Introducing Chantal Andrea, an editorial & lifestyle photographer living in Los Angeles, CA. I met Chantal through my old ( and greatly missed ) roommate, Marissa Maharaj. Chantal ended up shooting our roomie Christmas photos – remember these?? She is incredibly talented and such a free spirit. Here are some words of her own —> “The past few months I’ve been roaming up and down the west coast, shooting in Africa, and just wrapped a friend’s lookbook I shot in Berlin. My documentary-based work is made up of scenes from life on the road & portraits of people who intrigue me. I spend my free days hiking by the ocean, cooking meals with friends, and doing yoga. I’m currently working on a documentary photo project about LA’s laundromats, planning a couple spring look-book shoots, and dreaming up my next road trip.” Note: You can see all of the beautiful photos from her adventures on her Instagram.

…and now her favorite piece and why:
I adore my flat top ring made by my friend Kelly Sorensen Hansen. Kelly’s got this incredible knack for crafting things with her hands that I really admire. Wearing it reminds me of her and that creative spirit I love.

THANKS Chantal – and everyone stay tuned for next weeks Gentle-man, her boyfriend!!!
Photos by: Christian Sorensen Hansen

Introducing, Kathleen Shannon – I first met Kathleen at a design retreat in Palm Springs. A bunch of female designers gathered together to relax, learn, & grow. Right off the bat, she struck me as a uniquely strong individual who knew what was up!! I have been following her ever since and it turns out I was right, she’s pretty ON IT!

A little bit about her:
“Right now I’m focusing all of my creativity on building my business Braid Creative & Consulting with my sister, Tara, and our two employees. We help our clients, creative entrepreneurs, with branding and business visioning through our blog, one-on-one engagements, online ECourses, and soon we’ll be launching a series of in-person workshops. I’m also excited to start life coach training with Martha Beck for the next eight months so I can better help my clients with the work / life balance and challenges that come with working for yourself. And as always, I’m blogging about my own life and adventures with my husband over at Jeremy & Kathleen. Right now we’re planning a summer full of learning to surf and doing yoga on the beach.”

…and now her favorite piece & why:
“My Blockshop scarf hasn’t left my neck since I bought it for myself at Christmas time. It’s a piece that feels like an instant heirloom and one that I will cherish until the day I die. But my favorite piece is my Fiorentini + Baker boots. My husband bought these for me, a couple years ago, for my birthday. He simply set them in my closet to find amongst all my other favorite boots. It took me a whole week to notice them there!”

THANKS KATHLEEN!!!

Introducing Kyle Miller, graphic design extraordinaire! I found him through Dribbble and knew he would be the perfect Gentle-man. Not only is he a great designer but he’s damn stylish too. You can tell he’s the kind of creative that applies his skills to other areas of life – which in this case is his personal style.

Here’s a bit about him: “In May of 2012, I packed my bags and moved to Los Angeles with the single goal of creating my own agency. There became Kyle Miller Creative. I recently designed Grouper Social Club. They have been keeping me pretty busy. Other then that, I’m currently working on a t-shirt line for Ebbets Field Flannels!”

His thoughts on his look:
“A wide variety of materials are a must. I like to keep it pretty neutral but have at least one bold color whether it’s my pants, shirt or jacket. The pants are a size medium… how that works I have no idea but they are the best fitting pants I’ve ever owned. My lamb leather jacket is by Nudie Jean Co. It’s pretty much my go-to. I specifically picked it for this shoot because of its orange quilted silk liner that looks pretty awesome when nestled up next to my blue corduroy shirt by August Fifteenth. Keep your shoes fancy, always. I wore a hole in my last pair of Hudson’s and I’ll probably do the same to these wing tips.”

“When I moved to LA I was on a hunt to find the perfect leather jacket. My investment piece became this Lamb Leather jacket lined with orange quilted silk. It was unique and the most tailored leather jacket I’ve ever tried on. I didn’t care about the large price tag $$ at that point. If I have to, I can always use it to pay my rent!”

THANKS KYLE + !!!!

Introducing Sarah Yates!! Here’s what she’s up to… “These days I’m keeping busy with my wedding photography collective Birds of a Feather. We’re currently planning a charity dog photo shoot which I’m really looking forward as it involves one of my favorite pastimes- dressing up pups! When I’m not working on all of that I’m writing advice columns, sharing my personal style and cooking up a storm for my blog, A House in the Hills. -And because I find myself most creatively inspired when I travel, I’m always looking for an excuse to hop on a plane and GO!!”

…and now her favorite item & why:
“Absolutely the booties! They remind me of a pair I had as a kid that I called “elf boots”. I wore them until my parents couldn’t take it anymore and told me I lost them (I later found them hidden in my parent’s closet and was devastated to realize I’d outgrown them). Finding these was like finding an old friend!”

