AOSA Project Event from Saturday night

I have been hearing about a store called AOSA Project and Alissa from Rags to Stitches had posted about an event the store was having to launch their new site. It looked really cool (plus, there was dessert) and since it was in Huntington Beach (which isn't too far of a drive), my friend Crystal and I packed up and headed to HB this past Saturday.

At first, we were just supposed to drive down and then come right back home after the event but right before I was supposed to leave, I booked us a hotel room so we didn't have to drive back home so late. Let's just say, this is where good ol' spontaneity comes in for a good night! Once we arrived to our hotel though, it was a wardrobe catastrophe in many ways and we ended up with all of our clothes out of our bags and spread out on the bed. From "what to wear" chaos to a bad hair day to then getting lost and driving all over the place to find the shop, we finally pulled it together when we arrived. A glass of wine and yummy chocolate was waiting for us and it felt like fate after the first taste!

Once I "de-stressed" and really looked around, it was absolutely amazing inside! The atmosphere was so calming, natural and beaming with "BUY ME" voices all around. Jonathan Kraina also added to the soothing vibe as he played guitar and sang his little heart out. That guy has talent!

Walking around the racks, every piece of clothing felt so soft to the touch and the accessories were all made with lots of care and love. One of the brands, Bird of Virtue is made up of all hand-carved wood. They create beautiful necklaces and earrings that are so unique!

Another brand that I loved and saw for the first time was 31BITS. The designers of these stunning jewelry pieces are all women from Northern Uganda who use their creative abilities to help rise above poverty.
There were so many great pieces at AOSA Project and I walked away with some of their vintage pieces including a tee-shirt maxi dress and a PRETTY tattered sweater. I will share these treasures a little later. :)
We also left with really cool swag bags that included some great gifts such as TOMS merchandise, wood prints from Emily Boelsems, a discount for Cristina Robeck Photography and a pretty pink bracelet by 31BITS.

The event was so much fun (THANK YOU to the ladies who helped put it together) and I was really excited about meeting some other fellow bloggers such as Alissa from Rags to Stitches, Jackie from Jackie's Beauty Guide and one sweet photographer Cristina Robeck! I definitely want to go back and visit this little shop again but in the mean time, I can just shop online at TheAOSAProject.myshopify.com!
Here are some photos of the night. I wish I could have taken more but with holding a clutch under one arm, hanging purchases from the other arm, a glass of wine in my right hand, chocolate and fruit in the left hand and a camera around my neck....it was hard to juggle and take lots of photos at the same time! Hehe

{Enjoy}

(Yes, this is supposed to be upside down.)

Annnnddd here are some silly photos we took when we arrived back at the hotel. I realize that some may be too embarrassing to post but we have a funny/weird/strange/hilarious side so why not? :)

What did you do this past weekend?

Wedding Planning course + Floral Design class + ORGANIZING (or an attempt at it)

Lately, I feel as if everything is in a bit of a whirlwind. I have so much to do and yet, as one woman, I wish I can stretch the hours in a day so I can get it all done! It's been such a blessing to get to do what I LOVE to do! I'm seriously so grateful that I can say that I just LOVE my job(s). Even when you are doing something you love though, it's easy to get burnt out when you don't take time out for yourself and your family. It's easy for me to think about EVERYTHING I have to get done instead of taking it a bit at a time. I'm learning.

As you may or may not know, I started my Wedding/Event Planning course recently. I have read the first lesson and I feel like I'm hooked! I haven't even completed any projects for the course just yet but it's sooo exciting to finally start this journey (officially).

