paperbliss.ca

i’ve been reading up on other peoples’ blogs a lot these days, and i’m just so impressed with some bloggers’ writing skill… how do they always keep things so fresh and witty? i figure they must have taken english or some journalism courses in school or something… or they’re just blessed with some God-given talent to make everything sound funny. one of my biggest fans, who just happens to be my godsister, says she enjoys reading my blog and she can just hear me actually say the stuff she reads on my blog and she’s genuinely entertained by it.. well, if you’re enjoying this, thanks for reading! subscribe to my rss feed, and keep on reading. maybe one of these days this’ll turn to the spot to go to for stationery inspiration.

for now, however, my first post of 2011 is a biggie. a BIIIGGGIIEEEE.
what could possibly be so big you ask? am i finally opening up a retail spot? no. not yet. someday, hopefully within the next few years. but not this year. did my invitations get picked up by some big chain? hah, no. again, not yet. maybe one day i’ll have a collection of designs that i’ll sell to a big box and make oodles in royalties, but again. no.

the big news has NOTHING to do with business, but still a biggie.

what is it!? what IS IT!?! some of you already know, the rest of you are sitting at the edge of your seat in anticipation… its…

its..

ITS A BOY!!

yup, it’s true! pete & laurie are finally growing roots and havin’ a kid! although i dont know how “rooted” we’ll ever be, being the transient vagabonds we are… y’know, back and forth from toronto half the time.

oh, and i refuse to answer “Got any names, yet?”

NO. not yet. and if i did, i aint telling you. but if you have any suggestions, i’m totally open cause neither of us can come up with anything we can both agree with. some names that are OUT of the question: George (my FIL’s name, but there are 3 — THREE — Georges in pete’s family), Jack (both mine and pete’s uncles’ names), and anything in the top 20 of 2010′s top boy baby names.

Comment! gimme name recommendations! (Please…)

When it came time to choose my own makeup artist, i didn’t search for long. I knew of Caren from way back: we used to be girl guides together, we had lots of mutual friends, and my cousin who works in TV Journalism (so she has to look good) used her services and swore by her, so i decided to give it a shot. Thankfully, too, because i’ve used Caren’s services many times after and I refer all of my brides to her. I had the opportunity to interview Caren of Caren Beauty and pick her brain a little, so enjoy!!

What made you decide to get into esthetics? Were you one of those girls
who played with your big sisters makeup as a young child?
I have always been intrigued by beauty… I know it’s cliché but it’s
totally true! I loved looking at beautiful people, I noticed makeup, hair,
long and beautifully painted nails, etc. I wore my mom’s makeup all the
time when I pretend played as a young girl and I would watch her put on
makeup, it always got my attention.

Do you do makeup for anything other than weddings/events? (I.e. Editorial
stuff?)
I have done makeup for television, photo shoots, and musicals, etc, but I
enjoy real life events such as wedding and special occasions very much.

What advice do you have for brides who come to you for a trial? Should
they come with pictures of looks they want to mimic? Photos of their dress?
Other wedding inspiration?
I advise brides to come prepared with an idea of the look/feel of their
makeup, perhaps a few magazine tear outs would help. My biggest advice
though would have to be for brides to keep an open mind about makeup and
trust the experts… this is especially true for the brides that don’t
usually wear makeup. Bridal makeup isn’t every day street makeup, it is
photography makeup… I suggest getting the trial done early on during the
day and to wear the makeup all day/night to get comfortable with it as well
as see how it lasts and the bride feels about it at the end of the day.

What are your top three products you wish all brides had on their wedding
day?
I would have to say a shine control colourless powder, I like M.A.C. Blot
Powder; the lip products your makeup artist used, lips are high maintenance
and need to be retouched often so that lips look polished and complete in
photos; blush would be the third…all that kissing and hugging can wipe
your blush away and leave you looking dull, especially if you have more of
an olive complexion. If false lashes have been applied, lash glue would be
pretty handy too! 

A lot of brides DIY some aspects of their wedding… Any advice to
brides who want to DIY their makeup? Quick pros and cons?
If you’re confident about applying your own makeup, your wedding is pretty
simple and intimate, and you usually get a lot of compliments when you do
your own makeup (which indicates you have a good idea on how to apply your
makeup)–then I would say give it a shot for the sake of saving a bit of
money. However, I suggest practicing your look once or twice.
Pros:
Save money
Save time by not looking for a makeup artist/trial

Cons:
You risk not applying the makeup appropriately which can compromise your
photos
You don’t get to pamper yourself and relax on your wedding day

You must have done your own makeup for your wedding — being a makeup
artist, what was it like doing & maintaining your own “look” for the day?
I did my own makeup for my wedding, I was pretty nervous actually… like
any bride, I wanted to look my best but with so many things on my mind, It
took me a while to calm myself down and start my makeup. At the end it all
worked out and I felt great… I just took all my essentials with me and
touched up throughout the evening.

Any advice for brides when they go looking for a MUA?
Don’t do too many trials and confuse yourself. Referrals are the best, try
out a couple artists with good reputations and be sure to discuss the look
you want with your artist so both parties are on the same page. At the end
of the trial, you should feel comfortable with your artist and like the
results.

For more information, visit www.carenbeauty.ca, and make sure you mention i referred you!

