Just a quick note…

Posted by MegB on Mar 1, 2012 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

If you’re visiting this blog from a link (I’m gonna guess McGowan Images… did I guess right?!), just a quick note: while I am actively developing my style/design portfolio, I am taking a dedicated blogging “break” until the end of May. Why, you might ask? I’m currently finishing the last 3 hours of my master’s degree, and until it’s finished, I just can’t dedicated the time and talent I know this blog deserves. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me, or comment on this post! See ya soon!

Up and Running

Posted by MegB on Oct 4, 2011 in Info, Random | 2 comments

Hello!

Man. It’s been awhile. I feel like I should probably offer an explanation for my extended absence. A lot’s been going on around here recently – and with every good intention I had to blog regularly, somewhere along the line, life just… happened. For anyone that noticed, my blog was “hacked” back in August, and I’ve had a helluva time getting it back up and running. After a lengthy conversation with my hosting service this morning, I’m confident that the problem’s been fixed, and I’m ready to return to the blogosphere.

I have a lot to show you.

I’ve taken a few thousand pictures in the last few months – I purchased my first DSLR in July, and I’ve been snapping away ever since. One of my very best friends came to visit, and I had a chance to take photos for her “we’re having a baby” announcement; Eric and I went on a “Mexi-cation” in early celebration of our first anniversary; Betsy moved to NYC, and I went along for the move/first week; I had a chance to stretch my legs as a designer & coordinator for TWO weddings (with another one on the books this coming weekend); I got to assist Michael Hansen with a KILLER style shoot; and finally, in August, I accepted my “dream job” as a Marketing Coordinator at Scheef & Stone, L.L.P. It’s been a busy, crazy, wonderful, stressful, and fulfilling few months. All that to say, I have a TON of posts, stories, and pictures to share, and I hope you’ll be back for more.

I’ll leave you with a photo:

Yesterday, Eric and I celebrated our one-year anniversary. I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since we planned and celebrated our wedding. We were lucky enough to get a quick photo from McGowan Images, taken the night of Caleb & Lacey’s wedding at the Belltower Chapel & Garden. Cheers!

Thrifty Thursday

Posted by MegB on Jul 7, 2011 in Adventures in Thrifting, DIY, Tips & Tricks | 2 comments

Last Thursday, I went on a thrifting adventure with two of my friends. I love this kind of shopping – no purpose or plan, just wandering from one second hand store to the next. I wanted to share a few of my favorite finds with you, for my first installment of Thrifty Thursday!

Also, I’d like to say that I love how thrifting/junking/garage-saleing has gained popularity recently. Blame it on the economy, blame it on the desire to be unique/original – whatever the case, I’m just happy that the younger crowd is rediscovering the value in repourposing. It’s also a cheap outlet for the eternal shopaholic (raises hand).

Wooden cubby shelf, $3.99 at Salvation Army. I can’t decide if I want to spray paint this, or leave it stained. Pretty sure it’s going up in our dining area.

Funky glass bottles, 2/$2.99, Salvation Army. I think I’m going to turn these into candle holders, because one topper is already missing it’s cork. Thought about painting the insides too!

Blue polyester pleated skirt, $4.99, SA. PERFECT for NYC. I think I’m going to pair this with a t-shirt and wedges for a day of shopping.

Scarves: mustard/navy/coral + black and white, $5 for the pair. One for summer, one for winter!

Blue-toned mini mason jar salt and pepper shakers, $0.99 for the pair. Maybe my favorite find of the day! I’ve researched similar sets that sell for $15+

Black (genuine) leather crossbody messenger bag, $9, Thrift Town. I originally picked this up thinking it might be Coach, because it looks very similar to the Classic Collection. It’s not name-brand, but it is *great* quality. Definitely great for travel!

Milk glass items, $1 – $2 each. I always buy this stuff when I find it! (Do you know how to tell if it’s real? Hold it up to the light – you should see a faint iridescent shimmer at the edges)

Mexican fiesta plate with pre-drilled display hook, $3.99, Salvation Army. There’s a lot of texture in this plate, and I couldn’t take my eyes off the color. I’m trying to work this piece into the gallery wall I’m planning.

