Things have been a little quiet around here lately for two reasons. The first is that my grandfather had triple bypass surgery a few weeks ago and that definitely turned my world upside down for a few weeks. One day, everything was presumably alright and the next, he was being rushed to a hospital that specializes in cardiology for an emergency surgery. As you can imagine, I was not doing very well with the idea of my 85 year old grandfather, who helped raise me in my father’s absence, going through a surgery in which his heart would be taken out of his body. For weeks I spent most of my time at the hospital, with family, and keeping up with photography clients. There was no extra room in my schedule for blogging. I am so grateful to be able to say that he successfully made it through the surgery and is now at a rehab facility that is helping him relearn some of the things that a major surgery can make very difficult. Also, the facility is much closer to my home so my daily visits have become a lot easier!
The other reason is one that has been in the works for a long time. Although I pushed my initial launch date back a week because of my grandfather’s surgery, once he had made it through successfully I decided to celebrate life by pushing forward with my dream. On June 30th, I launched Equal and Forever, a wedding blog that highlights the journeys of LGBT* couples as they venture from engagement to the aisle. I’m working with an amazing team on this project and I can’t wait to share all the amazing things we have in store. My good friend, Angel recently sent me a text to tell me that the Equal and Forever blog looks great which is exactly what you want to hear from your talented designer friend! Even though I do love the site now, we are looking forward to having it redesigned by Bobbi from Ready to Blog so that we can add some new elements to the blog while still keeping the clean, uncluttered look we have now. If you love equality as much as I do, I would love for you to check out Equal and Forever and follow us on facebook, twitter, instagram, pinterest, and google +.
Now that we have discussed my absence, let’s get into what I currently love this Friday, shall we?
Travel
Mat Devine hilariously compares NYC and LA.
How powerful is your passport?
A list of 52 places to go in 2014. Feel free to bring me with you!
If you are looking for some interesting travel locations in the United States, check out this list.
I’m having a great time following along with Lauren’s summer trip adventures on social media! I wish I was there! (Although not necessarily on the skywalk!)
Let’s hear it for the girls.
Lego to release female scientist figurines.
Sheryl Sandberg on equal pay.
A transgender women talks about the challenges of dating.
Female entrepreneurship is on the rise.
Business.
Five habits of people with remarkable willpower.
Seven secrets to designing a business that gives you ultimate flexibility.
A great infographic on using social media for your business.
Celebrate.
Bobbi created the perfect low-key birthday.
Meli shares her recipe for Vegan Cinnamon Sugar Ice Cream.
I’m planning a bridal shower next year for my best friend and I am already getting excited about ideas!
Sarah’s recepie for No-Cook Cookie Butter Ice Cream.
Guacamole is always my go to for any party or event!
Random.
Summer blogging tips from Studio 404.
The personal assistant that never stops working.
Quickly unwind from stress.
Tom Felton is definitely one of my favorites from the Harry Potter films.
Any version of Ryan Reynolds is a good version if you ask me.
