Highway to Hill Flowers Jennifer (Jo) Oliver
Handmade Habitat Amina Ahmad
e2 Events Jaime Mizell Easson
I started Highway to Hill Flowers about five years ago after studying in NY with some of the top florists. At the time, a lot of my friends were getting married, and they were very kind to trust me with their wedding flowers.
I come from a DIY-centric family and had always made things, so under the name of Cats and Crafts by Amina, I started doing markets in 2010 while in college. I quickly became addicted to the market life and rebranded to Handmade Habitat (I was tired of people thinking I was selling cats!). After I graduated, I decided to dive in full time and it’s still working out, two years later!
I had been DJing for seven years as a hobby in nightclubs in this area. In 2007, I started e2 Events and I made DJing a career. The best part, for me, is being a part of a celebration, be it a wedding or a corporate awards event. Music evokes so many different emotions and watching people let go and just dance is the best thing in the world.
While we are a small studio, I love getting to know couples and really spend time with them to create custom pieces that speak to their vision—regardless of the size of their event. My background is in fine art and design, and I love working with color and texture to build pieces that complement the event environment.
My most popular items are the D.C. matchbook favors. Matchbooks are such rare a find now anyway and I think brides (and grooms) love the local focus.
I’m a female DJ and business owner. I grew up surrounded by music (as a competitive ballroom dancer), so I really know what people want to hear. I’m not a push and play DJ—I am back there watching the crowd, mixing great music, and dancing!
I have two studio pet terriers— Guinness and Lola.
A lot of the elements that I incorporate in my designs and packaging are sentimental. My grapefruit candles are inspired by my late grandmother—a true DIYer before DIY was such a big thing—and she loved grapefruit.
This career has allowed me to be a stay at home mom with my two favorite mini mes!
We will be offering flower classes this summer. Check out our website for dates and to sign up!
See me at Fenton Street Market, DC MEETMarket, and Grant Avenue Market this summer!
I have some huge events coming up at the Newseum, Gaylord, Longview Gallery, The Air and Space Museum, The National Women’s Museum, and The Corcoran Gallery! 35