Sunday, February 27, 2011

If At First You Don't Succeed...

This last week’s new craft adventure was well…an adventure. I decided to bring back the Mod Podge, which I haven’t seen since elementary school. I wanted to make a birthday gift for my brother’s girlfriend because she is always really thoughtful and puts a lot of personal touches into gifts. I found this http://www.craftaholicsanonymous.net/2009/12/rtw-photo-plate-tutorial.html for a homemade picture frame, and thought it would be easy! I decided to stay in on a rainy night and work on it, and the Mod Podge dried really murky. I later found out that it is very sensitive to humidity. I also read somewhere else that someone said to try decoupage instead of Mod Podge, and I didn’t realize that Mod Podge is decoupage.  So after an adventure at Michael’s of looking for decoupage that is not Mod Podge and the confused faces of people at Home Depot who ended up talking me into buying a clear floor finish and assuring me it dries clear (It doesn’t) I decided to give Mod Podge another shot. On a sunny yet freezing Southern California day, I had success!! The frame came together beautifully On the day I wrapped it and gave it to her, I was horrified to find a tiny crack, but I had no choice but to give it to her anyway! She swears she loves it! She was a good sport about being a victim for my crafting adventures!


Here is a photo of the finished product: Tutorial

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Off to a Good Start

Well, I had my first sewing class and am proud to say I sewed a pretty sweet drawstring bag! Here's a picture of it...sorry it's sideways. I can't flip it for some reason! I had fun at the sewing class, but it would have been more conducive to my learning if it were a one-on-one course. All the other students had different skill levels and agendas, and I didn't have the instructor's full attention; and I needed it because it took me forever just to figure out how to correctly thread the machine!

Anyway, I am very proud of my creation, and can't wait to learn something new! I made another new craft this week, but I will show later because it's a present for someone. It has also inspired a design for my graduation party!

This is an exciting week for me because my parents are coming to visit and celebrate their silver anniversary! Now there is a story of a true, successful marriage! I hope that I can be half the people my parents are. They are so amazing and words cannot express how thankful I am for the hard work they instill in their family. The fact that they are hanging out with their three rug rats on their anniversary shows that they truly do prioritize family! A marriage like theirs is something I hope all my future wedding clients create! I love you, Mom and Dad!!

Hope your week has started off fabulously!!

Friday, February 18, 2011

Feeling Fulfilled!

So this week I got a little excited about my new baking and cooking ambitions! I made the pumpkin cookies Tuesday (earlier post) and on Wednesday I went for banana nut mini muffins and they were a hit! Super healthy too--bananas, whole wheat flour, Splenda/sugar blend, an egg, unsweetened applesauce, and a plethora of spices. I added walnuts to some, dark chocolate chips to others, and cinnamon chips to some. I was surprised that everyone loved them! I also was brave and made my favorite dish, chicken devan. I learned tonight that no one makes it like mommy dearest! I made a few amateur mistakes, but my sweet little brother ate a huge helping and convinced me it was really good. I'm starting to think he'll just eat anything :)

I have been in search of a craft with a few speed bumps! I was going to make a manzanita centerpiece for the wedding I am doing, but found the branches will cost $30 just to ship! All the other projects I have wanted to try, require sewing,  which somehow I slipped through the cracks when it came to learning because I am the only female in my family that can't sew! Sooooo I signed up for a semi-private class tomorrow and could not be more pathetically excited!!! I just feel like learning this skill will open a world of possibilities for me! I will post pictures of the things I learn along the way!

Have a fabulous weekend!!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Maybe I Should Have Majored in Home Ec!

I am still in search for an art project, but in the mean time, I have decided that I need to start learning how to cook and bake better. The cafeteria (which is amazing and is a huge reason I don't cook) will only be available to me for a few more months! Other reasons I don't cook are that it's messy; it's a big production for one person; I am easy to please and throw the most random stuff together so have not needed to cook anything special; and I hate buying ingredients for one recipe and then having odd amounts of leftovers. I can probably find some more excuses, but I will spare you!

For the event side of things, I need to learn how to cook for smaller events that won't use caterers, and I need to learn how to communicate with them for larger events. I am living with my two brothers so they can be my guinea pigs! The only problem is, they will have to deal with my obsessive compulsive-ness with the lighter/healthier side of things.

