FINDING AZ WEDDING VILLAGE OF VENDORS

November 22, 2019 Britt Johnson

We all know the saying: It takes a village. That statement couldn’t be proven truer in the wedding world. Thirty days post wedding and after watching the new Iliza Shlesinger: Unveiled special the other night I was in tears laughing and relating with the wedding planning stories. But it also surfaced a re-appreciation for our vendors and the magic they pulled for our special day. On this blog I’ll be sharing not only our amazing wedding photos but the other stars in our show- who they are and why you need to use them.

Front Paige Events- Paige is amazing! She went from podcast guest, to wedding planner to lifelong friend. She has a passion for love- sharing it, creating it, all of it! After sitting down for a full episode on the Finding Arizona Podcast with Paige she asked to be our wedding planner and a year and half later her vision came to life too! No detail gets passed up and my favorite thing about her services are the personal touches she adds to each event. We were very open for ideas and décor but one thing we were very excited about creating was a teepee altar. After back and forth and wind and rain and ups and downs the original plan fell through, but Paige showed up with plan B and it turned out even better than plan A anticipated. You need Paige in your life- not only for the day of but the process leading up to it! “Get Paiged” here.

Beyond the Mask Photography- Katrina has been our photographer for a few projects, but this one took the cake! Pun intended! I asked Katrina to be a part of our wedding and she was all yeses! She specializes in boudoir and intimate weddings but you can absolutely see her talent with all subjects. Katrina was a part of our family that day. She got all the details from getting ready, table settings and gift tables to the big moments like the ceremony and the family photos. Her gift is taking a simple moment a creating a memory to last a lifetime. You can reach Katrina here!

Hey Lo Company- We met Lois through the Honey Book- a fantastic place to initiate creative collaborations. Her passion for her art is noticed the second you interact with her. Lois was accommodating for trials and open for feedback. The day of the wedding she was early, extra prepared and left myself and my maid of honor looking flawless. Her contouring is amazing and she uses her own products she had been developing for years behind the scenes. You can book Lois here and learn more about her product launch as well. Post wedding we had her on the podcast for a full interview to learn more about how she got started and he experience working with us! Check it out here.

Danielle Durak- Danielle was guest #181. She came in and chatted with us sharing her passion, but when she opened up her guitar case to strum some acoustic melodies on the podcast I started crying. Her voice, her passion, her talent! Wow! When she asked to be a part of our wedding I cried again. Danielle was our musical talent during the ceremony and a family friend after said he wanted to tip her to play the whole night! We didn’t have any specific songs to request and we trusted that her magical music would set the right tone and it did! You can check out Danielle live at a local venue near you by learning more here. Then, be sure to listen to our full episode with her.

Mezcal Carreno- Abel Arriaga is a co-founder of an incredible Mezcal. Abel reached out to us as an advocate for community building and was 100% on board for sharing his love on the day of our love. Our cocktail hour featured the traditional “open bar” but we also gave our guests a full Mezcal tasting experience. After the ceremony- Abel followed us back inside where we could partake in our first drink as husband and wife and it is one moment I will never forget. You can visit their website to learn where to purchase the bottles in your area as well as what local places are featuring them. We also had the pleasure of having Abe on our podcast sharing more about the brand’s story and our wedding tasting event. Episode will be airing soon!

Emerald Nomad-Speaking of drinks, let me tell you about our friends at Emerald Nomad! We met Nakia, on the podcast, of course and shared so many commonalities: people, places, mindset. We clicked and when we asked them to be apart of our wedding they were more than happy to work with us and of course, Paige, whom Nakia knew from previous projects. Renee was our bartender and point of contact for the event. She was friendly, accommodating and went above and beyond to add details to the bar for our special day. We chose to purchase all the alcohol and mixers before hand and made sure she had everything from shot glasses to straws. Emerald Concepts provided us a stunning black and white frosted glass bar and it blended so well with our décor. Listen to our full episode with Nakia of Emerald Concepts here and check out their site to reserve their stunning trailer for your next event.

Every Impression Counts - EIC has worked with us on so many projects so it was only natural that we had them be involved in our wedding. Our biggest wish was to have our friends and family watch the ceremony no matter where they were at in the world- so we went LIVE on Facebook. Not only did the team capture the set up through the speeches but they also separately broadcasted our ceremony from the Finding Arizona Podcast Facebook Page and you can rewatch it here. Dustin, Dre, Cole and Colton work countless hours to produce phenomenal pieces of art to last and share forever. I cannot wait to see our finished product. You can learn more about EIC and what they can do for you here.

Mustache Pretzels- Greg from Mustache Pretzels is a two time guest of the podcast and owner of the amazing creation. It explains itself but yet everyone always gets a kick out of it! We loved incorporating these tasty treats into our cocktail hour and paired nice with our charcuterie board. You can learn more about where to find a delicious mustache pretzel here.

