I Felt Like A Million Bucks

I'm almost to the point of saying that Tuesday was one of the best days of my life. Not because it was a "good" day or a "happy" day. It was simply a day full of life.

I went to bed in the wee hours of the morning after staying up to listen to several talks during this week's #TDLextravaganza [The Daily Love Extravaganza!] My life was changed after listening to Serena Dyer [daughter of Wayne Dyer] and Jacob Sokol [a life coach based out of New York City.] I had listened to Mastin Kipp speak earlier that morning and, as always, was inspired and moved. I love hearing his story and how he got where he is today.

I'm sure I'll get into greater depth of each of these interviews at some other time but all I can say for now is, "Wow." Their wisdom, their experiences, their learned lessons. I have always loved the self-development community. Always. I have so much respect and love for people who have weathered the storms of life and come out stronger. The people who share their stumbles, trips, and falls in order to help us learn, to share their lessons, and to love.

Thanks to the wonderful world of technology, I was able to reach out to Mastin, Serena, and Jacob to thank them for their stories, their vulnerability, and the courage they each have for honoring their true callings in life. And they each responded :) That's what I love about the self-development community. The feeling that we are all connected and the honest feeling of love.

My day was off to an amazing start and I knew going forward that I was in for an important and challenging evening. It was the fashion show and official launch of the new apparel collection for the brand I work with. There had been months and months of preparation going into this one night. But there was a feeling of peace and comfort in the hours and minutes leading up to the event. What ever last-minute issues came up... I just let them roll off my back. Was the fashion show perfect? No. Were there problems? Yes. However, I've been trying my best to look at the big picture. The important things in life.

After the fashion show wrapped, and we were all saying our goodbyes before meeting again the following day, I received hugs, high-fives, and a few genuine "thank yous." And you know what? That was all I needed at the end of that day. The feeling when you and your co-worker look at each other and without saying anything, you both are thinking, "We did it." It was a reminder of why I chose a career in event planning back when I was a teenager. It's not because it's "fun," because, um, that is the biggest myth about this career. It's because of the 60 seconds leading up to the event and the 60 seconds after the event ends. The excitement, the adrenaline, and then the bittersweet melancholy.

Instead of staying out to celebrate that evening, I drove home toward the Pacific...

Then, I sat on my kitchen floor for five minutes to breathe, and went for a run. When I got back, I sat on my floor again [this time, in front of my fan] made dinner, and got right back into The Daily Love Extravaganza. I've tried writing about five different concluding sentences and nothing seems to suffice. The success of my day wasn't measured by my job, or the turnout of my event or what I did after to celebrate. It was measured by how I felt. And thanks to Mastin, Serena, Jacob, a few co-workers, and a couple special shout-outs from my dad and close friends, darn it... I felt like a million bucks.

My First West Coast Event

Whew, what a weekend! This past week leading up to my event on Saturday was a whirlwind. I was a stress mess Friday evening and found myself getting frustrated by even the smallest little details, as I tend to do while coordinating events.

Saturday arrived before I could blink and the weather ended up being gorgeous! Time was ticking away before the start of the event for the surf shop I work for. Now, I don't normally blog about work-related things but I love what I do and it has quickly become a huge part of who I am. This event was the shop's "re-grand" opening and we had very high hopes for it so I was quite nervous in the hours leading up to the start.

The sun was shining and people were up and down the streets near the shop. We teamed up with a local animal rescue organization and the pups they brought were absolutely adorable. They certainly got a lot of attention :)

We had nearly 100 cupcakes that we personally baked and iced, as well as lots of cocktails, awesome live music, a fashion show, and some fun raffles! I was so happy to see people enjoying themselves in the California sunshine, while browsing our new merchandise and going for seconds on the signature cocktails :)

I was even more excited when sweet Ashley [House of Glass] and her husband showed up and we ran to each other and hugged like they do in the movies. I can't even tell you how wonderful it feels to have "met" a blogger while living on the other side of the country, then meet in real life, then have them come support you for your first big event on the West Coast. We have plans for another meet-up again soon which I am already ecstatic about. Go say "hi" to Ash if you haven't already. Her blog exudes the most positive, fun, genuine vibes and I must say, she [and her sweet husband] are just as real and AWESOME in real life. Seriously. They are THE best!

I was so happy at the end of the event. Deep down, I know that the stressful moments do pass. And while we're going through them, we're being refined. But being able to look back at the stress and the sleepless nights and early mornings once your event is over, it makes it all kind of bittersweet. And it is all worth it in the end. The event was a success, more so than I could have asked, AND I got to be there with wonderful people in a beautiful place during it.

Now for the inspiration behind this weekend:

"Either work hard or you might as well quit."

- MC Hammer ["U Can't Touch This"]

Birthday Party Success

Hopefully you caught up on my late 90's/early 00's post from my middle and high school days. Because, well, it'll be a while before I post any of that again. Let me just say, I was glad to hear how many of you were also part of the choker craze. 