Check out her —> Instragram | Pinterest | Twitter

Introducing the stunning Beth Kirby – “My current work explores a prosaic southern life through light, language, and flavor…which is an arguably pretentious way of saying I’m a freelance photographer, writer, and recipe developer from Tennessee. I’m a curator by nature and when I’m not behind the lens, keyboard, or stove, I can be found combing farmers markets and flea markets. I’m inspired by everyday life, by farm to table food and the perfect imperfections of real people. I think all of life is worthy of art, from clean sheets and bowls of soup to neural synapses and event horizons. Bone marrow to billiard halls. Fresh bread to fine hats. It’s all one thing.”

…and now here favorite piece and why:
“My favorite piece, by far, is my hat. I’ve been declaring hats the new pants for almost a decade now, which is to say I’m a bit of an enthusiast. For me, this is the platonic ideal of hat: wide brim 100% wool with a thin leather band. It’s a very serious hat, not to be trifled with. I love hats because you have to stand up to them, you have to wear them with confidence or they’ll wear you. Do I believe that a fine hat will make you a better person? Maybe.” Thanks Beth!!

Check out her: Twitter | Blog

Introducing this weeks Lovely Lady, Theresa Carlson!! Here’s a bit about Theresa in her own words: “I grew up in an extremely artistic home where my Dad did fine wood working and my Mom was a seamstress. We were always making something with our hands. My nine-to-five is a job in human resources so I have had to come up with extra circular projects and activities to utilize my creativity. I have an etsy shop called Harold & Jane where I sell a variety of dry goods made by myself and other members of my family. My husband and I also have a personal blog, Orange Juice, where we document life and adventures through photography. Photography has become a big part of our lives, spurred on by our love of film.

…and now her favorite piece and why:
“My tutu skirt – I got this skirt when my family visited New York a year ago, it was love at first sight. I have always had this secret dream of being a ballerina but I never took ballet lessons. This skirt allows me to wear the tutu but keep the secret.”

Introducing —> John Kolar – an Austin based hair dresser and musician. He really digs cutting hair and plays the drums in a band called Sleep Good – as well as with other friends who are making great music in Austin!

…and now his favorite piece and why :
“I guess my favorite piece is my bandana – I’ve had it in my pocket for years.”

THANKS JOHN!!!

Photos By : Go Forth Creative

Introducing two sisters that have impeccable style & an energy for life that is so apparent in everything that they do together: Brandi & Kelly!! I found them via there awesome lifestyle blog, Mucho Mucho Bueno Bueno – get ready for endless eye candy! They blog about their travels, home tours, style, hair, behind the scenes, pets and their daily lives.

Brandi ( above ) lives in Houston Texas and is a hairstylist/Salon Owner at Do Or Dye Tx. Her favorite piece is her denim vest. “I wear it ALL the time, over hoodies, over my swim suit, over flannels, over tanks even over my dresses so I don’t feel too girlie. It’s like the perfect layering piece ever!!”

Brandi’s —> Twitter | Instagram

Kelly is from Houston, Texas and works at Stash Co ( leather goods ) in Sealy, Texas. She participates in design, photography, building, and creative collaboration with an amazing crew in a century old factory. Aside from working and her blog, she started the LONG process of launching a design documentary project, The Pinpoint Method. So now she spends all her extra time ( and money ) traveling around with her sister, Jonn Korey, and other creatives documenting good design happening all over the United States!! <— I mean, come on! How great right!??

Her favorite piece that she is currently wearing is : “My new gold sparkle shoes. Before these, it’s been nothing but boots for this gal. I love these goldies because they have taken me out of my comfort zone and help me mix up my dull routine.”

Kelly’s —> Twitter | Instagram

Introducing this week’s Lovely Lady – Monica Navarro. She is the fabulous owner ( alongside her hubby ) of one of my favorite shops – Individual Medley. Remember that awesome floral skirt I showed off not too long ago? I got it at her shop. She is sweet, cheerful, has a great eye, and loves what she does!!

…and now her favorite piece & why:
“Hmm, my favorite thing to have WITH me is my sassy little dog. My must have garment for winter is… gosh… probably this new top from Tracy Wilkinson. It’s comfortable & chic – and perfect for working at the shop!! …and of course I am in love with the new winter collection from Kate Miss – the new cast bronze crescent is simply perfection! Ok, I cheated I narrowed it down to my top 2 itmes! Eek – I just love it all!!

If you’re in the LA area and are looking for a great place to pick up some Christmas gifts, you should consider popping in. AND – one of my favorite coffee shops, Proof Bakery, is a few doors down so you can get a treat before ya shop!! Check out some shop pictures below of her holiday product line-up.

Introducing Leigh Patterson!! She is a copywriter, editor, occasional web designer, and creative director in Austin, TX. She is also the co-creator of synonym journal, a biannual literary, art, and style magazine. Check out her personal website & blog to get to know her better!!

…her favorite piece and why:
“These boots by Number 6 are probably my favorite piece of clothing that I own. They survived multiple NYC winters like a champ and have just gotten better with age.”

THANKS LEIGH*
Photo taken by : Michael Muller