CC LA: Event Recap

"CC LA?" What do all these letters mean? You may ask. Let me tell you!! I am apart of an amazing networking group called Creative Connection USA. We are awesome. Basically we are a talented group of female creatives striving to make the world a better place by helping each other out. Anyone is welcome, and all are loved =) Hehe... cheesy, I know. But it's true. Some of my favorite people I have met through CC and I love it. As you may have learned from previous posts and our FB page - I am the new LA Hostess and I just had my first meetup a couple weeks ago! It was so much fun and I had a blast putting a face to ppl I tweet with as well as FINALLY meeting my twitter crush - Kathrina Sio from Joe + Kathrina Photography.

amazing florals by Primary Petals!!

 

my cake pops I made were such a hit!

Anyways, our featured artist - Christina Dely Photography captured some awesome images from the night for us to share. She did such a great job. So if you live in the LA area, check it out and stay tuned for our next meet up - coming in September - we'd love to have you!

Utterly Engaged Feature

I am so so excited to share this with you today!! I was supposed to have this post up  yesterday but I've been having MAJOR internet problems so it's today instead. Anyways, my vintage rentals Tasteful Treasures were featured in the latest issue of Utterly Engaged on Friday. This is HUGE!! Definitely on my professional bucket list. If you haven't heard of or visit Utterly Engaged you need to check it out - they are the first online wedding magazine and every single issue is filled with swoon worthy images and inspiration. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when I heard they were going to feature one of the shoots I styled and provided rentals for!! Check out the images below and be sure to leave some comment love on their site =)

 The overall concept of the shoot, came from my idea of how beach weddings are so popular and pretty, but what if you don't live by the beach - or what if you love beach-like ideas but you're not a barefoot in the sand kind of girl. Then what do you do? Hence, our concept. We used colors that you would typically see at the sea, pretty blues and creams, with hints of purple and soft pinks to represent seashells and sea-urchins. I used tons of details like using an ivory rope to tie the napkins up and we used corks to hold up the name plates. The idea for the table linens came from the concept of sails from a ship torn and weathered. Almost like a vintage shipwreck - but pretty =) I think it came together beautifully!!

So in light of this HUGE blessing - I thought it would be fun to do a little Tasteful Tatters promo to celebrate! So while supplies last, for every $50 spent at the TT Shoppe you will receive a free TT tote bag!! They are sooo cute, I carry mine around everywhere! So I snapped a quick photo for you all to see! So head on to the job and get your freebie =)

 

Other fabulous vendors from the shoot:

Photography: Becca Rillo

Florals: Primary Petals

Paper products: Shannon LaBare 

Pinterest Picks

I've been dying to share some of my latest Pinterest Picks - today I'm loving white for the home! What do you think? Any of you decorated with all white walls lately? Share your work in the comments section!

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1, 2, 3, 4

DIY Upcycled Stationary

Now, I'm sure this has been done before, but I love paper, and I love recycling old things. So this seemed brilliant to  me this weekend =) I recently was able to get in contact w/ Mr. H's aunt who lives on the East Coast. We chatted about our love of old things, and she mentioned that she had some stuff she wanted to send me. I really had no idea what it could be, but a few days later when I got the package I was so excited! There were super old ledgers, journal pages, addressed envelopes, old photos, etc all from the 20's. Ahhh, heaven for me. So now, what do I do with all of this awesomeness? I made the old paper pieces into stationary-books to write letters! I added some modern elements as well and just sewed them together! Take a looksie..

See how easy it is?! Now, take a look at the finished product =)

Even if you don't have awesome 1920's paper - you can find some pretty cool "old" scrapbooking paper and make the same thing - all you need is a sewing machine and an envelope!

Freebie Friday: Creative Connection LA

If you follow me on FB or Twitter, you've probably seen numerous posts about this thing called Creative Connection. Maybe you've even been to one of our events. However, in case you are in the dark about what this is all about, I thought I would take the time to explain it in a little more depth... and do a little giveaway as well =)

So here are the 5 W's to who we are!

Who?
We're a group of fabulous female creatives! That's it - we're just a group of girls who either have creative businesses or are looking to enter a creative field. There are no exclusions- we accept them all:  Bloggers, designers, photographers, event planners, social media gurus, marketers, fashionistas, bakers, writers, actors, etc.
What?
We  offer support, friendships, networking, you name it! The purpose is to connect each other - make new friends, share your stories, work together!
When?
We meet once a month is cities all over the US. I'm the Los Angeles host so follow me and you'll always know when the next meetup is!

