Handmade with Love – When I first thought of this title for our workshop, I was primarily thinking from the perspective of our attendees making beautiful dried floral arrangements. The more time I spent assembling the details, the deeper I saw this theme weave into every aspect of design (and not only by me).

It’s no secret that florists pour their hearts into creating every single arrangement, spending countless hours dreaming up the perfect ensemble, placing each stem at just the right angle to​ create ​something that symbolizes romance, passion, and is an avenue to communicate their love for you through carefully handpicked flowers.

When Nanan approached me with the idea of leading a workshop, I was ecstatic to help her build an experience around the theme, connection. The holiday season is a time to gather – with families and friends that fly in from other parts of the world, a time to catch up on current events and a time for deeper, meaningful conversations. We took this time to craft an experience that truly represents what the holidays encompass – a connection that’s intimate, meaningful, and fun.

A few handmade details that we loved –

Sharon from Pressed paper + print literally made paper from scratch – self-taught! From her attention to detail to her intentionally connecting with me, working with her was so easy and fun!

Esmeralda made macarons and Alfajores with the utmost love and put so much attention to packaging her Alfajores into what looks like mini snow globes, perfectly aligning with the holiday aesthetics in the beautifully-decorated West Elm!

Each cup of delight was brewed and poured with so much love from JJ. Whether hot or cold, their coffee and hot chocolate were a big hit for everyone that passed by!

Overall, our first workshop was truly wonderful for some quality time with one another – a wonderful way to kickstart the holidays and such a big encouragement for us to launch into planning more ways to connect like this!

Creative Team