Elevate Blog Conference 2014 RECAP

Last year, I attended my first blog conference in Newport Beach, Ca. This past Saturday, I returned to the Newport Dunes clubhouse to attend Elevate once again.

It was such an inspiring day to be immersed among such talented women! I feel like there is not enough time in one day to really get to talk and get to know everyone there. Last year, I really regretted not reaching out and networking more so this year, I tried harder to step out of my comfort zone of meeting new people and I still feel like I could have done more. I know a lot of you have felt this way after reading some of your posts. I think it's just inevitable when we are in an environment with so many opportunities and like-minded people around us. If I didn't get to meet you, please comment or email me at lovesparklepretty@aol.com because I'd love to connect with you!

This year, Elevate was incredible once again. From lunch catered by Bj's Pizza, encouraging and talented speakers, lots of AMAZING giveaways, swag for dayyyss, crafts to take home, dinner catered by Cafe Rio, TONS of delicious sweets and a HILARIOUS game of Minute to Win it, this day had my cup overflowing.

I am so thankful for this event put on by Jen from Delightful Deets, Summer from Made by Munchie's Momma and Nichole from Yeung Mother Hubbard with so much help by their wonderful families! I am completely blessed because of each of YOU!

I could go on and on about this beautiful day but instead, here are some photos...

My friend Tara from Laila's Charming Pieces and I went to Elevate together. Such a blessing to share this experience with a close friend!

The lovely Jen and Summer who put their whole hearts into this day!

Ellen Style selfie! Chrissy, you are too wonderful for capturing this!!

Creativity is anything but tidy!

YUUMMMMY tacos from Cafe Rio!

HOLY SWAG!

I spy my dreamcatcher and daisy crown I donated for the giveaway...

Thank you so much to Alissa from Diary of an Addict & Desiree from The 36th Avenue for posting my dreamcatcher! 

I am creating a limited amount of these large dreamcatchers if you'd like to custom order one! They are going quickly so email me at lovesparklepretty@aol.com if you are interested.

Tee-Pee by Tnees Tpees  

Cara from Maskcara demonstrated some of her amazing talent with makeup. Megan from Absolute Mommy got some new eyebrows. Love!

Desiree from The 36th Avenue and Lisa from Lisa Leonard Designs were such wonderful and inspirational speakers!

Desiree, first off, won the key to my heart as she gifted each of us a package of delicious DONUTS! As she shared her heart and her story, she made me laugh SO hard and cry when her words became personal and raw. Thank you so much for your honesty Desiree and opeing up to us!

When I found out Lisa was speaking at the conference, I was ECSTATIC! I totally admire her and when I met her for the first time in person, she truly exceeded any expectations I may have had. She really is so kind hearted and loving. When it was her time to speak, I was all ears...even with a camera lens at my eye. Her words spoke straight to my heart. "The more you are yourself, the better you will be." "Be Brave." "Be Loving." Thank you so much Lisa for sharing your heart!

Chrissy from Let Me See You Sparkle and Stephanie from Life Created gave some photography advice. Thank you both for your courage to speak to all of us! I know you guys didn't have too much time to prepare but you both did great and you are so enduring!

Cara from Maskcara, Ashley from Little Miss Momma and Alissa from Diary of an Addict shared a round of tips for blogging from posing for photography to affiliate links. Thanks girls!

All of the women who helped make this event happen! 

With the beautiful Lisa Leonard.

At the end of the night, we got to take home CRONUTS from DK's Donuts!!

Sweet dreams Newport.

Ended the night at Alissa's house for a little bon fire and snacks. 

Thank you so much Alissa for opening your gorgeous home! I may have not been home until 2:30am but this day was all well worth it!! 

Until next year...

Productivity=Sprinkle Donuts + Coffee

Planner by Sugar Paper

Today has been a productive day and yet I can still say, I just woke up from a super quick nap (yawn). With a sprinkle donut and coffee in hand, I took on this morning's tasks that included a bit of training (I have my first creative shop helper), shipped out a couple orders and still working on others. (Since the husband is off work today, he has been amazing in helping watch our son for the first part of the day to crank out the "to-dos". Thank you so much babe!!)

As I sit here, I am reminded of this past Saturday when I attended my second year at the Elevate Blog Conference. Catch up on the first year I attended. It was so inspiring to be immersed in a creative and encouraging environment of unique women-each with their own story.

