THOUGHTS TUESDAY (on a Saturday): 5-Month Milestone Check-In

I haven't written a blog post in a long time. No complaints there though because it just means we've been busy. Like crazy busy and that's a good thing. "I hate being busy and having work to do," said the 26 year old entrepreneur never. So a few days ago I was reflecting on 2015... our business, our personal lives, the ways I've grown, the ways I still need to grow, friends, life in general, everything. And I started to jot down some notes about things. So rather than tuck those notes away and forget about them... I am going to write a damn blog post, because its about time. And along the way I added in some pictures from my favorite styled shoot we've ever done, our spring bridal editorial, Sarah & Joe (our best friend's) wedding, and maybe one of my favorite shots from Jahziel & Ignacio's wedding this past spring. And here we go, my 5-month milepost reflection. And go.

So if you know about our business and team at all you will know that we currently have an Australian trainee here all the way from the west coast of Perth. Nic is not only an incredible hard worker but she is a best friend and someone who I have learned a lot from without even really knowing it. She has changed my perspective on things in some huge ways. And I know she is going to change the way Ivory & Beau is in a huge way too. We have a lot of things underway and I think that's also what sparked me to take notes of where we are now. She isn't the only one responsible for the things I'm going to write, that would be unfair to all the other incredible people in my life that I have become so close to, but she's definitely one of the main contributors. Allie (our other roommate), Sarah & Joe (our newlywed couple friends), Daniel (one of our best friends, who is also eerily and creepily the male version of myself), Wendy (an amazing photographer and friend), Adrienna (my other half kitty cat boss), McKenzie & Lauren (our badass assistants), Savannah (my best friend outside of the industry)... I could seriously go on but I'm not going to. If I love you then you better know I love you... and if you don't know that I love you, well I'm going to guess it's because I didn't hug you very well last time I saw you. But c'mon everybody who knows me knows you can't take that personally because I am the absolute worst hugger in the existence of the world, maybe even worse than people who don't hug, likes monks and umm other people who don't hug? Moving on, so since I'm a list person here are some of the things I reflected on, learned about, thought about, whatever...

1. Traveling and experiences are important. Maybe one of the most important things to me. And I think sometimes I forget to take advantage of opportunities when they come knocking. You make excuses like, oh no I can't do that I have to work or oh no I can't afford that. Nic is responsible for this one... she is over here and wants to make the most of life while she is here. And I said no to a few adventures and I will now never say no again. Just because I think well not this time but maybe next time but the harsh reality is... there will never be a next time. And if there is it won't be the same. Say yes now, open your heart and your mind to new adventures and exploring. Its good for the soul. It keeps you sane. Austin, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee to Palm Springs, California to New York to Asheville, North Carolina we will be exploring all over while combining these adventures with some big dreams we have.

2. Have fun, laugh, be light, be silly, don't take life too seriously when you don't need to. Of course there are times you need to be serious but even in those moments be positive about the situation. In moments when you are hurting, sad, depressed, be light. One of my absolute favorite things about myself and my friends is that we are just silly and happy people. I even told Nic this morning... the thing I love about SnapChat and My Story on there is that when I'm having a bad day I can always rely on going back and watching My Story and seeing the things we laughed about during the day. Even when the day might not be going our way... there is always something that we laughed about. Life is way too short for drama. So get rid of people in your life who are life-sucking-drama-loving people. They will hurt your soul.

3. Don't stop dreaming. I think this is the biggest one that I realized recently. I felt myself starting to coast, feeling like I've made it, I'm doing great, whatever. I haven't done anything yet, keep going, keep dreaming, reach further, climb higher, life has so much more to give to those who seek it. I have told life it hasn't given me enough yet, I want to succeed, climb that mountain. Keep on going and keep on climbing. There is more. I will never reach the end where there isn't something more to do. Don't ever stop dreaming of what next, how to be better, how to grow our business, what obstacle we can tackle next, there is another challenge out there... and another after that... and another. I don't ever want to stop seeking those challenges. Its those challenges that will keep us going and keep us from just coasting. All those things I dream about? We are capable... just keep dreaming bigger than we think we are capable of and we will see that hey, we're tougher and better than we ever even knew we were or believed we were.

4. Friends are better than a giant bowl of ice cream. They keep me sane and are so crucial. Having a healthy personal/social life is so important. They are my life line so I need to be open to making new friends, keeping friends, I never know when I'll need a friend. Maybe my love life isn't the best, but my friends have become the loves of my life and happiness has found me. For awhile I was closed off to letting new people in, thought I had all the friends I needed or wanted. But meeting new people in these past few months has been such an incredible experience for me and something I maybe wasn't always that great at doing. I was closed off but now I'm not and it's great. Almost slightly addicting making new friends and becoming close to new people. There is so much that can be learned from every single person you meet. So in the words of Allie, "I just treat every new person I meet as my best friend even though they don't know it yet."

