Rain, rain go away…

It’s been raining a lot this summer here in Norway. And I can count all the days we had the sun shining to our faces and warming our skins and giving some lovely tan. Not much outdoor activities for me when it’s raining cats and dogs 😦

So far my family and I have managed to:

Visit Agricultural School in Ås (see more photos in my post  “Norwegian Blue” )

Wearing Denim by Vero Moda, very comfortable Skechers shoes and old Prada sunglasses that day.

Then one time the sun came shining beautifully in the middle of the day, so we decided to go canoeing

…with Farmor (father’s mother) and Besten (grandpa)…

and had a picnic around Rygge area.

“My Precious” pattering and enjoying the weather 🙂

Since I was the photographer, you only get to see my shadow here 🙂

me & my shadow

Days have passed by then finally … good news: sunny weather on the 17th !!! One of my brothers called me and we agreed to meet in Tusenfryd Amusement Park. We were so excited, aside from the nice weather (not clear blue sky though MUCH better than rain), it was my kids first trip to this park. And on my end, I would finally get to see the “new” rides. Believe it or not,  the last time I was in this park was during the first year it opened – which was decades ago…LOL…

Outfit of the day: Saint Tropez top, Gaultier jeans and Fendi sunglasses

Watched a bit of circus while relaxing…

Wearing my favourite Skechers

Playing with my cute 8 month old nephew.

with Adrian Matthews

I just stood and waited (quite long) to take some shots and video of these guys, but I had so much fun. Look at these facial expressions …. priceless… LOL

My mum, daughter, brother & son in “Tømmerstupet” (lumber plunge)

Time to go tracking for some adventure at “Eventyrstien” and stumble on some trolls…

with my daughter Camilla Alexandra

Getting ready to head home – the park closes at 7pm – but first, a ride in “Grandpa’s car”.

Virgo & Christian in “Bestefars bil”

Lastly, a commercial shoot with Stabburet leverpostei (lever pâté) … ha..ha…ha…

My brothers Virgo & Jeff, my daughter’s bunny and me & my son

What a marvelous day …. Moments definitely to be treasured 🙂

From an adventurous sunny day to a warm and serene trip… Last Thursday was the last time we enjoyed the sun – so far. We went to Jeløy and visited a place called Edith’s Garden.

photo taken by my daughter

It was a beautiful day for a stroll esp. in a place such as this. We ate cakes and pastries in their cozy café,

Alfred’s Café

had some ice cream in their garden and watched the kids play,

C.A.S.H. & the bunny

visited some galleries around the area …

A painting club house

and admired a vintage truck we found along the way.

Super Dexta vintage truck

We drove to a Hotel/Restaurant a few miles away to have an early dinner. A truly splendid place with delicious cuisine! They even got a Rolls Royce waiting for us to give us a tour around the area!!!

Refsnes Gods

That was of course just a joke 🙂 We didn’t reserve the RR.  It was only parked there coincidently so I could have a photo taken beside it … lol

RR & me

Perhaps the Fendi shades, Bulgari and Tiffany bracelets, necklace and ring from Briel might somehow go with Rolls Royce, but my Radcliffe dress, Skechers ballerina flats, Friis&Co. bag and fabulous looking bangles from a flea market absolutely didn’t. The photo was nice though..ha..ha..ha…

Refnes Garden

A little stroll in the garden after a delicious dinner, then it was time to go home. Indeed a delightful day, it was!!!

A bottle of wine, fruits and ice cream awaits us at home.

The summer season is not over yet. We still have a month – well so I hope, but I wish the rain would go away and come again some other day ’cause we certainly want more of these glorious days 🙂

A wonderful weekend to all …..

Fairy Tale Portraits

I found this article and was totally captivated by it. I would die to do this kind of shooting and wishing one day I could be a part of such a wonderful project 🙂

Enjoy these magnificent photos and amazing makeup artistry!

Photographs & Costume Designs by Kirsty Mitchell

Makeup by Elbie Van  Eeden

Words by Victoria Stanell

Kirsty Mitchell’s “Wonderland” is a character-based conceptual series inspired by love, imagination, and fairy tales.

The photographer and costume designer didn’t expect press and attention when she started photographing mythical characters in the English countryside, but after three years of shooting and over 60 surreal, hand-styled images to her credit, the story (and the design) behind the look is beloved worldwide. Kirsty’s tale began in 2008, reeling from the death of her late mother Maureen (a former English teacher). To help her cope with the passing, she retreated into the fabled stories she grew up hearing, and decided to interpret her mother’s alternate, idyllic universe through a new lens—the photographic series Wonderland was born. Set in the pastoral backwoods of Britain, Kirsty visualized the mystical creatures that lived inside of her head to the real world—carefully entwined in cavernous trees, dancing among vibrant flora, and laying in melancholic fields—with little to no digital alteration.

Kirsty, who previously held design positions at Alexander McQueen and Hussain Chalayan, was meticulous in her craft, and would sometimes hold a shot back 12 months just to include spectacular fields of bluebells which only appeared a few weeks in the year. The end results were worth the wait, and the haunting, romantic images continue to linger in the mind. A true display of British talent, her photos have even been showcased in front of Karen Millen’s flagship Regent Street store, a custom installation celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee.

The painstaking attention to craftsmanship in the costume design is rivaled only by the otherworldly hair and makeup, designed by Elbie van Eeden. What started as a professional relationship between Kirsty and Elbie blossomed into a deeper friendship (Elbie was recently Kirsty’s bridesmaid!). Joined together, both minds envisaged a realm where magic is possible, and majestic queens, druids, and mythical beings reign supreme.

Elbie was kind enough to offer her insights and a behind-the-scenes view into the series, which blurs the lines between fantasy and reality.

“We’ve ran to get fresh flowers in the fields at five in the morning. Things like that happen, it’s part of the fun.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                       Elbie Van Eeden

Victoria Stanell: WHICH MAKEUP DID YOU USE TO ACHIEVE THE GORGEOUS COLORS AND TEXTURES?

“I can’t be without my Make Up For Ever Flash Palette. It’s an artist staple and I use it for everything. In the picture of the king, I used the Flash Palette on his lashes, and mixed all the colors for his lips, which are a sort of powdery blue. I also use a lot of Illamasqua products. I love their pigments and precision ink.”

Victoria Stanell: WHAT FUELS YOUR CREATIVITY?

“I’ve always been interested in conceptual shoots. I grew up on a farm in South Africa, so I’ve always been surrounded by beauty, by nature. My mum used to be a fashion designer, and always encouraged and ignited my imagination. I studied hair in Johannesburg, but came to London five years ago, self-taught in makeup. I didn’t just want to stick rhinestones on a models face, I wanted to do something with a little more heart to it.”

“Wonderland has been a perfect balance of everything that I ever wanted.”

                                                                       Elbie Van Eeden

 

Happy weekend everyone!!!