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A Day the Life: Estelle, 13

Estelle was trying her hardest not to smile for the camera. Tall and slender with big green, gold eyes and a full pout, she would glare at me every time I pleaded, "Look at me Estelle!" It wasn't that she was uncomfortable being photographed; it was that it was I on the other side of the camera. I’m her mama, the one that has been washing her tights and leotards for 10 years. Because, you see, Estelle is a ballerina. I tell the story of her dancing in the womb, gently pushing her hands and feet against the side of my tummy.

It’s true and she lives it to this day, pushing her hands and feet gently, not against my tummy, but against the studio air. She also manages to finesse the dance of leaving the nest while she keeps her eyes and ears at home. Because she is 13, she is entering one of the most exciting times of her life. As a teen Estelle wanders away from me a little bit every day. She does so with a graceful awkwardness. She is loving but tough as nails. She is confused yet has her feet firmly planted on the ground. I often marvel at her dance of life, so thoughtful. Her every move, however reckless, is carefully rehearsed and her positioning always perfect.

I spent some time photographing Estelle Sunday afternoon; Texting, filing her fake nails, texting, watching Fanboy and Chum Chum, texting, resting, texting, taking off her fake nails, snarling at the camera, re-doing her real nails, and texting.

Read all the deets on Estelle and scroll down for more photos of this beautiful girl. 

10 things I ♥:

1. Friends
2. Doing my nails over and over and over
3. Crimping my hair
4. Drawing
5. Cody (my BF)
6. Scary things
7. Twinkie (favorite stuffie)
8. Dancing
9. Not smiling for the camera!
10. Overdosing on my iPad- Psych and Bones

Top 5 on my playlist:

1. So Sick, Ne-Yo
2. Deuces, Chris Brown
3. Mirror, Lil Wayne ft. Bruno Mars
4. Where Dem Girls At, David Guetta ft. Flo Rider and Nicki Minaj
5. How to Love, Lil Wayne

Fav Nom Noms: 

1. Twix
2. Skittles
3. Milky Way
4. Three Musketeers
5. Fritos

Designer and Shopping Reveal:

1. Coach shoes
2. Nike dunks
3. Adidas jackets
4. Vans sneakers
5. F21 everything
6. Betsey Johnson dresses
7. Papaya everything
8. VS Pink
9. Aeropostale
10. Juicy hoodies

Adelita Style 101: Game On!

click on the photo for a nicer view

styling 101

step 1 • don’t neglect the body, especially in an athletic shot
step 2 • results! look how great those legs make the shoes look!
step 3 • the perfect cast; Justin as photographer, Adam as assistant, and Lil Star as ball girl
step 4 • after the perfect shot, it’s time for a wardrobe change
step 5 • game ON!

When photographers and stylists have a little down time... they do more of the same! Justin had a great idea for a super plastic, in focus athletic shot and when I saw the model Aunjoli's headshot, it was game on! For these shots, I didn't want to over do makeup and hair. Simple was best, shine was crucial. I used baby oil gel for her body and MARC JACOBS shimmer blush for the tops of her cheeks and high points of her bone structure, some pretty Nouba eyeshadow, super shiny beige NOUBA Sweet Kiss gloss and just a dash of black mascara did the trick. I swept her hair up into a neat ponytail and added an ADIDAS headband in plum. For her clothing, I chose a plum sportsbra as a top (she definitely had the abs for it), NIKE sweatbands and a kid's extra large tennis skirt in navy and plum (it was slim pickens at the stores), the shoes were PUMA. The second outfit was simple, a NIKE lime green sport top, adorable drawstring side shorts in black and, believe it or not, some DR. SCHOLL'S tennis shoes with a smidge of lime to pick up the color of the court. It was love, love all the way!

Contributors: Justin Gollmer as photographer, Aunjoli as model, Adam as assistant, Lil Star as ball girl, Kamie Chang Kahlo as stylist and amatuer photographer

Girl Power Hot Off the Press: Lindsay Tarpley:

Take a look at Lindsay Tarpley, by the age of 21, she had scored two of the most important goals in U.S. soccer history! The first was a rebound shot in the championship game of the 2002 FIFA U-19 World Championship, giving the USA a dramatic 1-0 Foudy & Tarpley sudden death overtime victory over host Canada and the first-ever world title for youth women. Her second came in the 2004 Olympic gold medal game “off a blast from 25-yards out into the lower left corner for the game’s first score.” She has moved into the top-13 all-time scorers in U.S. history! Now that’s Girl Power!!

Sources: lindsaytarpley.com, nike.com