5. Capture it all. Any of you that are my Facebook friend, Instagram follower, Snapchat friend know that I am obsessed with capturing it all. I take way too many pictures every day. Not just of special occasions but of every single day, because maybe every single day is special and deserves being captured. I love reliving my life through pictures, because it's just that good. These moments are just so good and so worth it. I'm not even saying that to sound conceited because I bet if you too stopped and captured all the silly crazy moments you would realize that your life is that good too. Every moment, every day only happens once so think of that way. That being said... insert note to brides and grooms... spend money on a good photographer if nothing else at all. That is all you have left!!!!!! I could write a million blog posts on the importance of good photographers... but I'll save it for another day.

And that's all she wrote. Thanks for reading friends and strangers who might someday be my friend. Short ginger kid out.

{Photo Credits} Bike via Apt B Photography taken at The Brice // Brides via Laura Fulmer Photography taken at Ships of the Sea Museum // Bustling the Dress via Alexis Sweet Photography taken at Brockington Hall // Ice Cream Sandwiches via Apt B Photography taken at The Brice // Dancing with the Bride via Alexis Sweet Photography taken at Brockington Hall // Jahziel & Ignacio via Six Hearts Photography

{MAKING THINGS HAPPEN} Progress Not Perfection #2

Life is too short... to rush into things.
Life is too short... to work yourself to death.
Life is too short... to let regret rule your thoughts.
Life is too short... to let your mistakes make you doubt yourself.
Life is too short... to not follow your core.
Life is too short... to push God out of your life when He wants in so bad.

Progress not perfection. This thought was repeated many times at the Making Things Happen Conference this last spring. And I didn't really "believe" or "understand" that concept until a co-worker said something to me today. An older lady at my part-time job and I were talking about the concept of "bridezillas." And I said that I think the idea of a bridezilla comes from television perpetuating that this kind of behavior is alright or acceptable. Well, she had a different idea. She said that our society and our age group these days are taught from a young age that we can have and be whatever we want. And it's so true, well for me at least. My dad always told me that if I work hard I can have and be whatever I want. But she said that so many people seem to forget or not emphasize the work hard part... that to have and be whatever you want you also have to work hard. And not just hard, but I mean really really hard. And it's not going to be easy. It's going to be really really hard at times. And you are going to fail. But that doesn't mean you should give up. It just means you gotta keep working really really hard. And you gotta learn from all your mistakes and make yourself better. You gotta put in the hard work to succeed.

Now that being said... let's rewind a little bit. When I came home from Making Things Happen I was so happy. Genuinely happy. I started appreciating the little things, walking my dog in the morning, journaling, reading Bible verses while drinking my morning coffee with vanilla, blogging before spending hours e-mailing, getting all my e-mails done before doing anything else, getting "off" at 4pm just in time to make dinner for my man, relaxing after work and watching TV while we unwind. But I got lost somewhere. I let fear of failure overcome me. I let worry overcome me too. I forgot that there is a reason I am where I am in life. I forgot that I can be happy at this place that I am in my life. I forgot my core, the reason that I am doing what I'm doing. I forgot that place. And it's time to get back to that place again. Because that place is a better place. That is a place that I want to be in, because that is the place where my work will thrive because that is the place where I will be working from my core. And that is the place where I can live a full life.

I love reading Lara Casey's blog because it's so empowering and encouraging. And today I came to this post and I felt myself nodding along to every single sentence, because that's where I'm at lately. But this is not permanent because I will not let it be permanent. Tomorrow I will do something. Something that I love to do. Something that I am passionate about. Something that will bring me back to my core. Something that makes me happy and lights my heart on fire. What is that you ask? It's a surprise and if all goes according to plan I'll post some pictures of it tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!

Another thing coming tomorrow... Part 2 of I'm Engaged, now what!?!?! Trust me you will want to check in for this one!!!!! It's all about the "B" word...............

{MAKING THINGS HAPPEN} Progress Not Perfection

Boy a lot has changed since I attended the Making Things Happen conference a few weeks ago. We were challenged to not fully share our experience, and I have every intention of abiding by that but I still want to say I feel really good. Not just really good, I mean I feel really great. I have been so productive, so refreshed, and so ready to do the things I want to be doing. Anyway, this post is about the progress I have made as well as some of the business changes I am working on making. Progress not perfection. It doesn't happen overnight, right?

