Heyyy everyone and welcome to the newest edition of Woman Crush Wednesday – Julianne Hough style! The darling and newly engaged Miss Hough has been the apple of my eye ever since her Dancing With The Stars debut so it only seems right to feature her as Lil Red’s #WCW. Take a look at my all time favorite dance that she ever performed on DWTS and then let’s discuss:
Dear Julianne Hough,
Oh Julianne, you precious tiny dancer, you. I admire your immense talent on the dance floor so very much. You make the most difficult dances look effortless and I had a blast watching you win the Dancing With The Stars mirror ball trophy with Apolo Anton Ohno and Helio Castroneves. It’s a family tradition over at casa da la Lil Red to watch DWTS together and we always rooted for you! I am so happy that you’re back on the show to share your expertise on the judges panel and to occasionally grace the dance floor with your presence. It has been such a joy to watch your transformation from a sweet young woman to a sassy and fabulous goddess! I love your elegant yet fierce style and your ever changing hair! You are just SO beautiful – hubba hubba, lady! Thank you for allowing your bubbly personality into our homes every Monday night during Dancing With The Stars. And most importantly, thank you for being such an amazing role model and inspiration to performers (and people in general) everywhere. I LOVE YOU!!!!
^^^ OMG, could that pic of Julianne cuddling a puppy be any more adorable?! I think not!
So there you have it, this week’s Woman Crush Wednesday: Julianne Hough Edition! Who is everyone’s #WCW this week? What is your all time favorite Julianne Hough moment on DWTS? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Helloooo everyone and welcome to the newest edition of Man Crush Monday – Spencer Krug style! My #MCM is one of my most beloved musician crushes. As the front man for some of my favorite bands such as Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown, and Swan Lake as well as being in association with Frog Eyes, it only seemed appropriate to finally show some love to this multi talented artist. Take a listen to one of the most well known songs by Wolf Parade and then let’s discuss:
Dear Spencer Krug,
Oh Spencer, sweet sweet Spencer. I’ll never forget the first time my older brother introduced me to your music by playing Wolf Parade’s “I’ll Believe In Anything”. I was so blown away by your unique voice and your incredible ability to invoke emotion in all of your songs. The way that you can go from soft crooning to rocker howls at the drop of a hat keeps me on my toes and makes me feel firey passion deep in my loins. I would give anything to see one of your many bands in concert and I’ll forever be jealous of my brother for seeing Wolf Parade perform when they opened for Arcade Fire during their “Us Kids Know” tour. Your unmistakable voice and thought provoking lyrics are well matched to your staggering good looks. Hubba hubba, sir. If there’s one thing mama loves, it’s a good looking man who has musical talent – which basically sums you up in a nut shell. Whether your hair is long or short and no matter what band you’re currently repping, you are a stud and a half. The day that I can see you perform live is the day I can die happy. I LOVE YOU!!!!!!
^^^ Oh my dear lord…he’s perfect!
So there you have it, this week’s Man Crush Monday: Spencer Krug Edition! Who is everyone’s #MCM this week? What is your favorite band that my man crush is associated with? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Heyyy everyone and welcome to a very special post about one of my new music obsessions, Recipe of Life. ROL is made up of two darling girls, Shelby and Ariel, who are both full of sunny personalities and sweet voices to match. I have been hunting these girls down for months trying to feature their ukulele duo on http://www.lifewithlilred.com and it’s finally happening!
I seriously couldn’t be more excited to shed some light on such a talented group, especially considering they just wrapped up their Lake Erie Shore Tour on top of releasing a new single “Are You Ready?” which is now available on their iTunes, Spotify, Rhapsody, and bandcamp page. “Are You Ready?” is such an addictive song it should be illegal, so check it out and get hooked! (I, for one, am ready! And all of the links to the mentioned sites can be found at the end of the post!)
