Life In My Thirties - Year One

As my birthday slowly creeps up on me this weekend,it's still crazy to think that I'm about to complete to complete my first year in my 30's. Gunna keep this blog post short and sweet by telling you what I learned in my 30th year.

 
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Do the things that scare you. πŸ˜± 

There are tons of things that quite frankly I'm scared of. One of those things was dying my hair. I went twenty-eight years on this earth without having even tried putting color into my hair at least once...even in that highlight phase everyone went through during their teenage years. At age 29, I marinated on the idea of dying my hair, but the damaging effects scared the crud out of me. I tried to use the semi-permanent dye, but with my naturally brown locks, it just wasn't possible to get the red I wanted. I came to the conclusion there was only one way to really get the look I wanted. So, I did it. 😁  And somehow in what felt like a natural flow of occurrences, Purple also showed up in my color palette. And you know what...I couldn't be happier. πŸ¦„  #mylittleponystatus #redandpurplehairdontcare

God's plan on your life holds supreme over the opinions of others. πŸ™ŒπŸ» πŸ‘πŸ»

At my age and seemingly in my culture, if you aren't married or have children yet, something is wrong with you. Although I have been happily married for some time, "The Great Baby Debate" has been a seemingly key topic amongst some family and friends. While I'm not going to divulge anything in this post about our plans on having wee ones, I'll say this: The topic is old and you need to find new conversations to have with those who fall into either category - Unwed or Childless.  You as the reader may think I'm being harsh, but I am speaking for myself and others in this life stage. I'm going to channel six-year-old Monique, who would quote the best characters of all 90's sitcoms and say that this topic, quite frankly, is none of your beeswax and quite frankly how rude it is to bring it up (while flipping her ponytail and sassily walking out of the room). By continually questioning folks about this, you are stealing their joy in the season they are in. Yes...essentially telling your loved ones that their lives are completely unfulfilled unless they have these life stages checked off on their list. God has a plan for all of our lives already written. Whether it includes these life stages in them or not, it is not for you to instigate and continually question someone on something that may be completely out of their own control or just not in their current season in life.  

Live your life in the now. Later may not happen. βœ¨

By no means do I mean that you should rush to your nearest tattoo shop and get some fresh, insensible ink. I mean if there is something in life you want to do badly enough, try for it. If you have felt called to sing, go for it. If you feel like you are unhappy at your 9 to 5 and have a dream of having another career, set plans and steps to make it happen. If you want to travel the world and no magic carpet to take you there, remember we use airplanes, trains, and automobiles to get there too. 🌎 We only have one life to live, friends. Let's make that dash on our tombstone be more than just a simple grammatical punctuation.

Ok, I'm jumping off of my seemingly small soapbox in hopes that you've been encouraged or been able to take away something from my experience in this new life chapter. I'm going to, hopefully, enjoy as much Carvel Ice Cream Cake and time with the peeps I love. Happy, Happy Birthday to Me. πŸŽ‚ βœ¨

Why Sharing Is Not Always Caring - Invites + Disneyland

Photo Credit: Dipp Photography  (And before you say anything...don't fret. This is a sample.)

Photo Credit: Dipp Photography  (And before you say anything...don't fret. This is a sample.)

I've always been surprised at the countless photos on Instagram or Facebook that have invitations to weddings and parties that haven't happened yet. It makes me cringe. I begin to panic and have terrible images floating in my head of wedding crashers, uninvited family, friends or coworkers appearing at the event expecting a seat and a meal to boot. OR EVEN WORSE... EX's and ILL WISHERS (aka Haters) who want only to ruin one of the most important days in a couple's life. 

This is such a concern to couples. So much so that I was having a conversation about it with a group of vendors the other day and, surprisingly, some didn't think it was such a big deal. This is when I brought up something that I'm going to tell you about and it all has to do with Walt Disney and Disneyland's Opening Day. 

