Mother's Day. A day of so much celebration for motherhood, yet a day of grief for many out of motherhood. I'm going to be transparent here and say that I feel as "out" of motherhood as I can be at this point in my life, but I will say that I am at peace with that being where God has me right now. More transparency- I don't always feel that peace! If today is one of those days you don't quite feel the content, here's to all my sisters in need of a little lift:

To the ones who have lost their mothers: This I relate to the most, as I know how painful today can be watching so many others get to spend the day with their moms and shower her with appreciation. You can celebrate today too as you remember your mom and the love she poured over you. I also encourage you to embrace the moms who are still with us today and let them know how much they are cherished. God bless these women who step in and fill in for our mothers who have gone to heaven!

To the ones who have lost children: For those in this category, my most sincerest prayers for your aching hearts. I cannot imagine the pain you feel everyday nonetheless what today specifically celebrates. Rejoice that they are dancing with Jesus in heaven and that  you will see them one day again. Big hugs to you. 

To those are soon to be mothers: I'm so excited for you and the journey you'll take. I pray for the little ones growing in your bellies to not just grow to be physically strong and healthy, but to have solid, God-fearing hearts. I can only imagine the rush of feelings you may have- anxiety, excitement, nervousness, the list goes on I'm sure. As I don't know from personal experience, but from many observations, you can never be fully prepared. You can never have it all figured out by the time he or she is born. You just have to trust in the instincts you were given. 

To those who hope to be mothers one day: I can relate to this feeling as well. You may be longing to be with child, or it may not be right now but hope to become a mother someday. Either way, I pray for patience and peace as you prepare your hearts for His plan. It can be a long road and sometimes seem hopeless, but I urge you to remain faithful- there is purpose to everything! In the meantime, love on your husbands and reinforce your marriages, that is the main foundation to any family. 

To the fur moms: You aren't forgotten! You are equally as important and should celebrate today with all the other moms. We have just as much responsibility- bathing, feeding, potty accidents, cuddles, exercising, disciplining, it's a lot of work! If those pups and kitties had thumbs, they would be covering your homes with all sorts of cards and flowers letting you know how much they appreciate your big hearts. Instead, the kisses and wagging tails will have to suffice :)

Cheers to all of you women for sharing your love with us and for being selfless time and time again. You're the real MVPs! 

suc·cu·lent

 (sŭk′yə-lənt) A plant having fleshy leaves or stems that store water. Cacti are succulents.

I think it's safe to say succulents have vastly grown in popularity for weddings and home decor over the years. It's easy to see why- they're easy to care for, resilient, and so darn cute. I have always loved these darling plants, but it was around when I was planning my own wedding that I came to understand and appreciate how cool they really were. My mother-in-love gifted me a beautiful succulent garden for one of my bridal showers and long story short, I pretty much killed it. It started to draw bugs so I left it outside to get out of the way and a few weeks later, I saw sprouts- so I was actually helping it by abandoning it! This started to fascinate me so I began succulentology (yes, another weird I randomly created).

Here is the soldier of a garden that started it all, stayed alive with me for over 2 years, and still going strong!

Today I'm going to share a fun little workshop I decided to put together to share my love and knowledge of succulents. Big thanks to my sweet friend, Charla Storey Photography for capturing everything! We gathered at event1013 in Plano, Texas and before class started, we had a few bites and of course- some sips!

Then we got to the good stuff- talking succulents and making terrariums. I will have to say, I'm pretty glad I'm not a teacher, there's so much prep in lesson planning! Let's give a big high five to all the teachers out there! Nonetheless, it was so fun to share the tips and tricks I learned along the way growing and caring for these plants. 

This adorable print was created by Clara Doyle Designs and gifted to each attendee.

We loved having a gentleman succulent lover attend our workshop!

Everyone got to add a little gold animal friend to their new ecosystems. 

A secret trick I use for working in these small spaces: chopsticks!

Everyone did such a great job with their terrariums, I was so impressed! I had a blast meeting new people and sharing experiences with gardening. We had such a good turn out, that means I'll be in the works of planning another one this summer! Fort Worth, I'm coming for you! 

Our first wedding of 2015 was so full of joy, laughter, and a good celebration. Samantha and Josh said their vows at Hidden Springs Events in Aubrey, Texas and although it was an overcast day, the beauty of spring was still prevalent. These two lovebirds are such a sweet and light-hearted couple and when you see them together, you know their loves run deep.

We did month-of coordination and floral design for their wedding and I will say the bonus of this process was working with Samantha's darling mother- she was a blast to be around. I always love a good mother/daughter duo! And a double bonus? Working with our dear friends at The Tarnos Photography! My inbox is always so happy when I get stunning images from them! 

Hello, friends! It has been quite some time since this blog has gotten any love and that is about to change. Resolutions aren't only created at the beginning of the year, right? Well there are some changes to my business and I feel I'm at a pivoting point (as Ginny Au would say) in my career, which I will share more about in a later time. For now, this journal is finally going to get some attention as I try to be a little more transparent about my business and myself (scary!).

Image by The Tarnos 

It's always interesting to me how phrases catch on and get popular. I'll be the first to admit I'm one of those people who tries to make "fetch" happen, but nobody else finds it cool... Well I decided to force one of phrases to stick and even turn it into my career.

So here's how this questionable word, "wedfully" manifested:

When I was planning my nuptials to my own prince charming Mr. A, I loved every single second of it. I had dreamed of putting those ideas and plans to life since I was little girl. I was one of those brides that sent out a weekly email to my bridesmaids giving them updates (I'm sure they loved reading every single detail). I always signed them with "Wedfully yours, Linda". That is really how I felt- full of wedding bliss! On our honeymoon trip, we decided that I needed to take this into a business because I just loved planning our wedding so much, I couldn't let my passion end there. So there in Charleston, A and I mapped out a business plan for Wedfully Yours and registered it when we got home. 

Wedfully Yours stuck with me because I knew I wanted to share that same feeling I had during our engagement to other brides out there. It wasn't just about being any bride- it was this excitement of being a bride to the best man in my life and feeling this pure love. And today, as I'm 2 years into this "wedful" life, not only do I want my business to celebrate marriage, but I want to bring the focus of a pretty wedding to an intentional marriage. I want to love on my clients and cultivate authentic relationships. 

Image by The Tarnos 

There is a lot more to how this business got started, but that can be a whole post within itself. Let's just say there are many late nights, agonizing tantrums, and more vulnerability than I'd like to be comfortable with- I guess you're not supposed to be comfortable when you're vulnerable, huh? But there is the beauty about owning your own business- you can call it what you want, cry when you want to, and run it all on your own terms. 

Have any other questions about me or how this baby of mine got started? Give me a shout, I'd love to get to know you!

It brings me great mounds of joy to finally reveal our new look! Rebranding has been tough- lots of soul searching, edits, and patience. When I started this business a little under two years ago, I just wanted to get something out there quick to get my name on the scene. I wasn't really sure what I wanted the identity of my business to look like or how I wanted to make my mark. A large part of this may be due to me not really knowing myself. Not that I have it all figured out now, but I know the direction I want to go in life and with this little passion of mine. So here it is! Refined, classic, and simple. A small boutique company that encourages authentic beauty, believes less is more, and mostly, cherishes marriage. I'm excited for what is to come next in this venture and grateful for all that have and will come along with me on this journey. Cheers!