First things first, I have started to work on changing my habits and am working on changing my business hours. One of the biggest things I realized at Making Things Happen is that it's not all about work. I need to make time for myself, for my boyfriend and our relationship, for the home we are creating together, for our animals, for relaxing, for time away from social media, and most importantly time away from work. I mean seriously think about it. How can I be helping couples get married if my relationship itself is falling apart, not that it is because it's not but it was not in the best of places before this conference. This is really hard to admit, but honestly before that conference he was not my top priority, nor was my health or my pets. Work came first always. Before the MTH conference I was checking my e-mail constantly. I mean my cell phone was on constant streaming so if I got an e-mail it was instantly sent to my phone and would instantly notify me. And I would feel this intense stress right away that oh my gosh I have an e-mail, I need to attend to it, ahhh what do I do I'm not at my computer, there are 4 calls I have to make before I can write this person back, but I am in the grocery store with my boyfriend trying to shop for dinner, ahhhh what do I do!? It was rough guys. I mean real rough. Not fun, real stressful. I think the first thing I did when I got home from the conference was turn off the instant stream of e-mails to my phone. Now I have to manually update it to see what is new in my inbox. This has been so incredible and it's funny how such a little change has made such a huge impact on my peace of mind.

So instead of constantly getting an influx of e-mails, I have set my business hours to 9am-5pm. The best part about this?? When I go to my e-mail inbox, and sit down, and go through my e-mails (oldest to newest), I have the time to sit down, read the e-mail thoroughly, attend to the e-mail whether it's calling a vendor, looking up pricing information, sending them referrals, then that e-mail goes directly into the client's folder in my e-mail. I update their client account with the information, add a to-do on my checklist if necessary, and voile. I do this repeatedly until there are not even one single e-mail in my main inbox. Completely clean. Completely attended to. Done. The craziest part about this? When you really focus and really get down to business, you would be so surprised at how quickly you can get stuff done. I have never since I took over this business ever felt so accomplished and so on top of things. And to be even more honest, I don't think there's been one single day where I haven't "gotten off work" after 3pm. Because when I focus and set my mind to it I make things happen so that after 5pm the only living beings that get my attention are Chris, Winnie and Tigger.

More focused time for business + more time for family minus all work distractions = refreshed, happy Nicole. I have been able to remember why I love weddings in the first place. It's about love. And at the end of the day I have to say I would be a big ass scam if I didn't believe that love was the most important thing. It is such a relief to remember this, and to remember the reason I love what I do. It's because I love love stories and I believe that love never fails. And at the end of the day I gotta focus on my relationship and my love or else I will become some crazy bitter jealous wedding planner who secretly resents my clients that are in love and happy and I'm not in love and I'm not happy. I deserve love and happiness too and I want that too just as much as I want that for my clients. Because then when I'm working with my clients I don't have to worry about my messed up relationship and instead I am super happy in love and super happy they are in love too. I'm being real here guys. Trust me, I'm not a good liar. I can't even fake laugh without it being very obvious that I am not real laughing. It's like this weird awkward HUUh-HUuuH-HUUUH sound. And oh hey... can you spot me in that picture below? I'm the big goof smiling in that one picture + then again see me rocking my cool Frye cowboy boots and writing like a fiend!? Soo... anyways...


The second big change I've been working on is my client experience. The first matter of business was creating a more simplified means of helping clients plan their wedding. I recently implemented a new online tool to organize all of my weddings into separate wedding accounts so that me and my clients can access it, make changes, make updates, etc. So far I have gotten pretty good feedback regarding the new tool and I am super excited about it! (If you are my client reading this thinking... uh I hate it Nicole, well seriously please let me know because I want feedback along the way so I can improve my business processes!) The second matter of business was client gift bags. Gosh I have to admit this has been on my to-do list for way too long. But with a little help from the MTH girls, some suggestions for good resources, and a few hours online shopping putting together all the little details... I am excited to say that all of the supplies to put these together are officially ordered and on their way here! And if you are my client get excited because you'll be the first to get a sneak peak of the new logo + brand when you get your gift bags!!!!

Big thank you to all the women who made the Making Things Happen Conference such an incredible experience! You have all truly touched my life and helped me realize the ways I can make my life so much more fulfilling and better! Pretty sure I'll never stop thinking about the impact this conference made on my life... but really... :) Happy weekend ya'll!!! I have a busy day tomorrow with our 2nd wedding of the year, like us on Facebook or follow me on Instagram for some sneak peaks!

{MAKING THINGS HAPPEN} What is your core?

