I’ve been at my parents’ place in Guelph all weekend, locking myself away to work on my first draft of the bicyclette business plan for an upcoming competition. This is not the most fun task. Although concept-wise I have a pretty good idea of what I’m doing, when it comes to the financials, it doesn’t come quite so easy. The hardest part I’m finding is that because a lot of the aspects of the business are still to-be-determined (ie. location), it becomes difficult to come up with numbers without knowing the facts. Ah, woe is me. It’s coming together slowly but surely, with lot’s of help and support from those around me.

I find that when I’m in a (somewhat) stressed mood, I tend to gravitate towards calming images, which seems logical. So when I cam across this photoshoot, Tanya Dziahileva shot by Carlotta Manaigo for Mixte Mag #62, I was completely drawn to it.

The pastel colour palette is simple and gorgeous, the styling is relaxed and carefree, the mix between black/white and colour is executed perfectly, and the illustrations…. oh, the illustrations! I’m a sucker for simple, romantic, sketchy illustrations, and I love how they are incorporated into the photos here. It adds to them without overshadowing the images, which is partially done by their pencil-like, translucent quality,  and gives them a playful spin, suiting the overall mood perfectly. I’ve inspired myself to get out my tablet and start doodling on my own photos. Unfortunately, illustration isn’t one of the skills that I’ve mastered, so we’ll see how that goes!

Also, quickly before I get back to work, I wanted to send out a big thank you to everyone that has been so supportive throughout this process. I’ve had some really great feedback since I’ve started the blog, both commenting on here, in person, and through Facebook (Jen Welton, you made my day with your message!) and other platforms. You know who you are, and I hope you know how much it means to me that I have your support. I’m so glad that people are reading and enjoying my posts, and I couldn’t do it without you!

Thank you….