sweet words from a sweet bride

{Photos from Jade + Matthew Take Pictures}

Last weekend I helped with another AMAZING GHEM wedding. The "glitter and glam" event was held at The Ships of Sea Maritime Museum and boasted lovely personal touches, from the "scales of justice" cupcake display {the bride is a lawyer} to the Jone's Soda bottles with the couple's engagement photos displayed. TJ and Miranda are such a wonderful couple and it was so much fun getting to work with them on their invitation suite, paper goods, and dessert table for the event. There's nothing more rewarding than knowing you made a couple happy on their special day, so when I received the following review from Miranda, I was not only thrilled but touched by her thoughtfulness. 

"Lavender & Honey Designs did the graphic design coordinated through out our wedding, from the Save the Dates, all the way down to the dessert signage and menus! Sam Hu of Lavender & Honey Designs is an amazing artist with incredible talent, extremely professional, with great taste and vision. Because of her talent and attention to detail our guests were blown away by the designs created through out our wedding; we received RAVE reviews regarding our invites, menus, personalized itineraries and signage.

Sam, of Lavender & Honey Designs, also did our wedding desserts to include our wedding cake.If you were blown away by her graphic design, that has NOTHING on her desserts! Not only were the desserts aesthetically BEAUTIFUL they were absolutely DELICIOUS! From the beautiful cakes, pies and cookies, the guests were simply beyond impressed with the desserts! Our guests loved the chocolate cake, the caramel cake, the mini cupcakes and peach hand-pies. 

The quality and beauty of her work far exceeded my expectations.As someone who is difficult to please, I was beyond impressed with both the quality and detail associated with both the graphic design of my wedding and the beauty and tastiness of my desserts! Sam was an absolute joy to work with and beyond professional! I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend Lavender & Honey Designs to any high-maintenance, perfectionist bride, you will not be disappointed!"

Thanks Miranda! 

smitten magazine: spring 2014

{all photos by Jade + Matthew Take Pictures}

It's always a great day when I get to work with Andrea from Gray Harper Event Maker and Jade + Matthew, but this shoot was extra lovely. With an ethereal, spring theme, we set out into the woods to create this dreamy inspiration shoot and despite the unnaturally cold day in Savannah, we emerged with beautiful and sunny images! It's currently being featured in Smitten Magazine's spring issue, so go download it! 

have a lucky weekend!

{photo by Jade & Matthew Take Pictures}


As I've mentioned before, St. Patrick's Day is HUGE in Savannah. People have been celebrating since last weekend, the fountains have all been dyed green for a couple weeks now, and I've seen more than a few people with a "kiss me I'm Irish" t-shirt on already. Honestly, it's not my favorite of holidays. I sort of wish people wouldn't blow into town, make a mess of everything and leave but I could just be cranky because I can never find a parking spot. 

If you have similar feelings, why not enjoy the festivities from the safety and comfort of your home? Throw a St. Patrick's Day dinner party perhaps? Complete with pots of gold and irish whiskey? That sounds much better to me, and you're in luck! {see what I did there?} The lovely and talented Andrea, from Gray Harper Event Maker, put together a beautifully styled St. Patty's dinner table over on The Sweetest Occasion Blog that will hopefully inspire you to entertain at home this year!


Stuff and things and such: 
1. Also over on The Sweetest Occasion, Matthew's Irish Coffee, & my Chocolate Mint Cookies. 
2. Currently swooning over these lovelies. 
3. I seriously love Leslie Knope. 
4. This video made me laugh/cry/whine about how cute it is. 

must watch {her}

So, Jacob and I have been spending a lot of evenings at home catching up on movies, specifically the big Oscar nominated ones. So far we've watched Dallas Buyers Club, Gravity, American Hustle, Wolf of Wall St., and, last night, Her. We've enjoyed them all, Wolf of Wall St. was my favorite, but I think Her might be my new one. 

The entire movie is shot in these beautiful shades of blush, red, and orange. It's absolutely breathtaking. The premise of the movie is pretty straight forward and some might say a little odd, but Spike Jones does is so eloquently and with such relatable details that it becomes really complex and thought provoking. His depiction of the future isn't some over the top, stereotypical look with flying cars, and strange clothing {although I love that everyone has mustaches and wears high waisted pants, it's almost a return to the late 70's, but like the good fashion from that era}. It's a pretty believable view of the future, one that we're probably heading towards within the next ten years or so. 

Spike Jones has this amazing ability to create stories that make you question your life, love, and relationships. Her is a perfect example of that. I loved the idea that the reasons two people end up together are intangible. There are things you can point at to say what you love about the other person, but the chemistry or the one thing that keeps you together is inexplicable. It also explores human beings' basic desire for love and companionship. In many of the scenes I found myself being really sad about the way social media and technology were replacing actual human contact, a topic often discussed in a web design class I took at SCAD, and one that's becoming more and more prevalent every year. 

