Summer will be here before we know it and although I dread the thought of pulling my hibernated winter white skin out for all to see, I imagine that these little bow tie bikinis by eva elz might be the perfect way to help me forget about my pasty white legs and remind me that summer is all about fun in the sun.
Would these not be the perfect wedding/honeymoon attire for those warm weather destinations?? LOVE these!
photo cred: {amourouse}
I cried when I realized it this morning.
I cried from exhaustion. Joy. Remorse. Excitement. Relief. Complete astonishment.
Today marks a year. 365 days ago today I said goodbye to the only career I had ever known. I spent 6 years in school to become a registered nurse and a year ago today I walked away. The decision has not been an easy one, and there isn’t a day that goes by when I’m not really scared and frightened by that decision. I left stability. Colleagues. Security. A routine. But for a really really long time I knew that nursing, although incredibly rewarding, was just not where I wanted to exist. Was I happy? Kind of. Was I satisfied on more days than not. Sure. Was I comfortable. Pretty much. But was I the real, true me? Absolutely not. And THAT didn’t sit well with me.
On the day I left nursing I honestly had no idea what the future held for me. I knew I needed something different, but I didn’t really know what that might look like. I knew that my creative ambitions were screaming from my insides but translating that into something successful and just as rewarding seemed like the impossible. 2 weeks after I made the decision to not settle until I found that certain something that fed my soul in an honest and truthful way I took a trip. I packed up a crazy large backpack, said goodbye to my husband and puppy dog and left for 7 weeks. At the time the decision felt really selfish, greedy…maybe even wrong. But my intention was simple: find me. Find what really makes me happy. Find out why for so many years I’d felt hopeless, sad and lost. I set out to open my ears and my eyes to all the things my heart had been saying for so long, to really listen. To really see. And this I felt was a selfless decision, because in my gut I knew it would make me a better person not only for myself but for those who loved me.
I slept in. I watched French music videos to the point of verbal and choreographic memorization. I ate an amazing amount of pastries. I stared at art. I walked and walked and walked. I teared up at the beauty that is Europe. I sang. I grocery shopped. I rode trains. I drank yummy wine. I explored. I laughed with friends and family who visited me. I spent money. I wrote a travel blog. I practiced my French. But mostly I took pictures and wrote. I used my camera to open my eyes to all the things that really inspired me. The things that made me feel alive. And I wrote to hear what my own voice had to say.
Writing and photography never were as important as they were during those 7 weeks. I honestly and miraculously found myself while looking through my camera lens and while writing til’ the wee hours of the morning. I had found the answer I’d always been searching for for so long, and although it scared the crap out of me, I came home and pursued that answer. I started my own business and leapt into the craziness of being an entrepreneur. For the first time in my ENTIRE life, I listened to what MY heart was telling me. Not what anyone or anything else was telling me. And today, I celebrate that. I celebrate being me and for the first time really living.
Thank you to everyone who has supported, pushed, and loved me during this past year. Thank you for not calling me crazy to my face, or telling me to run back to a career that seemed a lot more logical. Thank you for loving me enough to wish the very best for me and for my future. Thank you for cheering me on and for hugging me during those moments when I was really scared. Thank you for being proud of me – this life alteration would not have happened without your support. Thanks for celebrating with me today!
P.S. How crazy fitting is it to have Vanessa & Tony’s wedding featured on SMP today to mark the occasion?!?! So proud of where this past year has led me!
P.S.S. If you’re interested in following the travels the helped me find my way start by clicking here.
year gone by photo captions:
september: moonlighting with paper. realizing that i was suffocating without a creative outlet. jb papier was born.
october: my trip to europe began. i snapped pictures of everything i could. big ben was one of my fav shots.
november: being alive in paris.
december: when i really started carving out my new business. took the leap of faith and admitted that i was ready to start a new journey.
january: bow tie & bustle was born. participated in my very first styled shoot. bun in the oven concept.
february: gathered an amazing team of wedding creatives for montmartre shoot i dreamed up while in france.
march: very first big time feature for my lil’ business on green wedding shoes.
april: vanessa & tony’s wedding in cabo san lucas. my first BIG design and first international destination wedding all wrapped in one.
may: drove a farm table from denver to seattle. started thinking about launching a vintage rental company. scout. was officially launched on august 6th.
june: headed to beverly hills to get my learn on at coordinator confab.
july: felt like a full fledged blogger after attending blogshop in the bay area.
august: one of MANY projects in august: ann & jon’s wedding day.
photo cred: {personal pics and mo hines photography}
Today is a good day. A REALLY good day.
When I first started my event design & styling biz I only had dreams of one day making it to a feature on Style Me Pretty. Style Me Pretty is major. REALLY major. It’s the most popular wedding blog out there, dripping with only the most gorgeously detailed weddings imaginable. It’s the place where every wedding creative I’ve ever met dreams of having their work featured. And it was a BIG dream for me when I started this new business.
Vanessa & Tony’s wedding was quite simply amazing. Not only did I get to create a design and coordinate the day from start to finish, but I got to witness two of the most important people in my life commit their lives to one another. The entire wedding was one of those “out of the body” experiences and today feels much of the same. Today Vanessa & Tony’s wedding is being featured on Style Me Pretty and I could NOT be prouder.
I also am SO SO SO stinkin’ grateful for the photography brilliance of my dear friend Mo. Monica captured Vanessa & Tony’s wedding in the most genuine way…she really captured the beauty that is Vanessa & Tony and I’m so grateful for it!
Head over to SMP today and check out the feature here! Don’t forget to view the entire gallery here to get all the little details!
photo cred: {screen shot from style me pretty}
Event Design, Styling, Floral Concept + Coordination: {bow tie & bustle event design + styling} Wedding Photography: {Mo Hines Photography} Flowers: {Mazarte Florals} Calligraphy: Letters By Ellen / Venue, Catering + Make-up: Cabo Surf Hotel / Paper Goods + Invitations: bow tie & bustle event design + styling / Bride’s Hair: Mandi Rhodes / Wedding Dress: Jim Hjelm / Wedding Cake + Desserts: Cabo Surf Hotel
Filed under Bow Tie & Bustle, Bride & Groom, Bridesmaids, Brights, Business, Buttons, Cabo Surf Hotel, Cabo Wedding, Cakes, Centerpieces, Ceremony, Color Palette, Decor, Design, Dessert, Destination Wedding, Details, Escort Cards, Florals, Menu, Paper, Paper Suite, Prop Styling, Scout Vintage Rental Company, Seattle Event Design, Seattle Wedding Coordinator, Seattle Wedding Design, Seattle Wedding Designer, Seattle Wedding Planner, Style Me Pretty, Tabletop, Travel, Twine, Vintage Finds, Wedding Color Palette, Wedding Dress, Wedding Event, Weddings
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