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It’s official, Happily Eva After brand hosted our first party in our new studio space…and it was a blast! The other night, I had the distinct pleasure of hosting some of my favorite local peeps in my industry. It made me really emotional, incited a full two days of hustle to prep the space, and ended up being such a fun celebration of local brands and great girl power. Today I thought I would share the details and let you guys in on the action!
First of all, as with all construction I’ve ever dealt with, the studio seemed two months ago (when the party was planned) like it would TOTALLYYY be ready in time. Cut to four days before the party, and we were like AHHH IT’S NOT READY! Lol. And so it goes. Hats off to every who hustled together to make the space amazing and ready to entertain– most prominent of which was Prudence (my interior designer) who worked with her associate Whitney to make sure everything was styled to perfection. Important to note: the studio is not totally finished! We were still waiting on some important pieces, and you guys will definitely get a full studio reveal this summer– so don’t be surprised that we purposefully didn’t photograph every detail!
The purpose of our studio kickoff party was to christen the Happily Eva After space, but I wanted to partner with a local brand, run by women, to really showcase the space and intro a brand to our awesome blogger gang. I couldn’t have thought of a better brand than Welden Bags! Welden is a brand that has been on my radar for a couple years now, and they create the most beautiful product. It’s a women-run business, and I just swoon over their craftsmanship, the gorgeous detailing, and the amazing nod to the most “now” colors and styles that keep any woman on trend. It’s definitely a brand to watch…they even recently got picked up by The Apple Store to create exclusive laptop covers! I’m obsessed with their spring summer collection. I wore their belt bag during the party and found it beyond convenient. I’m a convert to belt bags now for sure!
We focused on cocktails and appetizers for our two hour soirée, and I was beyond excited to get the best of the best to cater! Mary Giuliani did the most delicious mozzarella bar ( there was buffala, ricotta, and classic mozzarella ) such yummy toppings and accompaniments. She also created a yummy meat plate and a selection of dips! I’m big on having excellent food at parties, even if the event is cocktail hour only. Maybe it’s the Italian in me, but I think food plays such a central role in bringing people together! For drinks, I had to defer to one of my fave brands, Babe Wines. I love their little beach-friendly cans, and of course their original, fabulous, White Girl Rosé. I die for their sense of humor and fun branding!
During the party, it was so surreal to see some of my fave people in my industry gathering in my very own workspace! It was a real “pinch me” moment, and felt so great after these nearly four years of endless dedication to growing my brand. I hope this is just the beginning. As all good parties must have a fabulous gift bag, I of course had to make sure that all my girls went home with the most fabulous goodies! I’m highlighting the elements below because I just love the vendors so much…
Party bags…
- A Welden bag! I loved watching all the ladies swoon over the styles I handpicked for them…
- Sunrise Bliss Cotton T-shirt Hair Towel. I can’t believe how well using this reduces frizz for me!
- Cans of Babe Rosé
- Copy of Mary Giuliani’s “Tiny Hot Dogs”. I’m loving reading her adorable memoir!
- Jewelry Cleaning Set by Faye Kim Designs! This is a beautiful local jewelry brand.
- Personalized Note Pads by Bespoke Designs. I love this super chic woman-owned stationary company! How gorge did these turn out?!
- Happily Eva After cloth bags. I had these made on Etsy for the girls…had to send them home with a little bit of Happily Eva After!
We had the best time christening the studio, and I truly can’t wait for the next brand party in our space. I feel so lucky to be watching my business grow and change. And it’s all thanks to you guys– so THANK YOU!!! What’s your favorite part of the HEA studio so far? Share with me in the comments below!
Shop the look…
Photographs by Julia Dags
So great! The studio looks amazing! Is it in your house, or a separate location? So excited for all the full reveals!
Separate location, thankfully!
LOVE IT!!! STYLE GOALS
Thanks, Kelly!
I love how bright white the room is with the pops of gold and other colors. Looks so clean and polished!
Thank you! Ultimately, the studio will function primarily for photography and shoots so the white helps a lot to bring in more natural light!
Hello!
We were so honored and thrilled be apart of this event. Here’s to amazing summer season!
Xo
Cori + Sandy
(Women of Welden)
Yay! Was such a blast!
I’ve noticed a complete lack of diversity in your brand- from the brands your partner with, to the people featured (whether it be other bloggers or friends). Lacking diversity moves people away/turns people off from a brand/blogger. Is this something HEA is cognizant of?
Yes! I noticed that too. In fact, my first reaction was “White Girls Rose.” I’m sure it’s delicious but it send the wrong message when you support that brand. Between that and only having thin, white women, it’s hard to feel welcome when you’re not. I’m positive these women are amazing people but some intentional diversity is welcome. It’s the first time I’ve been turned off by content even though I can’t afford of lot of posted items. That doesn’t bother me but, Eva, this doesn’t represent you!
Anonymous,
See comment above re: diversity!
But to specifically address the White Girl Rose– it’s a brand that is focused on satire re a lot of these communities with lack of diversity and worldview. In short, it’s a joke due to the demographic of the party which I am definitely aware of! The brand is actually really funny and does a lot to challenge societal norms and support diverse communities. You should follow them!
HEA follower,
First of all, thank you for following my brand and content! I really appreciate it! To answer your question, yes. In fact, a lack of diversity (socioeconomic, gender identity, and racial) is something that is a big concern of mine in the area where we currently live. It’s something I think about a lot, and talk to Kyle about, as we are both hyper focused on making sure our kids have a really diverse and inclusive worldview. I grew up with that, and my environment now doesn’t really reflect the diversity of my family and friends from my entire life as a whole. I’m still figuring it out!
In terms of the brands I partner with, I would be open to hearing about more brands with diversity that you think I should target!
SO cute!!!! Is this on your home property or are you off-site now?? Either way, so exciting to have this separate space.
Looks like an exciting time for you and your company! Congratulations on the studio – it’s stunning. Good luck on your growing brand!
Thanks, Suzie!
You once again prove that you are really killing it when it comes to hosting an event ! I mean, from the fotos I get such a cool and fun vibe, I am sure you had the best time with all those wonderful, creative women.With that being said, I would like you to allow me to pinpoint some minor issues which probably spoil the perfect image although I am sure did not affect your having a good time at all .I will share a couple of thoughts and you are free to ignore them…First, the bottom part of your dress needed ironing desperately ,it is obvious that it was folded and it looks weird…The color is divine and although its shape adds weight, you are thin and it looks cute.The studio is very airy, wonderful work place and the all-white is great, I am skeptical of all-white in a room or open space but it looks amazing.But, what are all these huge cracks on the wooden beams, they look really old, shouldn’t they be repaired or covered or something? Also, are you going to put a rug in the place? Is there a second floor as well ? Is it for an extra office or for storing stuff? By the way, I visited the welden bags website to check all the shapes and colors, found them very elegant.