how sweet it is… to be LOVED by YOU!

Oh to be young again! That’s all we could think of when we were planning Brandie’s 16th birthday bash. Unlike most teenage girls turning 16, Brandie didn’t want some fancy masquerade. Instead she wanted something that really reflected her personality: fun, laid-back, and casual! With that said, she opted to do a small sweet 16 at her home with her closest friends.

We kept to her theme of being fun and laid back by keeping the menu very simple, full of her favorite things: Nathan’s hotdogs, fried chicken, and a few sides to top it off. Then we spruced up the party with a delicious dessert bar. Lastly, we added her favorite candy all around the house, rock candy, and other goodies so the kids could munch on them all night.

To make sure there was enough to keep everyone busy, a bounce house was rented (yes, for 16 year olds), a photographer was hired for a photo station, various board games were brought in, and there was also a jacuzzi in the back to relax if needed.

Brandie was so happy with the party, and said she and her friends would never forget that day! I’m glad we were able to add a little love and joy to her special day, and it rejuvenated us to be around the teens. Life was so carefree at that time, and it should definitely be enjoyed to the fullest!

Here are some pictures to share with you all:

Babies, babies, and more babies!

As most of you know, I am expecting my 2^nd daughter in the next couple months.  However, 2011 definitely seems to be the year of the baby because EVERYONE seems to be pregnant.

My cousin, who is like a sister to me, also shared in the pregnancy bliss and we were scheduled to have our babies 6 weeks apart.  Unexpectedly, my Godson (yes, I’m the Godmother) decided to make an early appearance and arrived 30 days early!  Jacob Anthony Mora was due on May 30 and she ended up having him APRIL 30^th!  Mom had to miss the 2^nd baby shower that was being thrown for them because the baby came early and they were still in the hospital.

He was still a healthy baby boy, even at 35 ½ weeks, weighing in at 7lb 2 oz, and measuring almost 19 inches long.  Mommy and baby are doing fantastic, but I thought I’d share some pictures of the shower we did to celebrate his arrival (although we didn’t realize how soon he’d be coming).

Thanks to Mora Photography for the incredible images, as always.

And of course, I couldn’t leave this post without a little love from Jacob himself:

- pam

Natural Beauty

Jaime is not your typical bride.  Instead of buying makeup, she’s buying outdoor equipment.  Instead of reading wedding magazines, she is reading about ways to conserve energy and protect our environment.  And instead of getting married in a traditional ballroom, she has chosen one of nature’s greatest backdrops:  a forest, full of natural wonder and beauty.

When we were asked to plan Jaime’s bridal shower, an intimate celebration with her 20 closest friends and family, we knew there was a fine line between “bridal” and Jaime.  Her wedding color scheme is purple, brown, and cream, so we incorporated those colors, and aimed to showcase her personality throughout as well.

For the table settings, we kept it very simple by using bunches of white hydrangeas lined up across the main table.  We wrapped each vase with a large leaf, and it contrasted well with the brown linen.  We chose biodegradable paper plates to respect Jaime’s “green” nature, and wrapped the napkins and forks with white tissue pom poms to compliment the hydrangeas.

Like the rest of the party, we kept the food simple with fresh sandwiches and salad from Corner Bakery.  However, we dressed up the buffet with a personalized banner that was strung between two light fixtures, and homemade tissue pom poms to frame the table.

Although Jaime is not your normal girly bride, we wanted to add a little femininity to the shower through the dessert bar.  We decided to go with mini desserts so that the guests could enjoy a little  bit of everything instead of one large dessert.  We worked with Sara from Sweet and Sassy Catering Company  to serve the buttermilk brownies, key lime pie shooters, and purple velvet cake pops.  They were all a hit, to say the least!

Not only was the dessert station a hit, but so was the beverage station.  We served mimosas with raspberry to accent, and created personalized champagne glass tags for each guest.  The tags had a tree shape on them to represent Jaime’s love for nature, and we added the purple stock flowers in the back for color.

The banners for each station were all personalized and handmade to match Jaime’s personality.  We also made all the food picks, food tag labels, and favor tags.  It was so much fun to plan this shower because it was a small gathering for a very close group of girls which was very special.  Each girl was able to take a piece of the party with them in the form of a miniature plant that they could grow in their backyard.

PRETTY in PINK

My very close friend Danielle’s wedding weekend just ended, and wow, was it such an incredible weekend.  I will be posting about it soon, but I wanted to make sure we shared her beautiful bridal shower with you all.  I can’t believe it has already been a year since we helped out with her engagement party, we put all the details on her bridal shower, and even created some great designs for her wedding.  It was such a beautiful day to celebrate the bride, and I am glad that we were a part of the planning and decorating.

While the day started off a little chilly and rather gloomy, by the time the guests arrived and the shower was in full effect, the clouds parted and the sun shined through.  We like to attribute that to Danielle’s beautiful mother who we know is looking down upon us as we prepare for the final days of her wedding.

