find your passion
Don’t you think it’s strange that when you graduate high school you’re supposed to know what you want to do with your life? Here you are, at 17 or 18 years old, leaving home for the first time, out of your comfort zone, and you have to pick a major that will determine your career path. And then you’re expected to finish college in 4 years and launch yourself off onto that chosen path. I started college at 17 with a major in Journalism. By the middle sophomore year I realized that I didn’t want to do that at all and instead chose Liberal Studies to become an elementary school teacher. Then by the beginning of my senior year, I realized that I didn’t really want to do that either, but I had put four years into college and I couldn’t switch majors now and ruin my four year plan just to take more classes and not graduate on time!!! Man did I have my priorities all mixed up! Looking back, I really wish that I had changed majors. I would have loved to take more classes and actually explore areas that interested me to see if anything really grabbed a hold of my heart. Instead I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in something that made me say, “well maybe one day I can fall back on that and become a teacher…if nothing else happens first”. So that’s why I went to college for four years? To have something to fall back on? What did I plan to do in the mean time?
Throughout my life, I’ve always been somewhat of an entrepreneur. It started way back at my first lemonade stand at the beach, selling lemony sweetness for 10 cents a pop. But it got more serious in high school when I would sell jewelry that my mom and I made to the girls in my class. In college I started my own jewelry business and sold a good amount of baubles online. Then my love for vintage clothing became trendy and I was able to set up an online shop to share the wealth of my own closet. This resulted in Sugar Darling Vintage. Add to that my incessant need to stitch and craft, and you have my etsy shop. I guess what I’ve realized about myself is that no matter what I wanted to do, I would find a way to start it up and make it work….even if it was just for a little while. Some ventures have succeeded, while some have faded away, but I’ve always initiated and executed my ideas until I’ve realized whether they make me happy or not!
My true passion was realized almost two years ago, when Tim and I met with our photographers for the wedding. We left that meeting and looked at each other and said “why aren’t we doing this!?”. Tim has had a similar journey trying to find his passion, but he figured his out long before I found mine! He was lucky enough to graduate with his Bachelor’s degree in photography and continue on to get his Master’s in the same subject. He knew he wanted a career in taking pictures, but he wasn’t sure what exactly his path would be. So then we got married and moved to New York with big dreams, but we still had this little bud of an idea that had been planted in our minds about becoming wedding photographers. We decided to dive into it head first, so we created Sweet Little Photographs and set up our website. We had very little to start with, but we soon created amazing contacts and began booking jobs. When we got home from shooting our very first wedding, I was so overwhelmed with this feeling of fulfillment. I realized that we were doing exactly what we were supposed to be doing, and it felt so ridiculously good! Never in my life had I ever felt so sure of something, and so extremely passionate about continuing with it. For me, the number one fan of romance and love, this job is so intensely gratifying on every level. I get to witness a celebration of love between two people and capture the sweet and intimate moments on the happiest day of their lives, and I get to do it side by side with the love of my life.
Between Sweet Little Photographs and Sugar Darling Vintage, I feel very fortunate to be living my life in way that makes me happy. Starting in March, I’ll be leaving my nanny job and I’ll finally be able to devote all of my time and energy into making these two business ventures extremely successful. The foundations have been laid, now I just need to put myself out there and network and build relationships with other people in the industry. In regards to SDV, I fully intend to blog more (the infrequency of posts makes me so darn mad at myself!), stitch more, put more inventory up in the shop, take more pictures, put together really amazing outfits to share, and show tons of great inspiration from other bloggers! I’d love some feedback on what you’d like to see as well! This blog would be pointless without all of you amazing darlings reading my ramblings…so I thank you from the bottom of my heart!
And if anyone out there is feeling like you don’t know what on earth you are supposed to be doing right now, do EVERYTHING! Take as many chances and risks and just find something that absolutely blows your mind. I know it seems scary sometimes, but you never know what could happen if you don’t try! All my love <3
spring is just around the corner!
On Monday the weather made for a perfect almost-spring day…just what every girl wants on Valentine’s Day! I was able to bust out an outfit that consisted of a button-up shirt and a pea coat, instead of the usual long sleeve shirt, then pullover sweater, then zip-up sweatshirt, then big puffy jacket topped off with a beanie and a scarf. And I didn’t even wear tights under my jeans! I think my California body doesn’t take to the cold very well, hence all the extra layers, so thank goodness it is starting to warm up. It’s supposed to be 65* on Friday and I can guarantee you that all of the New York fashionistas will be showing off their freshly shaved legs :) Here is my valentine attire <3
let’s go together
I just wanted to wish you all a very sweet Valentine’s Day weekend! I know the holiday isn’t until Monday, but I have a feeling that most people will be partying it up this weekend…just an excuse to celebrate for two extra days ;) And for all you single ladies out there…grab your girls and let them know how much you love them! This is a celebration of love, after all <3
Timmy and I are heading to Montauk for a romantic winter getaway (yaaaaaay roadtrip)!!! We hope you all have a great weekend filled with love and (hershey’s) kisses!