Yesterday I drove 6 hours home back to Savannah from Chapel Hill, NC after the Making Things Happen Conference was over. About 10 minutes before I got home I was thinking about some of the things I had learned at the conference. And one of the major components is figuring out your core. What fires you up. What you love. And I keep coming back to the desert. Why the desert? That makes no sense. I'm from OREGON. I grew up in the rainiest non-desert like environment ever. Then I went to college in WASHINGTON. Even more rainy and more non-desert like. But still, there is just something about the desert. And not just that, but things that remind me of the desert. Arrows, antlers, bohemian styles, aztec, southwestern, Mexican food, more arrows, more antlers, cactuses, succulents, desert sunsets, the colors of the desert, etc. But I kept telling myself shit that makes no sense. Your core cannot be a place! Your core has to be something meaningful, something deep, like real deep. Something real, something you can't see but something you feel. Then it hit me.

The desert is my core because of the memories that come with it. The feelings I get when I think about the desert. The desert is my core because of the way it makes me feel and the things it reminds me of. From the memories I have as a kid running around a deserted island somewhere along the Williamette with my dad pretending we are indians, to going on this Don Juan Trek (I think that's what it was called but I most likely am wrong) in the desert as a kid with my dad and family friends and going on long hikes in the desert in Arizona, to listening to my dad telling me about growing up in Phoenix, to listening to my dad telling me about driving back and forth during the summers from the desert to California where he went to college and how he would roll down the windows and take in the desert air, to visiting Chet (my dad's college friend) in Arizona at his house in the desert, to enjoying Spring Break in Palm Springs, to going to Mexico and staying in a tent in the middle of the desert in Tijuana, Mexico two summers in a row on a mission trip to build houses for underprivileged families and learning the word of God everyday, to driving cross country with my boyfriend and staying at the Grand Canyon Ranch in a little cabin and sitting under the stars by the fire listening to an old guy play country songs on his guitar, to exploring the Grand Canyon with Chris and feeling so small yet so in love.

That is my core. It's not the desert. It's the history, the feelings, the memories, the love, the stories, the family that is my core. Thinking of the desert brings me home, to a younger place. Thinking of the desert reminds me of my dad, who actually grew up in the desert and reminds me I am my father's daughter in so many ways. He built me into the person I am today, and I am grounded in the person he is. Thinking of the desert brings me joy in my relationship, reminds me of the moments that I fell in love with Chris all over again, the moments that meant so much to me, the moments that I knew he was the guy for me. Thinking of the desert brings me peace, and happiness, and joy. And just makes me smile.

Now this brings me back to Making Things Happen. At this point you are probably wondering why does this matter? Well, let me tell you why. Because to be fulfilled, to live a wholesome life you must follow your core. And no this does not mean I am going to up and move to the desert. But this does mean that I need to understand what fires me up and how I can translate that into my business. So if love, family, memories, stories, relationships fire me up and are my core... then, those need to be my focus when working with clients. If the weddings I am helping couples with are not focused around those things then I am failing. So moving forward, I strive to focus my couples on what matters. It is not just about pretty flowers and pretty decorations, it is about sharing your story, and making a wedding memory that is focused on you, your fiance, your family and friends, and the things that matter most. I mean, sure we all love the pretty, but wouldn't you so much rather have friends leaving your wedding thinking wow, that was so unexpected, and so... them. Well, that's what I want for you and that's what I want to do for you. With that being said... here is some visualization for what brings me back to my core...

{Photo Credits} Bride & Groom via Jose Villa // Bouquet via The Sweetest Occasion, photography by Half Orange // Bride in Desert via Green Wedding Shoes, photography by Leo Patrone // Tablescape via Once Wed, photography by Charlie Star // Drink Cart via Ruffled, photography by Brushfire Photography

{MAKING THINGS HAPPEN} Goal Setting Part 3

Gosh, this post comes way late now as I am preparing for tomorrow. And it becomes very clear what is not my 2013 vision... staying up super late to get work done because I've been working 8-9 hour days at my part-time job is not how I want 2013 to be. Because the last thing I want is to burn out before I even get started... So here goes. Goal Setting part 3!!! I have to say Lara Casey's goal setting for 2013 is seriously amazing! And I highly suggest that you try it out for yourself.

Step 6 {Part 2--read part 1 here}

Where do I want to be when I'm 80? Happy, satisfied, full of love, with the love of my life. I want to be able to look back and say wow I lived a great life, I accomplished some great things and I've built a strong foundation for my children and their children to come.

Why do you do what you do? Because I love making people happy. And I think that weddings can sometimes be stressful, so I want to be able to focus on the details and the complexities of the planning so that couples can just focus on their love for one another and can have the wedding day they always dreamed about.

What kind of life do you want to live this year? A happy life, a busy life but not an exhausting life. I want to live a life where I can spend time with my boyfriend, my friends and my family and relax and not be worried about work. I want to have that free time rather than spend all my free time working.