Recipe of Life debuted their first full length album The Secret Ingredient in 2014 and now I would love to take some time to discuss my personal favorites off of it with you! The Secret Ingredient can be found on all of ROL’s music pages and can be purchased for ten dollars. So click the link and listen along as I offer my humble Lil Red opinion on the album! And make sure you stay tuned after for an exclusive interview with the ROL duo, Shelby and Ariel! Let’s get to it:
Love You Today: This is the first song off of The Secret Ingredient and I absolutely love it. I was listening to this while laying in bed and I kid you not, my notes on the song were “this reminds me of how I feel when I have a crush on someone”. So many of Recipe of Life’s tracks have this ability to bring on the butterflies of being googly eyed over that special someone and “Love You Today” sums that up perfectly. Such a sweet and strong opener!
If the Shoe Fits: Obviously this song is one of my go to’s considering the title is the same as one of my segments on lifewithlilred. 😉 I really like the harmonies that the ROL gals have going on in this track and the lyrics are cute as can be. When I first heard Recipe of Life’s music, I was honestly shocked that I liked it so much. I’m such an alternative and indie girl at heart but it’s impossible to not appreciate this band. All of the emotions in their songs are so honest and relateable. I can’t think of one person who hasn’t wished for a romance that Shelby and Ariel are swooning about in “If the Shoe Fits”.
Spot On: If you guys have read my music reviews before, then you’ll know that this song had me at the opening “doo doo doo’s”. I LOVE THEM! What I think is so memorable about this song is how much fun the girls are having with it. Their little laughs throughout “Spot On” made me smile each time and this is the type of tune that should be played with all of the windows down on a bright day. At the beginning of this post I described Shelby and Ariel’s personalities as “sunny” and you can definitely see why after listening to this little ditty.
Unlovable: This is my favorite song off of The Secret Ingredient, hands down. Honestly, “Unlovable” describes some very real feelings for me, especially with their lyric “Why do you thank me? When there’s nothing to thank me for”. Ugh, I love that. “Unlovable” is the second track off of The Secret Ingredient and I think that it’s such a solid follow up to the opener “Love You Today”. “Unlovable” is the longest song on the album at 4:39 but I wish it could have gone on forever.
The End: Appropriately titled, “The End” is the closing song on The Secret Ingredient and I will seriously be a monkey’s uncle if it isn’t a song in a Disney movie. Literally all I could think about while I listened to this song was a Disney prince and princess serenading each other…Judge me for it. “The End” is a beautiful song to wrap up a beautiful album, so bravo!
I had the opportunity to sit down with the lovely Shelby to chat about the band, boys, and everything in between. Unfortunately, the other half of the Recipe of Life duo, Ariel, is away at college and was unable to attend the interview – but fear not! I was lucky enough to “speak” with her via email to get her input. Thanks to the ROL girls, I have the answers to the questions that I’m sure you’re all dying to know, so take a look:
Lil Red: So how did your duo come into being?
Shelby: Ariel and I became friends our sophomore year of high school. We became Facebook friends because she was friends with my boyfriend, Jimmy, throughout freshman year, so we both figured we should be friends!
Ariel: Shortly after our friendship started we made a cover video of YouTube musician, Orla Gartland’s, song “All The Little Details.” The video got one thousand plus views and we were shocked! That’s when we thought “Hmm. Maybe this music-y thing could go somewhere”. After that pleasant surprise we decided to perform as a duet for the Battle Of The Bands at our high school.
LR: I’m positive that my readers will be curious about where the name Recipe of Life came from, because I definitely am. Is there a story behind the band name?
S: When we were preparing to compete for BOTB, we realized we needed a name! We turned to the internet for inspiration and found a quote that said “Friendship is the most important ingredient in the recipe of life” and it stuck. We thought that it might be too cheesy, but we never changed it!
LR: Would you agree that friendship is the most important ingredient?
S&A: Yes!!
LR: So how did Recipe of Life do in the Battle Of The Bands competition?
S: We won! It was so exciting. We performed two cover songs and the first song that I ever wrote “Forever Yours”, which can be heard on our album.
LR: I noticed that a common theme in your songs is the “perfect” guy, where does the inspiration for this stem from?
S: Definitely my boyfriend, Jimmy. We’ve been dating for six years and I feel like literally all of my songs are about him. Ariel and her mom always were pushing me to write outside of my comfort zone, so the first song I wrote that wasn’t about love was a huge deal!