Dang Fine Rentals- Of course you know Dang Fine Rentals! If you don’t, you don’t get out much in Phoenix. Meet Matiana- creative entrepreneur and overall just the person you want on your team, working with you and sharing a cocktail with. Matiana is also part of the Know Tribe and after connecting at so many events we finally had her on the podcast and became great friends since. But back to Dang Fine! Their entire inventory is GORGEOUS! They are constantly pushing boundaries as far as displays go but with the help of some of their amazing pieces they took our backyard wedding from fine to Dang fine! We used 2 sweetheart chairs and table for our dinner spot and even created a comfortable chic sitting area with chairs, tables and couch and a rug from their Mexican Boho Inspo Collection. Check out their site to view their entire inventory here.

Chris Andrade- Our Chef was Chris! Full details on how we found him and our full tasting on a previous blog post you can read here. Our chef is phenomenal, from the tasting to the final plates we couldn’t have asked for anything better. We honestly could not get a full picture of the buffet because it was never full! When Jose andI were making our rounds everyone mentioned how full they were and you rarely here that at a wedding. You need Chris to cater your next event- send him an email beyondhomeec@gmail.com.

Aneesh- Our officiant was the voice of the Valley you know and love Aneesh from the Morning Mess! Aneesh was guest #127 and you have to listen to this throw back episode. He offered his services and when it finally was time to meet up discuss our personal vows and the ceremony this was one of my favorite memories of wedding planning. Outside on the patio sharing my love for the one I was marrying- it was beautiful and I thank Aneesh for helping us find the right words and guiding us through a life changing moment.

Celebrity Tux and Tails- This company came highly recommended by our wedding planner Paige and after learning that the owner has been in the industry for decades and now has his whole family learning the tricks of the trade we were happy to support and have on our special day. They were friendly, fast, accommodating, and budget friendly! Everything you need for your tux rentals can be found here.

Design Squeeze- Last BUT most definitely not least was Brittany! She designed our wedding invitations and stationary. You can read the full details of the seamless process from a previous blog post here. We also invited Britt on the podcast and that will be airing soon! I love how the theme of our invites carried into our forever yard with the planting of the smooth agaves. We even have framed her watercolor RSVP! Contact Brittany here to see her amazing creations and use her for your special events!

WOW! I know that was a lot but there are not enough words to say THANKS to our Village of Vendors that made the Finding Arizona Wedding so incredibly special. NOW you have to scroll through the rest of these gems and let me know your favorite photo in the comments!

XoXo

Britt

NASCAR WIVES: FINDING ARIZONA VIP'S WITH KNOW TRIBE AT ISM RACEWAY

November 15, 2019 Britt Johnson

KNOW TRIBE FINDING ARIZONA PODCAST AT ISM RACEWAY NASCAR

First time at a Nascar race and I could not not blog about it! What was I expecting and how did we get to be apart of this amazing experience I have to share. Not everyday does someone get to tour the garages while the drivers are prepping for qualifying laps or meet Jimmy Johnson’s publicist.

I am not here to boast but to feel honored to be apart of the Know Tribe and great opportunities like this one that we get to be apart of. Sarah Benkin started the Know Book + Tribe 2 years ago and we have been blessed to watch and support this journey. You can read all about the Tribe at the launch we attended this year here. When we got the invite to attend we said yes in a heart beat. Thanks to a helpful post of Facebook I had suggestions on what to wear and made sure ear plugs were part of the OOTD.

KNOW TRIBE FINDING ARIZONA PODCAST ISM RACEWAY OOTD NASCAR

On the drive over we were joking about the direction they lap and the rules of the game. Once we arrived we were quickle toured by Julie Giese ISM Raceway’s first and only female president. She was humble and her passion for the sport was palpable. We toured infield inside the garages watching the cars get pushed to inspections before their qualifying laps. Before the 200 lap race we rushed up to our suite with a beautiful view of the entire track and lite bites and drinks.

Upstairs not only did we get to hang out with Julie but we also met Jimmy Johnson’s publicist Amy Walsh Stock. She was again very humble and after leaning more about her new candle business and that she is in the KNOW CHARLOTTE Book we were celebrating with the other KNOW Women in the room. This was a pure moment of gratitude- to be surrounded with such powerful women not only in the NASCAR industry but also Construction, Health and Beauty, Marketing and PR.

Then, I look over at my handsome husband- who is my plus one for life and no one I would rather have experience this with me and I thank him for letting me into the podcast and allowing me to water it and nurture it and love it while it continues to bloom. Until our next adventure together.

XoXo

Britt

ACEVEDO ADVENTURES: HONEYMOON IN MEXICO CITY

November 7, 2019 Britt Johnson

Were back from our honeymoon- or luna de miel as we learned and we are ready to share our Finding Arizona experience in the one of the largest populated cities in the world. Our trip was short and sweet but we covered everything we wanted and more. Well be divulging all the deets from our three day two night stay in this beautiful city during a phenomenal part of the year: Dia De Los Muertos.

Why Mexico City?

