{LIFESTYLE} All is Full of Love
Though the past month has seen a lot of grief and sadness, these last couple of weeks have been filled overwhelmingly with so much love, support, and gratitude. It has been such an incredible time - from strangers and acquaintances sending notes to say hello, or thank you, or other well wishes - to gathering with friends and family to celebrate all the good things in life. Last week, my mom and sister hosted a small gathering for friends and family in Los Angeles to begin the celebration for Ali & my upcoming wedding, and a few days later I celebrated my birthday, and again this weekend I got together with some of my closest friends in New York to dance and sing and share some version of a "bachelorette" party. I've had a smile stretched across my face the vast majority of these past two weeks, and cannot begin to express my gratitude for all the positive energy, celebration, and love!
I was so excited to have the opportunity to wear a custom dress made by my friend and brilliant designer, Christian Siriano. I met Christian about 5-years ago during an interview for Vogue Italia, and we've been close friends ever since. When Ali and I got engaged, there was no question or hesitation that I'd be working with Christian to create something special for the occasion. It's such a privilege to be able to create a memorable piece that is made specifically with me, my body, and my tastes in mind - and with Christian at the creative helm, it has truly been an incredible experience. We even conceived of creative details - like using a stretch mesh panel at the back, since the rest of the dress was made out of silk organza, to give a little more comfort and flexibility to the silhouette. I also splurged on a couple more special accessories. It's amazing how much I've been able to justify for the sake of having a special fashion moment in the celebrations surrounding our wedding! I fell in love with this quirky, playful bag (a flower pot -- which had a little April Showers bring May Flowers play on it) that I could not resist. And then these shoes - which, shockingly, were incredibly comfortable - but the real deal-closer was the inscription of "Wifey for Lifey" stamped in light blue metallic foil on the bottom sole and a stacked-heart heel.
It was such an amazing day - I honestly felt like a princess the whole time. My sister made me a fresh flower crown with pink ranunculus and dusty miller (some of my favorites), and MCed a series of games that had us all laughing. My mom created a candy table with cake pops and cupcakes and other pink treats (touché), and potted small succulents for each of the ladies to take home with them. It was so great to have family and friends come together - including Ali's mom and grandma - to celebrate. Even writing this over a week later, I can't help but have that mega-smile plastered across my face again. We're officially less than a month away from our wedding... I can hardly believe it!