MEET MY FRIENDS || AFTON AFTERTHOUGHT

I am so excited to introduce you to my friend, cydney--a beautiful and stylish photographer, history teacher, and entrepreneur--and her little blog afton afterthought. located in the beautifully cultural dc, she always has breathtaking pictures of local flora and fauna to share. she usually includes a little pick me up of a quote or the catchy song that's been running through her head all day. but mostly, it's her own words that you can take to heart and move forward a little happier than you were before. combing through her archives, I found so many inspirational answers to questions I didn't even know I had! a true "lifter," this one. read on to fall head over heels for afton afterthought.

1 :: your outfits are always so well thought out. where would you say you draw a lot of your style inspiration from? 

I have always tried to define my style to people and I can’t really call it anything but cyddish! I am honestly just me.  I would say that I am an eclectic, vintage, bohemian styled person. I get my inspirations from a lot of different places. when it comes to people, it would be zooey deschanel, gwen stefani, betsey johnson, and lily allen (with hints of retro). I also gather inspiration from my study of history, looking around at the vast cultural beauty of the world, and honestly, just following my heart and eyes. I go with what feels good and makes me happy. therefore, my eclectic style. I go from wearing a 1920s inspired outfit one day to wearing a hot air balloon patterned sun dress the next. I am just me.

2 :: your skin/make-up/hair combinations are always perfect. what products do you swear by to get your look? 

aw, you are sweet! thank you for thinking I am put together. I wear my hair crazy most days. for that, I use ::

garnier fructis waves mousse, big sexy hair root pumper, big sexy hair hairspray, and a little bit of moroccan oil to keep things shiny and healthy. I try to stay away from the damaging hair straighter as much as I can, but at times use it to get those nice definitive waves and curls. you can’t help it!

when it comes to makeup, I have grown to like simplicity over caking my face with color. I have always been a big believer in mac and neutrogena! I like my makeup pale, black lined, simple with pops of lip color. I use nude/brown eye shadows from mac where I buy the color pots individually versus the palettes they try to sell you. I find they last longer and they tend to break less. when it comes to my face, I always make sure I have a primer on. neutrogena has a great one. this is where you paint it on your lid with a brush. mascara is always your friend and honestly, I just bounce around trying new ones over the counter all the time. and we all know that I am obsessed with lipstick. I carry around at least three different shades in my purse. I am always making sure my lips are colored accordingly with the outfit! I love that color pop!

my skin regimen is terrible. honestly terrible. I have struggled with acne since middle school and just the other day my dermatologist told me I will have to deal with this till I am 30… a nice thought. with that said, I try to keep my face very clean. I never go to sleep with makeup on my face. your skin heals and does a lot while you sleep so try to keep it clean. I use neutrogena makeup remover for this. proactiv has really stepped up its game, so I actually have started to use that again. it is pretty good. I have a makeup artist friend who has given me a face mask and pore tightener regimen that is great. 

(she's even shared it below ::)

ingredients ::

1. lemons or organic lemon juice that is pure

2. organic sugar (the granules should not be too coarse)

method ::

if you are just making it to use once a week, you don't need much of either of the ingredients.  probably 1/2 tsp of lemon juice mixed with enough sugar to make it the consistency of baby applesauce.  if there is too little sugar, the sugar will dissolve too quickly and you don't want that. so you may want to test it out on the back of your hand. then you can scrub your face and neck very gently in circular motions until it is almost all the way dissolved and rinse it off.  I just do this in the shower after I have washed my face. you can also just take a makeup round and soak it with the lemon juice then sprinkle some sugar on top of the whole surface and gently rub your face with it in circular motions and rinse.  you may feel some tingling. the vitamin C in the lemons is great for your skin.  it also kills bacteria and tightens your pores.

other products she loves :: neutrogena healthy skin liquid foundation, mac studio fix fluid spf 15, and l’oreal infallible gel eyeliner

3 :: you are such a talented photographer! do you have any advice for bloggers or photographers who are hoping to advance their skills?

again, thank you. that is very kind of you to say!

I love having afton photography, it has been such a blessing in my life. there is something so special about photos. it helps people see the best in themselves and brings a confidence no other thing can. I love being able to capture the best in people and to help them see the beauty they have. I believe everyone has a story to tell. my job is to capture it and it has been so rewarding.

my journey was a funny one. I just started off as a girl with her camera. I had a really hard time in high school and I needed something to keep my mind off things. I started taking my point and shoot crap camera around taking photos of nature and buildings. my parents started to see the photos I was taking and thought, “hmm these are pretty good.” they later bought me my first d-slr camera, which was a sony. from there, I just kept going out and taking photos of people, places, and nature. I slowly started asking people if I could take their photos. I would walk around taking pictures of people on the streets of dc and virginia.  I remember when I started my business, I charged people like $25 for a full session. I just kept experimenting, trying new things, reading, and giving myself real life experience. three years later, I have afton photography and the rest is history!

