There’s something about this image that immediately draws me in. It’s been pinned to the bulletin board in my office for the last week and I wanted to share it with you. I’m pretty sure I found it in a recent issue of Allure. The colors, the textures, the layout that references a painter’s palette — I just love it.
Though I try my best to keep my blog updated regularly, realistically it probably only covers 10% of my life. I’m one of those people that’s always strived to keep my online life and everyday life separate — of course there’s always going to be some crossover but I believe that you’ve got to make sure that first and foremost, things are right in real life…because when you turn off your computer, that’s what really matters.
Now, onto some big news I have to share with you. Back in September, Joey and I got hitched! Most of my close friends and family have known for months and I’ve been meaning to make an announcement for quite some time. I’m not one to make excuses but to say that time got away from me is a huge understatement. See, I didn’t take any time off to plan and the day after we got home, I went back to work. Over the last six months, I’ve not only been updating the blog and keeping up with an expanding list of clients but on top of that, I’ve been freelancing at local ad agencies full-time. With so much going on, just the thought of putting this post together left me feeling completely overwhelmed. So I waited. And waited. And now…It’s December?! Really?! So here it is. No more excuses!
Let’s back up to last December. The last week of the year is known to be notoriously slow in the design world. I was actually sitting around at my dad’s house close to this day, working on the revamp of my corporate identity, thinking about what kind of goals I wanted to set for 2010. At the same time, I was scrolling through Facebook and noticed an update from Joey. We’d actually been acquaintances for years but I didn’t know him super well. I’d been trying to branch out and make more friends so I thought, “What the hell. I’ve got nothing to lose. Maybe I’ll see what he’s up to.” I think we literally hung out five times in the following weeks and quickly realized that we were going to be more than friends. It all happened so fast that I jokingly referred to Joey & Rocky as my ‘starter family!’ It was like, “Where did you two come from?!!” Though I’ve never considered myself the marrying type, something felt different. It just felt right. Sometimes you just have to trust your gut.
I’ve always dreaded the idea of a big traditional wedding. I can’t stand diamonds, gold, most flower arrangements, long, flowing dresses and the thought of being in front of a huge crowd makes my stomach turn. It’s just not my thing. I didn’t want the extra stress or to go into a huge amount of debt. So, we decided that Vegas was the answer.
Onto Vegas — Bianca and I flew in from New York, Joey flew in from Portland and we got to work. On our first night, we shot pre-wedding. I wore head-to-toe black to contrast the head-to-toe white I’d be wearing the next day. We kept it simple, shooting around The Venetian.
I think we were finished with pre-wedding in about an hour. Bianca was a pro at directing, working quickly and getting the shots we needed.
I Wore:
Dress, Forever 21
Headband, Forever 21
Seamed Stockings, American Apparel
Necklace, Plastique
Sandals, Chloe
The day of was super busy. I had my hair professionally styled for the first time ever. My inspiration was firmly 60s and my style icon for the day was Priscilla Presley. I love the way she looked with the dark back combed hair and smokey eye makeup when she married Elvis in Vegas. Bianca was staying next door so she came over and took photos as I pulled myself together.
For me, investing in a dress that I could only wear once for a few hours felt ridiculous. I wanted something that I could move around in and that could be worn for future occasions. Gala helped me pick out my vintage 80s era dress on Etsy and it totaled less than $100. My mom helped me pick out the Camilla Skovgaard heels at an astounding 70% off. I think my total ensemble from head-to-toe was less than $300.00 (and I can use it all again).
I Wore:
Vintage Dress, Etsy
Seamed Stockings, American Apparel
Headband, Forever 21
Heels, Camilla Skovgaard
We’d already worn our rings for a few months by this point so they were broken in (or, scuffed.)
When we were walking down the hall, I was so nervous! I had that feeling of, “Okay, this is it!”
Once we were ready, we caught a cab to downtown Vegas. No limo for us!
We got married at a cheap, flamboyant chapel complete with stained carpet and Christmas lights. It was beyond funny. The preacher was a dead ringer for Jon Gosselin and outfitted in a black polyester robe. Every time we made eye contact, I tried not to laugh.
Everything went off without a hitch. It was time to party.
After the ceremony was over, we walked along Las Vegas Blvd, past a steady stream of pawn shops and bail bond places. When we couldn’t seem to catch a cab, Bianca called a car service. They asked her for a landmark and she calmly replied, “We’re standing in front of Xtreme Weed.” Haha.
We got back to the hotel, changed into our swimsuits and hit the pool. There were no guests to entertain and no mess to clean up. It was awesome! 2010 has turned out to be the best year ever both personally and profesionally. I’m thankful that I found my perfect match when I least expected it. It’s funny how that happens! If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading!
This week was spent in Phoenix visiting my mom, feeling the sun on my skin, walking around the mall absorbing the piped in Christmas tunes, drinking one too many Caramel Bruleé Lattes, finding presents for Rocky’s Christmas stocking, (sort of) catching up on work and emails, teaching my mom how to tie scarves, watching trashy reality TV shows, taking long walks down perfectly paved roads leading to nowhere, mentally compiling a list of 2011 goals and enjoying some much needed quiet time.
As much as I love visiting Phoenix, it’s nice to be back home with the rest of my family. Thanks for coming along on my mini visual adventure! Have a happy, festive & productive weekend and I’ll see you Monday!
• What’s your take on Comedy Central’s new identity? Their previous logo, while visually interesting, felt very 90s to me. Maybe people are reacting badly to their new one because it’s a few years ahead of the curve?
• Smashing Magazine’s What Font Should I Use? is worth a read.
• I love this photo, a snapshot of The Beatles right before they crossed the street for Abbey Road.
• Steve Pavlina just released all of his copyrights. What do you think about this? I’m blown away but in a sense, it must be a very freeing feeling.
• My favorite shoe store in Portland, Halo, has just opened their new boutique in the Pearl.
• I love taking a peek into vintage logo books. American Trademark Designs is full of retro gems!
• Even the Statue of Liberty has been exposed. This magazine cover is a sign of the times.
• Perhaps the classiest condom packaging in the universe!
As December speeds by at an ever frantic pace, setting new goals for 2011 has been on my mind over the last few days. I’ve always been big on setting goals because that affirmation of what you want is the first step towards making your dreams a reality.
As you compile your list of goals, it’s important to stop making excuses. What is keeping you from doing what you want to do? A feeling of not being good enough? Anxiety? A lack of money? A fear of the unknown?
There are people who always talk about what they’re going to do and then there are those who do it. Do you want to be a talker or would you rather put that energy towards making your dream a reality? Reaching your goals isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s that journey that builds character and life experience.
How do you get from point A to point B? Usually, it’s a series of very small steps. Very rarely does overnight success happen — ask almost any successful person and (if they’re telling the truth) they’ll admit that it took them years to reach their goal. Some people go out of their way to make it look effortless but get them one-on-one and you may actually glimpse what goes on behind the scenes!
The secret of reaching your goals comes down to knowing exactly what you want. Because, if you know what you want, you can formulate a plan and set the wheels in motion. Without that vision, it’s easy to lose focus and to become discouraged. It’s okay if your goals grow and change with time but having that initial goal fuels action.
Though a library’s worth of books have been written about achieving goals, I don’t think that it’s as complicated and drawn out as they would like you to believe. If you truly believe that you’re capable of achieving your goals and you’re exceptionally determined, you will somehow find a way, no matter what. It’s been proven time and again. The power of the mind and positive thought should never be underestimated.
Dream big. Put your plan into action. Make it happen.