On December 10^th, 2011, I will be participating in the 3^rd Annual Worldwide Help-Portrait event. Help- Portrait is an event put on by volunteers, including photographers, editors, and in my case, hairstylists. The idea behind Help-Portrait is simple: 1. Find someone in need 2. Take their portrait 3. Print their portrait and 4. Deliver their portrait. In the last two years, more than 101,000 portraits have been given by 10,000 photographers and 12,000 volunteers. Help-Portrait is now a global movement in more than 1,000 locations in 54 countries.

This year, the founder, celebrity photographer, Jeremy Cowart announced new elements to make Help-Portrait a more hands-on experience for those being photographed. They are being encouraged to share their stories on the back of their portraits. He says the mission of Help- Portrait is to give photos, not take them.

My friend and photographer for the Beaver County Times, Kevin Lorenzi, asked me to help out this year doing makeup and hair touch ups on site at Community Human Services in Oakland. Since last year, a second site has been added at the Pittsburgh Women’s Shelter! It’s amazing how quickly how it has caught on. It is even more amazing to me that something we may think is so simple, getting your photo taken, can make a major difference is somebody’s life. One woman from Nashville’s 2010 Help-Portrait said that her and her brother hadn’t had a picture taken together since they were 7. She had written a letter to the photographers thanking them for bringing her and her brother back together. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity for many.

In today’s day and age, it is easy to take something as simple as a camera, even more so a picture, for granted. I can’t even say how excited I am to participate in this year’s event and share the stories told by the families.For more details or to donate, check out www.help-portrait.com.

We the people

In May of 2011, I worked on set in Nashville of American Eagle's back to school campain. THis is magic that we created

US Royalty/equestrian

To whom this may concern: here goes!

If you're reading this, I've made it. A while back, a good friend suggested that I put myself to good use and start a blog. Well, it's been a long time coming but ya gotta start somewhere... so here goes nothing. I originally thought that I would start a blog about good and bad hair styles. Being that I am what I like to think, a "trendy" hairstylist in Pittsburgh, I have a lot to say about good and bad hair. Then I realized that my life, as a "trendy" hair stylist, is pretty freaking awesome, so why restrict myself to gossip? I've decided to post about not only good hair, bad hair, and so bad it's good hair, but anything and everything that makes me excited. Whether it's fashion, music, how awesome my friends are, or my favorite youtube videos, I'm going to share it all. And if nobody ever reads it, I will consider it my diary.

Yup, I' m the one on the right. Trendy at a young age (I was ahead of the pixie bang trend, it was no accident).

Enjoy!