xoxo
birthday girl
Whenever people ask me how old I am, I have to take a moment to think about the correct answer. I usually end up saying “twentyyyyy………..(long pause) three? four?” On Sunday I turned 25 and I think that will be easier to remember since everyone keeps reminding me that now I’m a quarter of a century old. In fact I got enough quarters to do a load of laundry. Ohhhh thank you friends! A week before my birthday my mom sent me a beautiful package filled with amazing jewelry, big cozy sweaters, and my favorite childhood book “Bridge to Terabithia”. It’s all worn and loved and it even had my name written in it from when I was in grade school. What a nostalgic kick!
On Sunday Tim took me out to brunch with our friend Sasha, her birthday was a week before mine so we had some celebrating to do! We tried this really cute Brazilian/Pan Latin fusion restaurant called Esperanto that was so funky and cute, and we had guava mimosas which were so sparkly and yummy! Perfect morning fare. Then we took advantage of the warm, sunny 40* day and walked around the city, hitting up a pastry shop in Chelsea for some macarons (YUM!), shopping at Buffalo Exchange, trying to shop a 60% off sale at LF Stores (with no success), best cappuccino ever at Stumptown at the Ace Hotel, dinner at Luzzo’s for a delicious wood-stove cooked pizza, cupcakes at Butter Lane for dessert, then a trip to the Russian Baths for a late night steam! WOW! We were busy :) There’s so much pressure to have a “great day” on your birthday, and just to let all you well-wishers out there know…I really truly did!
power of the crystals
Recently, my job has become quite a source of stress-inducing frustration that leaves me bitchy and irritable. Everything else in life is so wonderful that I really don’t think it’s too much to ask that my work-life goes along with the rest of it. My main problem is that I don’t have the patience to deal with some of the situations that are presented to me…so along with yoga, meditation, and some good old fashioned crying, I decided to use a natural (hippie?) remedy. So as an early birthday present I bought myself a beautiful crystal necklace to bring about a change in my aura. The theory is that gemstones carry vibrational rates and that by placing these vibrational rates within the aura, your aura’s vibrational rates also change. Now with all the native american/tribal/earthy/bohemian trends going on, there were plenty of items to look through on etsy. I found a gorgeous quartz necklace from LarkinAndLarkin and regardless of whether or not I believe in the healing properties of gemstones, I knew I just had to have this necklace for fashion’s sake! I don’t know if it changed my aura, but with a new haircut and a cute outfit I definitely felt happier! Well it was a Saturday after all…
Lauren Moffatt: The Honeymooner
Ever since I first laid eyes on a collection by Lauren Moffatt, I have been a smitten kitten. And now with the Spring 2011 collection out, I am in mod pastel heaven! I would be willing to throw out every single item of clothing that I own if I could just get my hands on a few of these pieces! The cute bobby socks, the sweet prints, the soft colors, and headwear to die for…it’s honestly the perfect way to put a fresh and modern spin on vintage silhouettes and details. Here are just a few of my favorites from The Honeymooner!
What will you wear?
On the loveliest day of the year, what will you wear to make a statement on Valentine’s Day? What little number will you put on to make his jaw drop and to feel like a billion bucks? Allow me to make a suggestion (or two!).
Visit our SHOP to be the lucky owner of one of these Little Black Dresses and knock his socks off!
how could I???
Oh my word! I can’t believe I left off one of my dearest darling boy crushes on the last post! And this one might possibly be my favorite because he reminds me of this one really hot guy that I married.
I heart you, Ryan Gosling.
uh oh…a new celebrity crush
Hello Andrew Garfield. You are so adorable.
Adding him to the list of my other leading men:
Jay Baruchel
Hugh Dancy
Jake Gyllenhaal
Well I certainly have a type, don’t I?
The Antiques Garage
I’ve been having such an amazing response to my Gangstah Hankies that I was in desperate need of a trip to the flea market for more hankies! The Antiques Garage flea market in Chelsea is two floors filled with incredible goodies, and you could honestly spend all day in there (at least I sure could!) From vintage clothes to antique knick knacks, from old handwritten postcards to retro kitchenware…anything in your wildest dreams can be found here! I stocked up on hankies as well as a few other wonderful items, including a weekender suitcase with old travel stickers still on it. Every time we go to the Antiques Garage I just want to buy everything I see, but of course we don’t have the money (or the space!) for so many treasures. Oh well, a few key pieces will hold me over :)
