We had the good fortune of connecting with Chanel & Amanda Crider and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chanel & Amanda, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Color me Crider was born through friendship, passion and purpose. For us, this is not about just the job, it’s about connecting and building relationships. We have a true passion for what we do, and when our clients trust us to be part of their team, that’s where the magic really happens. Our minds are always creating and dreaming up new ideas. Color me Crider has provided us space to let our creativity blossom.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
We would describe our look as eclectic, timeless, thought-provoking, and purposeful. We design in order to evoke an emotional response and not just a visual one. Our process is extremely hands-on and personal. The key is listening, we are attentive to everything our clients say, as well as everything that they don’t. We turn their wishes into our ideas and bring them to life. At Color Me Crider, we strive to over-deliver in an unexpected way that surprises and delights by providing the moment(s) you didn’t know you needed.

Color me Crider was born through friendship, passion and purpose. For us, this is not about just the job. We have a true passion for what we do, and when our clients trust us to be part of their team, that’s where the magic really happens.

Passion and timing- we are both mom’s with young children and the corporate life was no longer fitting. We started Color me Crider with humble beginnings, planning and decorating our children’s birthday parties. We loved customizing every detail from the invitations to the photo backdrop. We were approached many times and were encouraged to start an event styling business.

Was it easy?

Yes and no. Being creative is naturally easy, however building a business has its nuances and challenges.

A lesson we learned along the way is staying authentic to our core style. We have worked with some clients where there were creative differences and it resulted in a passionless project. The event turned out great but our hearts weren’t as content.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We love a combination of staying in for some more intimate time and getting out to enjoy some fun, excitement, and adventure. We would be sure to include at least 1 cozy movie night at home with one of our favorite Nancy Meyers films, some wine, and comfy cozy clothes. The beach would definitely be one of our day trips (Oval beach in Saugatuck to be exact) as well as the best fried chicken sandwich spot, The Southerner. We would make sure to include live music on the lawn at the park along the river with a perfectly packed picnic and white wine. A day on the pontoon boat would be spent while grilling burgers, followed by a bonfire and roasting marshmallows. Between breakfast, lunch, and dinner throughout the week we would have to hit several of our favorite spots, including wood-fired pizza, meatballs, and the caesar salad from Nonna’s Trattoria (followed by carrot cake & tiramisu), an upscale evening out at Prime steakhouse making sure to order the shrimp beignets for an appetizer, apps and drinks at the rooftop lounge, Knoop, and getting the best burger and beer-battered fries and beer cheese dip from Big Boiler. We will be sure to grab coffees at our favorite coffee shop, Brody’s Be. At some point we’d go shopping at boutiques and then thrifting, of course!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
God, family, and friends! All encouraging, supporting, challenging, and providing a path!

   

Instagram: colormecrider

Facebook: Color Me Crider

Image Credits
Wendy Ingraham (only credited on photos of both of us together)

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.