Sneak Peek | Laura + Brian

For Laura and Brian's engagement session, we climbed under a bridge, hiked along the rocky banks of the river, and took their two pups out for a sunset stroll.  More to come soon!

xo

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A Rant About Public Restrooms

via

You know the feeling.  You've quenched that thirst with a few too many glasses of wine water or tea or coffee.  Your full bladder pushes gently against the waistband of your jeans.  You need to go, and you need to go now.

You locate the nearest restroom and, upon entering the stall, discover the previous occupant left you a little gift - a few droplets scattered on the seat.  Ew.

You move to the next stall and there it is again, pee on the seat.  What's going on?  Did you accidentally walk into a kids-only restroom?  Why can't grown women manage to use a public restroom without leaving a little souvenir behind?

I think I know the core of the problem.  It's the age old dilemma women have faced since the first public outhouse was created - sit or squat?  Squatting keeps your delicate area away from potentially germ-infested grossness but seriously ups the chances of a little sprinkle on seat.  Sitting, on the other hand, would almost definitely prevent sprinkling but that means your skin has to touch a seat that, let's face it, has probably been peed on many times over.

The way I see it, we have a few options, ladies.  We need to bond together in this thing called womanhood and keep our public restrooms free from seat pee.  Whether you choose to sit or squat, please, I beg you in the name of all that is good, use those conveniently placed seat liners (or even a few sheets of toilet paper for heaven's sake!) no matter what.  It's the simplest solution.  That way, if you choose to squat and your aim is off, at least there's something protecting the seat and if you choose to sit, you'll have a little buffer for your bum.  See - simple!

And for those of you who can't be bothered with seat liners - if you sprinkle when you tinkle, please be neat and wipe the seat.

Oh, and one more thing, make sure you flush the dang toilet.  I'm not talking about just pushing the handle and walking away.  Take a few extra seconds to make sure your deposit went down successfully and if it didn't, flush again.  Let's just agree here and now to show a little bathroom courtesy to our fellow women.  It's the least we can do for each other.

xo

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A Few of My Old Faves

Day 21: A list of links to your favorite posts in your archives.

This is quite the rand-o list I've compiled for you, my friends.  It was kind of fun looking back at some of my old posts and it really made me think about the evolution of this blog.  Hope you enjoy my little look back through the archives.

First post that caught my eye was this Dr. Seuss-style poem about the bar exam.  That kind of stress does funny thing to your brain.  Thank god it paid off when I finally got my bar results back.

My little story about my family's connection to the Alamo stood out next.  It was my first time taking The Fancy Fiance home to Texas - and yes, he asked about the basement of the Alamo.

I also couldn't pass up this bit of awkwardness, and this reflection after my first month of self-employment made me feel awkward simply because I still have the same problem with time management.  Oops.

That's okay.  I'll just be sure to enjoy the little things,

embrace the space,

take in some city chatter,

and enjoy a trip to New York City.

Then maybe throw a little philosophy at you, just to keep you on your toes.

Or how about I just tell you the secret to the perfect chocolate chip cookie (in my opinion, at least)?

I still believe in the heirarchy of books so that was a link worth sharing.

And for some reason, I find it much easier to open up in writing than in person, so here are a few things you'd know if you really knew me.  And probably this stuff, too.

And, finally, I couldn't leave our love story out of my list of faves.  There's my side of the story, his side, and our latest news.

Bonus fave!  Whether it be weddings, engagements, families, or maternity, my client posts always make my list of faves.

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Sneak Peek | Adam + Sheena

So Blog Everyday in May has become Blog Every (non-wedding)Day in May and I'm perfectly okay with that.  I love the weekends with my clients and this past weekend was no exception.  We got back last night from Adam + Sheena's Los Angeles wedding but I couldn't wait to share a little peek with you.  Their day was romantic, jubilant, and tons of fun (including one guest dancing with a floral centerpiece on his head, Carmen Miranda-style).  I'll share the full wedding soon but, in the mean time, here's a little glimpse.

xo

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Favorite Photo from Florence

Day 17: A favorite photo of yourself and why you love it

I'm pretty sure I've shown this photo here before but I thought I'd include it again for today's prompt.  This was actually a really easy choice for me to make.  This photo was taken back in 2009 in Florence, Italy.  The Fancy Fiance (then The Boyfriend) decided to travel around Europe for a few months after he took the bar exam.  I was still in school at the time so he went alone.  However, being the dedicated student that I am, I skipped classes for two weeks* to join him for a tour around Italy and a quick weekend in Madrid.  His cousin Max was with us for the first week and joined us in Florence, Siena, Luca, & Rome.  It was Max who took this photo.