A: Sometimes my songs are inspired by a relationship – but not as often as Shelby’s! Although, the first song that I wrote about a significant other, “Spot On”, is about the same guy that I’ve been with to this day, three years later! I’m still trying to figure myself and life out, so this gives me a lot of situations to draw from when I write a song. A general curiosity for life helps when I’m trying to put pen to paper.
LR: Six and three years is a long time! My longest relationship was two weeks…ANYWAYS, sometimes I’m shocked by the people who I find out read my blog. Have you ladies ever been surprised by anyone who you found out was a Recipe of Life fan?
S: Our usual demographic is sixteen to twenty-five year old girls, so we were both definitely shocked by our following of middle aged men who were musicians in college!
A: Middle aged adults was definitely unexpected! We also get quite a bit of attention from Christian audiences as well, which I think is interesting. Someone that we were both taken aback by was when Orla Gartland commented on our video for “All The Little Details” saying that she loved it. Like, what?!
LR: Middle aged people is not what I was expecting to hear! But hey, a fans a fan! And now for the interview cliche question, where do you girls see Recipe of Life in two years?
S: Hopefully on tour with a new album out. We would really like to branch out our audience and perform in a bunch of new locations.
A: I would love to hear us on the radio someday so maybe two years is enough time to get that ball rolling! But our next goal as of now is making another full length album.
You heard it first on lifewithlilred! It was so fun having a chit chat with Shelby and Ariel! If you would like to read more of our interview, let me know in the comment section so I can make it happen!
Like it? Love it? Want more of it? You can show love to Recipe of Life by:
Liking them on Facebook
Purchasing The Secret Ingredient off of their music pages like bandcamp and iTunes
Snagging their new single “Are You Ready?”
Checking out their website
Shooting them an email
Commenting on this post so I can relay the message
Here are all of the links to the websites mentioned above:
It has been a complete blast getting to know the Recipe of Life girls, Shelby and Ariel. They are certainly a ukulele strumming duo to watch out for, so be on the look out! How do you feel about Recipe of Life’s music? Do you have any constructive criticism or advice for Shelby and Ariel? We wanna hear from all of you, so leave us a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Heyyy guys and TGIF! I’m actually prewriting this post before I leave for my boyfriend’s for the night because I won’t have a lot of time tomorrow to fill you in on the exciting day! My friends at Millstone will be the opening act for Hawthorne Heights’ show at The Outpost in Kent, Ohio and we’re all very excited! Make sure you check out my article about Millstone on http://www.lifewithlilred.com and enjoy this classic Hawthorne Heights emo kid anthem:
So yes, Millstone, a band who I’ve worked with and a band who Kyle knows very personally considering the lead singer is his best friend will be opening for my angsty teen favorite, Hawthorne Heights. I actually met the guys of HH when I was sixteen or so when they played at Musica in Akron and they were awesome. All of them were so sweet and genuine and I still have the pictures, my autographed Silence In Black and White album, and the guitar pick belonging to the lead singer, JT, to this day. Not only were they a joy to chat with, but they killed their set as well!
Kyle and I are both thrilled for our Millstone friends and we’re going to arrive at the venue early to help in any way we can, so we’re gonna have a busy day tomorrow! But fear not, I’ll be back for the usual Monday Update and Man Crush Monday segments, so make sure you tune back in with me on the twenty-eighth for more of the latest and greatest! Until then, what is everyone up to this weekend? Any concerts or big plans? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hellooo everyone and welcome to the newest edition of Woman Crush Wednesday – Sarah Paulson style! With season five of American Horror Story making its debut on October 7th, it only seemed appropriate to send some love to one of my favorite actresses on the show. Take a look at this fan favorite scene from American Horror Story: Asylum and then let’s discuss:
Dear Sarah Paulson,
Oh Sarah, you brilliant brilliant actress with a wonderful name, I just adore you. From your humble AHS beginnings during Murder House with a minor role to working your way up to leading lady status in the past three seasons, you can do no wrong. It’s so hard for me to pick a favorite character that you’ve played during your time as a member of the American Horror Story family, but if I absolutely had to choose, I think it would be when you played conjoined twins, Bette and Dot Tatler, in Freak Show. Your characterization of sweet and naive Bette and the cold and calculated Dot were spot on perfection and I looked forward to seeing your performance every week when Freak Show was airing. Your incredible talent is undeniable and I can’t wait to see what you’re going to bring to the table during AHS: Hotel. So yes, your acting chops are unreal but you also have some out of this world looks as well! Hubba hubba, lady. You have the face of an angel and the most glorious porcelain skin to match. Your hair also looks awesome in literally any color which is a gift from the gods. I LOVE your hair blonde, like when you played Cordelia in Coven but like I said, any color will do. You are such an inspiration to actors (and people in general) everywhere and I can only hope as an actress myself that I have an ounce of the ability that you have. I LOVE YOU!!!!!
