Advertisements

Category: influencer

Lavender Festival

It’s that time again when one of my favorite festivals at Highland Springs Ranch is here, The Lavender Festival! I love that it’s a family friendly festival yet, it’s also great for a romantic date. We came on the first opening weekend and there were actually less people than we expected, so less crowds, better opps! 😉 The scenery was lovely per usual and this year we ate at the buffet dinner (make reservations here ahead of time) We came late because we were too busy taking picture at the lavender field and ended up sitting in the middle of everything and got our own sweet table. I loved the scenery and being surrounded with light and eating underneath tall trees. The food itself was just okay to me but I was obsessed with their lavender tea and lavender lemonade! I actually mix them together and it was amazing. We also visited a few shops before we had dinner and Eddie bought so much stuff for the kitchen. We are both obsessed with lavender honey and lavender mint tea! Here are few of the photos we took below. There’s also an afternoon tea which we missed this year but definitely would love to try next year!

IMG_9555

Hope you guys get to go this year! It’s open till June 30. Don’t miss out and treat yourself with some lavender goodness!

XO,

Joy

Two Piece Set: Made by yours truly!

Shoes: TOMS

Bag: Wish

Advertisements

madewithjoyLeave a comment

Tulip Festival

Happy Earth Day!!

Last Friday I went to the Roozengaarde Tulip Festival and I fell in love!!! I made a beautiful red two piece dress and took pictures with the flowers. Roozengarde is located at Skagit Valley in Washington. I was so excited about this festival that I flew all the way from Los Angeles. One of my blogger friends Sera from Sera Stardust actually lives close by at the Tulip Festival and was the one that informed me about it. I was super stoked that we decided to meet up and do a collab. Unfortunately, it rained when we went so it was a bit muddy but we still tried to make the most out of it. P.S. We both made our outfits! 😉

If you’d like to visit the festival, here’s a few tips I have for you:

  1. Check the weather. It’s always raining in Seattle and we forgot to bring an umbrella. My boyfriend and I had to stop by at Walmart and buy an umbrella before heading to the festival.
  2. Wear rain boots! I wasnt ready for the rain and the mud is real!!! I couldnt get close to the flowers and it was muddy everywhere that my shoes got ruined.
  3. Bring cash. There’s food trucks and festival food being sold and having cash is important!
  4. Rain or shine, choose to have fun!
  5. Do not pick the flowers and enjoy nature!

Here’s a few of the photos that were taken at the festival.

I highly suggest going and I hope you enjoy your visit.

XO,

Joy

madewithjoyLeave a comment

Hotel Z – Stay Pineapple

Hi Friends,

It feels like it’s been years since I last wrote a blog post… as life has been crazy and I had to take a break on blogging… the past month, a few things have changed and I finally caught my breath and I feel like I actually have a chance to get back to it! *squeals from excitement* Last week, Eddie and I went to San Diego and stayed at Hotel Z – Stay Pineapple and we absolutely loved it! It’s soo cute and it’s literally in the heart of Gaslamp! They also offer free shuttles anywhere in Downtown San Diego, Balboa Park and Little Italy.

They also have bikes that you can rent! We strolled all the way down Balboa Park and visited the cute little Spanish Village.

Each room is designed with pineapple – everything!

Even their bathrooms!

But one of my ultimate faves is the afternoon delights!!! They serve little pineapple cupcakes in their lobby around 3 pm with pineapple infused water!

Do you ever see yourself staying in one of the Pineapple Hotels? I definitely would love to come back at this sweet hotel! They are also pet friendly 🙂

Till our next adventure,

Joy

madewithjoyLeave a comment

Fallin In Love With Big Bear

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I stayed at Cabins4Less and we woke up to snow falling! Growing up in California, I’ve never experienced snow falling so you can probably see how excited I was that I got to dance around with my glitter tutu in the snow. After eating breakfast, we headed to the Alpine Slide Magic Mountain and went tubing! It was sooo fun and probably one of my favorite things that we did in Big Bear.

We then headed to their cute little town village – Big Bear Lake Village. It was filled with cute little shops and restaurants and everything is so close to each other.

For the rest of the night, we decided to to dine in and stay warm with our fire place. The next morning, we attempted to hike the Castle Rock Trail and casually failed. We ended up just having a snow ball fight and finding sliding down the hills.

We had so much fun our Big Bear Weekend Trip that we cannot wait to go to the next one hopefully this year’s winter again later this year or next year. We also loved staying in our cute little cabin and we will probably stay here again.

