Tech done Chic

I have been drooling over Apple products for as long as I can remember! Now, with this new venture upon me, and a constant need for on the go organization and ability to showcase designs to clients, I am in need of a tablet. Could it be that I could possibly write this off as a business expense? Let's go one step further and talk about the iCloud. You mean I can sync all of my "potential" Apple devices together and share the same information among them? YES!!! Let's talk about the iPhone too! There is also an aspect of the iPhone that I am coveting and that is Instagram! I can start taking pictures of my favorite looks, rooms, and elements to share  them with clients and, above all, myself!
So here's how we can make a new phone a statement and pay homage to some of our favorite (at least my favorite) brands:

#1,2,3 can be found at Layla Grayce and are designed by Petunia Pickle Bottom, Johnathan Adler, and Lily Pulitzer respectively.

#4 & 5 are by one of my favorite ladies Tory Burch

#6 & 7 are from Kate Spade

Because a girl can never ever choose just one, just like you can't eat just one chip, I had to delve into the world of tablet cases as well! 

Here we have "our girls" Kate (1 & 4) and Tory (3) again talking to good 'ol Michael Kors (2). All of these can be found at Nordstrom in their Tech department. I am a HUGE fan of the "Equestrian Orange" Tory uses. First for the sentimental aspect coming from my competitive riding background, and the fabulous pop of color it brings to everything! Kate is always good with patterns, stripes and polka dots, and the great sayings like this "out of office". Clearly it's a travel case, but there's the innuendo that you've "checked out" just a bit! Of course Michael has given us a classic envelope clutch look in a tablet case. Do I need 4 tablets? No....But this girl will be dreaming of cases!

Enjoy your Chic Moment with your gadgets!

Dabble

Constant Reinvention

Last weekend one of my friends from high school came to visit and meet Abby for the first time. Steph is the perfect "wild child" aunt for Abby! I was SO excited to see her and just hang out for the weekend and let whatever shenanigans we always end up getting into just fall into place. We of course took a trip to the outlets and spiced up our house with a fantastic sale at Yankee Candle. I took a little bit out of my "emergency" fund for candles. Emergency? Absolutely....it's the little things that make you feel better when sometimes you feel like everything is falling apart.
In between the running around moments Steph was able to witness a big change moment for our family. Abby attempted to crawl. Ok, she lifted up her arm from the crawling position and immediately toppled over, but it was a start and incredible cute! More importantly, Kyle went back to school. I have been hinting for a while that there were big changes coming, going on, circling around, and I have been virtually ripping away at the pages to find the best way to talk about it all. We have made the decision to sell the brand that we have built as a custom printing company, and that's about all I can get into with that side of things at the moment. Kyle and "the guys" are working on potentially buying a restaurant and with that Kyle is going to get a culinary degree. I admire his ambition and drive to yet again take on the task of mastering a truly specialized field, and I know that he will be beyond successful in whatever he chooses to do.
Of course, that means more $$ out of our pockets to pay for school. Having Steph here reminded me of how easy we had it in high school. We were essentially care free and finding our footing, ourselves, and dreaming of where we were going to go in life. I would like to think that I still have that dreamer in me, and for better or worse I am constantly reinventing myself. Luckily enough, Kyle is in the same boat with me and we can go through the constant changing together supporting each other. However, it's very different now that we have Abby.
Parenting "forces" you to have a sense of security for your family unit and your child(ren). It creates a sense of selflessness in you that says "no matter what is going on in life and how much I have to sacrifice, my child(ren) will be taken care of". I am blessed enough to have incredibly supportive family, but every day I strive to take care of my own on my own. Maybe I finally know how my parents feel when they tell me they want to make sure I am taken care of, but as a parent I want to be able to provide for my family as my own parent. I guess the days of carefree living are over, but to all the parents, supportive families, and everyone else out there do NOT read that to mean that the days of DREAMING are over.
This blog was started with the idea that we all need a moment every day to make ourselves feel absolutely fabulous, even if it's only in a dream!

Until Next Time
Dabble

Mailbox Magic

After a visit to my mom's new townhouse this morning to meet the inspector (more on that later), and a quick run by the office, I came home to actually get some work done. A couple hours went by and then I heard one of my favorite sounds of the day...the mailman. I cannot explain to you why, but for as long as I can remember I have LOVED getting mail. I get giddy at the thought of something fantastic in my mailbox, and today I was a lucky girl. I found a breaking point in my financial review and scooted out to find this lovely specimen inside:

This 282 page Outdoor Sourcebook from Restoration Hardware is the "baby sister" to the prized possestion of the 655 page Spring 2012 main book. Coming it at 3/4" thick I can only imagine the close look Kyle would give this book to see the production process behind it. Me, I am drooling over the things on the inside. I think it's an accurate statement to steal from the Sex and the City 2 movie "I've been cheating on fashion with furniture" because I never knew that accent chairs, lighting, and headboards could get me so flustered!
I've only had a chance to flip through it quickly, but I am seeing a lot of natural wood, linen, and the traditionally loved rope and metal work that evokes classic tones to the type of furniture I dream about being able to afford....
I suppose with that said I should get back to working on my retail platform so I can put some $$ in my "Furniture Fund"!