^^^ The lovely Sarah got a lot of hate for the dress pictured above but I actually really liked it…SUE ME FOR IT!!!
So there you have it, this week’s Woman Crush Wednesday: Sarah Paulson Edition. Who is everyone’s #WCW this week? Who was your favorite character that my woman crush played on American Horror Story? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Heyyy everyone and welcome to the newest edition of Man Crush Monday – Craig Nicholls style! The front man of one of my favorite bands, The Vines, has been one of my celebrity crushes since I was ten years old. His eccentric antics and quirky looks stole my heart and I don’t think I’ll be getting it back anytime soon! Take a listen to one of my favorite songs by The Vines and then let’s discuss:
Dear Craig Nicholls,
Oh, Craig. Sweet and a tiny bit over the top Craig. “Ride”, the track I chose to honor you with will always be one of my go to jams. My brother introduced the song to me along with the super cool music video and I was hooked ever since. I have all of the albums by The Vines safely stored on my iPod and I play them frequently to get me hyped for school, auditions, or just running around doing errands. What instantly made me attracted to you was your wild personality. Usually I’m more of a fan of the sensitive, brooding types of guys but there was something special about you. Your blatant “who gives a fuck” lifestyle wasn’t something that you put on for publicity – it was who you are and I really liked that. It was and still is refreshing to see someone in the public eye who refuses to change despite the posh and pristine Hollywood image that’s constantly shoved down everyone’s throats. There are so many things that I love about The Vines but I think my favorite thing about them is your voice! Your slightly stoned and surfer boy vocals are seriously perfect and I can’t get enough! Not only are you amazingly talented but you’re also amazingly handsome! Hubba hubba to you, sir. Your disheveled hair, extreme facial expressions, and pursed mouth that’s constantly dragging on a cigarette rev my engine. You are truly one of my dream men and I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!
^^^ He’s a babe! SHWING!!
So there you have it, this week’s Man Crush Monday: Craig Nicholls Edition! Who is everyone’s #MCM this week? What is your favorite song by The Vines? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Heyyyy everyone! So as you guys know, I made a Facebook page for lifewithlilred last week AND I NEED YOUR HELP!! Cue the TLC classic and let’s discuss:
Long story short, I would really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, REALLY appreciate it if you gave my said Facebook page a like!
I would also love you forever if you showed some love to my friend, Britta Michele, over at Daffodil Blue Photography, whose article written by yours truly was posted on Tuesday! You are also more than welcome to shoot me a friend request at Sarah Mushenheim but I ask that you message me and let me know that you’re one of my readers so that I don’t decline the request on accident!
