Birthday Party Roundup

How is your Thursday going friends? I have a busy and long day ahead of me which includes my brother's big show tonight. I'm so excited for him and can't wait to hear him and his band play their new songs live. Live is always better. Any LA locals looking for something to do tonight? You should stop by!

It's my 2nd blog birthday, which I've been celebrating this week, and with birthdays come birthday parties. Unfortunately we can't all get together for one big party since blogging takes place in a virtual world but that can't stop us from celebrating. Today I want to throw a virtual party of sorts and highlight a few favorite decor elements which I am currently loving. This way we can all be involved and have mini parties with ourselves in front of our computer screens. Not quite the same but I think all of these goodies will put you in the birthday mood anyway...

Rifle Paper Company

Ethanollie

Banter Banner

Potter & Butler

Bake It Pretty

Mademoiselle Chipotte

This would be such a lovely party to attend. Everything is so cheerful. What items would you have at your virtual party?

Styling Vignettes: Wishes & Hopes for Year Three

Happy Tuesday friends! For day two of Birthday Week I wanted to share a little project that I put together for myself yesterday. It's a personal project, one I created in order to document my hopes and dreams for the coming year of my business and blogging, year three. I thought it would be nice to style some pictures and share the project with you all here. Maybe it will inspire some of you to think about your own personal goals for your business or your blog or even just your personal creative endeavors. Sometimes writing out your ideas makes them real and gives us some accountability to actually carry them out. Do you know what I mean? Sometimes I dream a lot of things up in my head but they don't always come to anything. They only live in my dreams. My main goal for this next year is to actually act on those dreams, make them real, and see where it all takes me. No more 'what ifs' or 'I wonder how that would have panned out.' A scary thought but I think it's usually worth it when you put yourself out there.

I wanted to create something more beautiful than just bullet points on a scrap piece of paper so I wrote out my ideas on cardstock and then packaged them up in a box. I added some packaging flourishes which makes it feel like a present. I plan to open the box on March 9, 2013 and then see how successful I was with my goals. It is my birthday present to me for next year!

Last night on Instagram I was chatting with a few friends about how mini things are so much cuter than regular sized things. For this shoot I used mini clothespins (which we all agreed were the best!), mini scissors, and even this tiny box. 

Another project completed with my amazing, versatile stamp kit!

I feel like my life is this constant balancing act between dreaming about my future and also reveling in my current projects. I am such a dreamer, always thinking about what I can do next and new, big ideas. But I also believe it is so important to reflect on your accomplishments and to enjoy the present because it slips by so quickly. Are you the same way? How do you balance both? This project for me was perfect. I thought about my goals for awhile, wrote them down, but then I packaged them up, not to forget about them but to set them aside while I draw inspiration from what I am currently doing.

So my box of wishes and hopes now sits in a drawer ready to be opened in a year's time. I look forward to the day when I can open that box and have those goals be accomplished but in the meantime I am focusing on today's goals. One day at a time... 

Year in Review, Second Year

To kick off birthday week today I thought I would recap my last year of blogging and business, year two. Going through the old posts has been a fun journey and it is nice to reflect and relive those milestones. And I was lucky to have some awesome milestones last year too. My little business and blog are growing and I'm so excited about the direction it is taking me. I don't always know what lies ahead but that has been my journey. Sometimes you have to wait and see where the road leads you. So far it has taken me in all kinds of great directions.

{ Contributing }

Like year one, year two was filled with fun collaborations and guest blogging opportunities. The community that has grown around my blog is one I am so thankful for. I've made some great contacts and friends here. The above feature is one I styled and photographed for Valley & Co.'s spring Ezine last year. That picnic looks so inviting right about now.

{ Important Purchases }

I got a cool, old typewriter! This was one of my favorite purchases last year. Sadly I have yet to get typewriter ribbon for it but I look forward to typing up cards and notes on it soon.

{ Big Etsy Projects }

I was lucky to work with some great clients through Etsy this year. I made a lot of personalized items which is the most meaningful because you get to deal directly with the client. I made these cowboy-themed s'mores kits for a little boy's first birthday party. It was such a fun treat seeing all the pictures too. Pictures courtesy of Nicole Leone Photography. 

{ Wedding Designs }

I did a lot of work for weddings this year but two important assignments were for a good friend, a wedding I was actually a bridesmaid in. I designed these postcard save-the-dates complete with glassine bag and twine packaging and hand-bound bridesmaid booklets. It was a nice change to work on a personal project.

{ DIY Wedding Class }

I taught my very first DIY craft class last May. It was held at The Wedding Pantry which was a lovely venue and it had a nice little turn out. The wedding crafts were fun and hopefully helpful for everyone. I definitely want to try some more craft classes in the future. Maybe some online ones even so more people could be involved. What do you think?

{ Confetti Lab }

I was also involved in the event Confetti Lab which was held at The Wedding Pantry. I styled a table display to help gives guests inspiration and had a few of my handmade embroidery and crafts for sale too. The event was put together beautifully by the talented Lauren of A Fabulous Fete. It definitely encouraged me to throw some parties myself. It was also a great experience for me in terms of booth display which would come in handy later on in the year.

{ Whisker Graphics }

I started regularly collaborating with Whisker Graphics. Each month I come up with an original DIY using their fabulous products to share on their blog and mine. I use their colorful twines and packaging anyway so it is easy work (I must admit...it's like playtime). Check out all of my projects here. I try to come up with original ideas and new and unique ways of using WG products. 

{ Local Love }

The lovely Danni of Oh, Hello Friend and Ruby of Cakies hosted a spectacular cake party and I was lucky enough to be invited. The cakes were yummy, the setting was inviting, and we all just had the best time. This event reminded me of how important it is to throw local get-togethers. Connecting online is convenient but sometimes you need to chat with fellow bloggers and creatives in person. I have something in the works along these lines. Stay tuned!

