MAY FINAL FRIDAY FIVE FAVORITE FINDS

Wow, May was a QUICK month! I honestly don’t know where it went! We kept our head down focusing on the wall going up and scheduling podcasts episodes to keep us consistent. BUT in between the organized chaos here are the 5 things we are each learning, listening, eating, drinking and loving!

BRITT’S FIVE

1. URBAN DAWN’S “COME TOGETHER” - Drum and bass is my favorite genre of music for many reasons! Top 2 are: fast beats and the absolute skill that comes with producing and actually Dj-ing this music. Urban Dawn has been producing tunes for a while, BUT this tune is absolute bananas. Everyone likes the Beatles, so you will recognize this classic hit, but once the drop hits.... WOW! You can listen on Spotify here.

2. FRUITS, VEGGIES & TEAS - Not exciting I know, but I have been becoming more conscious of what I can and should eat. Understanding Tapatio isn’t one of them anymore. Lately I have been craving nutritious foods like raw broccoli, unsweetened black tea, nuts and seeds. I dislike peanut butter but love The Peanut Butter Perfect Bar! On the go, QT has an amazing selection of fresh brewed teas. So when we need refreshing drinks we reach for tea instead of soda.

3. DALLMYD - aka Scuba Jake aka Scuba Steve 2019. Let me preface this by saving I am not savvy in the YouTubes, but I heard about Suba Jake, a young treasure hunter who returns and cleans up what he finds. I can watch him and his friends search underwater for hours. It may not always be crystal clear waters but guaranteed he finds the crazy stuff! From guns, to gemstones, even snakes. Watch one of his videos here. The sound of the water is so soothing and the first person Gopro cam is a great perspective.

4. THAIRAPY CLIPLESS CURLER - For the nearly a decade I have a had my hand in developing roadshows for major retailers and one of our latest clients is Thairapy. It’s designed to lock nutrients in your hair with their styling tools and my favorite, the clip-less curler is made with tourmaline. I have ALWAYS been a fan of the wand / clipless curler, but this one leaves my hair with more volume and lasts longer. It’s sold out on Amazon and Neiman Marcus but you can check here for you local Costco roadshow!

5. THE GREAT 48 - Yes, of course, Joe and I had to pick this month’s Phoenix Magazine! The honorary Great 48 Issue was released and who can you find among the media team? Jose and the Finding Arizona Podcast. I’m not saying that my manifestation of putting this on my vision board back in January (you can see the photo here on my pinterest page), but I am also saying what you put out there will come back to you! I am so proud of the recognition, but also the verification that what we are doing is “Great” and with our continued consistency and not losing sight of why we started we will hit even bigger goals! You can see the entire article and read about all 48 amazing individuals here!

JOSE’S FIVE:

1. HERTZ SPECIFIC PLAYLISTS - Before going to bed, i will turned on one of their playlists (usually from Youtube). I turn on 435 Hrtz because I have felt best after night sleep with it on. 

2. VALLEY 101 PODCAST - Recently, a past guest on the podcast transition from one podcast to another. She is now part of the Valley 101 podcast, and she is doing wonderful episodes. THe podcast is produced by the Arizona Republic and AZCentral.com. I have learned a lot of Phoenix specific history.  Take a listen here.

3. PHOENIX MAGAZINE “GREAT 48” - am suggesting this article for everyone to read. Not only cause I am in it,but also because there are 47 other really amazing people you need to read about. Check it out here.

4. HOT ONES - This Youtube series is back with a new line up of hot sauces for celebrities. It is so much fun to watch and experience. The latest is with the Jonas Brothers, and it will only get better from there.  

5. FOAM ROLLER - I am using this tool more and more because of my lower back. I use mostly really get out knots from long days. I look up how-to videos either on Pinterest or Instagram. 

We are looking forward to June and keeping up with some of the health and wellness practices into the Summer! We hope you enjoyed an insight into our May 2019.

XoXo

Britt

FINDING ARIZONA WEDDING PLANNING: MONTHS 8-5 TIMELINE

Wow! We are less than 6 months out from “I Do” ‘s, so it is time for a recap on the last few months and how we have been preparing for the preparations. These passed few months my menality went from planning a wedding to planning the best damn party and wait till you ready what we got cooking!

Month 8

INVITATIONS : After finalizing our guest list and organizing everything via spreadsheets, its time to invite! We are fortunate to be partnering up with Design Squeeze! We met Brittany through the Honey Book and after having coffee, hearing her story, and connecting on so many levels we began production. After a few proofs and such a streamline editing process we are headed to production. I will be sharing a full blog post on our invites and the amazing process of working with Design Squeeze on the blog very soon.

