Articles Tagged with: Courage
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December 31, 2015
2016 Mantra

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Illustration from my 2016 Calendar!

This year, be way more YOU. Feel more, give more, do more, play more, dream more, BE more. Compete with YOURSELF, no one else.  Color outside the lines and take the path less traveled. If there is something you see in the world that you want to change, change it.

Don’t be afraid to speak up for what you believe in, ESPECIALLY if no one else is. Create your own path, write your own story. Forget those who just watch and judge you because they are just standing on the sidelines. If you want advice, ask someone who IS where you want to be, and has been where you want to go – not someone who tells you you can’t.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done” -N. Mandela.

GO and catch YOUR star, better yet BE a shooting star and last but not least, Never dim your light just because it’s shining in someone else’s eyes – they will find some sunglasses and that is what we call shade.

For 2016, and if you are so inclined, for every month – choose a new mantra and repeat it to yourself anytime you need a little pick me up.

Mine for this month/year is : I AM A POWERFUL CREATOR

Happy New Year! Shine Bright darlings! xo

Hope that inspires you,
Xoxo
Emily

Follow me on Instagram & Snapchat @EmilyBrickel

September 25, 2015
Fashion Month Continues : Recap

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Illustrations of Sephora X Chic Sketch event guests!

As fashion month continues, I wanted to give you a recount from the rest of my crazy, hectic, glamorous NY Fashion Week!

In case you’ve noticed I haven’t been posting every week like I have in the past, that is because as we grow our new business Chic Sketch, there is a lot more to do and so many exciting things going on. I am also in the midst of working on a very large and EXCITING project that I can’t reveal yet but when I do – it’s going to be BIG and amazing!  I can’t wait to share it with you!!!!

Saturday
As I left off with you last post, I was about to head to the Fashion Show Noon by Noor. When I arrived I discovered I was sitting front row (for both shows I attended) at the new venue Skylight at Moynihan Station. This was so exciting and pretty much a dream come true to sketch front row for these incredible designers!

Here are some looks from the show:

NOON BY NOOR x Chic Sketch



Backstage

More photos on my instagram @ChicSketch & @EmilyBrickel

Tuesday and Wednesday
Next up was the Bene Rialto Bloggers lounge where I got to meet some amazing bloggers and live sketch all of them, while my sketches were being projected onto a huge white wall

Bene Rialto is where I started live sketching only less than a year ago and where my most special 7 foot tall sketch is being permanently displayed on their store front window!  Caryn Neary and her team are incredible there and I am so honored to be a part of their events!

Here are some images from the event!

Thursday
Next up my husband Jordan and I attended the Macy’s fashion show, which was their “Biggest Fashion Show Ever” taped to air on E! Entertainment on Sept. 23 at 8 p.m and showcased at Madison Square Garden with co-hosts Giuliana Rancic and Brad Goreski from the show “Fashion Police”. The Fashion Industry’s brightest stars made appearances. Diane Von Furstenburg, CFDA president and Fashion Designer by her own namesake, made a welcome appearance to kick off the fashion show. Tommy Hilfiger and Heidi Klum bowed at each of their line’s runway segment and other Macy’s collections like Sean Jean, Ryan Seacrest Distinction, Jessica Simpson, Thalia Sodi, INC, Hello Kitty, Impulse and Samgsung S2 wearable fashion (watches) showed their new Fall 2015 collections. The looks were available on sale for us fashion show guests AT THE EXACT moment they graced the runway on macys.com/frontrow.

Here are some images from my snapchat (@EmilyBrickel) !


Giuliana Rancic and Brad Goreski

Friday and Saturday
Last but not least of our second half of fashion week was a two-day event at Sephora Brooklyn and Queens. I had live-sketched at the Sephora Times Square location as a collaboration with Allure Magazine and Lancome a month or so ago and they had us back for some great events for Sephora Collection.  I LOVE working with Sephora and sketching their guests because all the Sephora girls are such risk takers and fashionistas with their makeup and it’s so fun to draw different makeup looks when I’m not drawing fashion looks.

Here are some sketches from there!







Just incase you didn’t know, Chic Sketches are quick 3-5 minute sketches that I do at live events or if done through our Chic Sketch app goes to myself and our team of Fashion Illustrators who will turn your latest look into a custom fashion sketch!