I am still at a loss of words to share the wonderful day I had but I can't wait to share the experience very soon!

Just a tiny bit of the sweet swag from Elevate. Printable by Bluebirds Creative. Patterned clip by Paperflora.

What does your productive day look like?

NY Post ONE: Sunrise over Manhattan and Magic in Central Park

After a few weeks of being back home, I am finally getting around to the FIRST post of our trip to New York. With over 2,000 photos to go through, it's quite a struggle to pick and choose which ones to share. Since it is impossible to cram everything into one post, I will split up the photos into days and experiences. 

With so many moments, feelings and historical attractions to capture in writing and photos, I will try my best to share and re-live this trip as best I can.

Here it goes... 

On the morning of April 26th 2014 at 8:00am PST, my mother and I were leaving LAX and on our way to New York! It's been a dream of mine for quite some time to visit NY and around 3:50pm EST, we had arrived to our much anticipated destination! It was such a blessing to finally plant my feet on the grounds of the Big Apple and to share this experience with my momma. In just 5 days, we had done so much! I'm happy that we had this time to bond and turn some of our plans into reality. 

Goodbye Los Angeles.

After we had landed and managed to figure out how to get a taxi to our hotel in the Upper West Side, we were able to soak up the experience of our first taxi ride a.k.a. wish you took a Xanax, stinky back seat and sleepy cab driver ride....needless to say, that was our first and last cab ride on our trip but more on that later. 

It was a gloomy day as we drove through Brooklyn and into Manhattan eyeing over our new surroundings. Immediately, you could feel the difference in culture than what we are used too. Life is vertical and fast paced in NYC. The buildings reaked of history all around us, the sidewalks were bustling with people and the streets were filled with transportation, noise and haste. We were certainly not in California anymore!

As we pulled up to our hotel and checked-in, I realized that I had left my favorite burgundy peacoat in the taxi which had just driven off. Side Note: since we didn't check bags, I had to hold onto my coat as it didn't fit in my suitcase which ultimately lead to my loss...Next time, I'm checking a bag! The concierge had made several phone calls in attempt to get it back but another note to self (& all who live or plan to visit NY), if you leave ANYTHING in a taxi cab, kiss it good-bye, sayonara, adios because you won't get it back.

Finally arrived to our hotel

The loss of my coat started us on a hunt for new jackets to keep warm since it was quite chilly in the evening. After some success in Urban Outfitters, we had our first dinner in NY at Serafina's-YUMMY!! I had the gnocchi with tomatoes and savored each bite. As we ate, the atmosphere of this restaurant was also quite different than what we were used to. To start, the workers were like little busy bees nearly running all over the place yet their attitudes seemed friendly rather than stressed like I expected. The place was also very lively-filled with chatter and communication over delectables and wine. The most noticable difference of having dinner here was the seating. Everyone was seated rather close to one another...pretty much right next to another guest. It felt like family style seating which added to the social hum and festive ambiance. 

After dinner, I had my first chai tea in New York as we walked down Broadway and enjoyed the night life.

The next morning, my mother woke up around 4am which in turn, lead me to getting up at the butt-crack of dawn as well. We ended up leaving our hotel room around 5:20am which was even too early for the local coffee shops! I didn't get my caffiene until a couple hours later but we were able to explore the Upper West Side at sunrise with quiet streets and empty sidewalks as we made our way towards Central Park. So serene. 

These are just some of the moments captured on the first early morning in Manhattan. Enjoy.

At the Belvedere Castle in Central Park. I set the camera up for self timer which captured us totally out of focus but I didn't get any better ones! :(

The prettiest restroom I've ever seen! I could live here!

Marionette Theatre in Central Park

On our way back into town, we spontaneously stopped to ride our first Subway and headed to Times Square where we had breakfast got scammed...twice and visited the top of the Empire State Building....
View Post Two of New York here

DIY: At Home Steamed Lavender Facial

If I were to guess was heaven smelled like, I think it would smell of Lavender-the most relaxing, therapeutic and enchanting aroma I've ever encountered. Needless to say, it is my favorite scent that takes me to childhood memories where stress and worries didn't exist.

Yesterday, I visted my grandmother for a bit and before leaving, she snipped handfuls of fresh Lavender from her garden for me to take home. I love to have bundles of it throughout our humble abode where you can catch a lingering scent from any room in the house. I also like to use it in my weekly steamed facials to unwind from a busy schedule.