I could not believe that Big Bear is only 2 hours away from my house! This will definitely one of my winter get aways. Do you have any travel plans any time soon? or even mini road trips?

Xo,

Joy

madewithjoyLeave a comment

Christmas Games For Family & Friends

Hi Friends,

Hope y’all had a fun and amazing Christmas. Every year, my family & friends have a get together and celebrate Jesus’ birth – and a huge part of this celebration is playing games & competing with each other. Therefore, I wanted to share a compilation of games that you can play with your own family and friends next year!

 

  1. Candy Cane Game – Opponents must transfer as much candy canes as they can using one candy candy with their mouths from one bowl to the other. Whoever has the most candy canes in the set time – wins! 

  2. Magic Carpet Ride – Two teams compete against each other. They must go from one station to the next only using the carpet to move them. You cannot use your hands and feet outside the carpet. We played this version with my friends and family and it was the party favorite!

     

  3. Ornament Twerking Competition – Using two empty tissue boxes filled with many christmas ornaments (the same amount on each box), opponents must twerk their butts off until most of the ornaments are out or whoever has the least ornaments inside the box wins. You will also need lots of tape and a rope to tie the tissue box around the competitors waist.
  4. Santa’s Reindeers Sweat Shop – Two teams pick their “reindeer” and must try their best to make their reindeer look like an actual reindeer with antlers. You will need stockings and balloons. Cut the end of the stocking so that the team will be able to insert the balloons inside. You can either time them or they can keep going until whoever finishes first.

  5. Rudolph’s Nose – Each players has the same amount of strings with glued pom pom at the very end of the string. Whoever gets to make their pom pom touch their nose and make it stay there for at least 3 seconds win!
  6.  A Penny For Your Thoughts – Each player puts a coin on the top of their forehead – whoever gets the coin into their mouth without using their hands, wins! (this can also be played with oreos; but my family has become an expert with the oreos (we decided to make it tougher)

    Hope you had fun watching our Christmas games and we hope that you’ll be able to play these games next year!

madewithjoyLeave a comment

How this interior stylist and blogger is juggling her career and “passion project” and shares her do’s and don’ts along the way

Who are you and where are you from?

My name is Katherine, I am an interior stylist and blogger.  I am from Pittsburgh, but recently moved to Raleigh, NC!

What is your brand about and what made you start it?

My brand, My Eclectic Grace, encompasses a lot of things. I started it because I was struggling with all my creative pursuits; writing, content creation, photography, art, and interior design..I wanted to put it all into one thing and I wanted to reach a lot of people, which is how the blog was created!

Do you have another job outside of being a (blogger/influencer/entrepreneur)?

I work for a start up interior design company, Modsy. I have been a stylist for them for a little over a year.

Is it difficult to balance your work life and passion project(s)?

Because my work and my “passion project” go so hand in hand, it really has been an easy balance and transition! Of course I always wish there were more hours in the day to do more, but i’m lucky that I have the job I do.

What do you love the most about being an influencer?

I love getting to meet so many people! I am quite introverted, so making friends is challenging for me. I’ve made so many amazing friends through blogging and with Instagram, and they are friends that I actually hang out with now on a regular basis!

What do you think is the hardest thing about being an influencer?

I think it’s an untraveled path. There is no guide book. You can’t go to school and learn how to do it..you’d have to take business classes, marketing, photography, communication, journalism..I mean it encompasses it all and most people do not understand that.

That is awesome! Have you taken these classes yourself and how did they help you as an influencer?

I have not taken any classes like that, my degree is in interior architecture, so all of my classes were art based! I have taken a few Instagram strategy classes. I just finished Cynthia Harpers and it was by far the best investment for my influencer platform.

What are three tips you can give to someone who also wants to be an influencer like you?

I would say that it’s going to be challenging at first, but you will learn every day. It’s a lot of trial and error..and most importantly, don’t go it alone. I ask for help all the time, wether it’s someone proof reading my blog, asking for a shoutout on Instagram or having my fiancĂŠ help with taking pictures!

LOL. Yes, having a finance that takes pictures is definitely awesome. Can you talk to us more about shout outs on instagram? For readers that don’t know what that means, how does that work? Also, can you share a few things that DID NOT work for you? This might help some upcoming influencers to not make the same mistake!