Still can’t get enough of me? You can always shoot me an email at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com! Please help a gal out by giving both of the pages I posted a nice, friendly like! THANKS!!!!!! Much love. -Sarah
Howdy everyone and happy Thursday! I had such a fun filled busy day yesterday and I just had to tell you guys all about it! The day started out rocky but ended strong, so check out this track that will make sense to you by the end of the post and let’s discuss:
All of Tuesday, yesterday, and today I’ve had the unfortunate health issue of conjunctivitis in both of my eyes. It’s been a pain in the ass and it hurts like the dickens. On Tuesday night when I was with my boyfriend I finally decided to take my contacts out, which should have been done at the first signs of redness. I guess better late than never though, considering both of my eyes were blood red and I looked like the spawn of Satan once I realized it was time for the contacts to go. I was hesitant to take them out though because my plan was to drive from his home in Canton to school in Cleveland the following morning and my eyesight isn’t the best. #dangertomyself #andothers
I woke up Wednesday morning with my eyes crusted shut completely, which was a lot of fun! After getting myself ready for school, I deemed my vision safe enough to drive as long as I took it nice and slow. I left my man’s house early so I would have time for a leisurely drive as well as stop home to grab my back up glasses before school. I made my pit stop home, grabbed the dorkiest glasses ever, and headed to Tri-C for my French class. The worst part about wearing my glasses aside from how much I hate them is the fact that I wasn’t able to wear sunglasses during my drive. My face was crumpled into a permanent squinting position which I’m pretty sure gave me premature wrinkling. #SHAMEFUL
I rolled into my French class looking nerdy chic (I hope) but was then struck with the fear of “oh shit, I hope people don’t think I’m stoned”, compliments of my blood shot eyes. Throughout my class I was SO paranoid that I might as well have indulged in a pre-lecture hit of cannabis. “Does she think I’m high? Does he think I’m blitzed? DOES MY BELOVED PROFESSOR THINK I’M STONED?!” A gazillion thoughts of my classmate’s possible judgement were swarming through my head at a rapid speed BUT I still managed to kick major derriere in my class! #OUI 😉
After a semi stressful but nothing that I can’t handle afternoon, it was time for Sister Date Night!! Kristen and I had a sexy evening of dinner and a movie planned and it was so much fun!! I picked her up in the Little Red Love Machine for some fine dining at Taco Bell and a showing of Sinister 2. My sister and I were starving and were so happy to be in the comforting atmosphere of TBell for some binge eating. We shoveled burritos, chalupas, and tacos down our gullets until we fell into the “too full to move” food coma. It. Was. WONDERFUL!
We slowly made our way back to my whip and collapsed into the seats. We unbuttoned our pants to ease the bloating, got ourselves together, and headed to the theater for some scary movie shenanigans. We arrived at the Regal Cinemas and purchased our tickets only to find out that we were eligible for a free popcorn thanks to my Regal Crown Club rewards card. “More food!!!” We got our popcorn from the concession stand and answered with an enthusiastic “YES” when we were asked if we wanted butter on our popcorn. Who doesn’t want butter on their popcorn? Seriously. If it were up to me, I would be able to go behind the concessions counter to pump my own butter just to make sure that each individual piece of popcorn was drenched in sweet, caloric, buttery goodness. #delish
Kristen and I entered our designated theater with our hands full of popcorn and purses full of pop brought from home. As we walked further into the room we saw that we were the only people there! It was so great! Throughout our showing of Sinister 2 we were able to swear, scream, and make off color comments to our hearts content. My personal favorite was when I dared my sister to go pee in a corner…I promise you she didn’t! #pinkieswear
ANYWAYS, the Sinister sequel was scary as fuckkk. I’m a big fan of the first movie, despite how scary I find it and the second one was just as good/terrifying! Kristen and I spent a significant amount of time with our hands covering our eyes and screaming “OH SHIT” at a hefty portion of the film. We had such a blast even though we were so scared! Kristen kept pestering me to spend the night at her apartment and I kept begging her to stay the night at home. We’re basically the two biggest twenty-something babies ever. #noshame #adultbabies
During our drive home, when we weren’t trying to bribe each other into staying the night, Kristen played DJ with my iPod. We jammed to TLC and Britney Spears but the most memorable song she played was “Epiphany” from Sweeney Todd, hence why I posted it at the beginning of the post. Kristen and I love that movie so much and “Epiphany” is our all time favorite song from it. We played it at full volume with our windows down all while singing very poorly. I couldn’t stop laughing for the duration of the song and was almost in tears by the time we were stopped at a red light with good ol’ Sweeney Todd blasting through my speakers. #howaboutashave?
We couldn’t decide where to stay the night at so we went our separate ways to sleep all by our lonesome. All night I was petrified about the evil Bagul lurking in my room or dreams, but I promised myself that if he made an appearance that I would deliver a swift punch right in his suck hole. KA POW! Lucky for me, Bagul must have heard my threats, so I was okay for the night – however, I woke up halfway through my slumber because I had to go to the bathroom and I REFUSED to leave the safety of my blanket fort. I am so thankful that I didn’t wet the bed once I fell back asleep and I woke up refreshed and ready to take on a day of homework! #blessed
^^^ I feel like I haven’t posted a pic of myself in a while, so there you go!
