Gratitude Tea Party

In celebration of Sterling Expectations, 1 year anniversary. We threw a Gratitude Tea Party.

Held at the stunning Phoenix, Ritz Carlton Hotel, in honor of all the phenomenal friends, business partners, clients, and colleagues that have inspired me and worked with me this past year.

What an amazing day! I am so truly grateful to be able to say I love what I do! And I am blessed with amazing friends and business partners, I can not wait to see what the future unfolds!

Gratitude... I have been thinking a lot about this topic lately. SHOCKING, I know! HA!
Seriously, I know we all think of thankfulness and gratitude around Thanksgiving. But I see it as a way of being, a state of mind. It is a powerful tool that can be tapped into 365 days a year!

The best part is that it is easy, you can start with 1 thing a day, then work your way up to 5-10. At my church Unity of Phoenix we started a 40 day challenge to see 10 things a day. And yes even me, the Gratitude Girl was scared! HA! :-)
Then I saw the value I was already coming up with 5 everyday and I was limiting myself... 10 soon became 20-30 I was using a separate notebook to keep up. And now I can gratefully say I look for and can now see things to be grateful for all day! As I move through my day I look for people, places, experiences, feelings, to be grateful for. And my list keeps growing...
I invite you to start a gratitude log. To tap into this free, beautiful way of seeing the world!

I believe...............
Gratitude connects you to your source, elevates your vibration, and changes the very way you see the world.

With Love and Gratitude,
Elizabeth

3rd Annual Power Women's Conference & Expo

Hosted by the Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce, October 3, 2008

What an amazing and uplifting day, packed with 11 speakers and over 200 attendees. It was both an honor and a privilege to serve as this year's Conference Manager, and to be the head of education.

I would like to thank all of our phenomenal speakers! We had such a great line up this year! Starting with a power charged talk entitled: Power Up by Sherry Anshara. An Incredible Morning Keynote and Breakout sessions by the amazing Jewel Diamond Taylor. She is such a source of Inspiration!

We had 3 tracts of break out tracts for Balance, Business, and Health. Featuring such fantastic speakers as Arlene Rosenberg, teaching How to be Unstoppable, Bob Hobbs Jr., teaching Hope-Vision-Passion, and Dr. Jake Psenka teaching on Stress and how it affects your health! 

We were so very blessed to have best selling author, Life Coach and speaker, Martha Beck, PhD as our luncheon keynote. 

It was truly an amazing day and I feel so very blessed to have been a part of it!

Chat, Chew, & Chocolate!

What could be more fun? This evening I had the best time assisting with the monthly Chat, Chew, & Chocolate get together. The West Valley chapter of CCC hosted by Jamie & Jill met at the beautiful Dolce Arrowhead Salon to host this evenings event!

About 30 women came to create vision boards, to get to know one another, and have some chocolate! YUM! This group meets all over the west valley monthly to check out fun new places. The group has been formed to ensure women take the time out for themselves!

If you would like to learn more please check out their website! 
http://www.chatchewandchocolate.com/glendale-az/

It is a fantastic group!!! Coming to the meetings is a great way to meet and make some new friends!

ISES World Event 2008

I just returned from my hometown of St. Petersburg, FL, where I was so very lucky to attend the annual ISES (International Society of Event Specialists) education symposium. It was a three day event held at the beautiful Renaissance Vinoy Hotel, overlooking Tampa Bay. 

The session started off with a keynote speech given by Mike Mullane a former NASA Astronaut. Now I know what you are thinking; I was thinking the same thing. What does an astronaut have to do with an event designer? Well, after hearing his inspirational talk, it all made sense. He is a man who overcame many obstacles, and lived the life of his dreams. By following his vision and not allowing obstacles to get in his way! I have to say, I was truly inspired as I believe a person with a vision and passion can achieve anything! 