Jose and I didn’t “plan” on honeymooning for time, budget and various other reasons. Honestly planning a wedding, designing and constructing it ourselves in our backyard took priority as it should. Briefly, we talked about taking a trip to San Diego maybe a trip up the coast, but nothing was for sure. But, in January of this year I wanted to surprise Jose with an amazing trip we deserved. I have traveled to Mexico many times but only the beaches. On the bucket list has always been experiencing Dia De Los Muertos in Mexico City since before Coco and before Spectre. To me a honeymoon seemed like the perfect time to check it off the bucket list. I am very comfortable flying domestically in Mexico. A few years ago the City of Tijuana Mexico built a border bridge for travelers using the Tijuana Airport from San Diego. For a small fee you have speedy access across the border through customs and through duty free get to enjoy the domestic prices of flying in Mexico.

What to pack? What to Wear?

I looked on blog after blog of what to wear in this colorful city and got so many mixed reviews. Then, after stalking the weather reports showing thunderstorms and rain we packed accordingly, but never once used our umbrella. Words for the wise: anyone traveling in October / November bring moisture wicking material. The humidity was high for us Zonies and although we tried to dress in layers we regretted most materials. The only other major item I was thankful for packing was walking shoes. Taking the perfect insta photo may require a H2T looks and I was nervous I didn’t pack any “cute” shoes but but the end of the trip looking at my filthy Nike’s I was thankful I had them through the dirty streets and muddy parks. For the festival I took a flowy black mid length dress but it was covered in jacket layers. For the bike ride I wore jeans that were too big for my britches and I wish I would have just worn leggings. For the flights I had my neck pillow and a soft, small blanket to remind me of home- the best thing I packed.

What to do?

Again, we researched. We asked friends, family, neighbors, hell I even put up an Insta Story suggestions box. The night before we made an itinerary based on the neighborhoods we would be visiting, a AirBnB Experience we booked and of course the museums and monuments we had to see. I won’t include it but if you want the play by play email me and I’ll send you our doc! Instead heres our Day in the Life in Mexico City.

Cuauhtemoc

I would consider this old mexico city. Its historic Aztec then Spanish now Mexican rule is seen throughout this neighborhood. Our AirBnb was perfectly located here. Meters from Avenue Reforma (the main road to take to the city square) it was quiet enough to get some sleep but also 3 minutes walking distance to tacos. We walked to Zocalo saw the Catedral Metropolitana and the National Palace and a few more government buildings. In preparation for the holiday big stages and alters were being erected but of in the streets many families already started blessings and sharing their loved ones in pictures from film to gigantic bean mosaics. My favorite was Avenida Francisco I. Madero where people crowded the walkway but this time in costume, face paint and (of course) an ear of corn smothered in Mayo, cheese and chili. We stopped to get a full face paint and my night was made.

Acevedo Adventures Honeymoon in Mexico City FInding Arizona Finds Mexico Dia De Los Muertos Day of the Dead

Coyoacan

The next morning was the only activity we had “scheduled.” AirBnb features experiences in the area you are traveling to and we took full advantage of the Frida VIP one! It started with a bike tour around the neighborhood. We learned it was the first original capital and saw a church from 1520 La Iglesia de San Juan Bautista. We biked through the Hacienda de Cortes, cobblestone streets, “Avocado Alley” and ate churros and drank Atole a drink made from corn. After dropping off our bikes the group walked through an indoor market where we stopped for aguas frescas and tostados. Finally we were off to the Blue House. Our VIP experience allowed us to skip the line, something we would highly recommend. Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lived in the famous Casa Azul and presently the house serves and a museum and a personal inside look at how they lived, worked and played. My favorite was the bedrooms: the day bedroom where the mirror hung above her bed to paint on her casts and the night bedroom which featured her ashes. After taking a million photos and wandering the courtyard we were off for some ice cream- made from the Aztec marigold fower Cempasuchitl seen throughout the holiday.

Acevedo Adventures Honeymoon in Mexico City FInding Arizona Finds Mexico Dia De Los Muertos Day of the Dead Frida Kahlo

Roma

This neighborhood is the boujeist in the city. The restaurants, bars and even architecture have a different look and feel. It is not the place to wander the streets and jump from eating and drinking. I was recommended to visit antique stores and see street art but they were few and far between. We did however see the fountain featuring a replica of Michelangelo’s David at Plaza Rio de Janeiro surrounded by hundreds of year old trees. Because of the holiday a beautiful offenda for our furry friends was set up and being admired. We were told about the best taco shop in the city and found it to be very close to this area so we walked the 7 minutes and can agree. They were bomb. Taqueria Orinoco is authentic. Dont expect asada or adobada instead, trumpo, bistec, and chicharon. The variety of salsas were so good too I wanted to take them as souvenirs. On our walk home we discovered an almost glow in the dark bar serving Pulque. This drink was on our list too! Coming from a kombucha lover this is how it was described online but we describe it as egg white consistency with your flavor of choice: pina, melo, jamaica, etc. I ordered a 40 ounce Michelada and enjoyed every sip.

Anzures

Our final day we had to see two things in this area: Bosque de Chapultepec and the Museo De Anthropologia. After grabbing capuchinos, again, from Cucurucho (we had to go back) we ubered to Chapultepec. The park was gorgeous- peaceful and almost fantasy like with the early morning fog and 1700 acres of trees. But the museum was breathtaking! From the towering fountain when you first walk in to each exhibits’ thousands of artifacts we wish we could have spent all day there. After grabbing a Guajolotatamal (Torta de tomal) and an uber it was time to head back home.