Here's what I do to create a quick and relaxing steamed facial right at home.

I use a 3-qt saucepan (large enough for the round of my face), place about 4 cups of warm water in the saucepan along with about 6 sprigs of fresh or dried Lavender (I've also used rose petals). Heat the water and Lavender to a simmer-just until you can see steam coming from the pan. Do not let it boil. Once you can see steam, turn off the heat.

Place a CLEAN face carefully about 6" away from the rim over the pan. Remember that the pan is HOT so do not touch it by any means. Use a small towel to drape over your head and around the pan to trap the steam inside. If the steam is too hot, drift further away from the pan until it feels right. Let the steam embrace your skin for about 10 minutes (you may need to take a little break in between if the steam is too much at once). During this time, the steam will open your pores and cleanse your face of impurities and the scent of the Lavender will relax you as you drown out the days to-do list.

Once you are done, cleanse your face with your usual face wash and add just a bit of baking soda (I use ~1 tsp. because I have sensitive skin) to act as a natural exfoliant.

Your skin will feel so soft afterwards and you will feel rejuvinated! Remember to drink planty of water as well throughout the day.

How do you unwind at the end of the day?

A Sweet Reminder of the Handmade Market

Just sent these 12 crowns out for an entire bridal party after I added the linings, stitched in the tags and added the velvet ties. A lot of work has gone into each and every one of these pieces and I am honored to have worked with a sweet bride to create these custom crowns.

Finding value in the handmade market goes way beyond finding the right price. These items are not made by machines. Each is created by diligent, creative hands -many of which are multitasking to keep a home happy as well. Not only do you receive a product but you also receive a bit of the makers heart and soul which gives much more meaning than a price tag.


Support handmade and your local community.

Visit the Love Sparkle Pretty shop here. 
Follow along on Instagram and Like us on Facebook (just updated the page)!

"Life is semisweet, for sure" (Gratitude + Being a Momma)

The other day, I woke up around 5:30am and as I lay in bed, I scrolled through my Instagram feed to help pull my sleepy eyes open. As I scrolled, I saw a photo of a beautiful little boy with big red curls and life exuding from his sweet little smile. Underneath his photo stated that the unthinkable had happened to him and prayers are much needed for his family. My heart stopped.

As I read about his story on Alissa Circle's blog, I immediately started sobbing in bed with what felt like a stab to my chest-where it hurts most. I couldn't fathom how the family of this 3 1/2 year old boy must feel at that moment and a wave of emotions covered me as I wanted to hold and squeeze my son for as long as I can-to hold onto his precious tiny body that won't ever be this small again.

I couldn't imagine losing a child. I prayed. I prayed for comfort and peace for Ryan's family as well as gratitude and thanksgiving for the time I have been given with my son. I want to be grateful every. single. day. for my son, my husband and my family and friends because truth is, the Lord may have a different plan and our loved ones may not be with us for as long as we desire.

Yesterday, I went outside for a bit of fresh air and sunlight and finished reading the book Ketchup is a Vegetable. I came across such enriching words and couldn't have said it better myself when it comes to being a little one's momma...

"Every moment counts.

Every child that is brought into this world is a miracle and gift from God...Every child that is born fills me full of hope. Hope that this world isn't the horrible place depicted on the evening news. Hope that if something so perfect can even exist, then there is good to be found in the world.

Every child is another opportunity for us to get things right, to raise our children with a respect for God and people and with a zest for life. Every day brings a new opportunity to love our children, to laugh with them, cry with them, and watch them grow. Every day with our children is an opportunity for us to learn from them, to hopefully replicate their easy acceptance of others and unconditional love for life. Every day there is an opportunity to let God use your children to sand off your own rough edges, making you more like them and ultimately more like Him.

It can be difficult to keep these things in perspective.

Life is semisweet, for sure. There is bitterness there, like medicine mixed in chocolate syrup, and it must be swallowed whole along with the moments that flood your heart with pure joy. We can laugh, or we can cry. The choice is yours. But if I had my time again-I'd do it all the same."

-Robin O'Bryant
Ketchup is a Vegetable and Other Lies Moms Tell Themselves

Hold your babies tight. Be thankful and love big-so big that regret doesn't follow because every moment counts and each day is not guaranteed.

Please keep the family of Ryan Cruz Saldana in your prayers and learn how you can help here.
#RedBalloonsForRyan

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

    and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalm 34:18