Jessi Marquez | Girl Meets Life | a lifestyle blog by Gracie Gordon

speakable newness.

30 June, 2014 by Gracie 12 Comments

Helloooo and happy Monday!

I must admit I’m always a bit wary that I’m posting too much about Speakable - mostly because I never want to seem too self-promoting. BUT…Speakable is my baby and something I’m extremely proud of. So why wouldn’t I share it on a blog about my life, right?

With that being said, I just wanted to let you in on a few exciting things going on over in Speakable world. First of all, (as you may have seen on yesterday’s post) NEW YORK is back!

Secondly, all of the necklaces are now available in lower case lettering, which has been getting a great response.

The new nameplate necklaces have also been getting a ton of love…

And last but not least, I’ve released not one but TWO new words to the Freedom Collection! Well, phrases

BE STILL and BE BRAVE.

Both of those were just really on my heart, so I thought they’d make a perfect addition.

So, that’s that! Thanks again for all of your support and encouragement. You can check out all of the necklaces (and contact me if you have any questions) over at www.Speakable.co, and stay up to date by following Speakable on Instagram.

being a girl in nyc: post seven.

13 November, 2013 by Gracie 8 Comments

This is part of the “being a girl in nyc” series by Jessi and I for our Community Group at Liberty Church. These posts are based solely on our own thoughts, opinions, and experiences.

how to move on. {by jessi}

Moving on, and knowing when to move on. I believe this is one of the hardest parts about dating.

So what happens when you meet Mr.Right, and then he becomes Mr. Awful?

1. KNOW YOU SHOULD MOVE ON

This is the hardest part, in my opinion. Knowing to let go of things.

5 key signs that you know it is time to move on:
1. Your relationship brings more pain than joy. AKA – you are constantly stressed about the relationship, crying to friends, and having to make excuses for being upset.
2. He/She compares you constantly to others. Comparison to strangers, exes, anyone. He/She should be celebrating who you are. If they want to be with someone else, let them.
3. When he/she is causing emotional/verbal/physical abuse. RED ALERT!!!
4. When your fundamental beliefs and values are different. There is no excuse for this. I hear it from people all the time. However, when it comes to making major decisions – these are the things you will both turn to. If you don’t share the same values, it automatically makes things more complicated.
5. When neither of you feel the same way anymore. You have changed, and he/she has as well. If you can’t learn to grow together, and love the changes in one another. MOVE ON.

2. GO SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Friends are the best cure for a sad heart/break-up. Allow your friends to remind you what makes you so special. Often times, our friends can notice great things about us that we can often dismiss. Allow your friends to help you see you! Also, they will hold you accountable to not call your ex.

3. GET RID OF EVERYTHING THAT REMINDS YOU OF HIM/HER

I find it so strange when people keep notes and pictures from exes. Grieve and leave! You don’t need this stuff. Let it go. If it is something really nice, decide if you have an emotional attachment to it. If you do, then LET IT GO. No matter how nice the Louis Vuitton Bag looks on your arm – your sad crying face with it – is just not a good look.

4. ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE SINGLE

Don’t be a serial dater. It is not fair to you, or the next person you date. Allow yourself to cry and grieve the past relationship. Give yourself time to find your passions again. Have fun enjoying your hobbies, friends, and the unique things that make you, you! Don’t just find your identity in someone new. Figure out who you are, and who you want to be. Then down the road – meet someone that can’t wait to be with that person.

*********

How do you get over an ex?
Which of these do you agree with / anything to add?

jessi’s {nyc} bachelorette party.

7 September, 2013 by Gracie 11 Comments

Yesterday we celebrated my best friend Jessi’s last big hoorah as a single lady.

As the Maid of Honor, the bachelorette party was one of my main responsibilities. I’ll be honest – I wasn’t sure how to impress someone who has worked in events for 10 years and knows the ins and outs of a good party! But, I think I did a decent job

These days most bachelorette parties are some sort of vacation or getaway, but I knew I couldn’t throw that together with Jessi and Parker’s short engagement. Instead, I decided to do a full “staycation” for Jessi right here in New York.

Jessi’s love language is gifts, so I made sure to have little surprises for her throughout the day. On Friday morning, I got her some coffee and gave her the first gifts – some fun “attire” to wear throughout the day. Let’s be real – you can’t not have at least some cheesy bachelorette props!

Then I told her to pack a bag with clothes to go out at night and her hair/makeup stuff. I didn’t want her to know we were staying overnight somewhere, so I separately packed her a toothbrush, pajamas, and outfit for the next day.

And then – we were off! We hopped in a cab to our first destination, Eden Day Spa, where we met up with most of the other bridesmaids for a few hours of pampering.

The spa was so perfect. The bridesmaids and I treated Jessi to a 60-minute massage, manicure, and pedicure. I got an hour massage myself and it was amazing – definitely one of the best I’ve had in the city.

After our massages we headed to a reserved room for our group, where we enjoyed a complimentary lunch and champagne. It was great because anyone who got mani/pedis got them right there in the room with the others of us who were just hanging out. It was so nice to spend a few hours relaxing with the girls!

We also gave Jessi her next gift – a beautiful key necklace that Rhema picked out. So far we had a very happy bachelorette on our hands

After the spa, it was time for the next surprise. I had us start walking towards Saturdays and told Jessi I was going to get her favorite latte. But our destination was actually on the way – the Mondrian.

The Mondrian is one of the nicest hotels in the city, and I knew Jessi had never stayed there, so I booked us a room for the night.

It was beautiful! And felt like a great little escape from our normal city life.

After a quick run for that latte, I gave Jessi another gift.

Come on, you’ve got to have the tiara veil!

We got all dolled up and ready to go…

…and then it was time to head to dinner. I initially wanted to take Jessi somewhere she had never been, but I knew that having all of her girl friends there to celebrate was more important. It’s not exactly easy to find a restaurant that could accommodate 30+ people with our budget, so I decided to have the dinner at one of FreelyBe’s partner venues, 121 Fulton Street.

It ended up being the absolute perfect place for dinner. We had the whole back dining area reserved for us, so it was private and intimate.

The bridesmaids and I decorated the tables with some beads and Ring Pops (get it?), which turned out to be quite the hit.

The restaurant provided a great prix fixe menu for us, and all of the food was amazing.

After dinner Jessi opened her (ginormous amount of) lingerie gifts. It turned out to be the perfect girlie party with all of her closest friends.

When dinner was over, the night had really just begun. A smaller group of us headed to Jessi’s favorite club, Southside, where the music was loud and champagne was flowing. The groom may have made an appearance too, shhh

After a great night’s sleep back at our hotel, Jessi, Leah and I had a fun morning of recapping the night, more Saturdays lattes, and brunch at Delicatessen.

All in all, it was an amazing bachelorette party from start to finish. It really was an honor to give my best friend one last big party before getting married. Love you, Jessi!

What’s your favorite thing about bachelorette parties?
Tell me about the best one you’ve been to!