An Instasummer Flashback

Here's an INSTAlook at some of my crazy, hot, exciting, AWESOME summer...



After a 3 year hiatus from it, I finally made it back to bonnaroo and I had a blast...



On nights I was in town (mostly during the week) I spent time crafting and hanging with friends...



And, during my work week, I had fun times too.. I work w/ some really fun girls...

I vacationed with the rents...



My honey came too... 



Celebrated my bday w/ friends and my birthday twin (up top)



Fun photo shoot in the fantastic dress my friend, Travis, gave me for my bday.

Silk. Calvin Klein. Sample. Perfect fit. Obsessed.



Then it was my boo's birthday.. I made him a little DIY wrapping paper...



We both like to be outside, active and together... It makes for lots of fun, like camping...



and, finding random art on the side of the road as we explore...

I got to see my cousins, who I never see... This pretty girl's bro got married.  Great night.

Then, a few weeks ago, Sheri showed up.. She's good at that, surprising me!

Well, there's a broad & vague recap of some summer highlights.  There were many more fun times had... some even captured on Instagram.  But, those are for another day.  I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer.  This one has been one for the books for this girl.  Having a ball and I think I'll continue enjoying myself!  Thanks for reading!

xoxo,

Stevi

Gone but not forgotten

"Listen to the river sing sweet songs to rock my soul." ~ Grateful Dead

Jerry Garcia  (8/1/42-8/9/95)

 "I'm married to my roots here, still I feel like I am free." ~ Widespread Panic

Michael Houser  (1/6/62-8/10/02)

August 9th and 10th are always kind of bittersweet days for me.  They are days that made music history, when two of the greatest guitarists I've ever known, passed away.  Jerry Garcia, of the Grateful dead, died on August 9th 1995.  Michael Houser, of Widespread Panic, died on August 10th 2002.  Each year, I listen to music by the musicians all day... all week and month sometimes.  I smile and take it all in.  They were each magical in their own way.  They each wrote beautiful music.  They each changed the music scene, in their own way.  They each changed the lives of so many, who love them and their music so much.  I've been following Widespread Panic around the country for 10 years now.  I've been blessed to see some incredible music from them.  I was never able to see Mr. Garcia play.  At age 11, when they came to Bham, I was too young to go.... says my mother.  ;)  I have been fortunate enough to see some of the other members of The Dead though.  My life has been blessed by each of these guys.  I'm grateful for them both and miss them all the time... Especially on these days... the days they left us and this crazy, crazy world.

Cheers,

Stevi

moats and boats and waterfalls

Alabama, Arkansas, I do love my ma and pa

Holy Moly, Me oh My, You're the apple of my eye

Laugh until we think we'll die, barefoot on a summer night

lyrics:  "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Summer in Alabama.  It's hot as hell.  But, we're all used to it.  We hope for summer breezes but, make due with late night swims.  On any given 90 degree day, I wear as little as possible while still being appropriate (for the office 4 days a week) and chic.  It ain't always easy.  It's mostly lil dresses, skirts and tanks or cut-off shorts and breezy blouses... topped off w/ funky shades, some jewelry and very tall platforms.  The taller the better.  A staple for many summer looks.. simple on top, whoa on bottom.   This outfit:  dress- gifted, shades- vintage (mom's), leather bracelet- gifted, platforms- Herve Leger.  These photos make me smile b/c they depict my simple summertime style... and, how appropriate that the summer sunlight was shining through the trees.  The sweetness of summer that makes me happy. 
It was nice to write here again.. Thank you for reading.
Happy Summer,
Stevi