Press
We got some very exciting press this week where Who What Wear covered my NYFW street style and Fashion Show recap sketches of some of my favorite looks.

NYFW Street Style on WhoWhatWear.com

NYFW Runway on Bustle.com

Sunday
I recapped the Emmys best-dressed looks and Lady Gaga’s look made it to InTouch Weekly’s instagram page!

InTouch Weekly Instagram x Chic Sketch

Take a look of my faves organized by trend. Can you guess which star is which?

The romanic in nudes, black and white:


Pants and jumpsuits:

And Style Standouts. These were the risk takers that paid off in a big way:

Sorry for the delay on getting these up! I was obviously very busy! I was This week was Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, the Jewish New Year so we just took some time to recoup from all the amazing fashion week adventures we had and catch up on all our work.

Hope you like my recaps and as always,
Hope that inspires you!
Xoxo
Emily

Follow me on Instagram & Snapchat @EmilyBrickel

August 21, 2015
Making it!

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Illustration of Chanel brooches in honor of Coco Chanel’s 131st birthday, a woman who really made it, in her own extraordinary way.

I have some really exciting news to share… I can’t share it yet! – But it’s good, oh it’s really good!  Sorry for the extremely vague non-announcement but I’m just itching to say SOMETHING! Something exciting has happened and I finally feel like my work and my time has been validated!

I can say I am really proud of myself and my hustle, and when this happened – something shifted in me. Sometimes as an entrepreneur and in corporate or even in relationships we all work and work and work and pull miracles out of our hats, work some more and rarely get recognized.  Sometimes, when that recognition hits – and it can even be someone saying to you after you explain what you are up to that “you’ve made it”, or whatever you needed to hear (I love you, Will you marry me, You’re Promoted etc), it can make all the difference.

Although I feel, as a “multi-passionate” entrepreneur you never really “make it” because there is always so much more you want to do – it is really nice to hear that your work is making a difference out there. After all, isn’t that what it’s all about?

Something shifted – and when it did, I let go of so much tension that I always carry around with me.  I felt like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I finally can feel free with a deeper sense of knowing.  The same thing happened when I got married to my soul mate & best friend Jordan less than 3 months ago. I just felt like everything was going to be ok, like I had roots that ran so deep I know I can with withstand any storm. That’s a deep love. That’s a security that I never really had.  I for one know that anything can be taken from you in a moment’s notice with no warning at all – I have been through the deaths of my dad, my grandpa (who became like my dad after my father passed away) and my parents and step-parents divorces.  I know things can be fleeting but for the first time in my life I am building my own family, my own career and it finally feels like I have made it to higher grounds. It’s a deeper spiritual trust and gratitude then I have ever had before.

All that uncertainty, all the fear, all the anxiety (well most of it  – ha!) felt unnecessary.  I could finally figuratively un-hunch my back and take a deep breath in and feel taken care of by The Universe. It’s hard to explain but when you go through life wondering what the future will hold and when you are standing on a step that each day you must CREATE the next step and worry or think about how it will suddenly appear and all work out, that feeling is seeing the staircase ahead of you, already built, KNOWING you can take a breather because all you have to do is show up and climb it.

Making it means something different to everyone.  They say “one person’s ceiling is another person’s floor” I don’t know what your floor or ceiling is but wherever you ARE if you are at the point in your life, where someone views it as their ceiling or a really amazing place to be, regardless of how hard you are on yourself; Take it in, accept it and be proud of yourself.

I don’t know how often we hear the praise each one of us needs to stay motivated. In the adult world, it some how seems not too often, so when you do get it, there is so much power in taking it all in and ALLOWING yourself to receive it.

The same goes for if someone says you look pretty today. If you feel gross, instead of regurgitating some self-deprecating retort, say THANK YOU and ACCEPT the praise.  I know it’s hard to do but continually accepting the little (or even BIG) victories and celebrating them is how you build a strong staircase to your dreams.

I know that we as a culture are taught to “not take what anyone says at face value”, to “ignore what they say” if it is something hurtful or fake or even “not go by what others think of you, go by what you think of yourself” – but SOMETIMES, someone says something completely genuine, deeply real and extremely proud and happy for you – take all in.

