Natalie

I’ve known of Natalie for years. I was first introduced to Natalie around 2010 when I stumbled on her blog. It was obvious that she was wealthy and well-connected. She has long, dark raven-colored hair and is different in that she was not, nor has she ever been objectively thin. And she seemed to embrace that in ways I still struggle with. Her outfits are loud and her personality is even louder. Her home is perfectly curated but not in the way you’d expect. Her couches are green velvet, and she has well-placed, well-curated wallpaper - typically vintage. Her style stands out in contrast to the beige and neutral aesthetics we’ve come to know from other bloggers and influencers.

Despite all of these things that make Natalie different, I expected her to be exactly the same as everyone else. I didn’t take her seriously. I didn’t think Natalie had a real job outside of little hobbies of working at the Lilly Pulitzer and Kate Spade stores, and only because she wanted to discount and it was just something fun for her to do - not something she needed to do. But for the most part, I thought Natalie was just bebopping around town all day, popping into designer shops and spending her time getting dressed for another charity luncheon.

So imagine my surprise when a few years later, I ended up working at the same company as Natalie. I remember the day I officially met her. While we lived in the same city, she never came into the office so it took a trip to California for us to finally connect. As soon as she walked into the room, I knew who she was. She walked in wearing a festive and designer dress that was perfectly appropriate for the event we were at. I was instantly enthralled and I immediately found that her personality is magnetic. I wanted to be her best friend immediately.

Natalie and I continued to work in the same sphere at work, though never together in any capacity, until she left a couple of years later. It was then that we started to develop a friendship and actually ended up going on a couple of trips together to go shopping, eat at Instagrammable restaurants, and go to plays. We continued our friendship for a while after those trips but eventually drifted apart.

Years later I can confirm that my first impression of Natalie when I met her in California is exactly the same. She is magnetic. She’s one of those people you want to be and also want to be your best friend. Natalie lives big for herself and everyone around her. The care and intention Natalie gives to everything she does is so remarkable. She obviously cares greatly but doesn’t fuss over things. She has great clothes and her personal style is so well-defined that while she seemingly has everything, she is also incredibly easy to buy for.

And when Natalie wants to do something, she does it big with no details missed. I’ve watched as she travels all over the U.S. and Europe only to come back to town and immediately bounce into a baby shower (with an immaculately wrapped gift) and then head out for a themed girl’s night. It makes me wonder what her to-do list looks like. She gives Big Rich Aunt Energy. She’s a girl’s girl. Natalie is probably one of the coolest people you could ever meet.

Natalie and people like Natalie are gems who I think get cast off as being frivolous. She’s a lot like a real-life Elle Woods, which I think is one of the highest compliments one could receive. And then I just have to laugh because Elle Woods’ parents did not tell her law school wasn’t for her because she couldn’t do it but that law school wasn’t for her because she wasn’t a boring person. Natalie is not a boring person at all.

Natalie is my inspiration - though she doesn’t know it - to continue to push for more, make moments more special, celebrate the big and small moments and myself and the people around me, do the quirky fun things, and live a big life. The pre-married, pre-kids version of myself was like a Baby Natalie. I wasn’t as polished as she is and I’ve never had an eye for design the way she does, but I used to travel, splurge on quirky items just because they made me happy, and brunch at the fun spot that was mostly for the aesthetic and less for the food (but the mimosas were always spot on). I lost that part of myself somewhere between getting married, having kids, and the pandemic. And I’d like to reclaim it.