busy, busy bee.

i have found myself so incredibly busy these past few weeks. while it has been amazing to get the opportunity to plan, design, and execute a wedding all by myself... whew, it is a lot of work! not to mention, planning a wedding that is 750 miles away (phoenix AZ, here i come!). it has been an adventure charting brand new territory on my own. it has also been extremely satisfying to prove to myself, and others, that not only am i capable at making shit happen, but i'm also pretty darn good at it. below are a few pictures of what i have been working on. i can't wait to see it all come together!

lyrics written by the groom

so much glitter!

ombre table numbers

can't wait to show all the fun details of the kids table!

gold, gold, gold!

Two Fridays ago was such a magical day. I spent the morning and afternoon with my beautiful bride, Erin, and her wonderful cousin, Leila, crafting, painting, and brainstorming. We gathered all of our previous bounty from the thrift stores, builder's resource, and craft stores and went to town! Erin, as many of you will notice, LOVES gold- and it is truly amazing what gold spray paint can to do a dingy old frame, or outdated candlestick holders. I am so wildly excited for this wedding I can barely contain myself!

bar signage

gold spray paint changed this from princess to gorgeous!

beautifully stained wood makes a great blank canvas!

"i love gooooooold!"

from wooden, scratched, and outdated to a gold statement!

too legit to quit.

Well it is official- I am literally to legit to quit! My business license came in the mail last week and, to be quite honest, I am almost embarrassed as to how excited this made me. 

For people that know me, I tend to shy away from things that are not my forte—business, legalities, etc. Now you may be thinking to yourself, “How are you going to run your own business if running your own business makes you uncomfortable?” 

Well let me tell you this story to illustrate how I operate... 

All throughout school I was HORRIBLE at math. Hated it. Never liked it. Always dreaded it. It was my weakest subject and the pain in my butt every single year of school. When it came time to write my thesis for my Masters in Teaching program you want to know what I chose to write about? TEACHING MATHEMATICS! Ha! So that’s why I am going to rock this whole business thing—because it makes me uncomfortable. Because it is hard for me. Because I hate not being good at something—so I WILL NOT STOP until I have conquered it and become an expert. 

Anyway, I am legit now. Watch out world — Here I come!

my apologies...

First, let me apologize for the lack of posts lately. I have been extremely busy with projects, business license stuff, and life in general. These past few months (and months to come) have been and will be some of the most exciting months of my life! Not only have I had the time to help grow my business and dedicate energy into delivering quality project and ideas to my brides, but it has also been an exciting time in my personal life as well. I have had the pleasure to attend friends’ weddings, showers, and parties—it is always exciting to be on the showering side! I am so blessed to witness so much love, excitement, and creativity. It has been an inspiring year thus far to say the least!

These next few months have shaped up to follow suit—more weddings, showers, and parties! From planning to crafting to showering, I am looking forward to every aspect of the events to come in the next year. Sam, Eliza, Erin, Lauren, Kris… I’m looking at you! Xoxo.

kinsley james couture bridal window!

last week i was lucky enough to help my very talented event planner and friend, erin, install a window display at kinsley james couture bridal in walnut creek. the mission: create a fun, romantic, eye-catching sweetheart table that embodies the whimsical romance of valentine's day with all the details that make a sweetheart table so special. erin ||your event by erin|| created the most beautiful tablescape and really knocked it out of the park-- whenever you leave with glitter on your face and body, i believe you have succeeded!-- everything was perfectly put together, with every little detail thought out from beginning to end. with florals by florali in walnut creek, paper details by pigment & parchment, and photos by angie capri photography, the finished table was purely magical. here are some photos! i hope you love them as much as i do!

had to start the day off with a can of bubbles and a fun straw! 

workin' it. 

finished!

thank you, mrs. moresi!

