For my first blog post ever, I thought it would be a good opportunity to share a little bit about myself and how I came to start this small business of mine. I've called it "Figuring Me Out" because sometimes our paths don't follow a straight line. Instead they may wonder and take us on an adventure of self discovery. This is how I began to understand who I am and what truly fuels my soul. Happy reading and a BIG thank you to Melanie Mathieu for taking these wonderful photos for me.

I think many of us struggle with deciding which passions to follow in our lives. At least I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one! I didn't always want to be a wedding and event planner. I didn't dream of wearing white dresses or high heels growing up. In fact, I was quite the tom boy. I always had a creative side however and even started taking art lessons around the age of five. I guess I lucked out a little because my neighbour and babysitter was a very talented artist who eventually went on to do a fine art degree and make it her full time career. She taught my sisters and I how to paint with acrylics, oils, and when I was about 12 years old I started taking watercolour lessons. I loved art, design, architecture, sketching, and making things with my hands. I even remember at the age of 15 while I was living in New Zealand with my parents, I enrolled in a sketching class at Auckland University. I was by far the youngest in the class and I think I had to get special permission to enroll since I wasn't a University student, but my parents asked me what I wanted to do during the summer and I said I wanted to take art classes. Simple as that! I remember how I used to get lost when I painted or sketched and sometimes hours would pass and I wouldn't even notice.

I realized when the end of high school was approaching that I had to choose a direction. I was also pretty good at math and science (I have my brainiac parents to thank for that), so I did what I think most people would. I chose the path that would most likely land me with a well paying job. So I chose Science. After university, my job gave me the opportunity to travel to remote regions of the world where I learned so much about myself and what I loved and was truly good at. I realized that I was good at working with people, even when we didn't speak the same language! I became confident in who I was and began to meet people wherever I would go. I reallllly loved my job, but I started to miss being home. I knew that I wanted to settle down and have a family one day, and the frequent and long trips away from home were not conducive to that.

After working in the office in Ottawa and cutting back on travel, having my first child and marrying the man of my dreams, I started to feel like something was still lacking. I had everything that I thought I had ever wanted, but that passion and drive for something was missing. I realized that my artsy side had been pushed aside, buried and forgotten for many years.

It wasn't until I met my talented wedding photographer Tracey Thomas and other members of the Rising Tide Society Ottawa Chapter, that I knew what I wanted to do. Wedding and event design fulfills my creative artsy and design side. Wedding and event planning fulfills my need to work with people, make them smile, and help them out on the happiest day of their life. This path of mine is still winding and who knows where it will take me next or what else I'll discover about myself, however I know now more than ever before that I need a little creativity in my life. So, in short, I'm glad I have figured me out, even if its just for now ;)