As part of my contribution as a bridesmaid, I took on the duties of providing centerpieces, favor tags, and personalized wine glass tags.  Of course, when I say “I” took on the duties, I passed those duties onto Love.Anne.Joy.  :)  It’s all the same right!?

Danielle loves hydrangeas and her sister wanted to incorporate the romance of pink roses, so we made very simple arrangements to accommodate both of their styles.  Danielle’s colors are pink, green, and white, so it was the perfect centerpiece for a Spring bridal shower.

We also made custom favor tags to attach to these beautiful favors they purchased from www.myitalianweddingfavors.com.  These are a traditional Italian ceramic dish, and also had traditional jordin almonds in a tulle bouquet of ribbon that was made by Danielle’s mom.  These dishes are just gorgeous and I can’t wait to use mine to serve some cookies or appetizers on them.

We also made personalized wine glass charms for all 60 of the women that attended the shower.  We thought it would be a great way to personalize the shower and also ensure no one got their glasses mixed up!  These charms were a hit, and although 60 personalized charms were a little difficult to make, it was well worth it.

The day turned out to be beautiful, the food was incredible, the company couldn’t have been better, and it all ended on a very SWEET note.

A Party For Us? Sure, Why Not!?

In December, my man-friend and I got engaged.     As a wedding planner, the expectation to start planning your own wedding and creating this spectacular day comes with tons of pressure, so it was to no surprise that I decided I wanted to wait on the big day.  Just as we were in no rush to get engaged, we are in no big rush to have a wedding.  We have a lot going on with the new baby on the way, so we want to focus on one thing at a time.

With that said, regardless of the long engagement, Viv insisted that we have an engagement party to at least celebrate that fact that we finally got engaged.  Let me just say that as much as I LOVE planning events, it is very different when one is being planned for me.  I am a control freak, to say the least, I do not take well to surprises, and I want to be in the know of all things that are going on.  So when Viv said she didn’t need my help, it was beyond difficult to really understand what that meant.  No picking out desserts, no making centerpieces, no input on the décor, and worst of all, no need for me, period.  While it was hard for me to deal with this, I took it in stride and let Viv, my cousin, and a few other friends put the entire party together.  It was perfect to say the least.  Everything I would have planned for myself, or someone else, AND THEN SOME.

For centerpieces, Viv decided to keep it simple and classy with big balls of hydrangeas lined up across the table.  We did a Christmas family photo shoot before we got engaged, so they utilized those pictures throughout the event.

We went for an Asian themed party as far as food goes, since my mom and family are pretty particular with their food.  Everything was served in small bites, but there was enough food for everyone to definitely get full.

Our good friend Samra is a fantastic baker, so she took on the duties of the dessert table.  It was definitely the highlight of the party!  Not only did the desserts LOOK incredible, they tasted even better than they looked!  Everyone is still talking about!

It was such a beautiful event, and as difficult as it was to not help plan it, I am glad that for once, Ennis and I were able to sit back and just enjoy a night dedicated to us.  We are so grateful for our family and friends for putting everything together.

not enough hours in the day

It seems as though no matter how much time we have, there’s never enough.  Even when we are sleep deprived in order to retain as many hours as possible to be productive in work, school, or our personal lives, we can’t quite make up the time we need to accomplish EVERYTHING.

That’s how I have been feeling about life lately, but especially with this blog.  We have been so busy I haven’t even had time to update our blog! 

Since my last post I have found out that I am pregnant with my second child, got engaged to my boyfriend, now fiance of 7 years, and we’ve been working on numerous projects.  The list just never ends. 

I am collecting pictures of the recent work we have done and intend to blog about them soon.  I am going to get better at this.  Even if I can’t add more hours to the day, I am determined to make the hours I do have count.   

-pam

Something blue…

We were given the opportunity to work with Chara of Open Box Designs on this wedding of 300+ at the Chaffey College Community Center in Chino Hills.  The couple’s love for family and their desire to have EVERYONE witness their union really struck us, because while others are slashing their lists, this couple wanted to ensure they didn’t miss anyone.  The two of them were so fun and sweet, and their love for each other is undeniable.

But what really stood apart for us was their commitment to each other and to God.  Both are devout Christians and over the two years of their relationship, they had never shared one kiss.  Gabriela wanted her first kiss with Paul to be the one that sealed their marriage, and he willingly respected her wish.  I have never seen such a strong, faithful couple, and there was not a single dry eye in the house when we all witnessed their first kiss, the symbol of their everlasting commitment to their marriage, to each other, and to God.

There were so many amazing moments from the wedding, but I still can't get over those beautiful bright blue shoes.

The bond between the two of them cannot be denied.

The white spider mum bouquets looked fantastic against the blue bridesmaid dresses.

Gabriela loves balloons so we incorporated it in the ceremony and reception decor.

The smile says it all.

Gabriela loves the color pink, and although it wasn't a main color in her wedding, we still created a bright pink bouquet, just for the bride.