Life is just too short.  These words have been keeping me up at night, making me do things I’ve never done.   Yes, we hear that phrase a lot, but does it sink in?   I mean really sink in.  Stop right now.  You won’t die if your email, phone, twitter, editing or 10 windows you have up go untouched for a moment.  Come on!  Just stop.  Say it out loud – yes, do it – slowly, swirling each word and the visual picture in your mind around: life is just too short. We only get one chance at this.  You get one chance to breathe each day, to create, love, do good for others and experience all you are meant to do.  [image above :: film. love.]

There was a time last year after I wrote this post that I had just had it.  I was sick and tired of feeling held back, chained to my work and weighed down by a lot of negativity I couldn’t get myself to let go of.  I let myself believe I wasn’t enough.  I let it get the very best of me.

So, I woke up one morning, got on my computer, and –as if someone had taken over my body completely– booked a ticket to Jamaica.  Yes, the next morning, I left for 4 days in Jamaica… by myself.  Ari was studying for a big exam and just wanted me to feel better, so he was excited for me.  Other than him, I only told Emily, Katharine and my mom where I was headed.  Now, I realize not everyone can jet off to Jamaica at the drop of a hat.  I couldn’t either, but I had just gotten to that point where “life is too short” was pressing in, suffocating me.  I had to do something.

Jamaica was more than I expected. I had one rule there: feel whatever you are feeling. I’m constantly around other people, having to keep my positive spirit up to motivate others and set a good example. I’m a consultant, planner, coach, boss and mentor so I always have to be on my game.  I needed a break from the expectations.  I needed to be in a place where no one cared what I did or felt.  I got just that and so much more.

You can read the first part of my journey here.  I arrived in Montego Bay, cleared customs, and as soon as I stepped outside, the catcalls began. I boarded my pre-paid airport transfer to the resort- aka a bus with a bunch of half-drunk college kids smoking pot in the back. What have I gotten myself into!? I kept thinking.  This was a horrible idea! Maybe I should just go back to the airport. HELP!!! I hunkered down next to a window and tried to focus on the fast-moving scenery. We were going a good 90 miles per hour in a diesel bus from 1970.  It was a two hour ride from Montego Bay to Negril.  Longest two hours of my life.

Four Bob Marley albums later, we arrived, and I started to feel a little hope. The Sunset at the Palms staff greeted me with fresh juice and a cold towel while they checked me in.  I just about had a temper tantrum when the gentleman told me there was no wifi.  After a deep breath and kicking myself in the pants a couple times for being so tech-dependent, I realized that I got exactly what I needed: a forced break.  A kind young man took me down a long garden path to my home for the next 3 nights- a tree house. Now, granted, it was a plush tree house, but open to the elements, nonetheless.

That night I tried to just be. There was no room service, no internet, no phone service, no people around but the security guard roaming the property. It was just me and a web-less MacBook which incidentally became my journal.  So, I wrote.  I listened to the sounds of the jungle and let all my thoughts take flight. When I’m home, I find every reason not to face my feelings. I’ll distract myself with work, Twitter, Facebook, phone calls, more work and more phone calls. I had no choice here: sleep or write.  I have a box somewhere filled with dozens of full journals from years past.  How I ever had the patience to write is beyond me.  Now, my thoughts moved faster than my pen, so I type.

I remember feeling a little unemotional.  It was a strange feeling.  I thought I’d type out all my thoughts, fears, frustrations and there would be some cathartic ending… crying, laughing, something! Nothing came.  I just sat with a sort of dull feeling of unrest.  I knew I was there to learn something.  I was impatient.  Like everything in my life, I just wanted to make it happen.  I learned on this trip, that the most sensitive and valuable things for our soul just happen.  If we let them.

So I decided to do the opposite of my instinct.  It was not easy.  When I found myself trying to control my thoughts and find “the answer” I would just breathe.  Somewhere between a solo kayak journey in the ocean and a fierce tropical downpour, little grains of truth started to seep in.  I started to find clarity.  I sat out on the deck in the rain and I started to write again.

Life is just too short.  Too short to not forgive yourself when you fall.  Everyone makes mistakes. Successful people own them, learn from them, and get back up.

Life is too short not to taste, smell, touch and see everything.  Life is too short to say, “what if?”

Life is too short not to wake up every day surrounded by the people you love who lift you up and encourage you to grow.  Life is too short to have people in your life who tell you that you aren’t enough.  Life is far too short not to tell those people to kindly take a hike. Life is too short to be small.

Life is too short to short not to turn the music up, throw caution to the wind and do something out of your comfort zone.  [images below :: my first film photographs]

Life is too short to accept your limitations.  You are the only person who can give yourself permission to be great.

Life is too short not to be loved fully… for who we are… right now.

Life is too short not to give everything. So many people have so little.  You’ll leave this world with nothing anyway.

Life is too short to not laugh, play -even when things are falling apart- and give thanks for what’s right under your nose.

Life is too short not to express.  Say it.  Write that letter.  Make that call. Love deeply.

Do the thing that you fear most.  Step into it, not away.  There is life in that.

My list went on and the fire started to burn.  I gave myself permission to just let go.  I left a lot of pain and self-limiting fear on the beaches of Negril and never looked back.

A few weeks after I returned, we made a magazine.  Three weeks after that, I wrote a post that started a movement and took me around the country to meet the people who are now my best friends.

It’s time to take up a no tolerance policy on your life. You know what happens when you let go of the things that you know hinder you from soaring?  You find freedom… in business, in relationships, and in the deepest parts of your heart that have been locked away since you were small.  When you let go and do what you fear most, you are better for those around you.  You are more creative, driven, rested, clear, successful.  Your genius can finally surface.

Why, after almost a year, is this last-minute adventure in Jamaica suddenly at the front of my mind?  Lately, I’ve been weighing risk: when to dive and when to straight up cannon ball!   The risk I took to do something that was 100% for my soul has paid off a hundred times over since. 

You don’t have to go to Jamaica to find clarity.  But, you do have to stop yourself from just going through the motions as usual.  Change your environment, change the music, change the sheets… just do something to shake things up, force yourself to really listen and do the things you were meant to do.  Don’t know what they are?  You’ll never know unless you try.  Try, fail, forgive, and try again.  Each time you will have greater clarity.

Somewhere, sometime, someone told you that you weren’t good enough… and you believed it.  You just accepted it.  You owned it.  You can begin new right now.  You can begin anywhere.  When you are truly living, there is no such thing as someday. Life is just too short not to start.

xo

lc

Congrats to Brooke aka Mrs. Cupcake who is the winner of last post’s prize, It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be. Email me and I’ll get your book to you.