HOME PROJECTS : We began tackling some outdoor projects starting with a custom 14’ x 18’ deck! Jose’s dad and business partner took 3 days and installed a gorgeous deck right off our back patio. It is Jose and I’s turn to sand and stain next! Also, I started and completed my wall! Completely repurposed pallet wood and designed a herringbone feature wall. You can read about the entire process on the blog now!

PLANNER MEETING: We had a follow up meeting with Paige of Front Paige Events to talk timeline and the next steps! We were told we were ahead of schedule. I laid out my vision board and we game planned how to turn dream into realities. We also laid out EVERYTHING we have started stock piling up, glass ware, table covers, tree stumps. She opened up my eyes to questions I didnt even think about. Like what would be in the line of sight during the ceremony photos and how to reset the space amongst the chaos. She has been a pleasure to work with and up next is picking out a caterer and she graciously invited us over for take out and taste testings, more to come on that!

Month 7

WEDDING WEBSITE: After getting engaged I was bombarded with ads to create your own site, link your registry, and download this app. I was not onboard for any of this. Instead we began creating our own website through the FInding Arizona page! First, I googled top wedding websites and screenshotted some of my favorites. Then we recreated it. We not only wanted to give the basics: location, registrations and where to stay, but we also wanted to highlight the amazing vendors we have a pleasure of working with. It officially went live and you can check it out here. We share places we LOVE in Phoenix and will be adding details throughout the entire wedding planning process.

HAIR AND MAKEUP: I found another amazing partnership with Lorissa Kyle through the Honey Book! She goes by What Lois Likes and not only is she a phenomenal MUA she is also developing her only line of cosmetics! I have been pinning inspos on my board you can check out here. We will be meeting up soon and talking details of trials.

Month 6

MUSIC : They don’t call me DJBJ for nothing and yes, I will be DJing our wedding. No, not like that. BUT I am curating an amazing Spotify playlist to capture tunes for all audiences to groove to. You can follow the playlist here. We are taking requests now and will be adding as the time gets closer.

CUSTOM JEAN JACKET: One of the pins I was obsessed over recreating was the custom denim jacket with “Mrs.” and Roman Numerals of the wedding date. Ask and I shall receive. Thanks to my amazingly talented soon to be mother in law, she made my pinterest board come to life. I, of course found the black denim jacket at the goodwill bins paying no more than $1.15 for it. I sent her photos for inspo and days later it was in my hands. I cannot wait to take some stunning photos in it on the big day. Who wears a jean jacket over a couture gown? A girl who will be stylishly cold on her wedding day.

Month 5

BLOCK WALL: As I mentioned in the last timeline post, our budget primarily went to our venue/our house- and first priority was removing our chain link fence and replacing it with a block wall. Over the last year we have a handful of contractors come by give us quotes and after meeting with Dan from Toro Construction and of course loving his prices we decided to go with their team. Four days and minimum of four guys per day went to work and completed the goal! By the end of the clean up I never thought I could love my house even more than I did, but wow, what a difference. I feel like I finally live in the Castle I deserve to be in.

We did not expect this much rain this reason and it has pushed back some projects that we are looking to tackle ASAP! Also, we are thriving with the podcast making sure to stay consistent in episodes and even planning out very own LIVE Create Your Own Podcast Event, teaming up with The Forum, an amazing co working space in Chandler!

XoXo

Britt

FINDING ARIZONA KITCHENS: CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD

This is one of my favorite summer dishes. As a kid I loved helping my mom making it in the kitchen. Growing up, I realized I wasn’t the only one who ate it. Jose’s mom made a similar salad as a kid too! Living in Arizona you are always looking for quick meals to make, that don’t heat the house up. So not only is this salad a great, quick and easy dinner, it also meal preps perfectly for weekly lunches!

Ingredients:

• 1  Bag Cole Slaw Mix

• 1 Chicken Breast

• 1 Green Onion

• 1 C Slivered Almonds

• 1 Pack Chicken Ramen Noodles

• 1 Tbls Olive Oil

• 2 Tbls Vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. This is just for roasting your almonds, you can also just use them straight from the bag, but the roasted flavor ads something amazing to the dish.

2. Boil your chicken breast and cook thoroughly. You can always use this broth later just store it, once it cools down, in a mason jar and the next recipe calling for chicken stock you have 100% natural, organic, sodium free, gluten free (lol) broth on hand.

3. Roast the almonds, as your oven should be preheated by now. Begin chopping the green onion and mixing the cole slaw in a large mixing bowl.

4. Thoroughly cool chicken before dicing and adding to slaw and make sure to thoroughly cool almonds before adding to slaw. You do not want your cabbage getting warm it will lose its crunch immediately.

