United Words Project: Texas

The only other state that I’ve ever lived in besides California is Texas. I lived there for 6 years: 2 years of high school and 4 years of college (Texas A&M!). I love Texas and try to go back at least a few times a year to see my friends.It made sense that the next state to take on in the United Words Project is Texas!This year I’ve set out to map all 50 US States with text! This is state 2 of 50.

State 1: California

*Texas Card can be purchased here

You're Invited: Valentine's Day DIY Class

You guys. I’m ridiculously excited about a new adventure that I’m taking on with the A Savvy Event team! Picture it, Stacy (me), teaching you (lovable reader) how to make things!!!!!!! Starting next month I’ll be teaching monthly DIY classes at the A Savvy Event office!!!!!!! Exciting and somehow, a bit nerve wracking!The first class I’ll be teaching is a DIY Valentines Class! We’ll be making just about everything you need to make your house glitter with Valentine’s Day spirit!In this two hour class we will make the following:
- 1 Valentine’s Day Card
- 5 Cupcake Flags
- 1 - 6 Foot String of Valentines Garland
- 3 Glitter Chalk Heart Gift Tags
- 1 Bag of Valentine Confetti
Cost of the class includes all of the material needed and you'll walk away with your hands full of glittery Valentine’s Day goodness!

Sign Up today to attend: DIY Valentine’s Day Crafts
Saturday, February 4
“DIY Valentine’s Day Crafts” with Stacy
10am-12pm - $35/person
Class will take place in Sonoma, CA

Come on seriously the day before the Super Bowl? Your loved one will likely be spending the next day filling their mouth with beer while you boringly wait for the commercials, so you might as well walk away from the weekend with some cute crafts right?

Hope to see you there!!!!

Lets Get This Weekend Started!

Yippy! Friday is finally here!!!! I’m so glad that I will have the next two days to catch up on sleep and projects!

Things that I’ll be working on:
- To quote Gretchen Rubin “If you get rid of it, you don’t have to put it away.” – Time to purge the house of unnecessary crap!
- DIY project: I need to revive a DIY project I started two weeks ago that failed….the good news, once I get it right, I’ll be able to tell you what NOT to do!
- Etsy Orders: HOT ITEM! I’ve sold 29; yes 29 of these in just two weeks. I still have 12 to make!
- DIY Class Preparation: I’m teaching a DIY Valentine’s Day Class next weekend and I have some prep work to do!

Hope you enjoy your weekend!

In Case You Missed It:
I also write for A Savvy Event – be sure to check out my posts from this week

- Style Me Pretty: Wedding of Courtney & Aaron
- Style Me Pretty: Wedding of Samantha & Zach
- Style Me Pretty: Wedding of Abby & Mike
- A Savvy Event Team: Meet Jill

Alt Summit - My Information Overload....Shared!

I’m happy to report that as of this morning I’ve officially come out of my Alt Summit coma.

Let me set the picture to explain:
I’m about to leave for work, Christoph is still in bed in his sleepy morning haze and I go over to give him a kiss goodbye (a routine morning)

“Bye babe, have a good day!” – Stacy
“You finally did your hair!?!”- Christoph
“Yeah I know, 5 days later and I’m out of my Alt coma.”- Stacy

No joke, I haven’t had the motivation to really get ready for work until this AM. Too tired, too overwhelmed by my to-do list, too much swag to unpack!!!! But I’m finally feeling refreshed!

Now that we got that out of the way…….While I was at Alt I took notes during each of the seminars. I’m a write it down or forget it type person. Looking back at my notes, I realized there was a lot of really great information and inspirational one-liners that I thought people could benefit from.*

So here we go! These are my Notes from Alt Summit

I hope you find them to be useful! I know I’ll be referring back to them on a regular basis!

*Red text were my favorite lines from the seminar

Pictured with from left to right: Meredith, Me, Tabitha, Colleen, Michelle

The Glitter Guide: DIY Greyhound Silhouette

I’ve been a fan of The Glitter Guide since it first started last year. I love the daily dose of inspiration, fashion, DIY, home and lifestyle tips that I receive in my inbox!You can imagine my delight when one of my DIY tutorials was shared with GG readers on the website and daily email! This greyhound silhouette is a super easy DIY for your home.Be sure to visit The Glitter Guide website for the step by step directions and the silhouette print out!One of the best parts of sharing the DIY has been seeing what people have come up with or have been inspired to create from the tutorial!Image viaImage via

So what do you think? Is this DIY in your near future?

Back to Reality

After being out of town for Alt Summit and then a few days snowboarding in Solitude I just got back into town late last night and I’ll be honest with you, it is miraculous that I’ve made it out of bed and look fairly presentable to the world.

While I’d much rather be snuggled up under the covers catching up on sleep, there’s work to be done! I’ll certainly be busy over the next few days catching up on everything from laundry to emails and Etsy orders to The Bachelor (yeah, I said it!).

