Flatlays and Me

So much for making things happen. More than a year of not posting anything. So what have I been up to? So much. Maybe even too much. A dear friend said I have "ADHD" because my interests come and go. I am enthusiastic about certain things but easily move on to the next. Thinking about it, I agree. It may be because of the various Instagram-ers and Pinterest-ers I follow. I follow calligraphers, paper cutters, cooks/chefs, gardeners, interior designers, lifestyle bloggers, DIY-ers, millenial moms, floral artists, furniture makers, bakers, photographers and other artists. And I want to do what they are doing. I want to do them all. Due to that, I may not be doing anything productive at all. Here are my top interests these past year/s.

Cooking
To those who know me since childhood, this may come a surprise. My Mama once told me, "You should know how to cook; you'll be a wife one day." To which I answered, "I'll have a help." Lo and behold I became a wife and a mom but never hired a help. I wanted to be hands on with my precious baby. And partly because I can't find a relative that can be our helper and having someone I don't know is not an option. I'm kinda paranoid like that. So I don't have a choice but to cook. Then I got tired with the usual dishes and became interested in discovering flavors and ingredients and there's Masterchef. To Youtube I went and learned. And loved going to the market and being in the kitchen.

Baking
This is a recent interest because I was too scared to try it due to the statement I heard more than once, "baking is a science; it's precise." But Laura in the Kitchen and Bigger, Bolder Baking encouraged me to just go for it. I did and amazed myself. I already made cinnamon rolls, lime squares, donuts, dacquiose and (sold) mulberry loaf cake and crumble. This bread/pastry lover is dancing to Pharell's Happy.

Crafting
This, I claim, is my talent. Well, I need to claim something since I'm not blessed with angelic vocal cords or dancing feet. This is my workstation and that's the most organized it can get. Raising my left hand.

Home Interior (and Exterior) Design
We have a bed and breakfast project that started last year. Pinterest, Instagram and Real Living magazine became my best friends during the design process. Hardware store visits became a weekly thing with my husband, who's into construction. There is such joy in designing. Now I want to own multiple homes and shops to design. (dreaming...)

Calligraphy
Thanks again to Instagram for this. This interest was fueled by a friend's wedding where we needed to write the Love verses from 1 Corinthians. I discovered it can be quite expensive to have someone do it so I tried to do it myself. It was fun actually but I figured that months or years of practice is needed to make a professional looking board. So I had a big help in making this. (It's an insider secret.) I am happy with the results that I am planning to turn this into a business. Light bulb moment there.

That is me in a big nutshell. I want to wear multiple hats. However, I'm always a wife and mom (in that order) before any of these. But, and a very big but that is, I am God's daughter first and foremost. My ultimate desire every day is to honor Him first. Maybe He'll use these things and skills for me to bring glory to Him. I know more than a couple of times I have blessed others thru these. And that is all because of His grace. The "ADHD" in me may not want to be doing any of this in the future but one thing I pray that will remain always, that I be a disciple of Christ, worshiping Him in being a wife, a mother, a daughter, sister, friend and whatever else I'll be doing.

My Wedding and Event Styling Business

I made this blog eons ago as I started my wedding and event styling business, then named Events by Frainge. I even posted some events I did and the website I asked my friend to make.

I had some clients since then but not the number I initially targeted. It's fan-based; it'll take time- a friend said. I agree. But I'm sure I could have more, if I marketed my business well. Some people I know are not even aware about what I do.

A year ago, I decided to rename my business to keep the glory away from me and bring it back to the one who gave me the passion and skills- God. It's now known as Wedding and Event Stylist by Grace because I do it all by the grace of God. Most inquiries start with, "Hi Ms. Grace!" but I don't mind.  It is my pleasure explaining to them about what grace is.

I didn't make a website for this new name yet. I only have an ever reliable Facebook page. Hope you'll have time to visit and remember it when you or a friend is looking for a stylist. (Shameless plugging, i mean, marketing. ;))

Make Things Happen

So my last blog post has been a year ago. I didn't realize that before I decided to make this post about making things happen.

My 2014 was generally  like that- quiet. Passive. I wallowed more on things that are not happening more than making them happen. I have a lot of ideas, dreams and goals that I have been holding on to, planning, and wishing/praying/hoping for. And sadly, passively waiting for them to happen. I have endless notes that I've revisited only for a few times. I even have a written business plan but I'm pretty sure that when I review it, it would only have a few goals checked.

I am an advocate of waiting for God's perfect timing. I know that God answers prayers and that things will come to pass in His perfect time. But I also know that God gave us skills, abilities and talents that we should use to the fullest. The dreams and passion God deposited in us are things we could use to advance His kingdom and honor Him. So I am making these dreams and plans happen. I know that I can only do it thru the grace of God and if it's not in His plan for me, then only He can stop it.

My pledge for this year is to make things happen and I'm going to document them in this blog. I hold you, whoever you are, accountable. I you don't see me making blog posts or sharing anything on social media, then you can scold me thru any means you can. Ha!