Count your blessings EVERY day, be deeply grateful for every single thing you have because if you are reading this, you too have SO much.  Think about the people in third world countries who are happy to have electricity for protection against crime. Really, deeply and wholeheartedly count and appreciate all of your blessings. That is how your life will transform and be in a place where you can accept the praise and create space for more wonderful things to take place in your life.

Hope that inspires you,
Xoxo
Emily

Follow me on Instagram & Snapchat @EmilyBrickel

August 13, 2015
Your Place in the Cosmos

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Illustration of @MaisonValentino of @tistiswu in a
Valentino pre-fall 2015 Cosmo dress on instagram.

This week I have been feeling like I have been getting so caught up and taken over by all the things I need TO DO, that I have had less time to spend focusing on future goals and planning for that.

It is always the intention of businesses and individuals alike to expand and grow, and not just get caught up in the day-to-day. But here I am, getting caught up.  I think its super important to not beat yourself up if you don’t get all of your “To do’s” done in one day and to know how important it is to regenerate and regroup from the stress of the day.

For me, this illustration totally captures how I’m feeling and how a lot of us can feel at any given time.  Being overwhelmed by a wealth of possibilities, knowing there is so much out there, and so much we can and want to do, but where to start.  I love the ease and comfort of this girl sitting in her shimmering gorgeous Valentino gown and pondering the reflection of her own selfie.

All I want to say this week is to trust in your own capabilities and go on and conquer the world, because you know you are meant to.

Hope that inspires you!
Xoxo
Emily

Follow me on Instagram & Snapchat @EmilyBrickel

July 30, 2015
California Style : LA SWIM and more

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(From Left to Right) Sketches of Josephine Ochoa, Alexandra Georgy of Social Behavior, Jennifer Cirone of Cirone Swimwear, Liz Eddy, The Urban Sophisticate, Cat Kennedy and Taylor Launius.

So we are back from our weeklong excursion in California, and we returned with a tan, amazing memories and LA SWIM under our belt.
It was my first time to California and let me say that Cali did not disappoint. We spent the first few days in Laguna exploring some potential opportunities, enjoying the beach life and experiencing that laid back Cali flair. What a nice way to live. It reminds me of a more relaxed version of Long Island, where I’m from, except the Housewives of Orange County frequent the local glamorous haunts.  I would not mind going back a few times a year, let’s put it that way.

Next up was Los Angeles. I love being an entrepreneur so much and having an entrepreneur husband / business partner because it means we can travel for work and pleasure at the same time.

The main reason we were there was for me to sketch the runway shows live for Chic Sketch, our fashion app that turns your latest look into a quick fashion sketch (www.chicsketch.com) at LA SWIM, held on the rooftops of The London Hotel in West Hollywood.

Here are some photos from the event. Below are the sketches from the runway. I sat front row and I created these sketches even faster than the 3-5 minutes that the above sketches took. These were sketches in less than two minutes as I tried to capture the movement and energy of the runway.


Black, nudes, sheer elements and cut out’s were my favorite trend.
Designs by: 1) Chloe Rose Swimwear 2) Leividie Lingere 3) Leonisa USA

Pops of color and playful shapes kept me dreaming of a pool and margaritas.
Designs by: 1) Frankie Swimwear 2) Leonisa USA 3) Beach Flirt 22

Florescent color blocking in geometric shapes were perfect for day, or night swims.
Designs by: 1) Beach Flirt 22 2) Leonisa USA 3) Leonisa USA

And feminine floral prints in bright pastels would flatter any beach babe. I especially loved the palm tree prints.
Designs by: 1) Leonisa USA 2) DiMarco Swimwear 3) DiMarco Swimwear
All illustrations by me, Emily Brickel for Chic Sketch

My husband Jordan and I at the show!

Me, getting ready for the show to begin.

Next up, since it was my primero visit to the city of angels, the hubs and I did some extra-touristy sight seeing. I let myself really get back in touch with my exploration side and kid at heart. This included a city tour of Hollywood homes, the Hollywood sign, Hollywood walk of fame, Rodeo drive and more. We had lunch at The Ivy where I was patiently awaiting a celeb sighting, but no dice.  We shopped at Kitson where still, no celeb sightings. We later took an Uber to the incredible Griffith Observatory where we were lucky enough to see the planet Saturn live through their massive telescope and insane views of LA. On our last day we went to Universal Studios where we took a Studio Tour of all the movie sets and went on some rides.  (Insert me going into panic mode here.) Not knowing what to expect and ultimately having some mini anxiety attacks, the hubs calmed me down with cotton candy.

