So, my fiancé teaches climbing. Last fall, he schooled me in the ways of the wall. 

Let’s get one thing straight: I am a selectively adventurous woman. I’ll go trekking in the Himalayas, but I won’t strap on a pair of downhill skis to save my life. I’ll start my own business in the midst of a recession, but I get shy about cliff-jumping. And until last October, I was mildly petrified of the whole climbing thing.

When I was a wee 11 year-old, my class went on a field trip to a local outdoor education center. Being the middle school fashionista that I was, I wore highly inappropriate footwear for our climbing wall lesson: a pair of black leather ankle-high dress boots.

Turns out, I flopped around that indoor rock wall like a guppy. Seriously, I was a hot mess in a harness. Of course, knowing nothing about climbing, and having next to no guidance from the so-called “instructors,” I wrote it off as a failure.

These days, I’m wiser. It was just a mix of bad shoes and bad instruction.

But that memory formed a massive psychological hurdle for me as I started my climbing adventures. I wasn’t worried about having bad technique; I was worried about totally freezing up. And being completely neglected because of my inability. 

I needed two things: a good teacher, and good equipment.

 Guess what? I got both. And it’s made all the difference.

I still get stuck. I still struggle. I still flounder. But I get to the top, by some route. Even if it doesn’t look too pretty. Even if I stop to rest every few feet.

I get there, eventually.

XOXO,

Confession: I love assigning myself homework (just call me Super Nerd).

This morning, I built a small pile of items: a scruffy yet cute pair of summer sandals, two pairs of pearl earrings, a bottle of blush pink perfume, a set of red cufflinks, a vintage map, and a terrifically old-school radio. I then embarked on a wedding details creative challenge.

Here are the results:

It’s official: I am gloriously excited for wedding season. Woot!

 XOXO,

I’m loving that spring-is-here, fresh green feeling in the air.

The earth just seems to say “Woohoo!” in springtime.

Here are a few spring gems, fresh from my Society6 shop. Take advantage of free worldwide shipping now through Sunday, April 1!

Wanderings iPhone Case, $35.00

Gitche Gumee iPhone Case, $35.00

Undergrowth iPhone & iPod Touch Skin, $15.00

Apple Origins iPhone & iPod Touch Skin, $15.00

Spring Awakens iPhone Case, $35.00

Refresh Laptop & iPad Skin, $30.00

Iris Hourglass iPhone & iPod Touch Skin, $15.00

Electric Summer iPhone & iPod Touch Skin, $15.00

Echinacea Laptop & iPad Skin, $30.00

XOXO,

Happy Saturday, lovelies! Cozy up and enjoy Part Two of Steph & Bronson’s wintry engagement session. If you haven’t checked out Part One, find it here.

XOXO,

“For those who choose to walk off the beaten aisle.”

The title might ring a few bells: Offbeat Bride (the now famous & fabulous blog) actually evolved from this book by Ariel Meadow Stallings. In her scrappy, witty, no-nonsense style, Ariel shares her journey through the matrimonial gauntlet.

Having been newly engaged myself, I bought a copy and devoured it in a single eight-hour flight to London. I immediately wanted to share it with all of my couples, as well as you, my lovely blog reader.

Now, before you say:

“But Bailey, we’re having a traditional wedding. In a church! With pastel chocolate buttons as favors! And swans waddling in the reception garden! What’s offbeat about that!?”

Forget about any loaded meanings you associate with the words “offbeat” or “traditional.” Ariel explains that we all fall somewhere on the offbeat spectrum.

This book is not just for those getting married in the woods instead of a church. Or for those hosting a Hindi-Jewish fusion ceremony. Or for those brides deciding to keep their own last names.

This book is for every engaged couple setting out to create a wedding that reflects who they truly are. If a traditional affair speaks to both of you, then more power to you! If not, then consider options that resonate with you completely, even if they buck traditional wedding trends. Make your wedding a testament to who you are as a couple. Be creative. Be authentic. 

Did you hear that last one? 

Be authentic.

Offbeat Bride also covers those sticky situations that arise with family members who don’t totally agree with your wedding vision. For instance, Mom and Dad offer to pay for part (or all) of the wedding, but they imagined swans-waddling-in-the-garden on your big day (and you were hoping to avoid live carrion at your nuptials).

Throwing a wedding often requires PR skills, and Ariel shares her maturity and wisdom in handling these delicate situations (hint: you can still emerge from the gauntlet with a wedding that speaks to you!).

Get your copy of Offbeat Bride on Amazon. Also, be sure to bookmark the Offbeat Bride blog for seriously rad inspiration & fresh ideas you never even considered.

XOXO,

If a tree falls in the park during your engagement session…well, you dust the bark off your shoulders and make some snow angels!

Okay, so Steph & Bronson’s session wasn’t quite that melodramatic, but we did have a mini adrenaline rush when the tree Bronson was leaning on started groaning and then leaned heavily onto a neighboring tree. We abandoned that section of the forest quite quickly, of course.

We had a seriously chilly day to contend with, and these two were troopers. I learned about Bronson’s passion for cooking (he’d made sausages that very morning. As in, materialized them from scratch using sausage-y ingredients. Truly impressive). Steph spoke of her love for running, and I marveled at the number of marathons under her belt. To me, marathon runners are superhuman and super-amazing.

You’ll be able to tell from their session, but Steph & Bronson are truly warm souls. They have giant hearts, and October couldn’t come soon enough. I am honored to be a part of their upcoming wedding day.

(Note to self: For my next winter session, I’ll bring Yaktrax for everyone. And helmets. And maybe a chainsaw.)

XOXO,