Mona Lisa mini-print, $2, and hand-crocheted red doily, $0.75, Thrift Town. Funky and whimsical. Definitely going on the gallery wall!

WHEW! That’s it for today! I hope this will encourage some of you to have an adventure of your own – you never know what’s out there, just waiting to be found

A wedding sneak peek, and my first solo coordination adventure

Posted by MegB on Jul 5, 2011 in Day of Coordination, Event Design | 4 comments

I did something big this weekend. I coordinated a wedding, all by myself. Well, not really. What is it they say? It takes a village? That applies to weddings too – it certainly takes a village to put together this kind of celebration. With the help of an incredible team, Jen & Ross were married this weekend at The Club in Runaway Bay, and let me tell you – It was an incredible experience.

I’ve been working at the Belltower Chapel & Garden since February, coordinating and facilitating weddings – I’ve been a part of almost 20 weddings in 5 months; more weddings than I’ve been to in my entire life. I love weddings, because each and every one is SO different. There are, of course, the noticeable trends – candy bars, unity sand ceremonies, creative alternatives to the traditional guest book. But overall, each event has such a unique feel, and even though I risk hearing “Tonight’s Gonna be a Good Night.” FAR more than any human should, I LOVE my (part-time) job.

McGowan Images captured this beautiful event, and let me tell you – I can’t WAIT to see more! Until the full-post is released, enjoy a few more sneak peeks!

Fireplace mantle-display I put together. Aren’t those blocks the coolest? Jen found those at a resale shop, and had a friend paint over them. Love that kind of repurposing!

Jen’s GORGEOUS bouquet by Classic Florist in Bridgeport, and the center of the Head Table decor. Do you spy something whimsical/familiar in the photo on the right?!

And finally, a shot of the ceremony. Jen, you were a truly  **stunning** bride. Thank you SO much for allowing me the privilege of being a part of your wedding. It was joyful day.

I’ll share more of the full experience as soon I can! And come back tomorrow… I have a new installment of Thrifty Thursday for you, and I promise, you won’t want to miss it!!

Tuesday: a very good day indeed.

Posted by MegB on Jun 15, 2011 in Adventures in Thrifting, Tips & Tricks | 7 comments

Yesterday was fabulous.One of those very rare, very good days, where you go to bed thinking, “wow. Today was incredible.” Can I tell you about my day? These are the things that made it so special:

I went thrifting with my friend Bethany. I love to thrift. The thrill of the hunt – it’s one of my favorite things. I don’t know if I’ve ever met an antique store, or a Salvation Army, or a Goodwill that I didn’t like. I started young. My Mamaw has always been a thrifter (in my living memory, at least), and I remember going with her so many times. Finding treasures. Garage sales on Saturday morning. My Papaw with his newspaper map, circling the “good” ones. Eyes always searching for something special. I went through a phase, probably in middle school, when I was SO reluctant to be seen in any second-hand store. I’m really embarrassed about that now. So much of who I am today was shaped by those treasure hunts.

We started at the antique mall on Montgomery Street (in Fort Worth). They had so many beautiful things. Mostly overpriced things, but they were beautiful, nonetheless.

I loved this side entrance. The building must have been a warehouse, once upon a time. It was HUGE.

There was a whole wall in one booth dedicated to blue mason jars. I love them – the blue color is harder to find. These were a little pricey though… $8 to $20 each.

I found this little guy! I wish he could’ve come home with me. Eric would have loved him! He was pricey too.

I LOVE my instagram app. It’s my favorite photo manipulation app for iPhone. And it’s free! Isn’t this chandelier to DIE for?? I just stood below and stared for a while. One day, I will have a house full of chandeliers.