Last July, my sister-in-law got married and I had to have an awesome dress: i didn’t want to chance showing up with a dress someone else was wearing! I happened to run into an old friend, Stefani, at the january bridal show in 2010 and I had a brilliant idea! The best way to ensure that nobody else would be wearing my dress was to get one custom designed for ME. So i decided to share my gem of a friend, STEMA by Stefani Mas with you all

Tell us how you started: obviously you have the educational background, but further back — how did you first start getting into fashion? who inspired you to chase your dream? once you had the school experience, what made you decide to take the plunge and go off on your own?
   Since childhood I had the dream of becoming a fashion designer watching every episode of Fashion Television, Fashion File and going through every European Collezioni runway magazine. I had a passion to design and sketch very dressy couture evening gowns that were going to be worn by very famous people or celebrity, haha!
    As I went on to studying Fashion Design at Ryerson University I realized I really did have a passion for evening/cocktail wear during 2nd year university and decided to design a high end evening wear collection for my final 4th year collection. The collection I designed allowed me to graduate with 2 design awards and a trip to Paris to compete in the Lancome Colour & Design Awards in 2007. 
   After getting back I got a job working at Valencienne as the assistant designer but still worked at High Fashion Handbags designing & selling ladies handbags. With these 2 jobs I took on some custom work for family friends and that job began to grow. I was then proposed to by my boyfriend and had to start planning my own wedding and most importantly my wedding dress!!! It was then that I decided that I needed to go off on my own. There was nothing new or original I could buy off the rack, not for me, not for my bridesmaids, especially not for my mom. So I decided to design and make it all myself. Right after I got back from my honeymoon I had a line up of messages I needed to get back to and the business and my client base began to grow.        

You did your own wedding dress, what was that like?
It is very difficult making your own wedding dress, with fittings, etc., but it was a challenge. I definitely know I got exactly what I wanted from the shape to the beading. Our wedding got featured in Elegant Weddings Magazine and has been a great piece in my work portfolio. 

Do you get a lot of brides who want you to do their dress as well? Or do you get a lot of bridesmaids dresses? Or both?
I have made a lot of bridesmaid and maid of honour dresses in the past 2-3 years but recently I have had a couple of brides as well, more fashionable brides who want dresses that are different from the ones you find in stores. I have also had the opportunity to work with brides that come by with off the rack dresses they find on sale and I have reworked the dresses with alterations, beading, appliques or even couture details to personalize these dresses, so I guess I’ve been doing a lot of bridal styling as well! 

What information should a bride come equipped with when they come to you for a custom dress?
I often suggest brides to come in with pictures of dresses they love or dream themselves in. I also like knowing what the theme/inspiration of the wedding is or will be and the price range they are willing to spend on the dress. This allows me to have a better idea of what I should be designing for the bride and what type of fabric we will be going forward with.  

I noticed your work when i saw a photo of some bridesmaids dresses you had done on Facebook, my MOH happened to be one of those bridesmaids. How else do most brides find out about you?
The majority of my work has been through word of mouth and family or friends. I have also been involved in some shows such as the bridal show last year and most recently I designed a collection for the Art of Fashion competition Nuit Blanche which exposed my designs to many more people within the fashion industry, allowing me to receive the title of “Most Promising Designer of 2010“.      

Are your expert eyes and fashion sense noticing a trend in 2011 wedding dresses? do you find that brides go for the trends or do they stick to more traditional ideas when it comes to their big white gown?
It is ALL about the WOW Factor, TEXTURE and A-SYMMETRY for 2011 is “the” trend. We’ve been seeing this trend rolling in for the last couple of seasons by high end fashion or wedding dress designers, but it’s now finally being excepted by brides. It is all about mixing edgy texture with a soft look. Tulle, Organza, Taffeta, Lace and Silks are all being mixed and draped to create organic and sculptural shape on these more modern white or whitish wedding dresses, incorporating feathers and beading with couture roses or trims. 
  The brides I have had the opportunity to work with have been more fashion forward brides who want the latest looks of the runway. They want to look different, they want their dress to be one of a kind and they want their personality to show threw. Having seen my designs or pieces on my website they get a better understanding of my overall look, what I am capable of doing and they know I will be putting them in a dress that will will have some sort of texture or beading.
I am very sure that there are many brides who still go for a more simple traditional wedding dress I just have not made one yet for a bride. It really depends on your look and the theme of your wedding.
     My word of advice is to be who you really are on your wedding day, be in whatever makes you feel most comfortable, most glamorous & most beautiful. 
 
What’s the process with you, from start to finish?
 During the booked consultation we talk about the look, colours and theme of the wedding. The price point of the dress or dresses and the process begins with me sketching some ideations of dresses.Some of the samples available can be tried on to see the quality and fit of my work. After the decision is made to proceed with me, we book another appointment for the first fake fabric fitting and I bring in fabrics & colours we can choose from. The fitting is followed by 3 more fittings at least to get the final finished product. It is an exciting process because you get to see the sketch come alive to fit you most perfectly!!!
 
Any other pieces of advice for brides trying to decide between a custom dress or something off the rack?
It is truly a personal decision! Some people love the process and need to know what’s going on every step of the way with the dress and they like having the opportunity to create a dress for themselves with me that is more unique or different. 
Yet there are many people that are not visual and cannot imagine how the dress will go from a sketch on paper, to a dress on their body.
  There is always something that may go wrong with both options but one thing I promise all my clients, is that I make every garment as if it was going to be worn by myself. For me it is always about showing of your best features, fit, comfort, quality and standing out in a crowd. 

And that’s that!! For more info, contact Stefani by visiting her website at www.stefanimas.com, or find her on facebook by searching for STEMA by stefani Mas!