A Change

It's been a good long while since I've been committed to this blog, against my preference.  I've become so busy working on a big life change that I haven't been able to share here, so I focused on what what going on elsewhere.  But now it is time to share, and to be here again.

You may know that I have been working at a corporate job since I graduated from college.  I followed my partner and best friend to Minneapolis, and we were living here together happily.  I love Minneapolis and the people we have met here.  But, I never enjoyed my job, and despite being in a wonderful city with great people, I felt less and less like the person I was in college.  The problem with that is that I loved my college self.  I have never felt more like myself than when I was in my undergrad years.  A big part of my soul woke up back then when I took ownership of my education and started truly shaping my ideology independently.  I immediately related to feminism and women's health issues, and concepts like social justice, privilege and oppression, and agency started guiding what I learned and how I conceptualized the world.  I quickly became a "change-the-world" type, wonderfully naive and optimistic.  But at the same time, my background and my own life expectations were leading me down this road toward business, and I followed that too. 

So then after college, I accepted a job at Target HQ because, well, it was a great job.  It just wasn't "me", and I knew it right away.  But I didn't know what was more me.  But in May, I decided to finally go after what feels like a calling I've been ignoring since I was 18: midwifery.  2 weeks ago, I resigned from my corporate job to go back to school next fall.  I am moving back to Michigan in the meantime to focus on completing prerequisite classes and being a nanny.  I'm not a risk taker, so leaving a comfortable and secure job was a big jump for me.  But I have no doubts that this is what I am meant to be pursuing.  I can't wait for my next adventure to start.

Lazy Days

Those lazy days of summer aren't so lazy anymore - we've clearly been crazy busy still!  Here's a glimpse at what's been going on lately.  Catching the best of raspberry picking season, making fresh dinners of mussels, greens, and homemade ricotta, and a new road bike!  Hope you're enjoying every drop of summer! 

Summer Collection - Look 2

So I'm posting these backwards (as I finish pieces :), and this simple shift was intended to be Look 1.  It's the most simple of linen shifts, essentially shapeless with a tiny bit of back detailing. There's nothing better than throwing on an easy breezy piece on laid back days.

Summer Collection - Look 1

Skirt: self-made  Top: Nordstrom  Shoes: Zara

One of three looks I designed & made as a summer collection for this year.  A breezy cream jersey maxi that opens up into a fun silk print in the back.  More to come! 

Project Apartment: Moved in!

Finally - I'm in my apartment!  It's been a long time coming, but I'm thrilled to be here and be finally settled; moving is The Worst.  

Remember when it looked like this? 

Fashion Week Outfit

Pants: H&M  Top: Jcrew  Booties: Marshalls

I've been gravitating to the cropped pant and bootie combo lately - Ryan thinks it's "weird that your leg skin is showing" but I think it's a pretty transitional look while we're teetering on the edge of fall weather.  Also, it was fun to put together outfits for MN Fashion Week this week! 

Moving

It's moving day!  I finally get the keys to my new apartment and begin my new job oh so soon!  I'll share my apartment tour in the next couple of weeks.  Saying goodbye to family and home was so hard, but I'm in for an adventure.  That's what growing up is all about.

Behind the Scenes at a Target Photo Shoot

Back in December, I got some extraordinary news.  I won a contest from my internship at Target Headquarters (by the way, have I shared this video that Target did, featuring Ryan?  How cute is that?).

Now that the above final product is out, I can finally show some behind the scenes stuff!  I was in the Target Back to College 2012 catalogue, and it was an amazing experience.

For the other models in the catalogue, this was just another day on the job.  But for me, I was out-of-my-mind excited; a New York photo shoot in a Chelsea Market studio, with a photographer who shoots Jcrew catalogues?!  I'm still out-of-my-mind excited, I guess :) 

The set: much smaller than I expected!

They had the shot I was intended for all planned out, and everything was ready to go.

As the shoot was a whole 2 days after my college graduation, I was thrilled to see that they had Michigan gear all ready for me :)

If I could live in this Chelsea Market studio in New York's Meatpacking District forever, all of my design dreams would instantly come true.

Racks of sample clothing kept me entertained for hours.

In hair and makeup

I'm so used to being behind the camera, but I must admit, I liked this angle too!

Guess who isn't a model??  Hint: Look at the heights... haha.

The hair/makeup/stylist/stylist assistant hovering between shots is a real thing!

The finished product:

I feel super lucky to have gotten to take part is something so out of the ordinary for me.  It was so much fun, and I definitely wouldn't mind doing that every day :) 

What L Wore

Project Apartment: Found it!

BIG Project Apartment news!  I found the apartment!

My new street in the Warehouse District, and my building.  It's an old factory built in 1926 that is currently being converted into apartments, which means my place will be new-yet-vintage

Appliances are coming :)  - the kitchen is new and modern-ish

Check out this elevator shaft!  I think the bones of the building, where you can really see it's age and history, are the coolest parts.

Dining/living room under construction - the interior brick wall made me SWOON.  It's in the bedroom too.

My future bedroom :)

So what do you think?  I cannot wait to get in and get my hands on it.  Now we can really get to the fun part - decorating!!!

A New York Minute

I am on a 2-week travel-a-thon, and as S mentioned the other day, NYC was my first stop for one of the best experiences ever - my first photoshoot!  

Some highlights from the trip: 

- The coolest studio space ever (I mean, LOOK at that above).  It even had a free photobooth.

- Hitting up my first sample sale

- Getting totally pampered by professional hair & makeup artists and stylists, and this photographer (she does Jcrew and Madewell stuff!! Is it weird that I feel way more special now knowing that I was shot by someone who has also photographed the immortal Jenna Lyons?)

- FOOD.  Always the case with us, right?  But what a food scene - great restaurants and catering, Blue Bottle coffee, and the Jacque Torres chocolate chip cookie.

- Taking a walk along the High Line with my Blue Bottle cappuccino

- Getting dinner and drinks with my good friend Katelyn from London, who I haven't seen in ages 

- My swanky swanky hotel, the Hotel Gansevoort - where the Kardashians were apparently staying as well

Can't share stuff from the shoot yet - but I will dish all about it when it comes out.  

I can't believe how fast 2 days flew by - and that I was only here for 2 days, which is so not enough in New York.  Even as short as it was, I had an incredible time.  And now I'm off to part 2: State College for Sister Weekend and S's graduation!