Pen your own phrase and leave your thoughts here. “Life is too short to ____.” I’ll pick five random comments for a very special little surprise.

I’m writing this on a plane. What’s new?  And yes, I did say I was leaving the laptop at home.  You caught me.  I won’t use it much, though.  I promise.  I’ll be too distracted by the beach and a very special traveler who, due to his rad schedule, never gets to go anywhere with me: my husband.  This is the first trip we’ve taken together since we went to Vegas last year before WPPI.  The last trip before that?  Hawaii four years ago.  So, it’s about time!  We’re headed to Kona for 6 days for his best friend’s wedding.  His BFF, Mike, was actually my… um… maid/man of honor?  Yes, at our Vegas wedding he was my MOH.  So excited to see all of our friends from LA and actually go to a gorgeous wedding.  Then, I’ll head to Oahu for a few individual MTH/branding intensives and several site tours for a destination weddings feature and a little something I’m cooking up for the blog.  I have one slot left for an individual intensive while I’m in Hawaii, so speak now or forever… wish you had?  OK, forgive my lack o’ witty wedding-reference humor.  4 hours of sleep and 14+ hours on planes today…

I am a firm believer in giving knowledge away freely.  I did two Twitter series’ entitled Get Branded and Get Published.  I plan on doing many more and working hard to use this blog to educate in as many ways as I can.  In my opinion, we’re supposed to build one another up in love and to encourage each other to grow, using all of our talents to do so.  It’s part of my personal mission.  I’ve said it before: I don’t believe in competition.  If we’re all helping each other to be our best selves, we raise the collective level of success in our industry. Yes, there are lots of things I won’t give up unless you pay me for a formal consult and lots of things I can’t give away because of the obvious: consulting is personal, tailored and specific to that brand’s needs.  Speaking of which, I have 4 consulting slots left for the next 6 weeks.  (My calendar would make your head explode.)  If you want one of the four, email me now.  Anyway, I re-posted both the Get Branded and Get Published series’ here on the blog.  Read them.  Tweet me more questions.  I’m happy to answer. pic below :: poser.

I just got back from speaking at Eventology on “Building Your Team,” and it was the most challenging speaking topic I’ve tackled thus far.  Yes, I have a great team. It may seem easy to run a team of people who are already great, but the biggest mistake you can make when leading is to think it’s just common sense and that you can “wing” team leadership. Leading is work. The hardest work I’ve ever done. Yes, harder than putting together a magazine and any combination of items on my plate. Why? It challenges you to be your best self, every day, no matter what.  Let me be very clear: it’s not about trying to be perfect so there is an appearance of strength; it’s about genuinely working to change so that you truly lead and grow by example… failures and all.  There’s no more powerful way to lead than that. If I slack, complain, forget, or, yes, fail, it affects us all.  Granted, there’s a great deal to be learned by a leader failing gracefully as opposed to someone who’s perfect all the time. pic below :: jen lynne.

My best takeaway from years of learning everything the hard way and finally coming out on top? Lead by example. Lead well. Fail well. Thank you so much to Katasha, the whole Eventology crew, my fellow speakers Sasha Souza, Terrica Skaggs, Saundra Hadley, Harmony Walton, and all of the amazing professionals we met.  Behind the scenes tidbit: my Eventology presentation was the very first PowerPoint I ever made.  Yes, I’ve laid out three magazines and never made a PowerPoint.  They didn’t exactly teach us that at Carnegie Mellon.  #educationfail  I spent a good 30 hours on it.  Note to self: next time just make a PowerPoint, not a mini magazine.

I also had the pleasure of speaking at the Indy ISES meeting on branding while I was there.  Such a great group!  There were some minor internet issues, so I used my new-found PowerPoint skills and created a 48 page presentation in 9 minutes.  No joke. Thanks to Melissa from Royal Events for hosting us and to all the attendees for a great afternoon.  It was a fun few days in Indy!

I’m honored to be speaking at Engage 10 :: Breakers this year.  I’ll be attending on the media panel for Engage Cayman, too, so come say hello! I’ve been to three Engage conferences so far and I don’t plan on missing a single one in the future.

Past recaps: Engage08 :: Celebration, Engage09 :: Cayman MegaPost!, Engage09 :: Encore Las Vegas.  Rebecca and Kathryn always raise the bar with these luxury wedding business summits and this year is just beyond incredible.

Cayman’s lineup:



In October at the Breaker’s I’ll be joined by:



Hello!  Someone pinch me!!!! If you have any questions about my past experiences at Engage, please email me.  I’d be happy to share and answer any questions.

We’re hard at work on the next issue. I finally opened the massive (and I mean massive) folder of cover submissions in my inbox.   Oh my goodness, we received some very creative creatives.  Thank you, thank you!

Lots of people have asked for critiques, so I will be writing a post on how to put together creatives and how to best market yourself to editors. I’ll be choosing the top cover submissions this week and will announce them when I get back.  That is why I brought my computer.  Time to get these killer cover shoots rolling!  P.S. We have a brand new media kit.  Want a copy?  Email Katharine. She won’t bite.  Unless, of course, you withhold her daily dose of Smarties.

I got a very encouraging letter in the mail yesterday from our magazine distributor. Our sales are 40% above the national average. In today’s magazine economy, you may not think that that is saying much, but it’s a pretty significant statistic. I also got word today that Barnes and Noble wants to push more copies through of our current issue to Southeastern stores.  OK, first of all, that does not happen.  Our issue dropped in November.  Needless to say, we’re thrilled.  I have 3 tons of magazines in my garage.  I’m so glad they’re about to get new homes!  We’ve been featuring a lot of behind-the-scenes images on the blog lately, so be sure to check these never-before-seen images out and get yourself a copy.

Some favorites: Watercolor with Fred Egan (as shown above), Watercolor with Jory Cordy, Watercolor with Kyle Barnes, Watercolor with Jeff Holt, our Serenbe Cover Shoot with Jeremy Cowart.  Sidenote:  I readily admit that I have asked a lot of dumb questions since I started publishing Southern Weddings.  Adriel, my distribution agent, has been so patient and kind explaining things in layman’s terms and walking me through the perils of publishing.  I’ve had to make a lot of hard choices, holding firm to our core values in content: real, personal, relatable. More often than I’d like, that means making choices that err on the side of long-term vision and brand integrity vs. short-term cash.  We turn down advertisers who just don’t fit us, weddings that are too luxurious for our brides to relate to and sponsors that want to run the show.  I’m not complaining.  From someone who has no formal background in publishing or marketing (or business, for that matter!), I’m very happy with where this path has taken us.