Other things to know:

Cellular data and talk and text on our American plans did not get us an data in the actual city but the entire city has free WiFi! Yes, you read that right. You may have to login every neighborhood but being able to call an Uber or look up walking directions to a new spot was

Your American Dollars are not any good you must exchange- but remember it costs more to buy a dollar than sell it.

If you want to go back I am so down! I hope you enjoyed this guide. You can watch the video version here.

XoXo

Britt

OCTOBER FINAL FRIDAY FIVE FAVORITE FINDS - WEDDING EDITION

October 25, 2019 Britt Johnson

Thirteen days into being Mr and Mrs. Acevedo and I can say we have come down from the clouds just a bit to fill you all in on a few after the Big Day deets! Just like they said it would it happened so fast but SPOILER ALERT- it was perfect and I would not have changed anything about it. WIth that being said we wanted to recap and each highlight 5 magical moments from our day for our monthly edition of Five Favorite Finds.

BRITT’S FIVE

WALKING DOWN THE ISLE -What do I remember the most? Walking down the aisle to the beautiful voice of Danielle Durak and seeing my handsome husband to be with a gleam of light in his eye while side by side to my father who is nervously rushing me down the aisle- but it was magical and time stopped. I felt like a princess and when all eyes were on me- my eyes were on him and I will never forget that.
THE DRESS- I never was the bride who committed to a personal trainer or crazy dieting measures but after my final fitting I was a bit nervous on how it was fit- but the day off it was PERFECT and I even hesitated taking it off for my second outfit change of the night. You can read all about how I won the dress for free here.
I DIDN’T CRY - Now my cheeks sure do hurt from smiling so much (still to this day) but I didn’t shed a tear. I choked up during the vows - Jose’s and mine- but the tears never flowed. I was too happy too overjoyed too many great emotions to have anything come out. I was very nervous it was going to be a different story so this made the day even more perfect.
HAVING EVERYONE IN OUR HOME - I know that many amazing people will never be at our home under one roof at the same time again. I took in every moment to thank everyone for coming and making their experience up their with my own. A few times we stepped back to take it all in and I forever have mental photos of the dreamland venue we created that day. From the morning to the night friends and family were there to help out in so many ways and our house was flowing with love. I thank each and everyone of them.
JOSE’S RING -Not only is his ring gorgeously hand made in Santa Cruz CA from Ebony Wood and laid with Turquoise and Lapis Lazuli but it also symbolizes his vows. They were personal and funny but also serious and sentimental and with that ring I promised to honor mine and his. After months of research I found it on etsy and every purchase plants 5 trees in the Amazon.

JOSE’S FIVE:

BRITT’S VOWS - Hearing and seeing Brittany’s vows. Nothing will ever replace that moment. I think I will remember that moment most of all. I can definitely say I fell in love all over again. Combine all that with the fact that she looked stunning, it holds the number one slot.
MOTHER / SON DANCE - The mother/son dance was hard for me. We chose a song that I will always remember my mom by. She and I are definitely close and hearing it in that moment made me cry so much. So for all that mushy gushy-ness it is number two. You can access our wedding playlist here.
THE VENUE - The alter/entire backyard transformation was mind blowing. We turned our entire back yard into the perfect venue. Our wedding planner worked her butt off to make everything perfect, and surprised us all with her speediness on the altar setup. If you take all the hard work with the entire transformation it equals to my number three moment.
FATHER OF THE BRIDE’S SPEECH-The speech that Brittany’s dad gave made me really take in how much the family means to me. I sometimes forget that I’m adding much more than JUST Brittany into my life. I truly was moved by his words and his openness. This fit right in as number four in my moments.
CEREMONY LIVE STREAM - My last pick but definite solid moment was our cool live stream we were able to accomplish. We really tried our hardest to make this moment available for everyone to enjoy. We were saddened when certain family members couldn’t make it due to illness. Having this live stream made it easy for them to access and see it. It really gave both of us ease of mind. This made for a really top 5 moment.

These are (some) fave photos from cell phones on the day of. I cannot wait to share the talented Katrina’s finished images soon. BUT- It’s not over ! One more thing I am grateful for is taking a break between Wedding and Honeymoon. This one will be one for the books too! Can’t wait to share Mexico City with the Acevedo’s !

XoXo

Britt

FINDING ARIZONA WEDDING PLANNING: MONTHS 5-0 TIMELINE

October 4, 2019 Britt Johnson

Seven days till Im a Mrs. It is slowly hitting me this week as we inch closer. From the sad songs on the radio to the final decisions to starve myself to fit perfectly into my dress, we are in the final days and everything is coming together- Duh! Here are some of the hiccups and highs from the last 5 months of planning the Finding Arizona Wedding.