{ Weddings }

I attended a beautiful Vermont wedding for my cousin and I was in a wedding. That's me in my pretty blue bridesmaid dress!

{ First Craft Fair }

I was lucky to participate in my first craft fair, a local show called Sew Funky. It was such a great experience. I didn't sell as much as I would have liked but what I learned was invaluable. I had the most fun setting up and styling it. And I've made some fabulous contacts with other vendors from that show. I hope 2012 will be full of more craft fairs for me.

{ Houzz }

I started working with a great home inspiration site called Houzz. Each month I curate an online gallery, called an ideabook, of products for your life and home. It is such an amazing resource if you are in the midst of a home remodel. The above picture is just a few products from my first ideabook but take a look at all of my ideabooks and galleries for more ideas. 

{ Lovely Package Workshop }

Before the holidays Danni put together a workshop and asked me to be involved and teach a packaging DIY. The talented Tristan of Besotted Brand and Beth of Salvage Life were also involved and it was a successful day full of the most beautiful packaging and new friends. Pretty packaging makes me happy!

{ Pinterest }

I pinned a lot...like crazy actually. I started using Pinterest at the beginning of 2011 and have been in love ever since. It inspires me like no other and each day I find myself popping over there to gets ideas and find resources. I occasionally share Pinterest Picks with my current obsessions but you can follow all of my pins and boards here. Picture by studio juju.

{ Crafty Wedding }

I was so fortunate to be involved with this crafty wedding in September. I just recently got to share the pictures here after it originally was posted on Ruffled. I handmade a lot of crafty elements, including the table numbers and yarn pom flowers you see in the picture above. But I also set up and styled on the day of the wedding. It was a lot of work (and thank goodness my Mom was there to help) but it was such an amazing experience. The bride and groom are the best so they helped make the work so enjoyable. Pictures by Stone Crandall Photography.

{ Goals Accomplished }

Other smaller but still significant goals that I accomplished were: (1) Getting my studio cleaned and in working order. Being organized has been a blessing for my sanity. (2) Making my first apple pie from scratch. It was delicious! So proud of myself. (3) I finally made it to the Rose Bowl Flea Market. This is a vintage lovers paradise. (4) I finally got my business up on Facebook!

Oh yes...and I took about a million pictures of Scout!

So that was my year two! Quite a lot now that I look back on it all. Writing this post has sure got me pumped for year three though. I can't wait for what is in store for Lauren Elise Crafted. Thank you for being a part of it friends!

My Week Through Instagram: Week Ten

Happy Monday morning everyone! This time change seems to have done me in and I feel a bit behind already. Clearly I'm playing catch up this morning since my Instagram recap post is happening on a Monday instead of the weekend. An official 'birthday week' Monday post is coming later (promise) but I had to stop and share week ten with all of you.

Sunday: I spent a little extra time sleeping in, reading in bed, and just relaxing on Sunday morning. It felt good.

Monday: I worked up a possible program idea for a wedding using burlap and pink/peach details. I got a lot of nice compliments on Instagram (thanks guys!) but it was especially nice to hear that the bride loved it too. Moving forward with this design now.

Tuesday: I got to watercolor again today. Even though it was for work, it was relaxing and fun.

Wednesday: I had to go into Downtown LA to retrieve my digital camera from my brother. We spent some time catching up and eating pie at a new favorite spot The Pie Hole. As you can see, the pie was yummy and it got devoured.

Thursday: Working on more burlap details for a wedding, this time simple bows for the menus. 

Friday: March 9th is my official blog birthday (I'm 2 now!) and to celebrate I'm kicking off 'birthday week' here on the blog. I'll have some fun things to show you so stay tuned.

Saturday: A birthday just isn't complete without cupcakes so I stopped by a local place to pick up a few. I'm going to be taking some pictures of those fun sprinkle ones today. Can't wait!

So that was my week ten of 2012. What did your week look like?

Lauren Elise Crafted Turns 2!

Happy Friday dear friends! I totally had something else planned but late last night I discovered that today, March 9th was an important event. And I had to make note of it here since it concerns the blog. Exactly two years ago today I started Lauren Elise Crafted. Yep, it's my birthday!

I won't lie, this birthday snuck up on me a bit. I kept assuming it was sometime next week. But according to my calendar March 9, 2010 was the day Lauren Elise Crafted got started. I read my first post ever last night and couldn't believe how my reasons for starting this blog then and my reasons for continuing to blog now are still very similar. I was super excited about beginning my journey into blogging. I am still just as thrilled to be here. I continue to see new things, create new things, meet new people that makes this whole journey completely worthwhile.

Two years ago I was looking for a place to share my ideas and inspirations publicly and to connect with people through this creativity. That is still my goal today. My favorite part about blogging is sharing my projects with you all and talking about it and learning from each other and inspiring each other. That is why I am here.

As I reflect today, I am amazed by all that has changed and yet equally amazed by the similarities between Lauren Elise Crafted on day one and Lauren Elise Crafted now on day 732. These two years have been good to me and I mostly have you wonderful readers to thank for that. I appreciate you all visiting, for commenting, for pinning my images, for collaborating with me, for liking me on Facebook, for having me make something for you...for following along with my journey. No matter how small, the interactions are meaningful to me.

So happy birthday to me, to this blog! The next two years excite me like no other and I cannot wait to continue doing the things I started out doing in March 2010. Thank you again for being a part of it. Next week will be Birthday Week on the blog and I'll be recapping my year (see my first year recap here) and doing some other fun DIYs and celebratory things. So do check back to enjoy the fun. Happy weekend to you all!