Little-known fact: I plan and design weddings.  I know I know… you’re thinking, how in the world do you have time?  How do you do it? Please refer to said amazing team in point number 3.  I have, however, progressively limited the amount I take as my schedule intensifies each year.  This year I took 3 weddings and I have two left: both gorgeous; both incredible brides (hi Sara and Nameeta!).

Why do it still?  I love it.  It’s in my blood and it’s how I got started in this industry almost seven years ago.  Here’s a recent favorite that we did last May with Our Labor of Love.  Weddings are the ultimate creative challenge.

I went to school for music, theatre, dance and design.  Production is what I know and what fuels me. pics above :: my iphone.

Weddings are essentially a production – lighting, sound, a script, design, music, and surprises all wrapped into one big beautiful day.   It also serves to keep me grounded and aware of the challenges that planners and photographers face.  I’m not an editor who went to school for journalism and just happens to like weddings because they’re pretty.  I’m in the trenches too.  “The trenches” are hard work, but fun.  Sometimes I kick myself and wonder why I take on so much.  Then, I send a bride down the aisle and see the look on her face when she walks into her reception.  I’m grateful for the opportunity to create and I love the brides I get the honor of working with.  They’ve all become dear life-long friends.  Pic above :: Kyle Barnes

OK, fast forward to sitting in our room at the gorgeous Mauna Lani, looking out at the volcano in the distance.  Minus the 6 hour time difference that had me up at 4am, it’s so good to be here with Ari.

Check out these welcome bags that greeted us!  So, this update is rather random because I have a backlog of info to share.  I want to start blogging at least 3x a week, shorter posts, more on the fly.  Emily always gets on me about my epic posts.  But, I censor myself, I craft, I perfect, and I tend to get really nervous before putting a post out.  I have several people read it.  I nitpick.  I’m afraid that if I write like I think, it will come out too vulnerable, emotional, real.  That’s me.  So, what do y’all want me to write about?  I want to hear from you.  Leave me a comment with any thoughts on what you want more of on the blog.

Life in general has been a turn from burnout to a serious search for clarity and balance to finding quite a bit of it lately.  I got to go home a couple weeks ago and discovered some pictures that made me think about child-like unabashed joy. I want that in my life. I love this picture of a childhood friend and I having a picnic. I’m not sure who made who laugh first, but this makes my heart smile. I posted a bunch more on facebook.

In all the craziness of my life – the schedule, the travel, the team to manage, the busy businesses, and the constant surprises, I need God.  I am fallible, I make selfish mistakes, and I have so much to learn and mature into.  I talk about my relationship with God here on the blog because my whole point in starting this thing was to take you on this authentic journey with me.  It’s a journey to find joy and discover my best self.  My goal has been to be as honest as possible about how I really make things happen.  As a rather emotional, sensitive INFP, my relationship with God is what keeps me together.  It’s a daily challenge and a practice.  I have recently made the choice to not work on Sundays… at all.  It has taken me far too long to get to this point.  I love my work.  I get really easily bored when I’m not working.  Hello, I mean I’m writing this in Hawaii when I could be on the beach, but doing this right now satisfies me more.  I’ve come to look forward to Sunday all week long.  I get up early, workout, go to church and sing my heart out, then come home to do Bible study for a few hours.  It’s been life-changing to make that time.  I’ve also been reading The 4 Hour Workweek in my travels and it is seriously blowing my mind.  Tim Ferriss is my soul mate.  I’m taking my time to read it and digest, but I’ve already applied so much of the book successfully to my life and our work days.  Key points: work smarter, less hours, more efficiently.  I will be writing an extended post on balance soon with a full post on how I’ve tackled what my studies are teaching me.

Since I couldn’t fit all of you in my suitcase, I want to bring a little Aloha spirit to you!

Leave a comment telling me about your dream vacation and enter to win either a strand of Hawaiian freshwater pearls, Kona coffee, or a collection of macadamia nut and coconut goodies.

Three winners, your choice on the prize!  You have till the day I leave here (next Thursday, the 6th of May) to enter.

Mahalo, y’all!

xo

lc

Oh, hello blog.  It’s been a while.  I’ve been a little afraid of you, to be honest.  Too much on my calendar?  check.  Not enough sleep?  check.  Overextending myself as usual.  check.  A ridiculous period of severe burnout after returning from WPPI?  Yes, ma’am! (Yes, my blog is apparently a chick.)  I’m actively working on the burnout.  By “actively” I mean working my tush off to change my quality of life and ability to step. away. from. my. Mac.  Post to follow.

So, amidst my recent travels from Vegas to Denver to Los Angeles to Raleigh to New York to DC and back to NC again this past Sunday, I’ve been working diligently with my lovely team to produce Southern Weddings Volume 3… aka awesomesauce.  It has not been easy.  The more I grow and learn, the pickier I get and the harder it is to please my eye.  I’ve said “no” much more than usual on this issue.  I think Emily has started to fear showing me submissions.  Kidding.  She’s incredible and refining her eye as well.  I want great imagery, moving love stories, epic details, the best products, a ton of surprises and inspiring submissions that make me dream big. I’ve filled my desk with clippings, covers that make me swoon, and loads of inspiration.  (recent contents of my carry-on seen here)

In an effort to help you help me (hello, Jerry McGuire), I started a Twitter series last week called #GetPublished.  I want you to do well and “wow” me.  In my opinion, the more we all teach each other, the more we raise our collective level of success as an industry.  I don’t believe in competition.  I’ll tell you if a great wedding is better for another magazine or if I think you should advertise with them instead of me.  I do it all the time because I’d want the same.  So, I’m vowing to try to give as much knowledge and help away as possible in the months to come.  Anyway, I digress.

I’ve been wracking my brain over our next cover.  The stakes are set pretty high considering our last two stellar cover photographers.  (Thank you, Jose and Jeremy)

The photographer I had in mind doesn’t shoot bridal anything anymore, according to her agents.  Swoon…

Soooo… I asked a magical question that opened up the floodgates: who wants to shoot our next cover? Seconds after I asked the question and my phone buzzed and beeped so much that I had to turn it off.  It died within 30 minutes from all the activity!

So, you want to shoot our cover? The following is part exercise for you (it’s imperative that you learn to present shoot ideas with a clear vision and direction to editors/commercial clients) and a lot of help for me to get to know you as an artist.  Even if you don’t end up shooting my next cover, I’ll get to know your passion and vision for future projects.