Anyway, it was amazing and I suggest you see it, at the very least for its exquisite imagery... and high waisted pants. 

Also, this poster is amazing. 

oscar beauties

I can't help it, I'm a total award show nerd. I watch them all, check the photos the next day, tune in for all the red carpets, and creep around all the celebrity twitpics. I refuse to be ashamed. 

Despite being a little {a lot} annoyed by E!'s coverage of the red carpet this year, I was still impressed by the fashion of the night. I may have had to look at it all online since somehow they're red carpet show was cut off after an hour, I mean they didn't even talk to anyone super important! It was the first time I found myself wishing I could see more of Seacrest, that's how bored I was. Seriously. Where was the interview with Jennifer Lawrence about eating doritos or wanting McDonalds? It was truly lacking. 

But I digress. The show was pretty entertaining, I even enjoyed the pizza joke... just maybe not when it went on for over an hour. Seriously? There was no other joke you could have switched to? You wanted to make the entire show about ordering/paying for pizza? Ok. The selfie was funny though, and I know Jennifer Lawrence was at least appreciative of the pizza. 

Let's get to the fashion, shall we? Metallics and nudes were pretty big, as was expected. They did, however, make it that much more memorable and exciting when someone stepped onto the carpet in color. The moment Lupita Nyong'o came out in that blue dress was everything. That color on her skin, that headband, her smile... seriously, that's a moment. Jennifer Lawrence was a little Michelle Williams circa two oscars ago, but I still loved it. I was happy to see her hair blown back, and god knows I love a peplum. Can we talk about Cate Blanchett for a second? That woman can do no wrong when it comes to fashion. Breathtaking. Etherial. Unreal. 

There were others but those three took that night. It was an effortless display of what movie stars SHOULD look like. 

Happy Valentines!... and stuff and things...

{photo by Jade + Matthew Take Photos}

Hello lovelies! It's been a while, I know.. but I thought what better day to apologize for being aloof than Valentine's? Imagine me sending you flowers, not red roses, but like super pretty, girly ones. 

To me, Valentine's Day is no big deal. I don't feel like I need jewelry or anything extravagant, and going out to a fancy restaurant seems slightly cliche. I do, however, thoroughly enjoy the holiday for a few reasons, its color palette for one, the desserts and flowers, and the excuse to be unabashedly girly. Jacob will be working this evening anyway, so I think I'll probably stay in, work on a lovely bride's invites, drink wine, and watch the Olympics {of which I'm currently obsessed}... so basically what I do every night. I hope whatever you do is filled with love... and chocolate. 

And just in case you don't have any plans yet, here's a few ideas! {1,2,3,4,5}

currently obsessed with...

 

 

 

Camp Brand Goods.

What happened to the summer? I mean I know it's only August but it seems like the entire thing has flown by. Remember when summers were like the best time of the year? You get out of school, every weekend was a different trip somewhere, you spent most of it in a bathing suit, eating fruit and re-applying sunscreen? I miss that, now I just hang on through the summer waiting for fall and hoping the extreme Savannah heat breaks sooner rather than later. 

Looking through Camp Brand Goods' website and {awesome} shirts made me want to pack up our grill and tent and go camping immediately. I mean how awesome are these? Obsessed. 

summer happy hour!

I have some incredibly talented friends. 

It's always a great day when I get to work them, and this time was no exception. A "Summer Happy Hour" was hosted in Jessica's {of Strawberry Moth} jasmine and ivy covered backyard, and it was truly lovely. Andrea {Gray Harper Event Maker} did an amazing job styling the outdoor soiree, and Jade and Matthew captured the beauty of the event perfectly. We had a wonderful dinner and a great time working together, the added bonus is that the shoot was featured on Style Me Pretty Living yesterday! Check it out! 

met gala realness

When looking for the most "wow" gowns at the Met Gala, I usually gravitate towards the ones that make a statement, or are the furthest from one's comfort zone, and I look to see if they match the theme of the evening. This year, I was quite underwhelmed. I mean, where was the "train for days" look? I mean everyone  seemed to be wearing a black dress with either cutouts or sheer panels, hasn't that been happening for like a year now? I love the trend, but this is the Met Gala, time to put your big girl pants on and show up for the one event where it's actually acceptable to wear something over the top and look a little crazy. The theme was Punk, so there was a lot of black eye shadow and studs,which is cool, but with such a crazy theme, there should have been a little more risk taken. That being said, I still had a few favorites ....

duvel artist series glasses

So, Jacob and I need another beer glass like we need another hole in the head, but that doesn't stop us from buying the. Some of my favorite ones that we've collected are the Duvel artist series tulips. This morning I found these, Mike Perry designed special edition tulips! I must have them. 

have a safe weekend.