Back to the real world!

All images from the Current Anthropologie Catalog

United Words Project: California

I’m a California girl through and through so it seems obvious to kick of my Map The US With Words project with the state of California!This year I’ve set out to map all 50 US States with text! This is state 1 of 50.

*California Card can be purchased here

A new STATE of mind

Look closely and follow the words, there’s a message to be shared.Today I went to a panel at Alt Summit that lit a fire, that sparked an idea, that gave me a call to action. Some of you may be familiar with the artist Lisa Congdon. In 2010 she embarked on a project called, A Collection A Day where she blogged a picture or painted an image of a collection each day. In the end, she curated an inspiring body of common and uncommon goods and had her work turned into A Collection A day Book.

Today, Lisa spoke on a panel about Kick Starting Your Next Project and it got me thinking about projects I’ve been wanting to do. One stuck out to me in particular:

I’ve created a few cards and listed them in my shop that are shapes of US States that are made out of descriptive words to describe the state. You can see an example of California HERE.

My next project is to work my way through all 50 US states to turn them into word cards. The end result will be an entire map of the US that will be made out of text.

As I got to thinking about it, everything just seemed to align:
- There are 50 US States
- There are 52 weeks in the year
- We’re already three weeks in to January

I have the perfect amount of time and states to work my way through this project!

I’m extremely excited to make a commitment and push myself to do this. It’s something that’s been on my to do list for a while! I hope you’ll join me in this journey as I work my way across the US!

Consider This My Out of Office

You know I’d never desert you! But it’s possible that my internet access will be limited while I’m traveling and attending Alt Summit.

I’ll try my very best to keep you updated of the happenings and what not’s via Twitter!

You can expect a full report when I return!

Showered with Love

A dear friend of mine is having a baby in a few months. When chatting with her about her plans for a baby shower she mentioned that she was thinking of sending out an evite as the invitation.Well, you know me, of course I jumped in and offered to make baby shower invitations for her!!!!!!Since her shower is the week of Valentine’s Day and she’s having a little girl, I wanted to incorporate hearts into the design.I think the final look is really sweet and cheerful in spite of the fact that they are rainclouds! The invitations can be customized your event and are available in my Etsy shop!

P.S.: Some of you may recognize the art in the card from HERE

I'm headed to Alt Summit!

In just two short days I’ll be on an airplane bound for Salt Lake City, Utah. Now, what you ask would possess me to travel to a freezing climate in the middle of winter?That’s right! I’m headed to Alt Summit!

Alt Summit is a gathering of creative minded bloggers. It’s a fitting for everything from design and lifestyle to photography and DIY bloggers! I didn’t go last year and I absolutely felt like I missed out! There was no doubt in my mind that I would be there this year!

I’m looking forward to learning new skills, gaining new insights and meeting some rad new people! If you’re also headed to Alt, let me know! It’s going to be chilly so, let’s grab some hot chocolate and catch up!

Brides: Find Your Perfect Chemistry

Happy Friday friends! I’ve been busy getting ready for Alt Summit, staying on top of orders, trying to contain my DIY ideas and figure out where I can find more hours in my day to carry them out and working with the fabulous ladies of A Savvy Event to get ready for THE LAB event this weekend!

If you’re getting married this year, love fashion or you just love to be inspired grab your ticket to THE LAB event happening tomorrow!

THE LAB is not your typical bridal show with vendor booths or pushy salespeople. It’s going to be a laid-back setting where you will see inspiration boards brought to life, enjoy sips and bites from some of the best caterers, nibble on sweets and treats from top dessert designers, and see a non-traditional runway show.

The A Savvy Event team will be bringing this inspiration board to life!
Tickets: Purchase tickets

In Case You Missed It:
I also write for A Savvy Event – be sure to check out my posts from this week:

THE LAB: The Inspiration Behind our Inspiration Board
THE LAB: Sneak Peek
THE LAB: Laura Miller Design
THE LAB: Batter Bakery
THE LAB: Hello,Lucky!
Find the Perfect Chemistry at THE LAB

Style Me Pretty: Wedding with Hello Cupcake Details

Since partnering with the A Savvy Event team, I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with some of their amazing brides to create custom paper items and décor for their wedding.A few months back I worked with bride to be, Samantha to create the escort cards as well as a few other paper projects for her wedding. Normally I don’t get the joy of seeing the product in its final use, but the wedding was recently shared on Style Me Pretty!

You can imagine my delight to see how GORGEOUS this wedding was and of course seeing my small contribution to the overall aesthetic of the event.Seeing this wedding on Style Me Pretty and how great the items I created looked that day truly gave me a “you’ve come a long way baby” moment! I hope to have many, many. Many more of these to come!

Be sure to hop on over to see the entire gallery of images. This wedding was full of lovely details that we’ve come to expect from the A Savvy Event team and the images were shot by the uber talented Jessamyn Harris!

