Huge Inventory Sale, April 21

Wedding Décor Inventory Sale

Hosted by Val Rasmussen and StellaPosy

Sat, April 21 (weather permitting)

8-10 AM PRIVATE SALE for wedding industry

10AM – 2PM Public Sale

1730 East Princeton Ave (1155 South)

Vases (galore), containers, wooden boxes, stainless steel prep tables, lounge seating chairs, candles, floral supplies, garden containers, wedding design books, and more event décor items.

801-949-5728

Cash only please.

STELLAposy: Bummer deal

On top of doing my taxes, then having my dentist give me a crown, my week has been less than stellar. This time last week, the reigns of my little flower company was about to be taken over by someone new. This someone was...well, perfect. She was professional, bright, charismatic and—the best part of all—passionate for weddings. In the 11th hour, she wasn't sure she could take the torch and thus, my heart was broken.

You see, I was thrilled to have someone come along and take StellaPosy to a new level, something I simply could not do with a new job and family responsibilities.

I understand its not an ideal time to buy a business. Or is it? I've heard from other wedding vendors that they are busy this year. Like, really busy. By no means is it 2007 (oh, the glory days), but the beehive of weddings is starting to buzz.

In an effort to cheer me up, my sweet husband told me that it must have not meant to be. This, by the way, is really hard for him to say because he doesn't believe this type of mumbo jumbo. So, who knows? Maybe StellaPosy will remain my treasure, my brand. Or maybe there's someone else out there whose dream it is to have a flower business.

But I digress. It's the weekend and the sun will be shining. A sweaty run to some good tunes should be the prescription needed to clear the clutter in my mind.

STELLAmommy: We Have a Climber

Thing 1 just figured out how to climb out of his crib. Nooooooo! I knew this would happen.

We got lucky with Thing 1. It never once crossed his mind as a toddler that climbing out of the crib would lead to freedom. Even when we did get him his "big boy bed", he never got out. A creature of habit and follower of rules (like me), Thing 1 is a dear in that respect.

Thing 2 is a whole different enchilada. He's confident in ways Thing 1 is not. This little iconoclast is the sweetest test of independence I know (much like his daddy). I've been in denial about getting a "big boy bed" for him because I knew he would be in and out of that thing like a revolving door. Darn it all.

Good bye crib. Hello big boy bed. Now, which to chose?

via Stella & Henry

via Iheartorganizing

via Land of Nod

via Stella & Henry

via Pottery Barn Kids

STELLAposy: Alt Summit Recap

You know how you spend your teenage years and twenties trying to find the right crowd to hang out with? Maybe you adjust who you are to fit in with the crowd you think you should be a part of? Then, you finally figure out who you are and look for the right people to expand the greater you?

That’s how I feel now looking back on the two days I spent at the Altitude Design Summit. OK, I didn’t sport the high bun or the bright red lipstick (the uniform of choice for fashionables at Alt), but I felt like, “Hey, these are my peeps. I don’t know any of them, but I kinda do.”

This being my first year, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I relied on my friend/art director/food blogger/veteran Alt attendee, Heidi Larson of Foodiecrush, to be my guide. And thanks to a last minute connection with another friend, Larkyn Mungovan of Little Willow, I had my two buddies to keep me comfortable in this 500+ mob of creatives. We did our own thing then “checked in” with each other in between panels and for lunch. We had a good system.

Not only was I an Alt rookie, I’m a media rookie. I’ve spent the last seven years running an event and floral design business and it was just this year that I got the opportunity of a lifetime to be the Editor for Utah Bride & Groom magazine (which I love). Simply, I went to Alt to get a better understanding for online media.

Naively I thought that I would find the answers to “How much money do bloggers really make?” or “Are magazines a dying breed?” There was no mention of dollar amounts and only time will tell if magazines will exist when my kids are media readers.

