Weddingbee

Today’s guest post is from Bridal Guide Magazine Assistant Home Design Editor, Aimee Morgan.

Before moving to NY (on a whim and only for the summer—almost four years ago!), and working at Bridal Guide, I envisioned the city, and editors in general, as gurus in their chosen industry; every fashion editor MUST step out the door wearing Prada, Jimmy Choos and looking like a shampoo model, and every home design gal MUST have a home worthy of a four-page feature spread. I mean, come on, who hasn’t salivated over Sex and the City, or even, dare I admit, Gossip Girl? Yes, I watch Gossip Girl. Technically I’m not yet 30 and totally allowed to indulge.

The city itself is a character: complicated and fascinating, but terrifying, thrilling and completely humbling. Every now and then, I’ll be riding in a cab past something surreal, like the Statue of Liberty or the Brooklyn Bridge, and pinch myself and think, “Wow. I actually live in New York.” And how ridiculous is that! So I was thinking it would be cool for all you busy Weddingbee’ers to take a tour of my life, in the office and at home, and you can decide for yourself how glam (or not!) my life as an editor is.

Let’s start at home, ladies. Mi casa es su casa…To put it mildly, my house is a work in progress. Of course, when I say “house,” I mean a studio with amazingly high ceilings, lots of natural light and clever divisions on my part to create “rooms.”

Isn’t it sad that I have to put rooms in quotes because I really have none (the bathroom is the only room with its own door and is ridiculously spacious by Manhattan standards)???? Let me walk you through the good, the bad and the hopefully not-too-ugly…

Once my medicine cabinet was overflowing with product (thanks to the lovely Dana and Alison in fashion), I knew I needed some other form of storage in the bathroom. This cabinet from Target was the perfect solution. The two shelves display what’s pretty and the bottom shelf hides what’s not! Oh, the glass canisters with q-tips and cotton balls (always pretty in clear jars) are from Target, too.

As you can see, I have a hodgepodge of products that aren’t nice to look at. Better to hide them away so my guests don’t see all my tricks for looking bbbbeauuutful. Bonus with Target is that they have registry-worthy stuff without the bank-breaking prices.

When square footage is at a premium (and with real estate these days, how is it not!), you must think vertically. Stephanie Cohen, an interior designer and space-expanding guru, gave me that tip when I interviewed her last year and I use it time and again. The shelves need a revamp, but for now it holds all my photos, books, and odds and ends (strategically hidden) good enough.

Again…V is for vertical! With my high ceilings and loft bed, it made perfect sense to mount a TV on the wall. It sounds like a pain in the you know what, but really took 30 minutes. Of course, we hired someone to do it! And don’t make fun of the show. I get home at 5:30 to finish up Gilmore Girls and then 8 Simple Rules. I’m a sucker for re-runs. Like I said, I live a glamorous life.

This is my loft bed. I hated the lighting that was put in. Can you see the fixture in the center falling off? That’s a definite don’t. The ladder can be tricky too. Tired, tipsy, pregnant or holding anything makes for a very precarious situation. Once even, during the remodel, I knocked the ladder over (8 months preggers and cell phone on the table) and had to shimmy down some boxes. Note to brides: Always make sure fixtures are securely in place. The big blank wall on the left needs to be filled, too. Any suggestions?

A mirror is a small space’s best friend. Ideally, it sits opposite a window to bring in the outdoors, but in my place, that’s not possible. Still, it deceptively opens the space and I anchored a pseudo mantle underneath to showcase more photos.

Canvas baskets hide my socks, undies, hats and scarves. Without a lot of drawer space, this is a must-have.

And this is what it looks like on the shelves. No one would ever know my personals were just behind the bend.

Ottoman open and concealing board games, photos and random stuff.

Ottoman closed and really concealing all my junk. The handled tray transforms something to put your feet up on to something more entertaining friendly. When registering, try to look for pieces that are multi-functional.

Meet the bane of my existence: The blank yellow wall. It’s been single for over a year and I’ve yet to find a suitable mate. I’m thinking maybe a gallery display of photos. Any thoughts, ladies?