To be considered, show me what you’ve got!

1. Put together a very short “creative”: 1 part story that you want to tell through the image, 1 part what fashion and accessories you would use, 2 parts location, and 5 parts visual storyboard for what you envision.  Pull images from various sources that paint the visual picture for me of the fashion, styling, location and atmosphere.  Wrap it all up in a nice little low-res pdf and send it on over. (Please put “V3 COVER” in the subject of your email) Nothing fancy.  If you have a vision, this should take you all of 20 minutes.  Keep the text minimal.  This is all about imagery and my gut reaction to your vision.

2. Here’s what I want out of this cover and I’m going to be vague on purpose: summer, blonde model, aqua/teal, hints of orange and gold, very fresh.  (If another magazine steals my scheme, you can see the time stamp on this post, y’all!)

3. This issue drops at the end of July.  You have to have time to do this shoot.  I prefer it is shot in the South, but that’s not necessarily a requirement.

UPDATED: We’ve decided to take the top submissions and help each photographer/stylist produce each shoot.  We’ll give you all the inside secrets on exactly what we want so you can execute the vision.  More details to come, but essentially you are guaranteed publication in either print or online if we pick you for production… and no matter what you’ll have great new material for your portfolio. So, team up with stylists, makeup artists and bridal salons to bring this cover shoot vision to life!  Please include your list of preferred vendors in your creative. If we choose you, we’ll help you get pull-letters for models if needed, guide the styling so it’s exactly what we are looking for, and help you blow it out of the water.

And just so you know, I don’t need a huge name for this cover.  That’s why I’m opening this opportunity to anyone.  I just need an epic image.  Anyone can apply.  Deadline to send me your creative brief is Monday April 12th. Bring it, y’all!  A little reminder…

If you are applying to shoot the cover, leave a comment below letting me know you’ll be submitting (tell me a little bit about what you envision while you’re at it!)  Have a question?  Put it in the comment box below so everyone can benefit.

As a bonus, I’ll choose one random comment as the winner of one of my favorite new books: It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be: The World’s Best-Selling Book (thank you, Jory, for the recommendation!) Winner will be chosen on April 15th.

Be sure to follow along with my How to #GetPublished series and stay tuned for my #GetBranded series coming next.

xo

lc

PS – Today is our 2 year blogaversary.  Thank you for two joyful years, friends.

My good friend Nick Onken continuously blows me away with his drive and brilliant ability to take a concept to reality.  This guy really makes things happen.  (read his great post on it here)  His images are remarkable, his work ethic is like no one I’ve ever known, and his innate sense of branding is spot on.  He just launched a brand new site and blog that has garnered rave reviews.  I remember sitting in his office seeing unfinished previews and having to pull my jaw off the floor.  It may look simple and sleek, but it’s a beast of a site!  My favorite feature (besides just the ridiculous images): click on any image and add it to a lightbox, tweet it or download a larger version.  Simple.  Perfect.

On a personal note, he inspires me to truly live with all five senses.  I share Nick’s love for experiencing new places, tastes and laughter with great friends.  When we get the rare chance to see each other and go out to dinner with friends, Nick does all the ordering.  This has been officially titled “Onken Family Dinners” or “OFD”.  If you get the chance to experience an OFD with Nick, run to get your seat.  My mother is a trained French chef, so I grew up with adventurous taste buds, but Nick blows mine out of the water.  Jeff, Nick, Sandi, Ari and I recently had what I have dubbed the best meal of my life thus far.  After eight courses at NY’s Graffiti, I was in foodie heaven.  This place was the size of my bedroom.  There was no walking room between the some 40 people that were packed into this little hole in the wall.  The food was expertly prepared and plated and, just like much of New York, you would never know this place existed or that one of the best chefs in the city was behind it.  Did I mention he also waited on us?  Best.  Meal.  Ever.

OK, my stomach digressed.

I’m excited to fly to NY in March for Nick’s book release party and I’ve asked him to be a featured speaker with Jeff and I at Making Things Happen New York that week.  His book, Photo Trekking, has been a labor of love for him and the result is incredible.  After seeing an advance copy on a recent visit, I asked Mr. Onken to shed some light on the creation of his first book and share a few favorite images…

What is Photo Trekking about? Photo Trekking is an educational travel photography book that gives insights to a range of audiences from the amateur looking to take better photos, to photographers wanting to learn a little more about the travel photography business. The book is written from my perspective of how I shoot travel work and what I see. It contains stories of images I’ve shot from around the world. The book is derived from my passion of travel and photography combined.

Why did you decide to undertake this project? I undertook this project in big part because it’s a lot of who I am and what I love. My biggest passions in life are travel and photography. Sharing what I’ve learned along the way is another part of who I am as a person and a brand. When someone threw the idea at me to write an educational book on travel photography it was everything combined.

What was the most difficult part about the process of making Photo Trekking, from beginning to end? The most difficult part of the process was not realizing how much of an undertaking this project actually was. Curating images, prepping them for press, and most of all sitting down to write the manuscript. All these things proved to be more time consuming than you could ever think. Isn’t that always the case for us artists though?

What was the best part about making Photo Trekking? The best part of making Photo Trekking was curating the images, because it conjured up all the memories around the images. Where I was, the people I was with, the smells, the sounds etc. That is the amazing thing about being a photographer and experiencing new places. The photographs take you back and paint vivid memories. In creating the book, I had to look at these images and remember the stories that took place around them. It became very reminiscent.

Who is Photo Trekking for? There are a range of audiences the book can appeal to, the amateur photographer looking to take better photos, avid travelers with that desire to learn to see travel in a different way, and prosumers who want a glimpse into the business of photography. Also, people who just enjoy looking at pretty travel photos from around the world.

Would you like to put together another book?  What about? I would love to put together another book. About what I haven’t quite decided yet. I’m still working on getting this one out the door which has proven to be a lot of hard work. My next book will probably be a more specific project in the travel realm. We’re looking at doing a book on the charity project I just shot in Laos.

