"The Monday Mix" 9.1.14

Hi Friends,

Happy Labor Day All!  This photo was actually taken on 4th of July (hence the long locks) but I thought is was a good fit for a Labor Day post, huh? 

I'm back to blogging.  I have no idea where to start.  My blog went on "sabbatical" at the end of May.  I knew in order for me to really dive into my business and get some "not so fun, MUSTS done" , I had to "find extra time"... and pausing the blog for a bit was the best answer for me.... Moving forward my goal will be to blog twice a week: "The Monday Mix" and "Featured Fridays."

"The Monday Mix": Will serve as my weekly "brain dump"...a place for me to share, a place where all my roles collide.  Yes, I will keep this positive and light for the most part...because that's the way I like to roll, at least "internet style."  I'll also share lots of photos of my week to week happenings.  Except for on this particular post, Justin and I are currently in the process of organizing and editing all of our summer photos...I hope to share the highlights on Friday.

"Featured Fridays":  Will serve as a place for me to showcase specific events, collections of work, personal highlights, vendor spotlights, client stories.

Summer Summary/ Family:
It was a busy, busy summer.  Our little ones are now walking/running.  It's nearly impossible to get stuff around the house done with two tiny tornadoes trailing behind us. So, instead of "getting stuff done" we just kept moving...constantly....lots of fun times were had, stay tuned for Friday's post for ridiculous amounts of photos.

Highlights:
~Zoo
~Tea Parties
~Justin's Birthday
~Father's Day
~Double J.Starr Wedding in Pinetop
~2 Staycation's (without the buggies)
~Breakfast Dates
~Cook Outs
~Wiggle Worms
~Playdates
~Sprinklers
~Catching Up with Friends
~Dress Up
~Sushi Family Dates (Flying Edamame)
~Museums

In Conclusion:
Wow.  It's always really, really, really challenging to go out and do things...but it's always sooo worth the effort.  The babies are happy, fun, carefree, beyond amazing...I'm quite certain that there are times that bystanders are looking at us like we're crazy...but who cares, they're only little for a short while...

Business Summary/J.Starr Stylized Weddings:
What a whirlwind it has been!  My head is still reeling from all the updates and changes. I started off the summer with a list of things that were long over do, a list of things that needed to get DONE in order to be a "business owner."

Here's the deal...am I confident as a Wedding Planner/Designer ~ YES. Do I have lots of experience ~ YES.  But....being a Business Owner is a completely different story.  There we tasks that I'd been putting off doing simply because I didn't fully understand them.  So my goal for the summer was to attack those things.. MAD PROPS go to my summer intern: Haley Cwiakala, she helped a ton...and didn't mind my twinzies running circles around her :)

Highlights:
~Upgraded my Business from a Sole Proprietor to an LLC
~Purchased Liability insurance
~ Competitive Market Analysis
~Complete Revision of my Pricing Collections
~Updated My Website (still in progress)
~Updated Marketing Handouts
~Database of my Preferred Wedding Venues
~Created a Wedding Wire Page and collected Reviews
~Added reviews to my Business Facebook Page
~Linked Pinterest to Blog
~Participated in 3 Bridal Open Houses
~Designed, Coordinated and Co-Hosted a Venue Sponsored Engagement Party
~Submitted some work to National Publications
~Meet with some of my Professional Mentors
~Venue Tours
~Attended many networking events
~Booked some RAD new clients!
~Was a Featured Designer at NACE's Tantalizing Tables Event
~Currently working with 3 venues on special projects
~Currently working with a Bridal Magazine on a special project
~Met some new amazing people in the Wedding Industry

In Conclusion:
It was an exhilarating, exhausting, and humbling summer.  I'm definitely ending this summer a different person than I was going into it.  There was some great experiences, and some really awkward unsettling ones....but I guess that's what growth is all about.

And that's a wrap, for now....stay tuned, lots of fun stuff to share.  As always thank you (sincerely thank you) for reading, caring, and supporting, it feels so good to blog again. 

Until Friday, Much Love xoxo,
Jennifer Starr