5. Time for the sauce! If you love ramen as much as I do you probably have packets on hand as staples. One you need is 1 Chicken Ramen packet. Using the spices packet whisk oil and vinegar until dissolved. You can use your choice of vinegar, balsamic is best, but we always have apple cider on hand for our daily morning cleanse drink.

6. Mix the dressing in with the slaw, chicken and almonds. Finally, crush the uncooked noodles for a crunchy topping and serve!

7. One salad bag serves 4-6 people, but store leftovers for lunches for the week. TIP! If you plan on meal prepping layer the containers starting with the dressing then slaw, then almonds, add chicken and onions, finally top with ramen so when you are ready to eat you just pour upside down and it is the perfect freshness!

Let me know what you think, and how it turned out!

XoXo Britt

BUILD A WALL

Britt the Builder here! I earned the right to call myself this! I finally finished my wall! What started from a pinterest inspo, like most, turned into an amazing, one of a kind, art wall installation. We are in the thick of Finding AZ Engagement and we are putting some serious work in our backyard for the big day. One of the biggest projects I was excited to take on was a feature wall. Repurposed. Herringbone. DIY. These are all big buzz words I was ready to take head on and now that it’s over I can share, my blood, sweat and tears.

THIS is the exact screen shot I took scrolling through the gram one night! If you’re not following Young House Love you need to. Great book, podcast, page & people!

I had 2 major focuses for this project: The Budget and a Custom Design. First, I wanted to use all 100% repurposed wood! I started breaking apart pallets back in February using ones from work with our weekly shipments, then I would cruise the backside of Lowes for minis I could fit in my car. Towards the end of the March I found a craigslist post for a junkyard giving away pallets, but by the final weekend in April, I was pulling old fence posts from our pool pump station. Crowbarring wood from pallets may look easy. I YouTubed how to do it and the Salvage Sister didn’t even break a sweat. Let me tell you this is where most of the blood, sweat and tears came from. I used over 150 pieces of raw pallet boards.

Next, came the custom cuts. Using a Ryobi Hand Saw for the first time was an experience. Mostly because I am left handed. I mean, if you are right handed try using ANY power tool backwards! It is like relearning muscle memory. I sliced each board 3 inches wide (not knowing about standard / mill sizes) and then 30 inches long. After my first 7 boards my arms were tired. I have never worked out like this before. This process took the longest. From setting up and clamping each board, to measuring twice and cutting once. Once I ran out of boards and thought to purchase some at a local home improvement store. I was taken back because each 1 x 3 measure 1 x 2.5! So back to custom cutting! What felt like years late, I was ready to start nailing.

I watched video after video of installing a herringbone wall and it looked so easy. Some were using peel and stick, others had pre-measured boards, but none using repurposed pallet wood and custom slices. But, they all had one thing in common. Start from the middle. I measured my exact center. T squared it off and then used my protractor to find that 45 degree angle. Once the first board was up, it was just plug, level, and play. I used a powerful nail gun with air compressor. The only type for the job because my electrical one didn’t have nearly enough power! A time lapse and a few jumps in the pool later, the easy part was done.

Thankfully, my father showed up unexpected and unannounced from San Diego that evening and little did he know I was putting him to work on the wall the very next day! Custom sizing and recutting the outer edges came next. We had to place the board in the right puzzle place then measure twice where to make the cut. Using our Ryobi MIter Saw get the perfect 45 degree angle and make the cut. Literally every board is custom cut, some even twice. This overall took 3 days to get all the pieces up!

After the wall was up, I took our Ryobi electric belt sander to the wall to smooth out any splinters and prep the wood for paint. I chose 3 colors based on our home shades, wedding pallet, and inspo from the photo. The cream was from the “Oops” section of Home Depot. If you don’t know about this section anytime a paint color is mixed and rejected or returned unopened it immediately goes on sale and is set in a clearance section right near the pain counter. This gallon was originally was $35 and I got it for $13.98. The perfect color match too! To simplify the paint project I primed the entire wall with this color to start. Two solid coats, then I could begin taping for the next color. “Rockspring Green,” from Glidden was the name of the next color. I taped off every 3rd board, following the design from the photo and began applying. After the green came “Almost Pink,” another Glidden color. I purchased quart amounts for these two colors and paid the same amount for each quart as I did for my gallon. I also trusted my hand and my paint brush to apply the pink free handedly. No tape, no more patience. The pink is not as pink as I would have liked, but too pink would have been too much!

Now we get to admire it, and when I step back and look at my work of art I cannot help but smile. I created it! From vision to conception. I feel like I can take on any project now. Would I create another custom herringbone wall? Yes! So if you’re in the market, hire me!

