Blog Widget by LinkWithin

{promise ME} Monthly check in: FEBRUARY

Monday, February 28

Can you believe it's the last day of February?

With that said, how did all of you "promise ME" peeps do over the course of the month?
What goals have you actually reached?
What steps did you take to get you at least closer to achieving some of the promises you've made to yourself?

I'm really having a blast with my personal list and I'm making great progress.
I have found it imperative to pull out my list several times a week.
This allows me to stay on top of things...
and to stay excited and motivated.
It's also empowering to update my list and cross some things off.

So...
because I strongly believe in "accountability"...
here are some updates for you on what I've been working on...


In no particular order...

Print

DONE!!!  I officially entered the "ReMARTHAble" contest on February 18th...

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

numberthirtyseven

DONE!!  Purchased on February 22nd...
toering86


•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

numberfifteen

STARTED painting on February 21st. I've got three different canvases almost finished.
nineteenseventyone0006


•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

numberthirtynine
February 18th:  J and I dined at Kiku's, a new Japanese Steakhouse in Mt. Dora


•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

numbertwentyfive

pedicure from Synergy salonspa on February 17th
synergyspacollage


•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

numbertwentyone

I've been rotating having breakfast with the girls...
Clara one week, Ema the next and then both of them together.
I'm looking forward to surprising the girls by taking them to the Old Spanish Sugar Mill this coming weekend.
It's a fun little place to go where you get to make your own pancakes on a griddle right in front of you.


There are a few other things I've been working on as well...
Check out the "promise ME" page to get a "full update". (Link is at the top of the blog)
I go in here weekly and update what I've been up to.

PROMISE ME PEEPS...Don't miss out!!
There are many of you who have emailed, facebooked and twittered me about having joined in on this year-long adventure together.
Be sure to leave a comment on the "promise ME page" to let me know you are participating.
There are a few surprises along the way that I'll be sharing with "promise ME peeps" only...
I'm compiling a list of participants and don't want to miss sending someone something.
Spread the word to your friends who have joined along with you.

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend...
we took Ella to the park yesterday afternoon.

She LOVES feeding the birds...sliding down slides and her favorite part? The swings...

ellaparkcollage


Looking forward to a week full of fun design projects!!
Happy Monday everyone...

KEEPING IT REAL
I honestly felt like garbage all weekend for some reason.
Still feeling yucky today too.
Despite that - I worked the treadmill on Saturday for the 6 week shape-up!

Park pictures...
That white stuff on Ella's arm in the top left picture isn't bird poop...
although J's unsuspecting leg proved to be a target for one of the birds. *wink*

That pink shirt I have on?
It's one of the "new shirt in - old shirt out" shirts from promise #24

Behind the Scenes | Sunshine State D.i.D. Sponsors

Thursday, February 24

As many of you know...
I attended a "Sunshine State" Martha Stewart Dreamers into Doers event over the weekend.

groupcollage
Top left: LaVonne Fernandini - LF Events, Staci Golden - Lizard and Ladybug, Melissa Chambers - Truly Chic Inspirations 
(bottom) Nikki Glynn - Great Gatherings, Carmen Taylor - Pom Flair and Ashley Henderson - Truly Chic Inspirations
Top right: Jennifer Staples - Party Dreamz, Melissa Chambers - Truly Chic Inspirations, 
Melinda Tomasello - Persona Gift Pail and Renee Arwood - Bee's Knees Creative
Middle: Melissa Chambers -Truly Chic Inspirations, Ashley Henderson - Truly Chic Inspirations, 
Amy Holgersen - Buggie and Jellybean, Debra Walters - TiTi’s TuTu’s and Kori Clark - Paper and Pigtails
 Bottom left: Debra Walters - TiTi’s TuTu’s, Michele Pentecost - Intrigue Designs
 and Melissa Chambers - Truly Chic Inspirations
 Bottom right: Andrea Ofira - Pocket Full of Parties, Michele Pentecost - Intrigue Designs, 
Nikki Glynn - Great Gatherings, Carmen Taylor - Pom Flair and Staci Golden - Lizard and Ladybug