My 2013 vision: working normal hours doing what I love. Spending time with my boyfriend uninterrupted by work. Not being so tired. Not staying up till 2 am to get my e-mails done. Feeling organized. Feeling accomplished. Not working out at 10pm at night but working out during the day because I have the time to do it. Taking time to walk my dog. Taking time to keep the house clean. Being happy. That is my 2013 vision. Now I just need to figure out how to make it happen.

Step 7: In 2013 I am saying no to... working every single day with no free day to relax. I am saying no to work e-mails while my boyfriend is home. I am saying no to staying up late because then it's hard to get up early and get work done. I am saying no to working too many hours!

**This is so much easier said than done.

Step 8: What do you need to say yes to make your vision happen?
1) Relaxing
2) Laptop/cellphone free time with my boyfriend
3) Making working out a priority and not an after thought
4) Building confidence in my abilities
5) Building a strong savings account
6) Learning how to be a smarter businesswomen with finances, legalities, etc.
7) Trusting an assistant
8) Yes to playing with flowers
9) Finding inspiration for weddings from the world around me rather than Pinterest
10) Say yes to my ideas and being confident to share them with others!
11) Taking time to clean everyday
12) Walking Winnie every single day
13) Making new friends
14) Thanking others that help me build my business
15) Taking time to being more organized
16) Doing my ideas that I come up with
17) Staying on top of my to-do list and not procrastinating
18) Cooking healthy dinners for me and the bf
19) Networking more
20) Quality not quantity work

Bonus Step: What is your word for 2013? FOCUS.

{MAKING THINGS HAPPEN} Let's Go

Today I head off to Making Things Happen in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. I am pretty excited about what I learn and all the people I am going to meet! I will be very busy today, tomorrow and Thursday so if you e-mail me and don't hear back until Friday that is why! I apologize!

I can't wait to share my journey with you all! Once I'm up in Chapel Hill tonight if I get a chance I'll blog about the rest of my goal setting process! Now off to download some new music before my long drive... although let's be real... I'll most likely be listening to Taylor Swift albums on repeat for at least 4 out of 5 of the hours it takes me to get there...

{MAKING THINGS HAPPEN} Goal Setting Part 2

Gosh, now as I sit down to do Part 2 of my goal setting I am looking back thinking oh gosh... I did a horrible job at Part 1. I mean c'mon... all the things that fire me up are actual physical things that inspire me? Does that count? That has to be wrong. It should have been things like honesty, making people happy, friendliness, the intangibles, etc.... Gosh now I am honestly feeling like I let myself down. But I guess that's part of this process right? Digging deeper. Sean T (Insanity workout coach) always tells you to "dig deeper" at the hardest parts in his workouts, and although I seriously hate him for that because it's right when I am like 'oh gah can't move another inch' but at the same time I know that I need to do just that to successfully complete the workout. Guess it makes sense in life too? At those times when you just feel like skimming the surface and taking the easy way out you got to instead push yourself to dig deeper.

So I think here I have to add to what fires me up before moving to Part 2 of my goal setting. I think maybe the number one thing that I really should have included is making people happy. There is nothing that drives me more in life than this. I love making people happy. There is no greater joy I feel than when someone thanks me for my work. For those of you who don't know I also work as a bridal consultant at a dress shop in town. I don't think I'll ever forget this one bride. She was so happy, so in love, such a joy to work with. She had all her girls with her and they had a blast while in the shop. After she found her dress I rung her up and she was about to leave. But before she left she grabbed my hands, and gushed about how incredible it was working with me, how happy she was that I was her consultant, and how I made it such a fabulous experience for her and then she gave me a hug. It was so sincere and so meaningful to me that I started crying (true life, but at least it was happy tears). Because it truly makes me so freaking happy when others are happy with the work I've done for them and when they are appreciative of how hard I work.

Another thing that fires me up? My family telling me they're proud of me. Gosh I know that sounds so silly but it's true. There is nothing that makes me happier and more excited than when I can tell my family or boyfriend about something I've done lately that will make them proud. It is probably one of the best feeling in the world. Guess it makes sense that the song, "Make Someone Happy" is one of my favorite songs? Guess it also makes sense why I am constantly trying to make people laugh, even if I am cracking a joke at an inappropriate time... it is all in good fun. Because if I can make you smile and make you laugh than I am happy too. Although I must admit I don't have the best jokes. I try hard though, that's what counts right??

Oh gosh, see this is what happens when my boyfriend leaves town. I stay up until 2am blogging and blabbing. Now to Part 2 of the Goal Setting!!!

Step 4: What are the three biggest lessons you learned from what DID work?
1. I can't do it alone. I need the support of others, whether it is my dad, my family, my boyfriend, business friends and vendors. I can't do everything by myself and when I do try to do everything myself I get overwhelmed, stressed out, burnt out, and exhausted. This lesson is an important one because I think it is very clear that if I want to grow the company that I am going to need some really good help and a really good assistant... it's in the works!!!