XoXo

Britt the Builder

A LIVELY WEDDING BOX

I’m back with another wedding box review. If you have not read my first monthly wedding box subscription please do so here. I am honest, raw and I tell it like it is. I am NOT trying to sell you something or give you a discount code. But, this time I am featuring a Lively Wedding Box and I am kind of obsessed! I discovered them, like most do, through instagram. I was hesitant at first, but not nearly as anxious to receive it like my first experience. The customer service was so friendly and the time frame from order to delivery was very speedy.

We are approaching month 6 leading up to the wedding, but the box didn’t care what time frame we were in, they just wanted to celebrate! The packaging was adorable from the floral box to the pink confetti, it screamed photo shoot with Britt!

Every item in the box is QUALITY! When is the last time you got a monthly box subscription where you used ALL the products! First, my fave, and I have used everyday, it the mini thermos. In Arizona we constantly need glasses to keep our drinks warm or cold and this thermos has the power of an expensive Yeti! Speaking of keeping your drink temperature control they included an insulated wine bag! Next, an adventure luggage tag, because maybe we will be honeymooning…. maybe ;) .

A fun photo backdrop in a gorgeous champagne pink color was a whimsical addition and I see myself using this for much more than a wedding! But, finally, I pulled out a bag. It looked like tool material to me, then, I realized! It was a veil!

I am still debating on hairstyles and accessories for the big day, but I did want a veil of some sort. After searching online, pinterest inspos and instagram photos I didn’t fall in love with any for me (and my budget). BUT The Lively Wedding Box and the magic of the universe sent me a gorgeous one I can’t wait to incorporate into this special day!

I just ordered the box for a 1 month as a trial. I would definitely recommend for brides to be to try out The Lively Wedding Box. It would even make a great gift if you need something to give a lucky lady who’s planning her next chapter. The value and quality is a great Arizona FInd!

APRIL FINAL FRIDAY FIVE FAVORITE FINDS

The second installment of Five Favorite Finds is officially here. April means Spring! It is a beautiful season is Arizona. The plants are blossoming and the temps are rising. We had a Spring Cleaning day and literally wiped the baseboards, washed the curtains and reorganized the entire house. Six hours later, we were smudging sage and enjoying our cleanse. We got outside more and even took our first jump in the pool for 2019. Along with that, here are the FIVE things we were obsessing over this month.

BRITT’S FIVE

1. BURGERS ON THE GRILL - High School was my first attempt at BBQing. I turned on the grill, laid on the carne and walked away. A few minutes later the grill was on fire and the meat was charred! Since then, I haven’t been a “grill master.” Also, I really don’t enjoy the smell it leaves in my hair and clothes, BUT when it’s hot and you don’t want to cook anything the grill is such a great way to eat a home cooked meal in a timely manner. I picked up frozen burgers from Walmart and nights we don’t have a meal planned or lunches were to sweaty to make means popping some burgers on. Guess what? I can grill (burgers)! I don’t walk away, I add my secret seasoning and in just a few minutes we have a fresh, hot meal.

2. CHARCOAL EVERYTHING - Speaking of grills, charcoal is amazing and definitely makes a flavor difference but the only charcoal I have been dabbling in is the health and wellness kind! From deodorant, toothpaste, face sponges and lemondes, activated charcoal is such a powerful cleansing tool. Schmidt’s deodorants have been our favorite switch and I love the charcoal one! I also recently purchased their toothpaste, and I won’t go back! I am struggling (still) with a skincare routine, but I picked up a charcoal face sponge and love the gentle exfoliation. Lastly, a local juicery, Kaleidoscope Juice offers charcoal water and charcoal lemonade and nothing is more thirst quenching!

3. YOGA - Okay, nothing new and exciting about this one, BUT my own practice has been non existent. I was talking with a friend who was AMAZED I practice on my own and said I should share that more! So I did and I don’t know why? Maybe ……. #PicOrItDidntHappen . I scheduled a yoga night for our office where I lead a meditation and flow and I am not sure who loved it more, me or them! I got to get creative in my playlist and choreography while leading and sharing one of my passion. We have already scheduled our May flow!

4. BLACKOUT -Podcast recommendation time! This is a long overdue blog post for sure! I KNOW you are already subscribed to the Finding Arizona Podcast, and listen weekly, but I have a new recommendation for you. Do you like Rami Malek? Do you like the Handmaid’s Tale? Then you will LOVE Blackout. It is a visual podcast that takes you on a post apocalyptic journey of a radio show host and his families struggles within a small town. I wont say anymore, because, spoiler alerts, but you can subscribe and binge here.

