On Meeting My Idol.

Elsie Larson in her store, Red Velvet located in Springfield, MO

I thought about nothing else all day. I planned out every second to the T. I was going to the Sucre concert, but that was only a fraction of the excitement. I told everyone about her with girly loud shrieks of excitement. They nodded politely but her name meant nothing to your average high schooler. I even practiced over and over again in my head what I was going to say, "Hey Elsie, I'm a HUGE fan of yours and I made you these bows..." Yes, I had even stayed up late the night before making handmade bows under the light of my sewing machine out of velvet, her favorite.
Honestly, I've never been one to obsess over celebrities. What's the point in swooning over a Keira Knightly or a George Clooney if you're never going to meet them? (My one exception is Zooey Dechanel, but that's different...) Except, about two years ago while I was just searching the web, minding my own business, I found it. It was nothing short of A Beautiful Mess. The title was simply magical and as I let my eyes wander post through post, page after page, I couldn't help but immediately get attatched. This was creating at it's finest. Someone who understood what it was like to love everything beautiful and she somehow contained it into one little space. Ever since I found her site I've been looking there almost every day. It provides me with inspiration and has led me to other beautiful inspiring places I never would have known.
The truth is that I really look up to Elsie in a way that I think may seem crazy but I do. She represents to me how doing what you love and being successful can coincide. By watching her I remember that there is no wall between being girly and wearing dresses, and being an independent, modern woman.

Her store, her relationships, and her heart provide for me constant encouragement that I can do it. I'm not trying to mimic her or make my life like her, I'm not afraid to recognize that something she wears isn't my style and etc., but watching her make her dreams come true with nothing but her own hard work and passion makes me so motivated to conquer my own goals.
So knowing this you can understand just a little why I was so excited to get to meet her. Yet the moment I saw her was complete panic. I froze. What if I said something stupid? What if she didn't like the bows? What if she was actually mean? At that second all these thoughts filled my head I was so afraid that she wasn't going to be the same person that she was on my computer screen. Joel finally introduced me and I smiled and handed her the gift. She smiled and hugged me. She took a picture with me. And after that, I can't really explain without wanting to squeal with excitement. I sat with her and she talked to me. For 30 minutes to an hour we just talked. Like I was a friend. She was so sincere in asking about my plans for college and I talked about her blog and her future as if we were old friends. Of all my daydreams I can't say that I expected anything as amazing as that to happen on Monday.

At the Sucre concert in Austin!

Sure I know I'm still a fan, I know she has lots of fans, but just being able to interact with her meant so much, and though I didn't even say half the things I wanted to, I really hope she realizes how important it was to me. One day I'll be like her and all the ladies I admire. Designing things, owning stores, and belonging to the realm of awesome bloggers. For now though I'll just keep Elsie as my idol and continue to follow and be inspired. There is really so many things left  to say, but I'll leave it at this. Just check out her blog, and maybe you'll understand...xoxo.sarah jasmine.

My autographed instant photo of me and Elsie <3 <3 <3 eek.