My Story is Art – Been Writing This for a Year

So to begin this new year I want to thank some amazing people who made my 2012 the best one yet.  This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means and I apologize for those not directly included in this.  I still love you!  We began the year with the announcement of Trellis – a collaboration of artistic minds with our friends at Envelopments.  We marked the launch of Trellis with an epic collaboration of artists seen here.    I celebrated 12 years with my Hubby Adam and marvel at how each year with him is better than the last.  My Best Friend and her hubby celebrated one year of marriage, right around the time her wedding shower was published in Bridal Guide Magazine.    My parents celebrated 40 years of marriage and I knocked their socks off with a surprise party!  Some lovely friends in Atlanta welcomed me to their hometown to create art together for Occasions Magazine.  Engage!12 this year held in Las Vegas and Palm Beach this year produced 2 more amazing collaborations with Two Paperdolls.  We worked with our new friends Jill and Ryan McGrath quite a bit in 2012 and it’s been a thrill seeing their amazing talents flourish.  Check out their new website, by the way, just launched this week!  Several trips to Utah gave me wings this year; from shooting amidst redrock with Jill and Ryan McGrath, to scrambling off the beaten path with the Hubby – the crisp air of the desert southwest never ceases to thrill.  Our 10th Wedding Renewal landed on the pages of Destination I DO Magazine which we’re so grateful for.  The story was incredibly heartfelt and working with Jennifer and her team is always an honor.  The Knot has been such an amazing supporter of our work this year and we could not be more grateful.   Jess, our spunky Momental Girl’s Wedding Shower was seen on Green Wedding Shoes along with the artful labors of the incredible team for the day.  Jess then got married while Mom and I made pretty paper and flowers for the entire event – we’re a true family here and I love that!!  A huge thank you to Claire Pettibone for inviting me to create a suite of artwork inspired by here NYC runway show in October.  Everything that comes out of Claire’s creative mind is always sincere and powerful and collaborating with her was a dream come true.

From top left: Green Apple Photography (Southwest Tabletop) , With Love and Embers (gallery, redrock bride and food), Christine Gallagher Photography(stationery suite)

 So now, a look ahead to 2013…

I’ve been hesitant to share for some time but it’s a new year and it’s time. The news isn’t earth shattering, it isn’t glamorous or terribly exciting to most but it is something I’ve been wrestling with and for me just writing the words is cathartic.

This post has been writing itself in my mind for a year.  Countless brainstorming sessions and to-do lists ago I knew what had to be done but it wasn’t until recently that I knew I had to share.  Because sharing as you know,  in such a public way locks you into committal.   Sharing your intentions, no matter how casually, subtly makes promises to all who read.  So here goes.

Lara Casey of Southern Weddings stood up at the 5th Anniversary Launch party of her magazine and talked about these glossy pages of art her team had produced.  She made sure to explain however that the pages were not filled with pretty, just because, but filled with meaning and the core of what she knew weddings should be about – love, life, faith and family.  She talked of getting to the core of things, what really matters and her words seemed to sew up the frayed ends of my thoughts in one night.

Weddings by nature are filled with opportunities to make pretty – we select colors, mull over flowers, infuse personal moments into decor…but sometime we get a bit lost right?  Sometimes the little tasks get really big and run the risk of getting in the way of what matters most – the people.  Weddings by nature are also filled with opportunities to honor people; family, friends…and this for me is where the magic lies…this for me seems to be where all should begin.

The people in your life, who stand alongside you are the beginning, middle and end of your story.  This year I am making some changes with this simple belief at the core of all my decisions.

So what does this all mean?  If you’ve read this far, I’m sure you’re asking…  You may see some changes on the blog in the coming weeks.  I’ve decided to share more of me and more of my life.  Family and home and studio are such a huge part of who I am and reflect into each piece of art I create in a very powerful way.  My story is more than just about the art the team and I create, even though to read my blog over the last year, you may not have realized.  People make this life go around and I want you all to get to know the people better.

The Hubby and I have been married for nearly 13 years.  We married young and have made it this far with more passion and respect for eachother than we could have imagined.  I plan to share more of our story weekly…How we keep it real and what keeps us inspired as a couple.

–  Momental will be celebrating 10 years in business this March.   T E N  Y E A R S.  The words don’t seem real to me but they are.  We started super small and stayed that way for the first 4 years…Momental then exploded and took us on this ride of our lives.  I’ll be sharing a bit more of this story as I navigate the ever present challenges of running a creative business and keeping a large team for a small biz inspired everyday.

I’ll still be sharing the work we create each week but you will learn more about the people behind the work – whose passionate about which projects and why!

Instagram will become my tool of gratefulness (is that a word?) where I’ll share little bits of inspiration through/in honor of those I love and admire the most.  I’m calling this series #Bossa2013.  If you’re confused as to the name, I encourage you to read this post.


So thank you for reading along and thank you for 2012.  Here’ s to a new year full of gratitude and living an artful life in whatever it is you do.  Let’s honor the people and pretty in our lives and live with just a little more Bossa!! XO