Why Pencils of Promise? Pencils of Promise is the charity I just shot for in Laos. They build schools for kids in Laos, and are spreading to countries around the world. A big part of my philosophy which is talked about in the book is teaming up with NGO’s or non-profits to A: give back and B: to travel to places deeper in a country that you normally would. When I met with the founder of PoP we clicked right away. We both have similar outlooks on life as well as passions. After talking to him, I was pumped to be a part of the organization and work with him. We set up a time that he would be there to go travel and do the 6 day shoot. We went to the little villages where they have schools built and are building them. We went to document and build branding imagery for them. It was an amazing experience. See images from this shoot at: http://bit.ly/nickonken_PoP

What most excites you about the months ahead? I’m excited for more travels and more adventures to come. My commercial career is really taking off, and another passion of mine. I’m really loving the big productions for big brands and the energy that goes along with the shoots. I’m excited to experience more of the world, new foods, new cultures and the unknown to come. The beauty of my life and career is that I’ve designed it to be able to do what I want and love. I can choose to hop a plane to another country in the drop of a hat if I want to. It’s taken a crazy amount of hard work to get to this point in my life, but it’s been worth it. It will always be hard work, but if you choose a job you love you’ll never work a day in your life.

Favorite moment you’ve had on a shoot recently. One of my favorite moments was on the Pencils of Promise shoot. We rented motorcycles and drove to one of the villages about an hour from town. You don’t really feel like you’re traveling till you hop on a motorcycle and weave through the madness of a third world country’s roads.

Favorite moment shooting something other than work recently. One of my other passions is food. If eating was a sport I’d be a pro. We’ve created a little thing called Onken Family Dinners where we get a small group of people together and go to a great restaurant. Good food, good wine and good people create great memories. We’ve had a few great ones recently. Other moments that stand out are New York moments. It’s a great phenomenon where you stand beside yourself in this city and you feel like you’re in a movie. I’ve had many of those in the last 7 months of living here. Sometimes it’s the being on a train, walking down a classic ny street, or sitting in a quaint little ny restaurant with great friends as the snow is covering everything in white outside the window. I love experiencing life with the five senses.

You are close friends with some phenomenal photographers.  Tell us about how those relationships have affected you. I’m a big believer in surrounding yourself with people that push you to be a better person, and better at what you do. I enjoy having friends that are talented photographers because it pushes me to take better photos and be better at business. With all higher profile photographer friends Jeremy Cowart, Joey L, Stephanie Rausser, Chase Jarvis, Jeff Lipsky we all inspire each other by doing what we do and all in different ways. Mad respect to them for doing what they do, and doing it well.

Tell us a funny photography story. When Jeff Holt and I were traveling in Iceland, and deciding to forge rivers in our rented Ford Escape. I decide to video him driving through the river. He decided to floor it in the middle causing the front end to dive under water and almost submerge the vehicle. It almost killed the engine and we would have been stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Dream celeb client. Here’s four: Sienna Miller, Jessica Alba, Brad Pitt, Johnny Dep.

Describe your work in one word. Moments.

Finish the sentence: I’m dying to shoot Sienna Miller.

What you feel you’re good at: taking pictures and business development/branding.

What you feel you’re bad at: Administrative work.

What inspires you? New cultures, new experiences, great food, passionate, smart, motivated and driven people.

What is your most significant photography achievement thus far? I would have to say this book. It’s not every day you get a book published by a major publishing house like Random House.

What’s in your camera bag? Smart answer: Cameras.  Tech answer: Canon 1Ds MKIII, Canon 5DMKII, Canon 20mm f2.8, Canon 35mm f1.4L, Canon 50mm f1.2L, Canon 85mm f1.2L, Canon 70-200mm f2.8, Sekonic Light Meter, Sharpie Pens, Customs form, a couple of pocket hard drives, lens cloths, battery chargers, model release forms, flashlight, card reader, gum.

Tell us something we don’t know about you. I used to be a knife salesman.

Three most valuable things to you in business. Talent, Hard work, Branding

Best advice for photographers who want to learn. Keep shooting, work hard, and know you want it.

What’s next for you? More travels and more adventures. I don’t plan much more than 2 weeks in advance because the commercial world is so crazy like that. I could be in Brazil next week for all I know.

Lastly, Nick… this image is from me to you. Thank you for inspiring me daily and for always creating the best party in my tummy ever.

Win an exclusive autographed copy of of Nick’s new book before it even hits shelves! How to enter:

Requirement 1: leave a comment here with the link to your favorite image on Nick’s new site and why you love it.  I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!  I had such a hard time picking a favorite, but the header image in this post always makes me happy.

Get bonus entries by: Tweeting your favorite image (it’s easy- just click the image and click “tweet”), leaving a comment on Nick’s facebook fan page, following @NickOnken, or tweeting this post (that’s easy too… click the link below to tweet this!)

The winner will be chosen at random on March 3. Get inspired. Get on it!

xo

lc

WPPI, the largest wedding and portrait photography convention, is coming up in about 3 short weeks. Going to WPPI last year changed my life. I met the people who are now my best friends, including Jeff and Jory, plus so many others.  The dinner above was a huge turning point.  It was the first time I felt I was surrounded by creative people who just got me.   They were as passionate and driven as I was.  If you are on the fence about coming to WPPI, I have three things that I hope will entice you to join us…

1. I met a young man through twitter last week named Spencer Brodsky.  Spencer is a remarkable high school senior who has started a movement called Tents in Haiti. It’s raining in Haiti today which means further devastation for the some one million homeless Haitians.  They need shelter and, until homes are rebuilt, they need tents…. strong, sturdy tents that can withstand the Haitian downpour.

All proceeds from his efforts go straight to CF International who is providing the tents for displaced Haitians.  I’m so floored by the philanthropic work this young man has done and I instantly reached out to him.  I thought I did a lot in high school, but I can’t say I started charities for Darfur and Haiti and interviewed dozens of celebrities and world leaders by the time I was 18.  Thank you, Spencer, for all you are doing to inspire change!

Inspired by what Spencer is doing with Tents in Haiti, Katharine decided to auction me off. All proceeds will go to Tents in Haiti.

2. I’m not doing the mentor session on Sunday the 7th because we’ll be knee-deep in MTH2010 Las Vegas from 10-4 and…

3. AIRHORNS!!! You may have heard of this little party that’s sweeping the WPPI world like wildfire. Airhorns and Lasers, created by myself and Whitney and Jesse from OLOL, is going to be off the chain.  Yes, off the chain!!!   It sold out in a matter of a week, so we officially decided to change venues to accommodate the some 400 emails we got in the last 24 hours.   It’s nuts!  So, ticket sales are back open as of just now, the venue is still secret, and you are not going to believe what we have planned for this shindig. “Epic” doesn’t even cut it.

