stylëvënts salutes "GIRLS WHO RUN THE WORLD" (feature 2)

Ladies & Gentleman, I present to you yet another 

"Girl Who Runs The World"

Rakeda,owner of Papillon Perspectives........ 

Rakeda,tell us a bit about Papillon Perspectives...

Perspectives is a professional photography service catering to all lovers of life. Papillon (the french word for butterfly) is my love of all things beautiful. It's a way for me to show the world my perspective of God's magnificent creation through photography.  

How did you get started?

 My journey into the world of photography grew from a seed of pain. When I found the world as I knew it crumbling to pieces, photography (specifically self-portraiture) provided a creative voice that allowed me to scream out the frustrations that I couldn't express in life. I discovered the power of photography...the power it has to stop someone in their tracks and hold them captive. The power it has to speak to the viewer words that the creator can't summon. The power it has to make one laugh or cry, feel despair or hope, loneliness or love, pain or joy. It is a power that I refuse to release. 

Is there an underlying force or vision to Papillon Perspectives?

Once I began to see the beauty in myself again, I couldn't help but see the beauty in the people and things around me, and I couldn't wait to capture it. Through my pain, I found my purpose. I established Papillon Perspectives- perspectives of life & love in the summer of 2009 to do just what it says - to show your life and your love from my perspective. For me, photographs are more than images to be stored on hard drives or the bottom of desk drawers. They are pieces of your beautiful life, frozen in time. They are treasures to be proudly displayed and thoughtfully passed down for generations. They are your memories, transformed into works of art. 

What exciting projects are you currently working on?

 I have had the pleasure of working with a variety of clients, from newborns to adults, from brides to expectant mamas, from entrepreneurs to artists and providing them with tangible mementos of their beautiful lives. I've even been blessed to have one of my photographs chosen as the cover art of a nationally published book, Breaking the Silence by Riisa Renée. For me, God is Love, and Love is Life. It would be my pleasure to show you yours...from my perspective. 

If we want to reach you, tell us how?

If you would like to book a session, have questions or just want to say "hi", click here.  Also, feel free to visit the blog and  like us on facebook as well!

Well there you have it ladies and gents, ONCE AGAIN! It is always such an awesome pleasure to work with Rakeda and her crew at Papillon Perspectives. As an event planner, it is sometimes (let me stop playing.. its more often than NOT!) a very difficult task to give a "vendor" (be it a photographer, baker, caterer, etc.) FULL creative control when you have a particular vision, BUT I actually allowed Rakeda to do so for my wedding (aka a VERY BIGGGG DEAL) and SHE KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK YA'LL! 

If you had'nt seen the pics, you can view them here! Enjoy... 

Stay Tuned for more features coming your way VERY SOON! 

                       

              stylë-ishly yours, 

                                 Oneika J.(aka madamëstylë)

stylëvënts salutes "GIRLS WHO RUN THE WORLD" !

Listen up.... I want you guys to know that I am an ABOUT THE BUSINESS TYPE OF LADY and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE rubbing elbows with other females who live by the same creed... This week I watched Beyonce KILL several perfomances of "GIRLS WHO RUN THE WORLD" (that is, in addition to Oprah's farewell show) and I am hella inspired!!! In addition, I just really felt the need to pay homage to the chicks around me that are letting the game have it right now... 

Thus, TODAY I roll out the first feature of

 "GIRLS WHO RUN THE WORLD"

(clearing my throat and shouting over the crowd)

Ladies & Gentleman, I want to introduce to you our 

1st Girl Who Runs The World..... 

Ms.Key of Side of Style.....  

Tell us a bit about "Side of Style"? 
"Side of Style" offers wardrobe styling, wardrobe analysis, and personal shopping services to help achieve the look that best suits your lifestyle or special occasion. "Side of Style" believes everyone has the RIGHT to look amazing and feel fabulous. Therefore, you too can be red carpet ready even if you'll be no where near it!