I can't tell you how much fun it was to meet up with so many women who are
passionate about making their dreams happen.
jessicagroup
Top photo: Jessica • Pen N' Paperflowers, Theresa Edwards-Capen • Lauren McKinsey
and Lisa • the Sweet Talk Shop
Bottom Photo: Amy • Buggie & Jellybean, Jessica • Pen N' Paperflowers and Kori • Paper & Pigtails


A few of the girls I have been chatting and creating online friendships with for some time.
Some of the women I'd never even talked to before - not even online.
Others were names I'd heard of through the "party grapevine"...
Staci from Lizard & Ladybug is actually someone I went to school with - we even cheered together!
And then there was Theresa from Lauren McKinsey who I had met last October when we met up at the Mt. Dora Craft Festival.
Bottom line is... we are all members of Martha Stewart D.i.Ds and that's what brought us together.

Besides the fabulousness of actually meeting, greeting & sharing for the day...
there was some magic being performed behind the scenes prior to ever even arriving at downtown Disney that day.

I was inspired to gather some things to bring with me...
things I felt the girls I'd be meeting with would benefit from seeing, tasting, sampling, etc...
I ultimately wanted to provide new resources they could call on to incorporate into their upcoming events/parties.
I contacted a couple of local businesses and then reached out to a couple of online shoppes.

I showed up with some fun surprises for everyone - thanks to the women/businesses who willingly & graciously obliged...

And now...I can share the inspiration with you as well...


•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Party Cones from
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
I have to say I hadn't had the opportunity to see in-person the cute party cones 
Genevieve has been creating. I was SO excited she was willing to send some samples for us.
These are meant to be used on your dessert tables and as party favors and can be filled with
anything from popcorn, candy, mini cookies and even bath salts. Get creative!!

She sent samples of her regular party cones in various styles for us to "ooo & ahhh" over...

"shabby chic"
partyconesshabbychic9877

partyconesshabbychic9868

"bold animal print"
partycones9862

partycones9857


and because we were meeting at downtown Disney...*wink*
partyconesdisney9883


My favorites however are these MINIS!!!
partyconesMINI9886

I'm in LOVE...
After suggesting she send some minis for everyone to take home,
Genevieve was SO in love with the results, she's going to be offering these in her shoppe too!
These SCREAM cute!! I'm smitten by them!!
partyconesMINI9890


•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Customizable Origami party items
 from Nedra Apple at Origami Delights
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
I've worked with Nedra on a couple of different things now and she's just the sweetest.
What I love about her products is that they are completely customizable and
are a simple way to personalize your party/event using something unique.

She sent all of us "Dreamers" samples  of all sorts of things from her shoppe...



 an array of cute little origami fortune cookies
origamifortunecookies9918


an assortment of beautiful origami flowers
origamiflowers9907


LOVE this one made with a page from a book and the one in the background made from a map...
origamiflowers9900

And the colors in this one are so pretty...
origamiflowers9902


hand-dipped wax ornaments
origamiornaments9924

and cute paper hearts...
origamihearts9928


And then she sent some of these "DREAM" stars to fill our bags with...

They couldn't have been more appropriate for our "Dreamers" group.
origamistars9909



•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Delicious cupcakes from 
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
I am so lucky to live so close to a cupcakery that has such DELICIOUS cupcakes.
Judy sent me with a whole assortment of cupcake flavors for everyone to sample...YUM!!
And even if you don't live nearby...no reason to be jealous.
Cupcake Delights NOW SHIPS!!!

Here are just a few of the flavors I brought for everyone...
twiceasnice6828

peanutbuttercream6858

 kahluacream6849

hotchocolate6817



•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Chocolates samples from
Betsey at Schakolad
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
I just so happened upon Schakolad one Saturday morning while I was out having breakfast with Clara and Ema.
I was so excited because I have been searching high and low for chocolates that are locally made.
Chocolates I can have customized for any event...and chocolate that really tastes good.
If you've never stepped foot in a Schakolad - you are missing out.

Betsey sent samples of bite-sized chocolates, molded chocolate lollipops and a few party favor ideas.
Since I picked up the samples on my way to the event, these bite-sized chocolates were all I had left to photograph. *wink*
chocolates0020



•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Goodies sent directly from
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Caitlin from MS headquarters contacted me and sent boxes of publications for us all and even a D.i.D. shirt.

