2019 Small business gift guide featuring minority small business owners
Author: webdeveloperswj
BIENVENIDOS!
I want to welcome you to The Inspo my Party family! I’m so happy to have you as a part of our community, and want to help you host your next big bash. Let’s face it…planning a party can be stressful! There’s no shortage of good ideas, but there are also so many decisions to make and options to choose from. Sigh! That’s why I’m so excited you found us, to help you go from pinned ideas and inspiration to actual booked reservations and items checked off that to-do list! And because no one wants a party budget hangover (or the other kind, although that’s somehow more tolerable) I would love to help save you some $$$ by helping you rent or buy used whenever possible. Now, in case you were wondering more about who I am, here’s a quick introduction of who I am and what I do: My name is Patty, and I’m a wife and mom of three living in the San Fernando Valley. I love planning parties and love to help others with their parties too! In 2018, I seemed to be hosting parties out the wazoo and each time, I was borrowing stuff from a friend or family member to make it happen…from ice chests and pop ups, to serving trays and chafing dishes, to outfits, decorations, and more! It was wonderful to be able to borrow items to fill in the gaps where I was missing elements, but it’s always a little uncomfortable asking to borrow stuff, even though folks are happy to lend them. The point is, we all have lots of stuff, and we all want to help others. I wanted to help us share the party stuff we have collected over the years. But why not open the opportunity to rent from others, and make a little money off of stuff piling up in your garage? With Inspo my Party, I’ve created a platform to help you rent, buy, and find party stuff, including finding the amazing vendors that can help bring all the pieces together so you can host your next best party. I can’t wait for you to get started using the site, so I’m working day and night to get it ready for prime time. Stay tuned for exciting stuff happening soon!
WE HAVE A WINNER!
Three big announcements. First, thank you so much to everyone who was able to join us last week on Instagram @Inspomyparty as we selected the winner of the #WeAllGrow ticket giveaway! We had the best time going LIVE and sharing updates on our business, sharing some wine, and sharing our three big announcements with you! If you joined us live, you saw that we didn’t have just one big announcement (the winner of the ticket), but two more huge announcements! Announcement #1: We have a co-founder! Building a successful business requires far more than having a good idea. It takes strategy, business planning, marketing, sales, and so much more. Some company founders can do it alone, but I knew that in order to make this as successful as I possibly could, I needed to bring on a strategic and passionate co-founder to join me on the journey. Please join me in welcoming Iris Hosea to the team! Iris and I have known each other professionally for several years. We have a passion for supporting small businesses and love throwing a great party. Our background in event planning and marketing make us a great team to build this business and provide you with a service like no other. We are excited for what’s to come. We hope you will stay on this journey with us. Announcement #2: We have a new name! While the name ‘Inspo My Party’ is super fun, we wanted to align with the business with the wonderful feeling you have when you’re dreaming about your next big gathering. We loved the name ‘Festively’ and all the positive vibes we feel when saying it out loud. Makes us want to shimmy our shoulders when we say it! So next we have to create our logo and branding, and would love your input as we narrow down designs. The logo at the top is a fun one we mocked up ourselves, what do you think? Leave your feedback in the comments. Announcement #3: We have a winner! And the winner is…drum roll…Alyssa Baches from Palm Desert, CA! Alyssa, we are so excited for you!! Please do share as many pics and videos from the conference so we can see how much fun you are having. We will be sure to share them with our loyal tribe on IG. Huge shout out to Serendipity Spa in La Verne, CA and owner Jen for hosting us last night! Find them on Instagram @serendipity_handsfacefeet. And we were thrilled to add lovely accents by @thecakemamas and @line39wine. Ask #1: Focus Groups Time! Thank you to those of you who agreed to participate in focus groups! Since we have folks interested in participating who are both near and far, we’ve decided to host all of our focus groups online. We are aiming for Sunday, May 19, so stay tuned for more details! Do you have any feedback for us?Please let us know! We are learning and would love your input along the way! Stay tuned for more!Patty & Iris
It’s Festival Season!
To help you get in the festival spirit and be ready for your next festival, whether it’s Coachella or YOUchella, I thought I’d break down a few elements to get you prepped.
HOW TO HOST A DODGERS PARTY!
