5 Ingredient No-Cook Tomato Sauce

Erica Diaz June 19, 2024

Summer is the season I spend the most minimal time in the kitchen. This is where I incorporate our family’s favorite essential meals including breakfast for dinner, tacos, proteins with veggies, and this no-cook pasta sauce dish that we LOVE!

No-cook Tomato Sauce
25-30 cherry tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic
7-10 chopped basil leaves
grated parmesan cheese
olive oil

Add ingredients to a bowl or jar. Toss and season with salt/pepper to taste. Cover and place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours or in advance for 2-3 days. Enjoy over pasta (cold or hot) or with your protein of choice. The trick to this recipe is how beautifully the ingredients blend in after sitting for several hours. Bring the jar to enjoy out during an evening picnic by the shore.

From my kitchen to yours, enjoy!

YOUTUBE VIDEO LINK OF RECIPE

XO Erica

Fall/Winter Student Intern

Erica Diaz August 14, 2017

Last week we said farewell to our amazingly talented summer intern as she transitions her way back to the University of FL for fall semester.

And now that we are approaching our "busiest" season, we are once again on the hunt for one or two interns interested in joining our team!

Application submissions will be accepted until September 1, 2017. If you or someone you know is interested in applying, we ask you fill out our form below and upload your resume to be considered. The "apply here" link can be found at the bottom of this post.

At this time, our internship position is only open for those looking to receive college credit or unpaid experience. Seniors in high school are also welcome to apply. In the future, we may consider extending this position for those looking for part-time work.

This position is 1-2 days a week with flexible hours (approximtely 10hrs/wk). Our studio hours are Monday - Friday 9:00am-4:30pm. Our print/design studio is located in Miami, Florida near the Falls/Dadeland area. You must live in the Miami area during the time of the internship although some design work can be done remote. A background in graphic design, typography or photography is a must along with experience working with the Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator.

What you can expect to do during our internship period:

- Spruce up our semi-custom online etsy shop
- Design content for our semi-custom bridal bar
- Assist in production/assembly of printed products
- Assist in social media marketing
- Photograph content for our website
- Keep client workflows up to date
- Enhance the #ibabride client experience
- Attend local styled shoots

Apply Here

A little about us: We are a husband/wife owned fine stationery and specialty printing studio located in Miami, Florida. Our main bread and butter is custom wedding invitations but our work does not stop there. On any given day you can find us designing luxe business cards for corporate clients to hand painting murals for swanky events. In spring of 2017, we opened the doors to our new letterpress and design studio adjacent to our home, offering letterpress, foil and digital printing. Since we are a family owned and operated studio, both our rambunctious frenchie and one-year-old daughter keep us pretty entertained during studio hours.

If you have further questions or trouble submitting your resume, please email Erica at erica@inspiredbyabove.com

Summer Intern

Erica Diaz February 1, 2017

In case you missed the announcement on instagram, (#journeytoibastudio) Gabriel and I are in the process of transforming a 1200 sf warehouse space into our future IBA Paper Goods Studio where all things letterpress, digital, foil, illustration and design will take place. To add to our list of new beginnings, we are looking for a summer intern to join our team from approximately May-August 2017. Our studio hours are flexible, the workspace will be rad and the coffee is always fresh!

Application submissions will be accepted from Feb 1 - Feb 15 with decisions being made early March 2017. If you or someone you know is interested in applying, we ask you fill out our form below and upload your resume to be considered. The "apply here" link can be found at the bottom of this post.

This position is 2-3 day a week with very flexible hours (10hrs/wk minimum). Our print/design studio is located in Miami, Florida near the Falls/Dadeland area. You must live in the Miami area during the time of the internship. We would absolutely love it if you had a background in graphic design, typography or photography and is comfortable working in the Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator.

What you can expect to do during our internship period:

- Spruce up our semi-custom online shop
- Design content for our semi-custom bridal bar
- Assist in production/assembly of printed products
- Assist in social media marketing
- Photograph content for our website
- Keep client workflows up to date
- Enhance the #ibabride client experience
- Attend local styled shoots

Apply Here

A little about us: We are a husband/wife owned fine stationery and specialty printing studio located in Miami, Florida. Our main bread and butter is custom wedding invitations but our work does not stop there. On any given day you can find us designing luxe business cards for corporate clients to hand painting murals for swanky events. Starting spring 2017, we will be offering letterpress, foil and digital printing in house. Since we are a family owned and operated studio, both our rambunctious frenchie and one-year-old daughter keep us pretty entertained during studio hours.

If you have further questions or trouble submitting your resume, please email Erica at erica@inspiredbyabove.com

3 Things I Would've Done Different

Erica Diaz January 7, 2017

Being in the wedding industry for 3+ years now, we've seen a lot. From working with different personalities to fads and phases that go quicker than they came in. Although I truly adored our wedding from the bottom of my heart, and am very thankful for the outcome, I have to admit, we didn't pay much attention to the art of planning.