Want to WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS to Airhorns and Lasers? Leave a comment here telling me your favorite dance move that you plan to do at the party.  Contest ends next Friday the 26th.  If you win, we’ll expect to see a live demonstration on Sunday March 7th : )

Don’t forget to bid on the Tents in Haiti Mentor Auction which is now LIVE.  Please help me spread the word, friends.

See you at WPPI!

xo

lc

PS Thanks to everyone who joined us today for our live Valentine’s Day party in the Southern Weddings office.  Missed the fun?  You can watch all the action here. Thanks to my mom and dad who apparently tuned in.  Too fun! Happy Valentine’s weekend!

Phew! It’s been an insane day full of … oh, you don’t really want to hear what I did today.  Y’all are busy too!  I’m writing this post a mile a minute, so ignore the typos.  Thanks. There are sparks flying from my desk tonight and I am, to say the least… FIRED UP! My heart is full, my mind is clear and I’m beyond inspired by my new amazing incredible fun generous brave giving honest real brilliant warm courageous creative awesome driven hilarious friends.

So, lots of people want to know… “What in the world is MTH2010?”  Well, it started as a workshop I wanted to give to empower people to make bold moves and let go of what was holding them back.  It is partly that… but I never could have fathomed what it has become.  MTH2010 has taken on a life of its own.

It has become a community of people who are dedicated to building each other up, bringing positive encouragement to each other daily and even hourly, conquering fear with purpose and courage, taking their businesses from good to blow-them-out-of-the-water great through deep examination of their personal brands and education, and most of all… it’s a community of people who are passing their knowledge freely to others.

You have to understand one thing… it’s not about me.  I did not do this.  I may have lit the match, but they have created the movement that is MTH2010. I can’t stress that enough.

You’re not coming to have me or Jeff or any of the guest speakers “fix you” or give you “the answer”.  You’re coming to join a community of like-minded creative driven people who really want to ignite a change in their lives and in the lives of others.

We give you the simple tools and ask you the tough questions; you act on them.  The MTH2010 community is all about accountability, challenge, and active support.  MTH2010 was founded on the idea that you have the choice to change your life.  Making Things Happen is about personal evolution.

It has become much bigger than Jeff and I ever imagined thanks to the First Class who set the standard.  Watching what has happened since the first intensive in Watercolor has been mind-boggling.

The “First Class” has developed an incredible spirit of paying it forward.  They got together recently to make one very big thing happen in a matter of 36 hours.  Feeling the fire, they created a scholarship for someone to attend MTH2010. Unbelievable!  They raised $710 almost instantly.  To continue in the spirit of paying it forward, we’ve decided to donate the scholarship money to the Pink Initiative, a collection of wedding industry professionals and private donors dedicated to funding awareness, outreach, education and research for breast cancer. Huge thanks to the First Class for making this happen and to the Pink Initiative for giving us the opportunity to pay this forward again.

Oh, yes, I’m still giving a scholarship!  Actually, two.  I told Chris and Emily the night they presented this to me that I wanted to donate the money and double whatever they raised.   All of the entries were honest, heart-felt, and every person is equally deserving.  I enlisted the help of the First Class and my staff (and my husband and the people I love) to help pick two people that we all feel will take this opportunity and run with it!

I have chills just typing this, thinking about the potential these two people have to change the world through their art and passion.  I’m thrilled to announce that Heidi Bartlett and Sara Capers will be joining us as scholarship recipients on the MTH2010 Tour!  Ladies, please email me so we can get your scholarship seats reserved.  Thank you again to everyone who entered!  Because of the First Class’ generosity, we’ve also given a few partial scholarships to people that we really wanted to give a chance to attend this.  Congrats to those people as well (two of you we haven’t had a chance to get in touch with today, so sit tight if you haven’t heard from us!)

Sara’s entry: Hi Lara – I’m not an event professional, I don’t own a business, nor do I have the next big creative idea.  I work at Bloomingdale’s. I have a boyfriend.  I want a puppy.  Really, I’m a simple twenty-something girl.  But throughout my past three years in the “real world” (after college), I’ve floundered.  I’m in a holding pattern waiting for things to happen, fearful of what others may think of my decisions.  I’ve tried tech pr, I’ve tried legal services, I’ve considered MBAs, MATs and law school.  And the only thing I’ve realized is what’s not for me.  I would like to attend MTH2010 to take an introspective look at how to use my existing interests and skills to make things happen for me. To stop caring what others think of my life and start living my life. To take what I love (design, decor, clothing, event planning, customer service, helping, putting out fires, PEOPLE) and pursue work that reflects those passions. Fortunately, I live in Atlanta and would love to attend the intensive scheduled for February.  Unfortunately, my salesgirl salary won’t allow my attendance, which is why I’d be thrilled to be a recipient of one of the scholarships.  As a coda to my plea, I’d like to mention how I felt reading “The Comment That Started It All” post.  I was a winner of one of the Carrot and Stick Press notebooks from the swsmag.com contest. I thought, “Yay! I’ll use this to keep track of my thoughts, goals, etc.”  Of course, it ended up at the bottom of my purse, half full of grocery lists.  Then, I read the post about Emily’s sweet, sincere yet aggressive tactic to do what she loved.  She used her blog, that notebook and her guts to get where she wanted to go.  I wondered, “What if I’d used my notebook in a more productive way? What if I’d sent a thank you note, mentioned how much I loved the blog, enjoyed reading about the Southern Weddings girls, mentioned how I would love to meet with you to gain some insight the industry?”  Instead, I did nothing.  Now, I have the chance to do all those things and more by attending the intensive.  I’d really appreciate the chance to learn how to better myself, get out of my holding pattern and take charge of my life.  Thank you for your insightful, inspiring blog and the BEAUTIFUL photos and interesting content on swsmag.com.  Even if I’m not blessed with a scholarship to the conference, I’ll continue to be an avid reader of both!

