Friday Favorites + March Recap

March, you’ve been one whirlwind of a month. I returned back home from vacation and back to normality a few days into March, and went straight into tons of work for a bridal shower, and my cousin’s baby shower that took place this past weekend. So it started out a little of a whack, but man did it turn into a really good month…One of the first big orders of the month. Endless mini desserts for an adorable baby shower. 

Playing around with this mockup centerpiece. 

The very first bloom in the garden.

This tree was just magnificent, and one of the very first I saw. It just happened to bloom during a cloudy few days, but it was still a beautiful site to see every day. Morning cuddle sessions with this guy. I’ve missed painting, and loved working on this piece for my cousin’s baby shower. Definitely planning on carving out more time to do painting once again.

I started the year with my “learning something new” as taking up Italian. The next on the list, was to work on my calligraphy skills. Since I knew there would be lots of hand writing projects for these last two showers, I knew March was the month to finally work on my writing skills and getting comfortable with my pen. I realized sometime mid-month having a conversation with J, that the things I enjoy doing on the weekends and during my free time, are most often activities that I do for work projects anyway; like painting, playing with flowers, designing, crafting, and baking. It’s been fun learning new skills and doing different things that make me happy, but feels great to know that it’s what I already do for work. 

Yes, that’s me on the brochure for the cooking school I occasionally teach classes and parties. Those kids are budding chefs!Stationery details from an ultra feminine bridal shower this past weekend, can’t wait to share. Leftover centerpiece flowers made mornings brighter. Aside form my ultimate favorite flowering trees, I was just loving the endless yellow bushes and trees. I don’t what it is but I am seriously digging yellow, especially tulips. From simply placed in a white pitcher, a favorite way of mine, or done whimsically in a centerpiece like this, it just screams Spring, even though the weather does show it.  

Oh you know just chatting with the exceptionally lovely Lauren Conrad about her new, and beautiful, book and website redesign. Waiting 2 hours in the cold was so worth it, she is as lovely as I had imagined.

Simplifying my life. I’m not sure if I continued to improve this goal, perhaps because these last few weeks consisted of long work days that went straight into just a few moments of relaxation before an early night off to bed. But this past week I started off April with my habit of reading this and this book. Now I have to get myself off the phone earlier at night. Except the occasional night you have to stay up late to watch this EPIC lip sync battle and laugh your butt off!

When I returned home this past Sunday afternoon, from an early morning of styling my cousin’s baby shower, and celebrating new baby Abrantes, and the last party of the weekend, I changed into comfortable clothes, curled into bed and completed relaxed as I began rewatching Outlander. {Guys, have you heard me to talk about this show too much. I might be beyond obsessed. Is it Saturday night yet??} I deleted the emails I needed to, quickly looked over my schedule for the week ahead, and then I just tuned off and allowed myself to immerse into television magic.

After a crazy busy month, I deserved this little break. I set out to make March about my career, to push myself through really schedules and to do lists. Plus, I finally signed up to showcase at a Bridal Show, just a few day before another jam packed few weeks prepping for communions and a first birthday coming up later this April. Yes, this busy weekend was simply the start of one busy month. Bring it on.

I sat back to reflect everything that I was accomplishing. The kind words of family, friends and new fans. It is not only encouraging, but motivates me to continue to grow, to become bigger, to make my business a success. I’ve definitely been feeling confident, after going over my schedule for the rest of the month, then next few months, only to realize all the jobs and fun projects I have coming up! And it just made me really happy. March thanks for a good one, April I’m looking forward to you!