This weekend was my niece's 2nd birthday party. It was pretty special for me personally because I was out in Utah when she was born and also when she celebrated her 1st birthday. It meant a lot to be back, surrounded by family, creating new memories with my little niecey. 

I was initially going to go a little overboard with the Minnie Mouse stuff. I had planned on making Minnie shaped tea sandwiches and since I couldn't get a cookie cutter in time, I was going to cut the shapes out by hand. Needless to say, that didn't happen :) Here's what did:

I just had to make this Minnie Mouse as the centerpiece. This is all you need:

Minnie Centerpiece

• 4 pieces of round Styrofoam circles [I used 2 small and 2 large]
• Black acrylic paint and a sponge/brush
• Toothpicks to secure the Styrofoam
• Wire ribbon [After making the bow, I secured it with a wire clip. Toothpicks should work as well]

I added a pink and black boa around the base to cover it and add a little "oomph!" :)

I saw this pink punch on Pinterest and knew it would be perfect for the Minnie party. Not only did it look perfect but it tasted perfect! The guests just loved it :)

Click above for the original recipe. I ended up using frozen pink lemonade mix, Sprite, raspberry sherbet, and that's it! Super easy!

I think we can all agree that we would do the exact same thing Aubrey did: Walk into a room full of presents and run straight to the CAR!! Her face is adorable :)

The cake was yummy and Aubrey sure thought so too. I like how the fork is in one hand and the cake is in the other :)

Overall, it was a wonderful day. Full of family, friends, and a happy two-year-old's smiles and giggles.

We were only missing one person this year - my Mom. We knew she was there in spirit. She was the one who helped everything end up running so smoothly.

I had great talks with family and friends, great snuggles with the little sweetie, and great food!

Get-togethers like this one are a perfect reminder of the things in life that really matter. And when it comes down to it, love is what really matters. Spread love all around, friends. In hugs, in smiles, in gestures, in favors. Let those you love KNOW you love them and don't ever let them go :)

Life is precious.

Party Inspiration | Minnie Style

Who loves planning parties? I sure do... most of the time. Yes, my background is in event planning and yes, I am obsessed with wedding planning. However, I'm known to obsess over small details. It can be a great thing when planning someone else's event but when I'm planning my own event, it frustrates the heck out of me.

I've been planning my niece's 2nd birthday party which will be this Saturday! It will be Minnie Mouse themed and I want it to be as festive as possible. Unfortunately, a lot of the planning has had to be rather last minute which meant that ordering anything special online was pretty much out of the question. Bummer.

Here is a little of the inspiration I've found and have used while getting everything together for this weekend:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

I'm kind of disappointed that I can't make those cupcakes. It will be a small party so cake AND cupcakes? Not happening, sadly. Also, it was too last-minute to order Mickey Mouse cookie cutters [that's right, because no one sells them in an actual store] so I might just be attempting to cut those sandwiches by hand. Wish me luck.

I was quite surprised about how difficult and inconvenient it is to find anything Mickey or Minnie related. The party stores let me down. Even the Disney store let me down. So, if you ever host a Minnie party, be prepared to either order everything online or make everything yourself. I'd make the cute, little Minnie ear headbands but I don't know how that will go over since the majority of guests will be guys.

I'll be sure to share some pictures from the actual party next week. I'm so excited to make that punch!

What are your favorite party snacks to make? Maybe I'll use one! :)

How I Make That Money, Honey

Have you ever wondered what I do for a living? Well, today you get to find out. I'm linking up with Lindsey for How I Make That Money, Honey!

If you follow me on Instagram [@chelseasunset] or saw my post last month after my work trip, you probably know that at least something that I do deals with fire trucks. Some of you may even think I'm a firefighter! I can guarantee that's not the case because I'm terrified of even the smallest fire - think birthday candle flames.

My company sells and services fire trucks and other emergency apparatus and equipment, including some pretty cool things for government agencies. But hey, we won't get into that. And no, you cannot just walk into the office and buy a fire truck. [I'm still not sure why people think that's how it works, ha.]

Now you probably want to know what I do for this company. Am I in there repairing broken sirens and stretchers? Am I selling these fire trucks? Negative.

We are a smaller company so I get to wear a variety of hats. My main focus is on marketing - helping to prepare details for the trade shows our company attends, creating ads and other marketing literature, coordinating apparel, etc.

Lately, I have also been helping with some HR business and arranging travel.

It's an interesting industry to be in. Very different from the corporate work environment I was used to.

Most days, I work out of my office but on other days... my office might look like this:

Now, for a little background. I went to college, majoring in Communications with the hopes of getting into event planning. I worked for two different companies doing event coordinating and then decided I wanted to try something with a little more marketing as well which is what led me to this position.

And no, event planning isn't just "fun." Don't get me wrong, it has its perks. I had the opportunity to work some very unique and special events and taking home beautiful [and expensive] chocolate cakes was not an uncommon thing. It was quite dangerous for this sweet tooth of mine.

But there were also the times of working 10 days straight, for over 13 hours a day.

Somehow, I lived for those times. There is just something so gratifying about working your tush off and running around like a crazy lady to make the event a success.