Shout outs are when you tell your followers about another account. For instance I will share a few photos from an account I admire and why I like them and why my followers should check them out – in turn they do this for me (most of the time!) It’s a prearranged thing – I always reach out to these accounts first to talk it over. It gets you seen in front of a whole new audience – but if it’s in your niche then it’s even more powerful. Things that DID not work for me was copying. And I don’t mean I copy and pasted others, I mean that I used to look at others and how they edited photos, what they talked about, how their bio was set up and would do the same thing. I didn’t carve out an identity for myself and that was not healthy – you have to be authentic and confident in who you are and what you’re promoting or you will get sucked into the rabbit hole of social media!

What are your goals and where do you see yourself a year from now? & where do you hope to be in 3 – 5 years?

My goal is to make this my full time career. I want to start a family in the next 3-5 years, so I want to be established by then. It’s a great career for flexibility and creativity!

Sounds like an amazing goal! What kind of niche are you thinking and what’s your focus going to be?

My niche is DIY and home decor. I through in a little lifestyle and hope to do more of that as I get established.

Who/what inspires you or keeps you motivated to do what you do?

It’s not so much who or what motivates me, it’s more the feeling of being on the other spectrum. I had a 9-5 for years, and I felt like it just leeched creativity from me, and my time was not my own. Doing what i’m doing, I’m able to travel whenever I feel like it, and it’s me who choses how high I rank. The only limit it myself!

What’s your favorite app aside from instagram?

I’ve recently become really interested in photography and editing. I downloaded Lightroom and have been playing around with it a lot!

What’s your next project and how can we support you?

I don’t have anything big coming down the pipeline – this time of year I like to be gracious with my time and take it easy. After the new year however, I will be starting a new business with my fiancĂŠ, and we are really excited about that!

That’s so exciting! Can you tell us a little bit more about your business with your fiancĂŠ?

I wish I could say more, but it’s a surprise for everyone! All I can say is it has to do with coffee! 😉

How important is it to you to make genuine connections/friendships through social media/in our industry & why?

It’s extremely important. I am a firm believer in being authentic and genuine..I can not relate, nor really communicate with people who are doing this for the wrong reasons. I’m all about supporting others and community over competition.

What does female empowerment and girls supporting girls mean to you?

It’s everything!! Especially in this field, jealousy is real. But when you support other women in their pursuits, you push that positive energy out into the world. It makes a difference.

Where can we find you in social media?(state your social media handles/blog/website)

You can find me on IG at @myeclecticgrace

my blog is www.myeclecticgrace.com

What are you looking forward to the most from Influencer Girl Gang and what do you hope to acquire from joining us?

I look forward to seeing other girl’s journeys and supporting them in their dreams! I hope to acquire an uplifting and empowering community of like minded people!

madewithjoyLeave a comment

Why Networking Is So Important As An Influencer

Hi Friends!

It’s a Thursday morning in the city of Los Angeles and it has been a while since I personally shared influencer tips! For today’s topic, I wanted to share why networking is important. A few months ago, I started Influencer Girl Gang  so that girls all over they world can collab, create together and learn from each other. Since it started, we’ve had two meet ups in LA and one in OC. It is my dream to host more meet ups in other locations all over the US or have other megababes join me and host their own meet ups!

As an influencer, it’s kind of expected of us to influence people – and we can do that by networking! Yes, social media may be your first platform of influence but wouldnt it be nice to also do it in person?

Not only does networking bring us out of our comfort zones, but it helps us be confident with ourselves. Like phew! I remember going to my first networking event and I was so nervous but I came out of it alive and to top it all of, I even made new found friends!

Another benefit from networking is we get to learn from each other – are you new to the influencer world? No worries! We got you! You have questions about usual rates? Pitching or how we work with brands? We can give you some tips in person! I dont know about you but sometimes it’s so much more comforting to hear an advice from someone in person, you build a better connection.

It’s also good for projects! Fortunately, I have an amazing circle of girlfriends who also enjoy taking photos that I can sometimes as to shoot with me or work on projects with me. But they’re not always available so if you have more connections – you have other people you can collaborate with and more brains are better than one!

One of our goals next year is to start hosting actual themed photoshoots so we can create content together! We are so excited about this.

Last but not the least – it can lead you to an actual job or opportunity. There’s been countless times that I went to a networking event and I met someone who led me to a job opportunity, which is super cool because if I never went to that networking event – I wouldnt have gotten that offer!