So there you have it, a long post about some Wednesday Fun! I had a fabulous Hump Day and I hope all of you are having a great week! What is everyone up to this upcoming weekend? Any big plans? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Helloooo everyone and welcome to the newest edition of Woman Crush Wednesday – Sasha Cohen style! For those of you who don’t know, I figure skated competitively for ten years and the lovely Miss Cohen was and still is one of my biggest inspirations. Check out this gorgeous routine that I picked solely because she’s wearing one of my all time favorite skating dresses and then let’s discuss my woman crush:
Dear Sasha Cohen,
Beautiful little Sasha, where do I even begin? I guess I have to ask if you remember me, for starters. We met when you came to visit at the Wooster skating rink. We took pictures together and you signed my skates, a hoodie from a previous competition, and my copy of Skating magazine with you on the cover. You were just as sweet as I hoped that you would be and you were even smaller than I thought! You have the most darling petite figure and it was pleasantly surprising for you to be the same height as me when you stood up to give me a hug. Meeting you was one of the highlights of my skating career/life in general and I’ll never forget it. Your exquisite grace and beauty on and off the rink is extraordinary. You skate with such genuine emotion and elegance and your talent is undeniable. I always wanted you to get the gold in the Olympic games…I daresay I wanted it for you just as much as you wanted it for yourself! Your career as a figure skater motivated me to push myself on and off the rink. You taught me the importance of hard work and dedication and for that I thank you so much. I can’t close this love letter without also mentioning how hard I laughed at your cameo in Blades Of Glory when you caught Chazz Michael Michaels jock strap…It was truly a moment for the ages. 😉 I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!
^^^ She’s just divine. Lord have mercy on a gal!
So there you have it, this week’s Woman Crush Wednesday: Sasha Cohen Edition! Who is everyone’s #WCW this week? What was your favorite routine skated by my woman crush? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Helllooooo everyone and welcome to a very special article on lifewithlilred about a blossoming business in the Akron, Ohio area, Daffodil Blue Photography. Daffodil Blue is run by the lovely and talented Britta Michele and I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with her for some coffee and all of the details about her endeavors as a young businesswoman. Before Britta and I scheduled a time to meet up, I asked her to pick her all time favorite photos that she’s taken for a Photographer’s Choice segment. Put a face to the name with this pretty pic of Britta and then take a look at these sweet shots before reading the interview that I had such a blast conducting:
Lil Red: Alright! What made your Photographer’s Choice pictures your favorites? Let’s start with our little cupcake faced cutie!
Britta: Well, I’m pretty sure that that was her first cupcake, which was an awesome moment to photograph! This was taken at her second birthday party and I just think that this photo captures her personality so well. She looks so sweet but she definitely has some sass to her! I also like how the cupcake is all over her face, it’s so stinkin’ adorable!
LR: What about the second photo? They both look so happy!
B: They were! Baby Jameson loved the camera! I had so much fun photographing him and his mom, Ashley. I’m really glad that I was able to capture such sweet moments for her and her little one.
LR: Too cute! And now for the third and final Photographer’s Choice picture! What made you choose this photo as one of your faves?
B: These siblings were a blast to work with. I had a lot of props for them to play with, like bubbles and balloons, so they weren’t always paying attention to the camera – but it still made for some amazing shots! I really like this portrait because it shows how much love all three siblings have for each other and I’m happy to have been the one to capture it!
LR: So when I knew you, we were high schoolers in French class and you went by Brittany. How did we get to be called Britta and a photographer a few years later?
B: I decided to go by Britta because it’s a very rare name! I’ve never heard of it before and I think that it’s memorable. I want people to think of my name and go “Oh, Britta? She’s a photographer!” Photography has always been a passion of mine from a very young age. My cousin was a photographer who taught me everything that I know and she has been the inspiration for my work ever since.
LR: When did you take your first “real” photograph?
