A 50th Birthday Celebration for our Dear Auntie!

Back in 2003, my sisters and I started a party business in Oxnard. 
We named our business "A Glance of Elegance" LOL!! 
At that time, with no social media and minimal marketing, we were hired to decorate two major events, for which we charged $2,000 each. It was a lot of work... but for three young girls with no real income at the time, it was nice to put cash in our wallets and most importantly, to see our clients appreciate our work. One of those events was a Cinderella-themed Quinceañera and we LITERALLY built a Pumpkin carriage with our dad's help!!!


Anyway, this party business was very short-lived because I was on my way to my first out-of-state job as news reporter and my sisters had to finish high school and would eventually move to San Francisco. Needless to say, we still love party planning & event styling!
We've had so much fun putting together such events as 

Benjamin's Baptism
Frances' Pin-Up Themed Bridal Shower
Irene's Chanel Themed Bridal Shower
Dad's World-themed 60th Birthday Party 

and this past weekend, we styled & decorated my dear aunt Ofelia's 50th birthday.

Cakes were from the Bread Basket in Camarillo

We also included desserts from Porto's Bakery and caramel apples as party favors.

We placed a Eucalyptus branch on each place setting to add a touch of greenery to the gold, silver and white.

My aunt has a gorgeous Tuscan style home with an equally beautiful backyard. So we wanted to create something that matched her home decor. We went with berry and mauve colors. We used a lot of eucalyptus and amaranths for the cake table and decided to stick with formal place settings for dinner.

Our flowers of choice were pink Peonies and wine colored Ranunculus

I made her "fifty" cake topper and glitter words by using a pretty font, gold paper and some tiny scissors!It was all too fun. 

Funny thing is, we're once again thinking of getting back into the event planning business with a strict focus on birthday parties. 
Life's too short to have a boring party, don't cha think?

Happy 50th Birthday to this lovely lady, Ofelia Godinez. The youngest of eight siblings and a wonderful person with a heart of gold and a deep faith in God!

Thanks for reading!

A New Baby Bouncer In Town!

There's a new baby bouncer in town that's sleek, light and very graceful.  It recently made its U.S. debut and I was there for the launch party at the Drybar in Santa Monica. (Have I mentioned how much I enjoyed being on maternity leave!?)

My 3-month old Toby loves the Baby Bjorn Bouncer Mini. 
He gets so happy when I secure him to the seat and smiles when I push down slightly for some bouncy action (no batteries required!). 

Now that I'm back at work, I get this image of Toby wiggling his toes and sucking on his little fingers, signs that he is happy and relaxed. He does those things when I leave him on the Bouncer Mini.  The best memory though was the other day when he stretched out his arms with clinched fists and fell asleep just like that! 

During the official product launch party at Drybar, I was treated to a blow out.
It was the perfect invitation to try beauty products and baby products all in one place! Such an appropriate outing for a mommy who hadn't really been out of the house since giving birth. 
As far as my hairdo-- I went for the "Southern Belle" look. 

 I also learned quite a few things about Baby Bjorn:

1. Baby Bjorn is a baby product line launched in 1961 by Swedish husband and wife team Bjorn and Lillemor Jakobson. The Jakobsons are still active in the family business as CEO and head designer!

2. Baby Bjorn products include baby carriers, bouncers, travel cribs, baby eating utensils and potty chairs. See complete listing here.

3. The Baby Bjorn Baby Bouncer Mini is the newest product, designed to give proper support to a very young baby's neck and back, from birth to 6 months. 

It's a simple and practical concept. The fabric is soft yet sturdy and machine washable.

Toby LOVES to be placed in the Bouncer Mini. It's the only thing that has worked for us since I spoiled him in my arms for three months and he's a bit uneasy if left in his crib or on the bed.

For more information on this very cool baby bouncer, click here.

Thanks for reading!

{I received the Bouncer Mini as a gift from Baby Bjorn and decided to share my experience with this product. All opinions are my own.}

Tickets Now on Sale for OUT OF THIS WORLD, a New Circus Production by Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey

First-Ever West Coast Tour Debut Blasts Off July 14th - August 7th Throughout Los Angeles

All California Show Tickets On Sale Now!

Fun Summer Activity Alert: The circus is coming to town, with what appears to be a one-of-a-kind performance centered around space travel! 
I don't know about you but I'm kinda curious to see what this is all about and Benny already asked "Are the clowns gonna go to the moon?" LOL.

As we all know, the "circus that started it all" (Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey) has a reputation of fantastic shows and performers. 
This year they pledged to stop featuring performance elephants during their shows after a long court battle with animal rights groups but the circus company promises to continue delivering unique entertainment for the entire family.

Their new production, Out of This World, promises to keep audiences riveted by an interactive, action-packed storyline "filled with space-age family fun and technology which deepens their connection to the performers." It's apparently going to take families through the lens of a magic telescope that discovers circus stars in the galaxy, and takes them along on a heroic mission of good versus evil to bring the performers back to Earth.
The circus show will feature interstellar worlds of sand, water, fire and ice. 
Sounds fun, yeah!?
There's a special "Mom" Ticket discount going on right now with the code: MOM16.
Visit AXS.com to purchase your tickets now for shows at the Staples Center from July 14-19.

See you at the circus!

A Visit to Great Grandma's House!

During my last few weeks of maternity leave, I started getting out of the house more often with Toby and eventually made my way out to Oxnard, where a big part of my family lives, including my parents and grandparents. 
One day while we were out there, the boys and I cancelled our beach plans because it was too cold and decided instead to spend a day at my grandmother's house, located in the "La Colonia" area of Oxnard.
It was so nice to relax at her house. Her and my grandpa, Papá Migue were so welcoming and sweet!
One thing I have to share is that my grandmother is the queen of "Kitsch". 

She owns hundreds of dolls and toys and collectibles, most of which were probably produced decades ago but somehow withstood the test of time to decorate the many dressers, cabinets and ledges around her house.

Her home is a humble place that's only had a few upgrades, since I can remember but that's what keeps it comfortable and nostalgic!
For kids, a house like my grandma's represents an adventure at every corner since she has so many collectibles!

Between soccer balls and porcelain dolls sits a picture of me with Mama Gela & Papa Migue on the day of my quinceanera!

But as you get to know this fierce and outspoken 90 year old woman, you begin to understand why she has so many little toys. Every little trinket in her home tells a story of a life full of sacrifices. 

Portrait of Mama Gela in her younger days. She was born in California and eventually made her way back from Mexico.

She's certainly not a hoarder. The collectibles and dolls she has gathered over the years represent her desire to catch up from an impoverished childhood, in Mexico, where she grew up hoping that one day she'd own a single doll, if at all.

My boys relaxed on comfy blankets on her bed while she sang Mexican Lullabies!

This was such a worthwhile trip. So many lessons to be learned from our elders... If only my paternal grandparents would've been around to meet Benny and Toby too (sigh)....