TOP TWELVE SHOTS OF THE YEAR 2014

I welcome the year 2015 with open arms, but here are my top 12 picks for Shots of The Year from the blog!  Some are from products that sponsored me, and some of other people I got to shoot.  It’s fun to look back over the past year and gather some top shots.  2014 went by so fast, and in looking back, I see why… I was busy!  I look forward to challenging myself this next year!

 

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1.  GLASSES USA

I was so excited to learn about GLASSESUSA  and get an opportunity to try out their online prescription glasses service!  Too cool! Check them out for discount prescription glasses that you can order online.

glam, glammy, photography in The Woodlands, boudoir photos in The Woodlands, tattoo girl, makeup artistry, Luxor Living and Style, Houston style blog, Stephanie Sjoberg, fashion, style, 2. BOUDOIR

It was something totally new to try, and I had a blast doing last year’s Valentine Boudoir Shoot. The girls were fun and beautiful.  It’s not trashy… more fun and flirty than anything, but it was fun working out shots for the girls.  Out of all photos, I love this one the best.  The girl is a beautiful, edgy rebel, business woman and mom.  I loved the way this turned out.

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3. BLACK FEATHERED ANGEL

This is a girl I ran into one night while out with my husband.  We became friends and I was dying to do some portfolio shots for the aspiring actress.  On this shoot, we went to Galveston Beach, (although we joked about saying it was some exotic destination in the Carribbean) and we laughed so hard as we tried different shots. Imagine this tall, beautiful girl in full makeup and long black gown, on the edge of a jettie, as the waves crashed in.  Imagine the onlookers. Too funny. The rest of the pictures can be seen here. This was a great day!

 

Houston model, Luxor Living nad Style, fashion blog, blogger in Houston, Photography by Stephanie Sjoberg, makeup artist in Spring, Texas, Guess model, stylist, fashion blogger, Galveston Beach4. TEXAS GIRL

I’ve always loved the Guess advertising campaigns.  This was a spin on the Texas girl look.  This is one of my favorite shots from that day with her. See the rest here, on the American Girl blog post.

 

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5. SENIOR PORTRAIT TEXAS STYLE

Senior portraits in Texas are getting to be very elaborate, so I wanted to try my hand at a few!  I absolutely had a blast working on this shoot, and this one is my favorite from the Senior Glam Texas Style  shoot!

 

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6. YOUNIQUE

I did a review for Younique 3D Fiber Lashes.  This was one of the shots from the post that came out.  I mean, how do you really take a mascara photo anyway?  My vanity area was new, and it’s where I spend every morning getting ready, playing with makeup and trying new things.

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7. THE WOODLANDS, BIOTCH

One day after church, my husband and I stopped to snap photos for the Retro blog post.  I got this great shot of a nearby bridge in The Woodlands, and loved the way it came out!

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8. LA JOLLA

We took a trip to San Diego this year.  We wanted to return, since we had been the previous year.  I packed terribly.  I ended up buying a cool hat there, while we were shopping, and thus created a La Jolla outfit post out of scraps!  We stayed at La Valencia hotel, right on the Cove at La Jolla… and had an amazing time.  I love this shot that Ken took because it’s real.  It’s me. My clothes. My life.  I love that he lets me be kooky and fun.  Good times!

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La Jolla Cove

9.  PURE BEAUTY

Pure Beauty was seen daily as we photographed the Seals at La Jolla.  I was able to get inches from them and snap some cute photos.  This was one of my best memories of the year!  I adore nature and animals.

 

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10. HOLIDAY RIVER WALK

In December, we went to San Antonio to attend a church service by one of our favorite pastors, and stayed on the San Antonio River Walk.  It was my birthday, and Christmas lights were still up.  I took photos in order to create a Monet look and love the way they all turned out!

Angels Hair, Houston Galleria, hair stylist, color, WNWN creations, Houston jewelry designer, Angel Blanchard, Luxor Living and Style, Houston Photography, Angels Hair Designs, strawberry blonde hair, Betsy Johnson dress, Waste Not Want Not Creations, hair stylist galleria Houston, color specialist in Houston, Houston hair

11.  ANGEL

I was fortunate enough to make a new friend this year, when Angel Blanchard was referred to me by a friend, to recreate her hair salon web site, Angels Hair Designs.  She is a color and cut specialist in the Houston Galleria area, and also does extensions as well.  She did my hair recently as well.  Angel also is a jewelry designer, and is wearing some of her custom candy pieces in this shot! She does cuts for men as well!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12.  YOU TUBER

One of my functions is that I work in Cosmetics and Fragrances.  I do makeup.  If you know anyone who does makeup, then you know we love You Tube Videos!  Everyone would love to try and make a video at least once, so I finally did a full You Tube presentation called GLAMMY GLAM in 19 MINUTES.  This shot was of the finished product after the video tutorial was made.  Making videos is so fun, but it’s more work than you think!  Check out my Channel here.

 

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SIX SHOTS: OCTOBER, TWO THOUSAND AND FOURTEEN

La Jolla Cove Seals, Luxor Living and Style, Stephanie Sjoberg, KS Tennis, Houston, travel blog, California, San Diego, La Valencia, Cody's La Jolla

La Jolla Cove

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Stephanie Sjoberg, fashion blog, blogger, houston Texas blog, Luxor Living and Style, fun blog, over 40, California

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This Six Shots post is very late, but with a lot of projects going on… everything is late!  I still wanted to share my top shots for October, and of course most are coming from my various posts on La Jolla, California from our vacation.