Admittedly, I felt a little lost the first day. In panels like “Site Dos and Don’ts” and “What Can Small Sites Learn from Big Communities?”, I was definitely the rookie amongst the experts. It was a little overwhelming/daunting/exhilarating.

I didn’t start seeing the big picture until now—days later—after letting all the eye-candy fashions, media superstardom, and sponsored mini-parties set in. (I also had to let my conference cold subside.)

The bigger picture also came to me after reading this post in the Huffington Post about Alt Summit. Author, Estelle Hayes, refers to these micro-mommy-economies grass roots effort as "Blog-powered stylists, designers and event planners [who] are relentlessly reshaping everything from store design to food trends to wedding aesthetics." To me, it all seems a little MLM-esque; I-help-you-you-help-me philosophy, but hey, it's the entrepreneurial spirit at its best….and best-dressed.

This was no how-to conference. No, this bunch didn’t need lectures or tutorials. They just needed a little this-is-how-I-did-it-now-you-throw-your-own-magic potion-into-it-and-see-what-happens. All in all, it was pretty magical.

Here are a few of my fave moments of Alt:

1. I can’t tell you how the phrase “Days are long. Years are short.” from Gretchen Rubin, author of the Happiness Project, resonated with me. I can honestly say that alone has changed my attitude since Alt.

2. Devoutly listening to media mavens Pilar Guzman, Deborah Needleman, Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, discussing “The Relationship between Traditional Media and New Media.” Seems like the jury is still out on this question, but the two worlds are definitely colliding.

3. During this keynote I couldn’t decide if I was impressed or concerned by the two 20-somethings I sat next to who tweeted pedantically during the keynote. Feeling like the old-fogey for one of the first times ever in my professional career, I asked her, “Did you tweet the entire keynote? How did you do that?” She laughed (like young folk do to old folk when they’re really thinking “You’re too old to get it.”) and ever politely told me, “It just takes practice.” Cute.

4. Ben Silbermann of Pinterest. Is that guy humble or what? His “west coast thinking” that Pinterest is about a "community of sharing" was endearing (although secretly, I was screaming to him in my head, Ben, seriously, how much money are making?) and I loved when he said to hire people smarter than yourself. Then followed up with, “I wouldn’t get a job working at Pinterest if I tried now.” That guy deserves to be making millions.

5. I loved, loved, loved my roundtable session with Jaimee Rose, Journalism Basics for Bloggers. After all, journalism is the heart of all this banter. May as well do it right. (Wait, was that grammatically correct?)

6. Via twitter during lunch, I scored a one-on-one interview with Emily Henderson. Eeeeks. I’m a big fan, so that made my year. You can see the interview over here at Utah Style & Design magazine.

7. I loved going through my card collection at the end of the conference to recall who I met. I felt like a nobody going into the conference and left feeling like I was maybe, just maybe, a part of a club, or a movement, or a revolution of sorts. Time will tell, I guess.

8. Lunch was superb. Oops, did I just admit to lunch being amazing? Well, yes, it was (this mommy never gets to sit down to enjoy a meal like that).

9. Sitting in the front row at everything. Nerd alert.

10. Somewhat unrelated to anything design, I was soooo proud of my city, the host. All the out-of-towners spoke highly of our little city and I was beaming with pride. Thanks Salt Lake City and the Grand America for looking so cool.

photo via design crush

STELLAme: A Look Back on 2011

Everyone is blogging about their New Year's resolution for 2012. Well, like most things—dinner dates, doctor's appointments, puberty—I'm a tad late. But there's a really good reason for that. I'm still basking in the glory of hitting many of my 2011 resolutions.

As the clock struck midnight last year, I felt defeated. Without going into a rant about how exhausting I thought my life was (negative rants in the blogosphere really annoy me), the best word to describe it was unbalanced. Ok, ok, life was not really that bad. My boys were growing like weeds and absorbing the world right on schedule according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, The Mister's career was taking off, my floral business was doing okay despite decreased spending on weddings, and we were surrounded by the most loving and giving community of friends and family.