Hope this was helpful to some of you! So if you havent gotten a chance to network yet – hope you get yourself out there or join us – we have a free -> facebook page where we have open discussions, invites to events and boosts each others engagement. Will I see you there?

Xo,

Joy

madewithjoyLeave a comment

How This Military Wife Turned Her Personal Blog About LDR Into A Lifestyle Brand

Hi Babes,

For this week’s Influencer Tips Thursday, we are learning so much from Roxci & how she actually started her blog because she had too many feelings about her long distance relationship that she needed to unload. Until a few years later, she now blogs about her military wife lifestyle, travels and all the products she loves. She has so many insider insights, so let’s get to it!

Who are you and where are you from?

I’m Roxci, a military spouse lifestyle and travel blogger. I was born in the Philippines, raised in both Singapore and Manila, and now I’m in San Diego because of my husband’s military training. We move to Hawaii soon though!

What is your brand about and what made you start it?

I started my blog as a way to just unload all the emotions I had while I was going through a long distance relationship. Soon, I started receiving messages and emails from both friends and strangers telling me how my posts helped them hold on to their long distance relationships despite all the struggles of being affiliated with the military.

At the heart of it all, I loved getting to know that I was helping people by just being me. I talked about things I was going through, products I loved, and advice for military spouses.

Do you have another job outside of being a (blogger/influencer/entrepreneur)?

Now, I serve as a full time content creator for my blog. In the past, I’ve worked in corporate in the fields of advertising and business development. I also have an extensive experience writing for different publications — been writing since college. Basically, I like to talk a lot. Haha!

Is it difficult to balance your work life and passion project(s)?

Since I am a full time content creator, my work is my passion. I’m constantly driven to think of new ideas, new ways of shooting products, and new collaboration opportunities, because of the fact that I love what I do.

What do you love the most about being an influencer?

Honestly, what I love the most is knowing I have people who trust me enough to follow my advice and try the products I recommend. It’s one way I know I really am making a difference in someone else’s life by being an influencer.

What do you think is the hardest thing about being an influencer?

I’d have to say the hardest thing about being an influencer is… Instagram’s ever changing algorithm! Hahaha!

Another challenging aspect is the fact that sometimes I feel like I can’t completely switch off from working — even when I’m on vacation. I’m always scouting for areas to shoot, taking and editing photos, filming videos, taking down notes — the list goes on. But again, I love what I do, so it’s worth it!

What are three tips you can give to someone who also wants to be an influencer like you?

  1. Have a long term goal. || Goals will give you a sense of direction in the things you’re doing. They’ll keep you focused and help you realize how much you’ve been growing in your career.
  1. Be authentic. || Don’t recommend something you don’t believe in because once your followers know you’re lying, it’s going to be so much harder repairing your relationship with them.
  1. Be kind. || Never ever think you’re better than anybody because you have a bigger following than him/her. There’s a fine line between knowing what your worth and shoving it in everyone else’s face.

What are your goals and where do you see yourself a year from now? & where do you hope to be in 3 – 5 years?

We’re moving to Hawaii soon because of my husband’s orders, so my short term goals are to find a house, get settled, and gain a network of blogger friends based in Oahu. In 3-5 years, I hope I get to connect with more people all around the world, have great relationships with the brands I’ve worked with, and make a few products of my own.

Who/what inspires you or keeps you motivated to do what you do?

I’d have to say my husband is my #1 inspiration because he’s one of my cheerleaders when it comes to blogging. The fact that he lets me shed a lot of light in our relationship, when he’s a private person, is such a big thing — and I love him even more for it.

What’s your favorite app aside from instagram?

Facebook, Lightroom, and Unum.

What’s your next project and how can we support you?

I’ve collaborated with a preset creator recently and now I’m her partner when it comes to selling her Lightroom presets in the US market. It’d be great if you could support by buying a preset or 2. 🙂

https://www.signedbyroxci.com/blog/how-i-edit-my-photos

How important is it to you to make genuine connections/friendships through social media/in our industry & why?

It’s incredibly important because most of the connections start online, and it’s so much better if they’re taken offline as well. I love getting to know the friends I’ve made through social media by actually meeting up with them for coffee. Even just getting to know them by engaging consistently on their posts and stories is a good idea.

Genuine relationships take time and effort to develop but it’s worth a lot, especially when you want to know more about the industry you’re in.

What does female empowerment and girls supporting girls mean to you?

