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)