Photo Credit: Loomis Dean / Time & Life Pictures / Getty Pictures

Photo Credit: Loomis Dean / Time & Life Pictures / Getty Pictures

Yup, you would think even back in the 50's, Walt Disney would have crossed his i's and dotted his t's when it came to the opening of his brand new park, Disneyland. Truth be told, no one had ever created a park like this. There were no guidelines, just a guy making one big dream come true (literally). Needless to say, there was a ton of buzz about the opening and 6,000 private invitations were sent out to people of the press, studio workers, sponsors, construction workers and their families.

On July 17, 1955, more than 30,000 guests walked through the gates of Disneyland to encounter more than just a food shortage problem. Counterfeit tickets had been sold and there was even a story about a newspaper reporter printing the invitation to the event on the front page of their paper a few days before the event. Needless to say that the extra influx of uninvited guests amongst other issues that occurred that day made for a disastrous moment in Disney history. As we can now see today, they were able to make it through that day, but not without it's pitfalls. 

Hence, this is why I don't post invitations prior to our client's events. I may post a small sneak peek or process photos, but I try my best not to let the cat out of the bag by posting specific details. By doing so, I am able to keep my social media fresh while also showing you all the hard work that goes into creating these important pieces to your big day. 

Justine & Ryan - A Rusty Pelican Wedding

Justine was one of the wonderful brides we met at a bridal show over at the Rusty Pelican. As it would turn out, Justine was marrying her one and only, Ryan, and host her guests to a delicious Sunday Brunch 🍳 πŸ₯“ πŸ₯ž 🍀 (which the Rusty Pelican is famous for). Looking for something simple and clean, we stuck to keeping the invitation printed on white stock, but integrating a Gold Leaf Pocket to take Justine's invitation up a notch. πŸ₯‚

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After finishing up her invitation suite, we began working on Justine's wedding day paper goods. One detail that I'm especially excited about was the personalized place settings for each guest. The extra touch of calligraphy added a thoughtful touch that would surprise guests once they arrived at their tables to mimosa and brunch (Like wine and dine? Anyone?). 🍾  Scroll below to see more details from Justine and Ryan's big day.

I'm so excited that we were able to design a custom suite that would personify the clean, modern design Justine and Ryan were looking for. Wishing these newlyweds a life full of love and laugher. πŸ˜˜ β˜ΊοΈ

Vendors

Venue - Rusty Pelican

Photography - Alan Phillip Photography

Dress - Brides of Florida

Suit - Calvin Klien from Macys

Florals - Blooming Gardens

Invitations, Paper Goods, + Calligraphy - Only One Mark, Inc. (US!! 😍)

Hair + Makeup - Bombshell Makeover Makeup Chris Richards

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Ace Props House Elopement - A Styled Shoot

There are so many details to this one shoot that sing by itself...but oh...how the painted leather jacket does #slay!!😍  I'm so happy that Christy from Christy V. & Co asked me to join in on this throw back to the glamor of  60's Rock & Roll inspired weddings of the past. Girl, your ideas are magic. 

I'm proud to announce that we have been featured on Green Wedding Shoes!!

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To quote the King 🎀...

 
β€œWise men say
Only fools rush in
But I can’t help falling in love with you”
— Elvis Presley

Click the link below to see the full feature!!

Vendors

Planner - Christy V and Co.

Photography - Andrielle Photography

Video - Esteban Hernandez

Florals - Simple Florals

Furniture + Venue - Ace Props House + Studios

Calligraphy - Only One Mark, Inc. (US!! 😍)

Tabletop - The Mix Dish

Hair + Makeup - Kristen Fortier

Dress - Island Tribe

Head Piece: Julhia Fischer

Bow Tie - TV-Head Company

Cake + Sweets - Elsie's Flour Shop

Models - Elisa + Johnny Lara

Behind the Scenes - Project NM

Ummm...and how could I not share what these moments looked like in action! Click the video below!!πŸ‘‡πŸ»