My dream job come true- a week in Mexico
I started dabbling in the instagram world back in 2012. Back when I thought it was just a way to edit photos. A lot of you have heard the story, so I won’t re tell it, but it started as a way to be creative in my wardrobe. Over the course of the last 7 years I have been all over the place, from fashion to beauty, to lifestyle, travel and home. And to my surprise a lot of you stuck with me on my journey to figure out my space in the digital world. No, this is not a post to say I’ve finally figured it out (will we ever really know??) But it is to say that after all this time I finally landed my dream gig!!! Styling others!!!
Towards the beginning of June I was contacted by the Colts cheerleading coach about possibly being a stylist for their upcoming trip to Mexico where they would be shooting fitness looks for the website (Colts.com). In the past the team had gone on these trips to shoot swimwear for their annual colts cheer calendar but they were making a team wide shift to a new chapter. A chapter where they would be showcasing strength and sisterhood. Athletic ability and skill. With the new changes they were in need of someone to come up with 26 different looks and be onsite to style each shoot. I was thrilled to be considered and a part of this new movement for Colts Cheer.
Part of my job was to partner with brands to get outfits for the shoot. I decided what better way to kick off this new chapter than to start with local boutiques to be the sponsors. This is where all my years of working with brands and being in the “instagram know” came in handy. I knew exactly where to start. Magnolia Boutique supplied all of the fitness wear for 26 girls, and Dottie Couture made sure we were styling in for our lifestyle shots. An other dream come true was going to the warehouse to pick out the styles! Talk about major dream closet!!!!
Once in Mexico the job entailed waking up before sunrise to outfit the girls and be at each shoot to help with poses and wardrobe changes. We successfully shot 26 girls in one week and I loved every second of it. The Iberostar Paraiso Maya was absolutely gorgeous and the all inclusive aspect made it easy to relax when I wasn’t at a photo shoot. Let me tell you, working by the pool for a week was quite the rough life. ha!
Apple Vacations was the sponsor for the trip, and let me tell you they had everything planned. We even had our own staff members to accompany us all over the resort for our shoots. They helped us with anything we needed and were more than gracious. I can’t say enough good things about the resort, and all of the people who made sure our trip went off without a hitch. We really couldn’t of done it without the efforts of each person doing their job.
So, to sum it all up, I love fashion and styling photos has always been a hobby of mine. This past week I got paid to do what I love!!! I’m going to say that again, I GOT PAID TO DO WHAT I LOVE!!!! That feels amazing!!! I’ve always dreamed of styling someone other than myself or my kids, and the Colts Cheerleaders are like ultimate #goals. Landing this trip has made me dream bigger. I still don’t know exactly what my future holds, but I wanted to document this excitement to look back on a year from now. If you would of asked me several years ago if I thought I’d ever get paid to go on a trip and be the stylist for a photo shoot, I would of said no, probably not. But the number one thing I preach is little things add up to big things. Keep plugging away at the little things and eventually you will get to look back and see how all the pieces fell into place.
Here is a photo of all of the staff on the trip. We had a great time, and all meshed so well.