries and i have been wishing for a friend named bridget)

anyways. bridget, bridge... i am so excited to have you apart of the feel & flourish family! i so enjoyed this q+a and all the lovely photos she sent us as well! now.. get to know this lovely lady!

1.Bridget Park // 25 // wedding + engagement photographer // Denver, CO

blog//  deer circus
photography// http://www.bridgetfossedal.com  
instagram //deercircus 

2. what led you to start your blog?

My college was in this quaint water-side town in Northern Washington where, on many days, it drizzled and drizzled the whole day long. I'd spend so much time squirreled away in coffee shops, writing (I majored in English), or editing photographs...and I wanted a place to start cataloging those things. That's also when I started reading more blogs, and I felt such a strong connection to so many photographers + writers out there.

3. what has been the most rewarding part of blogging?

I can't begin to say how humbling it is when someone reaches out to you -- leaves a comment or sends you an email saying you inspired them in some small or great way. I really believe in the power of owning your voice, and in using art (whether that's photographs or writing or film or fine arts or decorating or style or anything) to discover yourself, and to connect with someone else. If I've inspired just one person to take one photograph or write one sentence they really love -- then I'm happy with this ol' thing. : )

4. what inspires you?

Ah, everything! My husband and friends will always tease me for these poetic tangents I'll go one when just walking down the street. I swear, I'm, like, composing sonnets in my head about the moon or about a sweet smile from a stranger or the simple joy of watching my own two feet exploring. I take everything in. 

5. tell us your love story! (you + your huz are so adorable.)

Thank you! We are high school sweethearts! If you can believe it, he first asked me out at the lunch table. Haha! We've pretty much been joint at the hip ever since. After high school, we decided to go to the same college, and we got married a week after graduating. And then, another two weeks later, we went on our first big adventure -- moving to Denver for Robert to attend pharmacy school. And what all comes next...oh, we'll see! Hopefully a million (or a couple) babies! 

6. what is your ideal sunday? 

A morning latte, and spending time connecting with God. And then, records spinning all day, writing a letter to my pen pal, and a long sunday drive with my honey and our pups, into the mountains for a little picnic. If we can work a little rain into the morning and a little star-gazing at night...well then we are perfect! 

7. if you were a flower, which flower would you be?

Well, I'd very much like to be a fluffy, pink peony -- because oh, they make my heart sing! But then also, on other days, I think I'd be a wildflower growing in a grassy patch overlooking the sea. 

8. what inspires your style? (i have admired your fashions sense for sometime now)

That's so sweet of you! Honestly, I just really, really believe in having fun with dressing! I read my mood in the morning, and let it take over! Sometimes that means I'll feel like a French girl -- very easy and feminine and vintage-minded -- off to sit in a cafe, and other times I'll feel bohemian and retro and free-spirited and ready to drive down the Highway One and never come home. 

9. I see you are a wedding photographer too! What do you love the most about shooting weddings?

Love is just wonderful. It's amazing that we can all feel this intense drive to need to love and to be loved -- something so universal, but expressed and made evident so differently (so vastly differently) by every couple. There's always some special moment that lingers with you and sends you home thinking, was I really privy to that? I feel blessed to spend so many of my days in the company of people so, so in love. 

10. where do you hope to see your blog // your family // yourself in the next 5 years?

I just always, always want to be creating -- in whatever way I can. I hope, more than anything, to be a mother -- and to be cultivating a home, to be world traveler, and to still be documenting life through photos and words. More than anything in my life, I just want other people to know that they matter and that they are loved -- so if I can always find myself in a position (through blogging, and encouraging others to share their voices, too) to give that to others, I'll be so very, very happy. 

thank you so much bridget for being apart of follow friday!
we heart you!

x's +o's,
chelsea diane & kaitlin elaine 

snip snip --- bang bang!

great minds think alike! and of course that means long distance best friends get the "lets chop our bangs" look.  kaitlin & i are so excited for fall! what are some of your favorite fall traditions?



glad to be able to have a best friend moment even if we live coasts away.

               x's + o's, 
chelsea diane & kaitlin elaine 
(it's almost our birthday month!!)

