Flannel & Favorite Things {REcap}

This past weekend the weather in Florida dipped to the perfect temperatures to really feel like fall. Central Florida women gathered at The Table in the coziest setting to attend our cobranded event with Orlando Mom Collective for a night of shopping, crafting, fashion, and food at Flannel & Favorite Things.

The heart behind this event was to really serve our community of women well by hosting a night where we could gather to have fun and really tap into just being women together. So many of the events in the fall are geared towards the kid’s entertainment. While we certainly love a good fall festival or pumpkin patch like the rest of ‘em, moms lack a sense of celebrating in ways that feed our own souls. You know, as if we’re more than just a snack holder or a kid-Uber.

The doors opened just after the sun went down and the temps. dropped quickly. Luckily, the setting felt as cozy as it looks here at The Table in East Orlando. Some guests even went all in and were decked out in flannel to match our theme!

As everyone made their way in, most everyone followed their nose directly to the food. First Watch had a spread that was as savory as one could hope for on a crisp fall evening. Guests grabbed a delicious sandwich from the variety offered, a chia seed pudding cup, and balanced that with one hand so they could make sure to grab a glass of their amazing seasonal Iced Chai Cider. The real star of the show here though, the million dollar bacon, was definitely gone before they even made it to their seat. Seriously, what’s better than syrup and sugar covered bacon on a stick? Nothing, the answer to that is nothing. I’ve dreamt about that goodness three times already and the event was five days ago. The good people at First Watch hit it out of the park with their mouth watering menu. As moms, we would’ve been happy with just warm food that we got to eat before anyone else needed something cut on their plate. We're extremely thankful however that First Watch delivered WAY above those expectations!!

The ladies might have had full tummies but there’s always room for dessert! Our Local Geico Orlando office made sure to keep everyone warm with a hot chocolate bar! Let me just say, step aside PSL because chocolate did the trick! We love that the Local Geico wants to put smiles on the faces of our local mamas. They do that often on their own Facebook Page as well with tons of giveaways too so follow along so you can win there too!

We then did Florida Fall just right with an indoor smores station thanks to ICE! at Gaylord Palms. Specialty flavored marshmallows made the sweet treat even better! The ladies popped one in the flavor of their choice on the end of their kabob stick and roasted it right there in the midst of the event without having to miss a beat! Moms… we think of everything. #momhacks Another trick? PROMO Codes. ICE! at Gaylord Palms is offering 20% off for our readers for children and adult ICE! tickets with code MOMS20 at checkout.

Some of our favorite moments of Flannel & Favorite Things were seeing the ladies find a tribe and sit together. Whether they were friends that came together or a couple of gals that just met that night, there’s a sisterhood to doing this life gig alongside each other and the laughter that filled the circles was contagious.

While each group chatted and connected the room couldn’t get any sweeter. That is unless they all grabbed the most flavorful pumpkin spice or red velvet cupcake provided by our vendor Batter Up Custom Creations . Not only did they get a sweet treat in every attendee’s hand but they offered cookie kits at their market table as the perfect holiday activity for these mamas to do at home with their kiddos.

It’s tricky to figure out just what our wardrobe should look like in Florida when it doesn’t quite know what season we’re in. Most of the time we experience fall, spring, and summer all before lunch time! The lovely pieces at Sophie & Trey had everyone gathered around to watch our Florida Fall Fashion show with Flannel styled just right. We love a good flannel (so much so we conjured up an entire event around it) but we must admit, that sometimes it looks more like we’re Old McDonald tending to our gaggle of kids rather than the trendy chics we see all over Pinterest. Not to worry though! Sophie & Trey supplied adorable and functional outfits in a fashion show for the ladies to steal some Fall outfit inspo from. If anyone needs further help to get their seasonal outfit just right for family pictures, or even a holiday party, Sophie & Trey is offering a complimentary styling session in-store to get you looking and feeling just right! Give them a call to schedule your appointment!

Crafty or not, our Make n Take class (offered by yours truly) was a huge success for all of our attendees! Everyone was led step by step in the simplest process to create a large, quality, wooden sign perfect for any home. Each attendee left with a work of art that looked like something out of the home decor section. Who wouldn’t want a suvenoir craft project personalized to her own taste but not dependent on her crafting talents?

Maybe it’s just me, but when I’m crafting with my kids, it’s a mission. The greatest part of this craft was that it was all about the journey. The ladies laughed and talked while mindlessly dabbing the paint on their board. Almost every face was priceless though, as the stencil pulled up and they saw how awesome their work was! I guess it goes to say, you can totally enjoy the process and still revel in the result.

As if all the fun socializing, delicious food, and unique craft session wasn’t enough, our attendees had an entire Maker’s Market to shop throughout the night. We wanted to select handmade and local vendors to attend our market so that the community of women could expand even further. With intentionality, we created a way to support other ladies while offering this night for our attendees.