Month 4

MAID OF HONOR DUTIES: I was blessed to have my best friend and maid of honor come out for a few dates in July to hang out, catch up and start her first projects as MOH. Stamping invites was first on the list (and of course photographing the drop off). Next she was able to provide a great resource to a caterer- which you can read all about this spectacular meal here. Most importantly she was able to give me some peace of mind and a few laughs. Plus we mastered the Lavender Lemonade Cocktail- YUM!

POOL PUMP AND SHED: After fighting a green pool for over a year I was over it! I was spending more in chemicals every week to keep up with all the dead pine needle debris. One day I went into Leslie’s Pool and they laughed at me because our pool pump model was older than I am; we decided then a replacement was needed. We also demoed the fencing around and constructed a new one. Learning how to anchor 4x4s x12s and build a custom gate brought Jose and I even closer together.

AISLE RUNNERS AND TABLE DECOR: When it came to decorating our aisle and tables we wanted something simple and most importantly repurposeful. I sourced clay pots for a while but we were finally able to start painting and decorating them. The pots range from 7 inch to 1 inch and after we painted them all white Jose and I custom decorated each one. I could not be more proud of how they turned out especially knowing we individualized every pot.

Month 3

WEDDING PLAYLIST: We finalized our amazing wedding playlist and shared an entire blog post on our inspiration and how you can get your ear on it here. But since then we have broke down even further into 3 categories. We are already jamming to these tunes on a daily and will continue after.

CUSTOM CORN HOLE: WOW! Okay- you know how my love language is gifts ? When I one of the presents I received for my 30th was a custom corn hole set and it is gorgeous! Mr and Mrs is hand-written along with the date of our wedding. My parents worked so hard and you can see their love in the craftsmanship.

LAYING THE SOD: I can officially say I know what it takes and HOW to lay sod! It is work- no joke. We ordered 960 ft2 and in 1 day had the grass down! All because we prepped like crazy. From tilling to prep the sprinkler system to evenly leveling out the ground to sprinkle manure and get the sod on in a particular pattern and patted down to perfection. My favorite part was the grass where Jose and I will say our “I Do’s” was placed with our 4 hands- together.

Month 2

POOL DECK REDO : After finishing the sod and the deck and the pergola and the gorgeous herringbone wall and the pool shed what stood out the most- in the worst way- was the deck around he pool. Every photo it takes center stage and something needed to be done. Thankfully my amazing parents sacrificed a weekend to come power wash and scrape for two days then re-caulk and repaint all 450 ft2 around the pool. It is stunning! After two coats of paint- that took a village to research we are so proud!

HAIR AND MAKEUP TRIALS:I am so lucky to have found a very talented makeup artist- Lois of the Hey Lo Company . She is not only skilled at what she does but she is also developing her own line of products launching 2020! I cannot wait to see what she does in the valley with her amazing efforts! Her contouring was my favorite- my makeup lasted all day- even through sweating painting a pool deck. Her talented sister did my hair and copied a pinterest photo to a T! I cannot wait to share more photos the day of.

Month 1

WHITE MARBLE: Seven days before the wedding and we will be finishing up our final project- the sprinkles on top - the rock! Of course like everything else in this project nothing comes easy. I love my handsome soon to be husband but he underestimated the square footage of rock we would need and after we both watched 2 tons get dumped into our driveway we were on the phone again with Red Canyon Supply to order more. Apparently white marble is a popular rock because it took over a week for us to be able to reorder some more. Thankfully we now have 6 more tons to work with and can finish up just in time!

CAKE : One of my biggest fears days before the wedding is vendors not coming through. I lose sleep over it and unfortunately it happened to us. We held off on selecting a baker for so long. We got quotes from $50 to $450 and after taking a chance on a young baker one week before were re-evaluating the cake because unfortunately our baker has “allergies.” I think the only thing he is allergic to is a work ethic.

MARRIAGE LICENCE: With everything else going on we almost forgot to get a marriage license. Thankfully our planner reminded us and we booked an appointment at the County Clerk’s Office. We now have a fancy piece of paper that makes it feel a little more real.

I am almost able to count the days on one hand and the last minute details are coming in. We are approving the timeline with our planner and scheduling the rehearsal dinner and somehow finding time to dust the floors and clean the bathrooms all in time for the guests to arrive. Oh yeah- I have to make sure to exfoliate 3 times this week to have the best skin! And sleep? What’s that?

XoXo

Britt

SEPTEMBER FINAL FRIDAY FIVE FAVORITE FINDS - SATURDAY EDITION

September 28, 2019 Britt Johnson

We quickly flew through September- from celebrating birthdays (Mom & Jose) and working hard on finishing wedding projects we found a few things that kept us grounded this month. Here are our favorite finds from September 2019.