B: Oh gosh! When I was thirteen or so?
LR: Speaking of unique names, Daffodil Blue Photography is another one! What’s the story behind that?
B: Similar to my name, I wanted something that was different. I had seen “Moments By” and “Photographs By” countless times and that type of name could be run by anyone. I had played around with names and searched for different word pairings and then I started to think more in terms of things that I like. I love daffodils and blue is one of my favorite colors.
LR: So the name wasn’t something that came out of the blue? 😉
B: Nope! But I definitely wasn’t dead set on it. I kept going back and forth – I wanted it to have more meaning. It wasn’t until people began telling me how much they love the name Daffodil Blue that I began to love it too!
LR: As I browsed through your websites, I noticed that you do a lot of family shoots. Is that your favorite kind of shoot to do?
B: Yes! I love children and I can’t wait to have my own some day to photograph! When kids are involved, I always try to make it as fun as possible for them. I bring stuffed animals and just let them play. I always prefer to have action shots of children because they just can’t sit still! And the best thing is, even if there are photographs of them not looking at the camera, I have some tricks up my sleeve to edit them to make it appear that they are.
LR: From all of the shoots that you’ve done has there been a most memorable moment?
B: All of them are! There really isn’t just one. I do like to continue photographing beyond the session time my clients have signed up for because you can’t get everything that you want in the allotted time. The post session photos are usually of the kids just playing around – and that’s when you get the real smiles!
LR: As a photographer, it’s your job to create memories. Is there a specific shoot that you’re dying to do?
B: Wedding shoots! Weddings are just so magical. I love taking pictures of someone who looks so beautiful and happy. I want the couple to look at the photos twenty years from now and think, “Wow, look how amazing we look. Look how happy we look. We still are happy”.
LR: And now for the cliche interview question…Where do you see Daffodil Blue Photography one year from now?
B: Hopefully with a lot more people photographed – particularly some wedding shoots! I would love to travel and make Daffodil Blue a full time business rather than a part time hobby.
I had the absolute best time catching up with Britta and hearing all about Daffodil Blue Photography. With so many aspiring photographers out there, I asked her to grace us with some advice on how to make the best of a young business. Here’s what she had to say:
Don’t ever give up. Believe me, I wanted to so many times, especially because I was comparing myself to others so often. You have to learn from the people who have more experience than you, not compare yourself to them.
Have patience. I started Daffodil Blue at the beginning of last year and I’m just now gaining more and more clients.
Don’t charge what professionals are charging right away. Get a steady client base before you raise your prices but never go too cheap!!
Believe in yourself and don’t be afraid to reach out to people who might be interested in your business.
During our talk, I was shocked to learn that Britta had not named her Nikon camera! We decided on the very original “Nicki the Nikon” and here’s the facts about what makes her D3200 camera baby the perfect one for her:
Through extensive research, Britta came to the conclusion that Nikon was a bit better than Canon, which made her Nikon purchase a no brainer. “Canon is still a good brand but I would pick Nikon any day!”
Nicki the Nikon boasts 24 megapixels while the D3100 only has 12. However, I learned from my self taught photographer friend that it’s not the megapixels that matter, it’s what lens you use.
Britta is currently using the kit lens and is very happy with it. She told me that not many professional photographers would use that lens but that’s okay with her! Throughout our afternoon together, Britta mentioned frequently that just because she may not have the best equipment yet, it doesn’t mean that she can’t take an amazing picture! (However, Britta will be treating herself to a 50 mm. 1.8 G lens for her upcoming birthday!)
Shoot her an email: brittamichele@daffodilblue.net
Or a text: 330-209-0501
Guys, I’m not gonna lie, this was my favorite write up I’ve done yet. Britta is the real deal. She’s intelligent, creative, and has such evident talent that it’s palpable. We both thought that it would be fun if my readers took a look at her websites and chose their favorite photo to share with us! Until then, do you have any advice for Britta as she continues her work at Daffodil Blue? What is one of your favorite pictures that you’ve ever taken? We wanna hear from all of you, so leave us a comment and let’s chat! And please make sure to leave us a Reader’s Choice picture in the comments! Much love. -Sarah
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