Technically, the photo is imperfect but it means a lot to me for so many other reasons.  It was my first trip to Europe, our first vacation together, and even though I'm pale, jetlagged, and wearing basically no makeup, I actually like how I look in it because I look happy.  We were and are happy and, to me, this photo shows it.  It's one of my favorites of us and of myself.

xo

*I also got more A's that semester than any other semester of law school.  I should've taken more trips to Europe when class was in session ...

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Dreamy Downton Duds

The Fancy Fiance and I finally hopped on the British bandwagon and started watching Downton Abbey.  We're only about 4 episodes in, but I'm already hooked.  I'm pretty much in love with that time period so I couldn't help but be drawn to the show initially, but what I really love is how world events drive the plot and show how things we've only ever read about -like the sinking of the Titanic- actually affected people at the time.

But that's not all I love about Downton.  Not by a long shot.  The thing that really draws me in, the thing that has me daydreaming and fantasizing about being Lady Mary or Lady Sybil (my personal fave) is . . . the fashion.  I know, it's so vain, but oh my heavens are those some lovely little frocks on that show.  From their everyday clothes to their fancy dinner dresses, I want it all.  Also, can we please bring hats back?  And maybe gloves too?  Why are they not more common in everyday fashion?

Downton Abbey style has left the small screen and become a part of modern style, too, especially when it comes to wedding dresses.  When I was shopping for my dress a few months ago, I couldn't help but notice how many "vintage" styles were out there.  And all of them make me swoon.  In fact, just seeing these dresses makes me want to plan our English garden vow renewal ceremony and we're not even married yet!  Though I ended up going with something a little different, I'm crossing my fingers that I'll at least get to photograph a lovely Downton-inspired dress this year.

 top row: BHLDN // bottom row: Jenny Packham

What about you?  Downton Abbey fan or not quite interested?

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Chicago Is My Kind of Town

Via

Some of you know I went to college in Chicago but since I started this blog after moving to California, I don't really talk about it much.  It's one of those things that lives comfortably in the back of my mind, waiting for the perfect moment to hit me with a dose of nostalgia.  So when I thought about one of Jenni's recent prompts - What do you miss? - I couldn't help but think of Chicago.

I moved to Chicago when I was 18 years old, just three months after graduating high school.  I still remember that day so clearly.  It was August 26, 2000, pre-9/11 so my family was able to come with me to the gate at the airport.  My cousin's grandmother came, too, and she gave me a copy of Oh, The Places You'll Go which, of course, I read on the spot.  Any time I think of that book, I associate it with sitting in the airport in San Antonio, anxiously awaiting the call to board.   I remember landing in Chicago with nothing but my four suitcases and one large brown shipping box.  That's it.  That's all I took with me.  That's all I needed to start my life.

Of course, part of the nostalgia is also for my friends and the people I love who lived there.  I say "lived" because it seems that most of them have moved away by now - to new cities, new countries, new suburbs, new towns.  It's what happens in life.  People move on to new places while the old beloved ones change into something new of their own.  I've only been back to visit Chicago twice since I left and while many things still look the same, there have been plenty of changes that have made my treasured places unrecognizable.  Like my old apartment that has since been bulldozed to extend the platform at the Belmont station.  Or DePaul's old theatre school building -where I spent four years of my life- that will soon be replaced by a shiny new (and much needed) facility.  Not to mention all the little shops and restaurants and cafes that have been replaced by one new business after another.  It's a lonesome thing realizing a place with so much significance now exists solely in your memory.

As much as I love living in California and have no desire to leave, Chicago will always have a special place in my heart.  Chicago is where I became independent and learned to rely solely on myself.  Chicago is where I became the first woman in my family to graduate from college.  Chicago is where I discovered what I liked and didn't like, what I needed in a friend, who I wanted to be, what my hopes and dreams were.  I knew Chicago like the back of my hand and felt comfortable in nearly every part of the city.  That city spoke to me, and we became the best of friends.  And when we see each other again, we'll pick up right where we left off like true best friends, each of us grown and matured in separate ways but still the same deep down at heart.

xo

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