The Countdown Begins | Nordstrom

Darren and I recently took a trip up north to the redwoods for a little getaway before the holidays and it was absolutely magical! I just love the vibe up there, and I must say it had me in the holiday spirit as I was surrounded by the tallest trees on earth and those perfect shades of green. So what do you do when you're surrounded by green, shooting a holiday look in December? ADD SOME RED! This adventure turned out to be the perfect opportunity to showcase one of my NYE-inspired outfits, brought to you by Nordstrom! 

I cannot wait to share more of what we created on this adventure - but in the meantime, shop the look using the links below! Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!

All images shot by Darius Twin.

Before the Storm | Mesquite Sand Dunes

Happy Wednesday, everybody! Christmas and the new year are quickly approaching us, and I am reminiscing over all of my adventures from this past year. One being the full week I spent in Death Valley with my one and only creating imagery in the many beautiful locations throughout the park. I woke up one morning in my hotel room at Stovepipe Wells, looked outside, and saw those dramatic clouds hanging above the sand dunes. I woke Darren up and said "we gotta goooo!" So we did and this is what we created BeFoRe ThE sToRm while wearing Dreamers + Drifters.

Wearing a beautiful dress by Dreamers + Drifters // Photos shot by Darius Twin

Above It All | Hollister

Remember how in one of my recent posts I said I couldn't get enough of the mountains near my house these days? Well here I am cruising up and over the San Gabriel mountains, through the clouds, creating imagery brought to you by Hollister! What I love about this drive is that it's never the same - the sky always looks different, creating a totally new atmosphere every time. All I knew at this point is that once we got to the top, we'd either be in the clouds creating with a spooky vibe, or we'd rise above them.

It turns out we rose above them! Once we made it to the top, the clouds covered Los Angeles and all you could see were those cotton candy textures and a heavenly sunset. I felt like I was floating!

The clouds were so mesmerizing, and made for the best backdrop to showcase one of my favorite looks and some last minute holiday gift ideas from Hollister! This entire look I'm wearing is under $80 (except for the shoes) - so if you're looking for something that's adorable and affordable, you know where to shop! I mean, who doesn't love a cozy matching beanie + scarf combo (costing a total of $23)? Now, I hope you enjoy some more of the magic we created while *above it all*!

This backpack would also make the perfect gift and it's only $20! I've been bringing it on all of our adventures lately.

I absolutely loved teaming up with Hollister on this post and I linked up everything I wore (+ a few more goodies) below! Happy Thursday, everyone!

Photos shot by Darius Twin.

New Year, New Room | Desenio

For a while, I was eyeing my bedroom in hopes that I would soon be home for enough time to do something special with it; to create a space where I wake up inspired at home and not just on the road. Well, recently I teamed up with Desenio to do just that, using amazing Scandanavian art prints and frames. They have so many great options for photography and graphical prints - so I selected a lot of my favorites to arrange together on one MaGiCaL wall. 

I wanted to include a few close ups on how I arranged the prints - I often find that arranging can be the hardest part! I drew out my room first, and sketched where I would place everything. That way, my wall wouldn't have hundreds of holes from switching around the prints!

As you can see above, I was more than excited with the way our room turned out. The vibe is exactly what I was going for - calm and inspiring! I mean, how can you not feel inspired when the first thing you see in the morning is some mountains, sand dunes, and a map of the world?! I guess Darren and our cat help with that inspiration as well ::)

You can find Desenio's entire selection of posters online and they now ship to US, Australia, and Canada! These would make great holiday gifts for all of you last minute shoppers! 

Winter is in the Air | Bronzallure

I'm happy to say that I have been home in LA for more than 2 weeks now - and it feels amazing to get back into the swing of things and see friends and family, especially in time for the holidays. We get so wrapped up in the idea of seeing and creating in new locations, that we forget there is so much opportunity for creativity in our own city. So lately, we've been driving up and over the San Gabriel mountains near our home to occasionally escape the grey winter haze and see the city from above! That is exactly what we did for today's blog post brought to you by Bronzallure featuring a part of their stunning new line, Definitely Rose.