The publications included the latest issues of MS Living, MS Weddings and Everyday Food.
magazines9849

The D.i.D. t-shirt she sent is SO adorable...
I really wanted to keep it for myself. Like. REALLY.
shirt9852

But I decided to surprise Melissa of Truly Chic Inspirations with it.
She's the one who got the ball rolling for everyone to meet up.
melissajessicatshirt


I think this is my "Omgoodness...I really gave it to her...and I REALLY wanted to keep it" look! *wink*
melissajessicetshirt2


I am SO grateful for the relationships I've been able to establish with these brilliant vendors/businesses.
Thank you SO much to

The girls and I were excited to make your products part of our day and are looking forward to incorporating your 
wonderful goodies into upcoming events/parties.

We were also spoiled by some other gals I didn't work with directly but
who sent some sweet surprises as well. (Thank you so much)
Cupcake Cookie • Sandy's Baking Memories - soon to be known as Firefly Confections
D.I.Y. party box • Party Starters
Cake Pop • Dreamin N Details
Bag of candy Hugs & Kisses • the Sweet Spot Candy Bar
Flip Flop Gift Tag • The Purple Pug

Hugs to everyone involved...
Those that attended, those that sent gifts and those that are happily following along on my blog...

Enjoy your Thursday.

KEEPING IT REAL
Do you see why I don't post many photos of myself?
I usually end up making weird/goofy faces...
I'm much more comfortable BEHiND the camera...not so much in front of it! *wink*

{real parties} Lady Bug 1st Birthday - Melissa

Wednesday, February 23

Party Girl: Melissa
Celebration Type: 1st Birthday Party
Theme: Lady Bug
Color Palette: Red, Green, Black & White with an unexpected splash of blue

I have to say, when Melissa first contacted me about creating a ladybug birthday invitation for her daughter's 1st birthday,
I had a mix of emotions.
One: Her request reminded me of when I hosted my own ladybug themed birthday party for my daughter Clara...
twelve years ago. Wow!!
Two: With the market saturated with lady bug themed parties and invitations, we both knew we wanted something a little different.

For starters, we strayed away from the standard 5x7 and designed a 5x5 invitation.
We then created a color palette using "grown-up colors" with a splash of vintage blue.
I think the whimsy of the invitation mixed with the color palette we chose
manages to bridge the gap between baby and "little lady" perfectly.

This 5x5 invitation has been a favorite of mine eversince...
inviteFINAL


Taking the adorable collection of coordinating printables we created...
collectioncollage


Melissa focused primarily on the food and dessert tables and carried the theme throughout both just beautifully!!
ladybugscupcakes2588

cupcakes2590

gardenofcupcakes

The dessert table is perfection with some darling desserts and an adorable birthday cake.
desserttable2


That smash cake looks SO cute sitting up on top of that 
"too cute" birthday cake...surrounded by a garden of sweet little treats.
birthdaycake2589



The wall of photos depicting Katie's first year were strategically placed
for guests to linger and enjoy while sampling sweets...
desserttable1

Love how the oreo cookie pops include katie's name along with the blue flower to match the invitation.
And I don't know if you can tell, but some of the cellophane wrappers have white polka dots - SO cute!!
chocolatecoveredoreo'sfromsweeeties

The savory table looks just as inviting...
foodtable1


Love what she did with the polka dot paper flowers used on the table.
The cute toothpicks in the jar along with the labels used in the sandwiches serve an important purpose AND happen to be  cute too!!

foodtable2

Matching favor boxes were ready for guests to fill with goodies...
favorboxes


Introducing the guest of honor...the gorgeous birthday girl...."little lady" Katie!
birthdaygirlkatie

And although Katie isn't too sure about the smash cake concept...
birthdaygirlsmashcake

I know I'm sure of the fact Melissa put her heart into Katie's 1st birthday...
It's evident through all of the sweet details...

Thanks for coming back to share pictures Melissa...
You really did a wonderful job - I love how it all turned out!!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

This party should've REALLY gotten you in the mood for Spring...
it's just around the corner you know!
I've already been pleasantly suprised seeing blooms in my yard...how about you?

Be sure to check out the "promise ME" updates...
I've marked a couple if them DONE...
I've added a couple of recipes for Promise #1
And I've done lots of updating.
I hope you "promise Me" peeps are enjoying the process!!