Until Next Time
Dabble

Sanity...it's crazy-making

The past few weeks have involved a never ending roller coaster of events, emotions, tasks, and trying to somehow come out alive on the other side. The worst part about all of it? I can't talk about it yet....
Inside, I'm a writer. This is my outlet, and I think that Kyle loves that I have it, because there are only so many times he can listen to me vent, or talk out my strategy to "take on the big guys". But the nature about this entire situation is protected by a looming necessity for confidentiality, and if I even started to talk about why I could be making things even harder for myself.
What I can say is that everything will be ok, life will go on, and at the end of it all, I will be a more valuable business person from the experience we're having.
What I hate about this....it makes me feel like I'm a bad mother. I cannot physically do everything during the day and night that I need to do, and do everything that Abby needs me, as her mom, to do. Yes, I accept help, and I have a super nanny, and Abby is completely well taken care of. For me personally, it's not enough. When we started trying to have a baby I knew it would be a challenge to balance everything, but I knew that we had the most amazing support system to make sure that we are all ok.
I grew up with working parents, and I know that I need to work (at least part-time) so I have something else to do. I never wanted to be in a position where I was there for the morning and bedtime...and nothing more.
Once this is all over, I'll be happy to take at least a day or two to spend with just my little girl.
Some mommy and Abby time....and maybe a glass of celebratory wine.

Until Next Time.....

Dabble

Taking myself seriously....

So Kyle (lovely husband) forwarded me an email this morning from a company, nameless for now, that found us through Xerox's Premier Partner Network. Apparantly we are one of 13 companies nationwide approved to be a Premier Partner of Xerox that can not only handle custom printing but also direct mail. Fast forward, the want me to be a member of their network for mid-market CEOs (normally means over 300 employees HAH!) and they want Greeting Express to be their print and mail partner.
WOO HOO...Right?!?!
Well partner is a fancy way to say sponsor, and apparently the value of exposure we "will" get through this "partnership" is $80,000....which means we would need to donate over the course of one year $80,000 in retail value in product.
::Insert speachless moment::
No problem right? Well first of all, I'm honored and proud to be asked, but is this a level of exposure (to over 50,000 companies nationwide) that we're ready for? Easy answer is yes because exposure equals business, but I'm 25 years old, female, and a start-up CEO...not just the CEO of a start-up. Why do I find myself hesitant on a personal level to put myself in the shark pen with 50,000 other CEOs for this network as an individual...and not as hesitant to commit our company to the sponsorship.
Maybe I'm afraid of judgement, but usually I relish in the opportunity to shatter expectations to the wayside when I'm not the brainless 25 year old female they expect me to be. The purpose of the networking and the group is actually to change the appearance of CEOs to the nation, think less insider trading and million dollar salaries preaching "eco-friendly" and flying in private jets...more actually caring about employees, work conditions, health programs, and benefits (ahem walmart). So I shouldnt be scared right?
Either way...it got me thinking and I took a look into some dream work outfits...you know for when I have a million dollar salary and fly private...here's a taste!!

FABULOUS Oscar de la Renta...love the high waist belt, something that I feel I look good in, and the scooped neck so the feeding devices that my daughter needs don't hang out in unsuspecting faces

Ah Valentino...little more fun and girly, less baracudda b*tch boss, and I have a pair of Kate Spade heels (bought ON CLEARANCE at Nordstrom years ago) that look very much like the shoes she's wearing....
Must snap back to reality and see how we can afford to donate $80,000 in retail...and go to BJs to by a massive bag of dog food.

until next time

Dabble

Perk of being your own boss...

Oh Wednesday...otherwise known as hump day, but really it's just another day. When you own your own business the saying goes "you get to pick the 90 hours you work in a week". I agree with that 110%. When I was "getting ready" to have Abby I tried to plan my maternity leave. Our company has a 7 week policy of paid leave, and you can use your vacation and sick time in conjunction, fantastic right? Well sure, but I couldn't exactly just vanish for 9+ weeks, but I can bring Abby to work with me. I was doing price quotes in the hospital the day she was born, I should have known the trend of my "leave" wouldn't change too much after that.
Fast forward to this morning, lovely hump day, when the biggest perk of getting to do what I want with work turned into going into the office with spit up on my sleeve. WOO HOO!! I had gotten myself ready, Abby ready, everything packed, and we settled in to walk out the door when my daughter in all of her demure feminine glory let out a burp to rival any drunk frat boy. Out comes the spit up all over my sleeve and I told her "this is why it's nice to be your own boss"....not exactly the perk I had imagined when I became my own boss.

Dabble