2. Hard work can pay off and if you put your all into something you can achieve your dreams.

3. Doing something you love is so gratifying. I am on the right path and as long as I am loving what I do than I need to be doing what I love because that is one of the most important and one of the easiest ways to happiness.

Step 5: What are the three biggest things you learned from what did NOT work?
1. Take your time. Dot your i's, cross your t's. Slow down. Make sure you are doing good quality work not skimming through things just to get by. If you are thorough you will not be as likely to make mistakes that upset others. You need to make sure you are giving the highest quality of work.

2. It does not count as spending time with Chris if I am on my laptop. Period. Spending time with Chris needs to be spending time with Chris and Chris only.

3. You have to take everyday as it comes and realize that success does not happen overnight. Be grateful for what you have accomplished thus far. Also, as silly as I feel for quoting a Miley Cyrus song... let's be real... "it's the climb."

Step 6: DO MORE of what fires you up then report back... today I am going to spend some time preparing things for clients, I am going to shop around town for the perfect dress that inspires me for my next styled shoot on March 25th, I am going to paint the side tables for our living room and paint our bar cart that's been sitting in the corner for a month now, I am going to put the cactuses where they belong and make another terrarium, I am going to take Winnie for a walk, I am going to dance around the room to Taylor Swift... (did I say that out loud!?!? aw shoot, now you know that I have this weird strange obsession with Taylor Swift...) I am going to go to an antique store, I am going to mop the floors because a clean house is a happy house, I am going to do Day 5 of Insanity, I am going to smile at all the people I encounter and if I can slip in a sarcastic joke then I will definitely be doing that too.

Part 2 of the goal setting to be continued after I do more of what fires me up... oh I'm so excited. Tomorrow... I mean today is going to be an amazing day. Now off to bed!!!

{Photo Credit} "DO More of what Fires You Up" Print via Lara Casey

{MAKING THINGS HAPPEN} What fires you up?

So this is another post I have been planning out in my head for probably a week now. I guess sometimes life gets the best of me and I run out of time to blog + instead sometimes I choose sleep, which obviously is not a bad thing to do considering lately I have been feeling slightly under the weather. But that's besides the point because I'm sure you don't want to hear about my runny nose + ear wax...

Last night I completed Part 1 of Making Things Happen Goal Setting (you can read that post here). So the 3rd step in part 1 was writing about what fires you up, and I listed off several things that get me excited but I want to expand on that a little more because I think this is really important in what inspires me to be a wedding & event designer. I can't think of much that makes me more fired up and excited than a wedding or engagement session that is not just pretty but that tells a story. Of course I love the pretty don't get me wrong, but when you can inject a part of your relationship, personalities, what you like to do together into your wedding and make it unique and have it really scream, _____'s & _____'s wedding! I mean that is some awesome stuff. That is what I strive to do while helping bride's and groom's design their perfect wedding. Because that is the wedding that you and your guests are going to remember afterwards.

Now after my blabbing on about what makes me fired up... I want to challenge you future brides and grooms to get creative (or if you hire me then let me get creative for you but you have to help). I challenge you and your fiance to really try to hone in on what makes your relationship special and unique. Here's some questions to get you going...

1. What do you like to do? Together and by yourself?
2. What do you love about your fiance?
3. What things fire you up? (This can be anything really... gold spray paint? ghost furniture? garden roses? Taylor Swift? anything & everything that makes you smile, makes you happy, makes you excited for life.)
4. How did you meet?
5. Where was your first date?
6. What is one of your favorite memories together?
7. What movie do you love to watch together?
8. When and where did you know you loved each other?
9. What was your best vacation together?
10. How did he propose?

See... the answers to these questions might just reveal how you can make your wedding unique. Say for example your fiance loves to brew beer, so why not have home brewed beer as favors for your guests. Or say your favorite movie you guys watch together is James Bond, so why not have a James Bond themed movie? Or what if you both knew it was true love while camping at Lake Tahoe, insert camping themed wedding at Lake Tahoe. Etc. etc. etc. These are not real examples... But I mean I would be so down if some clients came to me and said okay we want a James Bond themed wedding. Now for picture time of things I love that fire me up!!!

I know, lots of randomness but lots of things that make me happy and inspire me. Including two things we did: our geometric garland for our last shoot at the Jepson Center and the antler escort card display I designed for our styled shoot two days at Whitefield Chapel in Savannah!!! That was a real labor of love... tying up those antlers and making sure they're the perfect height using fishing line and a ladder was not easy. I almost fell off that ladder twice since the ground was uneven and I got that fishing line so tangled up in that tree it isn't even funny. Well it kind of is really funny... But anyway, hope this inspires some of you brides and grooms out there to get personal when coming up with how you want your wedding to look!!! Have a great Wednesday everyone! Part 2 of my goal setting coming tonight. 

