Articles Tagged with: fourth of july
Home / Blog Archives
July 3, 2015
Recharge / Getting back in the Zone

www.emilybrickel.com

Ok, I’ll admit it :::

Getting married was kind of like a month long (or maybe longer) vacation from the real world. Wedding planning kind of took over, and at least in my case, once it’s over there is a lot of cocooning. By that I mean all I wanted to do was a whole lot of NOTHING. I was so physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted (in the best way possible) and I wanted to just settle into being a wife. I used my gorgeous Caribbean blue le Creuset pot (once) to make a really amazing chicken dish that my husband now pleads with me to make again. This is newsworthy because my kitchen is mostly used as our dog’s bedroom and the counters make a great shelf for all the gadgets I don’t use and our nightly delivery order.

I released the frantic state that I was in for the better part of a year, and instead took longer showers, started to meditate again, got back into a workout routine that felt good as opposed to one that was goal driven towards my wedding physique. That meant switching my hard-core weights and cardio with a full week of feel good yoga, and skipping some days if I felt like it! I pampered myself and kind of just took time for me, and time for us.  It was exactly what I needed. I tried to rest and get back to homeostasis.

I took it easy. Well, that’s not entirely true. I did get back to getting clients and work done the following week and I did a live Illustration event for our company Chic Sketch at Sephora Times Square with Allure Magazine and Lancome (which was AMAZING by the way and super exciting to partner with these great brands that I admire!)

All in all I definitely rolled it back a few notches. I treated myself to foods not on the wedding diet, I stopped work at 2 am instead of 4 am (ah!), I listened to my body and I found myself zoning out a lot. I’m human. It’s ok. I had to give myself a break and I deserved it after all of the stress I put myself under for the last few months as the wedding got closer.

If you haven’t noticed I put a lot of pressure on myself.  I’m here to say, if you do too and you need it, listen to your body and recharge!

Recharge, Reimagine. Getting married, and then BEING married felt like I just wanted to yell out “HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!” and open up a brand new calendar. I felt like it was a fresh start, a clean slate and a world of open possibilities. Now that this amazing, and huge goal was checked off – it was nice to feel proud of myself and fulfilled with my accomplishments.
Designing and executing my wedding dress, making a TON of decisions, funding a good portion of the wedding, co-designing the stationary, working hand in hand with our wedding planner. Not to mention finally absorbing the fact that we launched and promoted a brand new company Chic Sketch in the last 3 months prior to the wedding. It went so fast that I didn’t even have time to take it all in. There is a lot of coordination that goes on.  As an entrepreneur, it seems a lot of times that I keep doing and doing but don’t always have a big WIN to show for it. Occasionally that happens but its mostly after a huge event or launch which doesn’t exactly occur every day.  I thrive on the reveal and that’s just me.  I recognize I need to take more pride in the daily wins and that is something I’m going to work on, but never being completely satisfied is part of what makes me a great entrepreneur.

I digress.  Back to my point – recharging for me means reimagining my next steps and that is something I love doing.  For me it’s planning the rest of our summer and the fall. We have a lot of big things in store and I’m so excited!!!!

What would it mean for you to reimagine your next 3 – 6 months?

Reimagining things also means reimagining my blog, my businesses, my art, my writing, my fashion design, where I want to take it and what that’s going to look like.  It’s not like I have all the answers yet (some are being fine tuned now) but its so nice to be in this stage where the possibilities are endless.

Zoning IN For me, when I zone out that’s because my body is telling me I need a break. The only way to completely zone IN is to ZONE OUT, BIG TIME.  Put the pen down. Take the pressure off. Take a walk. Take a bath. Get to bed. Go on an adventure. Plan a trip.

It’s summer. If you feel you are zoning out, do what your body is asking of you. Take a day off for Gosh Sake! It IS summer (I know it doesn’t feel like it with this weather) Take a long weekend. Do some yoga.

Your body will tell you what to do. Listen to it.
Only after you have sufficiently zoned out can you zone back in.
This is where the genius moment can slip in and hit you right smack in your face while you are out talking a walk in the park.  Your epiphany will happen.

I love taking a notebook and just sitting outside and seeing what amazing ideas my brain can come up with when I turn the electronics off and let my inner voice guide me.

This weekend, (maybe you can even start today) take a load off, roll your sleeves up, take your hair down and relax.  Happy 4th of July!

Hope that inspires you!
xoxo
Emily

P.S. This weekend, now thru July 11th use promocode CHIC4th for 10% off any chic sketch order to get your patriotic weekend look turned into an illustrated fashion sketch.

Follow me on Instagram @EmilyBrickel

July 3, 2014
How to bounce back from mercury retrograde and fight overwhelm to have the best summer ever.

Screen Shot 2014-07-03 at 1.00.35 PM

FOURTH OF JULY – INDEPENDENCE DAY EDITION

I’m not sure how many of you follow astrology or believe in this sort of thing. For me, I know OF mercury retrograde and I know that that is a time period when technological things and agreements can go ary. I do know that as human beings, we are made up of 90% water, and I believe that the moon being able to affect the rise and fall of the tides may in some way affect the our body that is made up of water.  That said, astrology is something that I find perpetually intriguing and if I can understand it better or use it to my advantage I’m all for it! If you are too then read on!

I am not an astrologer by any means but to say I am on and off again obsessed with Elle.com’s Horoscope section is an understatement. I adore the Astro twins and always heed their advice. However it was brought to my attention that there is a shadow period after mercury retrograde which I had no idea about.

If you are feeling cloudy and overwhelmed, there may be good reason. Being that I write a blog about inspiration, I am all about getting OVER the overwhelm and helping you create a life and career that you are inspired by.

Here’s how to know if you have been effected:

Mercury is the ruler of communication and mercury retrograde happenings include any kind of technology mishaps from emails bouncing back, calls being dropped, verbal miscommunications and unclear plans. If you keep trying and trying to make that connection but your phone restarts, your computer is on the fritz and your intended point came out as fuhckuzt – don’t stress – you have been mercury retrograded.  It has been warned that you should not make major decisions or enter into contracts at this point, but now that mercury retrograde has ended as of July 1st, we are now in the much unknown shadow period where it is the “light” version of all the affects of retrograde. Things will start to fall back into place but the lighter effects of retrograde may still make a dent (as opposed to a heavy mark) in your plans.

What to do about it:

Cut yourself some slack and know that this is something beyond your control.  Stay in a heightened sense of zen when faced with transit delays, computer problems, or dropped calls. Know that this is your time to “repair and restore.”  Take advantage of this time to suss out unclear plans, take inventory of what you are grateful for (says my friend and a professional confidence coach Maureen Saladino), explore your goals for the next few months and hone in on what you want to accomplish.

Coming off a big project or event, it is likely that a clean slate can prove the cause of overwhelm, not knowing which option to choose in a sea of many. Stay in tune with your inner guide and determine the plan that is right for you.

Summer, like summer vacations back when you were in school is the time to expand into freedom, let go, sink into surrender and decide on the fun summer activities that will make your heart strings flutter.

Revel in the freedom and openness that this time creates and sink your teeth in with a relaxed way of being.  Know that whatever choice you make will be the right one.

It is Independence day this week after all –
Hope that inspires you!

xoxo

Emily
Follow me on Instagram @EmilyBrickel and my new account for all things fashion illustration @EmilyBrickelillustration

Copyright Emily Brickel Edelson 2018. All Rights Reserved