So, duh, what was there to complain about? It was quite simple. I felt like I was living behind a veil of to-do lists and chores. So much so, I didn't have time to enjoy this snazzy life. Last year I resolved to live a more balanced life. I wanted time with The Mister and, more importantly, I wanted time to myself. This wasn't just more time, folks, I needed any time. I craved order and predictability. Lastly, spending hours a day with my toddlers/"lunatics"/"the littles"/"Thing 1 & Thing 2" was driving me to seek out intellectual stimulation beyond Thomas the Tank Engine.

Fast forward to now, I'm coming to terms with the fact that life is NOT predictable and tied up with a pretty little bow. I can't control everything. Life is chaotic...especially with kids.

When I did weddings, I'd always have a bucket (or several, if I over-ordered) of extra flowers just in case I needed them at the last minute. I referred to it with my staff as the "Oh Shit Bucket". Oh shit, the bride wants a last minute corsage for her ex-sister-in-law who didn't RSVP. Oh shit, that hydrangea is wilting. Oh shit, the intimidating eastern-European pastry chef needs more flowers for his precious cake. The "Oh Shit Bucket" came in handy every.single.time.

The impossibility to obtain perfection leads me to conclude that life needs an "Oh Shit Bucket". Whether that includes money set aside for a rainy day, wipes and the extra diaper in the car in case of an emergency blow-out, or the energy to get through mile 23 at the end of the day that includes bath, clean-up, reading stories, and stall tactics of being thirsty, having to go the potty, or one more back/tummy rub. The ability to laugh at mistakes, instead of dwelling on how imperfect you are, is a nice reserve to have in the "Oh Shit Bucket." So is that one hug left at the end of a bad day to offer up to a deserving spouse.

Back to balance. I'd like to think in the passage of family life, I rounded a big corner this year. My baby is 2, which means I'm giving away baby items, I'm sleeping through the night (well, mostly), and I can leave my kids for a date with my hubby without hearing blood-curdling screams of "Moooommmyyy!" as I walk out the door. Alone time for me now is being able to confidently drop the kids into day care to work-out or reading a great book before I go to bed every night. It's not much, but I'll take it.

Oh, I also said, "No," to a number of things last year, which has helped tremendously in the free time category. And with great restraint, the hubs and I took two measly trips this year to save some dough.

With just a teeny, tiny, eensy-weensy bit of freedom, I had more date nights, more nights to myself, read more books, and went after a job I am crazy about. Mission accomplished.

What's to come this year? Well, I'm still thinking. Like getting my driver's license at 16 1/2, I'm taking my time. For now, here are some noteworthy events from 2011:

Our holiday card this year. Traveling with toddlers is really only fun if you end up here.

I crush on this photo of my man on the beach.

Thing 1, just before his 3rd birthday. First chair lift ride at Solitude.

Worth it's weight in gold: the Double Bob. I suppose the 2 kids + a friend is one too many passengers, but oh well.

Thing 2 just before getting tubes put in his ears. In retrospect, it wasn't that big of a deal. At the time, it was heart-wrenching and overwhelming to see all the little kids in the waiting room at Primary Children's Hospital. He was such a chunky monkey.

Thing 1 and Thing 2 in the floral cooler.

Yea, we go out. Sometimes. Ok, really not that much.

Behind the scenes of my new job as editor for Utah Bride & Groom magazine. Imagine shopping for wedding gowns without a budget. So.much.fun.

The first true interactions between the boys began this summer joking with each other beside the pool.

Ten-year-old Bailey Belle, our "first child", passed away this July. To this point, the decision to put her down was one of the most difficult decisions we've ever had to make as a couple. Hands down, the worst day of the 2011.

We let Bailey eat Banbury Cross donuts the morning we put her down.

Hiking around Park City 4th of July weekend.

Another somber moment. Grandma Cece, age 98, passed away this year. Her flowers were cheerful in all her favorite colors.