So Key... tell us how you got your start? 

Well, I started researching wardrobe styling in 2003 but could not make a decision on whether that would be something I would want to take up...I mean regardless of how many thumbs up I received in regards to my personal style...would someone actually want me to have a say in what they wear? So, with that I started to look outside of my personal style and observe the style of women...real women...everyday women worldwide. 

I observed that some were trendy & eclectic, some were timeless & classic, and some (like myself) were a little bit of everything. So I continued to observe and research enough to where I'd be able to style a pastor's wife to her liking or an around the way girl to her liking in the blink of an eye LOL! That became my focus...to be of service to the ones that are overlooked but work harder (than most men I know) and hold households/families down...the everyday woman! I wanted to give them a chance to experience a service that is second nature to celebrities or those with a bottomless bank account. I made my wardrobe styling service, SIDE OF STYLE, official in 2008 and before I knew it, Houston area models/photographers were contacting me for work as well. That was unexpected and it blew my mind! 

Is there an underlying force or vision that you had in creating  Side of Style? 

I wanted to appeal to every woman from a size 00 thru plus size and that has been my focus here lately...making sure SIDE OF STYLE appeals to ALL. On Side Of Style's Facebook page , there's something for everyone...even the men out there that don't mind trying style! Also, I'm currently working on a spread for children (super geeked about that!). My love for style has no end and I want to make sure I'll be able to express that to the fullest! This is not a gimmick, a phase, a side hustle, a get money quick scheme, etc...for me, it's an art form and I'm glad to share it with the world and be of help more than anything...but mainly to my everyday women ;-)  

here's a snapshot of what "Side of Style" does !

What exciting projects are you currently working on?

I'm super excited about getting emails/phone calls from those outside of Houston or Texas for that matter who want a "SIDE OF STYLE". That is a blessing and again, very unexpected! I was happy to receive an email seeking SIDE OF STYLE services from an up and coming actress (who's located in Los Angeles, California) and this young lady currently works for and is under the mentorship of a major actress (I hate to name drop in fear of jinxing myself LOL) and she and I will be working together in the future...she's in LA but contacting me for wardrobe styling? How many times have I said I'm excited/geeked? I can't think of any other words to describe how I feel to be recognized and sought after for doing something I've been wanting to do since I was in the 3rd grade...oh and I can't forget BLESSED (All praises to the MOST HIGH!). In addition, I recently had the pleasure of being the lead Wardrobe Stylist for a brand, that is lead by a very determined young lady, and some of my most current collaboration work can be seen on her website. (Thank you again Kavachi!)

If we want to reach you, tell us how... 

Please feel free to check out my blog,where I salute stylish Texans and post fashion info/events in Texas. In addition, if ANYONE wants to collab, network, or allow me the opprotunity to be of service to them please email me anytime @ sos4u@live.com! 

Well there you have it ladies and gents.... 

Stay tuned for more of our "Girls Who Run The World" features! 

stylë-ishly yours, 

                  Oneika J.

stylëvënts is "Mad About Makeup" !

Greetings stylë-istas! Do you love all things makeup? Are you an aspiring MUA?  

Well, stylëvënts has begun the groundwork for "Mad About Makeup" (hereafter referred to as m.a.m.), and we are very excited! M.A.M's 1st session will be offered exclusively to stylë's clientele. During the session, clients will be taught the basic tricks of the trade in makeup and will also feature the following information as well: 

BROWZ - a- ROUND: how-to achieve the perfect eyebrow

LASHOUT:  how-to apply false eyelashes   

EYE SEE YOU: how-to do all things eyeshadow

We are MAD about this opportunity and we cannot wait to get our hands dirty, going mad about makeup! Pics Coming Soon! 

My Oh So Stylish Wedding 2011/12 Edition

Calling all 2011/12 Brides & Grooms to be ..... listen up. stylëvënts is hosting it's 2nd  "My Oh So Stylish Wedding 2011/12 Edition" Contest just for you! Enter TODAY!  