I have never taken a class for photography. I did not have photographer parents. it was just me.

some people tell me, "I just could not do what you do." I disagree with every single person who says that. why? I believe everyone sees things differently and that is their artistic eye. you need to train that eye to see things “behind the scene” and to slow down life to open them further. everyone can tell a story and capture things differently. they just need to train that outlet.

another thing, is the basics of camera were a mystery to me. I just went out there and experimented. I tried photographing things with different apertures, shutter speeds, and white balances. I saw what worked and what didn’t, and slowly I started to learn.  there is only so much a class can teach you until you need to go out and experiment for yourself.  you can learn by doing. also, make sure you take the time to do this before you hop into lightroom/photoshop. you cannot cover up bad photography with filters and brushes. those programs should only enhance what you have already documented.

my last piece of advice is to find a mentor! I have a few people I would like to give a shout out to : katie hart photography, traci rampton photography, and mostly, you look nice today photography. all three of these photographers are talented and they helped me with questions and directions. if you have a photographer you admire try to shoot them an email with questions, concerns or ideas you might have. most of the time, they will respond and help you! photography is an art and many need help to learn the tricks of the trade. do not be too prideful or shy to ask someone better than you for help. I would ask them to critique my work, for shooting advice, and for company advice. they were all so helpful and positive.  I am so grateful for those photographers who helped shape me. ask for help.

4 :: what would you say is the most important thing you’ve learned since starting afton afterthought?

I think that afton afterthought has only helped me realize that you can be yourself and what you have to say matters. you can make a difference with your words. many of the times I write things and laugh to myself saying, “ I am sure no one will read this” but later I have people sharing my posts and leaving comments thanking me for the positive message or outlook.

when it comes to being different, I learned that my blog did not have to look like or write like popular bloggers. I am me and they are themselves. I have something to say that is different from them and that is cool. we both can do what we do and are important.  I do not have to fit in to be like other popular blogs. this has worked for me.

another big thing: positivity matters and everyone is looking for it! share good things and it makes people happy.

5 :: if you absolutely had to play favorites, what would your favorite blog post be to date and how come?

the one that is always near and dear to my heart is "forget me not."    

I wrote this blog post at 3 am when I could not sleep. I have a huge passion for women’s inner beauty and self worth. I would love for every woman to feel and know that she is important, strong, smart, beautiful, loved and talented but we all know many of us fall short. the world is a hard place that knocks us around and makes us question our worth. I think this blog post can touch close to home for any woman because we are all trying to find confidence, worth, and beauty in our lives.  we see it so much in the lives of others but we are just as blessed in our own lives. we are all important and beautiful human beings. this is a wonderful reminder of just that.

 6 :: you feature so many wonderful role models on your blog. if you could pick just one, who would it be? what would be your favorite quote by them?

oh geez, that is really hard.  I try to share a lot of powerful and uplifting messages on my blog because I believe people always need a pick up. I think it is also important to inspire people to be better. I have many people whom I love like theodore roosevelt,  his holiness the dalai lama, buddha, audrey hepburn, jesus, henry thoreau, my mom and grandmother, etc. but I think my favorite role model would be mother teresa of calcutta. she was such a powerful woman with simple principles. the principles she cherished and showed the world were peace, love, and service. those three things are the most powerful forces of the world. my favorite quotes  from her are:

“let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. be the living expression of god's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”

“if you judge people, you leave no room to love them.”

“people are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. forgive them anyway. if you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. be kind anyway. if you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. succeed anyway. if you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you. be honest and sincere anyway. what you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. create anyway. if you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. be happy anyway. the good you do today, will often be forgotten. do good anyway. give the best you have, and it will never be enough. give your best anyway.” 

7 :: what women in your life have influenced you the most?

I have been so lucky to be constantly surrounded by influential and strong women in my life. my mother is my best friend and has taught me so much about life. she is the reason I am so thoughtful and oriented around service. she is loving and does not judge a soul. I have always loved that about her.  she is also full of life. she has always been the person who believes the glass is half full… she gets it.

my grandmother is also another biggy in my life! she and I always butt heads because, growing up, I was a bit of a wild child in her eyes, but she was always so full of love towards me. she is a woman of complete grace, hard work, strength, independence, and love. she is a god-loving woman who has helped me know him through her. she is a powerful woman who loves life…and chocolate.

I also met a woman named suzy anderson who has also been a big inspiration in my life. I went through a very hard time going into college and she was the person to introduce me to photography and using it as a healing tool. she has been a woman who has had constant trials of misfortune, health problems, near death experiences, failures, etcetera, but she is always so positive, faithful, and loving . she is one of those ladies that just speaks gold and has such inspiring things to say…even in common conversation.

And my last biggy would be my junior and senior year world history and religions teacher, ms. wildman. she taught with such passion and knowledge that I always came to class excited and left with inspiration and awe.  she was a pistol of a woman who did not put up with crap, but she taught with such grace and love. she opened my eyes to the world and helped me see history as a study of people. her influence was so powerful that it changed my life completely.  I saw the world differently. she ultimately was the inspiration for my career as a teacher. she is a powerful woman who has been a force for good.

those are some of the most influential but there are many I could give credit to. I have had many opportunities to meet people who are wonderful, strong and beautiful. I have been made better by meeting them all. I believe you can always learn something from someone…they are a door to a new world. 

8 :: you are always posting such beautiful pictures of the dc area. what is your favorite part about living where you do?

history! nature! diversity!

 I love being surrounded by green, culture, and history. virginia/ dc has always taken my heart with its rich history, stories, people, and natural beauty. diversity is everywhere and that has constantly given me rich experiences and understanding. I love it.  there is so much to see and do here!

be sure to keep up with cydney and all of the adventures in her life on her blog!

love, arielle