Butterflies and Zebras and Fairytales

"Well, she's walkin' through the clouds

A circus smile that's running wild" - Jimi Hendrix

Last week I did several photo shoots throughout the week. This little lace slip dress somehow made it's way into just about every one of them. It's so simple and short and flowy and fun. It can be worn over black or ivory or any color in between. I wore it first over a black slip dress w/ these big platforms by Herve Leger and my vintage heart necklace. It was a really sweet and sexy look that I got lots of compliments on. Later in the week (another one I'm sure I'll post pictures from soon) I wore the dress with red lips and black specs to do a shoot. For this little shoot though, my sweet friend, John, was my photographer. He was very patient with me. I think he was actually having a really good time by the end of it. He was such a gentleman too. As you can see these platforms are quite tall and the stairs we shot on are quite steep. He was there to help me up and down the stairs whenever necessary. A true friend I tell you. I'm really enjoying this season of sporatic photo shoots and fun in my life. Please stay tuned for more to come. Creativity is something that we all have inside of us. It's something that we have to find and accept and use to share beauty with the world. My creative juices have been flowing like crazy lately. So, I'm glad and proud to have a blog to come to and post whenever I please.

Thanks for reading and supporting The Jazzy Belle! :)

xoxo,

Stevi

dreamed one afternoon

"A box of rain will ease the pain, and love will see you through

Just a box of rain, wind and water
Believe it if you need it, if you don't, just pass it on..."

~Grateful Dead

So, I started decopauging several years ago. I found that mixing glue and water(now Mod Page) together made for an easy paste to brush onto boxes, frames, jars, table tops, etc. I started collecting magazines, scrapbook paper, cool pictures, and cards to use. In my spare time, I'd find old shoe or perfume boxes and decopauge them... then use them to store jewelry, photos, concert tickets, buttons, whatever, really.. Obviously, a box may be used for many reasons :)

Throughout the shoot we tried to showcase the boxes' different shapes, sizes and designs. Some have themes to them like the butterflies or vintage clowns. Others are filled w/ pictures of all kinds. Those are usually my favorite because there is so much for the eye to take in.

Above, you will see one of the first frames I did. It's now sitting on the vanity counter in my apartment. I had a floral theme here and tried to keep the colors similar. I always start by painting the frame itself. That way you don't have to cover every inch of it with materials. This particular one I did in a silver metallic paint. It's one of my favorites.

You're able to see the different sized boxes that have been done so far in the photo above. It's crazy because I always feel like there is no flow or form to what I'm doing. But, usually, by the end, the box really starts to have a cool vibe about it. As the artist, I think one pics up her own style of work and also becomes more comfortable in piecing different things together.

The beauty of decopauging is that there's really no wrong way to do it. You can use all the things I listed above, as well as, lace, feathers, beads, glitter, etc. I will be making many more boxes, frames, coasters, jars and whatever else I think of. I'm hoping to put a link on the blog soon when we start to sell them more. I will also be on the art show circuit. So, if you spot me or the decopauged madness, please come by and see us. Thank you for stopping by and for your support of this blog, hobby and dream. Have a great weekend dolls!

xoxo,

Stevi

sure look good to me

"Red Hot Mama was gettin' down,

scoping the places where fun to be found,

She was smokin'

Ride on, Red Hot Mama

You sure look good to me."

~Funkadelic

Kristen- cardi- UO, dress- Express, tights- M. Star, pumps- C. Santana, shades- Barton Pierre

Stevi- dress- Anthropologie, belt- BCBG, boots- Nine West, shades- Ray Ban

I've been dying to do a blog post in this dress since I got it. I wore it at Christmas and put a few pictures up. But, those did it no justice. I absolutely fell in love w/ it when I saw it in the store. I kept my eye on it for a pretty long time. But, wasn't willing to drop the $200ish on it. Finally, it went on sale. But, not only that, my fantastic brother bought it for me for Christmas. Further proving how unbelievably well he knows me. I was beside myself w/ excitement.

Anyway, Sunday, the day these were taken, was a beautiful day. We did a photo shoot and enjoyed the warm sun and fellowship with friends. Photographed w/ me is Kristen, a dear friend of mine. I laugh b/c we both wear black a whole lot. She followed normal suite that day. I love the dress she's wearing.. one that can be worn year round. She paired it w/ cable knit tights and a long sweater, making it perfect for a winter's (according to the calendar, not weather) day.

