A Studio Visit with Photographer Sarah Deragon

A few years back I was privileged to be included in an awesome women's indie business group called The Success Squad. Sarah Deragon and Lisa Anderson Shaffer (Zelma Rose) invited me to join at a time where we were all making pretty big work transitions. Honey Cooler Handmade had just started and I found myself struggling to coax a fully-formed business from a mere concept. One of my biggest challenges was staying on task when working from home, and our monthly Success Squad meetings lit the fire that got me to push through my hangups. And here I am at the Fashion Incubator - certainly a large step! Sarah now runs the immensely successful Portraits to the People - she's so in demand these days that I was beyond flattered when she asked to come by to take some shots of my new space.

Check out her beautiful work below. And be sure to check out Sarah's amazing work on her website - she's the one responsible for my kickass headshot below. Sarah's also working on an incredible passion project, The Identity Project, for which she's gained international recognition.

Bralettes & Bow Ties: A Valentine's Day Party with Zelma Rose and Rue Magazine

Valentine's Day is a lingerie designer's time to amp things up a bit and with the launch of the new collection, I really wanted this year to be a special one. When HCH PR maven Camille and I started brainstorming party ideas way back before the holidays, we had only an inkling of how awesome the final outcome would be. Lucky for me, Lisa of Zelma Rose was totally on board to team up as my co-headliner for Bralettes & Bow Ties! Lisa's handmade bow ties and pocket squares are pretty incredible and undeniably dapper - not to mention she makes bright, beautiful and expertly handcrafted cross-stitch jewelry! Rue Magazine co-hosted Bralettes & Bow Ties and a week after our special night, I'm still delighted with the outcome.

Credit: Portraits to the People

Bralettes & Bow Ties was the perfect opportunity for me to sew up a full size run in all the new pieces from my Deco and Cotillion collections, get a bunch of friends and colleagues together, talk shop, try some lingerie and bow ties and drink some cocktails. Photographers Sarah from Portraits to the People and Cristal Veronica really elevated the whole experience with their gorgeous shots. Thanks a million to the dashing Borden Ornelaz for his expertly crafted cocktails, Rebecca Taff for hair and makeup, Camille Schmidt for her PR know-how, Marianne and Richelle for modeling my lingerie and Morgan for being the evening's go-to girl. For more images, be sure to check out both photographers' galleries here and here.

Credit: Cristal Veronica

Sad you missed it? Not to worry - many more HCH events are in the cards for the year, so stay tuned to Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to be the first to know about them.

Credit: Cristal Veronica

Credit: Portraits to the People

Credit: Cristal Veronica

Credit: Portraits to the People

Credit: Cristal Veronica

Credit: Cristal Veronica

Credit: Portraits to the People

Photos from I Do! by Sarah Deragon

I Do! was a pretty awesome event. I was in excellent company with vendors like Rose La Mer Headpieces and Zelma Rose Curios by my side. Plus, I got to meet Lisa's Awfully Grand copilot Sarah Deragon in the flesh. Sarah's not only an inspiring blogger and all-around great person, but she also happens to be a wickedly talented photographer. When I saw Sarah begin shooting on Saturday, my heart skipped a beat. She's passionate about what she does and as you can see below, she took some amazing photos of the Honey Cooler Handmade booth! Swing on over to her site, Portraits to the People to check out her handiwork, and scope out her blog for more shots of the weekend's festivities.