Sugar Beet Studios

Autumn has officially entered the chat. 🍂
And apparently, Winter arrived with her. ❄️

This mother-daughter duo landed on opposite sides of the seasonal spectrum: Mom is a True Autumn, at home in rich warmth, earthy depth and those gorgeous golden tones. Her daughter is a Cool Winter, shining in crisp, cool color and jewel-toned intensity.

Same family. Very different palettes.

I love seeing them side by side because it’s such a good reminder that your coloring is entirely your own. You may share features with your mom, your sister or your daughter, and still need something completely different when it comes to colors.

As the temperatures start dropping, these two felt like the perfect way to welcome the season:
a little Autumn 🍂 + a little Winter ❄️

You’re allowed to just like things.

Not because they’re trending.
�Not because they’re “universally flattering."
Not because someone on the internet said they’re a “must-have.”

Sometimes you like the weird earrings. The ridiculous shoes. The print that makes you happy. The giant gold tortoise that absolutely did not need to come home with you.

Personal style gets a whole lot more interesting when we stop asking, “Am I supposed to like this?” and start paying attention to “Do I?”

Knowing your colors, your proportions and the things that naturally harmonize with you can be incredibly useful. But those things are tools. They’re not supposed to edit the personality out of you.

Sometimes “I just really like it” is reason enough.

Great style isn’t hiding at a particular price point.

Shop where you want. Spend what makes sense for you. Buy new, buy secondhand, wait for the sale, support your favorite local boutique, or rediscover something you forgot you owned.

Knowing what works for you means you know what to look for. Wherever you happen to find it.

Your Colors. Your Style. Your Rules.

Same home season. Different priorities. 💙

Today I worked with two sisters who both landed in the Summer family but in different flow seasons.

One was Light Summer, where lightness needed to be prioritized. The other was Soft Summer, where softness took the lead.

Same cool-neutral foundation. Different needs. And such a fun example of why color analysis goes so much deeper than simply being a Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter.

We’re looking at the relationship between temperature, value and intensity to find the colors that work specifically for you.

And since you won’t see the lovely faces behind today’s palettes, this feels like a good opportunity for another reminder:

You never have to be featured to be my client.

I absolutely love sharing client transformations when someone is excited and comfortable being featured, and I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has allowed me to share a little piece of their experience here. But permission to photograph or share is always optional, and choosing not to be featured is just as welcome.

Whether your color analysis gets shared here or stays completely between us, I’m grateful you trusted me to be part of it. 💛

I almost wore the green shirt.

It has the better silhouette.
It’s polished.
It’s probably the outfit most people would expect for jury duty.

Instead, I wore the orange one.

Because that morning I needed a little joy.

The quirky print.
The unexpected color.
The reminder that even in a courtroom, I didn’t have to leave myself at home.

One of the biggest misconceptions about color and style is that the goal is to optimize every outfit.

I don’t believe that.

Sometimes the “best” outfit is the one that supports who you are that day.

Style isn’t about coloring perfectly inside the lines.

It’s about understanding yourself well enough to choose what serves you that day.

Your Colors. Your Style. Your Rules.

Rich doesn’t have to mean heavy.

Warm doesn’t have to mean bright.

Sometimes it’s the earthy, grounded colors that allow someone to shine the most.

This beautiful True Autumn came alive in her palette. 🍂✨

True Autumn. 🍂

Not because cool colors looked bad…

But because these colors let her glow. ✨

Supporting local businesses is one of my favorite things to do, especially when they carry products that truly deliver.

Before our trip to Oahu, I picked up these Nomadix towels from Active Endeavors , and they ended up being one of the MVPs of the entire week.

They fold down incredibly small, weigh almost nothing, dry quickly, and somehow managed to keep up with us through seven days of beaches, hikes, and adventures. We reached for them over and over again.

If you’re looking for quality outdoor gear, Active Endeavors is absolutely worth a visit. I honestly think they’re one of the Quad Cities’ hidden gems.

Thanks for helping make our trip even better. 💛

There are a lot of decisions you make when you start a business.

One of mine was simple.

I don’t believe a person’s identity should determine the price of the exact same service.

That’s why my pricing isn’t based on gender, age, or relationship status.

The only thing that changes my pricing is the number of people attending a session, not who’s sitting in the chair.

Every client receives the same personalized experience, the same expertise, and the same care.

Every person deserves to feel welcome, respected, and seen.

Your Colors. Your Style. Your Rules.

📸: Iowa Photographer

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude.

Not because life has been perfect. It hasn’t.

Some of my hardest seasons have shaped who I am today. Maybe that’s why I’ll always look for the silver lining. I’ll always stop to admire the moon. I’ll always believe there’s something good worth noticing.

And lately, that “something good” has been people.

Every week I meet someone new. Sometimes they sit in my studio. Sometimes we meet at a networking event. Sometimes life just brings our paths together for a moment.

Every single person has a story.

Getting a front-row seat as people recognize their own beauty, their own strength, or simply feel more like themselves…that’s something I’ll never get used to.

I don’t take it for granted.

If our paths have crossed, thank you.

You’ve probably given me just as much as you think I’ve given you.

I’m incredibly grateful this is the life I get to live. 🤍