Heidi’s entry: Lara – You brought so many emotions to the surface when I read this.  Even though I have not met you in person, I feel I was introduced to you tonight, yet have known you for years!  There are no words to describe your courage and strength! As you already know, I’m DYING to attend MTH2010. I’ve had my design business, idieh design, for 3 years and have had my own personal struggles & successes along the way.  But, I’m tired of SAYING what my dreams are and I’m ready to ACHIEVE them!  Up to this point, I have had to keep a full time job for financial stability, but I’m ready to map out a plan to make idieh design my one & ONLY true passion. I want to attend MTH2010 in order to connect with others and to work & inspire one another to achieve our dreams and goals!  Just as someone at MTH2010 could be the perfect person to help me achieve great things, I hope to be that someone to another.  I can’t wait any longer – NOW is the time to make my dreams come true and make all my hard work thus far really pay off.  I know the past three years have only been small stepping stones, but I’m ready to make the BIG LEAP into the ocean.  As you know, I would love to attend MTH in Phoenix, but since that isn’t an option, I’m open to attending in Atlanta, Nashville, or New York City. And, a huge THANK YOU to Emily, Chris and, the whole First Class of MTH2010 gang for making this scholarship possible.  They have no idea what this would mean to me and, just as they have done, I would love to pay it forward!  Ready, Set, Go!…

Oh but there’s more! …I’m doing a happy dance in my office chair right now… The (temporary) MTH2010 site is LIVE!  Yes, it’s temporary.  The official site, which Ross and I have titled “The Beast”, will launch in a few weeks.   Big thanks to Ross and the Flosites team for putting this together so quickly for us!  Yeehaw!

OK, must. keep. packing….

Who’s making things happen with us in the next ten days???  Woot woot!

xo

images :: wesley leytham.  thank you wes!

Something big happened on Monday.  A shift.  Like earthquake magnitude 5 kind of shift.  I am still processing it and will blog all about my thoughts on the first Making Things Happen 2010 Intensive shortly.  As Ashley Baber said, “What an amazing and inspirational day with such passionate, talented, honest people. We all cried, laughed and got FIRED UP!” There is something big happening here, friends.  People aren’t settling anymore.  The energy in that room was palpable… and it keeps doubling by the second.  OK, I have to stop.  More soon.  I’m fired up, hopeful, beyond blessed and completely in awe at the strength and power of the people I met this week.. like Emily.

I’m currently sitting in my kitchen writing this while I watch my mother cook up a Christmas storm.  The doors are all open and the crisp Florida winter air is breezing through the house.  Ari is working in Chapel Hill today unfortunately (Thanks so much for the gift, Ari. See you tomorrow!), but I’m happy to be here with my funny grandmother, mom, dad, brother, and my brother’s friend Alberto from Brazil.  If you follow me on Twitter you know I am also donning my special Christmas suit.  It was a gift from my dad many years ago that never ceases to get a collective belly laugh.  I have a very special Christmas gift for you, but first, I want to introduce someone who has been a gift to me this year… Mr. Jeff Holt aka “Holt”.    image below :: nick onken

I met Jeff at WPPI this year and life hasn’t been the same since.  I started following Jeff on Twitter after being introduced to him through a shoot he produced with Fred.  Jeff, who lives about three hours west of me in Charlotte, sent me a message just before WPPI telling me he’d love to meet me and say hello.  Long story short, I had a fab private dinner for the photographers who contributed to our premiere issue the first night in Vegas.  I didn’t know Jeff at the time and little did I know he was off having McDonald’s by himself.  Yes, I constantly remind him that he will be the VIP guest at my dinner this year to make up for that!

I twittered something about being done with dinner and inviting everyone to join us at Diego.  Jeff popped his head in the door and we instantly became friends.  Harmony, Jeff and I shared a cab to Sara France’s party at Luxor and talked our faces off till the wee hours of the morning with all of our new friends in tow.  He probably forgot about this, but Jeff, Kyle and I started a “secret society” that day.  I’m not exactly sure what this secret society was all about but something to the effect of world domination… in the wedding world.  We had a handshake and everything.  Since then, a whole slew of people have joined this not-so-secret society called Lara Casey Reps.  I owe the birth of LCR to my first client who brought the idea to me not even a week after WPPI, Jory Cordy, and to Jeff and Kyle for fostering and encouraging its growth.  WPPI was, for all of us, the tipping point.

I flew to New York to visit Jeff and Nick Onken this summer and to ask Jeff to come on as one of my rep clients.  I clearly remember him saying, “Really?  Me!?  Lara, I’m just not ready… are you serious?”  I saw serious potential in him.  If he could motivate me to start a brand new business, he could motivate himself to become the best photographer he could possibly be.

Jeff has been my great encourager through so many business hurdles.  Best of all, I’ve watched him grow from a fresh-on-the-scene photographer to a budding superstar almost -what feels like- overnight.

From concept to reality, the Winter Shoot images you see here are all his creation.  Styling by Shannon Sewell, hair and makeup by… well, me.  PS- you have to see Shannon’s images too.  Have to. Much more to come from the Winter Shoot. For now, enjoy this exclusive preview.

Moments after Jeff took the images above, he came to show me the previews.  Such a proud moment for me to see him beaming with pride.  He was pretty nervous that morning.  He had put his all into this shoot and his hard work paid off.   image below :: jesse ryan

Jeff has not only photographed stunning images for me, but traveled the world with Nick Onken this year helping to produce some of the most mind-blowing shoots I’ve ever seen.  I think Nick and I see the same thing in Jeff… he makes things happen.  He never says “I would like to” do something.  He always says “I will.”

When I review portfolios, the number one thing missing is always details.  Brides want to know that you will take great care of the little treasures they’ve worked so hard to create.  Photographers always say to me, “Lara, I just need someone to put the details in front of me and I’ll do the rest.”  Well, friends, why not create them for yourself or partner with a designer to bring them to life?  You can’t wait your whole career for that one bride to come along and change everything.  You have to literally make it happen.  You get what you give, so give brides a peek at what you are really made of and they will flock to you.  Make the shoot reflect who you are and what really fires you up.  Remember, if you aren’t excited about your work, no one will be.  Do whatever it takes to get fired up again in 2010.  When Emily and I started planning the Watercolor shoot, we knew exactly what we wanted for Jeff.  The results were magical.

Location: Watercolor, Styling: Joy Thigpen and Ashley Odille, shot for the latest issue of Southern Weddings.

SO lovely and these details really reflect who Jeff is:  grounded, fun, earthy, and warm.

Mr. Holt sets his mind to something and stops at nothing to get it.  It’s his drive and perseverance that motivated me to ask him to join the MTH2010 Tour as my support and to tell his story.  This whole thing was his idea in the first place!  I called him one day last month (yes, this all just started a month ago) overwhelmed with a slew of new client inquiries and he said, “Lara, you have so much to share with people.  You should just travel to do workshops so people can experience you one on one.”  I knew he was right, so I didn’t waste any time.  That day, the Making Things Happen Intensive Tour was born.   I’m thrilled to introduce Jeff to you today and can’t wait for you to meet him on the road.  In two short weeks, we start a marathon of stops including Dallas, Seattle, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Chicago.  After that, we’ll hit Raleigh, Vegas, New York, Washington DC, Pittsburgh, and Hawaii. I will be announcing the phenomenal list of guest speakers soon, too. Let me tell you, I can’t wait to learn from them as well! This tour is sure to be nothing short of life-changing for the attendees and for me.