What I got from my first dose of content so far, is that I really need to focus on organization. I can be organized in some sense when it comes to certain things, like my shop. I use a white board, a calendar, post its and a filing box but I still feel like I can improve with the shop/blog/etc. I'm not the most organized person all around and when planning events, it's a MAJOR issue. So, I guess I can start a "mid-new years resolution" right? {Get more organized}

I also started my floral design class. It's been quite fun so far BUT hard work as well! I really didn't think it would require so much "knowledge" and patience. Haha! I really do enjoy it though and can't wait to actually experiment with my own designs. So far, you have to do almost EXACTLY what is being instructed. The only experimenting I've had is choosing the colors of the flowers I'd like to work with-and even that is hard when everyone is rushing to pick their fav. first. It's great to learn the basics though which is what I need! Here are the 2 designs I have completed so far:

First week was learning to create bows and creating a single carnation corsage

This past week was creating a symmetrical arrangement of a dozen carnations. I tried to create an ombre effect with it. I gave this to my mother for her birthday today. Happy Birthday Momma!

So on top of 2 new courses, I have my beloved shop to keep up with. It's my pride and joy (other than my sweet, adorable son)! Today, I started a few new organizing projects in my craft room and first was my huge box of shipping confirmation receipts and purchase receipts from etsy.

That was organized to a T. Promise.

I also have my white board of orders to complete. I really haven't seen it completely WHITE in a LONG time! As soon as I finish an order, another arrives! It's amazing! 

With that, add the items I need to get done for the craft show in Long Beach, the giveaway items for the Elevate Conference and the new business cards I need to get done by next month.

I feel like I need an assistant at times. I know several handmade business owners that seem to be able to do it all! They are like super people I swear! lol If you are one of those, please tell me how you do it! :)

Anyway, like I said, it all seems to be a bit of a whirlwind right now and yet somehow, this little baby makes it all better. At least temporarily. :)

There's my busy self in a nutshell right now. How do you de-stress? Do you have any great organizing tips to share? :)

Have a beautiful night friends!

A {pretty} styled tea party

A couple weeks ago, I was very honored to be a part of a beautiful styled shoot created by my friend, Aurora Vilchis. She used inspiration from Darling Magazine to execute her vision which turned out just stunning, a word that just so happens to match her character.

Not only was I included in the photos, but I also created some simple, yet colorful floral arrangements and glitter heart toppers for the yummy muffins that were delicately devoured. :)

Since being involved with this classic tea party shoot, I was able to meet several other lovely ladies that have such beautiful hearts. It was a great experience and I wanted to share a little peak into this inspiring day.
{enjoy}

See the rest of this shoot on Aurora's blog.

 Photography + Styling: Aurora from Vilchis Squared
Inspiration: Darling Magazine
Floral Design + Glitter Heart Toppers: Love Sparkle Pretty
Hair + Makeup: Ashley Jael

NEW BLOG DESIGN

I downloaded a free trial of Photoshop and have been working on a new blog design ever since. I just may have to buy it though because I'm quite addicted already. ;)

I  knew what I wanted as far as detail to my blog but couldn't get what I wanted from my trustee "paint" program! lol So, I plunged into this amazing little Photoshop trial and Viola-a new blog design! I'm really loving what I have done so far and I hope you do too! I still have a few changes to make (mostly to the navigation bar and such) but for the most part, I can take a break from it and spend a few more hours with some coffee and my pink glue gun. Hehe.

By the way, see that photo of me to the right? My amazing and talented friend Aurora from Vilchis Squared took it! Isn't she the bees knees? Tomorrow, I will be sharing a tea party styled shoot that she created which is where that photo is from.
Stay tuned friends!
Hope you are having a beautiful Monday!

{I will be GRATEFUL for today} Lake Arrowhead

On a bit of a whim, my husband and I decided to drive up to Lake Arrowhead for some yummy breakfast at Belgian Waffle Works on the lake. This place is not only delicious (which you will be able to see in the photos) but we have some good memories of this place since we ate here while on our honeymoon. It was such a perfect family morning turned afternoon with good conversation, feeding of LOTS of ducks and laughter as we watched our little heart (a.k.a. Levi) run around and have fun.

Here's a little glimpse into our day.