5. THE ACT- You may remember this news story from 2015 about a Facebook post going viral regarding a mother’s murder and the name Gypsy Rose. This disturbing, true story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mother Dee Dee depicts a mother who suffered from Munchausen by proxy and, for years claimed her daughter suffered from various diseases. Gypsy learns the truth and after falling in love online with a bipolar teenager, they plot to kill Dee Dee and start their life together, but as you can imagine things don’t go to their plan. All 8 episodes are available on Hulu now, happy binging!

JOSE’S FIVE:

1. NIGHT TIME STRETCHING - I work 10 hours in an office. I challenged myself out of the blue to stretch more to help sleep better. I have been routinely stretching every night after work. I set an intention every night to make it happen and has been working wonders so far. Here's a cool infographic to help.

   THE RINGER PODCAST - Bill Simmons is a former ESPN analyst turn sport entertainment podcaster. His podcast is a cavalcade of guess who deep dive on some of the nerdiest subjects. Throw in friends and family it is a wonderful time for everyone to hear. Take a listen here.

   KOMBUCHA - As part of my health month challenge, I am routinely drink one kombucha a week. I really enjoy all styles and flavors because it makes me feel better. Secretly thought here is my favorite.  

   DESUS & MERO - Gang Gang! #bodegahive!!! Growing up for the early part of my life, I have a connection to these fellas. I have grown up here guys like this all the time! Their SHOW-TIME show is great but if you want the deep DEEEP fandom go check out their podcast. Bodega Boys

   PLANOLY - This IG planner app has helped us get back on track with our social media. It has encouraged us to be more active and strategic with every post. Definitely enjoy their setup and user-friendly interface. Check it here. If you need assistance prepping your social media try Planoly- its a great tool to set and forget and enjoy living your life live and in the moment. Learn more about scheduling your posts here.

We hope you enjoyed a look into our April 2019. We look forward to sharing these monthly and rediscovering what we already love.

XoXo

Britt

FESTIVAL SEASON

Ten years ago I would have be preparing for a different type of event season. Probably one of the ones you're seeing now. Creating my outfits, planning my hotels stays, and organizing set lists to see. But, I have had my fair share of music festivals and find myself now focusing on planning different types of events. In the last 10 days I have hosted, helped and crashed 3 very different, but very impactful events and I wanted to share my takeaways. Whether you are packing for Indio or Idaho, Miami, FL or Miami, AZ getting out and experiencing community is so important .

THE EMERALD PRESENTS : PODCASTS & PROSECCO

When I first heard about this event through social media I immediately reached out! I thought: a podcast event in AZ… we HAVE to get involved! Open heartedly, The Emerald welcomed me on board. The idea was to feature powerful women in the current podcast space to encourage and support up and coming podcasts. It was that and so much more! I was able to bring some of our tips and tricks, but also the idea of topics, questions, and a workbook to be incorporated. With the talented work of The Emerald and of course the amazing female speakers the event was a success. Myself and Ashlyn of The Emerald moderated our 4 pannelsits: Cayla Craft of Mommy Millionaire, Mika Perry of Good To Be Home, Danny Johnson of The Best Life, and Espree Devora of Women in Tech.

It was FULL day from panel Q&A, breakout sessions, and of course a networking lunch in between. The best advice I received was from Espree about valuing yourself, your brand understanding the value I can bring other brands. This was over a mimosa, before 10am and before the event “ started.” BUT, Honestly, my biggest takeaway took place before the event happened. I am about to get real, and if you are reading this I hope you know I am sharing this to encourage you to not make the mistake I did, or I had been. I was not expecting The Emerald to welcome me into the team to get involved, so lesson #1: don’t be afraid to reach out! But lesson #2 came 12 hours before the event started. I worked my ass off researching, sharing, and preparing for this event as well as putting my heart out there only to receive the “final” info with no credit of mine to be found. If you know me, you know my love lang is NOT words of affirmation, or even acts of service, but to be left unappreciated is how I felt. I let that emotion run through me and I made an educated decision to let my voice be heard. I threw on my heart chakra necklace and made my voice be heard, professionally. Graciously my demands were met and the respect was given and the overall success of the event was amazing- before, during and after!