To enter you must submit a picture of the newlyweds to be & the following questionnaire to madamestyle@gmail.com! 

Bride's Name:

Groom's Name:

Wedding Rehearsal Date & Time:

Wedding Date & Time:

Wedding Venue:

Why do you believe your wedding will be "THE MOST STYLISH" of Finest Ceremonies? 

(Please be sure to thoroughly explain your vision and feel free to include pictures as well)

  

Winners will be chosen on Friday, May 29th. They will receive the following:

• stylëvënts Wedding Rehearsal Coordination
• stylëvënts Day of Wedding Ceremony Coordination 
• stylëvënts Bride & Groom Honeymoon "mm mm goodie bag"

Special Notes: All eligible weddings must be held in or around the Houston area.     

2011 Wedding Color Trends

2011's Color Crazes are sure to be BRIGHT & AMAZING! 

(from left to right)

Apple green, Mauve, Lilac, Hot Pink, Slate Grey, Celadon,

 Aged Gold, Coral, Red, Purple, Chocolate, Navy, Emerald, 

Clementine Orange, & Yellow

I would recommend that when you are in the market for colors, you will want to look at the full scope of items involved ( dresses, tuxedos, shoes, flowers, decor, etc) to assure that these items have offerings for the color scheme you are trying to attempt. Many brides get so caught up in colors and they later find out that they have to have many "custom made items" as they can not find their colors anywhere.

HAPPY FINDINGS !!!!!!

The Recessionista Bride... To Be Or Not To Be?

Planning a Wedding during the recession? NOT TO WORRY.. there is hope. 

     

Truth be told, planning a wedding is BIG BUSINESS, so unless you have a ton of disposable cash or can count on the 'rents for a large chunk, it can put a real dent in your wallet. On top of that, pile on a recession, sky high fuel costs, & the deteriorating job market &  you've got a full scale wedding budgeting nightmare on your hands my friends. 

Because of this, many brides are turning to creatively extreme non-traditions for their BIG DAY to cut costs, many of which include private ceremonies and/or receptions with  heavy hors d’oeuvre’s backyard shin digs and/or destination weddings.

I will admit, the DAY Jamar (my husband) proposed, every single granduer vision that I had received inspirational insight on from my vast stack of Brides & Weddings In Houston mags were floated ever so heavily through my head. Although all of those thoughts did not make it into the “BIG DAY” reality category, I still allowed them to float on, in case unsuspected finances/blessings popped up.   

However, with all of the information floating around, I had to find a starting position. So, I will definitely say since there are so many factors involved in pulling off a wedding, there are two MAJOR factors in keeping your head above water to tackles the tasks to come. They are listed below:

PLANNING & CREATIVITY 

Why are planning and creativity so important? I'm glad you asked. Well, 1st I will say that my absolute favorite quite these days is "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail". 

Here are a few tips to building a solid foundation for your planning:  

First, you want to have a plan to stay organized

·        You will want to get a personal organizer/notebook/datebook that you can keep all of your wedding related notes in. You will want to divide the notebook up into categories, 

      (ie: attendant contact information, vendors, inspiration, invoices/receipts, etc) in order to keep like items all together. This will be necessary in assisting you to back-reference inspirations, balances due, etc.

Second, research, research, and research

·        Get bridal/fashion mags, and surf the net like never before to find the items that you want to incorporate into your BIG day. Compare prices and search for coupons from the vendors that you will be ordering from. 

DO IT UP!

·        DIY (do-it-yourself) projects are the bomb! The possibilities are endless from invitations, save-the dates, and thanks you cards to attendant gifts and flip-flops, brides all over the nation are turning to their inner-craftiness to cut costs!