In 6 short days –January 1st– the MTH2010 rate will increase, so jump on it folks.  I learned a lot from the first workshop and increased the time from 3 to 6 full hours (we talked till 1am at the last one it was so exciting!) and decreased the amount of attendees to 20 per city.  The most valuable time for me was my one-on-one sessions after the group intensive.  I plan to keep that same level of personal attention throughout this tour.  Register now while there are still a few seats left.

Without further ado, my Christmas gift to you…  Leave a comment here telling me what you want to make happen in 2010 and I’ll give you a special code for a $20 credit toward MTH2010 registration.  The code is only good till the New Year and you have to leave a comment by New Year’s Eve.  One lucky commenter, to be chosen at random, will also get a copy of my favorite new book by Gary Vaynerchuck, Crush It!.  Merry Christmas, y’all!

xo

PS after the overwhelming response to the MTH2010 scholarships, lots of folks have been asking me if I will be offering another scholarship opportunity.  I’m going to say this now so you know… I’ll be offering one more scholarship seat.  Just one, not twelve.  I won’t tell you when it’s coming, but not anytime soon.

PSS my dad got me a really meaningful gift that lifted me up today.  Wishing you all bold, joyful, purposeful steps as we move into an exciting New Year.

[UPDATED: Giveaway winners announced below.]  Well, y’all know I travel. A lot. 

After more flights than I can count this year, I’ve come to appreciate a few must-have travel items that really get me through the long layovers and constant change in environment.  A few of my favorites.  Above left to right: The Moleskin Travel Diary gives me a place take notes on each city I visit, map out my favorite locations and special spots, and have a place to sketch and dream on long flights.  I don’t own this Barney’s Compass but I sure would like to. Pretty, no? A great bag with lots of pockets helps when you are trying to keep a business running on the road.  This great J Crew bag gives easy access to my iPhone, plane tickets, and other travel items.

If you’ve ever been to my house you know I am mildly obsessed with candles.  The grapefruit Jo Malone Candle makes any hotel room feel like home. A travel necessity that keeps your lips supple and smells divine: Smith’s Rosebud Salve. Part of traveling well is feeling confident and you never know who you are going to see in an airport.  I used to travel in sweat pants until I started to realize that the days I dressed well for travel always felt better.  I have always been a big fan of Dogeared and love their healing gem necklaces… light around my neck and each comes with a special meaning behind the stone.  This Cherry Quartz necklace is one of my favorites.

I love this Monogrammable Leather Excursion Case from Red Envelope.  Travelling light is so much easier when you stay organized and this travel case does the trick. You have to have a great pair of jeans (with good pockets for ID’s and plane tickets) when traveling.  Love these J Crew Jeans.  Airline blankets give me the creeps.  They sit on planes for weeks at a time and who knows how many people have used them.  Nothing like bringing the comforts of home with you on the road with Red Envelope’s Monogrammable Chenille Throw.  So soft, comfy, and thin enough to pack in my carry-on.

I’ve learned the hard way this year about packing too much – especially toiletries.  The Molton Brown Globe Trekker Travel Kit for Women has everything you need and more to feel like you’re getting the royal spa treatment on the road… minus the bulk of big bottles.  Travel on airplanes can dehydrate your skin and leave you feeling less-than-fresh, making the delicious soft scents of these lotions a must-have. I first heard about Skullcandy from the Mammoth Men when I won a pair of earbuds on their Utah trip.  Whether running through an airport or on the treadmill, these Wood Earbuds stay in my ears and have great sound quality.  Did I mention they come in a bajillion colors, designs and materials?  I’m a Skullcandy fan for life.

Perfect for a laptop, magazine and work items: Travelsmith Organizing Tote. Bringing a heavy jacket on the plane is always a pain.  Having a warm soft scarf like this J. Crew Italian Cashmere Scarf works just as well to keep me warm on cold flights without the bulk of a parka. I’ve been using Frederic Fekkai products since I was 14.  They make my unruly hair soft and shiny and they smell like a slice of heaven.  The Brilliant Glossing Travel Kit has natural olive oil Glossing Creme that keeps my frizz at bay and my hair smelling good.

My Swiss Army carry-on is definitely my number 1 favorite travel purchase I’ve made.  It is smaller than most roll-ons so I can get it on those tiny prop planes without having to check it and best of all… it has a side pocket for my MacBook!  Getting through airport security is a breeze with this thing. OK, travel essential alert!  I always bring food on the plane and when I travel.  I pack whole oats, Jay Robb Protein powder packs, Greens Plus Protien Bars, cereal to snack on and a case full of Luna Bars. There’s nothing worse than being hungry on the road with nothing but fast food or expensive room service to order.  Luna Bars are my favorite because they come in dozens of flavors, never melt in my purse, and have essential vitamins and minerals to keep me feeling healthy amidst the stress of traveling. Best travel tip I can give is to stay hydrated.  Many airports now carry Smartwater.  I love the taste but mostly the bottle shape.  It’s easy to fit in my purse and so far I’ve never had one of these bottles leak on my travel items.

OK, now that you know my favs, how about winning a few of them!? The amazing folks at Skullcandy, Red Envelope, SmartWater, Cliff Bars (Luna Bars), and Molton Brown are giving me one of each of the following to giveaway!

Simply leave a comment here telling me about your dream travel destination for your chance to win one of these items.  Contest ends this Sunday at midnight.  Happy travels y’all!

xo lc

UPDATED: Winners!!!

Randomly chosen via random.org:

Winner of the SmartWater, LunaBars, and Scullcandy Earbuds:

Heather at Outstanding Occasions: I love to travel, but unfortunately don’t get to do it as much now with a 2 year old :) I am going back to Paris in May, which I am so excited about, but my dream destination is Africa. I have dreamed about visiting and doing the safari trip for years. My goal is to get there by 40, so I have 8 years. I am pretty sure I will “Make It Happen!” :)

Winner of the Molton Brown Travel Set and Red Envelope Travel Case:

Sara France: I have been always wanted to go to Australia and New Zealand. I would just take a month and travel around the country exploring all there is to see and everyone there is to meet. I have heard so many amazing things and met so many amazing people from there. I can not wait to visit there some day! December 13, 2009 2:54 pm

Email me your mailing addresses, ladies and we’ll send your travel gifts out ASAP!  Merry Christmas and Congrats!