I have said this before, and I will say it again. Nothing quite fulfills me more as a business owner then seeing my products in the wild, especially our custom wedding hangers. It’s such a good feeling seeing these hangers in these milestone moments.

I am so grateful to Terri, this gorgeous bride, for sending me these precious photos from her big day. These pictures are just so romantic and elegant. Personalized hangers for the bride and the rest of the wedding party can make for gorgeous behind the scene pictures of the big day.

Her look is just timeless, pure elegance.

Taking the time and effort to think about those smaller details of the big day, if you have the time and resources to put towards them, they can also really elevate the occasion. Her robe, from Homebodii, is dreamy and practical too. Wearing a robe can give you the coverage you need while making it easy to get into your wedding dress without ruining your hair or make up.

There is no real way I can describe how much it means to me to see products that I designed, made, packaged and Hazel carried to the post office in real life. At the risk of sounding so cliché and cheesy, it makes all the stress and worries of being a small business owner well worth it. Thank you so much Terri!

If you are looking to add that personalized detail that will make your dress extra special, our hangers have so many different design and font options. We can also fully customize your design or add your “wedding logo” or “monogram” on your hangers too. Our Cary Hanger has been so popular lately and I just love the design and the uniqueness of it.

Beautiful dresses deserve beautiful wedding dress hangers!

Venue: Wrightsville Manor

Planning + Design: Design A Dream Events

Photographer + Videographer: The Axtells

Florist: Designs by Dillon

Hair & Makeup: Mena Garcia Beauty

Dress: Sophia Tolli from Lovella Bridal,

Veil: Rita Vinieris from Lovella Bridal

Dress Alterations: Eenoli Bridal Alterations

Robe: Homebodii

Caterer: A Thyme Savor

DJ: Active DJ Entertainment

Officiant: Weddings with Bill

Cake: One Belle Bakery

Transportation: Azalea Limousine

Jewelry: Verstolo

Shoes: Bella Belle

Rentals: Party Supplier Rentals

Specialty Rentals: White Birch Rentals and Martha My Dear Rentals and High Performance Lighting

Stationary: Minted

Illustrations: Southern Bee Designs

An apple a day keeps away anyone if you throw it far enough.

If you’ve been around these parts for awhile, you know that one of my favorite fall activities is apple picking. I posted about it in a blog post here. However, I am pretty particular about when we go. I like to wait for (usually) the one cool day in fall we get here in Southern California.

We got lucky this past weekend when a storm moved in, and despite early reports saying it would be a pretty bad storm, it basically brought a touch of rain, low lying clouds, and some much needed cooler temps. We headed off to Los Rios Rancho, in Oak Glen California.

I’ve added a few more tips here now that we’ve gone with two kiddos, I hope you find them helpful! Don’t forget to read my previous blog post with more tips too!

1. Go early in the season if possible. We went two years ago at the tail end of the season and the apples were pretty picked over. You had to really search which was frustrating for Evelyn when we told her “no” to every bruised apple she tried to put in our bag. This year, we came so early in the season, the girls had no problem finding great apples to pick! You’re paying a premium price for these apples because of the experience so you want to get good ones! I also think the premium price for these apples is well worth the memories we were making.

2. Bring layering clothes. This is for mostly cool days but even on those warm days. The temperatures in the mountains can fluctuate depending on wind, cloud coverage and time of day. It was in the high sixties most of the time we were there and coming from 100 degree temps all week, it felt pretty cold when we first got up there. But after hiking around the orchards for an hour, we all got hot and were grateful to be able to start peeling off the layers.

3. Get there right as they open! If you are there to grab some special family pictures, get there first thing. Otherwise, you’ll have people walking into your photos for the rest of the day. We were one of the first families in the orchard. We also make sure we take pictures first before we let the girls go since it’s harder to stop them once they realize how fun it is. So we make sure we grab those family pictures early in the morning right when we get there!

4. Call the orchard before you go! These are working farms generally and times and offerings can vary depending on things at the farm, including weather. The day we went was the day after they had wind gusts of 70mph. I called and made sure they were open but they were opening a bit later so they could start fixing up the damage they got from the wind the day before. So always check, it could really ruin your day if you get there and they are either closed or half of their offerings are unavailable.