Take all the time you need

·   

Take your time in making decisions, as all of the excitement can sometimes sway your judgement and you will look back 5 months into the planning and realize that you absolutely HATE your wedding colors.  That’s NOT a good look at all!  

For more information, or to schedule a consultation with stylëvënts, 

please email us at madamestyle@gmail.com

Look Out World !!!!! Here Comes Mrs. Shelby!!!!

My, My, My.. it's definitely been a minute since we last spoke as I have spent the past year immersing myself in everything "Project 3.19 or as I like to call it... "March Gladness or even sometimes, "March Madness- depending what's going on at the moment! I was sooo pressed to share along the way, but I didn't want to spill the beans so I maintained silence as much as I could. In the weeks coming, I will be unfolding tips/secrets, etc on how I did it all! 

For now, I would like show you a sneak peek (included below) shared by  my 


AWESOMELY AMAZING photographer, Rakeda Sharber . I would 


encourage each of you to log on to her site and check out her 


DYNAMIC work! Here it is...... 

It's A Celebration! {Oneika & Jamar}

Those words rang out non-stop throughout the day of Oneika & Jamar's wedding. And it really was. Joy and beauty were abundant and I'm convinced the sun was shining just for them.

The ladies began the day at the church where Simply Flawless by Brandi was on the scene for make-up application. The name doesn't lie. The ladies were, indeed, flawless.


If there is one thing I know about Oneika, it's that her shoes are always BAD! So it was no real surprise to me when she whipped out these bad boys...


While the beautiful bride was preparing herself, her little gentleman was waiting patiently. It doesn't get any cuter than this.


Isn't this a handsome group of fellas?


Then the time came for Oneika to step into the dress, with Mama, Maid of Honor and Matron of Honor there to help her.



Isn't she stunning? She just blew me away.


I caught Jamar just as he was entering the church. When I asked him if he was ready, a sincere smile spread across his face. He was ready to become the husband of the lady of his dreams.

Love is the most beautiful thing in the world to me, and I was extremely fortunate to witness Oneika & Jamar's expression of their love for each other.


When Oneika & I spoke about her wedding, she let me know that she wanted a photo of her whole family - which is VAST, to put it mildly! After the ceremony, everybody filed into the aisle of the sanctuary, squeezed in tight, and put on their brightest smiles. A pretty good looking family, huh? You guys were wonderful.

Before the brand new couple headed to the reception, I stopped them for a few more photos. Look at that ride! Nice, right?


This may be my absolute favorite of the day...



After fighting a bit of traffic, we finally arrived at the beautiful Column A Banquets & Events. The owners Vera & Robert Wright are one of the most wonderful & genuine couples I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Mrs. Wright also designed the florals for Oneika & Jamar's day. Thanks also to Couture Cakes and Perfect Petit Fours for the wonderful desserts.



Jamar's groom's cake was an ode to New Orleans.


Oneika's angelic coordinator, Tristan Mathis-Caldwell, was so wonderful to work with.


Before the food was served, Oneika, Jamar & their attendants snuck across the street for a few more photos. The light was LOVELY and there was just enough shade to make things work perfectly.

I just loved the colors. Mix silver and fuchsia, toss in the various shades of brown skin, and you've got yourself the perfect recipe for a stunning photo...


Work it, ladies!


Back inside, the celebration really began.

I don't think the dance floor was empty once the entire time. I had a blast watching it all go down through my lens.




Oneika, I really have no words. Just look at you!

Just when I thought the day couldn't get any better or contain any more joy & laughter, the Second Line began. With a brass band playing, parasols twirling and hankies waving, Oneika & Jamar brought a little piece of New Orleans to Houston in grand fashion.



After the music died down, the newlyweds were able to rest their feet for a bit.


Oneika & Jamar, thank you so much for allowing me to feel like a part of your VAST family. Your love is beautiful and your new life together will be a perfect reflection of it. Here's to a life full of peace, joy, adventure, togetherness, and each other. Cheers.

 I am SOO