Sponsor highlight: Fish Foam

We are so excited to welcome our newest sponsor, Fish Foam Glass & Window Cleaner!

No one likes to wash windows, right?  So you certainly want to make sure that they are clean the first time!

When I first heard about Fish Foam, I thought it was kind of a funny name for a glass cleaner.  I will tell you something: This stuff could be made out of fish parts, for all I care.  (It's not... but even if it was, I wouldn't care.)  It's made with alcohol, not ammonia.   I have never seen a product that cleans glass so quickly and easily.  It's a foam, so it doesn't drip.  It cuts through grease (so I have even used it on my granite counter tops) and it doesn't leave behind any streaks.

You know what else?  The Fish Foam people are so nice!  They were sponsors at the Haven Conference back in June.  They gave out full size samples of Fish Foam and were giving out little yo-yo's just for fun.  Having 4 boys, some of my blogger friends donated their yo-yo's to my cause.
You know what happened?  The Atlanta TSA opened my luggage for inspection and they stole some of the yo-yo's!!!  Crazy right?  I blogged about the theft.  You know what Fish Foam did?  They mailed 4 replacement yo-yo's along with the sample of Fish Foam directly to my home!

So let's review:  Super nice, customer service oriented company with an amazing product that works better than anything else that I've ever tried...?  Yep.  Fish Foam fits that bill.

We are so excited to have them on board as a sponsor!

Registration is NOW OPEN!!

Registration for the SoCal Social is now open!!

Head over to the Registration Page to sign up - you will find all the information about pricing and times there.

And after you register, make sure you add your picture to the We're Attending page! We can't wait to visit and get to know you before the event!

Complexions Day Spa... we're adding a second day to the SoCal Social!!

OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH!!!
Did we ever just put together something FAB-U-LOUS!!!

After a full day of walking and shopping, what better way to unwind (but keep the party going) than with a SPA DAY!?  That's right, we're adding a Part 2 to this year's SoCal Social!

Complexions Day Spa has been around since 1987 and it's not just a run of the mill “one on every corner” day spa, but a sanctuary where real world services transform lives one spa service at a time.

For more than 25 years, Complexions Day Spa has been the destination of choice for those seeking rejuvenation, relaxation, wellness, and beauty. Now at the Atrium Hotel, Complexions offers products and services designed to pamper, heal, relax and restore weary travelers and vacationers alike. Many of the services at Complexions include the complimentary addition of their own Blend Specifics essential oils. Each blend is designed to match the seasonal changes and is derived from only natural ingredients of the highest quality. There is no additional charge for the aromatic enhancement just the extra benefits you’ll enjoy in each and every service whether it’s a massage, facial or nail service.

Their new location in the Atrium Hotel is Gorgeous!  

You have to check out the Complexions Day Spa website to fully appreciate all of the services they have to offer: The Spa page has a list of services a mile long.  Facials, body treatments, massages, waxing, make-up... you name it, you can have a professional aesthetician take care of you.  They are also a CMA MedSpa, so they offer non-invasive medical treatments like acne treatments, photo rejuvenation and injectables like Botox... all services are performed by the Complexions Medical Aesthetics Team; headed by owner/medical director Richard Mantell MD, board certified physician trained in Internal Mediciane with 23 years experience.


You can also hold special events at Complexions... and that's exactly what we're going to be doing on Sunday, October 21st... the day after the SoCal Social.


The fabulous staff at Complexions has put together a wonderful, relaxing experience for us. We are going to hang out all day by this gorgeous pool...

photo credits

...and we are going to lounge around in these beautiful cabanas, reserved just for us...

... in addition to use of the pool and cabanas, we are going to each have a choice of one of the fabulous Spa` la Carte' services, a yummy, pool-side box lunch prepared by the Atrium hotel's executive chef (with your choice of sandwich or salad and dessert or cocktail)... all for $70.  (Which is a total deal since the Spa` la Carte' services are normally $65 AND we've already included the gratuity in there for you.)
By the way, you are welcome to add on any additional spa services.  You would just make a separate reservation during the same time frame and just pay separately for the additional service and gratuity.
( I, for one, am going to be adding on a facial. )

The Atrium hotel is 10 miles from the Orange Circle.  Those of you who might have a long drive, we recommend staying the night at the hotel Saturday and then just rolling on out to the pool for Spa Day the next morning.  (That's what Bev and I plan to do!)  There will be a thread on the SoCal Social Facebook page for anyone who is looking for someone to share a room with.