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not whither- whatever they do prospers. - Psalm 1:1-4

First DIY on a Tip Tuesday

Yesterday, for Merry Monday, I posted a Parisian-chic birthday party by Gideon Hermosa on my Facebook page. Today, I posted a really cute DIY from Oh Happy Day.

I've been visiting Oh Happy Day's website if I want easy and unique craft projects and party ideas. The site is full of vibrant and pretty pictures that make me really oh so happy. The instructions are easy to follow, too. Jordan, the lady behind it is a genius! And how I love their family's lifestyle. They spent a year in Paris, which is my dream looooong holiday destination. Now they are based in San Francisco, California, staying in a huge flat and leasing a two-floored studio, which is one of my goals (to have a studio/office, that is.)

Here's the link to her Mini Paper Flower Party Hat tutorial: http://ohhappyday.com/2013/04/mini-paper-flower-party-hats-diy/

Don't forget to visit my website, too. www.eventsbyfrainge.com. I need more traffic. :D Thanks!

Up Ahead

Happy New Year!

One of the things in my to-do list this year is to have a blog post or at least a Facebook post every day except Sundays. I know I wanted to make this blog active eons ago but hadn't. This time, I'm taking it seriously (*prays*).

I like to write my own posts like DIY's and events I style but there aren't a lot of those yet. So for the mean time, I'm gonna share with you posts from my favorite blogs.

On this blog or on Facebook, we'll have these:

Merry Mondays: not-a-wedding-event that I find cool or wonderful.
Tip Tuesdays: Do-it-Yourself projects that are worth sharing
Wedding Wednesdays are well, about weddings.
Throwback Thursdays. Why would I go far from what people are used to? But it won't be childhood pictures of me! I'll post some pictures on events or projects I did in the past.
Friday Fact: a legal advise about getting married or any fact I'll find useful in planning events.
Weekend Getaway is a feature on an event place in Baguio or anywhere up north.

There. Hopefully, I'll be able to sustain this. Let's see how it goes. Excited for the year ahead!

this is it!

I started this blog a year ago to announce to the whole world (or at least to my family and friends. haha) that I seriously want to be an event stylist. Seeing pictures of events with different themes and how designers creatively put them together make my heart race. I know every time I come across weddings or parties by White Lilac, Inc, Preston Bailey, Rock and Roll Bride, Passion Cooks, Gideon Hermosa or those posts from Style Me Pretty and Bride and Breakfast, that it is a God-given passion and dream. All I can do then was to pray and hope for God's timing to start my own event styling and coordination business. I have a loooong way to go before I become like them but I know that journey will all be worthwhile. :')

So after a year of having online and offline classes on business and event management, reading numerous blog posts and being inspired by countless projects of designers, stylists and crafters, while being a full-time mom, I can finally say this is it! This is really is it! LOL

I can now write, Occupation: Event Stylist and Coordinator. Ha!

To start the business, I had my website done by one of my best friends, fellow nurse-but-not-a-nurse and web developer, Kylie (http://www.kylieanne.me). I'm thankful she shifted careers; she's excellent in what she does now. And I got to pay "presyong kaibigan" for a professionally done site! Woohoo.

Here it is folks, http://www.eventsbyfrainge.com

Please visit it and share it to your friends, especially the ones planning a wedding or any celebration anytime soon. Enjoy!

S+J: Yellow and Teal I Do's

September 2012. One of my bestest best friends (no, actually sister from another mother) tied the knot. I was privileged to be their semi-stylist and coordinator. We only had a little more than a month preparation for their big day.

These are the few things I made for their wedding. The peg was lawyer weds an outlaw. Just kidding, Spencer! But seriously, since my friend is a law student, we added some elements of law. In fact, their invitation was like a court summon. I love how the bride wrote it. (Too bad I don't have a picture of it and other details. We are still waiting for the official photographers' photos.) For the other stuff, I added her love of paper, books and pens (pun intended).

One of the two photobooths. This also served as a welcome facade for the ceremony. I would have wanted it to be taller, if only the resort knows how to measure 6 feet. :) I made my own printed paper for this.

This part would have been awesome and fun if it was a success. I should have assigned a person to man it and not just relied on the guests to explore. Anyway, these are just bottles covered with yarn.

I printed the date on white pillow cases. I also made bride and groom pillows. Again, I don't have a photo of those. *sigh*

For the escort cards, we used the guests' aliases aka nicknames. ;)  Lesson learned: escort cards and seat assignments don't really work well with 400 guests (who most do not know how to RSVP, may I add).

For the table centerpieces, we used law books. I made small books that also served as table names. The names are anything about them. Tomato is the brand the bride loves. Others were Love, Bebe, Nike. The background was the cartoon my dear husband and number 1 supporter/ staff made for them. It was also used for the other (read: real) photobooth. 

The books had blank pages for the guests to write their messages on. It was a last minute (or week, to be exact) decision. If we have decided on it earlier, I should have made it like a slum book, putting questions like "How many children should S+J have?", "What should they name their first child?" and "What will S+J's first fight be about?".

 For the rest like the flowers, we just gave instructions to the venue on what we wanted. I got LOTS of lessons and insights from this wedding. Thanks, Nay and Pen for making me your stylist/coordinator. Your 10th anniversary will be much better! ;D