It's Valentine's Day so I decided to find a healthy cookie recipe and bake it as a gift (or curse) to my friends and brothers! Well I kind of found more of a Thanksgiving recipe, but went for it anyway! They are "No Fat Added Pumpkin" cookies, yet I made half mini muffins and half cookies. I made a few different versions adding dark chocolate chips to some and cream cheese frosting to some.

Here's the recipe on sparkpeople.com. I thought they were pretty good. Definitely diet tasting, but without the chocolate and frosting, they are only 45 calories!

Verdict: So far I have only gotten feedback from my little brother who although healthy, doesn't appreciate "diet" type food. He said they were delicious and had four!!! SUCCESS!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Becoming Crafty

Craftiness has never been an adjective that would describe me and one of the planners I work for can put anything together! She also has this "craftworld" vocabulary, and there are many times where I have no idea what she is talking about! I have decided that it is time that I become familiar with glue, scissors, Martha Stewart, and Michael's Arts and Crafts. I am challenging myself to make one new craft a week. I have never been that into crafts because my attention span is not long enough and I have these visions in my head that I have never been able to translate to my hands. I think I was born with a male's fine motor skills sometimes! I eventually would like to take sewing classes and other relevant courses, but for now I will have to rely on Martha Stewart or other creative online DIY sites to guide me! I will post my progress in the future. For now, I am in search of a project!!

Happy Wednesday and Thanks for stopping by! 

Monday, February 7, 2011

Intimidated


I have always been either a student, had a sorority position, or intern and the only “real job” I’ve had is working for my dad so when it comes to being “experienced” I feel I am behind. I am so intimidated by the fact that one day I will be running my own show. That’s why the current bride who is letting me use her as a guinea pig is so great. She just recently moved from being a student to an actual professional and knows how I feel, but she keeps encouraging me that I just have to get out there. She has even started referring me to people. I feel I haven’t been a ton of help to her with her being in Yuma and me being in Orange County, but I am still learning through her especially when she asks me for specific advice, and I do research for her to find the right answers. This specific career is a learning experience, and I will grow with each event.  I will make mistakes, but I have to remember that each mistake as well as each victory is not going to be a defining factor of who I am. I have to use each and every event as a learning experience and grow from it.

Speaking of the bride, I would like to share with you some inspiration for her wedding theme coming up quickly in October! The whole theme is a green eco-chic with gold and pearls pulled through to make it elegant. We will be using different jars and bottles as vases to hold all the flowers, which will primarily be white and green with a little pink pulled through. We plan on using green and burlap ribbon, manzanita trees, lots of candles and votives, and gold frames and mirrors. The following pictures are not my own and come from experienced professionals who posted their work on the web. I don't have the links for them, so if you know where they came from let me know! 

tn_Gold_Votives.JPG


Thanks for stopping by!! 


Wednesday, February 2, 2011

DETAILS!

I tend to be a perfectonist and have the attitude "If you want it done right (aka your way), do it yourself." Since I started my office intern position, this attitude haunts me. I stress when people ask me to do stuff for them especially when it concerns working with their personal files. Am I doing it how they would want it done? I check and double check, and I think this slows me down. This is the first time assisting someone besides my dad so I suppose I will get the hang of it and acquire some confidence in myself.

In the mean time, as I was creating and editing a wedding 10 month checklist, it hit me just how much it takes to plan a wedding, and there were details in that checklist I had never even considered before! People that plan weddings without a coordinator are beyond brave because there is just so much to think about (down to the time a bride should purchase necessary undergarments for her dress), and I can see why they say it is a full time job!

That brings me to a strong conviction of mine that it is not about that day, it's about what is to come after that day. Of course you want to have that special celebration with everyone you love because a wedding is the beginning of a lifechanging experience and worthy of a grand celebration, but people get so caught up in the festivities that it can be easy to forget the ultimate goal--creating a marriage. I want to be that coordinator who can guide people in not only the details of linens, flowers,  and photographers, I want to help people prepare for the rest of their lives. I ordered some reading materials, which includes a book that prepares couples for marriage and planning the wedding for the groom. I know they will be necessary for me to see the whole process from different perspectives, and I can't wait until they come in the mail!

Happy Wednesday!