Herbarium Wedding Shoot on Utterly Engaged...

Here is the photo shoot I styled for dreamy photographer Ali Harper back in March. I wanted to create something completely simple and achievable for brides who'd rather have an intimate dinner party with food and flowers from their backyard. Unfussy and undone. This is something any gal can achieve with a little help from friends. Let wine, good food, and warm conversations fill in the spaces. No need for bells and whistles.

Herbarium guest book

Infused water sampler in lieu of fancy liquor drinks

Backyard and roadside herbs and flowers are my favorite.. Feverfew, Jasmine, Violets, Buttercups, Red Clover, and Queen Anne's Lace to name a few. 

Moss twine is one of my new favorite things. I can use it for everything. And that rosemary garland is just  too easy to make!

Heart-shaped brie!

Terrarium favors for guests are also a breeze to make and won't even come close to breaking the bank!

For more photos pop on over to Utterly Engaged's Organic Love issue! The whole magazine is filled with fantastic imagery from start to finish. 

Herbarium Bride...

Remember my herb posts from a month ago? Here is a sneak peek from the shoot inspired by some of those studies. I had the pleasure of working with the wildly talented photographer, Ali Harper, and I can't wait to share the full story! Stay tuned for more photos...

TEAISMS...

"Tea with us became more than an idealization of the form of drinking; it is a religion of the art of life."...Kakuzo Okakura

Photos by Caroline Petters. Styling by me.

Recently I have been reading a lot of truly wonderful, soul-filling books. The latest one is Kakuzo Okakura's The Book of Tea by way of several different resources on wabi sabi. While I'm only an occasional tea drinker/black coffee drinker by habit and necessity, I find teaism and the beauty of its simplicity something to quiet my overstimulated mind. Also I am absolutely dying to visit Bellocq's tea atelier in Brooklyn. Their packaging is honestly some of the most sensual packaging I have ever seen. The silver canisters are so elegant and divine they completely outshine the other cabinet sundries.

Here are some photos of a test shoot I styled for the super-talented Caroline Petters with art direction collaboration from the creative eye of Erica Loesing. I have just recently been trying my hand at prop styling for food which is beyond fascinating to me. I could wax poetics forever and ever on the extreme respect I have for food stylists... but I'll expand on that later.

new growth...

Today I spent a healthy amount of time tending to my garden. Ok, the fact that I have land that I can plant living things in is beyond wild to me, pun not intended. I picked up a few varieties of oxalis(shamrocks) that I'm hoping will be the beginnings of my meadow, no mow, lawn. I also tried my hand at some terrariums since my favorite wholesale flower shop is having a sale on baby ferns and moss. Amy Merrick, queen of terrariums, gave me my first one almost 5 years ago that I think I might have killed in the first week. She has several great tutorials out there, for those who haven't tried making one before.  I am also going to finally attempt some moss graffiti and see how that goes. I'll try it on the wall of my shed... shh, don't tell my husband.

DO YOUR WORK...

I love this old Shaker saying. I am always struggling with balancing work and real life. Thankfully I really love what I do these days, and work is picking up after a quiet winter. I've been trying to block off more time for creative play. I spend a good portion of my day laying the building blocks for a new and thrillingly terrifying chapter in my career. More of an evolution than anything, but still, I truly can't wait to share more. If you follow me on instagram you can see glimpses of projects and behind-the-scenes of my daily life. The saying above I made from a rosemary needle alphabet created earlier in the day. 

There are so many parts of me that wish I had chosen Graphic Design for my BFA. Please don't laugh too hard at my pitiful attempts of figuring my way through a very, very outdated photoshop- ha! And sadly I never grasped illustrator in school. Sigh.

honey do...

---------- PHOTO CREDITS: DONNA HAY//RICHARD WATERMAN---------

I stumbled across this beautifully simple project via Donna Hay's website. I love any handmade project that is truly achievable, even for those with short on time(and patience). Here she takes square sheets of honeycomb craft wax and rolls it into a cone. So easy, right? And the placecard just slips right in. The smallest gestures can have the biggest impact, and this fits the bill perfectly.

SPIRITED AWAY...

I recently had a conversation with my friend Kate Byars about the phrase "cocktail" and how it skeeves me out to my core. Do y'all have a favorite synonym for this crude term- spirits? 5'oclocks? Aperitif is too snooty patooty, but if you have any suggestions I am all ears! 

 Items, clockwise from the top:  Wood muddler from Coterie, Brookfarm General Store stainless steel  straws,  Dutch's Colonial Bitters from Kaufmann Mercantile, Japanese Kraft Envelopes( for storing drink recipes) from Kaufmann Mercantile, India Tree brown sugar cubes, Morris Kitchen Boiled Apple Cider Syrup from Kaufmann Mercantile. 

I'm thrilled with the renewed interest in mixology mainly because I have a stockpile of gift-ideas for Ed, even though he's pretty simple- basic whiskey straight or on the rocks. Craft whiskies are somewhat lost on him since he's a Jack Daniels/ Makers Mark kind of man. I'm an aesthetics gal so fancy pants bar stocking is in his future ;)

For a charming tour of the some spirited folks, go here and here, courtesy of talented photographer Jen Causey.

Atlanta Weddings Color Issue Behind the Scenes...

Something to also note about me is I am extremely camera shy. If you ever attempt to photograph me while I'm red-faced and sweating away on a job, do not be surprised if I shoot you a dirty look.  If I could have "no photographing me" in my contract, I would :)

I must admit I was pleasantly surprised with this fantastic behind-the-scenes video from our Atlanta Wedding magazine shoot. Atlanta Wedding Productions videographer Mike captured all of the highlights of working on a photo shoot. If you're at all interested in seeing a glimpse into the creative process and all of the moving parts of a photo shoot, press play.

ARTS AND SCIENCE...

I recently reignited a love for the clothing brand Arts & Science. I first discovered this label upon rifling through Worthwhile, an exceptionally well-curated shop in Charleston back in 2007.* Side Note- This was also the store where I purchased my first pair of Steven Alan bloomers* 

Arts & Science is the creation of Stylist Sonya Park. Marry her love of vintage, chorewear, and minimalism and you get this wonderfully gender-less, simple wardrobe. I love every single piece- which is pretty rare. Pop on over to the website and prepare to be hooked. 

night sky...

 "We have only this moment, sparkling in our hand like a star-and melting like a snowflake"-Sir Francis Bacon

images, from clockwise at the top: sussi's varld, art department, felix gonzales-torres, image from pulp archives, vintage industrial lights from AGC916

I saw this image of the boy looking at the stars and thought that it would be a nice little backdrop. Kraft paper covered in chalkboard paint with twinkly lights behind it? Could be fun for a party or a child's bedroom.

One of my favorite ideas i've stumbled across lately is this linen napkin/ pillowcase (?)as a votive found via Sussi's Varld. I don't think i've seen anything like that before! The simplicity is just perfect.

Maybe it's the warming of the weather, but I can't wait for the nights when we can dine al fresco. I do love looking at the stars.