Etsy Picks [ 2011 Calendars ]

As the year winds down and we look ahead to 2011, a stylish new calendar would be appropriate. Included in this post are some my favorite picks from Etsy. From top to bottom: The Polaroids - Alicia Bock, $25 | Letterpress Limited Edition - SarahParrott825, $30 | Paris - LittleBrownPen, $22 | An Urban Romance - Zuppaartista, $20.

A Glimpse into the Past

Whenever I travel, I always make a point to visit the local antique shops. During my recent trip to Missouri, I was fortunate enough to come across an antique mall called Forever Antiques located in Farmington. The advantage to visiting an antique mall is that these large showrooms typically represent many (often times hundreds of) unique dealers in their own individually leased spaces. As I explored the endless aisles of vintage collectibles, I was in awe of how much history each piece held and how at one time, these items belonged to someone that lived several decades or even a century ago. These rare treasures truly give us a glimpse into the past. Photos by: Style-Haus

Napa Getaway

Napa Valley is located approximately 55 miles North of San Francisco and known worldwide as a food and wine mecca for travelers. There are over 400 wineries and the Valley boasts several Michelin Star restaurants to please the most finicky diners. With it being a short distance away, I try to plan a trip once a year and this past weekend was my opportunity to indulge in food, wine and relaxation. The landscape and scenery is breathtaking to say the least, which presented the perfect opportunity to practice my photography. When in Northern California, I highly recommend spending a few days or more to explore the beautiful Wine Country. Image credit: Style-Haus

Celeb Portraits

There is such an artistic and creative nature behind fashion that naturally, I am also drawn to photography... particularly portraits. I stumbled across Jake Chessum's work recently and found myself intrigued at his celebrity portraits. Not only are the images beautiful, but he captures a wide range of unfiltered emotion that captivates your interest. Although his subjects are actors who are trained to transform themselves into characters/roles and convey raw emotion, I also believe as a photographer he assumes an important role in engaging and connecting with his subjects in order to capture those moments. Check out more of his incredible work at www.jakechessum.com.

Furry Fashionista

William Wegman is an artist notably known for his fanciful photographs of Weimaraners as his muses. Art and dog enthusiasts alike embraced these photogenic canines who also appeared in Sesame Street and SNL segments. The images above are from Wegman's "Fashion Photographs" book which captures these dogs during the 90s in delightful designer duds. My personal favorite is the one in the leopard print bikini (now who can resist that?!) As a tribute to Wegman's artistic acumen, here are photos of my own personal muse "Manolo" sporting Marc Jacobs heels, grey suede belt (as collar) by H&M and silver chain necklace from Wasteland. Enjoy the weekend everyone!