It’s so interesting in life, when waiting on lines for 2 hours, in rows and rows of random people, loud noises, confined spaces and so much time to anticipate or imagine how scary the ride will be, it then becomes time to take a breath, sit down, strap in and woman up. In actuality, the rides were like 1-5 minutes each and so much fun. I used to get caught up in the anticipation of things and sometimes drove myself crazy. I finally have gotten to a place where I know that taking the leap is not even half as scary as thinking about it is. However, for some reason these rides brought me right back to my fear factor and dialed up my old response.  I thought this was a really interesting insight to point out and to take life’s experiences and check in with how you react to your outer world.

On another note, one of the highlights of the LA portion of our trip, (Housewife nerd that I am) was eating at Pump, Lisa Vanderpump of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hill’s new restaurant. We sat 3 tables away from her, her husband, their dog Giggy and supermodel Gigi Hadids’ father Mohamed and his wife Shiva. Later I got the chance to meet them, chat and snap a photo. I hate to say it but I really never freak out when I meet celebrities because I know they are just normal people who are living their dreams, and that is something to be commended. I did however privately freak out with my husband when I went back to our table.  I love Lisa because she really is one example of a woman who has it all; she is a successful entrepreneur, interior designer, and restaurateur who lives in a glamorous mansion in Beverly Hills, with a loving husband and has an amazing relationship with him, her friends and her children all while having the best closet I’ve ever seen. She is friendly, beautiful, graceful and smart.  I love seeing empowered female entrepreneurs who can have it all.

Another highlight was seeing one of my best friends from High School who is living out in LA.

Traveling, and being an entrepreneur are a lot alike. They are really exciting opportunities for opening yourself up to new experiences, people and places and for taking big risks. What’s exciting is to test your limits and to see how you react to these things, because it is your actions that define the outcome. It is your perspective that denotes the life you attract and the life you live.

I recently came across this quote and I wish I knew who said it: “Your vibe will attract the tribe.”  This is so true when radiating the level of the experiences you wish to have.  Your day is completely defined by how you see it and how you react to it.

Is it that you missed the bus and things suck, or is it that you ended up on the next bus, the RIGHT bus that would lead you to meet and see the people and places more in tune with your higher vibration? How do you see it?

Hope that inspires you!
Xoxo
Emily

Follow me on Instagram & Snapchat @EmilyBrickel

July 16, 2015
Just Swimmingly…

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 Illustration of @Lindsilanestyle and @Songofstyle

 Hey there!

So this weekend is Miami Swim leading into LA Swim at The London Hotel in West Hollywood on July 23rd and we are so excited to be there with Chic Sketch all day sketching the shows. Since LA Swimweek is by invitation only, let Chic Sketch be your insider connection to some of LA’s hottest fashion events. Be sure to follow @chicsketch on Instagram and snapchat, along with my handle @EmilyBrickel for most chic updates through out the day.

Believe it or not, this will be my first trip to Cali, and I am so excited. I have always wanted to go there but never had the chance to make it until now.  The first part of our trip will be in Laguna Beach and then we will head over to LA for the event, making sure to squeeze in some extra-touristy things and some honeymoon-like excursions.  A little bit of business, a little bit of pleasure. My kind of trip!

For this week’s illustration I just HAD to draw the adorably chic party floats that are popping up all over every cool fashion bloggers insta feeds.
I have to admit that I am insanely jealous that I am not Hamptoning on a blow up Swan or Pegasus. (Maybe they will have some in LA!?!)

Summer is when I miss my old house and our pool in Long Island. If my mom still lived there I would be right on that Flamingo, Pizza or Sprinkle Doughnut float bandwagon enjoying the sun.  Until then, I hope you enjoy these illustrations (soon to be available as prints on Etsy!! Stay tuned!)

I love the feeling of getting ready for a trip, planning my outfits and packing.   We have some pretty cool adventures lined up and of course we will be checking out at least one of Lisa Vanderpump’s 3 restaurants.

Anyway, there will be no blog next week but I’ll be sure to update you on my adventures LIVE on snapchat (Have I mentioned I’m obsessed) and on my blog when I return.

