Flower Friday & Happy Long Weekend!

dahlia, zinnia, jasmine, knock-out rose, scabiosa pod, mint, queen anne's lace, seedum, foraged greenery

Hey gang!  

I hope you all have big plans for the long weekend.  This is my first weekend off in what feels like forever and a day.  I have college friends coming to stay with me and cheer on the Bulldawgs at our season opener against Clemson.  I just had to put together some bright, cheery wildflowers to celebrate the occassion :).

I'm also predicting a low country boil and some brunching over the next few days... and I'm not mad about it.

Let's get this party started!

Floral Friday

via the click chick

Today's installment of Floral Friday is a sneak peak from an event I recently did with Tailor & Table at Boone Hall Plantation in Charleston, South Carolina.  The event will be covered on one of my favorite wedding blogs, so I have to keep the rest of the photos on lock down until publication day ... but I couldn't help but share one teaser! Patience is not one of my virtues :).

It'll be a quiet, but busy, weekend around here.  I don't have any events, but I do have a few office tasks that need to be completed.  And don't even get me started on how desperately my house needs to be cleaned.  

So my goals for the weekend are:

1. Be super productive

2. Not change out of my pajamas

Sounds like a plan to me!

What are you lovelies up to this weekend?

Don't forget to link up with Ashlyn and I on Sunday!

New Weekly Feature | Floral Friday

Chrysanthemum, Moonberry Carnation, Flowering Oregano, Limonium, Stock & Queen Anne's Lace

I'm on a mission to make carnations cool again.

Who's with me?

Have a beautiful weekend, gang.

Things Are A-Happenin'

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Since Tailor & Table launched last fall, we've been lucky enough to book some ah-mazing clients (seriously, I want them all to be my BFFs).   The tricky thing about events is that clients tend to book their designers waaaayyy in advance (which, for the record, I totally recommend).  This especially rings true with weddings, which most of 2014's events happen to be! 

Since last October, we've been meeting, planning, placing orders, and designing every last detail for our lovely clients day in and day out.  While it's been fun, T&T has been anxiously counting down the days until our events actually started happening.  Folks, the waiting has finally come to an end and I, for one, could not be happier about it (patience is not one of my virtues).

THIS WEEK IS THE WEEK!

Things are a-happenin' around here!

We have two events this week.  Go big or go home, amiright?

First, we're hitting the road for the SOLD OUT NotWedding Charleston.

From Charleston, we'll head to Atlanta to give the sweetest couple a classically stunning wedding.  Think marble and lace and gold candelabras, OH MY.

I thought I was excited when we launched T&T. Then I reached a new high when we booked our first client.

But neither of those times really compare to the way I'm feeling today.

I'm anxious, excited, thankful, and so proud.  

But mostly, I feel happiness.  The kind of happiness that starts at your toes and travels up to flush your cheeks and plant a smile on your face.  I've had good days and bad days as a entrepreneur, but I think these are going to be the best of the best.  I can't wait to see where the next week take us.

Here goes nothin'!

I plan on blowing up Instagram this week (via both Tailor & Table's account and my personal account).  If you love design and have good taste, follow along.  If you don't, perhaps this may be more to your liking?

Calling All Charleston Readers!

Engaged?  Have friends who are engaged?  Plan on getting engaged soon?

This opportunity is for you!

As some of your know, I am one of the founders and designers at Tailor & Table, a design studio who focuses on event and floral design.  As a business owner, there are good days and bad days, but the day I got the phone call from The NotWedding asking T&T to be a designer for their Charleston event was a GREAT day!

Here at the studio, we've been working so hard to make this the most gorgeous night, ever.  We're pouring our hearts into this and nothing would make me more happy then for ATT, etc readers to be there to celebrate with us!  This is a great opportunity to meet the designers behind Tailor & Table AND meet the girl behind the blog!

The Charleston NotWedding will be at the picturesque Boone Hall Plantation on July 9th from 7-9PM.