BRITT’S FIVE

PEANUT BUTTER PROTEIN SHAKES - I have never been a peanut butter fan- in fact I only enjoy it with chocolate. While I have been following my raw meal a day diet I have been craving something sweet and started concocting peanut butter cocoa and banana protein smoothies. Those 4 ingredients mixed with ice and cashew milk in the magic bullet is so good!
TRUCKS- I have recently been considering our next car purchase. I am not loving mine and it is causing a few headaches- but I was recently rear ended and thankfully I am okay but the minor damage to my car has put it in the shop and I talked my way into a Nissan Frontier rental for the time being. I love it already and am anxiously searching for free stuff on Craig’s List to go haul.
HAIR SCARVES- With the wedding approaching I have been more concouse of not applying to much heat to my hair- plus the pool dried it out! So I have been resorting to more braids and buns and ponys. I just ordered these short silk scarves on Amazon to help accessorize a plain pony and also add more navy blue - my favorite wardrobe color right now.
ORGANIZATION - Virgo season was pretty much ALL of September and I felt all the organization vibes. Not only have we been trying to clean every inch of our home before the wedding but we have also been purging a ton of stuff too! From cups to unused towels to closets and cleaning products we went through all the cabinets and replaced with storage bins and purpose. My favorite are these wooden boxes from Walmart and how cute is this dog toy organizer from Marshalls?
CANDLES -Fall for me is lighting all the candles and filling the room with the best smells. Anything but sweet scents is my jam- stay away from the sugar cookies and the pumpkin pie and give my all the woodsy pines and cranberry mandarin scents. My favorite place is Walmart because they are so cheap- $3 for a 3 wick that last 3 days - in my house.

JOSE’S FIVE:

ADOBE RUSH - I am trying to get better at editing videos on the go. As a big element for our social media, I always want to be mobile and this app is so powerful! I definitely have a lot to learn but I am enjoying myself a lot.
PERFECT BAR (DARK CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER) - How do you describe greatness in such a little bar!? This epic tasting treat has been a staple lately for both Britt and me.
iPhone 11 PRO MAX - As my 30th birthday present to myself, I upgraded my phone to the new iPhone. I have never been happier when it comes to screen size and power. This is my daily driver so I need a lot to go into it. This phone has again changed the game for me and my business.
AMERICAN HORROR STORY -The new season has started and it has been like always a mind-bender. No spoilers, but this series has made itself known for its storytelling, so I'm excited for what's to come.
FINDING AZ WEDDING PLAYLIST - Just like when I was a kid, I get excited about playlist/curated music . Available now on Spotify, you can find our wedding playlist that we will be playing throughout the whole ceremony. recently I have found myself listening to it more and more throughout my day. Just like a quarterback would replay a game for complete perfection. Here is the blog breaking it down and sharing the tunes .

October is the BIG month! Wow! We have so much in-store including an amazing trip planned to San Diego- then Mexico City! We cannot wait to share the next 30 days!

XoXo

Britt

FINALLY! FOOD TASTING!

September 22, 2019 Britt Johnson

I recently rediscovered a show on TLC called “Four Weddings” where 4 brides attend each other’s weddings and rate the food, dress, and overall experience. Rewatching it really made me think about the food served at a wedding as a bigger deal than I was picturing. Surprising, I know coming from such a foodie! But after planning this for almost a year we just recently locked in the BEST menu you will ever taste at a wedding.

Our food style was easy to pick! We wanted pasta! We both love Italian food; spaghetti can be easy on the budget and everyone loves carbs! At first our catering suggestions were the basics and after tasting a few I was not impressed. The sauce was too watery, the prices were too outrageous for the product and the menu was not what we envisioned. After almost resorting to an Italian chain restaurant for catering, I asked my Maid of Honor for another duty, help me find a caterer! It took her 2 seconds to suggest a person. Chris is a family member of a close friend. (He is practically family because he has spent some time with us at OTL, lol.) He works in the valley alongside some award winning chefs at top restaurants. We have run into him at music festivals and he has suggested some amazing places to brunch. But when I reached out for catering suggestions from him, what I was not expecting was offering his own services.

We invited Chris over to talk details and run through the space with him. He has experience catering events himself, but this will be his first wedding. After discussing budget and menu we set up a tasting.

First:

Fregola Salad – Fresh Fregola pasta mixed with zucchini, tomatoes, basil, and roasted pine nuts topped with parm. My mouth is watering just talking about this dish again. From the warm pine nuts against the cold salad and the sweetness of the tomatoes contrasting the sharpness of the parmesan cheese- I could eat just this and be content.

Second:

Spaghetti and Pancetta Meatballs. Perfectly cooked al dente pasta with a fresh tomatoes sauce is the base, but what really makes this dish pop are the meatballs. Combo pork and beef the pancetta in the meatballs takes it to another level.

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS FINDING AZ WEDDING DINNER

Third:

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Mushroom Butter Sauce and Fried Sage- Yes, fried sage! That touch was our favorite because it really does correlate with our theme. First the sweetness of the butternut squash hits your tastebuds and melted butter with fresh mushrooms is the meat of this dish, but wait- the crunch of the sage it a perfect touch. Oh my yum!

We decided on a buffet style dinner, no formal serving and seconds are encouraged! That is how our family does it so why would we change? We skipped the fine china and ordered plastic plates. Sorry not sorry for the tasteless touch but we want easy clean up, budget friendly and more importantly, no glass around the pool.