Why? 
The group started when Elise Osterman and myself were chatting about the lack of real connections for just girls who are in creative fields. There is a lot of competition, but why not just friendly connections. I mean, we can all help each other out, right?!  So the first "meetup" was planned and there were about 8 of us total. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it's is turning into something far greater than I ever could have imagined =)
Where?
Online - everywhere. LA - different locations all around Los Angeles. 
 

Now What? I"m giving away 1 ticket to our next meetup!!!

 

WINNER ANNOUNCED!

<< CONGRATULATIONS - LINZ!!! >>

I'm giving away a ticket to our next event! Valued at about $8.  

(ok, not that expensive, but hey winning is just fun, right?!)

So all you need to do is:

1) Be a follower of my blog (1 entry)

2) Follow me on Twitter (1 entry)

3) "Like" Creative Connection USA on FB (2 entries!)

Then, leave a comment telling me what you did and I will pick a winner TONIGHT!

p.s. If you don't win - you can purchase your tickets HERE (Price goes up after today!)

Awkward & Awesome Thursday

You are going to LOVE this post. I promise. Are you ready for another Awkward & Awesome Thursday?! I sure am! Alrighty then! We are doing another wedding series of this A&A post =)

The Awkward:
I'm taking the liberty to be ok, that even on my wedding day... I can be a tad awkward. Yes, I have been making this face since Jr. High. Enough said. 

click to enlarge - trust me - you'll want to =)

and now THE AWESOME!!!!

1) It's my parent's wedding anniversary today - yay! Love them!

dancing at my wedding - photo by Margaret Jacobsen

2) OUR WEDDING VIDEO!!! (Full Length) I'm BEYOND excited to share this with you all. It makes my heart melt xoxo HUGE thanks to our amazing videographer Ryan McDuff

Andy & Emilee Wedding Film from ryan mcduff on Vimeo.

Reflections

Last weekend I was in downtown LA at Urth Cafe... no, not the beverly hills one - the one that I had no idea even existed down the street from the American Apparel warehouse/factory. I was meeting a couple and while I waited for them, I glanced across the street of an empty lot next to an abandoned brick building. And there in the middle was this guy skateboarding. Skateboarding his heart out. He was just going to town, doing turns, making little jumps (I'm sure all you avid skateboarding fans are chuckling at my lack of correct verbage) but just watching him having so much fun being so carefree - not caring if anyone saw him or not. While watching him I realized that I couldn't remember the last time I did something like that. Out by myself, doing something I love, being active, in the sun. Just being in the moment and enjoying life. Don't get me wrong, I love my life, I love my husband and my friends. Sometimes, however, I find myself focusing on "what's next" or new plans I have for the business, etc. I don't want to forget the NOW. I'll never be a newlywed again, and I'll never be 24 again. So thank you random hipster dude on a board. I am now going to focus and LOVE the now. I snapped some photos w/ my zoom lens - maybe this guy will inspire something in you today =)

"Sometimes you just need to dance with one hand waving free."

-Elizabethtown

The "A" List - Photography

I'm totally copying my dear friend Shannon's new series called, The A-List today. She posted HERE and I just loved it, so here I am... totally copying her =) Next week I'm going to share who is on my A-List for Musicians!!

So for my A-List today I'm showcasing one of my favorite photographers - Trevor Hoehne. He is simply amazing and I'm never bored with his photos. The colors - ahh the colors. I just love everything about it. He has this "blurry" series that I'm crazy obsessed with. Anyways, check it out. Love it. I promise you will.

Tasteful Packaging

I didn't post yesterday! I am so sorry - I had it all planned and most of it all written... and then I just never posted it. What can I say, it's been a long week. Obviously. So here is my post for Thursday that you get today (Friday) I'm human - I miss things. That's all. But I am really excited to share a little inspiration for you all =)
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I have been working my little fingers away creating custom veils and garters like a crazy person lately - and loving every minute of it. However, I decided to take a little break from some of my recent orders to do some inspiration on my new Tasteful Packaging. Now that the shop is re-opened I want to have a fresh look on my business. You may have noticed by site, twitter, and blog redesign - which I LOVE! So why not revamp my packaging as well, right? That is almost my favorite part... besides my actual Tatters of course =) So I went to my trusty source - Pinterest to look for some awesome packaging inspiration and I thought I'd share my finds. How would you like to see your Tatters packaged?? I'd love your feedback!

