Love

Peony for President

0 · Nov 8, 2016 ·

Sometimes I like to live in this blissful little bubble filled with peonies and silk ribbons. I like the stare at the autumn leaves and think that the pending winter season should be the biggest worry on my mind. And that quickly turns my thoughts to roaring fires and big fluffy snowflakes gracefully making their way to the ground. The world can be a really beautiful place.

Photography: Samantha James Photography

A quick shot of reality will remind me that life isn’t all chiffon streamers, brass candlesticks and Chantilly lace. Flowers don’t fill everyone’s world. And this election has surfaced a whole bunch of ugly around us.

There’s a lot of banter out there regarding who one should be voting for. I’m not here to share my political views. I’ve never considered myself political whatsoever, even though I do have strong opinions on certain matters. I’m not going to stand on a soapbox and preach about voting one way or another. I have my morals and values and in the end, only one candidate even remotely aligns with those.

I feel like this election has surfaced a lot of judgement and nasty comments on both sides. There’s a huge push to get us all to the poles and exercise the right we have to vote. But there’s another right that we all have – and we didn’t have to fight wars or preach of equal rights to earn it. It’s the right to love one another.

That’s not to be misinterpretted as marriage equality or romance or any of those topics that I’m not chatting about today, but rather the command given to us all “Love your neighbor as yourself.” [Mark 12:31] What if we all stopping judging one another’s ideas, tastes and opinions and just loved. We could love the widows and the orphans, the seniors and young, the rich and the homeless, the sinners and those who sin a little less. Loving means the end of anger and hate. It doesn’t mean we have to agree with everyone but showing compassion to their point of view and humbling ourselves would be a good start. Go vote and then love your neighbor unconditionally, regardless of what his yard sign says.

I don’t have control over who ultimately wins this election. But I do have control over my own actions – actions I took to voice my opinion by voting and then how I react regardless of the outcome. I can do my small part to make this world a more beautiful and loving place. I maintain my position that the peony is one of the most beloved and agreeable flowers. I’m voting peony for president.

The New Brand Conundrum

0 · Jul 25, 2014 ·

I’ve been working with Anchor & Ink on a new logo design for a couple months now. Chelsi oozes talent – her painting, her lettering, it’s all simply fabulous.

I approached her because I don’t feel my current logo, and complete branding/business for that matter, truly represent me. Now I know I’ve rambled on before about my style, etc. but it’s hard sometimes to dig deep and recognize who you really are and what you really want. And on top of that, I think who you are evolves over time – a time that might be shorter than you think.

I have never been a fan of pink. I mean it’s cute, fun and at times romantic but it’s never really been my cup of tea. But for some reason a couple years ago I was crushing on it, hard. So I have pink business cards and doses of it scattered throughout my website. Did I deviate from who I am or was there a time where I actually was that person? I think my old self is starting to creep back and suddenly the only place I want to see pink is in flowers and on my baby girl. But I’m still very open to working and creating with the color as it seems to keep sneaking into my events. Blush and gold seems to be every bride’s fantasy and I’m perfectly alright with that.

So where does that leave me? Well that’s a question I’ve been asking for a while now. Designing a logo is hard. I’m a difficult client. Hmph.

This is my current branding, which I am reevaluating after much much much soul searching. I’m digging deep to figure out who I am and who I want this business of mine to represent. But in the end here’s what I’ve discovered when it comes to marketing — I’d rather go play with flowers!

All pictures by the wonderful Bradley James Photography.

Soon, very soon, I’ll show you what’s in the final works. I just put my big girls pants on and made a couple of decisions — because it’s the middle of wedding season, what else do I have going on right now???

Reality Check

0 · Apr 15, 2013 ·

I had a bad day today. Baby girl was being super fussy, I was late for a meeting with a client (which I hate, hate, hate!) and I was trying to get some work done and figure out what to blog. On top of it all, I was working on finances, which is stressful in both my personal and business life. I’m trying to build a business based on love, commitment and happily ever after – not an easy task when you’re having a “bad” day.

And then I was faced with a huge reality check. The news is blasting stories about the tragedy in Boston. Life is suddenly put back into perspective. I am having a bad day? I don’t think so! I cannot imagine living through an event such as the disaster at the Boston Marathon. What evil has overcome the world?

There are people every day that live in constant fear and uncertainty. Victims of hurricane Sandy are still homeless, parents in Newton are still childless and those in Boston are being warned to stay away from crowds and stay indoors because who knows what will happen next. In a flash, life was changed forever.

Meanwhile, I am nice and warm on my sofa staring at flowers and home décor ideas, wishing my Pottery Barn pillows were a different color. What a spoiled little American I am!

While we cannot live our lives in constant fear, we also need to realize that any moment could be our last. Snuggle with your children, your husband/significant other and don’t push those relationships away. Don’t put things off until tomorrow. Call your mom. Have the lonely neighbor over for coffee. Tell your sister that you love her. Nurture broken relationships. Find balance in your work and personal lives. Sign off from social media and have a real conversation with someone. Do not take tomorrow for granted and make every moment count.

This pep talk is designed to be motivation for myself, just as much as anyone else. Yes, I am guilty of not taking my own advice. But stop and think, what are the moments in life that I am missing?

Just a few Instagram moments that I am glad I did not miss this month… I have the best family! What moments are you thankful for???