Stay on my social media and snapchat for behind the scenes access!
As for now, go jump on a Pegasus float and keep on your Summer Love Adventures!
Hope that inspires you!
Xoxo
Emily

www.etsy.com/shop/EmilyBrickel

Follow me on Instagram and Snapchat @EmilyBrickel

June 18, 2015
The Wedding of my Dreams – Designing The DRESS

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Well, I am back…. as a married woman!

Wow, that makes me feel/sound old! I just got back from the most incredible 11 day wedding trip / mini-moon to our favorite place… Miami and I want to say { TAKE ME BACK there! }

We did it, we tied the knot and I hate to say it but I am soooooo extremely relieved that the planning is over. I did enjoy a lot of the process – especially designing and making my dream wedding dress (more on that in this post), but I won’t miss the pressure, opinions and stress of the wedding planning.

I’m SO elated that we are married and now we can enjoy our time together because it was a heck of a stressful year (did I say that already). Being married – is AMAZING. We feel so much more like a team and like our roots are grounded deep into a sturdy foundation.  I feel like there is a new found respect and deeper love that we have – and I didn’t think it was possible or that much would change since we have been living together for years.

Brides-to-be, let me assure you that your wedding day will be everything you dreamed of AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!

You will look the best you have ever looked (thus far), everything will fall into place, the venue and all of your vendors will create a magical fairytale land that you are the QUEEN of and it gets so much more fun than that!!

Gratefully, my wedding went off without a hitch! Some minor things did go askew but they are things that only I would notice. We ran late getting ready which cut into some photo time but we all looked gorgeous and the shots we did get (which were still a TON) are insanely amazing and I haven’t even seen all of them yet! – SO much more on my wedding to come….I am waiting for those amazing photos to give you more details!

THE DRESS 
The one thing that was the most important to me, and the only thing I ever was certain of as a little girl was that I wanted to design my wedding gown.

Growing up, you accumulate stories in your head about why you are not good enough, talented enough or capable enough of living your WILDEST dreams. My wildest dream (well one of them) has always been to be a renowned fashion designer. So, like any well-acclimated person in society would do – I doubted myself.

When it came time to find a dress, I went to many stores, tried on dozens of gowns, but none were for me. I found some I could love if I changed this or that. I found gorgeous dresses that anyone else would be ecstatic about. Yet, in my head, it wasn’t mine because I hadn’t designed it. That small voice was being stepped over by the more socially acceptable voices of the sales people and onlookers that “this looks great on you”, “it’s beautiful”, “it’s perfect”.

Months of agonizing and finally finding ONE dress that I did become obsessed-in-love with, it turns out that it was literally 10x’s my budget.

I found a white feather on the floor when I left for that dress appointment, I thought it had to be a sign that this dress was THE ONE.  Imagining in my mind that I could some how make that impossible budget happen (I could buy the sample, I could call a friend to get an industry discount, call directly to Israel where it was made and befriend the designer etc. etc.) Yeah. MMMKay. Not happening.

This was the blessing. I had exhausted my options. It was my wedding and I would NOT settle for a dress I wasn’t in love with. I couldn’t have that pricey designer dress, so I was going to have to dig into my deepest fears, pull out my strength and design the dress of my dreams.

I wasn’t exactly sure what that would look like yet (Ha!) but I sat down, and I designed. I knew what I wanted it to feel like, I knew the silhouette, the glamour, and the impression I wanted it to make.  I know my body and what flatters me, I tried on enough dresses to know what I didn’t like.

Ready for my main inspiration? Please don’t laugh…

Do you remember this scene from The Little Mermaid


The one when Ariel came out of the water with as a human to meet her Prince? She was covered in the most stunning glimmers of white sparkle. This was what I had in the back of my head when trying on gowns and nothing came close.

Now on to find the fabric! I scoured the garment district walking up and down and into every single store looking for clear or white sequins to do the trick. This idea was hard to come by. Finally I found the fabric. It had come straight from India and it was exactly what I wanted. It had that shine and sparkle I was looking for. It was sheer, so it needed to be backed.

So production began and my dress was born! There are a lot more details that went into it but I’ll spare you the nitty gritty.