{via here}

The events on Monday in Boston, and the chaos that's just unfolding today, have been weighing heavy on my heart all week, as I'm sure it has yours. I lived in Boston for two years while attending college, and I still have a lot of friends there, and a lot of friends who have moved there from Albany. I was sick to my stomach on Monday, not only for them, but for an event that is meant to inspire people around the world. 
So this weekend spend some time with your loved ones and remember those who, for whatever reason, can no longer do that.

On a lighter note, some items around the web:
1. Dreamy and enviable honeymoon in Bora Bora. 
2. Loving this comfy looking summer dress! 
3. I may be girly, but I've never been very good at makeup or hair products, something I need to remedy. Perhaps with these tutorials on how curling irons work... since every time I use them I get frustrated halfway through and put my hair in a bun. 
4.Celebrity audition tapes, pretty entertaining. 
5. My good friend, Kelsey Garrity Riley, is incredibly talented. I've talked about her here before and she graciously designed our lovely map for our wedding. Today she's featured on Design*Sponge and I'm so incredibly proud of her! 

books!

It's always a good day when I receive a package from Princeton Architectural Press and my most recent deliveries have been pretty awesome. 

Brooklyn Makers by Jennifer Causey showcases some amazing, talented artisans who are currently changing the way we look at food, beer, and buying local. It's a great read if you're looking for inspiration or motivation to get your own thing going. 

Draw Your Own Alphabets by Tony Seddon was in my most recent package from PAP. I have so many design and typography books, but I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as too many, so I was so excited when I opened this one. It talks you through each hand drawn font, telling you how to recreate it yourself, which is pretty great. 

have a dreamy weekend.

One of my absolute favorite things about Savannah in the spring has to be the wisteria. I understand that it's an invasive weed that has very thick branches and seems to overtake everything, but it's so pretty. I love that it pops up in random places, like between trees on Truman Parkway and  over chainlink fences. I see one particular outbreak on my way to work in the morning and it always makes me smile. 

This weekend is one of those quintessential spring weekends in Savannah. The Masters are on, and being only two hours away, everyone is abuzz about going out there or watching it here, and it seems like Bubba Watson's name works it's way into every conversation. My dad used to watch golf on spring weekends and I always thought is was the most boring thing ever, but now I find myself getting excited for every golfing event that comes on. There's something so traditional and prestigious about it, it's hard not to get caught up in the whole thing. 

So this weekend, aside from watching The Masters, I have a ton of freelance to get done, some really exciting projects in the works, and possibly some strawberry picking/lots of baking. I hope you all have a very lovely, springy weekend! 

Just in case The Masters don't interest you:
1. Must make some of this no knead bread. 
2. Love these photos of "Maddie on things," if only I could get Bruce and Franklin to pose for me.
3. SO unbelievably excited for this to happen!!!!! Finally an actual accomplished chef in Savannah {as opposed to those fake food network ones.}
4. I would have to agree Ron, i would have to agree.
5. Make sure you check out the new Smitten Magazine! Some of my lovely and talented friends are in it, as well as some incredibly beautiful weddings {and ads if I do say so myself}

rifle iphone cases!

So, I finally made the switch to the iphone 5 after living with a busted up droid for 18 months! The difference a working phone can make is kind of remarkable. I can now answer it in public without having to talk on speakerphone...my quality of life has really improved. The only problem is I'm slightly accident prone {by slightly I mean extremely}, so I had to get the mother of all cases for this new phone. It's literally twice the size of a naked iphone, I'm pretty sure I could use it as a weapon. I suppose it's a good thing though, as I dropped the phone 20 minutes after purchasing it and everything was still intact. 

Anyway, if I wasn't so clumsy, I would have to buy just about every case Rifle Paper Co. just released. It's no secret I'm obsessed with their illustrations, greeting cards, & calendars and when I saw they were coming out with these little beauties, I jumped for joy. They or may not have played a part in my need for a new iphone. Perhaps I'll get a few and use them only for special occasions... 

spring snip

Lately, I've been craving a bit of a change. Spring has a tendency to do this to me. I want to redecorate our entire house, buy a new wardrobe, go on vacation, and possibly cut my hair. 

Now, I spent much of my teen years with very short hair, but about five years ago I decided to really commit to growing out and now, it's pretty long. I kind of love it, but lately it seems everyone is going for this just below the shoulders, wavy, beachy look, and I'm finding it hard not to just chop it off. 

We'll see if I actually end up doing it, but for now I'll just lust over these fabulous ladies' looks.