THE KNOW SUMMIT 2019

You already know about the Know, and if you don’t know Know, you can read my blog here. But the Know Summit, wow, wow, wow! Over 150 women from 7 books and tribes in the U.S and Canada gathered for a three day immersive networking conference. “For us, by us,” was the motto because there wasn’t a speaker, moderator or vendor who is not apart of the tribe. Day 1 was was round tables and a happy hour mixing with the best of the best as the Best Of Know Book was unveiled. Day 3 was a VIP excursion to Sedona for a little more interacting and a lot more vacaying. But day 2 was my fave and what I helped to coordinate. Day 2 was an ALL DAY summit featuring 40 speakers, a marketplace, breakout sessions and a networking lunch at the fabulous FABRIC Tempe, What I helped bring to the table was the incredible marketplace: an outdoor shopping and mingling experience to support fellow tribe members and record with some pretty cool podcasts! The Finding Arizona Podcast was hitting record all day with the great ladies of the summit and you can hear the full episode here. At 5:30 p.m., as the sun was setting, the tables were tearing down and the ladies were saying their goodbyes, I took in the moment of gratitude for coordinating with amazing partners a for a functional and fantastic marketplace.

Attending the summit and hearing from the amazing speakers I took a plenty of notes on my phone app, but what stands out to me the most is the quote from Letitia Frye: “When you change your expectations to admirations your whole world changes.” Whether this means the value of myself, my business or others appreciation is greater than depreciation. I build some great relationships and the summit and strengthened current ones but overall really appreciated being surrounded by such powerful women!

BLOGGER BABES AZ INFLUENCER EVENT

Last, but not least was this little hidden gem. I saw this event scrolling through the gram and was messaged and encourage to attend. I was going with the intention to be the best student. As our podcast is growing I am learning to take on more partnerships and as my blog grows I want to make sure I am remaining authentic and showcasing who I am and not just another brand ambassador, I train those. I met the CEO of Well and Co and heard inspiring stories from him and his business partners. I learned the trend of micro influences and re-affirmed a message to myself. I met a health and wellness enthusiast whose family has a coffee shop in south Phoenix and connected better with her than an “blogger” I had been “adminiring” on insta for months. I connected better with someone who was being herself and resonated more with speaking sharing their true authentic selves and not with the one I thought I wanted to be like on a digital space. WOW! Shocker right? Sometimes you have to experience it to believe it.

Now we get to work on our own events, preparing for a podcast workshop of our own we put together this amazing PDF you can print and share to start your own podcast. CLICK HERE ! Get the tools in your belt and stay tuned for the workshop info on how to use them! Also, another big event were prepping for is on October 12! Oh yeah, more about that soon!

XoXo

Britt

I SAID YES TO WINNING MY DRESS

Every wedding story has a wedding dress story and I have been waiting to share this one with you all! Time to tell you all the tale of how I said “Yes” to my dress, well winning it!

My story starts back in 2007 when I took a trip to San Francisco with my show choir for a competition. In between seeing the city and singing and dancing our hearts out, we took part in some retail therapy. I was determined to get my prom dress for that senior year and San Fran was going to be the place. I found Jessica McClintock’s altier and knew that was the place! The dress I fell in love with was long, white, classic and clean. I was obsessed with it and wore it that year to the prom! Because of my infatuation and the price, and possibly the style, my family joked it would be my wedding dress someday. But the running joke turned into reality.

In 2017, nearly 10 years later, I got engaged and when I thought about planning my wedding and searching for the right dress, I thought- look no further, you already have it! It still fits and it’s in the budget. UNTIL……

One day, while rummaging through the clearance center of Goodwill I found it! A wedding dress! Lace, tool, chiffon, pearls, crystals, it had it all and was my size! I snagged it up and weighed it out to be $15! WOW What a steal! So the plan changed, now this was my dress! Although, it needed to be altered, and wasn’t my style, I was going to pull a Tim Gunn and “Make it Work.” UNTIL……

I came across a post on instagram advertising a wedding dress giveaway! Priscilla Ornelas from the Mathew Blades Morning Show posted on her page a competition she was hosting to give away a dress that no longer fit her! You can see the post here. She had her dress altered too small and needed to find a new home for it, but wanted it to go to the right bride. We had to share our story with Priscilla, and this is what I shared:

First off let me say how beautiful the dress is! Now let me share my story.
I got engaged December of last year to the love of my life. And I truly agree with you on having the “one” be the most supportive. He proposed to me after his grandparents 50th wedding anniversary on the beach of Puerto Rico where half his fam is from. His other half is Native American and we met in Arizona. We are entrepreneurs who have a passion for making each other better. We bought a house in April and are planning a wedding all in the same year. Our house needs renovations and I have never been the dream planner so a wedding budget is non existent. We’re spending $8K on a block wall because we’re getting married in our backyard. With all this said there’s no budget for a dress. I joked in Highschool my expensive prom dress would be my white wedding gown and here I am 12 years later actually considering wearing it. I have never been the type of girl who had her dream wedding planned out in fact, I am happy going to a court house because it’s the union that matters, but seeing your face in “the dress” I mean there’s a show called “say yes” because it has to bring a magical moment to any bride! And it’s a magical moment I would feel honored to feel and share with the love of my life forever. On 10/12/19 I will marry the love of my life Jose Acevedo the backyard of our historic home in midtown Phoenix rain or shine prom dress or dream.

