Heartbreakingly Beautiful

Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

This video is a tear jerker that will make you want to kiss your loved ones and hold them tight : Brooklyn couple Danny and Annie tell the true story of their twenty-seven-year romance, from their first date to Danny's last days with terminal cancer. You have to watch it

(Animated by StoryCorps, via Very Short List; thanks, Sarah)

Gorgeous Wedding Dresses

As a wedding planner, seeing the bride in her dress on her wedding day is one of the most rewarding parts of the evening. What trumps me seeing her for the first time is the look in her father's eyes and then her husbands eyes. The father is seeing the little girl they are giving away and the husband is seeing the woman they are about to marry.  When you really think about , a wedding dress is the most important thing a woman will ever wear. 

These light as air dresses are perfect for a summer wedding that will keep you chic and comfortable.

New York Magazine's Weddings Issue did a story about this summer's gorgeous wedding dresses. Aren't they stunning? See the full slideshow here.

Epic Earl

Hurricane Earl came and went without a drop of rain. What he did bring to this small beach town were "EPIC" waves.
 (That's the husband's comments, not mine.)

Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina

Hurricane Earl

No broken surf boards, thank Jesus

And they eloped...

My dear friends and clients eloped to Italy last week. I think it is so romantic.
Aren't their photos stunning? 

The storm is coming

Hurricane season is in full swing and Wilmington is about to get it's first taste of the Hurricane Earl. The grocery stores are crazy; people have literally lost their minds. I went in today for eggplant, chocolate chips, and wine and was interviewed by the local news channel. They weren't too impressed with my grocery cart or my easy going attitude about the storm. I think they were looking for someone a little more frantic. I don't think I'll make it on live television. 


With the storm comes cooler weather which is a fabulous break from the 100 degree days that we have been having recently. I know that Fall is just around the corner and by December I will be longing for summer, but I can't help to think about cozy rainy days, dark nail polish, red wine, and gorgeous new blazers.

Southern Weddings Magazine Shoot (at my house!!!)

A few weeks ago, my good friend Millie Holloman came over to hang out after a July 4th bike ride downtown. She loved my house and thought that it would be a great location for a photo shoot she was doing for Southern Weddings magazine. At first, I was hesitant. We were in the process of taking down the chair railing, painting the walls, and our drapery lady was still not finished. My house was/is still not finished. It was clearly not ready for a photo shoot. Millie assured me that it would be great. 

Again, the people in these photos are not me. They are the editors and contributors to Southern Weddings Magazine (one of my favorite magazines.) I was working the day of the photo shoot and did not have a chance to meet the editors, but with Millie Holloman and Jennifer Rose-Sandy in charge, I knew my house would be in great hands. 

This in my front porch. That swing is my favorite thing in my entire house. My Papa built it out of a single cedar tree from my great uncle's farm land. He made it as a house warming gift and every time him and my  Memaw come to visit, we sit out there and swing and talk. I'm so lucky to have such incredible grandparents.

This is the front entrance of our house. We had just painted the entire room white (it sounds easy, but the room is 16' x 50' and took forever to do) and I'm almost positive it was still wet when the Salt Harbor girls arrived that morning to style the shoot. The desk is from West Elm and those blue chairs are from Glenn Harmon. I have a white leather tufted sofa that I'll show you later, but I love that they turned this into an office scene.

My Papa and I collaborated on the design of these shelves. I sent him dozens of tear sheets and sketches and after a few long conversations, we came up with the final design.Once we had a plan, the husband and Papa went into his wood working shop and created this in a single weekend. There are so many shelves, it's a great excuse to buy small pieces of art work, design books, and other little treasures to fill these shelves.

Thanks so much to Millie Holloman for letting me share these images. 

Style Me Pretty Photo Shoot

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. I was in Banner Elk with the husband and friends and we had such a great time! It's always great to come back home, but the break from the heat was on point. 

A few weeks ago, Millie Holloman and Jennifer Rose-Sandy asked the husband and I to model for an Inspiration to Reality photo shoot they were doing for Style Me Pretty. We had such a good time and you can see the full story here. Here is a sneak peak of the shoot.