{Photo Credits} Ghost Chair with Sheepskin Fur via Style Me Pretty // Cactuses via Emma Dime // Southern Weddings Magazine // Weddings Unveiled Magazine //  Flowers via Snippet and Ink, photography by Stylish & Hip Weddings // Yarn Wrapped Bottles via Awesome Craft Pins // Floral Halo + Horse via Chic Sprinkles // Gold Dinosaurs via The Glitter Guide, photography by Sarah Yates // Jennifer Lawrence via Gioia Magazine May 2012 // Antlers via Styled Shoot by Simply Savannah Events and Ever Thine Vintage Rentals, photography by Lone Pine Photography // Geometric Garland via Ruffled Blog, photography by Izzy Hudgins // Ace Hotel wedding via 100 Layer Cake, photography by Max Wanger

{MAKING THINGS HAPPEN} Goal Setting Part 1

Alright I'm going to start this post by being completely honest. This is not the first time I've started this post but rather the 4th? Maybe even 5th.... not quite sure. For some reason it has been really hard for me to put this post together and that is my excuse for the huge gap in blog posts from last week to now. I think what is hard about putting this post together is how vulnerable it makes me feel putting these things out there for others to read about. But this post is not about my fear but rather the journey I am taking during the rebranding process and Making Things Happen is one of the big steps I have decided to take to help me in this journey.

Before I get started into the nitty gritty, I will explain a little about why I am doing this. A month ago Amber Veatch, owner of Amber Veatch Designs, asked me if I was attending Making Things Happen in Chapel Hill, NC. I said mehhhhh... not so sure about that. I met Amber Veatch a year ago at the Cultivate Conference that I attended with Layla and at the time both Amber and I were assistant wedding planners. Both Amber and I wanted more though. At the conference, Amber Housley talked about the power behind Making Brands Happen and how it helped her find her brand identity and transform her brand. I was so inspired by her and was also so intrigued by this Making Brands Happen I kept hearing about. Coming from a business background (I received my Bachelor's Degree in Business Leadership from the University of Puget Sound), I know the importance of strong branding and I want that so badly for my business. Anyway, moving on... after 2 short days mehhhhhhing the idea of attending Making Things Happen I decided... enough with the mehhhhing. Just do it. One of the biggest reasons I knew I had to do it was because I have invested in a new logo from the amazingly talented, Molly Jacques, and now I am working with Love-Inspired to help redesign the website. At first this was my excuse to not attend the conference... but that just seemed silly. Now is the time. And I knew that the best way to help me relaunch this business after the rebranding is complete is to attend this conference to really help me build the confidence that I need to make things happen.

That being said... here is the first part of the Goal Setting laid out by Lara Casey, the incredibly inspirational and talented woman behind Southern Wedding Magazine and also part of the team behind Making Brands Happen. 

Step 1: Make your list of things you made happen in 2012 and things you are grateful for.

1. I think the biggest thing on this list that I both made happen and that I am grateful for is that I was able to take over Simply Savannah Events. It is such a joy to have a job that is something I love doing. I always have been the girl to tell myself that I want to be living what I love, so much that I decided to get a tattoo saying just that... So it is such an amazing feeling that I can say that I am living what I love everyday.

2. I am so grateful for all the couples that I am working with. It has been so much fun getting to know so many amazing people and to help them while they are planning one of the most important events of their lives!!

3. My life would not be the same without my dad. He has been so incredible and so supportive of me and my dreams. He has given me the life I live everyday and without him I would not be the person I am today. 

4. I am probably the luckiest girl out there. I met an incredible guy a little more than 2 years ago and I truly believe it was fate. I mean... how many times do you end up with the guy you turned down for a dance with at the bar? He is so supportive of me following my dreams even when that means me spending hours and hours while at home on my computer catching up on e-mails and blogging. 

5. I am very thankful of the new home my boyfriend, dog, and cat just moved into on Dutch Island. It is so nice to be living in an amazing house that is in a safe and secure neighborhood with amazing neighbors.

6. I feel so lucky that I have gotten to know some incredible vendors in the Savannah area that I can rely on and trust. Not only that but it is so humbling to have vendors that want to work with me! It is especially amazing when vendors are wanting to collaborate with me! I must admit... styled shoots are like playtime for grownups.

