**Warning to reader:  This is not the most remarkable of life events, but I determined it was significant enough to warrant memorialization in a blog post. Warning complete. Onward.  **

One of the many great things about my little business…and about life…is the unexpected happenings that make somedays seem a bit like one of those “jack-in-the-box” toys. It starts out routine enough, like the innocent winding of the toy’s lever. I hypnotize myself with the activities of the day as if focused on a tiny box playing charming carnival-like music..and then *POP*!  A surprise! And like the little colorfully clad man that springs up from his hiding spot, it jolts me back for a moment before delighting me. Such was the case of this fun occurrence that was completely unexpected nor ever in the realm of my imagined life experiences :).

The story goes like this:

My business, JJ Caprices, partnered with luxury retailer Wolford to have a trunk show at their boutique located in The Shops at The Bravern in downtown Bellevue (Prada and Tory Burch are neighboring shops!). To showcase both our products, I modeled my shop’s curated accessories from around the globe with select Wolford ready to wear fashion (which btw is perfect for travel – machine washable, versatile and almost wrinkle proof).

Above is a picture of the talented Ilya of Ilya’s Photography taking some “behind the scenes” shots of me in a moment we captured for social media.  Likely what I am repeating in my head in this pic is, “I hate modeling. I hate modeling.” I find it literally exhausting. Hiking up Wayna Picchu twice at Machu Picchu would be less daunting to me.

 

Final product…this will do!

Next step was to add all the trunk show details to this image to use in email invites, PR efforts and social media posts. The event was on May 5th – Cinco de Mayo.  There was much debate about adding a sombrero to my head…

After the updates were made, the proper outlets were notified and the invites were sent.  Now it was waiting and praying for a good turnout…just a normal event.

Then a few days later, a friend tagged me on Facebook. I opened the notification to find the below picture and this statement, “Ha! Look who I found in the elevators at The Bravern!”

Huh!? How did I get there!?

After a double take, I realized what my friend posted wasn’t some fancy photo work that she had done, but that The Bravern had literally stuck me on the inside of their elevators in effort to promote our event!  How crazy (and lovely) of them!  There I was, non-model Jen, looking modelesque in Bellevue’s premier luxury shopping center. Life’s little surprises…

The result of peer pressure.

Like I wrote on Facebook, “And if Diane and Lisa told me to jump off a cliff, I would do that too. But here is me with me…both likeness and physical-being in the same elevator. The “stuck-on-elevator Jen” will only be around for a couple more days because my trunk show at Wolford Boutiques in The Shops at The Bravern is this THURSDAY from 4 – 7pm. It will be a fun and unique shopping experience for all!”

One of my favorite “selfies” with my likeness was from a man I had been dating a few months back but hadn’t seen for a few weeks.  He texted me his image next to mine in the elevator and included the note, “It is the only time I get to spend wth you now days.” Clever.

Setting up the night of the event!

Coming up in the elevator people looked at me like they knew they had seen me before but couldn’t quite place where… 🙂

A successful event…and partly in thanks to me being “stuck on an elevator” at The Bravern.

Cheers to a brilliant evening!

I never need a grand excuse to drink champagne, but having friends from around the world (Canada, South Africa and Camano Island, WA) in town to be part of this special trunk show was more than enough reason to raise a glass…or four.

As a note, this photo will also be featured in one of our important local magazines, 425 Business Magazine. In September they will feature a day in the life of me, Jen Jedda…and this is the day I highlighted.

Now tell me if you think the warning at the beginning of this post was necessary…actually let’s make that rhetorical!

***

Some of the other images we captured in advance of the trunk show that did not end up on elevators:

 

 

BTW, according to Wolford, I sold many of the orange outfits when they featured me in their email!  I am still quite proud of that!