Coffee and Tea Collective's Grand Opening

Last night was Coffee and Tea Collective's grand opening shindig. It was actually more like a block party, and it was awesome. They had an amazing turn out. MIHO's food cart Stand & Deliver, Hess Brewing, and Amigo Booth were all there. That meant great coffee, beer, food and photo booth fun. We got to connect with so many friends, meet new ones, and celebrate this new addition to the neighborhood. There's not much that needs to be said, except for that Coffee and Tea Collective really knows how to throw a party.

( You can view the Amigo Booth photos here. )

chiced / 6

We went to the swap meet today. It was a gorgeous day, we enjoyed lunch, and found a lot of things that were on our list. That is the key to shopping at swap meets or thrift stores: a well thought out list. Without a list, you are likely to get things that you don't need or have the money for. No matter where you're shopping, you'll probably find something awesome. But be honest, do you need it? Have you been wanting it for more than a few weeks? All of these items that we picked up today are things that we have been wanting for the house or that I need for a wedding that I'm helping out with in August. What did you do this weekend? Do you ever go to the swap meet?

luce loft.

Last night we got to do something special for Luce Loft. We were really happy with how it turned out and we can't wait for next Thursday. The Tree Ring will be playing that night and let me tell you, it's going to be a great show. We were fortunate enough to be working at the loft the same that time they were rehearsing. It was amazing. You can see a clip of their rehearsal here and get info about Thursday here.

replay / vol. 4

1. We celebrated our anniversary last night at Prohibition. It was our first time there and we loved it.
2. I found some really pretty peonies for my grandma at Fresh 'n' Easy.
3. We thrifted this basket while we were in Palm Springs. Francine likes to hang out in it ever once in a while.
4. Patrick is happiest when he is on someone's lap and under a blanket.
5. I did a little work while enjoying a beer at Bottle Craft. That's one of my new favorite work spots.
6. I loved all the design details at The Ace. We're going to try and incorporate a wood design like this one in our loft.

I know it's been a little quiet around here lately. I'm having a really hard time getting back into my normal routine since coming back from our little Palm Springs getaway. Vacations are awesome, but coming home is a bit of a drag. Honestly, I think our vacation ruined me. I quickly adjusted to the 100 degree weather, relaxing by the pool all day, and practically living in my bathing suit. I was "freezing" when we got back to San Diego. I really enjoyed not having to cook, food showing up at our lounge chairs next to the pool, and not having to clean up after every meal. I loved coming back to our room to find a bucket of beer that magically appeared and that our bed had been made. I know I'm ridiculous. I'm just having a hard time getting motivated. How do you get yourself back into your routine?

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

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

creative connection sd / april

Here's a little look at last night's Creative Connection San Diego meetup.

There were so many talented features. Ana of We Love Citrus had the cutest raffle prizes (and business cards)! I really wanted to win the raffle, but I'll just have to visit her cute shop instead ;) Vanessa of Hello Vanny made our name tags and sign up sheet. They looked so great! Marie of 12 Signs Wine was also there with her selection of wines for us to taste. I told her that I'm more of a beer girl, I don't enjoy sweet wines, and that I haven't found many white wines that I like. Since she's the expert, I let her pick something for me. She made me try a chardonnay and I loved it!  I forgot to buy a bottle, but I'm going to make sure and order one soon. Bethann was our photographer this month. (I've blogged about her before.) Her work is always great and I can't wait to see the photos!

This month we had the meetup at Isari's studio in Solana Beach. It is such a beautiful and inviting space. So many pretty glasses, plants, cards, furniture, props, ribbon, and anything else you would need for event design. I'm glad we had the chance to visit because it was on the very North end of Cedros. I'm always on the South end, so I didn't even know this was there. It's definitely worth knowing about ;)

From these photos, it looks like there was only about 10 of us, but there were many more attendees. It was so much fun! Jessica and Marissa always do a wonderful job at hosting such a great event. I remember my first time going to CCSD. I was so anxious the whole day and especially on my way to the event. When I got there, Jessica and Marissa were so welcoming and it was very refreshing to talk with so many female creatives. It has been so inspiring and encouraging to make these connections with other women making their way in a creative field. I really look forward to every meetup. It's funny because I've talked to so many introverted women who confess to getting that anxiety before going to an event like this. But we all keep coming back. It's such a wonderful group of women. I would really encourage you to come if you can.

vol. 3

Last week was all fun stuff. This is what happened:

1. I made lavender lemonade using this recipe I found on Pinterest.
2. Our house plants finally got planted.
3. I went to an art show at the raddest apartment complex (thank you, Azy for the invite).
4.We watched our nephew while his parents went out for a date. I thought it was adorable when him and Philip fell asleep.
5. I had a very pleasant train ride on a gorgeous sunny day.
6. I had way too much fun with these two crazy ladies... Like, way too much fun.
7. I finally got my nose re-pierced.
8. I got to see my dad and the beach all in the same morning.
9. Patrick and I took Philip to work more than once.
10. I took way too many photos of Sarah's amazing home.

vol. 2

In no particular order, here's a little of what happened last week:

1. I was grateful to have two plates on the breakfast table. This only happens on the weekends, as Philip is at work during the week.
2. Patrick had lots of playtime at the park. This is his new friend Noi, a little Australian Shepherd puppy.
3. We picked up some beautiful ranunculus at the farmer's market (and realized just how affordable they are there compared to the grocery store).
4. I enjoyed a lot of lunches at home.
5. We got out new bulbs for our international customers.
6. We played around with some beautiful piano remains for a special project we're working on.
7 + 8. We had breakfast with some friends who were downtown for the day. This is my favorite breakfast at Craft + Commerce (and in San Diego).

closet mixology // a rainy day

Outfit details: 

chambray button up: H&M

cardigan: H&M

scarf: Forever21

watch: thrifted

leggings: Forever21

scrunch socks: Target

shoes: Forever21

(umbrella: Target)

Today is a rainy day here in San Diego. Rainy, but not freezing. I got away with wearing a light cardigan and a big scarf in place of any sort of heavy duty jacket. I've been wearing this scarf just about everyday because I love the chunky texture and the color. I've also been rocking the top knot everyday. It's just so easy and it's helping me cut back on my prep time in the morning (most mornings I haven't even dried my hair). When you look at where all of these pieces came from, you'll notice that I'm basically a walking billboard for the mall/ big chain clothing companies. But hey, that's what I can afford and what makes up a lot pf my closet, so here it is.

Philip needed a day of relaxing, so that's exactly what we've been doing. We had coffee and visited at Influx, bought new windshield wipers, and took Patrick out for a walk. That's it. We don't give ourselves many days like this, so we're being very intentional about doing practically nothing (and not feeling bad about it).

I added a about 5 new book lamps to the website this week (I'm currently working on putting them in our Etsy shop as well.) We want to keep adding more so that we can offer a larger variety. If you're looking for something specific, keep in mind that we always do custom requests (and a lot of them).