7. One of the biggest things I made happen!? Getting published on Green Wedding Shoes! Of course I didn't do this alone, there were lots of vendors that came together to make this a reality and it was seriously was like a dream come true. Green Wedding Shoes is the wedding blog that I look at pretty much on a daily basis to get inspiration and it was one of the major wedding blogs that seriously inspired me to keep following my dreams and go down the path of being a wedding planner... so to have my work be featured on there!? Seriously incredible. We also were published twice on Style Me Pretty Georgia and Ruffled.

8. WEDDINGS UNVEILED. Seeing my full name in a printed magazine publication? That was a dream come true... I am so grateful for this. It just shows that all it takes is a vision, a lot of hard work, and you can achieve anything. 

9. Booking a wedding in Pennsylvania. I am so beyond excited to collaborate with Layla on our wedding in Pennsylvania this fall at Friedman Farms!!! 

10. My newfound passion for flowers and flower arranging!!!!!! I cannot even describe how excited I get over putting together floral arrangements. I love love love it. 

Alright, so there are 2 more hand written pages full of things I made happen and things I'm grateful for... but I think I will stop at 10 because the rest are a lot of the little things. But obviously they are still just as important.... take for example #21: not gaining weight even though I eat lots of cupcakes and macarons when given the chance... but seriously? How I have not put on an extra 50 pounds after this weekend I am really entirely not sure? (free cupcakes + macarons at a networking event on Saturday, free cupcakes + macarons at Behind the Veil wedding show on Sunday, free cupcakes + macarons leftover from our styled shoot on Monday...)

Anyway, moving on to step 2... which is honestly the part I am more scared about sharing. But in life, sometimes you have to reveal the bad to move on and grow. So here we go.

Step 2: In business and life, what didn't work well to help you live your best life and what needs improvement?

1. It did not work well when I did not take the time to be very thorough in my work. I learned a huge lesson while working with a bride and groom on their budget and that was that I need to make sure I am being very thorough when sending information to my clients. It is important that I do my research and make sure that I am including all the necessary information to help them make a completely informed decision.

2. In my personal life it does not work when I am "spending time" with Chris but am on my laptop really paying more attention to work e-mails. He is so patient with me and understanding although I know he doesn't like it. But this is something I really need to work on because I know how important the time we have together is especially since we are both extremely busy. I know that this is one of the biggest things I want to fix moving forward... I need to find time that I can give to Chris and only Chris, no social media, no e-mails, no blogging, no texting, no Facebook, no nothing but Chris time.

3. I need to do more networking!!! Good thing is... I love doing this... now just need to make this a priority.

4. One of my biggest faults is that sometimes I take on more than I can handle. I love being busy and constantly having something to do. But I need to make sure I am only taking on what I can handle. In one specific case I told someone I could do x, y and z for them when in reality it was just too much for me, and later having to say that well I actually can't do that was way more disappointing than having just told them in the first place that some other vendor would be able to do that for them.

5. Letting fear get in the way of rebranding. It took me several months to commit to the idea of rebranding... and those several months was time I could have spent making things happen.

6. Comparing myself to other wedding planners that have been around for years. When I do this it makes me feel very inferior and depressed... and instead I need to be focusing on what I have done. Everyone has a different journey and it is important to remember not to compare my beginnings to someone else's middle.

Step 3: What fires you up?

New ideas for styled shoots, pretty flowers, garden roses, cactuses!!!!!!, pretty design anywhere and everywhere, pretty furniture for a good deal, finding antique treasures for cheap, ghost furniture, my pets, my boyfriend, my family, cooking something healthy and delicious, Insanity (hurts so bad but feels so good after), wedding magazines, amazing photography, designing unique installations, gold spray painted dinosaurs, funny things, recycling things to use at weddings and making them pretty, putting together a bouquet, coming up with new inspiration for brides, designing dessert spreads and layouts, funky art, floral halos, blush pink, antlers, antlers, antlers, finding ways to incorporate antlers into design, happy in love brides who gush lots about their fiances, pretty stationary and paper, pretty ways of organizing, weddings in the desert, vintage furniture, geometric shapes made into art, Taylor Swift music, "Make Someone Happy" the song by Jimmy Durante, a good blog post, an opportunity to get published, being clean, crafting, rebranding with Love-Inspired, e-mails I reply to quickly, vendors who support me, Katniss, doing yardwork with Chris, documenting my pets on Instagram, Facebooking stuff on Simply Savannah Event's page, phone calls with potential clients, new clients, old clients, all clients, staying on top of things and even better staying ahead of the game, getting things done, making my clients happy, clients telling me how happy they are with my work, clients thanking me for my work, staying busy, MAKING THINGS HAPPEN

Check out my Pinterest board here for some more inspiration!

Part 2 coming tomorrow!!!! Have a great night ya'll!