This is the breakdown of the dinner provided by Chef Chris Andrade.

Looking forward to the large charcuterie board, mustache pretzels and mezcal tastings!

Who’s excited?

XoXo Britt

411 ON RSVPS

September 8, 2019 Britt Johnson

I discovered a new podcast from the Betches Media Group called Betches Brides. This could not have aired at a more perfect time. Nine episodes have been released but the one that stands out to me the most is episode 7: “Who TF Gets A Plus One.” This got us thinking about our own invite list and how much shenanigans goes into the guest list after we thought it was finalized. I related to some of the stories in the episode and with 4 days till our RSVP’s are due and only receiving 1/3 of them we decided this was our next blog topic.

Our beautiful invitations were designed and printed by Design Squeeze and you can read all about our amazing experience and how we settled on the final draft here. We are also in production on a video sharing with our friends and family who we were not able to invite or cannot attend that we will be sharing the ceremony live. But we also wanted to address that we are choosing a very intimate number to celebrate with and this even to this day is hard to get that message out.

When we designed our RSVP’s we had a strategy. There were 2 simple things we did: Address it directly to whom we invited and leave 2 lines to be filled out on the RSVP’s for no additional entries. After hearing about a story on the Betches Bride’s podcast that someone added an additional plus one to their lines I was appalled- then it happened to us. I called up my amazing wedding planner to figure out how to go about the situation and she even offered to handle it herself that is how much of a super woman she is!

Another topic brought up in the episode was guests not sending RSVP’s back or simply just texting a photo of their response. BOTH of these have happened to us as well. As a virgo I appreciate organization. In fact we have at least 2 spreadsheets for out guest list / invites and when I have to remember if someone texted me or just told me they were coming it slips to one of the last things on my mind.

Finally as the episode is appropriately titled I genuinely do ask: Who TF gets a plus one? In what world did people learn they can add lines or put “Dont know who Im bringing but count me as 2” ? We are less than a month a way (appropriately when invites are due) and as mentioned we have received 1/3 of them. Do people just think because they got an invite and have the info we are expecting them? Planning a wedding is a business clearly and when you don’t know who to expect how do you plan to feed and seat everyone?

We don’t have a B list or room for adjusting one “declined” RSVP to open up and mail out another invitation. We are not looking to fill a football squad here. Jose and I are sharing a very intimate moment with some of our closest friends and family. We know not everyone can make it and we hope everyone else knows we can’t invite the whole world. When families start counting chairs and calculating percentages and asking for the fifth time if we invited aunt so and so this is when Jose and I rely on each other to not go crazy.

In conclusion if you have not sent us your RSVP and you have received one please do so now! If you have encountered any RSVP crazy stories please share! I know I am not the only one!

Thank you for reading and I truly hope no one was offended in sharing this.

XoXo

Britt

AUGUST FINAL FRIDAY FIVE FAVORITE FINDS - SATURDAY EDITION

August 31, 2019 Britt Johnson

August is my birthday month! This was a mile stone- the big THREE OH! Im feeling older and wiser and sore all from laying 1000 square feet of sod in our yard. Time is flying and that means the wedding timeline is too! Here are the 5 things that Joe and I indulged in between podcasts, wedding planning, home rennos, and work.

BRITT’S FIVE

PRESENTS - It is my love language. Not sure what that means you can read the blog about it here . For my 30th birthday my parents gifted me 30 presents! It was amazing: from lotions to snacks to clothes to a custom painted Frida guitar and Wedding Corn Hole set. I am grateful for all the love on my birthday!
CAR HUMIDIFIER- Yes- I am boujee. Not only do I recomend sleeping with a humidifier with a few drop of essential oil but you need to put one in your car too! It not only calms and refreshed you but also your car. I keep a waterbottle to refill and usually keep lemongrass and peppermint to drop in for my commutes. Here is the one I got on amazon!
MORNING RUNS- Finally the weather is nic(er) to wake up and roll out of bed to pop on my running shoes and hit the canal. Just a short jog but enough to count and keep me motivated to do several times a week.
SAGE AUBREY- I am finally part of the Sage Squad! Sage Aubrey is a phenomenal designer, motivating mother and an overall beautiful inside and out human being! I have been eyeing her bags since before I met her and now I am the proud owner of the MINI HELLA NAVY. Catch her around town with me holding everything I need to get through my day.
MEXICAN REFRIED BEANS - Im the most non-mexican mexican you’ll meet. I eat tortillas and beans and tacos a few times a week. For me, everyday is taco tuesday! While I was blessed to have my family in town this week my mom taught me how to make refried beans from scratch. I am going to save the recipe for a Finding Arizona Kitchens Blog post and you will not want to miss that one!

