Blog it Forward | What Inspires Me

I am super excited to be in included in sfgirlbybay's Blog it Forward mashup. About 300 bloggers are participating, and we were given the task to write a post about what inspires us. Yesterday I was passed the baton from Discover: Interior Design, and loved her post about her inspirations. There are so many things I could write about, because I constantly get inspired by so many things around me, but I decided to write this post without restriction and straight from the heart. I usually don't go this personal, so this is a little scary for me, but hopefully you will enjoy it!

{Yoga} With so many things in my life to juggle, it sometimes can take over and overwhelm me. I learned years ago that I need only about an hour a day to myself, and doing my yoga practice is the best way for me to do that. It is when I can clear my mind and body, and prepare myself for the grinds of my job. At the weddings, we need to think fast on our feet, as problems arise and we have to fix it. Coming in peaceful and ready makes all the difference, and makes me a better person overall.

Image by International Orange

{My Home} Most who know me know that I always try to make every space I'm in as cozy and comforting as it can be. I'm a self proclaimed homebody, and I am proud of it. My home is where I come to at 2am after working a twelve hour wedding day, cuddle up in my midnight blue and white bedroom, and wake up the next day to choose which of my three balconies I will enjoy my morning tea on. I don't spend a lot of money on my decor, I just find things from many different sources and piece them all together.

{My Son} Most don't know this tidbit about me, but I had my son when I was 20 years old. He completely changed my life, and has been my best friend and proudest supporter. Everything I do, I do for him. I put so much effort into my business daily because it is to support us. He is a walking little me. Wait, take that back, a BIG me. He is now 5'9 and I'm pushing 5'1. Having a teenager in the house isn't always easy, but I always know that deep in there, he still loves his mommy.

{My Boyfriend} I met my boyfriend almost ten years ago at a Giants game, and we instantly had a deep connection. He came into my life and took on with grace being a big part of my son's life. He also was my biggest backer when I decided to open and run my own event planning business. My boyfriend was raised solely by his mother, as his father passed away when he was 2. He has struggled with many major health issues during our years together, and it has only brought us closer. On Valentine's Day 2008, I got a devastating call that Joe had suffered a major migraine induced stroke. This left him unable to speak for five days and in the ICU, with months of rehabilitation after wards. His strength and courage through that time, and even today, makes it clear that he is forever my rock. I will say though, I do make a pretty good nurse!

{Love} This one pretty much goes without saying, and may sound corny, but I actually get so inspired by my clients love for each other. The way they look at each other, or slightly grab the others hand always makes me smile. Much of my work and design isn't about the bells and whistles, I like to really focus in on the couple and their love for one another. One of my favorite weddings was one that hardly any money was spent, no details were majorly stressed over, but the love felt at their reception was overwhelming. It wasn't just their love for each other, but for life, friends, family and even their vendors. I walked out of that wedding with a different outlook on what is really important.

Image by Anna Kuperberg

Be sure to check out tomorrow's blog it forward post on drywell's blog, looking forward to it!

Happy Planning!