wheat

wheat. i like wheat. i like bread, pastas....lets be real, all things glutenous. however, one area that i normally don't use wheat in is my floral arrangements. but this last week i had the challenge of doing centerpieces for a Moore Family Center conference, a center that was funded by Bob's Red Mill. I am sure you recognize this name because you can find him in grocery stores everywhere around here. Anyways last week i needed to come up with 33 centerpieces that included the use of wheat. i ordered a giant box of wheat and when it came i opened it up, stared at it, then closed the box and walked away. Wondering, what on earth am i going to do with wheat. i tend to have this bad habit over over thinking things sometimes, especially when it comes to flowers. The last giant floral job i had i sat staring at buckets of flowers for a good couple hours before i finally made any progress on the 75 flower arrangements i needed to make. In my perfect world i would have tripple the amount of wheat, triple the amount of budget and make these full gorgeous arrangements with wheat worked in with the flowers. However, conferences have budgets so we went with a much simpler approach to things. 

Hand tied wheat bunches, and simple white flowers, and everything housed in mason jars. I pretty much wanted it to look like you went into your field, grabbed a handfull of wheat, and flowers and threw them into mason jars. Something homey and simple. To really hammer home the grain theme i also filled the mason jars with a variety of small grains. It A. acted as a way to keep the wheat standing up in a perfect position, and B. added a little out of the box interest to things. 

At the end of the day i was happy with how things turned out. i honestly have moments where i really wonder if i can pull something off but thankfully it really does always work out. phew! Here are a few pictures for you!

hope you have a simply wonderful wednesday 

more social media

Just when you think you have enough social media sites and apps to keep track of someone comes up with something new. I recently got on board with Vine...the new video twitter app that gives you 6 seconds of start and stop video to record the moments of your life that are interesting or not so interesting. I basically signed up just so i could see what it was all about. because frankly i dont think i have anything interesting in my life to video. However, its a cleaver concept and i wouldn't be surprised if this thing catches on in the near future. 

Another new site is ArchetypeMe. To me it's pretty much pinterest but way more in depth.  You create an account and take a test where it measures basically your interest and behaviors and spits out the areas you are most interested in. It then generates tabs in each of those areas and pulls websites, pictures, articles and other things that pertain to the different categories. However, the point is to basically add different articles you find to this site...you are pretty much pinning them like you would in pinterest. Why on earth would you want another pinterest? I know i kind of thought the same thing but it is more then just visual stimulation.  This site brings a visual aspect as well as more information and different types of information then what you would normally see in pinterest. I guess you could call this a more intellectual pinterest. Like pinterest it has a "me" button that you can add so you can save websites or articles you find interesting as your browse...you can browse what others have posted or what different Archetype categories bring up. It's kind of interesting. Not going to lie i was not a big fan when i heard of it but after taking the test, seeing the results, and playing around with it, i kind of like it. Will it become a new social media obsession of mine? Maybe not, but I definitely can see myself visiting the site here and there. 

And even if you dont plan on using it the test results were surprisingly right on point. 31% Creative, 30% Caregiver, 19% Visionary. That pretty much sums up me. I love to create, i am always taking care of something, but part of me is always thinking about what i can do better. 

Has anyone else tried out these new social media outlets? 

Hope you have a simply inspring tuesday 

wait we are already half way through february?

i honestly have no idea where this month has gone. i looked at the calendar this morning and some how its the 18th?! What?! It would be absolutely safe to say that the last couple weeks have been...hell...i mean hectic. i had one of my biggest events of the year Chinese New Year, had a wisdom tooth driving me nuts which ended up in emergency extraction on valentines day, celebrated with ice cream, made a pretty flower arrangement for someone, and finally had a little fun with some good friends. its been quite the month and i honestly just need this month to end already. it has been fast but super hectic and busy. i am ready for just a new month and a fresh start. but for now i am focusing on the next project. 32 flower arrangements for a conference this week and the kicker? i need to incorporate wheat. yep, thats right wheat...

here is what i've been up to lately...

pretty red tulips for Chinese New year 

A LOT OF CNY prep happened

 

along with some testing ( Chinese Scallion Pancake)

cny = red and lots of it! 

