greetings from palm springs

We are really enjoying our weekend getaway! Poolside food and drinks, live DJs, an amazing room, but most importantly, being together and away from work. This trip has been such a blessing! What did you do this Memorial Day weekend? BBQs? Enjoy the beach or a bike ride?

I'm truly grateful for what Memorial Day really means: celebrating men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom. Someone in our life specifically is our brother-in-law, Danny. Danny, we love you and are so proud of everything you do; not only for Kaleigh and Mary Jane, but for us and our country. You are in amazing man and we are proud to have you apart of our family.


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....As a last note, here are some randoms from around the web:

Jesse and Becky took some photos of the lovely Jessica Packard (and her cute little Bella). They also interviewed her. See it all here.

You definitely want to keep up with what Doug and Beca are doing. There's always something awesome happening in their home/ studio.

Rachel made a super cute outdoor mobile (I'm all about outdoor furniture and decor right now).

Speaking of outdoor furniture, how great is this handcrafted rocking chair?

san diego creatives video

This week we're on a little getaway in the desert. We're currently out near Palm Springs, but we will be there on Monday and staying at The Ace. We're celebrating Philip's birthday, our anniversary, and just needed to get away and relax! No work, no orders, no e-mails..well, I guess blogging is technically work, but I don't think of it that way ;)

Just wanted to stop by with a quick hello and to share this video. We had the privilege of working with Shaun of Boyte Creative. When I say "working with" I feel like I'm making our role sound a lot more involved than it was. The whole project was so much fun for us. Shaun came over to film and interview us a few days, but it was mostly hanging out with an awesome new friend. He wrote about our brief time together and basically explains how we were all supposed to be friends (the two of us, him, and his girlfriend Kelsey). Shaun and Kelsey are moving, so our friendship will grow in a different way than we would have thought. It was funny timing, but we now have friends that we'll get to know over e-mails, daily Instagram comments, and by keeping up with each other's blogs. We will hopefully get to take advantage of road trips to their new place in Colorado as well. We were honored to be apart of such an incredible project. We can't thank Shaun enough for creating this and to Kelsey for letting us steal Shaun in these very last days while they packed and searched for a new home in a new city.

Also, thank you to everyone who has already given so many sweet and encouraging comments upon watching this video. We couldn't do what we do without all of the love and support from everyone around us. Truly. It would be impossible without you all and we're so grateful that we're able to live out this little dream of ours.

-Philip and Chelsea

did you see?

There's a new pendant lamp in the shop. The handle is dipped in white. We're coming out with more colors soon. You can see more details here.

light fixture install / coffee and tea collective

           

            
     


Philip and I recently designed some light fixtures for a new coffee shop that opened here in San Diego called Coffee and Tea Collective. These are some photos from when we were installing them. Actually, I didn't do much. I was mostly there for moral support. ;)

The wood for the chandeliers was from some old pianos. These pianos were salvaged from a shop just a couple doors down. As painful as it was to destroy such beautiful instruments, they were on their way to the dump to rot. The wood was beautiful. Philip even used some pieces that still have the hinges on them. We took the ivory tops off the piano keys to incorporate into it as well.

My cousin Brett was nice enough to come down that afternoon and help Philip with the electrical stuff. Shaun was also there (He's the one with the fancy camera.) We've been working with him on a special project and it has been so much fun. I'm glad that he got to be there.

Coffee and Tea Collective's soft opening was the next day. It is such a gorgeous shop and their coffee is amazing! I'm so glad that they allowed us to design these fixtres for them. If you get a chance, stop by their shop to say hello (you'll be greeted by the friendliest people you've ever met) and to enjoy an incredible cup of coffee.

2911 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, Ca 92104

shop update / quality over quantity

I've listed this birdcage veil in the shop, along with the flower girl headband. This is the veil that I recently made for a friend. I was so happy with how it turned out and so was she (which of course is my ultimate goal). I'm hoping to keep my inventory pretty limited so that I can really focus on each piece and how they turn out. I'm extremely happy with what I have in there so far. That's much better than a bunch of things that I'm not in love with (which is what it was like for me before). Quality over quantity is definitely my goal.