 

source1, source2, source3, source4, source5

Primary Petals Floral Workshop

Some girls love DIY when planning their wedding, and some would rather just let the pros handle everything. Being in the industry myself, I usually recommend to brides to have a healthy mix of both. Let the professionals handle the majors, and do some projects that really tie in your personalities that make your wedding you. Not, really sure what I was thinking when planning my own - given the above statement. Somehow I thought I was superwomen and could just do it ALL myself. I was very mistaken to say the least. The only way I managed to do it all was by the crazy loving support of family and friends. One of those friends happens to be Samantha Santana of Primary Petals. I went to her originally for some advice on what flowers were in season during my wedding month since I was clueless about flowers. I explained how I was making a ton of flowers out of book pages and what I was looking for flowers to supplement that, and how I was going to do that all myself. Bless this lady's soul when she came to me with an amazing idea! Samantha is gearing up to do some floral workshops and she came up with the idea of doing a sort of workshop at my house w/ all my girls to do our florals. We still had a total DIY look, because they were all basically done by us, but we had a professional instructor showing us the ropes. I had such a fun time and seriously learned a lot. Samantha, you saved us! I cannot thank you enough for the awesome experience!!!  With all that said, my Grandpa took some photos of the whole "workshop" in action that I thought I would share a couple =)

 

And since I've gotten SO many requests to see some of the professional photos of our bouquets I thought I'd let you get a little peak - don't they look amazing!! Probably one of my favorite details of the day =) HUGE thanks to my amazing photog Margaret Jacobsen who captured our day brilliantly. 

So if you are getting married and having all full on DIY wedding - I highly recommend hiring the pros for the major things - especially photography and flowers. And stay tuned for hopefully future floral workshops hosted by Primary Petals - you wont be disappointed.

HWTM: Baking Party!

Jess and me

 Turns out I'm on a baking kick these days... who knew! I have always been a self proclaimed non-cooker/baker what-have-you and proud of it. I was perfectly content with coffee for breakfast, snacks for some lunch (make a cupcake or 2!) and some cereal and ice cream for dinner - maybe change it up with a top raman. For reals. But since getting married, I've really tried to make an effort with the whole cooking thing and I kinda like it - kinda. But what I love is baking! I mean, it makes a huge mess, and I don't always do it right - but the outcome is deeelish!
In light of my new love paired w/ my love of party planning, I had a group of girlfriends come over for a little baking party! I asked one of my Martha Stewart like friends, Jessica to come and "teach" us how to make oreo truffles and mocha cupcakes. We had so much fun gabbing, drinking wine, making a mess... and well, watching Jess do all the work! She was a good sport =) And a HUGE thanks to Becca Rillo for taking some photos of the evening =)

{ R E C I P E S }
Oreo Truffles
Mocha Cupcakes - we used the recipe from the Martha Stewart Cupcakes book - but THIS one looks awesome too!
>> Just look at how adorable everything turned out =)

Sneak Peak - Nakate for Weddings

Happy Monday bloggerroos! I'm actually sooo tired and wish I was still in bed - I really think I need a vacation. I know I just had a honeymoon... but still! Anyways, I have SO many fun posts to share w/ you this week but first I just HAVE to share w/ you a very very sneak peak of the shoot I worked on this past weekend. We did a shoot to show how you can wear Nakate pieces for your wedding. So read on to learn more and Nakate and stay tuned for more on our Nakate wedding shoot! You are going to just LOVE it.  What is Nakate you say? Here is a little story about who they are and how they started -

We’re out to put a little piece of Africa in every woman’s life

In 2010, we met a 7-year-old named Cossy Nakate. Suffering from AIDS, orphaned and living in a small African village called Kakooge, Cossy impacted us in a way we couldn’t stop thinking about. We shared our lunch with her. We started paying for her food every month. But it wasn’t enough. We knew we had to change not only her life, but the lives of the women in her village – and the lives of their daughters after them.