Spring is here and that means warmer weather, weekend bbq’s and the ever present Dodgers games! Now if you’re not from LA, you may have made an ugly face after hearing the word Dodgers…ahem DOD-GERS!! But it’s the one LA team that’s embraced the people from the start. My mom and dad grew up in East LA, and they lived through the beginning of Chavez Ravine and the unfortunate displacement that took place to create Dodger Stadium. But while that wreaked havoc on the neighborhood, a hero soon emerged in Fernando Valenzuela and the energy that came from having a hometown team that offered something for everyone to believe in. So growing up with Dodger games on TV and at Dodger Stadium (cheap seats means better view of the fireworks) led us to believe that every game is worthy of a celebration. And when looking for ways to make an extra special, we look no further than our own backyards! Big or small, chill or extravagant, Dodger fans know how to party. Lots of folks want to infuse their parties with Dodger pride, so to help with the party planning, check out these awesome IG party ideas. @Veres_berries based in Paramount, CA included a Dodgers sarape and details like a marque number to make this dessert table extra special. A popular element is adding peanuts to the guests tables, as @jcrafts.business in Los Angeles and @kicoskiddos both do beautifully. I love how @dazzlebyvicky incorporates pink into the Dodger blue and white details. Because of course us gals are just as big a fan as the fellas! But we all know the treats are the star of the show here. A few awesome ways to woo your Dodgers crowd can be found as easily as checking with your local donuts shop! Beyond Donuts, there’s no shortage of yummy ways to celebrate. Beer and Hot Dogs It goes without saying that beer and hot dogs are a must for enjoying a Dodger game at home, at the stadium, or anywhere else! Lots of taco vendors will also cook up bacon wrapped hot dogs if you ask. Like @taco_catering in La Puente. So many beer companies are paying homage to teams, you can’t go wrong with picking up some great brews from @goldenroadbrew and @monkishbrewing. Add a little michelada mix from @michoandmary or @Ilovemicheladas and you’ll have some very happy Dodger fans at your next gathering. Now celebrate away! And if you’re not already a Dodgers fan, I invite you to join us! xoxo, Patty
After 50 years, Mom & Dad are Finally Getting Married
So technically they are already married….but the first time they said ‘I do’, both were 18 years old, my mom had a bun in the oven, and my grandma was chasing my dad out of the house. Growing up we always heard stories of the first wedding…uncle Manuel (mom’s older brother) and the Morales cousins (dad’s cousins) were in rival gangs and did not get along. Their wedding brought together these cross-town rivals and they weren’t exactly worried about upsetting the bride by starting a huge brawl outside. The picture of my grandparents standing next to my mom on the wedding day says it all…why is my youngest daughter marrying this hippy dude…there’s still time to drive away from here. Fast forward 50 years… They’ve since had 3 amazing kids (i’m one of them), 6 biological grandkids, several more additional grandkids, kids in laws, etc., and my parents have built one heck of a family that loves to par-tay. So when the big 5-0 was coming close, we were all excited when mom decided she wanted to throw a 50th wedding anniversary to celebrate the many years of trials, tribulations, joys, and wonders of hitting this milestone. So we went into full planning mode…que the pinterest board! Tropical oasis? Havana nights? Boho chic? No, mom had a specific vision for what she wanted. A simple and elegant fiesta at a local community center. Mom knows what she wants Part of this, I know, is that she and dad are retired on a fixed income. Part of this was a nod to her roots…she’s a simple gal and never fed into spending money on unnecessary things. While the rest of us go overboard on custom cookies and selfie walls, she wanted the true meaning of the celebration to come through…a gathering to celebrate love and tradition. So finding the venue was challenging. What was available, when? What are the fees? What are the restrictions? Why is it so hard to get a straight answer? Why is it that I can only get answers Monday-Friday from 9 am to 4 pm? We found a place…an amazing place, that was right under our nose. A beloved family restaurant that we’ve gone to many times to celebrate different milestones. The place is beautiful and was the right price. Plus we wouldn’t have to decorate from scratch. Let’s party! Now we need to pull the pieces together. Luckily, we’ve got a few things already locked in. A cousin is a photographer. Another cousin does cupcakes. A friend can lend us linens. Another friend is going to come and help set up the place while we’re at the church. Isn’t that what it’s all about? Everyone coming together to support each other? There’s a ton of other things to think about, but knowing we can count on each other to pitch in, share recommendations, and lend a helping hand is so helpful. This reminds me why this site is so valuable. Every day, people have a million reasons to celebrate, but they want to celebrate within their means and in a way that’s meaningful to them. Not everyone needs or wants the fancy arrangements and extra cool balloon arch. And those that do, more power to them! But we all want our special days to be memorable in ways that match our character and style, and that doesn’t have to cost a fortune. After all, we’ll all be outside anyway cheering on uncle Manuel in the rematch against cousin Joe Morales.