JOSE’S FIVE:

VEME.LY- Everybody wants to have content that has captions below it nowadays. When you have a little time to edit the captions into your videos this app will be a timesaver. Where it lacks most is that you do have to pay a subscription but for the price and the time saved it is up to you whether or not you use this tool to its finest.
SMOOTHIES- Always healthy and always delicious this drink is always going to be stable for my morning or my afternoon. I’ve recently tried more and more kinds of smoothies at home and at my local smoothie shop. (Smoothie King).
VITAL PROTEINS - Alongside my smoothies, I put this protein in to help give it an extra kick. Brittany has drawn concerns about collagen so I choose this mix in particular because I wanted to try something different. We both enjoy because of the ability to put it in any smoothie or drink we want.
SUCCESSION-The new season of the HBO series has come out and simply WOW!!! If you haven’t caught on yet, you need to. Every character is uniquely situated in this season to take out everyone. At the same time, there are family and family ties under all the tension.
BOOGIELO (SUNSET CRUISE)- Our most recent musical guest put out a new album for the summer. And this episode we talked about how much these guys are working to try and get their voices together. In this album, you’ll start to hear the blend of their work. The other thing that I am so excited about is the lyrics that still question a lot of things around them. They have a ton of potential and I can only see them going up further from here.

September is Jose’s Buirthday Month! Keeping up the “Happy 30th Birthday” decor and getting ready to celebrate another year of greatness.

XoXo

Britt

30 THINGS I LEARNED BEFORE TURNING 30

August 27, 2019 Britt Johnson

I am officially in the the #30 club. And honestly it has been 24 hours of work! If this is what getting old is then I don’t want to grow up. I wanted to put this post up before the big day but it came so quick!

It started with laying 960 square feet of sod in our backyard. Then an amazing Sunday BBQ with family opening 30 presents consecutively had to have been my favorite part. Then the day of I worked as a typical adult would and today the day after put in a 12+ hour day. But in the spirit of many of the rules of this post I learned so much and wanted to share 30 that stand out to me and I look to practice everyday into my next 30 (and many more) years.

Also what is a birthday post without a fun photo shoot. Thank you Jose for making my mermaid dreams come true for a moment

30 THINGS I LEARNED BEFORE TURNING 30

How to use power tool and build something. They may be build primarily for righties but I love learning how to use a machine and creating something from it!
Dogs are not that scary. It it the owner that is and I feel in love with one we adopted last year named Winter.
I am an introvert. I chose staying in over going out and binging a show verses bar hoping any day of the week. I will go out but need a proper bedtime.
Nine PM is the new Midnight. Like the lesson above I learned I am a morning person and find the AM for accomplishing tasks. Early to rise is early to bed that is what they say?
Thirty is the new 20. I still have so much to learn about myself and others. I have plenty of amazing things to cross off the bucket list and look forward to doing alot this next decade.
There is no timeline for life. Just like the previous lesson: dont rush; ebjoy the present.
My body will change and I will always love it. A woman’s body is miraculous thing and each year I learn to love mine and all the changes its making.
Listen to your body. Inside and out my digestion, gut health and skin can tell me just as much about my health as some professionals can.
Wear what you love. I am sure you see my thrift shopping adventures which is why I can budget in pink tutu skirts and yellow raincoats: they make my happy and I pay by the pound. Style is what you make it.
Take care of yourself before you have to. Dont wait until it is too late to take the vitamins, eat the raw foods, or go for the run. These are all GREAT habits that only start 1 day at a time.
Pick your battles. If it won’t matter in 5 years don’t spend more than 5 minutes thinking about it. This is still a practicing trait daily.
Manifestation is real. What do you want? Put it out into the universe AND be willing to work or answer or listen or reply or show up for it! The key is the second part.
It’s okay to just cry. No reason; just let it out.
Don’t follow anyone who makes you feel bad about yourself. In real life and in social media if you find yourself comparing in an unhealthy way and it overall its not adding value to your life then unfollow or remove that person from being around you as much as possible.
Stand up for yourself and those you love. Use your voice for who and what you love most!
“Work” isn’t everything. This is my current practicum. Tips appreciated.
Sorry is overused. Especially by me. I need to stop apologizing as Rachel Hollins would say!
You don’t have to always do your hair or wear makeup. In fact love your natural beauty FIRST!
Wear Sunscreen. And apply a few times a day.
Travel alone. Not just to the movies or the grocery store but take a flight and discover a new city by yourself.
Join a club. For me it was a book club. Having people gather over a common interest to discuss and interact and hold each other accountable is important in many reasons. We did it as kids and loved it and its even better as adults!
Vinyl is the best sound for music. Digital music is everywhere and tapes are non existent. But the one thing that will not change will be the everlasting classic sound of a record hitting the needle.
Being sweet all the time can get you in trouble. But so can being salty. Just be you but know how to be it.
I can bake, cook, grill, fry, broil, sear, you name it and Ill make it! I crossed most of these out before 10 but I love getting in the kitchen and practicing all these skills.
Alcohol is not for me. I can make you a mean drink and maybe enjoy a small one with you, but my body does not like it and I don’t want to fight it.
Always wash your face before bed. Another reference to Rachel Hollins’ book.
Do it right or do it again. Simply and perfectly put.
Put your phone away because life happens not on a timeline.
Mexican is my favorite food but the best is STILL Jalisco Cafe in Imperial Beach.
My face cannot hide any of my reactions and I am okay with being me because everyone else is taken.