  

made an alterative valentines day bouquet for a much deserving wife i work with from her hubby

spent my valentines day at the dentist, on the couch watching movies, and thankfully ended it with a great friend date that included blizzards :) 

got to spend time with some old friends i don't get to see that often  

and now i am in a sea of wheat....wondering what im going to do with these 32 arrangements... lets hope i think of something and think of something fast. 

 what has everyone else been up to?

hope you have a simply wonderful monday. 

neon obsessions

i love bright colors. well let me scratch that i love color period. but it's almost like feb 1st hit and i NEEDED neons to be apart of my life ASAP. so i went and painted my nails bright pink, bought some outrageously bright flats, and a neon top.... and i feel oh so much better about life now. sometimes you just need some brightness in your life, especially when you live in grey ole Oregon.

 a couple of the neon gems i picked up recently 

my new brightly colored shoes 

my new pink nails and jcrew gorgeous clutch from my bestie

a couple things i would love to add to my neon collection

sources found here

how crazy are those hot pink pants??! i dont know if i could ever pull them off 

but they sure are darn cute! 

hope you have a simply cheerful thursday! 

Prep Week

oh hello February. not going to lie, I am happy to be out of the worlds longest month ever. this month is going to be a little crazy but a lot of fun at the same time. And I am kicking of this hectic month with the 3rd annual Chinese New Years dinner i do for one of the deans on campus. it is one of these events that always kind of intimidates me because of the large menu. It is a menu full of great Asian inspired hors d'oeuvres and desserts. And anyone who knows asian foods knows that they are known for their expansive ingredient lists. It's always a little of this and a little of that :) so this whole week is dedicated to prepping for this dinner. I have two years of experience doing this dinner now and i feel like this one might be the best

The last couple of weeks i have been racking my brain on what this year's dinner should look like. Most of the Chinese New years decorations you find out there can be a bit cheesy so I am really trying to find that happy medium between elegant and yet still festive. I felt like i was hitting a bit of a roadblock in terms of inspiration but i think i finally have a direction and i am sticking to it.

2013 is the Year of the Snake. And although Snakes can many times be seen as an enemy or demon they are actually considered a symbol of luck. Are you feeling lucky?

a little CNY inspiration 

hope you have a simply fantastic monday! 

absent

I must start by apologizing for my complete absence from this blog the last month. I am completely in love with the blog world and every day I look forward to reading the amazing words of others. The blog world continues to keeps me inspired in every way. And lately I have been coming to this little world I have created and feeling so uninspired and just blank. I stare at the screen with the blinking cursor and just freeze. This blog was started because i wanted a place to share my thoughts, events, and the simplicities of every day life. And maybe it's the fact that this past month has been so simple and so low key that i almost don't know what to do with myself. This past month has been about renewal, about focus, and discipline and about working some of the nitty gritty things out. Things that aren't necessarily fun to talk about in the pretty little blog world. But i am determined to reposition some of this new found focus into this blog. So bare with me. I already have a feeling that this year is going to push me into some new territory and although I often times resist big changes I am going to try my best to roll with the punches and continue to document my little life right here. 

so what fun/ boring things have i been up to the last couple weeks? 

cleaning my garage...i know...that picture on the left is mortifying and i can't believe i even posted it but my garage houses so much event stuff and after a busy fall it just builds up until you can't walk anymore. i still have some more organizing to do but at least there is walking space now :) 

drinking wine...even red wine... im slowly starting to love it

been living at the gym in the evenings. and you will never believe it but i've actually grown to enjoy my time here 

attended my first basketball game of the season

joined VINE...is anyone else on this? still trying to get the hang of it but i can already see that it might become a new social media addiction 

and my biggest accomplishment this month has been LEGALLY transferring my business from Cinta Dinners to Cinta Events. I now officially own the name, am registered with the state, and have a new tax ID. All just in time for my first event of the year coming up in two weeks. 

