The beautiful thing about life and California is you can find inspiration anywhere and from anyone. And doesn’t everybody love some inspiration?! When we came across Leila Lewis we instantly knew she was gonna be the gal that kept you nothing short of exactly that, inspired. As CEO of her own boutique public relations firm dedicated to the wedding and special event industry, Leila didn’t stop building from there.

Inspired by This, part of the Be Inspired family, follows the everyday inspiration of Leila Lewis and team. From weddings to home, Inspired by This offers you the space to grow your family along with the site. That’s one of our favorite parts about it actually, you feel right at home. Mother to an adorable toddler with another one on the way, Leila shows you can be powerhouse CEO, mommy, wife and much more. Guiding you through the wedding planning fun or sharing lifestyle tips as you build your life, Inspired By This does it!

We are thrilled to hang out with IBT the entire month of December as our Guest Editor and can’t wait to be inspired the whole time! Enjoy meeting Leila below and find out what makes her, inspired!

Hi Est. California Readers!

I am Leila Lewis, creator of Inspired By This, and I am so excited to be the guest editor for Established California for the month of December. Inspired By This is your go to source for all things inspiration! It is a blog that focuses on inspiring you whether it be for your wedding, home and lifestyle, business, or even your daily style! Needless to say, we are constantly surrounded by inspiration!

We're excited to inspire you with some of the best tips for hosting events, upcoming trends for party themes/decor/color palette and hopefully inspire you this holiday season!

Follow along with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest!

xo Leila

JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS........

Was there a defining moment you knew you wanted to create IBT?

In 2009 was working in the wedding industry as my day job and blogs were just starting to pop up. Most focused only on the real weddings, and I wanted to share more about the process leading up to the wedding (proposals, engagement parties, bridal showers, etc.) in addition to weddings. After I got married in 2010, we decided to add post-wedding content too while sharing home and apartment inspiration, and children/family content so that our readers could stay and grow with us!

What keeps you inspired?

My family! My husband encourages me to keep hard working at what I love, and my daughter inspires me to create work I'm really proud of. I want her to know she can do anything she puts her mind to.

What advice would you give to your 16-year-old self?

Don't be afraid to pursue your passions. It may not work out exactly the way you planned, but loving what you do is success. Be nice to everyone along your path, you never know who will give you your first break appreciate them. Keep your relationships friendly, honest, and true and it will take you much further in life then undercutting people and constantly having your hand out.

What do you love most about California?

I love the variety California has to offer - I can spend my day at the beach or drive about 2 hours and spend it at a cabin in a forest or at a beautiful vineyard sipping wine. There's no place like it!

Favorite product for hosting? Why?

A great butcher-block board! It's perfect for appetizers, cheeses, meats... and it makes everything look great!

What’s your favorite part of the day?

Dance parties with my little girl when I get home from work!

What’s your dream CA vacation?

Heading up to Northern California - spending a few days enjoying the city life in San Francisco and then escaping to Napa and staying at a cute inn drinking wine and relaxing.

What is the best dish you bring to a party?

The perfect appetizer board - a variety of cheeses and charcuterie and all the accoutrements - honey, homemade jams, nuts, olives and a fresh baguette. There's something for everyone!

Name one thing that not many people know about you.

I'm a huge country fan! I own 3 pairs of cowboy boots, multiple plaid shirts and a cowboy hat and can sing along to pretty my any country song on the radio. It's my dream to one day go to Stagecoach!

Favorite party detail?

The flowers! Flowers really bring a table setting together and tie in all of the décor, they're the finishing touch.

What’s your favorite kind of party? (Holiday? Dress up? Shower)

I love everything about holiday parties - bundling up with boots and scarves, mulled wine and spiked cider, homemade pies, Christmas decor - trees, stockings, lights and garlands, pine-scented candles and having friends and family in town.

What’s on your current playlist?

When you have a toddler, Seasame Street songs are a constant rotation! But when I have a few minutes to myself, I listen to a mix of Indie - Mumford and Sons and Angus and Julia Stone on some days and Country on others - Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw and Jason Aldean are a few of my faves!