I am all about the little things so I designed my train to be 111 inches long (I wanted the train to be extremely long and super dramatic, plus 111 is a powerful number for good luck and blessings) and I had a piece of my great grandmother’s veil sewn into the lining of the dress over my heart.

The dress was inspired by Old Hollywood glam and I wanted something unlike anything that was out there on the market today.
I designed an Old Hollywood take on the modern sweetheart neckline. I went with a figure flattering mermaid silhouette and gave it a modern feel by going with no embellishments or lace aside from the sequined fabric.

In production, my dress had two layers of train, needed over 70 yards of sequined fabric, 30 yards of silk faille, 50 yards of crinoline, an internal corset, padding (so no undergarments were necessary) and horsehair lining all around the two layers of train on all the hems.  The top layer of train was not holding the shape like I thought it would but I realized that was because the sequins were so heavy. I was disappointed at first but I realized the sequins were more important to me than the structure on the train so instead I hand laid each tuck and fold of the train and how it would flow.  It really became a couture dress with real blood, sweat and tears soaked into it somewhere.  Due to the weight (25 pounds), it was really hard to walk. We decided to make the bottom and longest train detachable so that I could take it off, bustle the top layer and actually dance!

This was a real labor of love and something I am so proud of myself for and so grateful to my mom (and family) for believing in me and supporting me to make this possible.

So with out further adieu, I present to you my gorgeous wedding gown.

Right before I walked down the aisle!

During our “First Look”

The Kiss – pronounced Mr. & Mrs. Edelson

There are so many more photos of me, behind the scenes with the dress in the making and my fittings but I will save that for another time.

This is not the first wedding gown I have made and I LOVE working with brides who want to create something so unique to them and show off their personality. If you or someone you know is interested in a custom made wedding gown please email me at Emily@EmilyBrickel.com

Remember: If you aren’t afraid, you are not dreaming big enough!

Hope that inspires you!
xoxo
Emily

Follow me on Instagram @EmilyBrickel

May 7, 2015
The Countdown is ON!

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Check me out at Saks Fifth Avenue Live Illustrating for Chic Sketch x Viktor & Rolf

So as you may have noticed I have not been blogging in a while! While I miss it so much I have been constantly non-stop and haven’t had a second to myself. Between my business, our new company Chic Sketch and wedding Planning, things have certainly been hectic and exciting.
Here is a little recap on what I’ve been up to…

I have had an amazing time live sketching at:
Carolinna Espinosa
Sears
Bene Rialto

Live sketching for Chic Sketch at:
Cartier
Aerosols
Viktor & Rolf in partnership with L’Oreal and Saks Fifth Avenue

We flew into Miami just for this event in-store! We also had 8 doors across the country that participated with the Chic Sketch promotion for the 1 year anniversary of the fragrance Bonbon by Viktor & Rolf!

We are working on tons of new exciting projects and will be very busy in the next few months! I can’t wait!!

I am so blessed to be able to do what I love and make a living doing it!

On top of that we are currently 23 days away from Our Wedding!!!!!

We had my bridal shower and bachelorette party and I am putting the finishing touches on my dress which I designed and am having made!  Jordan’s tux will be custom made as well and I have been doing everything for my wedding dress from choosing the fabric, dealing with fabric deliveries, picking up zippers and notions, getting fitted (multiple times) draping my train, making design edits and more.

I have selected all of my jewelry and accessories, gotten all the details for my bridesmaids, am working on special touches all around our wedding, working with my wedding planner and decorator to make it special for our unique personalities and hopefully not look like a wedding anyone’s ever seen before! We are incorporating my love of fashion and Jordan’s love or technology into everything we do and have some very special and personal touches lined up all around.

It’s the last few weeks and me and my fiancé are both sick! (And that’s probably why I’ve had a moment to sit down – while waiting for a subway train to head to the garment district for my gown- to write this- yes I am writing this on the subway platform!!!!)

We have called in the big guns, going to get some antibiotics (can you believe we need that) and I am trying to take some r&r while I know that is nearly impossible given all the things left to do.

I am focusing on wrapping up my custom orders, continuing my workout routines, doing some at home DIY facials (organic honey on a clean face for 20 minutes- trust me it’s amazing – it is a natural humectant and antibacterial, then coconut oil as a moisturizer) and making sure my skin, hair, nails and I physique are on point.