S P A C E S: glimpse into chelsea diane's dining room

I am so excited about this new weekly post called S P A C E S. like other bloggers i do love a good aesthetic to a home. this post will include some familiar faces, bloggers you love & other rad people that will share their favorite room in their home. so, i figured why not start this series off with a glimpse into my new apartment?

my last apartment was a sweet size of 475 square feet. i had two closets (i wouldn't even consider them closets since i couldn't even really fit anything in them), corners filled with clutter & barely any space to breathe. the kitchen could barely fit one person and the counter space was the size of my hand. when i went into looking for a new apartment i had three things on my list: good size kitchen, outlets (my last apartment lacked in that area), and closets. apartment hunting is frustrating. i live in a historical area with restaurants & coffee shops in walking distance, so with that said it can be pricey. i looked at some great apartments but they lacked in size. but finally, i found the perfect apartment. two bed rooms, 4th floor (the top of this building), amazing light, and a huge living area that could include a dining table.

i collect mid century modern pieces. with having a larger space i have made it my goal for this apartment to be my "big girl" apartment. i feel like my last apartment was that "post college / dorm" apartment. where everything was completely mixed matched and you could tell i got my couch from a friend. before i keep on ranting let me show you one of my favorite pieces i have collected.

this mid century dining table. i bought the table and the chairs from two separate awesome craiglist sellers who collect mid century furniture, fix 'em up and sell them for a great price. i fell in love with these chairs, (they look almost identical to my desk chair) they were a little out of my budge and andrew surprised me & bought them for me. (what uh guy)

 

the cats of course love this table. little jackson had a very hard time adjusting to the new space. i don't blame him because that tiny apartment was his first home. (he hid under a pile of pillows for a few days after the move, poor guy)

 

i bought these beautiful mid century candle holders from a vendor at the local antique shop. i love them and i can't wait to fill them with delicious candles! (side note: this is a true fact. i don't really like sun flowers. but my favorite photographer cindy loughridge has been posting photos lately of sun flowers so of course i had to snag some)
 

my favorite corner of this apartment of course has my favorite little wall collage of little treasures i have collected over the years. this new space i am trying to not have any clutter, but to have a clean space that has neutral colors with little pops of color here & there. but this part of the wall is called my "clutter collection"

i am so excited about this new weekly series! i cannot wait to introduce you to some amazing spaces.
PS happy birthday week to Jackson & Evie! They are going to be 1 years old on friday (so many tears)

x's + o's,
chelsea diane

make-up monday: macklemore?

as you can tell from the title, this isn't your typical make-up monday post.
it's not actually a make-up tutorial at all, but it does have to do with hair!

two months ago, i took a mirror selfie with Macklemore. on set, in the hair/makeup/wardrobe trailer, at 11:30pm after wrapping some of the final shots for Fences new music video for his song ARROWS, featuring the one and only, Ben Haggerty aka Macklemore. whaaat? i was given the opportunity to do all the hair for the production of the video! both of these talented artists are Seattle natives, meaning they filmed the entire video locally. wait, how did this opportunity come about?



i met Seattle-based photographer and director John Keatley last year while i was in LA, he took some iPhone portraits of me, and when i relocated back to the PNW, he told me he liked my hair/makeup aesthetic and the way i do what i do, so we talked about working together on some upcoming projects. much to my excitement, i received a call from him back in June asking if i was available to do hair for a music video featuring Macklemore, and all i could do was say YES.

i feel so fortunate to have had this opportunity to work on a massive, beautiful project like this with such a wonderful team of creative and inspiring people! i never would have even dreamt about dreaming a dream this big, and to have it become my reality blows my mind! thank you to John for giving me this opportunity and all the others who made it possible for me to do this. and thank you to my family and amazing friends for your support and always believing in my talents!

so, because i'm not one of the musical artists OR one of the super talented people who made this whole video happen, my 'acceptance speech' is over, ha! please, go watch this crazy amazing video!!! [and don't forget to check out the hair ;)]



x's + o's
kaitlin elaine