I’m so grateful we are able to get find a weekend to make these memories and start this little tradition with our girls. Now I’ve got this bag of apples and I need to use up! Anyone have any good recipes?

Graduation season is here and I can’t wait to see all the celebrations. I am one of those people who will tell graduates in restaurants “Congrats” when I see them still in their cap and/or gown. I remember that immense feeling of pride and accomplishment and I am so excited to see others reach that space too.

Last year, we got to help our dear friends celebrate their daughter’s college graduation. I feel bad that so many of these students had such drastically different college experiences these last two years than they probably expected. I give them all the kudos for sticking through it and reaching their goals.

Emily graduated from UCI with a degree in Biology. She’s a lucky girl since her mom is also just as amazing and owns a gorgeous venue in Fullerton, RSVP Event Space and is an event designer and coordinator, Pleasant Surprise Events. We’ve worked with Nellie on a bunch of different events, but this one of course was extra special.

Despite an incredibly challenging year, full of changes in her plans, Emily graduated. Nellie was beaming with pride and she pulled out all of the stops for her. I think for those of us who are lucky enough, a college graduation can be a family accomplishment. Our families can help support us, mentally and financially, they can encourage us, pick us up when we are down, and sometimes even help with those big and scary adult decisions. Emily is incredibly fortunate with an amazing support system in her parents. I’m so glad Nellie had Per Pixel Photography capture all these gorgeous moments.

After your child gets through some of the toughest years our generation has experienced, you gotta go big! Nellie got these stunning balloon garlands form Michelle Rodgers Styling, and they adorned the stage and marquee letters from Create-a-Party Rentals. This beautiful little spot makes the perfect photo booth for everyone to commemorate the special celebration!

From the blooms nestled within the balloon garlands, to the giant luscious arrangements around the stage, to the tiny bud vases are all from Lovestruck Blooms. They really feminize the party and you can pretty much smell them in these pictures.

RSVP is such a gorgeous venue that is the perfect size for an intimate wedding or graduation party. I’ve been super lucky to see it set up for all the different type of events they can host, it’s so versatile. It’s also immaculately clean. Nellie and her team go above and beyond to make sure the space is in the best shape ever!

We were so excited to be able to help with the celebration. Nellie asked us for some signage, stir sticks, and cake toppers. I gotta say, the mimosa bar sign we did is my absolute favorite. I prefer my mimosa the “graduate way”.

The UCI cake topper was also a favorite. Like I said, I’m a sap for graduations. I know how much hard work and sacrifice it can take to get to this point for a lot of people and families. It is one of my absolute favorite reasons to celebrate someone.

The cakes were from Hapa Cupcakes, follow them on Instagram if you want to torture yourself with delicious yummy pictures of sweets daily. They make the most amazing cupcake combos ever and I love their specialty themed cupcakes and cookies for whatever season or holiday that’s coming up.

Crepes Bonaparte offered sweet and savory crepes for the guests and I mean…I’ll take one of each right? They all look and sound so good! Crepes are perfect for a party, they are made to order, lots of varieties, easy to eat, it’s a great idea! And now I want one…

The graduate also had 7 Leaves Boba there to have a self serve boba bar for her guests. Yummy!

Graduation season is coming to a close around here and soon school will be back in session, however for those graduates who have just celebrated, their lives are really just beginning. My advice is always to never stop being a student. Always be open minded to learning new things and new ways. Take the risks, and don’t settle.

And lastly, never forget where you came from and who helped you get there.

Congratulations to all the grads!

Venue: RSVP Event Space

Design/Concept: Pleasant Surprise Events

Photography: Per Pixel Photography

Balloons: Michelle Rogers Styling

Florals: Lovestruck Blooms

Stage & Marquee Lights, Linens & Glassware: Create-a-Party Rentals

Catering & Mimosas: Crepes Bonaparte

Cakes: Hapa Cupcakes

Signage, Cake Toppers & Stir Sticks: Delovely Details

Boba: 7 Leaves