We are leaving for Miami a week before the big day so we can get my dress down there (it has its own Plane ticket) as well as all the details and things that we need to pack.

We thought a destination wedding would be less stressful then having it in NY but I don’t think I realized that we basically need to ship the whole wedding down to our venue.

Anyway I just wanted to fill you in and let you know that as you can guess, I need to take a little hiatus from my weekly blogs but I hope to get back on my regularly scheduled weekly inspiration after I go from Miss. to Mrs. Sometime in mid to end of June when we get back from our mini-moon in Miami!

Hope that inspires you to live the life you want to live and to remember to take some quality “me” time when you need it and make sure not to wear yourself out.

With all of my love,

Emily

Follow me on Instagram @EmilyBrickel

 

March 26, 2015
It’s what you do with it!

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Illustration of Rihanna in Dior

I know I have been slacking on the blog posts lately, but it is with good reason.  March has been a whirlwind and I can’t believe the month is nearly over.

We spent the first week in Miami, at the Fontainebleau wedding planning. We had our tasting, met with our amazing floral designer, photographer, videographer and music, not to mention AMAZING wedding planner and catering manager! We have been getting so much done I am SO happy!!!

My wedding dress, (that I have designed) is in final production now, the fabric is purchased and it is going to be ready so soon! A dream come true – I have always wanted to design my own wedding dress and it is BEYOND amazing and everything I could have ever wanted. It is so magnificent I can’t wait to wear it and show you all!!

Jordan and I designed his TUX and it is getting made.
Invitations went out (most of them anyway), flights are booked, Rabbi is booked, and so many more details have been arranged.

We are in the final stretch of the last 2 months and It’s still going to be crazy, stressful yet fun.

For the second week of March, we went to Washington DC for Jordan to represent New York State for the Small Business Association SBDC for Appetizer Mobile and I got to represent Chic Sketch and sketch congress men, congress women and VIPS on Capitol Hill.

Chic Sketch has been taking off garnering press in Allure, Huffington Post, Glamour, Refinery 29 and many more blogs as well as international publications! Chic Sketch is going global.

This morning I had an amazing interview at my old stomping grounds, FIT (The Fashion Institute of Technology) interviewing me as an alumni to talk about my career!  Big thanks to Professor Cooper!

So, I may have missed a few blogs, and I may miss a few more until after my wedding but I’ll keep you updated!!!

On another note…. Are you wondering how it all gets done and I keep my sanity? Well, for starters – it’s not easy.  But I make sure to work out and meditate as much as I can. Taking time for myself lets me recollect my thoughts, take care of my body, mind and soul so that I can be on my game. And… if the day calls for a power nap (if I have the opportunity) I’ll TAKE IT!!

Hope that inspires you to keep keepin on with your dreams!
xoxo
Emily

Follow me on Instagram @EmilyBrickel

February 27, 2015
Perspective is everything….

Screenshot 2015-02-27 03.01.21

Illustration of Kendal Jenner at the Fendi Runway Show FW15

Perspective is everything….

From “black and blue” or “gold and white” dress bombarding the internet (if you have no idea what I’m taking about catch up on your social media feeds) to the biggest of fights, perspective is everything.

Tonight I gave a whirl to watercolor (something I haven’t touched in YEARS) and also played around with tablet sketches on the Samsung Galaxy Note that I have just been learning.

Obviously my hand sketches in marker and ink are the ones I am most comfortable and have a higher skill level at because I have done it so often, but its so important to step out of your shell for a bit, especially since I have been drawing a ton and also been exposed to so many other techniques this fashion week.

Here is the side by side comparison. Same artist (me), same photo, same night, different mediums and different levels of control.  See how there can be two sides of a story and two experiences of the same thing.

Trying new things always makes room for a fresh perspective.

What can you take a new perspective on?

Speaking of perspective… I’ll be getting a new one next week as I’ll be on a much needed work/wedding planning VACATION to our destination location! 3 months and counting people here it is! The stress of planning this wedding and everything else has definitely been catching up to me so I am ready for a rest and some nice warm weather!!!!!  Catch ya in 2 weeks people… I’m out for the count. You may miss my blog next week but be sure to follow my adventures on social media. (Links below). Ciao for now! xx

Hope that inspires you!

xo
Emily

 

Follow me on Instagram @EmilyBrickel

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