this past weekend was one filled with love, beauty, laughter, inspiration, and reunions. i was lucky enough to spend the weekend celebrating one of my dearest friends from college, katie, in honor of her wedding to the very handsome nick moresi. katie is one of those people who knows exactly what she wants and will go to all ends to MAKE IT HAPPEN. she and i have always understood each other in that sense, and her wedding was an incredible testament to her creativity, determination, and dedication to a vision. not only was the setting of her wedding in itself inspiring-- green rolling hills, a southern california sunset, and a beautiful open barn? hello, perfection!-- but her attention to detail and creativity shone through every single aspect of the wedding. from their custom made arbor, to her hand lettered signs, to the table setups-- everything was perfectly nick and katie. just the way a wedding should be. i walked away from this weekend full of memories with friends that truly hold a special place in my heart and with so much inspiration for my own business and ideas. it is always rewarding to walk away from something feeling inspired, but to be inspired by your loved ones? that's a double whammy. i was full of awe, pride, and inspiration all in one evening-- and all by one beautiful bride! here are some photos of the incredible moresi wedding at strawberry farms golf club, orange county, ca. 

gone junking!

last tuesday, in tow with the lovely bride-to-be, erin vogel, i headed out to one of my favorite places in san francisco-- building resources. this place is amazing. you can get everything here-- wood, sea glass, chandeliers, old bottles, doors, windows, toilets, ANYTHING! i always get so excited to show it to new people because it is truly one of those places that just allows your imagination to soar. oh the endless possibilities for what some consider "junk"!  since i will be planning and designing erin's phoneix wedding in april, my mind was on weddings--and i guess probably on her's as well :) 

we found the most amazing materials that we will transform into personalized pieces for the wedding-- entry signs, seating charts, places to hang mason jar candles, picture frames, vessels for flowers, candle holders... you name it! i am so excited to see all these recycled goods turned into unique and beautiful pieces to add to the magic of erin and billy's special day. 

bottles that will be delabled and used to hold flowers and candles 

my favorite candles-- reminds me of old italian restaurants  

fun chandelier to hang from trees

lattices and wood scraps and an a-frame sign!

after a bit of sanding (ok, a lot of sanding!)... these babies are ready for some paint and calligraphy :)

alyssa & curtis

last summer (or i guess two summers ago now!), i was blessed to help create some personalized wedding pieces for my cousin, alyssa, and her hubby, curtis. her wedding was largely DIY-themed-- she put countless hours into designing and creating the wedding of her dreams. she so thoughtfully asked for my help and with the help of her lovely bridesmaids and incredibly talented maid of honor, erica, we were able to pull off some pretty stunning table arrangements, bouquets, and little touches around the venue, the del mar surf station, ca. here are a few of my favorite photos from the day via once like a spark photography. 

beginnings...

there are so many ways to talk about new beginnings... they're scary, they're exciting, they're unnerving, they're hopeful. now that i have chosen to follow my heart and jump into the world of event design and wedding styling and planning, i have come face to face with the fear that beginnings bring on. while the fear is powerful, what's even more powerful is the excitement of what is to come. the thought of being a part of the most special day for couples, the idea of bringing beauty and personal touches to every event, and doing what i love and what inspires me for the rest of my life. 

naturally, new beginnings are also a time for looking back at the past and what has brought us to this new chapter. it is only fitting that the first event that provided endless inspiration for me comes from my wonderfully inspiring cousin, erica, and her handsome groom and hubby, sean. back in june of 2012, these two shared their love with their families and friends at leo carillo ranch in carlsbad, ca. erica had a vision for her wedding that was impeccably delivered by the talented rachael lunghi of lace and likes wedding design. their collaborative vision created a magically stunning wedding that will forever inspire me. during this day, i was not only lucky enough to officiate the wedding (!!), but i also did the hair & makeup for the beautiful bride, as well as some bridesmaids hair styling. below are a few photos of that incredible day. 

photos via tyler branch photography.

so here i am, excited for what is to come! can't wait to keep you all updated!