DATES FOR THE NEXT SITEHOUSE GO LIVE WORKSHOP W/ PROMISE TANGEMAN!

To all my creative friends: If you're looking to give your online presence a major facelift or if you want to publish a website for the very first time (like I did last summer!) I am sooo excited to share with you that the new dates for the next SiteHouse Go Live Workshop are April 2-3, 2013 in Phoenix, Arizona!

This workshop was one of the absolute highlights of my year last year and pushed me to think hard about developing my brand and I am sooo glad I attended! (That's me at the bottom right and my "New Headshots").

Promise Tangeman and her team are simply amazing and really deliver all that they promise and more... waaait, haha!  (Unintentional pun there!)  But really, check out all they offer below and then try to tell me you're not impressed!

Visit the website for more info or to sign-up: SiteHouse Go Live

For more on my experience in Phoenix with Promise and her team, feel free check out these blog posts:

VIDEO: MY PHOENIX TRIP IN 2 MINUTES

SNAPSHOTS FROM PHOENIX

BUILDING MY WEBSITE AT PROMISE TANGEMAN'S SITEHOUSE GO LIVE EVENT

MY HEAD SHOTS FROM PROMISE TANGEMAN'S SITEHOUSE GO LIVE EVENT

Again, I HIGHLY recommend this workshop for photographers/creatives who want to get a rad website published in 2 days time along with a fun group of people to help you out and cheer you on!

10 LOVE-INSPIRED PICKS FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

It's February... aka LOVE month!  I know Valentine's Day is on February 14th, but personally I think it should be celebrated every day of February!  I like to celebrate all month long :) There is no such thing as too many hearts, too much love, or too much chocolate.  And it's not just for couples either... no, no, no...  I use it as an opportunity to tell everyone I love them!  And there is so much cute stuff out there in the stores to spread the love (helloooo Target!).  So I've compiled a list of lovely ideas to help you out this month.... ♥ 

Here are 10 love-inspired picks, just in time for Valentine's Day:

1. I am in LOVE with this gorgeous card from Rifle Paper Co.  The pink foil writing is the icing on the cake! Give it to someone who appreciates beautiful paper :)

2. These super cute socks can be worn all winter long, but would look mighty festive this month :)

3. A short story is for the fellas:  One year Kurt bought me a box of chocolate-covered strawberries.  And at that moment, after melting into a puddle of pure bliss, I pretty much decided to I had to marry him.  The end.

4.  I came across these adorable tote bags on one of my favorite graphic designer's blog.  And I so want the gold heart one.

5.  This shoulder bag from Kate Spade is just darling.  I love that there are kissing canaries sitting atop it as the clasp! Pretty in pink and perfect for a date night!

6.  Almost anything from Bath and Body Works is a must for me, but the description of their Paris Amour perfume is just perfect for this lovely month: Ignite the magical feelings sparked after a romantic stroll through the streets of Paris! Spray on French tulips, apple blossoms and sparkling pink champagne, blended in our most beautiful fragrance ever!

7.  To personalize a tasty treat for all your friends and loved ones, let them know it was "Made With Love" with this super cute cookie stamp!

8.  For the music lover in your life, give them an iTunes giftcard.  Nothing fancy and sure to be appreciated.  I totally did this for Kurt last year.

9.  A good fondue set is a must.  I mean, who doesn't love chocolate?!? Cause nothing says romance like Justin Bieber's voice in your head singing, "Chillin' by the fire while we eatin' fondue."  (By the way, if you don't love chocolate, feel free to send it all my way pleaseandthankyou.)

10.  Last, but not least, you can book a photo shoot with yours truly to document your LOVE!  This is by far one of the sweetest, most romantic things you can do!

♥ Simply visit my website, fill out the contact page, and let me capture your sweet love ♥

To see more from this lifestyle anniversary shoot, click here!

THURSDAY THOUGHT: BE HAPPY. BE BRIGHT. BE YOU.

Hello and happy Thursday to you!  I've really enjoyed getting back into blogging and I've loved reading all your awesome comments this week.  Thanks for reading!  

Today I'd like to share this lovely Be You art print from Sugar Paper, as a short and sweet little thought for the day.  The right font can bring me so much joy.  And, as you can tell from my logo, I am seriously loving me some gold.  Shine bright like a diamond!

This simple message describes exactly how I want people to feel with I photograph them:

If you're interested in being photographed by yours truly, please contact me! :)

YASMIN SARAI PHOTOGRAPHY: BRANDING WITH WATERFALL CREATIVE

Lately, I've been learning about the importance of branding.  It's more than just a logo.  And prior to going to the Sitehouse GO LIVE Workshop with Promise Tangeman to create my website, (which I wrote about here!), I knew I needed help with developing my brand. After a little online research, I stumbled upon an up-and-coming graphic designer, whose style I fell in love with and who I felt could help effectively communicate the look and vibe of my photography business.

That designer is Joanna Waterfall of Waterfall Creative.  She is super creative, talented, and totally cute!  Joanna shares her lovely art, recent projects, and fun finds on her blog almost daily, so be sure check her out!  After seeing her art style and reading her blog post, Branding - More Than a Logo, I knew we would be on the exact same page and that she would be a perfect fit for me and for what I needed.

Isn't she cute?!                                                  Photo by Kristen Rogers

Now, what is branding?  Here is my little metaphor to explain: if photography is a gift, then branding is the beautiful wrapping.  Your brand is what gives a client the first impression of your business, reveals your unique style, and sets the tone of your work, in order to hopefully attract your ideal client.

Some of the words I want people to associate with my brand are: classy, cute, clean, sparkly, stylish, youthful, fierce, light, fresh, and fun.  Above all, I want my brand to communicate the most unique part of my business: me!  So the first thing I did was create an inspiration board, collecting patterns, typography, graphics, and colors that scream me! I then spent some time thinking about my personal style and taste, thinking about clothing and accessories that appeal to me and the vibe I want my brand to evoke.  Joanna was able to take all my ideas and create something amazing! Thus, I'd like to officially present to you: my new logo!

When I first saw it, I believe my response to Joanna was "It's perfect! Yay!"  In addition to my logo, I also wanted an emblem/motif that captured one of my favorite things: bows!!!  So she also created the cutest little bow for me.  I love it!

It's just so cute and represents my love of pretty little details.  After settling on the logo, Joanna sent these lovely business cards over, making me feel so official.  Here's the front:

 And the back:

I'm in love!  I also received these cute little stamps: 

 Fun!

I'm so pleased with everything!  The colors, the design, the attention to detail!  And this is just the beginning... I know that as I continue developing as an artist and as a business, it will only get better.  I'm totally inspired!

Now, who wants some pictures?!?!  Let's connect!

Love + Glitter,
Yasmin

ETSY FINDS: COLORFUL RETRO PRINTS

I love how creativity can be just a click away. I recently found a fun Etsy shop filled with dozens of fun posters with cute graphics and clean typography. I am a fan of good graphic design, and these posters are totally cool, so I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you guys! Of course, if I like it, it must have involve love, photography, or chocolate so you're guaranteed to see a little bit of that and more below.  (Justin Bieber isn't the only one who loves eatin' fondue, ya know!) 

The super sweet shop can be found here! And I'll be adding these to the Christmas list ;)