We'll see where the future takes me and what opportunities will arise next.
I like how with each position we hold, we can take some things away and leave the rest. Plus, jobs are great ways to learn more about yourself, your strengths, and your passions :)

This Time of the Year

I can’t stop reflecting back on time lately. This year has truly been a whirlwind for me. Time has breezed by me faster than I ever could have imagined. It’s sad to think where all the time went.

One year ago I was driving to San Diego from Salt Lake City for a long weekend with my then-fiancé to meet with all of our vendors and put many of the final touches on our wedding.

Viewing the lawn where I would later walk down the aisle

My favorite tree-lined street in the world

After my wedding hair trial with zero sleep.

Pacific Beach kind of day

Crystal Pier at sunset {my favorite time of the day}

La Jolla at Christmastime. Outside of the greatest sushi place that has ever existed – Tadashi

I look back at that weekend and those times – all the excitement, all the stress, all the newness that was just around the corner, all the “love” and it’s bittersweet. It’s a time in my life that I’ll always look back on. Those last few weeks leading up to the wedding hurt to think about now and I’m sure they will for some time. I was preparing for what I thought would be the beginning of my forever. I put every little bit of my heart and soul into that wedding. While I’m growing and moving on, this time of the year is a bit painful for me. It was supposed to be a time of celebration and love.

Luckily, I also have this time of year in 2009 to look back on. In case you didn’t know – I’m an event planner and with lots of patience, I eventually landed my dream job out of college here in DC doing event coordinating for a large organization. The attendance of our holiday party totaled over 4,000 people. Here’s a little of our party two years ago that I had the opportunity to help plan :)

One of our spaces during set-up

 
After an early morning and long day of set-up, we got to enjoy the party too :) Here I am with my mom! {My parents were lucky enough to get an invite} ;)

We went all out. Best Holiday Party ever. It was held in not one, but TWO buildings {we had an underground tunnel to get back and forth}

This week of December for the past two years has been pretty full of adventure! It’s crazy to think about. This year I’m not planning a fancy holiday party for 4,000 colleagues nor am I planning a destination wedding. Right now, I’m just planning my life. I’m searching out what the Universe has in store for me. I can look back and see all the change that has occurred within the past two years and I trust that today I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.

Party It Up Shabby Chic Style

When my mom first described her decorating style to me 10 or so years ago as “shabby chic” I just didn’t get it. Shabby? Not a good word. Had I known then that pairing “chic” with any word makes it okay, I would have had a totally different attitude. Grunge chic, Surfer chic, Hobo chic, 80’s chic. Haha, you name it. The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve learned to LOVE shabby chic.

[Shabby chic designs show signs of wear and aging throughout the years. Whites and worn out pastels are popular colors. Roses are commonly seen as well as fabrics inspired by old French linens. There is an overall soft and feminine feel.]

Through event and wedding planning, I’ve seen more and more vintage-inspired parties. However, vintage is a very broad topic. It could be art deco (my favorite), Hollywood glamour 50’s, or even a Southern Gone with the Wind affair. While helping find inspiration for party décor for my baby niece’s 1st birthday party, I came across even more vintage-inspired parties. More specifically, I saw a LOT of shabby chic décor. While I plan to share some of my home decorating inspiration some other day, today I want to show you some awesome shabby chic parties! I’m linking up with The Vintage Apple for Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday!

 

Source: stylemepretty.com via Chelsea on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found some beautiful shabby chic tables and tablescapes!

 

Source: elizabethannedesigns.com via Chelsea on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: thebridescafe.com via Chelsea on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: weddingchicks.com via Chelsea on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: hostessblog.com via Chelsea on Pinterest

 

 

I also found some fun shabby chic chairs and some miscellaneous party décor!

Source: celebrationsathomeblog.com via Chelsea on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: snippetandink.com via Chelsea on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: thewhitelibrary.com via Chelsea on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: blog.amyatlas.com via Chelsea on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: flickr.com via Chelsea on Pinterest

 

Seriously, how cute is the  3-tiered teacup and saucer stand? Future DIY, perhaps?

Don’t you want to throw a party now just so that you can have fun with some shabby chic décor? Me too. So, all my fellow party planners – next time you’re planning a baby shower, birthday party, or bridesmaids brunch think shabby chic! Antique stores are LOADED with bits and pieces to collect and use as décor. And the best part is, they can be used after the party/wedding as your own home décor!

Now I shall leave you with some inspirational words that have touched my heart recently and I hope maybe, just maybe, they’ll find their way into your hearts as well :)

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via Chelsea on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: kidzorg.blogspot.com via Chelsea on Pinterest

 

So, friends… enjoy today and go be extraordinary.

P.S. I can’t believe I’ve hit over 100 followers! It’s an amazing feeling to be able to share what I write and what I think with so many people all over this glorious world of ours. You’re all fabulous!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! New readers – shoot me a comment or email (chelsea.lifeisasunset@gmail.com) to introduce yourselves and say hi :) One of my favorite parts of blogging is getting to know other people and I’d love to get to know YOU! :)

Now, go link up :)