These are a few of my favorite things...

I love taking an everyday item and repurposing it! It is fun to be creative with items and make them work for you! I tend to be drawn towards the pieces that feel more eclectic and vintage. Here are a few of my favorite things…

1.Mason Jars…they can be used as candle holders, favor jars or specialty cocktail glasses!

2.Cake Stands…they can hold centerpieces, family photos or favors! This would be really cute for a wedding, bridesmaid luncheon or rehearsal dinner too!

3.Tea Cups….they can be used as cake toppers or you could float a single bloom in one as an accent on tables! At my wedding, I used my grandmother's teacup as my cake topper as a way to honor her on my wedding day! I like to think she was there the whole day!

4.Birdcages…they can be used to hold cards on the gift table or as a guest book where each guest can leave wishes for the bride and groom! And thanks to spray paint we can make them match or compliment any color scheme!

5.Postcards…they can be used as fun save the dates, left in a welcome bag with the itinerary for the wedding weekend, or they can be at the wedding for guests to leave a message to be mail to the bride and groom later! It is always fun to drop those messages in the mail while the newly weds are on there honeymoon knowing that when they return they will have tons of loving messages waiting on them at their new home!

Have a Blessed day!

Something Old, Something New...

If you have ever been in an bridal suite hours before a wedding then you have probably heard some variation of the saying "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue." Since this is a older tradition very few people these days realize that there is actually another sentence at the end of this saying. The whole saying is "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue. And a silver sixpense in her shoe."

The Something Old is meant to symbolize the bride's link to her family. Generally the "old" item is a piece of family jewelry or a piece of a family garment. Any bride would be luck to receive this pair of antique earrings.

The Something New is meant to symbolize good luck and success in their new marriage. Generally the "new" item is the wedding dress but can also be a wedding band or new jewelry that was purchased for the wedding. I adore this Anne Barge dress...

The Something Borrowed should be "given" to the bride by a happily married friend which will symbolize the friend giving some of their marital bliss to the bride to carry into their new marriage. It can be a piece of jewelry, a sorority pin to be pinned into the lining of the gown or a hankerchief that all of your friends have carried on their wedding day. I was a Kappa Delta at the College of Charleston so if I had "borrowed" a sorority pin it would have looked like this.

The Something Blue is meant to symbolize faithfulness and loyalty towards your husband. Traditionally the garter has the blue detailing but these days it can be found on shoes and under garments too!


The Sixpence in her shoe is meant to symbolize wealth and finicial security in the future. It is said that for the sixpence to bring the most luck it should be in the left shoe!

Have fun putting your "somethings" together!

Fresh Start...

There are few things in life I enjoy more than a new year. The idea of a fresh start and a clean slate has alway excited me! When I was in school I always loved going to the store and picking out new school supplies that were going to help me be organized and efficient. There was and is something magical about making the first notes on a new page of a new book. Luckily for me, I work in a profession that allows me to make fresh notes on the new pages of bride's lives everyday!! Here are a few resolutions for wedding planning in 2010...

#1 Don't be afraid of color! You can use color in so many different ways from linen on tables and bars to throw pillows on lounges to cocktails in hand! Take your colors and milk them for all they are worth! If you are not sure about pairing colors then let the artists pave the way for you...check out a color wheel...you can use colors side by side together or you can use colors directly across the color wheel from each other!

#2 Be Inspired! Willie Wonka had it right when he said "if you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it." Inspiration is everywhere...a flower, a painting, an album cover, a throw pillow, a candy wrapper, ect. Here are a couple inspirations that I plan on using this year...

I love the mixture of rustic barrels and modern sofas!

I adore this painting by VanGogh - "Peach Tree in Bloom." I can see ice peach linens with natural wood chivari chairs with mercury glass containers spilling with white and ivory blooms. I can see using branches to display placecards
and having baskets of fresh peaches as favors...

#3 Learn something NEW everyday! When you are planning a wedding it is the perfect time to do research and really to ask questions! You could sign up for a subscription to a new wedding magazine, read a new blog every week, attend a local truck show or just take notice at an event you attend! When I attend an event, I am looking at everything from the lighting to the flowers to the trays the food is passed on!

#4 Be 10 Minutes Early! Always a good rule of thumb. It shows respect for the person you are meeting or the appointment you have and it will keep your heart rate down because you won't be stressed about being late causing you to be healthier in the long run!

#5 Make it personal! Your personality is reflected in your home, your clothes and should definately be reflected in your wedding! Take a moment and make a list of some of the special moments in your relationship...where did you get meet, where did you get engaged, was there a special treat that he always brought you, ect? Then find a way to bring those items into the wedding. For example, my husband (Kyle) and I met at the Piggly Wiggly Grocery Store so as a surprise I had the Piggly Wiggly Mascot at the rehearsal dinner to greet guests!


The most important thing to keep in mind when starting a new year or a new chapter of your lives...look around and be thankful for the Blessings each day brings!!

Thank you for an amazing 2009 and best wishes for an amazing 2010!!