After two rounds of make n take sessions (to make sure everyone got the attention and help they needed!) the attendees gave the attention to our Favorite Things table in the center of the room. The Favorite things portion of our event was a highlight of mine! Each Favorite Things Vendor offered a GIVEAWAY for a lucky attendee in person at the event, like one gal who won a flannel scarf from Walk On Water! There were some lucky ladies in the room that walked away with even more goodies, for sure!

Tassel & Trim is a modern calligraphy and event embellishments shop. They aim to make gifting and events effortless and they do just that with their lettering and unique wood-cut pieces. There isn't a more special way to personalize and event or gift than to add a piece from the Tassel & Trim Shop to it! They gifted every single attendee a wood-cut pie topper!

The Dashing Squad Discover Responsibly Sourced Products from Small Businesses, Artisans and Ethically Driven Companies. The Dashing Squad is your ticket to discover new trends, brands, and products that you have not experienced yet. Let them do the leg work for you. They search far and wide for unique, high-quality items and we combine them into one store for your convenience. At our event you can shop their products or sign up to any of their Subscription Box options! They are committed to Ethical Fashion and Fair Trade.

Shay's Custom Pottery is committed to providing you with a very unique, artistic, & creative touch to your home or garden with custom or theme based designs! You can grab yourself hand painted pottery people or the coolest personalized tumblers and kid's cups. The attention to detail is outstanding with each piece.

Lu and Lo is a team of a teacher/mama duo that can make your personalized order come to life. They offer custom creations for birthday decor, special occasion shirts, earrings & bow sets, macrame, and more! If you need to add that special touch to your decor, outfit, or party then Lu & Lo Co. can deliver the cherry on top.

BAM Illustration + Design offers prints, pins, etc. at the market. Each piece and design has a touch of whimsy and personality to the design that has been hand-illustrated by Marissa. Her talent is astounding. Custom art commissions are also available. You'll adore shopping this vendor for unique pieces! IG: @bam_illustrations

Orlando Skin Solutions It is highly unlikely that you could find a spa/skin service that you'd want that Orlando Skin Solutions does not offer. They offer a variety of facials, injectables, laser treatments, wellness, and massage. At our event any attendee who passes by their booth will receive a 3-minute skin consultation with one of their experts! Not to mention, they've dropped their number one selling moisturizer from SkinMedica, HA5! Check out tons of their before and after pics and behind the scenes on instagram (@Orlandoskinsolutions) or give them a call to book an appointment after your consult!

The Colorful Nomad offers colorful vintage & modern hip finds. She makes vintage look cool and relevant and not like your grandma’s pieces. LET YOUR COLORS SHINE Follow her on IG: @colorful.nomad

What a treat! Carly Paige of FitLiving Eats and author of the cookbook "Simple Swapped Everyday" offered some light bites with big flavor! Carly's "Simply Swapped Method" is a lifestyle guide that can be applied in and out of the kitchen. The goal is to improve the everyday through healthier habits, mindfulness and nutritious alternatives to your favorite foods so that you can feel good, look good and find the confidence you crave.

Tenderhearted Designs offers handmade jewelry with allergy-friendly options. If you suffer from allergies, this jewelry will be a blessing to you. Contact them to work together to try to find something that works for you!

MakingMinnieMemories has unique and colorful Minnie Ears to make your Disney Day even more Magical!

My-Tee Girls Owner Regen Shanzer believes no age is too young to inspire girls to live colorful lives and dream without hesitation. My-Tee Girls is a brand that sows the seeds of strength, creativity, and independence in little girls through something as seemingly simple as choosing what shirt or leggings to wear for the day. It encourages kids to use their imagination and explore their identities as future strong women, in large part made possible by the strong women that came before them in the fields of STEM and beyond.

All night there was one thing that didn’t change much… and that was the long line at the fairy hair station! Angel Keen Hair had a steady flow of eager ladies awaiting a little sparkle to add to their hairdo! One after another they sat down anticipating some fun and then left that chair reminded that we may have a lot of depending on us as women, but we can still be playful! Yes, I know that’s a little deep for fairy hair but ain’t it the truth! Check out her fabulous work on her social media pages:  FB: Angela Keens Hair and Makeup
IG: @angelajoykeenhair

Every single lady left with a SWAG bag full of amazing and quality gifts! Just a quick thanks to our SWAG Contributors!

Mommy Mocktails : Tassel & Trim : Lippyclip : Lizard Thicket : First Watch : Orlando Skin Solutions

Thank you so very much to our event photographer who captured these beautiful images, Fresh Photography Studio. If you are looking for some bright, bold, and fun holiday family pictures, visit her page!

Lastly, Thank You Orlando Mom Collective for joining together with me to make this vision come to fruition! This event was FUN, COZY, AND COMMUNITY BUILDING! Which works out, because that’s just what our intention for it was. We are so grateful to every single woman who took the time, effort, and resources it requires to have a night out for yourself! Thank you for joining us and let’s do it again sometime!