I hope everyone is having a lovely week. I've gotten better about taking photos lately. Now I have to get better at posting the photos once they've been taken. haha. One step at a time. Stay tuned for more and thanks for your support!!

xoxo,

Stevi

rowdy ways

"Lord have mercy on my rough and rowdy ways..."

~The Head and The Heart

A few pics that friends have taken of me over the past couple of months. One thing I know how to do is have a good time. Especially when booze and bands are involved. Most of these were taken on nights I was out seeing music... havin' a good time. The last one is one of my faves. I got very excited when MOE. played one of my fave songs of theirs. I love a fun moment caught on film... saved for later... so you can enjoy that memory again.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you're having a great week like me!

xoxo,

Stevi

Girls, they wanna have fun

Last week some friends and I had a game night. This particular night we played "Mall Madness"! Yes, the one you played as a kid. No wonder I have such a horrible shopping problem! That's the game that taught me about credit cards!!!! However, I think I had more fun playing it last week than I did as a kid. My friend, Sarah, brought the game over along w/ this adorable hat. I had to try it on for a pic. I'm in comfy clothes for our little girls' night in. But, I think the hat definitely complimented my lazy duds. Anyway, hope you guys have a great weekend. Thank you for stopping by.

xoxo,

Stevi

Fun on the Bayou... Roll Tide

"Son of a gun, gonna have some fun on the Bayou.."

This past weekend I had the pleasure of being in New Orleans for the BCS National Championship game. If you follow this blog at all, you probably know that my whole family are diehard bama fans. We spent four days in Nola eating good food, drinking, enjoying each other's company and beating the shit out of LSU. I don't know if you saw the score but, they didn't even score a point. Roll Tide. These pictures were taken on Sunday before I went out and about around town. We went to the jazz lounge at Pat O'Briens, a legendary Nola bar, then went for some tasty lunch and many drinks. It was a really fun day and the weather was wonderful. I finally got to wear my new Steve Madden boots w/ bare legs and a short dress... something I've been excited to do since I first laid eyes on the boots. Anyway, we had a blast. I may post some more pictures from the weekend later. If not, you can check them out on my facebook page under "Road to 14". Fourteen being the number of Nat'l Championships we have. Yep.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week. I am! Thanks for reading.

xoxo,

Stevi

flashback on the holidaze

Here are some pictures taken throughout the Holidaze... yes, holidaze. They always fly by so fast I feel dizzy. This first picture was from a fun night w/ friends at the beginning of December. Before I knew it, Stephanie and I were in Charlotte for New Years. It was a fantastic holiday season for me. I'm glad I was able to capture a few of the great memories made on film. I hope your holidaze were filled with fun, family, fellowship and happiness too. Enjoy.

Girls Night Out w/ Steph, Hettie and Dizzle

Girls Night In by the tree w/ AnnaleeOne of my favorite traditions, Cheesecake Factory on Christmas Eve w/ friends and family. Here I'm with two of my favorite fellas ever, Jere and DJMy dress for Christmas Eve, a gift from Jere (from Anthropologie)The Cheesecake Factory tradition has been alive for many years. Above, the originals...

Jere, Rebecca, Me (Stevi) and Stacy... Re and Stac are like our sisters <3With my lady love, Steph, in Charlotte on New Year's Eve Eve... we got a lil crunk that night too.And... NYE in Charlotte with my great friends (Tabitha here) and WIDESPREAD PANIC!

2011 was a crazy year for this girl. Lots of ups and downs... mostly ups. I'm pleased with it. I'm really looking forward to 2012 and all that it has in store for me though. Thanks for taking time to flashback through the holiday season with me. I hope everyone had as great a season as I did. I'm blessed with wonderful people in my life that make it that much better.

xoxo,

Stevi