We are currently working on getting a group rate and will have that info posted very soon.

SO!  The ticket pricing is as follows:

Saturday, October 20 

The Swag Walk in the Orange Circle 

Amazing Mexican food at Avila's, lots of swag, prizes and hanging out with the fabulous Mark Montano...

$45

Sunday, October 21 

Spa Day at Complexions Day Spa

Lounging pool-side in cabanas, a delish lunch, a Spa` la Carte' spa treatment (a $65 value) with the customary 20% gratuity paid for you...

$70

OR.....

Both days

$100

We will need to cap the registrations for the spa day at 58 for the spa.  We're hopeful that if there are people who are unable to get a ticket for The Swag Walk, that they'll be able to join us for Spa Day.  Tickets go on sale for both days at noon (PST) August 7.  There will be a drop down menu to choose a treatment and a time slot for your Spa' la Carte' service.

We are so, SO excited about Spa Day and we hope you can join us!

Sponsor Highlight: The Ribbon Retreat

We are so excited to welcome back The Ribbon Retreat as a 2012 Sponsor!



The Ribbon Retreat is an amazing online shop and resource for ribbons (of course, but also fabrics, notions, books, patterns and so much more!

One of my favorite things about their ribbon selection is the huge variety!

With everything from satin to rick rack to lace to wired - you're sure to find what you need!



The Ribbon Retreat is more than just darling ribbons though - they have a crazy awesome selection of fabrics - from your favorite designers - in all the latest designs!

Can you say Riley Blake Chevrons? And Amy Butler Cameo?

They are also a great resource for How-To's, Books, and Patterns! For example, their Tricks of the Trade Hair Bow Instructions has everything you need to know to make headbands, hairbows, barrettes and more! It has 215 pages of instructions and over 1000 full color photos! Think of all the cuteness you could make - and all the gifts too!

They have so much more - we can't show you everything - but you'll want to spend time shopping around - I'm sure you'll be inspired to get creating!

You'll want to make sure and follow The Ribbon Retreat Blog as well - and you can find them on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter too! They also have a great newsletter - with Big Buys everyweek - and you will LOVE those deals! You can sign up here!





Avila's El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant

Who's up for some amazing Mexican food!?
I am! I am!


We have found a seriously amazing location for our final event of the SoCal Social!
Dinner for the 2012 will be held at the fabulous Avila's El Ranchito Restaurant!

As you can see - the building is beautiful. It was built in 1891 as a Baptist Church! The gorgeous stained glass windows are the originals from the church - the minister's wife ordered them in the late 1800's. The restaurant has old, dark wooden floors and the sides or the booths are old pew sidings. The old altar is intact too!

Of course, the food has to be great too!

You had me at chips & salsa, but holy guacamole...

Check out their entire menu HERE, but this Botana Platter is their most popular item.

And how about drinks...?  If you care about this stuff (and we do!) they make a great margarita and have an impressive tequila selection.  We highly recommend the mojitos too!  (We have to make sure you all will like it, right?)

The history of the Avila family is amazing.  It truly is representative of the American dream. Here's an exerpt from their website - sharing a little bit about the family -

"When Salvador Avila came to the United States from Guanajuato, Mexico with his wife and children, he came with hope and the American dream in his heart. Four decades later, Avila and his children own and operate one of the most well known and highly successful groups of Mexican restaurants in Orange and Los Angeles Counties, Avila's El Ranchito restaurants.
It all started in the kitchen over 40 years ago. Mama brought with her recipes that have been in her family for generations, paying strict attention to freshness and quality.

