This post is sponsored by Bing.
It’s time for a full recap of the few days we spent in Palm Springs creating, crafting, and connecting with a brilliant group of women. Meet/Make/Do finally happened after nine months of planning, and I’m excited to share highlights from our weekend. We even gave away three swag bags just like the ones attendees received. It all started—visually at least—with a swan float that set a playful tone for the trip.
The retreat actually began with an idea from Brittni and a long car-ride brainstorm with Chelsea and me. We stayed in a gorgeous mid-century Palm Springs rental and filled it with giant monogrammed beach balls, ice cream floaties, abundant flowers and a truly impressive stash of craft supplies. Attendees arrived, picked rooms, and settled in for an evening of relaxed conversation before dinner. It felt a lot like creative summer camp—warm, welcoming, and full of possibility.
Who joined us? A wonderful mix of makers and bloggers: Ashley of Sugar & Cloth, Brittany of The House That Lars Built, Chelsey of The Paper Mama, Danni of Oh, Hello Friend, Erin of House of Earnest, Jenn of A Blog Named Scout, Lexy of The Proper Pinwheel, and Melanie of You Are My Fave. Mary photographed the retreat, Bing helped inspire the weekend, and the three of us hosted. We even displayed a sentiment that felt fitting for the group.
Our welcome dinner took place at Workshop Kitchen + Bar—definitely worth a visit if you’re in Palm Springs. Kate made custom menus and place cards that felt special and thoughtful. After a day of travel, dinner was a relaxed way to reconnect before the creative portion of the weekend began in earnest.
Bright and early the following day, we unveiled what everyone had come to see: the craft supply closet to end all closets. We intentionally designed Meet/Make/Do to be looser than typical conferences—minimal structure, lots of freedom to experiment. On Thursday morning we showed everyone the curated supplies and encouraged them to explore without a set agenda. The goal was to see how collaboration and abundant materials would spark original work.
To fuel inspiration, Katie from Bing demonstrated search tools and features helpful to bloggers, and provided Surface devices for hands-on experimentation. We used tools like pin-from-search, proper image licensing filters, and explored how small efficiencies can make a big difference in planning and creating. Katie also shared Bing Rewards, which lets you earn points simply by searching and redeem them for gift cards—turning research into resources felt delightfully practical.
Then we dove into hands-on projects. This was my favorite time of the day: flowers, paper, paint, fringe and collaboration filled the rooms. I started under a bouquet helping on Brittni’s project, and when I stepped back it was inspiring to see each person immersed in work that reflected their own style. The energy of a group crafting together—sharing techniques, tools, and encouragement—was uplifting.
As we made, conversations flowed about creative processes, dealing with sponsors, last-minute projects (we’re all guilty of that), and balancing work with life. Those candid chats were invaluable—there’s no single guidebook to blogging, and sharing real experience is the best roadmap.
We wrapped the day with incredible finished projects and meaningful conversations. The night included a fun dinner at the Ace Hotel hosted by Minted where we built our own tacos and enjoyed a festive evening. The following events were a mix of planned activities and spontaneous gatherings that deepened friendships beyond online connections.
Unfortunately, our weekend included an unexpected setback. After returning to the rental one night we discovered it had been burglarized. Some items were stolen and the violation of privacy was upsetting for those affected. After filing police reports, we decided to relocate for the remainder of the retreat and moved to The Saguaro for a change of scenery and peace of mind.
Despite a rare rainy day in the desert, we made the most of our new surroundings—exploring vintage shops, enjoying a leisurely lunch at Jake’s and indulging in cake tastings, and finishing the evening with delivered pizza and a cozy pajama gathering in a hotel room. That final night was full of laughter, confessions about guilty pleasure blogs, and plans to recreate this community more often. Through the highs and the lows, what mattered most was being together and building friendships that extend beyond social media.
In short: a few days in paradise, a few unexpected bumps, and a lot of creative momentum. I’m grateful to call these women real-life friends now and can’t wait to share the projects everyone made. Stay tuned for more project posts coming soon.
Our group! From left: Erin, Ashley, Me, Brittni, Chelsea, Lexy, Jenn, Chelsey, Brittany, Danni, Melanie
And yes, the swag bag was magical. Each attendee received a curated tote filled with hand-painted napkins, bath salts, copper notebooks, dipped utensils, a cozy blanket, craft scissors, and more. We’ll share sources for those items and the vendors who supplied the party goods. It was a joy to spotlight small makers and thoughtful brands throughout the house.
All photos by Mary Costa Photography
In the gift bag (clockwise in the photo): hand-painted napkins, rose bath salts, copper notebooks, dipped utensils, copper foil tape, gold necklace, wood coasters, blanket, scissors, spice bowl, soap.
Tote bag by Michelle Dwight Designs
Party and craft supplies from Shop Sweet Lulu. Fabric from The Fabric Store LA. Flowers from Flower Muse. Tableware from West Elm. Almond Milk from Almond Milk LA. Cookie dough from Edoughble. Jam from M. Greenwood Jams. Photo props from Tweedle Dee Designs. Bowls from Landis Carey. Candle cups and mini bowls from Wind & Willow Home.
A huge thank you to Bing for making this retreat possible and for inspiring our creativity, and to my co-hosts for being wonderful partners in bringing Meet/Make/Do to life.
For a chance to win a swag bag like the ones above, enter the giveaway available through the Rafflecopter widget embedded on the original post.
This post and event are sponsored by Bing. All content and opinions are my own. Thank you to the sponsors who support creative gatherings like this one.