Photos by Emma Wyatt

Oh. My. God.

It’s been just shy of a year since I’ve last blogged! 2017 was a doozy, so let me summarize what happened and fill you in on what I’ve been up to lately. Ready? GO.

Job hunting was a bitch.

If you recall, in October 2016, I made the bold and courageous decision to leave my job and find a new challenge. I took a few months off at first, and then at the start of 2017 I hit the ground running. I was confident I’d only need about 4 months to apply, interview and land a job that would suit and excite me. I was sure I could “do it all,” planning the first ever Femme Fair, keeping up with my blog and doing freelance work, all while sending out applications and going in for interviews. But 4 months came and went in a flash.

Time went on, and job hunting became my sole priority. I cut out all hobbies and became a recluse in order to focus, and though I would constantly make it far in the interview process, I couldn’t seem to find a company that I wanted to work for and also wanted me back. I discovered I hated freelancing and missed in-person office interaction.

I began doubting my skills as a graphic designer, and became increasingly more anxious and stressed. I cried all the time. I felt nothing like who I had once been, and had no idea how to deal with it because, quite truthfully, I was embarrassed at my whole situation. (I later learned I suffered from situational depression… Yes, that is a real thing.)

The few friends and family members I confided in obviously grew more concerned for me as time continued to march on. They began asking me, “are you sure you want to turn down that job?” and urged me to accept any job offer, just so I’d feel better. But as practical as that sounded, something about it nagged at me. I didn’t want to settle. I wanted a job that was right for me, goddamnit.

I FINALLY landed a job at one of my dream companies: Pottery Barn!

No one can say I’m not persistent, because it took me 4 tries to land the role I eventually accepted, LOL. I applied 3 times over the course of months, and when nothing came of it, I was sure my dream company, Pottery Barn, was going to be a bust. But then I saw a 4th role open up that piqued my interest once more, so I applied, swearing it would be my last attempt. And suddenly, everything fell into place. As easy as pie. I couldn’t believe it… after all those months of painstakingly crafting cover letters and interviewing for hours on end, I had finally found a place I wanted to be at.

I’ve been a Senior Designer at PB since last Fall, and I’m absolutely loving my team. They are all such great people, and it feels great to be able to use my skills to be a contributing member of a company I have always admired. And, best of all, I survived the most challenging year I’ve had to date, and proved that hard work, persistence and not settling truly does pay off in the end.

Femme Fair 2018 just happened!

Literally, it just happened this past Saturday, April 21, and it was a huge success! Here is a photo of the #FemmeFairFam of 2018. 🙂

Photo by Jess Onesto

My best friend is getting married! THIS SUNDAY!

And yours truly is one of the co-Maid of Honor’s! It’s been really special to see my best friend, whom I’ve known since middle school, fall in love and end up with someone who truly appreciates and loves her for all that she is. I threw her a tea party-themed bridal shower back in February, and planning it was so much fun. I used Paperless Post to design and send out the invitations, and it could not have gone smoother! I was able to pick a beautiful template out of many great options (they have designs from Gray Malin, Rifle Paper Co, Oscar de la Renta, and more) and tracking the RSVP status of each invite was incredibly easy. I could even schedule reminder and follow-up emails, too! I highly recommend checking out their services for your next event. Save a tree and go digital!

And dassit!

I honestly have no idea if anyone still reads Closet Luxe, but if you are, thank you for sticking with me through my year-long hiatus. See you in my next post!