After an hour or so, we tired of the real antiques (and the real prices). We found a Salvation Army in Fort Worth, and scored a bunch of really cool glassware. I found some fun canisters for my kitchen… I’ve been needing a place to put pasta and rice, since our pantry gets SO cluttered with those things. On our way home, we spotted a Thrift Town on hwy 26, and pulled a quick left turn. Best find of the day? This sequined bustier:

I can’t decide if it’s more Selena, or Katy Perry, but I knew I Had. To. Have it. I was standing in line at the register, talking to the lady behind me about a different sequined shirt I found. She looked over at the rack next to us, full of Americana-type clothing, and pulled this bustier off the rack. “Honey, you haaaaave to have this one!” Yep. She was right. Had to have it. No regrets. NO idea what I’m gonna do with it, but that’s life sometimes, isn’t it??!

Other things that made Tuesday wonderful:

I finally got to meet Michael Hansen. We’re planning something pretty stellar this summer. It might go a little something like this:

I’m excited about it.

I bought our tickets for the Harry Potter 7, part 2 premiere on Thursday, July 14 (that’s the day BEFORE the movie is released, for an 8:00pm showing). If you’d like to come too, check out the Muggles For Life website here. I’ve been to several of their premiere nights, and they’ve all been fabulous. SURE beats standing in line for the midnight showing!

And… to cap it all off, Betsy and I scored round-trip, non-stop tickets to NYC for her big move in July… for $200 a piece. We were looking at tickets on Sunday, and the same flights were more than double that price. We made Tuesday our deadline for purchasing, and I’m so glad we waited. I can’t wait to be back in that city.

(this is my favorite NYC picture ever, by the talented Kate Mefford)

So that was my wonderful day. Nothing earth-shattering, but completely satisfying nonetheless. I hope there’s a day like this somewhere in your future – a day when things just go right. Happy Wednesday!

A little of this, a little of that…

Posted by MegB on Jun 9, 2011 in Random | 1 comment

I had a really great post planned for today. A post about the transition from blog-reader, to blog-writer. Some encouraging words. A brief bit on my favorite bloggers. But really, this is all I have right now.

I bought this gorgeous print from The Wheatfield last week, and I’m SO impressed with Katie Daisy’s work. In another life, I think I was an illustrator. I love the way she uses color – I almost always prefer color to neutrals. I’m hanging this up in our dining area, to remind me to LIVE life this summer, and to appreciate all the color in the world.

I love this quote. It’s encouraging to me today.

Houston Preview – Walk Through A Wedding with Justin&Mary

Posted by MegB on Jun 6, 2011 in Event Design, Floral Design, Styled Shoot | 4 comments

Last week, I had an amazing opportunity to serve as a style intern for Justin&Mary’s Walk Through A Wedding, as part of their Spread the Love 2011 Tour. What is WTAW, you ask? It’s an all-day workshop, where professional photographers are given the chance to walk through an entire wedding day with J&M. They cover everything from the getting ready details to shooting in a dark church to posing the couple portraits to shooting the reception & details. It’s set up just like a real wedding – bride and groom, wedding party, a beautiful theme, and plenty of details (that’s where I came in!). It was such a unique opportunity to see the whole process unfold, to witness the teaching moments, the areas of struggle, the moments of victory. I would definitely recommend this type of workshop to anyone in the wedding/photography industry!

Until I receive the full-disc of goodness, enjoy a few of my favorites from Sneak Peek J&M posted!

Recognize that gown? It’s from Vera Wang’s new collection for David’s Bridal. Stunning, isn’t it??

The theme for the workshop was “Cowboy Take Me Away,” so naturally, this is our “Wild Blue” dessert table.

Darling desserts. Those muffins were SO good.

Style interns turned bridesmaids! Ginny – BFF forever!!!

And finally, a glimpse at the Favor Table, and one of the bridesmaid’s bouquets I made.

I can’t wait to see/share more images from this workshop. It was such a blessing to be a part of – so much creative energy, so much hungry learning. Justin, Mary, Julia – thank you so much for allowing me this opportunity. It was more, more, more than I expected. Ready to set the world on fire!