Things change crazy fast.  Why is that?  Is it because we get busy and don't focus?  I'm not sure but I wish I had a remote to pause moments... Freeze time and space for a moment.

Photo: Rachel Abi

By Raleigh Wedding Photographer

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Blueberries...

What is it about blueberries?  They are both amazing and terrible fruit.  A pint of blueberries is like Tom Hanks' box of chocolates... you can't know what you are going to get.  One blueberry pops and out burst the most beautifully tart.  The next a sickly sweet... as you can tell, my favorites are the tart.  I keep reaching back... never to know what comes next

Written by: Rachel Abi

By Raleigh Wedding Photographer

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It's hard to figured out what to do at times.  Do you take a leap?  Is it all just silly?

I'm trying to decide what to do with my hair... do I go crazy?  Simple?

Thoughts?

By: Rachel Abi

By Raleigh Wedding Photographer

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NC summer's always freak me out.  Almost all of June passes without any crazy heat... and then it lands the worlds worst heat wave ever... 

Okay maybe not ever... but really bad.

Written by: Rachel Abi

By Raleigh Wedding Photographer

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Spunky?

You know how they have those databases that tell you what celebrity you look like...

Well I never get a straight answer when I've taken it but I have a close friend who looks amazingly like punky bruster...

So this is in honor of her

By: Rachel Abi

By Raleigh Wedding Photographer

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I know I'm loud

I'm pretty sure I came out ready with built in microphone.  I can't remember a time I was shy.  I am a "Bold Roast" so I am not to everyone's liking but that's okay... at least for me.

Not everyone will like you, just make sure you like you!

So today I will let my clothes represent me:

Loud

Modern

and just a little too much at times

By Rachel Abi

By Raleigh Wedding Photographer

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Vintage sizing

The first time I ever went into a vintage store I started looking for my "sized" stuff... it was a very rude awakening that all sizing is not equal. . . not at all.  After trying on dress after dress I quickly found that Marilyn Monroe being a dress size 12 was not a big deal.  Size 12 then is like size 6 now... I am not sure if all the women then were that much more tiny or if they just like to make women feel better now but either way it is really disconcerting.

By Rachel Abi

By Raleigh Wedding Photographer

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So when you can't decide. . .

I always see these rules in fashion.  The one that has stuck with me since childhood was the white pants after labor day.  There are so many rules in life.  Between work guidelines, school, government... you name it everyone has their own rules that you are supposed to follow.  

I am tired of rules.

I refuse to follow fashion rules.  It is one area of my life that I can say no and do!  Who cares what they say you should do.  Do you feel pretty?  Awesome.  Go for it then!  

I mean really, more than anything else confidence is what makes you glow, what makes people say "wow, did you see her/him".  So if you can rock cut off gloves and love them: wear them.  If you like pants well above your waist line: rock it!  If you like jeggings: get on with your bad self.  But whatever you do wear: 

Wear your clothes don't let them wear you.  Be YOU!

Don't let the "haters" get you down.  You can rock any style you want.  People say you are stuck in the 80's tell them "give it a decade and my style will be the hottest new thing!"  Fashion is circular, don't let them fool you.  There are only so many new ideas so don't let other bully you: just be you and love it!

By Rachel Abi

By Raleigh Wedding Photographer

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My first sweater dress

I know I am late on the ban wagon but I am working with cheap/ free clothes here.  I mean the last thing I bought in a store was two $1 scarves and before that. . . Oh gosh I think a $4 top?  So it takes me a bit longer for some things.  But since I saw a girl rock a sweater dress back in the 90's I determined I would have one of my own... eeek it took a while but here it is.

By Rachel Abi

By Raleigh Wedding Photographer

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The gift of individual monotony

I love cardigans... legit.  The best part is when packing for a trip I can literally take one top and pants for a three day trip... just need 3 different cardigans.  No one notices!  I tried it.  I got great compliments on each outfit and no one blinked at the same color top and same pants. . . it weird-ed me out.  Now, I will say I am not a big advocate of reusing tops and pants that often that many days in a row but it is a wonderful gift that the cardigan allows... it is your duty to figure out if that is a gift you want to take advantage of.

By Rachel Abi

I simply remember my favorite things...

One of my favorite things in all the world is being able to see my breath.  I'm not sure if it is the promise of all that cold, the clothes I get to wear or the memories from my childhood pretending I were a king pin and puffing away on my amazing, invisible cigars.

Whatever it is I will be wishing my joy bye for yet another time here soon... 

I can't believe how time flies!

By Rachel Abi

Best couch sitter ever

Do you ever have one of those days where you just don't want to leave the couch?  Today is one of those days.  I try to accomplish something and I am figuratively pushed back down... 

and settle in for a wonderful day on the couch... oh, wait that's not how life works.  But wouldn't it be grand if it were.  I'm pretty sure I would be the best couch sitter in all the world!

By Rachel Abi

Trying to make an illusion of more than two hands I guess.

Don't ask me why

Legitimately I do not know why I decided it was stretch photo time.  I think it just comes down to I feel a little bored of just standing for the shot... so I arch?  Not sure.  Excuse the weird pose or simply enjoy it in humor?

Not sure what the right answer is but this isn't it.

By Rachel Abi

Why yes, this is my sorority girl face?  I do just let myself free and silly in front of the camera.

Color blocking

By Rachel Abi

Splatter of colors

A lot of the time I enjoy the thinning effect black but there are times where the more wild and crazy side of me comes out an a spatter of color.  Today is one of those days.  As I slowly pulled this outfit together with each layer I stopped and thought, "Too much? NAH!"  So you can tell me if I lost my touch but no matter what you say I love my bright and loud outfit.  