A few days later, in line at a drive thru, I yelled “I won!” Like the old man in the end of Vegas Vacation who pretends to die, “I won, the money is mine!” I was so excited. When I picked up the dress that week from the station tears were flowing. You can see that reaction here.

I immediately went home and tried it on. No moms, no maid of honor, no one, just me, and I cried tears of joy because I felt that same feeling all the girls on that show do. It does truly exist. You can see from my self timing photos bellow, I wanted to capture this first moment. Months later, I tried it on again with my soon to be mother in law and actually buttoned it all the way up! Aside from the donuts I need to say no to and the squats I need to add to my routine, it fits great, but every bride will say she has a few LBs to lose, myself included. I can’t wait to actually get some stunning photos in this dress and knock the socks off my husband to be when he sees me coming down the aisle in this beauty.

Now that I am in tears again sharing this story I hope it heart a heart string to you that things will always work out if you put out what you want back.

XoXo

Britt.

FINAL FRIDAY FIVE FAVORITE FINDS

Life is bombarded with “Buy my book” and “Try this new product,” we are becoming numb to it all. AND we don’t appreciate what we have in front of us and crave that thirst. But this post, Jose and I are taking time to look at FIVE things we have and are loving right now to appreciate what is in our backyard, but also focus on the simple things of life. This is our new feature we are calling Final Friday Five Favorite Finds. These are all things we have been obsessing over in the month of March.

BRITT’S FIVE

1. HOMEMADE CHICKEN NACHOS - We all know how much I love mexican food. It is the same 5 ingredients just prepared differently. This month I have been obsessed with Chicken Nachos. It takes less than 20 min from frozen chicken breast to ready to eat and you can throw on any veggies / meats and cheeses you want. When I dont “feel” like making dinner, I always “feel” like Chicken Nachos

2. WALKING OUTSIDE - WOW what a concept- you just put on shoes and leave your house, but you return soon I promise! Ever since we got out puppy I make it a point to walk her everyday, but it has turned into her walking me everyday. I get excited telling my apply watch “Begin outdoor walk” and purposefully leave my phone at home to listen to nature. Since the canal was paved behind our home it makes the trail a more visiting place and I now that the weather is heating up, we are turning in to early mornings.

3. SEX AND THE CITY - The entire season is out on Amazon Prime. This show first aired in 1998 and I remember my mom watching each week as Carrie and her friends took on the city. I liked it then, but now that I am Carrie (well actually more of a Charlotte/Samantha combo) this show is THE BEST! I am allowed to watch the full episode and I get the humor! The fashion, the writing, the sex it is so good 20 years later!

4. BLUE LIGHT BLOCKERS - Okay, I know I said I wasn’t going to say “Buy this product” but have you seen the Blue Light Blocking Hype? I’m here to tell you its real! I suffer from migraines and we all look at screens all day- its 2019! So why not protect ourselves! I can do a whole blog post on this and I might but these guys have CHANGED MY LIFE! I immediately wear them when I get to my office because between the phone and computer my eyes will strain. I have noticed a difference in my sleeping habits and zero migraines! I tried the expensive ones I saw on a sponsored post and the metal in the nose piece caused my face to break out, so I recommend the Amazon Choice and for less than $20 you are investing in yourself!

5. 2/4 RULE - This will be a future blog post because I am obsessed with this new life rule! Do you ever not feel like getting put together and then that’s the day you have a meeting or run into someone you weren’t expecting? I’m tired of society telling us we have to beat our faces everyday and buy the most expensive trends. So, to block it out I pick 2/4 things to focus on when I get ready. The four things are: Hair, Skin, Makeup, and Outfit. Pick 2 and let the other 2 slide. If my skin is looking great that day focus on it and pick a great hairstyle to compliment. Or, if you’re having a bad hair day, pick out a great shadow and lip to match your fit.

JOSE’S FIVE:

1. FITBOD - This is my workout app I use when going to the gym. I very much am a visual learner and this app shows me everything I need. I have been using this app for more than 6 months and find it user friendly and it helps me come up with some solid workouts. Download it here.

2. WWE - Ever since I was kid, I have always found pro-wrestling my go-to for some kind of entertainment. I have said that it is my “violent soap opera”. This time of year is always my favorite because it’s the time of year for their biggest event: “WRESTLEMANIA.” It is even more fun now because I got Britt into it as well. We will be rooting on our favorite wrestlers when the show comes on.