I feel like girls deserve to acknowledge that they are unique and beautiful in their own way. So instead of trying to be someone they’re not, they should just be who they are — as raw and real as it may seem. If girls recognize this, then they’ll feel empowered in their own way, and in turn, they’ll want to spread that self-love with the people they surround themselves with.

Where can we find you in social media?(state your social media handles/blog/website)

https://signedbyroxci.com

https://instagram.com/signedbyroxci

What are you looking forward to the most from Influencer Girl Gang and what do you hope to acquire from joining us?

I’d love to broaden my network with the help of the Influencer Girl Gang. I feel like blogging is such a niche of its own, and the only people who really understand it, are the ones who are go getters and have their eyes on the prize. I’d love to have a group of girlfriends who keep me motivated and inspire me to be better.

Hope this blogpost was helpful to you and other inspiring entrepreneurs out there to pursue their passion.

Xo,

Joy

madewithjoyLeave a comment

Why It’s So Much More Fun To Go To A Pumpkin Patch Than Just Buying A Pumpkin

Soooooo let’s begin with I’m not from here and I wasn’t raised here in the U.S. Maybe that’s why I’ve never been in a pumpkin patch before (so don’t judge me lol) and I might’ve over done it this year as I’ve already gone twice this month! So you can just imagine the look in my face when my boyfriend brought to my first pumpkin patch earlier this month at Live Oak Canyon Pumpkin Patch. I was like “Omgggg this is better than a fair!!! There’s dogs everywhere!” I loved it so much that I also hosted the second Influencer Girl Gang Meet Up event at Tanaka Farms. But other than dogs, here’s the main reasons why I personally love going to pumpkin patches rather than just staying at home carving store bought pumpkins.

  1. It’s just a ginormous place of magical pumpkin land. Every corner is pretty much a photo opp and insta worthy.

AfterlightImage (38)

2. There’s sunflowers!!! (Ok, maybe I just got lucky but both pumpkin patches, I’ve           gone to had sunflowers.)

AfterlightImage (35)

3. UMMMMNNN. CORN MAZZZZEEEE FUN! Need to say more?

4. It’s just a fun place to be with you girl friends or your significant other!

Have you gone to a pumpkin patch near you? Don’t forget to do so this year & enjoy the festivities!

madewithjoyLeave a comment

5 Ways How To Stay Creative

  1. Slow down. – Often times, I get my biggest “AHA MOMENTS” while I’m either driving, taking a nice long bubble bath, reading a book or journaling. With all the constant distractions & our never things to do list – our right brain often has a difficult time popping up with the next genius idea because we never give it time to rest & destress.
  2. Consume knowledge. – Do you know what’s the one thing that geniuses all have in common? They are all obsessed with learning – consuming knowledge, asking questions, always curious, reading books & taking chances. If you want to be amazing at whatever field you’re in — then do a lot of research about it. One of the best tools I like to use now is Google. Want to start a podcast? Google how. Want to learn about photography? Google how. Want to learn how to paint? Google how and once you find different ways to start what you’re passionately curious about – read & consume a lot about what you want to be a bad ass about! Did you know how many books an average CEO read per month? About 4 or 5. Want to be the next CEO of your dreams? Maybe it’s time to start reading how to get there. Our ideas has to start from somewhere and the more we learn, the more we become more knowledgeable.
  3. Break It Down. – Once you’ve done all your research – let’s do our break down and start a plan of action on how you’re going to be the next best thing. Jot down your plans and make them happen. Study the structure how others have done it before & practice & practice & don’t stop. Even if you fail the first time – don’t stop. Michael Jordan, one of the Greatest Basketball players of all times once said, “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed. Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”
  4. Imitate & Recreate – Now that you’ve been practicing how to do your thing & hopefully have learned how others have done it & succeeded – it’s now time to imitate how they do things & even recreate their work. I’m not saying just copy everything – add in your flair and what makes you unique. Now that you know that rules – you can now break them.
  5. Don’t stop creating even when you don’t feel like it. – I recently have been feeling like I was in a “creative mental block” – like I just can’t get myself to do things that I used to love before or I simple don’t feel inspired. And you know what I did? I put on one of my favorite TV shows “Once Upon A Time” and started creating & sewing again. Yes, I forced myself to sew. This show reminded me my dreams of wanting to be a costume designer. So even when I was at my lowest, I pushed myself to just create and before I knew it, all my creative juices just started flowing.

 

madewithjoyLeave a comment