I love to dance. Spearhead at Red Butte Garden did not disappoint.

View of the Grand Tetons from Driggs, ID.

Love this shot. Boys wrestle like puppies. You think they are going to kill each other, but they somehow know their boundaries.

Just because.

My main squeeze at a friend's wedding at St. Regis Deer Valley.

Behind the scenes of another photo shoot for the magazine.

My last wedding at Empire Canyon Lodge was beautiful.

Enjoying lunch on a fall hike to Secret Lake, Alta.

First costume change.

Second costume change.

Said goodbye to the baby books. Yippee!

Oh yea, I'm 2 (with a sweet booger in my nose).

T takes to the lanes at Jupiter Bowl in Park City.

Our first Thanksgiving at our house.

Booyah. Turkey's done.

We called this The Great Toddler Christmas Adventure. Dinner and treasure hunt at The Grand America with a train ride to see the lights at Temple Square. By golly, a three-hour tour with two happy toddlers was a Christmas miracle.

Baby, this cupcakes is dewishous. Uh-huh.

Thing 2 gets up on skis for the first time at PCMR. After all my years of teaching other parents' kids, I finally get to teach mine to ski. A very proud mama moment, indeed.

Ta-da! My first issue is out on newsstands now. Cover photo by the lovely Sparkle Photography.

Royal Wedding Wow: What does all this hoopla mean for Utah brides?

As I watched the Royal Wedding I was transported to a younger freckled-face version of me getting goose bumps while watching a Disney fairy tale. Today, I had butterflies seeing the future Queen of England with her cool-as-a-cucumber face walk down the aisle to the sound of the glorious church bells clanging in the background.

First off, the dress. I LOVED it! It was classic, yet modern and modest, yet fitted and a bit sexy with the see-through lace and the plunging neckline. Tailored, yet feminine as well. We will be seeing versions of Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen's gown for years. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see it this year walking down the aisles of some our Utah venues. Unlike Princess Diana's over-the-top (some might throw in the word "cream puff" here) gown, the style of Kate's dress is gracefully understated and thus, less-expensive versions of this dress will be very accessible to the average wedding gown consumer (or "commoner" if you would like to practice your British accent here). Bridal boutiques, stock up on this one.

The flowers....thumbs up! Hollywoodlife.com reports, "Shane Connolly, the florist responsible for decorating Westminster Abbey with eight maple trees, also designed Kate Middleton's gorgeous bouquet. Kate requested the wedding theme to be 'unpretentious, simple and natural,' which is also reflected in her flower arrangement."

Royal Wedding Flower Trends? Number one: smaller is better. Number two: all-white bouquets are here to stay. The mix of the lily of the valley and the hyacinth in her bouquet must have smelled like an English country garden in the spring.

Debonaire. 007. End of story.

Now, for the evening gown. Sorry to say this, but I was anticipating something a little more mermaid shape and less 'cute'. I think she could have gone for a little more pizzaz, however Kate can wear a paper sack and still look amazing, so I'll give her this one.
On the other hand, the evening gown on sister Pippa is GORGEOUS! (Here's a piece of advice to anyone getting a spray tan for their wedding. Try it a few times BEFORE you actually need the tan.)

If there was any question before about Kate Middleton being a style icon, then after this Royal Wedding she has sealed the deal. The best part of her display of simple modernity with classic regal touches is that, like photos of Grace Kelly's wedding, this wedding style is truly timeless.

Beyond the aesthetics of any wedding, the most valuable lesson Kate has given future brides-to-be is this. Your wedding style should interpret who YOU are above all else. Obviously I don't know Kate personally, but what I could interpret from her wedding style is that she did not give in to the pomp-and-circumstance of the crown she's wearing. And while she's not a rogue among the army of royals, her unpretentious bouquet and modern dress leads me to think she's a little bit of a rebel to tradition. Kate has left her style stamp on history, so if your a bride-to-be reading this, what's your style stamp going to be?