May 18, 2012
Happy Friday people! You made it through the week!
Late into the evening, a few days ago, I was found at the kitchen table pounding little eyelets into paper flags while my husband was trying to calmly eat his mango chicken salad and have a conversation with me about mature things like finances and work…I didn’t hear him. He knows by now that he must give up any hope of having a logical conversation with me past 10:00 pm or while I am crafting.
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Today I am crafting little packages and then off to go shopping..two very dangerous activities. We will see you on the other side of the weekend dear friends…hopefully unscathed!
xoxo
May 17, 2012
Picture from Ampersand Photography
I have a confession to make. Those who know me well know that my knees go limp when I’m around dark chocolate, coffee, French cooking, anything Audrey Hepburn – please don’t ask how many times I have watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s or Funny Face. I also lose all strength and self-control in craft stores; my husband still doesn’t understand why dropping 50 dollars on ribbon is essential to my sanity. But, when it comes to what touches my heart, above all of these… I’M A SUCKER FOR LOVE. But…you probably already figured that out!
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When it comes to love, I have always thrown caution to the wind, easily flung myself off the cliff with really no regard to the cost. I have never regretted doing this but I have certainly gained a whole lot of wisdom through the years about love. There are all types of love in this world. There are incalculably beautiful loves such as love for God, one’s mate, one’s child, or a very close friend. There are light-hearted loves such as my love for French cooking or floral and clothing design.
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I always have and will continue to promote whatever allows love to grow in it’s natural habitat…hence moving myself across the county twice with my man, changed careers, giving up careers, going back to school, and sacrificing closeness to family and friends to be with my groom. Some might call me crazy (because I know it look crazy at times), but there has always been equal sacrifice both from my husband and myself to keep ourselves together and healthy in love. Love takes time to grow… it is not some flowering seed you toss to the wind and hope it takes root. Rather you must tenderly, seriously, intentionally water and take great care to help it grow and grow.
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With my husband and I rounding the corner to our 7th year mark of commitment to never leave each other nor forsake the other, I have come to some conclusions about this powerful thing called love.
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*Love is ALWAYS, ALWAYS worth it! I repeat, ALWAYS!
*It is a backbreaking, hard, sweat and tears kinda work
*It breaks your heart often
*It makes you crazy sometimes
*It looks insane to others most of the time
*It changes you to be a better person the more you invest in it
*It is more sacrifice than you ever could imagine or more money than you ever wanted to give and more time than you can afford, which makes you a better person again.
*It is a major, seriously scary commitment
*It is the deepest joy and highest pleasure
*You can never get enough of it or reach the bottom of it
*It is tons of out-of-this-world FUN
*It’s more about the other person than it is about yourself… which makes you much happier in the end
*It’s the biggest, hardest, most enjoyable adventure I have ever been on, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
So, to all of you considering if you are ready to take the jump off the cliff into committed love…I say just jump. You might regret it later as you see the difficult times ahead, but hey, the best things in life are the hardest to get. So, when it gets hard, you known you are doing something right. Believe me…it’s worth it.
May 16, 2012
I am so excited to share with you the lovely wedding of Courtney and Geoff Hale. The day was absolutely perfect and the bride just glowed with beauty all day long. It was such a priveledge to be the coordinator of all of the decor and style the wedding.
Flowers were done by Growing Wild. I absolutely loved her bouquet!
The beautiful couple
The Team
Venue: Thomas Birkby House
Photography: Abby Jiu
Event Designer: Fleurish Events, Carrie Moe
Cake: Market Salamander, Jason Reaves
Floral: Growing Wild
Paper Designer: Deleted Space Creative, Jennifer Olmstead
Make Up Artists: Blend, Ryan Krasney
DJ: Kirkabees DJs, Kirk Rubley
Catering: Savior Fare
May 14, 2012
I am sure that you have heard me talk about the beautiful Kinfolk Magazine a few different times. Well, pardon me while I gush some more, for I seriously can’t get enough of this poetically beautiful magazine.
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Kinfolk Magazine is where I go to feel deeply inspired as a person, artist, and wife. Each page you turn, you almost gasp at the gorgeous, editorial styled pictures featuring food, real people living real lives and hosting gatherings in a simple and timeless manner. You will hear stories of cooks, stylists, writers, and entrepenures all committed to fostering community and art. Full of timelessly illustrated snapshots of life, you can feel yourself unwind and slow down a bit.
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A story I have loved recently was about a pair who committed to sit down for breakfast each morning to start the day out right and soon the commitment became a habit, which became the most anticipated part of their day. Sipping coffee, talking, catching up before they rushed off to work, gave them the needed time to deepen their enjoyment of life. Kinfolk Magazine encourages you to let each article become a story for you, quite unlike the glossy, grab and go, thin-papered magazines that offer quick entertainment but lack fulfillment. Each morning I sit with a cup of coffee and a journal and I read a good book for my soul. I have a stack of faithful books beside my perch and Kinfolk is always in the stack. It was such a priveledge to be able to provide flowers for a recent Kinfolk brunch.
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Laura Dart took all of the beautiful pictures.
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May 11, 2012
Hello dear friends!
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What a whirlwind the end of April was and May is starting to feel the same way..Oh my goodness, I have missed blogging! The days have been so full of beautiful, golden sunshine that drips through the windows now so early in the mornings. I can hear the mocking bird singing out it’s melodious songs long before the grey dawn has started to glow. The windows have been thrown open almost every sunrise to catch the cool morning air before the hot sun starts to bake the house.
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We just received our first batch of fresh organic vegetables from the farm share we own in a local natural premaculture farm a few miles away. It has been a while since I have bitten into a fresh tomato right off the vine or snapped peas still warm from the sun. Summer is coming and I can taste and feel it!
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I have had a wonderful few weeks that included providing flowers for Kinfolk’s brunch, flying back to Virginia to do a wedding, celebrating the engagement of my sister (YES!!), seeing some most beloved friends, styling a shoot with the amazing Carissa Gallo and Rebecca Joy Beach. Here are a few pictures to show or you can just follow me on Instagram right here.
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