It was Papa, though, who had the idea to involve the whole family and create a truly special restaurant. The entire Avila family pitched in and help at the first El Ranchito when it opened in Huntington Park in 1966 with only five picnic tables. Even Grandpa Poldo offered a helping hand by washing dishes.

Today, the 40-year tradition that has made their authentic Mexican cooking legendary continues to be served at the family's eleven restaurants. It is still a family business, family owned, family operated and family loved. Mama and Papa eventually shared the responsibility of running El Ranchito with their children and now their grandchildren. Each restaurant is under the personal care of a family member, guaranteeing the reputation the family has earned for treating the customers "like part of the family.""

We would love for you to visit Avila's - try them out before the event! You'll love them as much as we do!
If you're not in the Orange area, they have 11 locations - you can find one near you!

You can find out more info at Avila's El Ranchito Restaurant - they have menus, locations and lots more online!

You can also like the Avila's El Ranchito in Orange Facebook page to stay updated! :)

Registration Day is Coming!!

We are so excited about this year's SoCal Social! It is already shaping up to be a really fabulous event!

So are you ready to mark your calendars?

That's right! Registration will open on August 7! You don't want to wait to long - tickets will go FAST and there are only 55 spots available!

We will be bringing your more updates on details all the time, so make sure you're following the blog as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

Our friend Mark Montano is joining us again!!!

Creative genius Mark Montano joined us at last year's SoCal Social and we felt like we had hit the Special Guest Jackpot!  We were so excited that he joined us and we loved every minute with him!  

Guess what?  Turns out he had a good time too and when we invited him back, he said yes!  You guys...?  We hit the Special Guest Jackpot twice in a row!

Vivienne, Mark Montano, Holly & Bev at the 2011 SoCal Social
photo courtesy of Shutter Nonsense

Mark joined us on The Swag Walk, hung out with us at lunch, and gave one of the most entertaining and hilarious Q&A sessions we've ever seen.

Credit

Last year, Mark brought a copy of his book, The Big-Ass Book of Crafts 2 for everyone.  We should probably mention at this point that Mark has a new book coming out this year as well: The Big-Ass Book of Bling.  (You all just might be in for another treat...  Have we mentioned how much we love that "Big-Ass" is in the titles of these fab books...?)

Mark is a bona fide crafting genius.  After earning his MFA at the Fashion Institute of Technology, he started his career in New York City as a fashion designer and was the youngest member to be inducted in to the CFDA, Council of Fashion Designers of America.  He eventually moved to television to become part of the design team for TLC’s While You Were Out and the host of TLC’s 10 Years Younger, as well as co-host of the Style Network’s My Celebrity Home, We TV’s She’s Moving In, and FOX’s My Home 2.0.   He was a contributing editor to CosmoGIRL!magazine at Hearst Publications for ten years—during which his Cool Room column became a reader favorite—and has also dished out décor advice as a contributing editor for The New York Post and to 70 newspapers through his syndicated column with Knight Ridder. He is currently writing forTheDenverPost.com and is in production for his own craft show called Let's Make It!  You can get a sneak peek of what his show will look like at:  https://www.youtube.com/user/MakeYourMarkMontano

Mark is the author of The Big-Ass Book of Crafts series which are the number 1 selling craft books in the US for 4 years. The Big Ass Book of Bling will launch in October 2012.  His books include The Big Ass Book of Crafts Vol. 1 and 2, The Big Ass Book of Home Decor, The Vision Box Idea Book, Super Suite: The Ultimate Bedroom Makeover Guide for Girls, Dollar Store Décor, Pulp Fiction: Perfect Paper Projects, and Window Treatments & Slipcovers for Dummies. 

You can find Mark on:

*YOUTUBE CHANNEL

*MARK MONTANO BLOGS

*TWITTER

*FACEBOOK

*WWW.MARKMONTANO.COM
and be sure to 
*CHECK OUT ALL OF HIS BOOKS

You do NOT want to miss out on this chance to hang out with Mark Montano and your fellow SoCal bloggers!  To get up to date information and announcements, please make sure you follow the SoCal Social blog (there is also an option to subscribe via email) and follow us on Twitter and Facebook