Elevate

This will be the first of many posts about Elevate.  From the attention to detail, to the friends I made, to the wonderful speakers, I just can’t put it into one post.  It felt like we had thrown a wedding!  We cherished every moment and took advantage of the amazing opportunities we were given.  I’m still surprised at what this turned into.  I love parties, I love having lots of people around, and I love dessert, but I still didn’t see this becoming the event that it did. 

We wanted women to be able to come together and have to get to know each other.  We both need a little help in the confidence area, but together we think we can do anything.  We wanted women to leave wanting to be better, in all aspects of their lives.  We wanted them to have more friends, a more positive attitude, and feel elevated. 

We picked the best speakers possible and were shocked, like fall out of your chair shocked when they said yes!  Every time I got an email, I’d say a quick prayer and cross my fingers that you guys weren’t backing out.  There were long drives made, a trip to Hawaii cut short, and a round trip plane ticket booked for Saturday.  Seriously, you ladies are amazing!
Ashley, Holly, Becki, Nina, & Kristine I will be forever indebted to you for saying yes and helping us spread the word.

Thank you to all of the wonderful attendees who took the day/weekend away from your family to be with us!

Thanks to you, we were able to do this.

Thanks for offering to help.

Thanks for the sweet comments on the blog and fb page.

Thanks for repeatedly networking for us.

Thanks for telling us how darling everything looked and how good everything tasted.

Thanks for being so thrilled with everything we planned.

Thanks for having partial conversations with us that might have gotten cut off because food was being delivered or a timer was going off.

I hope you will stop by and leave your blog info because we only got to meet a handful of you.

You all were so darling and if Summer wouldn’t have run such a tight ship, she might have let me play speed dating!
{I’m so just kidding, really we are both perfectionists so I needed to be paying attention to the schedule}

Our sponsors were a dream to work with.  When Summer sent me a list to start with, I thought she was crazy.  Little did I know, they would all say yes.  They did not only say yes, they tweeted, shared on fb, and instagram over and over which only helped our event be what we wanted it to be.  I had no idea how generous the blogging community was until I put myself out there.

Elevate was worth it.  The late night phone calls.  Writing emails until I thought my eyes were going crossed.  Accordion folding tissue and paper until the wee hours in the morning.  Worrying about paint colors and food choices. 

You all were so sweet and genuine and some sarcastic so I felt like I fit right in.

To my Mr.:  Thank you for reminding me to “calm down because you were there to help me.”  Thank you for watching tv by yourself and making your own dinner if you got home late.  Thank you for letting Summer and I crash your office.  Thanks for putting the kids down for bed and not complaining about the laundry.  You actually didn’t complain once, I love you for that!
To my mom:  Thanks for letting me take over your piano room, dining room, patio tables, and kitchen island.  Thanks for entertaining the kids and doing whatever I asked you to do.  I don’t know if you knew what you were getting into, but you didn’t ask questions.  I love you more!
To Nichole:  Thanks for physically doing everything I couldn’t.  Thanks for the countless emails, spreadsheets, and coordinating everything for us.  Thanks for letting me vent.  Love you lady!
To Summer my bestie:  Who would have thought this would have started with a comment from you asking about my party buttons lining up so nicely?  Thank heavens we are both planners, into detail, and into parties.  I feel like we almost share a brain after this.  I knew after a drive through the LAX airport and us having no idea what we were doing, almost getting lost in a parking garage because of me, and us trying to get into the wrong car in the parking lot that we’d be forever friends.  Thank you to the moon and back for your patience.  I’m pretty sure I thought I’d be done being sick in the early 20 weeks, not throughout my whole pregnancy.  Thank you for helping style me for Elevate.  Thank you for nicely telling me what I needed to do to keep me on track and not bossing me around.  When I think about how sweet you’ve been, I get emotional.  You were just what I needed to boost my confidence level.  I love you tons and am so glad I met you through blogging!

Please look through our amazing list of sponsors!

 Swag Bags:
Pick Your Plum Jewelry Findings
Stephanie from Life Created Blog Organizer
Trisha from 3 Four and Under Ruffled Pouches
Laura from Our Reflection Swag Bags
Melissa from Brag About It Hand Stamped Necklaces
Jenny’s Fabric 1/2 yard fabric
Nichole from Yeung Mother Hubbard business card holders
Nicole from The Twinery 3 samples of twine
Leilani from Soleil Selene Rosette Necklaces and clips
JewelMint Gift Card
Ashley from The Shine Project Pay it forward cards
Jacqui from Baby Boy Bakery Organic Vanilla Sugar Cookies
Stacy & Angela from Bubba’s Basics Elevate Pegolls
Meagan from Fairly Fabulous Handmade Cards
Cutting Edge Stencils Zinnia Stencil

Raffle Donations:
Salena from A Little Piece of Me keychains and necklaces
Modest Pillows pink dandelion pillow covers
Becki from Whippy Cake headbands
Lindsey from The Pleated Poppy wristlet clutch
Brady Cakes gift certificate for 2 dozen cupcakes
Alissa from Rags to Stitches Laptop Cozy
Mandy from Vfish Designs scarves
Nicole from The Twinery spools of twine
Ashley from Little Miss Momma rings and necklaces
Brittany from Love Stitched headband, ring and necklace
Nicole from Bip and Bop necklaces
Haley from Sweet Sugar Beet Market Bag
Meagan from Fairly Fabulous hoots
Kristine from The Foley Fam Gift Card
Mica Blue designs pillow covers

Catering Donations:
Pinky’s Cupcakery mini cupcakes
Larissa & Pamela from Sweet Lemonade Cake Pops Cake Pops and Lemon Bars
Rockview Dairy mini milks, orange juice, cheesecake, milk bottles

Other Donations:
The Cupcake Social colored straws, sprinkles, large sixlets, cupcake liners, pinwheels, twine
Allison from Madison Design Studio all graphic design for blog and conference
Plaid paint for craft
Expressions Vinyl vinyl for wood craft
Gina from Bon Fortune strawberry baskets
Jenny’s Fabrics fabric for decor
Courtney from Mindy Mae’s Market chevron bags and daisy lids for mason jars