Happy Birthday! | kickin' it flapper style

Well it's here again... my birthday comes but once a year, and brings with it a multitude of excitement!

I woke this morning, of my own accord, at 5:30am delivering enthusiastic hugs to my beau (who was fast-asleep, of course!) while merrily singing 'Happy Birthday'... to myself! And upon him teasing me for bursting into continuos variations of 'Happy Birthday' throughout the remainder of the morning, I gleefully proclaimed to him that I also planned on spontaneously singing 'Happy Birthday' to other people throughout the day. I just can't help myself - I get so excited!

And so the day has continued - with me announcing to strangers on the street of New York that "It's my birthday!!"*. Much to my delight, my enthusiasm is most often returned with warm smiles and amused replies of "Happy Birthday".

* My enthusiasm has also caused passerby's to mistake me for a tourist, who have offered to take my picture with landmarks around the city. To which I excitedly reply, "Oh, I'm not a tourist! It's my birthday!" Bless Ben - who has been by my side all day. Entertained, of course.

And the highlight of my nothing-can-rain-on-my-parade day? A Jazz Age 1920's themed birthday party, complete with Charleston dance lessons and Flapper attire. I'm absolutely glowing right now! I've drawn up inspiration boards and collected magazine clippings throughout the week and am so happy that my dress-up time has finally arrived (imagine what I must have been like as little girl!)

So off I go to prepare myself for tonight's festivities...

and - Happy Birthday!

Ben knows me so well: a plant always brings a smile to my face. So he got me 5!

Gathering together accessories for tonight's Jazz Age flapper themed birthday party! I gotta look my best while aiming to impress with my charleston moves on the dance floor!

My role model - for tonight at least :)

My inspiration - these ladies are the epitome of style, charm, and innovation!

Thank You | the impact of a lost art

I am learning more and more the value in the increasingly lost art of a truly heart felt and hand written 'thank you' note.

It seems that in our current culture, people opt for a quick one sentence email or, more common yet, a text stating a simple "thx"- and that's if any resemblance of a 'thank you' is even sent at all! Now I get that our generation is all about convenience and speed, but I have found a personal note of gratitude to be irreplaceable. I had a client a couple years ago even go so far as to send me a beautiful gift and hand written note of appreciation. It wasn't until that moment that I realized how much of a blessing such a gesture can really be to someone.

Thus, I have taken it upon myself, in a fit of thankfulness, to make customized 'thank you' cards that truly reflect just how much I care. With the image and design both being created by yours truly, they are printed with a satin finish and paired with a luxurious linen envelope. I find that if I have a truly beautiful 'thank you' card that I just don't want to keep to myself, then I might find myself seeking opportunities to feel a lot more thankful in the weeks to come ;)

Little Sprout | Teaser

This week I have had the insurmountable joy of staring at countless photos of a beautiful new baby boy. And until I can share the full collection of exquisite images this delightful family invited me to create in celebration of his arrival, a few teasers will just have to do...

p.s. Stay tuned! The full set of images, along with this little man's narrative, will be up early next week.