Anthro Life : Working Creatively

One of the reasons that I stepped away from the blog this past fall was because life got busy. I took a part-time job working as a sales associate at Anthropologie in Hoboken, and the holiday shopping season was a bustling one! Fortunately, I have been able to stay on post-Christmas and yesterday marked three months with the company.

While I enjoy working as a sales associate — getting to know the product, helping create an inviting, beautiful store experience, and interacting with customers — what has truly been a joy and a surprise is getting to put my passion for calligraphy and hand-lettering to use. It all started with an early morning employee breakfast "party" for which I made pumpkin muffins and a matching sign. 

My managers and the regional visual manager were so impressed that they asked me to make holiday signage to help accent local store displays. I made those happily and eagerly, in many different versions. I'm not sure where they all ended up, but one was displayed in my store, in Hoboken — and it sure looked pretty surrounded by all of our gorgeous home wares!

I was then completely over the moon to later be asked to head to the Anthropologie on Fifth Avenue in New York City, to spend a morning lettering a large mirror with a cocktail menu for a vignette in the store's home section. My first time writing on a mirror, or glass for that matter, proved challenging, but it was worth all the time, energy and sore lower back (from hunching over and shifting around that heavy mirror!). It really was such a treat and an honor to have my work on display in a NYC store. And a few weeks later, while in the neighborhood, I was so proud to show G the mirror in person.

Last week, our Hoboken store hosted its very first shopping party and as soon as I found out I volunteered to create any necessary signage for the event. I was tasked with creating small, place card-size signs for the sips and snacks, as well as a larger sign to hang on the rack of "stylist picks." Luckily, I was able to work the party — for which I slipped on my new Anthropologie dress — and see my signs in action. If only I had a chance to taste that pear and ginger fizz refresher; it looked so good!

I'm looking forward to continuing to put my creative passions to work — literally! — and maybe even moving into a more creative role within the Anthroplogie family. Because work doesn't really feel like work when you are doing what you love.

Suit Up + 20% off at Anthro!

I stumbled upon this tankini earlier this week, put it in my online shopping cart and then proceeded to have an internal debate about whether or not to go ahead and take the plunge. (Pun intended.) I love the peplum detail. It's cute, stylish and modest—a hard combo to come by in swimwear but perfect for me since I am not-so-comfortable rockin' a bikini at the moment. (While wedding planning helped me lose a few pounds, marriage has helped me added them all back!) I almost went for the white floral version, but the hubby liked the blue best and it's hard for me to resist bird-printed anything. (Can you see the little hummingbirds? There are fishes, too.)

My internal debate stemmed from the $122 price tag. I was hoping for a coupon code to magically come my way and make the decision of to-purchase-or-not-to-purchase easier and, as luck would have it, today I got my wish! In celebration of Mother's Day, Anthropologie is offering 20% off ALL merchandise (that's pretty unheard of except on Black Friday) with the code XOXO. The discount is only good through the weekend, online and in stores, so if you've been eyeing something like I was, get to shopping! And if you haven't picked up a gift for your mom or other mother figures in your life, Anthro has so many wonderful options to choose from, like this gorgeous candle or this one in her zodiac sign, a pretty pot to add to her garden, an ultra-fem fragrance, a special, whisper-soft robe that will remind her she's beautiful, and a wanderlust-y mug to hold her morning cup of coffee. Find more Mother's Day gift ideas at Anthro here.

I'm tempted to take that 20% off and go on a shopping spree! As my husband can attest, I can easily spend hours in an Anthropologie store, mostly on the home goods side. I want everything. But for now, I'm just hoping I won't hate the swimsuit the moment I put it on. Fingers crossed.

Happy shopping and happy weekend!