Welcome to The Denville Moms Network Meet A Mom Series
Pictured: Sandie with her son and daughter.
Meet Sandie, one of the owners of Rose and Julie Parties. Sandie’s story is literally the cutest thing I’ve ever heard and reminds me of my own story (minus the whole born in another country thing)! Sandie was born and raised in France! She came to the US as an Au Pair 12 years ago and had no plans on staying and living here. She started dating her neighbor, who after dating for 6 months, moved them to Florida, where he was going to school. As soon as he received his degree, they moved back up to New Jersey and the rest is history! They have 2 adorable babies and live in Randolph!
Rose and Julie Parties is an event stylist company! They create a special ambience for their hosts and guests to celebrate any of life’s special moments, from baby shower to retirement parties. They design something unique for the families that they work with, regarding their needs and style. They are so passionate about their work and it shows! Their events are picture perfect!
How many children do you have and what are their age(s)?
So far, 2! Arielle is 3 and Louis is 1, their birthdays are just 6 days apart.
How long have you lived in (your town)? What made you decide to live here?
We moved to Randolph in December 2016. We were looking for a bigger yard and a quieter area. We didn’t know much about Randolph, at all, but we were very much into the layout of the land, and it may sound weird, but we wanted some kind of elevation. We started looking on a topographic map online to see which areas of NJ where highest and also matched other criterias of our list, and that’s how we found Randolph, and then our house.
What’s your favorite family activity (in your town)?
We love to take the kids for a walk to this field in our neighborhood we call “the Meadow”, also part of the Randolph trails and to Brundage Park for some playground time. We feel very blessed and lucky to have these two destinations within walking distance from our house.
As part of our weekly activities, when Daddy is at work and it’s just the kids and I, I love to take them to the Randolph library. Story time is the best, they both enjoy it so much, and then they get to play with their friends and pick out some books and DVDs for the week. My 3 year old is really getting into this routine, and it’s very cute to see how much she appreciates this special place.
Where’s your favorite place to eat and/or shop in your town?
We like to go to Antimo’s Pizzeria & Restaurant for a quick dinner. Good price, great food and super easy with the kids, especially Louis who is already a very active little boy! For breakfast, Bill’s Luncheonette is one of our favorites, the specials are great there.
What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I’m French, born and raised. I came to the US as an Au Pair 12 years ago and had no plans on staying and living here whatsoever. I was only 20, it was a one-year experience, and then I was going back home to my family. Of course, that changed when I met this guy, a neighbor, who after dating for 6 months dragged me to Florida where he was going to school and then, dragged me back up here to NJ as soon as he got his degree… Oh the things we do for love!! We then got married, had these 2 really cute bilingual babies and moved to Randolph sometime in between. I miss living in France, for sure. I miss my family terribly, and the food even more! (just kidding). But I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Anyone special you’d like to thank for helping you through parenthood?
Definitely my husband. He is my biggest supporter and helper. He is always there for me whether it is for a pep talk when I feel down, to give me a break from the kids or to clean the house (which he may or may not do more than I do!!). I for sure could not do this mommy job without him!
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world? Please share!
I’ve always loved putting pretty things together and being creative. Also, I’ve been decorating my own parties, my friends’ and family’s for a long time. So, after a couple years of dreaming about it, my friend Francesca and I decided to put our passions to great use and start an event planning and styling business, Rose & Julie Parties. We named it after our girls (their middle names) because they inspire us everyday and motivate us to be better moms for them and their siblings! We made it official in January and are enjoying every bit of it. Rose & Julie Parties is our creative outlet, it gives us this extra little pep we sometimes need to feel more than being just “mommy” all day 😉
We love to create a special ambience for our hosts and their guests to celebrate any of life’s special moments, from baby shower to retirement parties. One of our popular requests is setting up a show stopper table like a “candy bar” or “cake table” that we adorn with cute pieces, flowers and a few personal items like pictures of the guest of honor and/or the family. It’s always a favorite. We also love creating simple yet elegant centerpieces for refreshing tablescapes and to give guests a sense of comfort.
Styling parties for us is designing something unique to the families we work with, their needs and their style. We are so passionate about our work that we spend countless hours thinking about the details and making sure everything will please everyone and will look picture worthy. Check out some of our favorite events on roseandjulieparties.com.
Oh by the way, we love Instagram. Go follow us on there, let us know in the comments that you read about us on northmorrismoms.com and we will follow you back! 😉 We really like connecting with local moms and businesses, it makes us feel part of the community. We like helping and collaborating in any way we can, so don’t hesitate to chat with us.
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
Being part of mom groups has helped me being a better mom to my littles. I used to feel very lonely and overwhelmed because let’s face it, being a mom, stay-at-home or working mom, is the hardest job there is. But having my mommy friends to talk to makes me feel more of a “normal” mom. I get down on myself much less than I used to, I understand my children better, and gosh, I even understand my husband’s actions better! If you have no one to talk to about the challenges of raising children, while keeping a household and sometimes while also working, it’s easy to just start to negative think, self-criticize, and mom-guilt. How often do you wonder if you’ve made the right decision? Do you ever feel guilty about those decisions? Man, mom-guilt is so real! But, I recently found out that we’re all in the same boat! Yes, some may have this one part of motherhood under better control than others and vice versa. But, the truth is we all have a hard time at some point or another.
Ever been so proud to finally get a routine down? And then baby is teething, and bam! Just like that everything is out of whack, and it’s back to basics. Or the littles went to their grandparents’ over the weekend, so now you’re pulling hair trying to get them back to listen to your rules… I used to think it was all my fault, and that everyone had it differently. For two miserable years! Until I finally had the opportunity to join my local mom group (call me dumb but I didn’t even know those existed, maybe because I’m not from here), met other moms and started sharing my experiences. I used to only know and hang out with my husband’s family and his friends’ wives. Now I have my own friends!! And, I go on playdates (yeah those are not for my kids, they’re all for me!! A little coffee, a little (or a lot of) venting… It’s so so good for the soul! Am I right, mommas?). This is why this community has been so instrumental in getting me where I am now. I don’t feel like I’m alone anymore. We all have our challenges. We all have our struggles. And most of the time, they’re all very very similar! Joining local mom groups and taking part in this community has been the best thing I’ve done for myself in a very long time.
