bringing the outside in

I've always loved fresh flowers. While they're a luxury, they can reallybrighten up a space and my mood. Once in a while I'll spread flowers all over the house in every nook and cranny I can find. To me, it's just as fun to spend energy making the small areas of our home more cozy and inviting as it is the larger, more public spaces. While I'm the first to admit that home is where the heart is, adding these little details can bring the outside in and make our home even sweeter.

Do you have simple ways to sweeten your space?

published: Southern Weddings Volume 5

I have wanted to share this post for some time now but life has gotten busy.  However, as the inspiring Making Things Happen team shared with me this year - Done is better than Perfect.  So here goes...

Ben and I have worked really hard this past year and this week I had the opportunity to reflect on all of the things our little duo has accomplished during 2012.  Some of these accomplishments were the result of our 2012 goals and others came about through unexpected opportunities.  In my opinion, the unexpected opportunities often lead to our proudest accomplishments.  These opportunities arise because friends or colleagues, whether new or old, believe in you.

This year I had the great fortune to meet Lara Casey and the ladies of the Southern Weddings at the 2012 Making Things Happen Tour in Chapel Hill.  Instantly I felt connected to these women.  Individually and collectively, they are such a warm, talented and genuine group committed to what matters and preserving the best of Southern traditions.

One very hot August day I had the opportunity to assist the Southern Weddings gals and an impressively large crew of volunteers with the Family Heirlooms shoot, a wonderfully styled photo shoot which was published in the Southern Weddings V5 issue.  To keep the crew cool I brought a galvanized bucket full of mason jars filled to the brim with ice cold water and flavored with fresh citrus and herbs - more on that later.  The day was filled with an assortment of colorful tomatoes, a jolly blue grass band, dancing, laughing, bowties, sweet tea popsicles and lots of new friends!  In addition to all of the beautiful imagery, this entire experience was a labor of love and sheer pleasure.  In fact, that splendid day at Fearrington Village  felt like a family reunion where every single person had a good ol' time.

Below are some instagram shots taken with my iphone throughout the day.

For more inspiration, check out the Behind the Scenes Photos by Faith Teasley and Jenni Bailey  or via Southern Weddings here!

Wait, there's more!

Inspired by the mason jars on the Family Heirlooms set captured by Faith Teasley here,  the editorial titled "In Celebration of the Mason" was envisioned.  I had the opportunity to build the wall complete with cantilevered shelves and assist with the set for the Mason Jar Editorial as seen on pages 48-49 of the V5 issue.  Folks, with help from my husband I built this 4'x8' shelf in our quaint dining room!  It was such a pleasure to work with Faith Teasley whose photos grace the pages of this inspirational magazine and in particular, the In Celebration of the Mason editorial spread.  For more on Faith's perspective, check out her blog.  Finally Lara's mom, Celia Casey, included a beautifully written piece on her family's memories of the mason jar.

Below are behind the scenes photos that I captured from the day including a couple of images from the Surcee's shoot.

The entire day was such a treat!  I started the day driving an enormously large u-haul with the tarp flapping in the rain and I finished the day eating pie pops and reflecting on all of the memories made in a single day.

To top it all off, I  was able to attend the Southern Weddings V5 Launch Party in November.  This golden and glittery celebration contained so much goodness.  My favorites included old timey glass bottles of cheerwine (from good ol' Salisbury, NC), mini pies, a sweet tea bar and customized corn hole set.

To see more of this awesomeness in action and lots of silly Cheese Booth poses, visit the Southern Weddings V5 Launch Party recap here.

Last but not least, you can purchase your very own copy of the entire V5 issue in print here OR at your local grocery, pharmacy, or Target!

Seeing my personal work published in print was a dream and it happened in 2012.  Friends, you never know what opportunities are around the corner.  2013 is a brand new year, make it count!