What a great week full of classes on every topic from sponsorships to using Hors d'Oeuvres as an art form, to greening up events. I also had a great time meeting other event planners across the country, and bouncing ideas off one another, which is always a great experience. I met some fantastic planners, hotel purveyors, and vendors in the event planning industry!

I can not wait to attend next year’s symposium in San Francisco, CA!

Out and About.....Nashville, TN

I recently visited the beautiful Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN. While I was there I attended a weekend long cooking program, which was fantastic! The meeting and event rooms are beautiful and come in all shapes and sizes to accommodate parties, both intimate in size, and large.

Being an event designer, I am blessed to be able to travel quite a bit.  I have to say that, the service at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel was impeccable! From my very first inquiry, through my entire stay, I was blown away by the level of customer service that I received.

The hotel is simply stunning! The hotel boosts 9 acres of indoor gardens, there are many fountains, as well as tropical plants and trees. It is the perfect setting for a wedding. You get the best of both worlds; you feel like you are in a gorgeous outdoor garden setting, all while being under a gigantic glass enclosed atrium and climate controlled environment.

During my stay, I was able to witness several wedding set ups while I was in town and could not be more impressed with the level of customer service we received.

If you are looking for a phenomenal site with exceptional customer service, and fantastic food; look no further... The Gaylord Opryland Hotel is the perfect place!

Elizabeth and Charles Wedding

May 31, 2008 La Jolla and Del Mar, CA

The wedding ceremony was held along the top of a cliff at Sea Grove Park in Del Mar, California. A warm gentle breeze was blowing, the sun was shinning, and we were immersed by the smell of the ocean and the sounds of the waves crashing below. We could not have asked for a more beautiful day.

	Before the wedding ceremony a friend of the family's, daughter enthusiastically helped to create a walkway of scattered rose petals for the bride and groom to follow.
		Here in the late afternoon is where the happy couple officially started their lives together as husband and wife.

Following the wedding ceremony, the reception took place at Azul, a four star restaurant overlooking the ocean in La Jolla. The patio was decorated with twinkling lights and a nice cozy fireplace to keep us warm. The party arrived just in time to witness a beautiful sunset view from the deck of the restaurant.

We arrived before the guests arrived to make sure everything was in order, and to welcome the arriving guests.

The food was fantastic as was the service. It was simply a stunning night where close friends and family enjoyed an intimate celebration as Charles and Elizabeth began their journey together. We were all thrilled to share in their moment and I feel truly blessed to be a part of such a memorable occasion.

Monterey, California

May 15 to 18, 2008

I found the perfect place for a destination wedding or corporate event. Only a two hour flight from Phoenix, Monterey is a quaint and charming town tucked alongside the coast. I stayed in the beautiful Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa. The food and service was magnificent. It was so relaxing to be able to eat in their restaurant with such a tranquil view of the water and waves. 

Within view were Sea Otters going about their daily business within the kelp beds. Occasionally I would get a glimpse of Sea Lions jumping out of the water as they traveled down the coast. The Monterey Plaza Hotel also has facilities to accommodate both large and small intimate events and offers a wonderful indoor and outdoor options. My favorite is a large outdoor open-air deck overlooking the water, on which many special events are held.

Also, while visiting, I attended the Monterey Aquariums' annual Sustainable Seafood Celebration. It was a fantastic two day event with celebrity chef Alton Brown and Irelands' Darina Allen. Many local and national professional chefs were a part of the festivities also. The Monterey Aquarium is only about a half-a-mile walk from the hotel along the water. And is the perfect site for a private event.

Fisherman's Wharf, also within a-half-mile walk is a fun place to grab a bite to eat or browse the shops on the pier. This is where we departed for a four hour whale watching cruise. We were able to see Sea Lions, Harbor Seals, Humpback Whales, Dolphins, and Killer Whales. A great option to add on for friends and family while in town.

Just a short scenic drive along CA-1 is a magnificent drive to Big Sur. Be sure to take your time at stop at all of the view points as there are many and varied views along this beautiful drive.