By Rachel Abi

Residual Flower Child

Growing up with a mother from Lake Tahoe, CA we (my 4 siblings and myself) we were raised in a. . . slightly hippie lifestyle.  I was no stranger to alfalfa sprouts.  I still enjoy a lot of how I was raised, including but not limited to alfalfa sprouts, but there is a residual need to be a little flower child-ish and when these feelings come on it outlets in different ways.

Today it came out in this.

By Rachel Abi

Thepleatedpoppy

Childhood dreams coming virtually true

I was a weird child.  I mean for so many reasons I was an odd kid but namely I was odd because I desperately wanted braces.  I mean I used to pretend I had braces using my awesome jelly bracelets as pretend bands... I was that kid.  One of the only things I wanted more than braces as a kid was glasses.  A close friend of mine in Elementary school went a way and came back with eyeglasses and that's when I deemed it too awesome and I had to get a part.

My parents were not as understanding of my deep pitted desire to have amazing glasses.  They sat me down and explained that just because you like glasses or think they look cool doesn't mean you get glasses.  They proceeded to crash my dreams, when they took me to the eye doctor and he sided with them.  I was so dishearten that my parents actually popped the lenses out of a really old pair of my mother's glasses.  Though not as awesome as my own they worked for the amazing fashion look I was going for even with the eyeglasses frames being rather too large for my face .

As I got older I realized that glasses aren't the picnic that I thought they were when I was a child.  My mother, father and sister over the years has had to replace their glasses and every time I am surprised at the costs.  So much money.  So to my utter surprise and amazement not a week after my mother had to go through this whole hassle of getting a new pair of glasses and amazing company contacted me about doing a feature on their product.  I looked over GlassesUSA.com site and read the reviews of their many users I was so encouraged by what I saw.  Their willingness to help their clients with their needs and customer service.  So after finding all what their users had to say about their company I agreed to tell you all about them; about a great way to save with buying glasses online.

I finally got to do it: I got to try on as many glasses I wanted. . . even if I don't get to take them home: maybe one day!

GlassesUSA not only do they offer a 110% lowest price guarantee and a 100% satisfaction guarantee along with a generous refer-a-friend program they are giving all you lovely readers 50% of any pair of eyeglasses on all orders over $80 (Code: SPECIAL) and 10% off any order of prescription glasses (Code: Blog10).


So if you are in the market and ready to save on some amazingly fashionable frames GlassesUSA are ready and waiting to help you in anyway.

But hey, if you don't believe me check them out for yourselves, you'll be happy with what you find!

This might just be one of them.

Oh, I'm sorry did I not explain?  This might be a new default outfit, I liked it that much... but then again I am always a sucker for vest (check), multi-toned outfits(check) and crop pants (check)... so I didn't have much of an option.

"One of those I need to get dressed and want to feel great but only have 2 minutes" kind of outfits.

Do you have any of those?

By Rachel Abi

Why yes, I do have a lovely shoulder, thanks for noticing

I don't redo photos... as I am sure you realize already if you have seen very many of my poses.  Sometimes I figure I will do something or I am in the midst of . . . I am not entirely sure when Chris takes the photo but I don't like to waste accusations so I move on and show you some lovely "gag reel" styled shots... of which I am quite proud: it is not often then you can look so ridiculous doing something so ordinary. 

By Rachel Abi

Thanks for the challenge Pleated Poppy

Stereotypes and the big bad wolf

It's that time gather round boys and girls it is time for story time with Rachel. . .

I wore this to my husband's work holiday party (which was well after the holidays but that works for me!).  I don't know if I shared this before but my husband works in the video gaming community.  So we enter a beautiful room and I am prepared for a pretty awkward evening of social awkward people.

Yes, I admit it I fully accepting of a stereotype: they are here for reasons... just saying.  

But instead of find a group of quite and unsure people (as has been my experience with "gamers"... even yes, my husband to a degree), I found a group of loud, proud, happy and social group of people willing and able to get their drink on in the process of celebrating a year over and done well...

I went from unsure if I would enjoy myself to walking away having been introduced to way too many people and getting to know a bit a select few that turned out to be pretty amazing and awesome people.

Guess the saying: "don't judge a book by it's cover" is more than true. . . at least not all the time : P

By Rachel Abi

On the way to the party I apparently ran into the big bad wolf earlier and he told me "what a nice chin I had" ... I got a little too proud?

Right there with you Dolly...

I made my husband laugh when I came out of my closet in this number ticking my hip and humming "Workin' 9 to 5".  When dressing I couldn't decide which 80's working woman film I was channeling "Working girl", "9 to 5" or "Toosie"... 

I'll let you decide, though my heart might be broken if you don't compare me to the cross dressing Dustin Hoffman.

Side note: I'm pretty sure NC has gone crazy with it's weather... just saying.  People it is February and I am wearing this... 

By Rachel Abi

My dressy Adidas

Yes, I am not wearing tennis shoes... but I am still wearing Adidas.  Would you have guessed that these crops are Adidas?  I sure didn't I was completely surprised when I saw the tag.  Who knew that Adidas made at least some what dressy clothes?  It weirds me out... will Victoria Secret start making ball gowns?  Will Wonka start making wedding cake?  

When will the weirdness stop?

By Rachel Abi

By Durham Wedding Photographer

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Why yes, I would love to waltz?

Is what I must have been thinking when this shot was taken???

All the same: do you remember broom stick skirts or I am the only one?  I remember when I owned 5 of them in a range of colors and wore them with slightly baggy shirts... way bohemian but not in a good way.  

Lesson learned when making this outfit: no matter what you pair it with high heels and broom stick skirts do not go...

Just saying

By Rachel Abi

By Durham Wedding Photographer

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