Another vertical use idea. I installed wine racks under my cupboards. These are from IKEA. Although they don’t have a registry, Bridal Guide does and you can register for products from any store and keep it together in one place.

Aahh…the simple things. This $5 plastic soda holder has saved me so much room in my fridge. If you are trying to register for affordable items, things like this are great. They save you room and the effort.

Not so sexy in the city, right??? Really, I love my place and you should love your first pad together, too. Make sure you slow down and really think about what you and your beau will use, and how to make the most of your space. Ready to see my office???

I went to UCLA and studied art history. I taught school for a few years and thought, “What if I wake up in 30 years and wonder what could have been?” Fast forward through a summer in NY and an internship at BG, and here I am, the assistant home design editor. This is my office space—minus the stuttering stapler-stealing fire starter (aka Office Space, the movie!).

My computer screen, opened to my inbox. You have no idea how many emails we get a day.

We are in “closing” now, which means all of our stories are going through the edit process and eventually being shipped to the printer. This is my folder for Designer Profile Home and I’m halfway done. I love that Diane (as in Ms. Forden, our lovely EIC) uses old school red pencil to make her edits.

The 20-something files you see are my paper “inbox.” These are files I need to access quick and they constantly rotate. BTW, the dried flowers on the left are from the delightful Preston Bailey. They were a thank you from him after a story I wrote came out. Class like that never goes out of style.

Here’s a sneak-peek for all of you Weddingbee’s… This is the approved art for my ND 08 Fashion Profile of Lela Rose. Oh yeah, forgot to mention. I’m a homebody at heart but also write up all hot wedding dress designers in an equally interesting fashion story. Lela (aka designer to the stars and Jenna Bush’s attendants!) was a doll to interview and had so much good information I wanted to share that it actually took me longer to write the story—I didn’t want to cut a thing! She is the epitome of southern charm. You’ll have to check out the ND 08 issue that comes out mid-Sept.

This is my inspiration board. It’s a mix of personal photos and mementos (which ground me during stressful times) and office memos and tidbits of swipes I want to remember. The most important piece is the edit calendar on the left. It tells me all my deadlines (and when I can sneak in a vacay!).

Even a year and a half in, I’m still excited to see my stories in print. This is a sampling that I have on my wall. Again, it’s approved art and probably dummy copy (old text used to gauge space). When I look at it, it reminds me that I do have a kinda sorta fun job.

Monica and I are pretty lucky to have amazing interns each season. Monica started a wall of fame of all the girls so that we could remember them and all their contributions.

Hello, filing! This is just a part of all the mag subscriptions that we get and keep. Part of our job is to know what everyone else is covering.

I just interviewed Shannon McGinnis for a story. On the left is my during-the-interview notes and on the right, the transcription of the interview. I do get to speak with really knowledgeable and just plain cool people.

I eat Subway at least twice a week because I don’t have time to pack a lunch and food is expensive. Oh, you thought I had an expense account? Think again. Plus, I can get a sandwich, chips and a soda (all under 500 calories. Hello?? What bride isn’t watching her waistline?) for $6 bucks. Oh, and I have this weird fetish with Diet Coke from the Subway fountain. It’s somehow special and I love it! Okay, I’m just obsessed with Diet Coke in general. It’s an addiction. 

Files, files and more files. As exciting as my job can be, it’s also very tedious. I am inundated with paper every day and every piece is important and needs a home.

Snip of a page on my wall of fame: The most fabulous Charlotte Moss. Best interview I ever did and just an amazing designer. She’s definitely a registry resource; she has several design books, a tableware line with Pickard and her own personal collection of handpicked decor pieces. If you ever make it to NYC, stop by her shop. You will fall in love with it.

And then there was none…this is what I aspire for my desk to look like at the end of the day. Sometimes it does, sometimes not so much.

So what do you think ladies? Have I intrigued you or totally scared you away? Either way, hopefully I caught your attention. Like the infamous Cindy Adams (of the NY Post) always says, “Only in New York kids, only in New York…”

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