Bridal shower recap

Last weekend, my sweet girlfriends Terra and Kristi threw me a bridal shower, and it was such a special day! Terra’s home, located in historic Norwood neighborhood outside of downtown Birmingham, is absolutely stunning. Terra and Kristi are both interior designers so it’s no surprise everything was beautiful! These two went above and beyond - the house, the flowers, the presentation, it was all incredible. I had a great group of girlfriends and family attend, friends from college, from Max’s residency program, from my work, and from my family and I have never felt so loved. Thank you to all of my sweet friends for making it such a special day. I can’t wait for more wedding celebrations to come!

// My dress is actually a skirt and crop top from rent the runway. You can find it here. This was my first RTR experience and I loved this look. Click here to get $20 off yourfirst order. //

Read more

5 things to consider when decorating a nursery

My sweet friend Jessica and her husband John are adopting! They have a son, Mason, and soon will welcome a baby boy into their lives – baby Cooper. John and Jessica have gone through the adoption process and are now just anxiously waiting for their baby to join their family. They have the sweetest story which you can see here. In anticipation of their newest little bundle of joy, I’ve pulled together a few baby boy nursery inspiration images. I always love a nursery that is colorful, textural, and able to get messy! (This first inspiration picture is just my favorite!) These days, it’s no more themed borders and chair rails, nursery spaces have no limits. Dark, light, southern traditional, mix and match or themed, there’s no right or wrong way to make your nursery a special space you’ll love! Here are a few important things to consider when designing the perfect space for your little one:

Easy access :: being able to quickly and easily access the things you need daily, like diapers, wipes, books, toys, is key. Unique storage solutions are an important element of any nursery. Try baskets, wall shelves, or hooks.

Softness :: from newborn to crawler, consider what textures your baby will come in contact with. Soft rugs, plush toys, and warm textures are important to keep your little one comfortable and warm. Add throw pillows, poufs, or a palette to create comfortable spots all around the space.

Color :: this can be a tricky topic … some people say color is important to stimulate your baby while others argue that neutrals are more soothing. Either way you choose, be sure that it’s a space that YOU feel comfortable in and enjoy as well. After all, mama and Daddy will spend just as much time in there as baby.

Personality :: are you a traditional southern family, a collector of paint by numbers, a lover of antiques, or an avid traveler? Show some personality in your nursery with collections, gallery walls, artwork, or anything else to show your style. It doesn’t have to be all baby themed, and pastels, vibrant colors, textures, and accessories are just as important in a nursery as the rest of your home.

Reality :: you can design the most beautiful nursery but the reality is, as your little one grows, you will be adding more and more pieces, parts, and toys. Be sure to consider reality when designing your space. While a monochromatic minimalistic space might be great in theory, how will it look in when it’s covered in baby toys

Congratulations Jessica, John, and Mason! I can’t wait to meet baby Coop!

images via :: nursery gallery wall | nursery peg board organization | nursery tee-pee | dark gray nursery | southern preppy nursery | colorful nursery | nursery book shelves ::

Read more

Wedding Registry 101 :: tips, tricks, and lessons learned

With 20 months of engagement under our belt, Max and I have had some time to learn a thing or two along the way. Creating our registry was one of the things we were most excited about in the wedding planning process, and it has been so much fun! I have lots of recently married friends who have given me advice along the way so, I wanted to share the love and pass along a few registry 101 tips:
Have fun and scan it all // With online registry management tools, there is no reason to spend time debating over which item to get in the store or before you go. If you like it, scan it. If you can’t decide between 2 or 3 different versions, scan them all. If you’re creating your registry online and are not sure if you could find a better version at another store, add it anyways. Once you’ve created your registry, you can easily go back and edit/manage it online where you can quickly and easily compare styles, prices, details, reviews etc.  
Start early // You want to have your registry finalized before your first party, so that you guests can easily purchase you a gift, but this isn’t the only reason to register early. The earlier you start, the more time you will have to consider what you really want. It’s easy to get carried away when registering (think a list for Santa, but for adults) but after a while you may realize that you really don’t need some of the things you registered for, or that you need 10 place settings instead of 6, or that you forgot something that you really need. There are so many items that I have deleted or added since we registered because I’ve had time to think about what I really need and what I really don’t care about.
Set aside time and make it fun // The day we went to do our registry, Max said “we’ll only need like an hour, right?”. Wrong. It’s so fun to wander through the store, scanning, and day dreaming about your future married life, complete with pyrex and fine china. Don’t stifle that! Take your time and have fun! Max was scan-happy and at first I went into “mom mode” trying to keep him from touching everything, but after I loosened up we we’re both laughing and scanning and having the best time. We grabbed lunch after and chatted about our adventure. It was a fun day we’ll always remember.
Stay organized // Even now, when I log onto my registry I will think of something that I’ve forgotten or see that the quanitity is inaccurate on a particular item. It’s a lot to manage, so try to stay organized with quantities, registry counts, gift cards, etc.  Most importantly, have fun! It's about the experience and building a life together.

Read more