About Us!

Are you that person who walks into a boutique and your brain immediately starts processing, thinking “I can make that.” Then you take a quick snapshot with your phone, while trying to avoid the store manager, and email it quickly to yourself? Or are you that person who can never truly enjoy a party because you are changing décor in your head to how you would have designed the venue as soon as you walk in? And when you are enjoying the party, and everything is decorated beautifully, food is amazing, and staff is all in line, you’re still trying to add your personal touch…in your head of course? Well, that is the story behind these two girls.

High school friends and teammates, Valerie Featherstun and Jaclyn Douma, knew they would hit it off and become long time friends after projects together such as decorating their Powder-Puff Game Shirts and always being the “go-to-gals” for gift ideas and party planning. After years of friendship and now 400 miles between the two, they are still bouncing ideas off one another, shopping out-of-state for one another and hosting parties of their own. Although they live two completely different lifestyles, they continue to deepen their relationship through this crazy obsessive passion of design.

To get to know the girls a little better, here is a little tid-bit into their lives…

 Jaclyn has always found joy in taking her creative ideas and translating them into parties, projects & events for everyone to enjoy. Even as a child, she was always involved in fundraising and church events with her parents, where they would go above and beyond creating an environment for guests to feel welcomed and inspired themselves. Now as an adult and having a family of her own, she has taken her creative eye and hosted many events for friends and family. Jaclyn is currently working on her second edition of her personal cookbook, Our First Year, which will be released at the end of 2011. (http://www.a-sugarnspice-life.com/) She is continuously inspired to give her personal touch, personal opinion and is always eager & willing to follow her dreams…no matter how crazy they may be sometimes.

Val has always had a passion for helping people, whether it be with their personal lives or helping along side them. She initially went to school with the desire to become a registered nurse, but soon realized that the craving she had to help people was not in the medical field. Owning her own business soon became the dream she would strive for. After helping plan/host many different types of events such as bridal showers, baby showers and graduations and being in the catering industry for 4-5 years, she realized she could still fulfill her dream of helping people and owning her own business, but in a little different aspect. Valerie soon graduated from CSUSB with a BA in Business Administration, concentrating in Entrepreneurial Management. After receiving her BA, she took a course through Cal Poly Pomona's Extended University and was certified as a Wedding Consultant and Events Coordinator. She opened her wedding/event planning business in March 2010, and is now the proud owner of Ciao Bell'amore Events (http://www.ciaobellamore.com/). Besides being very detail oriented, always putting 110% into everything she does and at times, slightly OCD, Val is driven to continually create events that cannot be forgotten.
Val also has a personal blog: http://sweeetlilnothings.blogspot.com/