Announcing our Very Special Guest...

... Mark Montano!

We could not be more excited!  Mark is will be joining us at the SoCal Social! Here's your chance to meet, talk to, and hang out with a real crafting genius!

After earning his MFA at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Mark 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 Heart 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. 

Mark is the author of The Big-Ass Book of Crafts which is the number 1 selling craft book in the US for 3 years. The Big Ass Book of Crafts Volume 2 will launch in October 2011.  His other books include The Big Ass Book of Home Decor, Super Suite: The Ultimate Bedroom Makeover Guide for Girls, Dollar Store Décor, Pulp Fiction: Perfect Paper Projects, and Window Treatments & Slipcovers for Dummies. 

How much extra do we love anyone who uses the words "Big-Ass" to describe the scope of their work?!  Love, love, love it!

Mark will be joining us for the Swag Walk through Old Towne Orange, and will be doing a Q&A during lunch.  

You know what else is great?  Mark Montano's Blog!  

Why don't you head on over there, follow him and get inspired?

  

You can also submit questions for the Q&A ahead of time by leaving him a comment.  (If you give him enough lead time, this is the kind of creative man who might just do something wild like put together a puppet show, create a scale model of Pompeii or paint a mural to help illustrate his answer...)   You can ask him just about anything... questions about TV... book publishing... motivation... creativity... time management...  finding a book agent... how to write a book...  There is plenty we can learn from this talented man! 

So please be sure to follow his blog, and you may want to check out his website too.  You can also find him on facebook and on twitter.  

Remember, now that we're shouting from the rooftops that Mark Montano is scheduled to join us at our event, the rest of our tickets will go fast.   Make sure to get yours!

Thank you and welcome to our newest sponsor: Plaid

(Registration is open for our event! We're so excited that tickets are selling quickly! 

There are less than 40 left, so make sure you get yours!)

We are so pleased to announce that Plaid is one of SoCal Social's sponsors!

Plaid is the fabulous company that brings us some of our favorite craft mediums...

...like Mod Podge...

...Apple Barrel and Folk Art paints...

 

...and the exciting new line of Martha Stewart Multi-Surface Paints

If you're a crafter, chances are you already know and love a Plaid product!

Registration is OPEN!!

Registration for the SoCal Social is Now Open!!

Click here for all the info, including pricing  -  but don't wait too long!
Registration is being capped at only 50 Attendees!

You don't want to miss out on all the shopping, eating, mingling, fabulous swag, and amazing giveaways!

Register Today!

Royal Design Studio - get ready to transform something!

You've all heard of Royal Design Studio, right?
Gorgeous stencils?
Fabulous tips and how-to's?
Featured in Better Homes & Gardens...?

Of course you have!  That's why we are so excited to announce that Royal Design Studio is one of the SoCal Social's sponsors!

Please check out their website (or magazine, or design blog) to see all of the amazing things that can be done with their stencils!

Walls...

Furniture...

even Fabric...

The possibilities are endless!

(There might even be a little how-to demonstration for us...) I'm so excited to play around with these great stencils that I might have to restrain myself a little, for fear I will go stark-raving-creative-crazy and stencil anything that will hold still long enough! 

Shutter Nonsense... How fun is this!?!

We're so excited to introduce you to another one of our fabulous sponsors, Shutter Nonsense.

Shutter Nonsense is a mobile photo booth where you snap the picture!


Shutter Nonsense is great for parties... weddings... blogger events...

All you need to provide is an outlet and Shutter Nonsense provides the rest. Someone from Shutter Nonsense will stay at the event the entire time, but you capture the images by setting off a handheld remote. The photo is displayed on a screen for a few moments so you can see your shots.

When the party's over, all images are uploaded to their website, where party-goers can download them for free or buy prints.  It's easy and soooo much fun!  Different props and backgrounds are available, so be sure to look them up when you're planning your next event.  In the meantime, you'll be sure to have some fun with them at ours.
See you there!

The Orange Circle. Be there or be square...

The SoCal Social is going to be SO fun! 

We're going to be at the Orange Circle, an historic area in the City of Orange.  There are amazing restaurants, antique shops, boutiques, vintage treasures and the architecture is fantastic.  

Remember that Tom Hanks movie That Thing You Do...?  It was filmed at the Orange Circle because it's so cool and vintage-y.

source

You all know that these luncheons and events come with swag bags and fun party favors, right...?  Well, rather than sit you all down at a lunch table, hope that you strike up engaging conversations on your own, then hand you a swag bag when you leave, we're doing it a little differently. 

We're going to be doing something really fun!  

We're working with some of the fabulous shops and restaurants in Old Town Orange to create a fun shopping tour for you.  You'll be given an empty bag, and your swag awaits you at the stores participating in our tour.  

Take your time, visit the stores, chat with new friends, and get inspired!

Window shop to your heart's content and don't spend a dime... or pick up a few extra items on your own, it's up to you.  Either way, you'll have a bag full of goodies at the end of the tour!  After our shopping tour, we'll enjoy a late lunch and maybe even do a little more shopping... :)

We'll start taking registrations in the next week.  More details to come.  Please spread the word.  

It's gonna be fun!

Busy Body Books! Meet our newest sponsor and prepare to get organized!

I cannot possibly be more excited to announce that Busy Body Books is one of SoCal Social's sponsors!

I am a true fan of these organizers and am currently on my 5th one!  With a family of 6, I sometimes feel less like a wife and mom and more like an air traffic controller.  These organizers are the best I have ever used, hands down.

While there may be plenty of little techie gadgets out there, I haven't found a single one that does all of what this book allows me to do.  I love that I can see my entire family's weekly schedule at a glance.  

I can immediately see if there is a scheduling conflict, which is a godsend.  It fits in my purse, but is still big enough to write notes, to-do lists and to file away upcoming birthday invitations, receipts, etc.

There is also a great calendar for larger families, people with multiple clients, or for bloggers who are trying to keep track of posts and giveaways, etc.

I just ordered mine!  With blogging, projects for friends, events I work on and volunteer projects, I don't know if I am coming or going.  I can't wait to track these commitments with a greater level of detail.

So a big thank you to Busy Body Books for their sponsorship!