3. GUMMY BEARS- Another guilty pleasure of mine. I love anything gummy related, and know its comes from when I was child. These snacks were only thing I really still have a sweet tooth for anymore. The last couple of weeks, we have had a box of them in our pantry.

4. 21 SAVAGE ” A LOT “- Hearing this song makes me go into some kind of mood. I love this song and lyrics in every way. I try to listen to it when I need something to occupy my mind and give me mood changer. 21 has also been doing more songs with collabs, and the bars that J Cole drops on this one are so good! Take a listen here when you get a chance.

5. ALL MY RELATIONS PODCAST - This podcast is something I actually found through Instagram. Hosted by Matika Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip) and Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation) to explore our relationships— relationships to land, to our creatural relatives, and to one another.  Each episode invites guests to delve into a different topic facing Native American peoples today. Check it out here.

We hope you enjoyed a look into our March 2019. We look forward to sharing these monthly and rediscovering what we already love.

XoXo

Britt

FINDING ARIZONA WEDDING PLANNING: MONTHS 12-9 TIMELINE

Alright, its time! A wedding planning post! I know… long overdue, but I promise we have been putting in work behind the scenes. We are not planning your average wedding. I am sure you have heard others say that in the passed, but I’ll break down the traditional chronological wedding planning timeline and show you we are putting our FInding Arizona spin on it!

Month 12

ANNOUNCE & SET A DATE: Our engagement was in Dec 2017 and you can read the post all about it here. We did not set a date right away as we wanted to enjoy the engagement and take out time. After buying a house / our venue we set the date for October because in Arizona you get Spring or Fall Weddings. So 12 months prior to the “I do’s” our friends and family had already heard the announcement.

CHOSE PRIORITIES & SET A BUDGET: We are fortunate to have the wedding venue taken care of because I have always dreamed of a backyard wedding and could never justify spending tens of thousands of dollars on one day when you can invest it into the rest of your lives! But, our backyard has a ways to go before it’s featured in Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine. We call our situation unique to our wedding planner because when she wants to talk budget, we want to talk home rennos! Our biggest purchase for the event will be the block wall we will be installing in the next few months!

PLANNER & THEMES: Our wedding planner is Paige of Front Paige Events and we couldn’t be more fortunate. She is detail oriented, determined and of course a Finding Arizona Podcast Alumni! You can listen to our episode with Paige here. She is sending us emails to keep us on track and when we have meetings with vendors she has questions prepared for us. She is amazing! Speaking of questions, one thing we are figuring out is how to word our theme on our invites! No children - I love them, but this is an adult ONLY party and Black and White Attire ONLY- we want everyone part of the wedding party!

Month 11

CREATE AN INSPO BOARD: I already shared that I was never the type who had this day already planned out. I don’t dream of a fairy tale wedding and when I switched my mind from planning a wedding to planning the best party ever, things became fun! I am constantly adding pins to my board which you can follow here. But, after meeting with a medium she said I need to see what I want everyday to manifest it! So I printed out my pins and took it old school with a vision board- constantly adding things!

DRAFT A GUEST LIST: I feel like I should do an entire post about this because WOW! Between asking for lists from the parents and us figuring out how many we can fit in our backyard without ordering a port a john we solidified on 75 including ourselves and the vendors! We know we will break hearts sending out the invites!

Month 10

BOOK A PHOTOGRAPHER: With the unbelievable support from this community and this beautiful group called the Honey Book we found Matt Vivanco of MVivanco Photography! We met over brunch getting to know him and sharing our story! We know for sure he will be more than our photog, but a true friend!

HAVE ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS TAKEN: We have done so many great shoots with photographers from the podcast that we have sessions of engagement photos to choose from. Starting with a couples boudoir shoot we did before we were even engaged With Katrina Call and from an engagement shoot with a photographer who flew out from Ohio to shoot a wedding and needed some real life models! But on of my favorites are the photos featured in this post are from Jen Jenkins. You can hear the entire episode here.

Month 9

START SHOPPING FOR THE WEDDING DRESS: Okay, I promise this will be my next post because let me just say I WON IT & it is everything I could never imagine!

BUILD YOUR GIFT REGISTRY: Being homeowners has allowed us to start filling up our gift registry from day 1. Power tools, kitchen gadgets, even furniture! We have an amazon list going and everytime we think of something we need we add it to the registry!

Weekdays are spent sending emails and prepping for weekends. Weekends are spent pulling weeds and scheduling meet up with vendors. We are enjoying the journey and I love being able to share it with you all. Looking forward to months 8-5 !

XoXo

Britt