Quccija Speech

Hello Readers

I want you to do something, close your eyes, and imagine yourself, exactly last year, the third December 2011. What were you doing? What were your worries, ambitions and dreams? Have they changed? Have you reached any of the goals you had? How many things have you crossed out of your to do list? 

I had a little dream back then, a hobby, which I wanted to share. I had never thought that people were going to like what I do, but I started to blog about fashion and make-up just for myself, and told a couple of friends about it. I came up with the name Amor de Girasol on Google Translate, where I started to write random names, translating them to different languages, until this came up, and I have loved it ever since. 

Here I would like to thank Tiziana from Rouge Reveries who was of great support from the very first day. I wouldn't have started without her encouragement and advice, and help with technical problems on the blog. 

My first Fashion Related Post

I continued to blog, with just a few followers, but with great feedback from the few who followed. My special friends Brian Dimech and Martina Gatt were of great support throughout the whole scholastic year, they heard about all my ideas, my worries, my thoughts, everything, and they were always there to encourage me to keep doing what I love. Brian used to spell check my blogs before posting, but he is now studying in London, and the spell check job was shifted to my other special friend Elaine Cutajar, who is always the first to read my blog and give me feedback. 

Once I started to believe that my work was getting better, I wanted to expand my follower range and not just form my circle of friends.

Another special friend who has helped a lot, is the photographer Robert Bajada. He suggested to do some outfit of the day posts, where he could help me with photography, and of course I couldn't refuse. In May, we shot four outfits in Imdina, where the pictures came out great, and the outfit posts were of great success, and I started a page on Lookbook as well. The posts had many viewers, and I saw a drastic change in the number of followers, which gave me so much more enthusiasm to keep up my work. We also shot five more outfits at Xaghjra for the autumn weather, last month. 

All OOTD's with Robert Bajada Photography

As soon as summer started, Karl Muscat, told me to put make-up on three models for a shoot to promote a party he was organizing. That was my first time doing make-up on others (other than my mum). In the holidays I have worked on different shoots with Robert and Karl again, and I built up a Makeup Portfolio. If I had to choose my favourite makeup work, and photo shoot which I enjoyed, it would be the one I did with Robert and Martina Spiteri for Martina's clothing line, Celeste. 

One of the very first shoots

The team for Celeste's Shoot

Brian, Martina Gatt, Elaine, Karl, Robert, and Martina Spiteri, believe it or not, are all my class mates at UOM. #thankgodforearthsystems My biggest wish was to start working with strangers, with people who saw my work and liked it, and wanted to work with me just because they liked my work, and not because they knew me. Fortunately this dream was realised as well. I have worked with another photographer, Martin Fenech, and I was also approached by Jenny Lyttle to join her team for an online magazine, 'thei-lander'. This magazine will be out weekly, and I will be having my articles in every issue. Two editorials I did with Robert, Karl and Martina have been also featured on PavliMag. The feeling of seeing 'makeup by Ruth @ Amor de Girasol was incredible. 

PavliMag featuring Indian Girl, collaboration with Karl and Robert, and Celeste, collaboration with Martina and Robert

I have a makeup portfolio on tumblr, but I still don't call myself a makeup artist. I am just a girl who loves doing makeup and writing, and would like to take it seriously. I was nothing a year ago. This all happened so fast, and looking back how step by step I have reached some of my goals, I cannot be more thankful to all those who have helped me and who believed in me from the start. 

These are all links I recommend you to take a look at: 

• My Makeup Portfolio: CLICK HERE
• My Lookbook: CLICK HERE
• Tiziana's Blog: CLICK HERE
• Robert's Page: CLICK HERE
• Karl's Portfolio: CLICK HERE
• Martina's Page: CLICK HERE
• Thei-lander Magazine: CLICK HERE

If these people didn't believe in me and gave me their support, I would not be as happy as I am now for sure. I still have so much more work to do, improve, and ambitions to reach. I am still nothing compared to so much more talented people in this business, but I believe I can get there, someday, with your help. 

