Happy Anniversary and 100th Post!

It hardly feels like a year since we started this blog. It's also hard to believe that this is our 100th post! Yet here we are. When writing this post and looking back at everything we've done, we're really proud that we've come this far and also exited to keep going! This post is an ode to Year One of In the Mood for ♥ and all the people who helped us along the way. We're extremely happy about our successes and experiences in the first year and hopefully year two will harbor even more adventures in fashion for us!

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I still remember that day when Jen came visit me in SF from Seattle and we lied in bed talked about our new year resolutions for 2012.

Me: I kinda want to have a fashion blog but it is so much work...
Jen: Do you want to do it together?
Me in silence (not really wanting to commit and still thinking it is so much work...)
Jen: We'll take photos of our outfit and take turns to post. I can take some photos of you while I'm here.

Then the next day we went to Yerba Buena Center in downtown SF and shot our very first two posts –   In the Mood for a Cloudy Day and In the Mood for Something Cutsy. Today we are posting our 100th post! I never thought we are able to keep it up all the way through 2012 and now we are still going strong :). So a piece of advice for those of you who are thinking about getting a blog started, grab a buddy to do it with you! It is just like going to the gym, friends motivate each other and keep each other in check.

Here are some fun posts to share:

Top left:
Most viewed outfit post from me –White, Red and Black
Redrock in Vegas is just so breathtaking. Jen took these photos when we went to visit her dad and her cat.

Top right:
My favorite outfit post from me – In the Mood for Being Purrrfect
Is it surprising that my favorite post is with a feline friend?

Bottom left:
My favorite guest post – Petite Gone Oversized – with Sabrina
Sabrina looks super cute in the photos and she was a lot of fun to shoot! We even got to get ice cream during the shoot. Her post is also very well-written. If you are petite but haven't checked out her post, then you should do so. If you are not petite but like cute girls, you should check out her post as well.

Bottom right:
My favorite outfit post from Jen – In the Mood for Salty Ocean Air
I think this post embodies Jen's style so well: simple and elegant. She also looks great!


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Xiang once told me that she's always wanted to have her own fashion blog and, even though I thought she'd be great at it, it never happened. However, that moment incepted an idea in my head of getting into fashion photography and Xiang was also my favorite model. So as an excuse to take more photos of Xiang, I proposed starting this fashion blog together as a new year's resolution. Though we live in two different cities, we find ways to make it work.

In retrospect, I think this may have been the best new year's resolution yet. Not only has working on this blog inspired me to be a better photographer (and a better dressed photographe at that) but I feel like it has helped inspire the people around us to do the same. That's really the best I could hope for.

Top left:
Most viewed outfit post from me – In the Mood for a Quiet Place
The library is one of the most photo-worthy places in Seattle and Zooey did a fantastic job capturing it.

Top right:
My favorite outfit post from me – In the Mood for Acid & Rust
As comfortable as clean places are, my favorite photos are always in dirty situations such as a back alley or a run down car shop in this case.

Bottom left:
My favorite outfit post from Xiang – In the Mood for a Golden Sunset
It's difficult to just pick one but I decided I love the setting and delicateness of this post over my other favorites.


Bottom right:
My favorite guest post – How to Vintage Shop Like a Pro
When it comes to vintage shopping, Leonardo a real pro. What makes this my favorite guest post though is that you never stop chuckling to yourself while reading his delightful muses.



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Thank you to all our lovely photographers

We often get asked about who takes our photos and it's never an easy question to answer because well... there are several people who have helped us along the way. Getting to a hundred posts is not easy and our friends were gracious enough to lend us their time and talents to help us achieve this. So here's a giant warm thank you to everyone who has helped us with photos! All of our photographers are listed alphabetically below along with their body of work on this blog:

Aaron – A certified typography expert who never leaves home without a camera! He helped us out with these photos:
In the Mood for a Jet Setter Lifestyle
In the Mood for a Lazy Day
In the Mood for Dueling Snakes

Akaash – Video journalist and coffee brewer extraordinaire, Akaash generously lent his skills to help us with our very first fashion video:
In the Mood for Fun in the Sun

Albert – The most talented designer I know and incredible photographer. We hope to see more of him in 2013:
Happy 2013!