I've also just joined Rhonna in her 6 week shape-up...
Jump on in if you are interested...it's just getting started! *wink*

KEEPING IT REAL
How I'm managing to juggle everything right now is beyond my understanding at this point.

I'm keeping it together despite a whole host of various projects going on.
On top of that...
a lot of the projects are EXCITING!
I'm just bursting at the seams to share everything with you and can't right now.
That only adds to my inner chaos. *wink*
I hope you will continue to shower me with your patience as I "slowly" get to 
the party posts that have been idly sitting in my "Stay glued to your monitor" sidebar.

You really want to know what I believe my saving grace has been?
• "Jalking"/"Wogging" on the treadmill (I'm up to 2 miles in 30 minutes baby!) *wink*
AND...
• Having assigned cooking & dish nights on Mondays & Tuesdays for Clara and Ema. 
This has been SO nice. 
Since the girls have been cooking here and there for awhile now...
they hardly even need my help now when it's their night to cook a meal. 
This frees up a HUGE block of my time. 
These meals are NOT "boxed mac & cheese" either.
At age 14, Clara's done everything from Quiche Lorraine to Taco Salad.
Ema, who is almost 12, actually thoroughly enjoys the art of cooking.
She has just about mastered the art of grilling chicken! Impressive.
She also just created one of our favorite meals all on her own lastnight:
Cranberry Chicken
Mashed Potatoes (we don't do boxed around here)
& steamed green beans.
Aside from a couple of questions, she did that completely without my help.
I was impressed!!

They both have been FABULOUS!! I'm so grateful.
Seriously, you've no idea!!!

we D.I.D. it up in downtown Disney...

Monday, February 21

It's Monday...
but I'm still stuck on Saturday...

shirt9854

I spent the day with a wonderful group of Florida girls who are all members of Martha Stewart Dreamers into Doers. (D.I.D.)
We met up at downtown Disney for a meet & greet and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.

It was so nice to meet up with like-minded business women...
Women who are in pursuit of their dreams...
reaching for the stars...
and open to sharing ideas & advice with each other.

We were showered with gifts from MS Headquarters...(thanks again Caitlin!!)...
and sweet surprises from fabulous sponsors!!

And of course...being the creative girls we are...
we all showed up with cute little gifts to swap with one another.

I will be doing a full-post later this week but wanted to give you a quick glimpse at this fabulous group of women...

Central Florida Dreamers into Doers Attendees - February 19th 2011
groupshotfromkori

Pictured {Top Row L-R} Carmen Taylor  • Pom Flair, Nikki Glynn • Great Gatherings, Lisa Fliehman • The Sweet Talk Shop, Ashley Henderson • Truly Chic Inspirations, Michele Pentecost • Intrigue Designs, Jennifer Staples • Party Dreamz, Jessica Kirkland • Pen N' Paperflowers, Melinda Tomasello • Persona Gift Pail 
{bottom row L-R} Kori Clark • Paper and Pigtails, Debra Walters • TiTi’s TuTu’s, Staci Golden • Lizard and Ladybug, Renee Arwood • Bee's Knees Creative, Melissa Chambers • Truly Chic Inspirations, LaVonne Fernandini • LF Events, Theresa Edwards-Capen • Lauren McKinsey, Amy Holgersen • Buggie and Jellybean, Andrea Ofira • Pocket Full of Parties


And here's a fun photo op Kori (from Paper & Pigtails) and I took advantage of.
jessicakoricollage
the quote from Walt Disney epitomizing the purpose of our meeting as "Dreamers", 
summing up most of my conversation with Kori
and what I believe is the foundation to being innovative:
"Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly on the future"


I'll be sharing some photos of the products sent to us by the fantastic sponsors I worked with...
In the meantime I want to quickly give a huge THANK YOU to them: 


KEEPING IT REAL
• I was 30 minutes late to the meeting
• There were so many boxes of goodies I brought for everyone, I had to use Ella's stroller to help carry it all - a silly first impression indeed! *wink*
(and thank you to Theresa for meeting me in the parking lot to help me wheel it all in). *wink*http://paperandpigtailsparty.com/
CopyRight © | Theme Designed By Hello Manhattan