The journey to this moment started over a year ago with a wordpress site — complete with my very own domain name, and a made-by-me custom header. Although everyone I asked said wordpress was the way to go, and the only way to have a truly professional site, something about it didn’t feel right. After less than a month I scrapped the site and ran back to blogger. Blogspot was what I knew – my personal blog has been on blogger for years – and it was safe there. Comfortable. Easy. So I traded in the boring (and, in the interest of full disclosure, terribly ugly) basic wordpress theme for a somewhat custom blog. The template I bought had blue damask wallpaper and typewriter-esque font, and I had a very new (very blue) safety net of epic proportions. I built myself a mediocre version of the status quo.
I hated it. Even worse, I wasn’t proud of it. I certainly didn’t want to show it off. I didn’t want people to see it, but I still wanted them to see my photos. To see me.
When I built that blog last spring I knew it wasn’t forever. It was pretty, sure, but it was a round hole. And, well, I’m a very square peg.
A few months ago I contacted Moxee and asked a million questions. I sent email after email rambling, throwing out ideas and visions. Starting and re-starting again and again. I am certain I sounded like a lunatic. I told Breanna I longed to have a website that represented who I am beyond just a photographer. A place where I can share my love of sewing and knitting. A site that’s fun, but still authentic. Clean, but worn in. Handmade. Real. A site that isn’t just something – it’s anything. Everything.
A website – an online identity – that’s more like me.
Enter today. Enter now. Enter this.exact.moment.
This past month has been crazy and emotional and fun and stressful and perfect. I am so proud of this space. This blog. This…square hole.
I can’t wait to break it in. To post more — more sewing, more knitting, more of my stories, and most of all – more of your stories.
Love stories, after all, are sort of kind of completely my favorite.
A huge thank you to Breanna for this amazing collaboration. To everyone who has stood by me this past year, helping, listening, guiding, and putting up with me. To all of my amazing clients who have trusted me with their stories. To my husband. To Anda. To Kelsea.
To everyone, ever, who had a dream and chased it.
xo
Derrek
LOVE it!!! You did an amazing job! Looking foreword to some posts!
Kelsea
I rejoice for you on this day, my friend. This is the realization of a creative dream, and the start of an amazing beginning. So happy. So excited. So proud.
lucinda
you inspire me! i am so proud of you.
love you more than you know!
xoxo
Brittney
i love this. SO much. you are so incredibly talented and your work makes my heart sing. i can’t wait to see more from you, dear beautiful lady. xoxo
Anda
WAY more personality than blue brocade swirly background. Way more you. Congrats!!
Gladys
Looks great, Athena! Congratulations on the launch :) Here’s to an amazing 2012!