On Just Saying No

We’ve been doing what we do for nearly a decade now and we’re constantly balancing, walking a tight rope between the core of what we do: event planning and design, and elements that support our business. Enter: blogging {we pen a wedding blog, too}, social media: Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and so on. Not to mention, balancing our personal lives: family, fun and social events. We truly love what we do immensely, so it’s sometimes hard to really set standards for what’s ON or OFF time and just saying no. While we have fun playing around and sharing sneak peeks of our work and connecting with awesome peers, shutting off or saying no can feel so darned good.

For quite some time we were the entertaining columnists for San Diego Magazine, and we have/currently contribute to OneWed, Celebrations at Home, Nook and Sea, numerous print magazines and our own blogs. We frequently get asked to contribute our expertise in articles or photo shoots, or sometimes host in-store events for brands or other such events. We have selected these great outlets to share our work with as we believe in them and enjoy writing or working with their editors. We find great joy in sharing on these platforms. And when guest posting or expert spots come around, we review with the same scope – do we enjoy this outlet? This writer? Will our tips or piece be well-received? Will this opportunity fit within the brand we’ve worked so hard to build?

 It’s okay to just say no. Life will go on. Twitter won’t come to a screeching halt. Your readership won’t plummet. Your phone won’t suddenly stop ringing with potential clients. But your own life will flourish if you learn to prioritize what’s truly important. We strive to put out quality and if something doesn’t pass our “scratch” test we’ll pass. 

We do know – it’s so easy to get caught up in what others are doing and to go with the current or grain. To want to jump onto projects or collaborations just because. We’ve been guilty of that. On any given day you can hop onto Twitter and see a flurry of posts about what I am doing. Who I am collaborating with. What brand I am partnering with. But at what cost? Often times these collaborations are a big time eater and you don’t hear about the behind-the-scenes stress of financial strain. Under the core of our business comes huge responsibility: taxes, interns, health care, and, huge on the list, our client work and daily tasks. We hear quite often others who are quite intrigued with what we do, where we’ve been seen, and current projects we work on and have shared that they’re overly impressed. We’re so grateful to have built our reputation to a level we’re proud of, but we’re also quite honest to discuss and share struggles or challenges. Sure, we were seen in BRIDES Magazine in print or we’ve got this project coming up, but this week was tough….  

Don’t just think about whether a project or collaboration will pay off financially {some of our best collaborations or contributions did not, but the result was more gratifying and rewarding with recognition, featured work or a huge press spot}, but what relationships will come from it. Consider if your name will get out there, if it will put you and your brand in a solid, positive light, or if you will enjoy the project. We certainly understand that you’ve got to start somewhere, and often times collaborations and partnerships are the way to start and to get your name out there. But be wary of what’s too much. Only you can gauge that.

 Map out a weekly plan of action for your CORE business – what brings in your bread and butter. And allot how many hours you could feasibly designate for collaborations, “free” work or time-consuming tasks. Whenever something comes across your desk see if it gels with your plan of action. If not, don’t be afraid to say no.

We’re the first to admit that for a while a few years ago we’d take most opportunities that came across our plates. But after getting slightly burnt out on photo shoots or collaborations that took away from the CORE of our business and life in general, without maximum reward, we carefully inspect each opportunity with a magnifying glass. They have to pass our test and sound like a whole lot of fun, in addition to being beneficial.

 The moral of the story is that it’s entirely okay to just.say.no. Do what you love, what you believe in, and what will inspire you and others. The rest will follow.

So friends, care to share if you have a tried and true “scratch” test? We’d love to hear how you balance!

Always.

-Valley & Co.

No matter how trying. No matter how unreachable. Always believe.

 

Effortless Entertaining with Muffin Tins!

We love coming up with fresh ways for entertaining guests at our client bashes and our own dinner parties and celebrations. There’s something so fun about hearing guests ooh and aah about simple ideas that are entirely creative and festive. Muffin tins are one of those household items that usually have one purpose: baking. We’ve spotted a few ways on Pinterest to reuse muffin tins: as ornament storage, flower pots and ice cube trays, but why not use them to serve up delicious bites to guests or as centerpieces with tea lights and blooms?

 

muffin tins || tea lights || cheese or charcuterie accoutrements {like apricot jams, spoons, crackers and cheeses}

Use the slots for apricot jams or herbed butters, crackers and walnuts. Stack delicious cheeses ready for nibbling and arrange in the center of your party tables – they can be passed easily and look so fun, don’t you think?

Some of our favorite family memories are those that have us all gathered around tables visiting, playing games, noshing on treats and just relaxing. We’ll be using this idea for our next hosted family bash – a fun twist on family-style eating and visiting.

Photos + DIY: Valley & Co.

Okay, friends…will you be using this idea for your springtime parties or weddings? How would you use muffin tins in your next bash?

Make It: Indoor Winter Terrarium

We’ve reached that time of year when the winter days grace us with their pastel presence, the sunlight is dancing just a bit longer and the ground is still frozen much of the day. Yet, springtime is on the horizon and it’s one of our favorite turns in time: with crocuses and daffodils budding and trees showing their green blooms. As we eagerly await Spring’s entrance, why not create your own winter terrarium you can enjoy indoors? Aleah grew up with my mom and grandma knowing and sharing everything there is to know about plants and flowers {really, truly}, so taking care of plants has been something special we both enjoy together.  

You can give your Green Thumb a bit of winter practice by creating a garden that’s colorful and au natural, filled with moss and ferns and cheery perennials.

 

Step 1. take a small perennial like a primorose {they’re abundant now at grocery stores and nurseries – we scored this one for $1} out of its container

Step 2. place a layer of dirt and rocks in the bottom of a clean glass vase 

Step 3. layer moss atop the dirt and rock and repeat until you’ve reached 1/2 of the vase 

Step 4. nestle the perennial into the vase

Step 5. use your scoop to fill in the rest of the terrarium with moss, dirt and rocks

 Cinch with a springtime ribbon and you’ve got an instant terrarium that will bring you joy indoors this winter.

Photos and project: Valley & Co.

So, bring the outdoors in and let’s anticipate springtime with a spot of joy in a vase!

DIY Paper Heart Glass Markers

Paper hearts are one of those staple Valentine’s Day items we kinda think you just need. They bring back fuzzy thoughts of received Valentines as kids from classmates and our parents and grandparents. Adorned with fuzzy stickers, candy hearts, glitter galore and hand written notes, paper hearts can be so versatile and decorated, yet they represent the same thing: LOVE. To make our Paper Heart Glass Markers

heavy duty paper {if you use glittered paper make sure it’s good quality so the glitter won’t fall off if touched} | scissors | a white pen

Step 1. cut your paper into squares {isn’t this velvet paper fun?}

 

Step 2. fold the paper in half with the back showing and trace out half of a heart {free hand it}

Step 3. cut out your traced heart with scissors, trying to cut inside the pencil line so it doesn’t show

Step 4. fold the cut heart in half again and cut a slanted notch out of the middle. This is where the heart will rest on the glass.

Pretty fun, don’t you think? You could create a whole slew of these for parties and weddings in other shapes, too – flowers, circles, butterflies and the like!

 

Photos and DIY: Valley & Co.

Hope you enjoy!