How To: DIY Faux Fur Stole

How many times in one week would it be appropriate to wear this faux fur stole? Because honestly, I like it so much I could wear it just about every day. It was surprisingly easy to make, so today I’m sharing the DIY for you to create one of your very own!Material Needed:
- Faux Fur Strip (45+ inches)
- Leather or fabric strip (45+ inches)
- Rotary cutter
- Needle and thread Start by rounding the ends of your faux fur then lay the leather or fabric out and cut it to fit the same shape as the faux fur.Keep in mind as you trim, that it’s better to heave excess lining that you can cut down later. As you can see, the back of the fur was not so cute so it needed to be covered.Once you have the back lining cut out, start stitching it together with the fur. Work your way all around the outside until you’ve sewn the entire backing in place.Easy as can be! This project is great because it doesn’t require a sewing machine and it can be completed in less than two hours.

Fashionably Made: Faux Fur Stole

This is officially my favorite Fashionably MADE item to date! I had wanted a fur stole for some time but had yet to find one that was just right. I was at the fabric store with the intention to buy some material for another project when I came across the most perfect faux fur lining. By chance, I also found a very long and thin piece of scrap leather that was almost the exact length I needed to line the back of the faux fur!Sweater: Nordstroms, Blouse: Mira Mira, Fur Stole: Stacy, Slacks: Previous Fashionably MADE, Pumps: Steve Madden, Glasses: Marc Jacobs, Bracelets: David Yurman

I feel like this faux fur stole would work with so many outfits in my closet! The project was very easy to make and I’m planning to share the DIY instructions on the blog later this week.

A Little Weekend DIY

For months and months Christoph bothered me about wanting to get a new TV. Total waste of money in my opinion but he works so hard and it was something that he really wanted. I finally caved and let him get the TV but there was one stipulation:

- I would get a budget in the amount equal to the cost of the TV to put towards redecorating finishing decorating our apartment (win/win)Step one in my decorating: I was looking for a way to brighten up our entry hallway. It’s the first impression people get when they come in and the hallway is pretty dark and drab with very little natural light. I knew I wanted to use wallpaper to brighten the space. Since we are renting I was limiting my search to “renter’s wallpaper” that is supposedly removable without damaging the walls.

After a BUNCH of online searches I finally settled on this wallpaper. We put it up on Sunday and I love how it turned out! It was a minimal investment and it’s already making such a difference in the space. I have much more left to do so stay tuned as I continue to use my decorating budget!

Fashionably MADE: Meet my sister!

As both a craft and fashion lover, last year I was looking for a way to combine my two passions and turn it into a regular blog series. I came up with “Fashionably MADE” which would showcase an outfit that incorporated at least one handmade item. The item was usually made by me and on occasion, by another crafter. I’m happy to report that Fashionably MADE is back!This is a blouse that I made with my sister over the holidays (that's her wearing it!). Her style is classic basics with a dash of flare. She is in the process of expanding her blog The Modern Girl Guide to include recipes, home décor and fashion. She’s ADORABLE.Blazer:Banana Republic , Jeans:Banana Republic, Blouse: By Stacy and Candice

The blouse is cute but looks best when worn under a sweater or blazer. We didn’t follow a pattern and the end result was – well, less than perfect. But that's ok :)I think my favorite part of the entire project though was the time spent working together. There were lots of laughs and happy memories made along the way!

P.S.: My next Fashionably MADE post will include faux fur and leather. Get excited!

Fresh Start

You can make a fresh start at any point during the year. You don’t need the coming of a new year to do it! But, for me, a new year brings with it an opportunity to make a fresh start, to make changes, to grow, to improve and to challenge myself. I am extremely optimistic for what’s in store in 2012!

This year my goals are simple:
- I want to grow Hello Cupcake LLC: I’m on the brink of some hugely exciting opportunities that I’m just busting at the seams to be able to share!!!! Soon I hope! Soon.

- I want to make more time for relationships. I’m basically a workaholic. I’m always working on a project, creating something new or thinking about my next big project. I need to make more time for those I love in my life and for friendships that I value.

- I also want to chill out and stop sweating the small stuff. I’m a tad high strung. Just being honest.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how everything unfolds this year. We’re only a few days in but so far, my year is off to a great start.

Image by: Pablo Montanez

FYI: 2011 Goals

The 6 Month Mark

Hard to believe that six months has already passed since we said our “I do’s”! If you’ve been following the blog for a while you may have seen the amazing photos that our photographer snapped of our wedding. Today, I wanted to share a few candid’s that were taken long after the photographer had left by some of our guests. We had an instant camera on hand for our guest book and guests took it upon themselves to make sure and use up every last piece of film we had. The results: Amazing.

Most of these photos were taken during the last song of the night: Home, by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros.

It was one of the most magic moments of the night. All the guests came together and danced with each other and circled around Christoph and me. I have such a special association with that song now. What a perfect way to close out our wedding day!

Happy six month anniversary to us!