Annie – Annie is always patient and she is not afraid of getting on the ground during the shoot :). Annie has shot the following:
In the Mood for Class-y
In the Mood for being Purrrfect

Brennan – My designated Portland photographer as well as my favorite pig owner. Brennan made her photographer debut in:
In the Mood for Lace & Luxury

Christopher – As a rambunctious Yorkie owner, Chris lent us his dog and these photos:
In the Mood for a Splash of Sun

Damian – With his experience shooting for fashion blogs, it's a no brainer for us to ask Damien to help out:
In the Mood for Fall Layers
In the Mood for Candy Silk and Lace
In the Mood for a Night at the Museum
In the Mood for a Day Without Rain

David – Dedicated programmer, letter presser, chef, furniture smith, glass blower, soccer player, rower, and all around sharp dresser, David even broke a lens to bring us these gorgeous photos:
In the Mood for Cherry Blossoms
In the Mood for Some Serious Business
In the Mood for a Dream in Creamsicle

David – He likes to bake.
In the Mood for a Fancy Night Out
In the Mood for Rays of Spring

Irene – Irene is an expert on hair. She also dresses well.
Irene shot the following:
In the Mood for Hearts, Dots and Bows, Oh My!
In the Mood for the Last Leaves of Autumn

Jinna – A woman with an eye for art and design who is never short of helpful. She even helped out on this shoot:
In the Mood for Leather Panels

Johnny – Johnny takes beautiful photos of food and girls and we were lucky enough to be a part of his inspiration in these posts:
In the Mood for a Bright Rainy Day
In the Mood for a Kiss of Cherry Wine

J.T. – J.T. is into journalism photography and he likes catching the morning light. He also has 3,062,262 followers on Pinterest.
J.T. is the photographer of In the Mood for Sugar and a Can of Kickass.

Kevin – The kindest and most talented friend anyone could ever have. Kevin set the record for shortest photo shoot and produced some of the best work we've seen:
In the Mood for Hazy Dreams of Golden Light

Kelly – Kelly is from Hawaii and he is super chill.
Kelly is the photographer of Endless Summer.

Leonardo – The most stylish person we know, Leonardo often turns heads with his outfits and warms hearts with his exquisite brews and amazing cocktail concoctions. With his army of 18 vintage cameras, Leonardo helped us with these posts:
In the Mood for the Birds and the Bees
In the Mood for a Ship of My Own

Michael – An introspective bearded hipster who will write the next great American novel, but until then he's proved to be quite the photographer in these posts:
In the Mood for the Highlights in Life
In the Mood for a Journey in Technicolor
In the Mood for a Small Burst of Color
In the Mood the Salty Ocean Air
Happy Half Birthday to In the Mood for ♥
In the Mood for a Weekend Revolution
In the Mood for Fun in the Sun
In the Mood for Leather Panels
In the Mood for a Splash of Wine
In the Mood for Walking Arm in Arm

Marc – As a hair and makeup extraordinaire, Marc shot and styled this shoot:
In the Mood for a Lovely View

Mark – A quirky UX designer who loves raspberries and running, Mark found time in his busy schedule to help us with this post:
In the Mood for Monotones

Rasmus – Rasmus carried 3 cameras (2 of which are film) on set. What more needs to be said?
Rasmus is the photographer for In the Mood for Polka Dots.

Rishi – Not only is he a great photographer but he is also a certified genius that knows all about the art and science of the camera.
In the Mood for a Stroll in the Park
In the Mood for Sapphire Skies
In the Mood for the Highs and Lows
In the Mood for May Flowers

Sabrina – Don't be fooled by her petite figure. This lady is fierce and a lot of fun!
Sabrina is the photographer of In the Mood for Cute Decor.

Zooey – A little person with a big talent. Though she's never used a camera, the results are nothing short of spectacular:
In the Mood for a Quiet Place
In the Mood for Acid & Rust
In the Mood for Trading Skylines
In the Mood for Fall Foliage
In the Mood for a Heart in a Cage
In the Mood for Some Ooh La La
In the Mood for Tea & Biscuits
In the Mood for a Little Winter Sun