So maybe not a completely low key month...i guess it has been productive... My day job has been keeping me super busy and I have been able to keep up the productiveness outside of the office as well. well shoot...i guess 2013 is off to a pretty darn good start :) 

hope you have a simply wonderful Wednesday! 

baby shower goodness

my lovely co-worker is expecting her first little bundle of joy and of course i HAD to throw her a little work soiree. we decided to use our conference room and let me tell you, making that conference room not feel so cold and official is always a challenge. thankfully a couple carloads of decor later things started to look like a shower. I kept things pretty simple. Of course brought in the mason jars and stripped straws. Add in some brightly painted frames and ribbon and we were ready to party. Instead of a luncheon we held it at the end of the work day and did hor's devours and a sparkling punch. Not a bad way to end the day :)

So excited for Abby to welcome the little man into this world! I am going to die without her at work but i supposed she has a pretty good reason to be gone for awhile :) 

Hope you have a simply fantastic Thursday! 

taking the time

I must say that i am loving how 2013 is starting out. it feels great to have a new sense of focus and concentration on what i want to accomplish this next year. And this year I am trying to take my goals a little more seriously. 

Lara Casey, of Making Brands Happen is responsible for rebranding some amazing creative businesses. From wedding coordinators and designers to photographers and everything in between  She turns a business into a complete focused brand in every aspect. And at the beginning of 2013 she started a new series on her blog called Making Things Happen 2013 Goal Setting. Basically talking through how to successfully set goals and really diving into things much deeper. She has people analyzing what happened in the past year, thinking about what worked, what did not work. What makes you happy, what brings you stress, and really coming up with a complete vision for 2013. 

I must say that i have never been a big resolution person, but i do like goals. And my little business really needs some direction and focus on my part. The last couple of years i have just been flailing around, going with the flow and it is time to just focus on where I ideally want things to go. I am sharing this because going through the steps that she has laid out has been so helpful. Not just professionally but personally. Everything is linked and it is nice to take a big picture look at things and step back and evaluate. I have been taking the time to really think about things and I am still working through the process but I am making progress and feel completely re-energized. I honestly feel like this could be so helpful for everyone. We all have goals and things we want to accomplish and sometimes really taking the time to write it out and dig a little deeper into the whys, and hows can be just what we need to get our minds and hearts in the right spot to actually follow through. 

Hope you a simply thoughtful Tuesday 

back to reality

my goodness...anyone else wishing we could go back to the holiday's with less stressful workloads, quieter offices, and more down time, and more yummy food? as much as i love a new year, and a fresh start this week has been crazy and it's only wednesday! with school back in session campus is buzzing with students again and the last two days have put me right back into busy work mode. not that i am complaining :)

anyways, i am so thankful that i was able to have such an amazing birthday weekend! thank you so much to everyone who sent birthday wishes my way. i felt so much love the whole weekend long! so for now i am going to take a moment and relive the wonderful relaxing birthday weekend i had! 

mamma and i had AMAZING deluxe pedi's at Phiz Spa in Salem...pretty much heaven!

had a yummy family birthday dinner at Davinci Ristorante

got to make a trip to the amazing nike employee store! 

had some bestie time at Blowout. pretty much the best life decision ever. hair, makeup, lashes...the whole nine yards. and it was completely worth it. i need another special event so i have a excuse to go back! 

got to hangout with my favorites at The Nines

bestie love 

had amazing cocktails and dinner at Pink Rose in the pearl. if you haven't tried this place out yet DO IT...its fab and we had an amazing waitress who even treated us to free birthday shots :) 

 it was one fabulous birthday weekend. now it is back to reality and back to work. 

hope everyone has a simply wonderful wednesday!