To all those who read my blog, please keep following, keep liking my statuses and posts so I know you are there. A simple like always brings a smile to my face. Thankyou for being there, without knowing, you have brought out the best in me. Share my facebook page and blog with your friends whom you think would love to follow a fashion blog. 

Choose to shine,
Happy Birthday to me,
and Thanks, a lot.

Ruth x x ( a blogger, a fashion victim, and your friend - since one year)

Rainy Day Woman

Dear Readers 

A new issue of Thei-lander Magazine is online! I have an article about Rainy Day Outfits, where I gave three different ideas of outfits one could wear in this particular weather. You can read the article HERE , but I have the fourth outfit over here: 

One cannot write about rainy day outfits without mentioning leather jackets. Leather jackets are always chic, and can be dressed up or down very easily. This dashing white lace dress is dressed down with the jacket, and lace-up boots which make the look more edged and daring, but kept sophisticated with the structured bag. The look is perfect for rainy days, and if you’re worried that the rain will ruin your hair, just add a cute beanie and you are ready to go.

I hope you found this article useful and that you'll enjoy pairing outfits this winter. Keep following thei-lander magazine for more fashion tips in the following week. 

Choose to shine!

Ruth x x 

The Pavli Mag's Third Issue

Dear Readers

Considering how small our island is, we really do have great potential and talents in the fashion industry. One of the things which I think has a really high standard is Pavli mag, an online magazine created by Pavli Medvedova, who is a stylist living in Malta. I am going to review the third issue which had Nicholas Cutajar as the art Director, Shideh Ofasson as the Editor, and Alexia Fenech, Stephanie Lauri and Nicoleta Illiescu contributed in the writing. This team together has produced an issue of certain level, and I recommend to every fashionista out there to take a look at it.

Front Cover of  the third issue

The cover of the Mag featured photography by Kris Micallef and model Emilie (Somanagement.eu). The Mag starts with a series of behind the scenes photos of the last September's Runway Show, taken by Kris Micallef ( www.krismicallef.com) and another set by spysessionz.com. Runway is a fashionshow organised by Pavli herself and the Somanagement team and their beautiful models. It is a great opportunity for bloggers, designers, photographers and anyone who wants to get into the fashion business to showcase himself.

My favourite part of the mag starts on page 23, with the Autumn/Winter 2012 fashion trends, being : ‘Modern Military’, ‘Lush Leather’, ‘Gone to Print’, ‘Dart Elegance’, ‘Future Fantastic’, ‘Baroque Rocks’, ‘Burgundy Belle’ and ‘Wanders of the East’, with great tips of how to style and rock these fabulous trends using different garments.

‘Sasha is wearing’ was another part of the Mag, where several outfit ideas from ZARA were featured. 

Sasha is wearing

The next article was Alexia’s most wanted list, being Spiked necklace; Metallic jacquard blazer; Sci fi tee; Little black dress; Faux leather jacket; The go anywhere bag; Flat shoes and Trench coat. All these items are must have items for this season, and Alexia Fenech explains why she wants them in her closet, and gives great tips and tricks on how to style these particular garments

The Next two articles were the one where Nicoleta illiescu shares her own experience of the Milan fashion week, and Real style people  which was a street style of fashionistas and bloggers on the internet. 

Milan Fashion Week

Real Style People

The last article talks about make-up. Beauty by Stephanie Lauri where Steph features both high end and drugstore products to give different make-up look ideas, and how to apply them. It is a great article which shows how make-up is not just for experts but everyone can give it a try using simple steps. 

The Mag ends with four editorials, two of which I took part in doing the make-up. 

Well done to the whole team and everyone who took part in making this online Magazine such a success. I really like the editing and how professional it all looks. It has a little bit of everything, which makes it the ideal magazine that any girl can use as guideline for this season. All you have to do is click HERE to view the whole issue. 

Choose to shine! 

Ruth xx