Although the entire new Definitely Rose line by Bronzallure is beautiful, the one I'm wearing and my favorite is The Alba Collection. All of Bronzallure's designs are made with 18KT Rosé Gold and hand selected natural gemstones -- so in love!

Head to Bronzallure's website to see more of the new Definitely Rose line and to shop the pieces I selected! Use my code HELLO2US20 for 20% off your order - happy shopping and holidays!

Racetrack Playa

I finally crossed something off of my list that had been there for far too long! Darren and I made our way to Racetrack Playa for a sunset that we will never forget. 

Getting here was not easy by any means, we faced bumpy, washboard roads for a good hour and a half! My brain was bouncing all over the place. Although the drive was a little treacherous, it was all worth it because Racetrack Playa was even more beautiful than I had seen in photos. We were all alone out there - and I just loved that feeling of having the whole playa to ourselves.

One thing I loved most about the playa was the scale-like textures on the ground. I couldn't help but think how such a texture would look on the floors of my future dream home! It was definitely one of my favorite surfaces to move and dance on.

If you're wondering where those amazing booties came from, they are by Sbicca Footwear! This is the second pair that I chose from their stunning collection, and I am so happy to have them as a part of my wardrobe this fall/winter. I have already worn them so many different ways - from a fancy velvet maxi like the one I'm wearing in this shoot, to some rolled up skinny jeans and an oversized sweater. 

That velvet maxi dress by The Jetset Diaries and sparkly choker by Joy were basically a match made in heaven - and you can find both of them at my favorite shop, Blackwater! I'm definitely thinking about rocking them both on NYE, what do you say? ::)

I've really been inspired by traveling lately and seeing new places. I'm eager to move again and dance. I grew up spending so much time training as a dancer -  so being able to use that talent in a new light is one of the best things that happened to me. I feel some sort of release when I am out there, in a natural wonderland, moving to a favorite tune. It's these kind of moments that keep me creating. 

We ended up staying to see the supermoon and as the moon rose, the playa's surface began to glow! At that moment, I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. It was just TOO COOL! Like out of this world cool!

Take a look at what I wore in this shoot with the links below, and don't forget to check out my song of the day. It's a good one!

Photos shot by Darius Twin.

When a Fire Starts to Burn | Valley of Fire

Life is full of surprises, you guys. Every single day brings something new and unexpected, and we just kind of have to ride the wave of it all. Every time I travel and create, I am reminded to just go with the flow - to accept change and things not always going my way, and to take advantage of the experience. There is always so much to learn.

Since we are always on the road, jumping from one location to the next to create imagery, we can never really predict what to expect in terms of weather, lighting, where we will shoot, and more until we actually get to the location. Yes, we have our phones to check the weather, but I've found that isn't always the most reliable tool! So this is where the creativity comes in and the inspiration strikes when you're actually surrounded by the environment and current conditions. This is the kind of surprise I face on a day to day basis! 

For this particular shoot in the Valley of Fire, we experienced the most magical conditions to shoot in. Clouds filled the sky right as the sun began to set and we had clear skies all day. I love a nice cloudy sky! Not when there's too much and you're awaiting the pouring rain. I'm talking about those streaks of clouds giving the sun a canvas to paint the skies with color as it sets. The clouds that signal a few gusts of wind to perfectly sweep my dress off the ground and provide movement in each photograph! Those are the surprises I live for!

So here I am, kickin' my feet up in happiness for the unexpectedly perfect shooting conditions! How cute are these shoes by the way? I recently teamed up with Sbicca to create some imagery, and these are the first pair I was lucky enough to capture some images of. I hope you enjoy these images as the fiery skies started to burn with the setting sun!

For those of you wondering what that dream of a dress is - it's from Blackwater by For Love and Lemons and I'm in love! Another example of how I am obsessing over velvet this fall/winter. 

Photos shot by Darius Twin.