1. It wasn't our profession at the time

2. We felt confident planning through the advice of bridal mags (ha!)

3. Back in 2011, internet/social media wedding inspiration wasn't such a craze as it is now

So, if we could do it again, here are the 3 things I would've changed.

1. Trust the experience of your vendors

I'm embarrassed to admit this, but truth be told, my main objective when selecting our vendors was solely based on who could give more for less. Don't get me wrong, sticking to your budget is a big deal and one we didn't take lightly because who wants to be swimming in a pool of debt on day one of marriage?

What I'm saying is, if I could go back, I would've put more effort into selecting vendors based on their 1) values, 2) testimonials and 3) passion for their work. When you make an investment to hire a wedding vendor (florist, planner, stationer, musician etc.) you not only invest in their services, but you also invest your time that will be spent together.

Are these people you would be friends with? Are they going to really understand the significance of why you want to hold your wedding on a Sunday morning? Do you trust them enough to run free with your ideas?

Since our vendors came with the experience we lacked, leaning on them would have taken a load of stress from us, which in turn would have led to a more enjoyable engagement and worry-free wedding.

Your vendors actually have a lot of knowledge when it comes to timelines, color pallettes, etiquette etc. even in sectors other than theirs. Asking your photog, for example, their opinion on a floral designer who will help you achieve the look you want is beneficial because 1. Like minded vendors stick together and 2. In order to run a "creative" small business, you need a little background knowledge in other fields. This is something that comes with time.

2. Hire a videographer, even if the budget is tight.

If my husband was reading this one right now, he would laugh. We went back and forth on this for quite some time and needed to figure out where to cut back. At the time, this made sense.

Why would we need a video when we were already paying for photos? Although high-quality wedding photos are extremely important, you can't relive the memory as you would with a video. Our photos will never let me hear the birds above us at our ceremony or the moment we said of our vows.

All I am saying is, if you can swing it, do it. You won't regret it 10, 20, 50 years from now. Take it from someone who still thinks about it.

3. Stick to classic.

Fads come and go. When we got married, Pinterest was just lifting off and mason jars were all the rage.

Now, when I hear, "I want a Pinterest wedding" I sort of cringe because, I too, wanted that. When you are planning, I want you to think past current trends. Think about what you like. What mood defines you and your fiance? Ask yourself, is this something that will stand the test of time? By classic I don't mean "traditional", I mean something you will love 10 years down the road. The key is what YOU love, not what the trendsetters say.

Key items to keep classic: Your wedding dress, your wedding stationery and your ceremony.

I hope my experience puts a fresh perspective on yours. Although the day went by too quickly, it really was the most remarkable day of my life. The celebration, the joy, the way it brings everyone together and most importantly, the symbolism of a lifelong unity that's about to begin.

Happy Planning!

Life as a Mom + Business Owner

Erica Diaz September 9, 2016

A few months ago, my friend Juli contacted me asking if she could run a quick interview for the Motherly Team. As you can imagine, I was thrilled by the idea and couldn't wait to share a glimpse at our sometimes blurry lined journey as a new family of 3 while managing a growing small business.

As you may or may not know, we've been building this dream of ours for a while now. My days look very different than they did three years ago, two years ago and even 9 months ago. Like a strong, thriving garden, businesses take time to grow and mature and throughout this journey, I've learned a few things that I want to share with you today:

1) Empires are NOT built over night - Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be a "stay at home" mom. College & education were important, but never as important as taking care of my husband and raising up babies. And while it is no secret that life Miami is expensive, my dream seemed nearly impossible. Six months into our marriage (while working a full time job as a teacher, a job that I also loved dearly) we put our first invitation listing (our wedding invitation) on Etsy to see what would happen.

2) Begin with the end in mind - Guys, for all you out there working a full time job and putting everything else into your side hustle, I commend you! Those first years were probably the hardest of my life. Every ounce of energy was poured into our business because I knew it would take us to where we wanted to be, come parenthood.

Never underestimate the knowledge you are gaining while working your full time job AND side hustle. When you put your all into it, you learn more about yourself and your values than ever before. There were many days in the beginning, that I felt a 9-5 desk job would be the easier route, but I knew deep down that it wouldn't ultimately bring joy. So we pushed on...

3) Being at the Right place at the Right time makes a great difference - The heart behind our company and our name has & always will be our love for Jesus Christ and his love for mankind. Everyday I'd pray that if this journey was His will for our lives, that He would make it clear, lead us to the right connections and places that would help us achieve our goal. And you know what, He did. Come January 2015 we were invited to participate in a West Elm wedding pop up where we met many local vendors and clients. These local connections grew our business from an online "etsy only" market to the vast South Florida market. He gave us the tools needed to serve those in our own backyard.

If you're goal is to make extra money for your family, be able to stay home with your children, or even pay your way through school, know that these accomplishments take time and are not achieved overnight. Keep your end goal in mind daily, it will help push you through the tough days. Be open to new opportunities that push you beyond your limits. Pray for strength beyond your reach. And if nothing else, know that I believe in you!

Happy Friday friends!

Xo,

Erica