Also, for the first time (maybe ever) I'm realizing that people are hiring me because they trust my taste / design style..whatever you would call it. That may seem like a no brainer, but I didn't fully understand that until recently. See, I have this problem with worrying about disappointing people. It's something that I dwell on the entire time that I am creating something. It really gets in the way of being confident in what I'm doing. Lately, I've been able to let that go and just create. It is so freeing! It hasn't just changed the outcome of what I'm making, but made the whole process so enjoyable for me. That's when I do my best work- when I enjoy and feel confident in what I'm doing. So thank you everyone who trusted me to make / design something them. It has been a huge encouragement for me and I appreciate it more than you know.

xo
Chelsea

the shop's open

I've re-opened my shop! It's going to be a very long and slow process of restocking as I create new pieces.   A lot of people have asked about my shop and why I had it closed. Well, I needed a break from making wedding pieces for a while. I wasn't very happy with the style that my shop had taken on. Therefor, it was becoming more of a burden than something I was enjoying. When we moved, I couldn't even look at all of my supplies (I have a lot of them) without feeling anxious or overwhelmed.

Recently, I made a hairpiece with a birdcage veil for a friend that's getting married later this month. I loved how it turend out and it inspired me to start sketching out new ideas for the shop. Today I made this flower girl headband and decided to re-open the shop. I'm going to start with just headbands and hairpieces at first. I still don't have a lot of free time to dedicate to my Etsy shop. I am in a wedding this summer, I'm helping design and create all the decor for another wedding, and I'm trying to keep busy with Typewriter Boneyard.

In other news, I started watching Downton Abbey today. OH. MY. I am SO addicted! I honestly thought I wouldn't like it, but I'm all in. Sheesh! Because that's what I need- another tv show to be obsessed with.

happy birthday tumbleweeds!

Did you hear? Tumbleweeds officially turned one today! How exciting! If you don't know about Tumbleweeds, you are missing out. Doug and Beca have worked just about everyday and night for the past year to make this dream happen. Like, literally, I think their bodies gave up on needing sleep. Their hard work and massive intake of caffeine has definitely paid off. Their business has taken off big time and they're still making everything by hand, all by themselves, one detail at a time. They are doing an incredible job and I am so happy for them. If you read Beca's blog or have the privilege of meeting them in person, you can tell that they truly love what they do. Like you just know how much heart goes into every pair of sunnies. 

Not only are they amazing artisans, but they are just about the nicest couple you'll ever meet. They are so genuine, giving, and compassionate. Not to mention amazing treasure hunters :) I am so so glad that I got to know  these two (and their sweet boys) while they were still in San Diego:

(Beca, Patrick fell in love with you the first day he met you and you fed him a popsicle)

I really miss these guys, but am so happy for them as they're in this current phase of life. I mean, who wouldn't want to be living in the middle of the forest, in the cutest house ever, working from home with your best friend, doing what you love?

In honor of their business's first birthday, they're doing a giveaway. Yep, you can win a pair of our own  handcrafted Tumbleweeds sunglasses! Beca's got all the details on her blog. Check these guys out and wish them a happy birthday! 

Stalk these guys:

SHOP

TWITTER

BECA'S BLOG

DOUG'S BLOG

FACEBOOK

BECA'S INSTAGRAM

DOUG'S INSTAGRAM

color crush / 2

I took these photos using the free-lensing technique that Elsie shared on her blog. I kind of love how they turned out. I also wasn't expecting to get this little color combo out of the bouquet I bought today. I thought the entire bouquet was just one solid color (I like the multi colored bouquets, but it's all they had). To my surprise, I found these four little cuties hiding inside. Don't you love surprises like that?

chiced / 5

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Here's a great idea from Annica's blog. You just need these four things (bonus if you already have some of them at home). Even if you don't have them already, they aren't that costly and the end result is definitely worth it. You could put this next to the bathtub like this. I think it would also make a great and simple side table next to the couch or a chair.

on the menu / tuna salad stuffed avocado

This tuna salad was super easy and quick to make. I originally made it for the tuna melts we had for dinner last night. I was extra hungry and had it stuffed in an avocado for  snack afterwards. I think that next time I'll add either shredded lettuce (for more crunchiness) or pasta for more substance. Enjoy!

Vintage Wedding Dress

This lovely dress is currently living in my closet. It was worn in this photo shoot, which was featured on Ruffled, as well as Engaged and Inspired. It is so beautiful in person with very delicate details. I just can't bear to send it to the Goodwill. That's why it's for sale through The Gown Swap. I think it would make a great wedding dress maybe for a small/ casual wedding. If you are interested in purchasing it, you can do so here. If you have any questions about it, you can send me an e-mail: chansen.213@gmail.com