During our stay at The Valencia Hotel … we had a fabulous and relaxing time with no real strict agenda.  We hung out on the cove at La Jolla a little each day, just breathing in life!

Breakfast at Cody’s was amazing, with the ocean view and omelettes and the sea lions were amazing! The old couple in the shot above was heart warming and my love for birds grew even more as the birds came to the hotel balcony to eat cheetos from my hands!

We had and absolutely beautiful time!

-SDS

 

 

 

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CODY’S in LA JOLLA

Cody's in La Jolla,Cody's La Jolla, La Jolla Cove, Luxor Living and Style, breakfast review, travel blog,

Cody’s in La Jolla

Omelet with Goat Cheese, Cody's La Jolla, La Jolla Cove, Luxor Living and Style, breakfast review, travel blog,

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“Well, I guess no one has seen food before,” the rude, bald man says behind me as I used my Cannon Rebel to snap food portraits.

“Well…she writes a blog,” my husband replied.

“Oh,” rude bald man replies.

While I didn’t ever attend “food review” classes in college, it seems pretty straightforward and simple.  Eat and tell.

Cody’s  in La Jolla is wonderful. Period.  The pancakes ( yes, on vacation, pancakes are legal ) are actually fabulous because they taste like “cake.”  As it was meant to be.  You truly do not realize how bad every day pancakes are, until you have these.  Mine were Blueberry, garnished with strawberries on top.

One morning, my husband ordered an omelette with goat cheese, among other things tucked inside it inside, and it was heavenly. 

As if the ocean view and crisp California morning sea air was not beautiful enough…this place knows how American breakfast is to be done.  It is across the street from the La Valencia Hotel, and the outdoor seating has the ocean view.

Pets are welcome, and there is even a mini pet “menu.”  Going back, is something to live for, and actually I have business to attend to in San Diego anyway, so I will be working pancakes from Cody’s  into my future again!  If you live in the area, and have not ever eaten here, then you have not truly lived.

Check out the past few blog posts or my Instagram Account for more pictures from La Jolla!

Fabulousness!

-SDS

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THE COVE AT LA JOLLA

La Jolla Cove

La Jolla Cove

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     I realize that I am not the first person to ever get close to and take photos of seals.  These, however…are my seals.  This was my personal La Jolla experience, and I want to share.

     The world was never meant to be about concrete jungles that destroy and overtake the natural majesty of God’s creation.  Were were to live among and derive pleasure – as well as reasonable resource from the beauty and wonders he created.

      How in the world, a moderately intelligent person could look around the earth…watch the ocean’s waves- packed full of marine life, crash in and roll out.  Watch the many birds dive and feed from the oceans, or wiggly worms in the green grass.  How could you watch seals laying cheek to cheek with their friends and family, with a baby tucked under their fin…and really not realize that there is a God who created it all? And truly, how on earth could a person see the smile and love of a dog, who lives for their “person,” and ever think a beautiful connection such as that, could be a fluke?

     As I stood on the rocks, watching some of the sea lions sleep in La Jolla Cove…I noticed two sleeping cheek to cheek. And, as I wondered about the depths of their relationship (like…was he her “baby daddy” or  just friends, relatives, etc…) the one on the right sleepily lifted its fin  to feel around next to itself.He tapped and gently felt and looked comforted by the presence of  the napping soul next to it… all as if to check and make sure he was still there.

     Could beings who love, really be a totally accidental freak of nature?  Everything works perfectly together to keep the world turning and nature can be so beautiful.  Hummingbirds are a favorite of mine. Each one is a tiny work of art.  Actually, one who thinks this massive machine is a Godless accident has to be absolutely crazy. Out of touch. Blind.

     The little sea gulls that came to my balcony door every morning, in hopes of barking (yes, barking) for snacks of any kind… would eat Cheetos right from my hand.  (Envision Cheetos dust all over their beaks.)  As one might keep waiting for me to decide if he should have another Cheetos…he head would cock, and he would stare as if trying desperately to understand, “Who exactly is this weird Cheetos lady, on the balcony in her nightgown and pin curls…with a fat girl bag of these yummy orange things?”  The point is, there was some level of intelligence there.  We see it all the time in dogs and cats.  How could intelligence not be by grand design?  Actually, it would be impossible.

     These are the thoughts running through my mind as we visited the La Jolla Cove last week.  We were there last year, at the same time, but this time… we enjoyed nature even more.

     La Jolla is a beautiful place to relax, think, recharge your soul and connect.  So my seal and ocean photos are not prize winning…but I tried to capture the hearts of the precious little animals, and majesty the ocean side area commands as the sun continues to rise and set in perfect tandem with all below it.

     I’m pretty easy going, but one demand I make on my husband (who is a harder worker bee than I)  is that I will grind and work hard…but give a girl a break every once in a while.  I don’t care what is going on financially, job wise or whatever…I need some kind of vacation from the grind. Getting to relax and just breathe was incredibly uplifting.

     These photos were taken by a person who is a firm believer in Father God, his son Christ and the beautiful Grand Design of this country and our world.  Feeding little creatures, and getting up close and personal was a tremendous experience.

-SDS

Then God said, “Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.” God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. ,God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”…

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