Bunnies, Baskets & Hope

0 · Apr 1, 2013 ·

As I was sitting in church Easter Sunday, thinking about the violent and gruesome details surrounding the death of our Savior, I could not help but wonder where did this cheery, pastel, Easter bunny, egg loving version of Easter come from? While I do agree that Easter is a cheerful occasion, as the darkness that overtook the earth on Friday was overcome by the light of Sunday morning, I’m just not sure that celebrating with bunnies and baskets is the correct approach to the holiday.

So naturally, I did what any curious American would do, I Googled it. Where did these Easter traditions come from? Here’s a snapshot of our Easter traditions, and if you’d like to read more, you can do so here.

Bunnies, Eggs & Baskets:

The bunny first arrived in the Americans in the early 1700s, brought over by German tradition. The German children that settled in Pennsylvania created nests for the bunny to lay his colored eggs in. As time wore on, the nest eventually transitioned to baskets and the eggs were accompanied by chocolate and other gifts.

Why a bunny? Rabbits are an ancient symbol of fertility and new life, which is appropriate for a spring holiday. Eggs are yet another symbol of this and are often associated with pagan springtime festivals. From a Christian perspective, this symbol of new life represents Christ rising from the dead or the stone rolled of the tomb. Decorating eggs dates back to the 13^th century when eggs were a forbidden food during the Lenten season. Since Easter marks the end of Lent, the eggs were decorated and then eaten on Easter Sunday.

The Hope:

But what Easter really brings is hope. Hope to all of mankind and is a reminder of a love so strong, it overcame the grave. It is a reminder to me, that I’m not in control, that God is and has a greater plan and vision for me and he loves me. I am not going to lie, I get discouraged and feel like there is no point in moving forward. But yesterday was a reminder that He keeps His promises. Use your talents for a greater good, because your story is not over yet.

May your day be filled with hope!

{Steps to the Altar} Defining Yourself

0 · Mar 21, 2013 ·

Do you know who you are? I mean, really know who you are??? Think about what makes you tick, your motivation in life and where you are headed down the road. Now list three words or phrases that describe you (don’t think real long, just quick, what first jumps into your mind?)

Was one of those words wife, girlfriend or fiancé? Do you like the sound of that? Was his name placed in front of that (ex: I am Josh’s wife… not just wife)? How does that make you feel?

Alright, I will stop with all the questioning, but I have a point. Recently, I have been in several scenarios where I was asked to tell a little about myself. My response is almost becoming robotic: wife, mother and small business owner with a Hospitality and Tourism Management degree… blah blah blah. But who cares? Is this how I am defined? Is being Josh’s wife what defines me? Wife is the first thing that comes to mind…

I read this quote yesterday from The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman, and it made this all come together so well, “…ancient biblical writings spoke of the husband and wife becoming one flesh. That did not mean that individuals would lose their identity; it meant that they would enter into each other’s lives in a deep and intimate way.”

In order not to lose my identity, I had to first know who I am without Josh. I rarely say I am Josh’s wife, that would imply that he owns me (for those of you who are a little less grammatical the apostrophe implies ownership). I say that I am a wife, and we do belong together, but we are a team. This is not an ownership game with us; it’s a life that we have built together. That’s how we entered this marriage. I can comfortably say this because I can still define myself without the use of my husband’s name; I know who I am, even if I do choose to label myself as “wife”.

Before you get caught up in the romance of an engagement and fulfilling your lifelong dream to walk down an aisle in a big white princess dress, make certain you know who you are and you have clearly established your own individuality. Ensure you know what you are bringing to this marriage and what you expect in return. Think of your dreams and aspirations (outside of love), will you be able to achieve these once you are married? Will you be able to work together to make these goals happen? Or will you be asked to give these up? Will you feel stifled and unhappy if you do have to give them up? This may lead to resentment towards your spouse which may not end in a happy marriage.

Photo by Kelly Lynne Photography

I am by no means an expert on the issue of marriage, so take my words lightly. I just want to encourage you to know who you are, and not lose your inner glow once you walk down the aisle. The perfectness of the “in-love” feeling is not going to last forever. But it can be the foundation for something a whole lot bigger and better. All relationships require a little give and take. Just take care that they are the right sacrifices and you wouldn’t be left feeling empty and wanting more later on.

Now stop ready silly wedding blogs and go get married! It’s time to make your own happily ever after!!!

Love this Contest

0 · Mar 1, 2013 ·

What’s in that box??? I’ll get to that, but first…

I need to say thank you! I am so stickin’ excited about the launch of my new website last week and my blog this week… I’m still over here doing a happy dance, and I can’t seem to wipe this silly grin off my face! I have received such positive feedback and so much support from my friends and family, as well as people I barely know… Thank you!

In celebration of this, before this month of love officially comes to an end, I am looking for an amazing love story. It could be a sappy tale of love at first sight, a fairytale romance or maybe your meet cute is a little more humorous. Either way, I want to hear about it!

And now the good part, the best story gets this box! Inside this box is an emergency kit for your wedding day. I promise it’s not as lame as it sounds, there’s some good stuff packed in here, necessities for any bride and some things you might want just because. I know wedding season is drawing near (which means your special days is almost here!), have you thought about what you should make sure you have handy on your wedding day? More details about the exact contents are coming soon, but in the meantime send your stories to hello@eventsbythedaysdesign.com. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Love

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