So, we brought home a sack of necklaces, and we started the Nakate Project. That was our piece of Africa, our way of beginning to carry Nakate with us into our every day lives – so we wouldn’t forget her, or the way we had pledged to make a change.

Here at Nakate, we’re looking to put a little bit of Africa – a little bit of Cossy Nakate – into every woman’s life that we meet. That way, when they take a little piece of Africa with them, they can help pass it along, until we all are aware, and we all are working to prevent stories like her’s.

When you buy a piece of jewelry from Nakate, you’re not only taking a small piece of Africa with you, you’re changing the future for girls like Cossy.

So, we’re asking – where will you take Africa with you today?

We’d like to send a piece with you.

And today you can help make a difference by participating in their Tipping Bucket Campaign - just go HERE and donate today. The campaign lasts about 4 days and today is the big kickoff!

Grey Likes Taxidermy!

Yes, yes you heard that right, and guess what, so do I! Last weekend I had the opportunity to be apart of a completely awesome and unique styled shoot with an awesome team! I honestly don't think I've laughed so hard and so often at a shoot - like ever. Have real stuffed animals around I guess does that to  you after 8 hours =) And guess what?! - the shoot is featured on Grey Likes Weddings today!! So go check out more of the awesome inspiration there!

How awesome is this raccoon?! I had the amazing opportunity to provide the vintage rentals for the shoot as well as help style along w/ Kathy LeBackes of the Vintage Table Co. (whom I adore and am pretty sure we're twinsies somehow) If you are getting married and would like to use vintage pieces at your wedding, be sure to check out our site TastefulTatters and check out the Lookbook to see more of our pieces =)

Vendor Love 
Makeup: Christina Richardson
Photography: Brienne Michelle, Photography
Flowers Primary Petals
Hair: Anna Quinn
Furniture Rentals, Veil: Tasteful Tatters
Dinnerware: The Vintage Table Co.
Paper goods: The Pomegranate Basket
Cupcakes: Kaitlyn’s Kupcakes

To Look, Or Not To Look

As I am entering now a month of being married and the wedding photos are slowly popping up on my facebook from guests, I'm getting more and more questions about the wedding process and the wedding itself - i.e. "how did everything go?" "was it just perfect?" and among these, I've often been asked if we did a first look or not. I was kinda of surprised that so  many people asked me that, but I think it's mostly because people are considering for themselves if they would do it or not. We did a first look. In fact, we spent the whole day together setting up the venue, making some last minute decisions about linens that were not delivered haha. We were in our sweats sweaty and along w/ all our bridal party making it one big effort to pull our crazy ALL DIY wedding off.

So our first look, was essentially our first look in our wedding attire. Some asked if it seemed less special or less "anticipated" to do it this way. He even had seen my dress before! haha Truth be told, Mr H and I spent much of our time dating apart. We lived in separate towns and both had very busy lives. Then, when we lived closer it seemed our lives got even crazier. So on our wedding day, we figured it's our WEDDING DAY for goodness sakes - let's spend ever second we can together! So for us, no - it was even more special. And when he saw me for the first time, all "dolled" up - it was incredibly special - and when I walked down the isle, I don't believe it was any less. But that is just us. You may feel totally different =) So with all that said - here are a couple snaps of our unique "first look" by the amazing Margaret Jacobsen Enjoy and happy Tuesday!

Click to enlarge

HWTM: Kinfolk Magazine

Are you ready for the 2nd Hostess With the Mostess post?? I've officially dubbed it HWTM for all those who may have been confused by the title =)

 

Today I am so excited to share with you my new obsession: Kinfolk Magazine. This little online magazine of a gem is amazing and filled with inspired words and photos. What is the premise? Entertaining in you home! How darling is that?! This is how they describe their work: 

"Kinfolk is a collaborative effort to encourage a more natural approach to entertaining. It's the marriage of our appreciation for art and our love for spending time with family and friends."

 I could spend hours reading through all their awesome ideas and recipes and they are all perfect for small gatherings - or even just for yourself. Sometimes you need to just spoil yourself on a quiet night, ya know?  They also give great tips & recipes on how to throw a backyard picnic! I just love it all! So be sure to go check them out  at their site and their blog (which is equally to die for!) And maybe this week plan a little gathering at your home =)

a summer playlist?! umm, yes please!