Come eat, drink, and dance under the oak trees at the most fun fake wedding everrr. 

You can register HERE at the NotWedding website. 

Now -- here's the fun part.  

I have a few GOLDEN TICKETS that will get you into the event FO' FREE!

Leave a comment below telling me what you love most about weddings -- is it the exchanging of the vows, seeing the bride in her dress, the open bar...? 

Winners will be announced next Friday!

Good luck!

Wedding Wednesday with Bonobos

Married and engaged ladies -- I don't know about y'all, but finding the perfect suit for Levi was one of the most frustrating parts of wedding planning.  We just wanted a modern, slim cut suit in a breathable fabric.  Everything was either too high school prom or too "I borrowed this from my dad".  Neither is a good look for the biggest day of your life!  

I wish we would have known about Bonobos and their slim cotton suit three years ago.  The fit is flawless and cotton is perfect for summertime affairs!  Can we also talk about that shade of navy?  It's so divine that I felt inspired to put together a design board using the suit as my main source of inspiration.  It's a shade that could go with almost any palette, but I love the way it compliments rich berries and wood tones that remind me of late summer!

The groom's ensemble can make as much of an impact as the bride's, don't you agree?

Tour de Georgia | Weekend in Pictures

This weekend had me all over the metro Atlanta area for both work and play (although in this case, they felt like the same thing!).  

Friday morning, I met a lovely couple at Atlanta's Piedmont Park to discuss details for their October wedding.  You have to love any meeting that takes place on green grass instead of a board room!

After wrapping up meeting numero uno, we drove about 15 minutes down the road to the charming downtown Decatur, Georgia.  I hadn't been to Decatur in years, and oh my word, y'all -- I'm in love.  It's urban and artsy, but still has a quaint neighborhood feel.  We met with another adorable Tailor & Table client at the Courthouse on the Square (if anyone is planning an intimate affair, the Courthouse ballroom has floor to ceiling marble and is stunning).

After our meeting we wandered around the square and stopped to eat lunch at Brick Store Pub.  I got the veggie sandwich, but my Mom got the Chicken Salad Melt which was to. die for.  They use cream cheese instead of mayo in their chicken salad.  Need I say more?

Despite the fact that we were all STUFFED after lunch, we couldn't leave without dessert! We sampled a few pastries from The Cafe at Cakes & Ale, which were divine.  The atmosphere was really lovely too.

As we were leaving, we walked past King of Pops, an Atlanta staple.  Y'all.  One does not simply walk past King of Pops and NOT get a popsicle.  Two desserts? YOLO.  I got the Ginger Lemonade, which totally helped soothe my overstuffed tummy.

After the perfect afternoon in Decatur, we drove the hour to my absolute favorite town in Georgia -- Athens!  Athens is home to the University of Georgia (my alma matter), and is a little liberal gem in North Georgia.  After stopping to a cup of coffee at Jittery Joe's, we walked over to the baseball field to watch South Carolina (and my baby brother) play the Georgia Bulldawgs.  My brother's team lost, but the Dawgs won, so it all evened out! It was a perfect Friday night.

On Saturday, I made my way to yet ANOTHER one of my favorite places in Georgia -- Roswell.  Roswell is a North Atlanta suburb with a thriving downtown area about 10 minutes away from where I grew up.  I've always loved Roswell and think it is the perfect place to raise a family (maybe one day!).  The weather was divine, so I called up an old highschool friend to meet me for drinks, appetizers, and a little gossip.  

Everyone else had the same idea, because downtown Roswell was packed!  We decided to forego a restaurant in favor of Roswell Provisions, a cute French cafe and bakery.  We bought a bottle of wine and sat out front -- it was perfect!  The owner chatted with us for a while and ended up treating us to a complimentary charcuterie plate, which was so very nice of him.  Meat and cheese and bread, oh my! 

We stayed up WAY too late enjoying our solo cups of wine.  What started as a casual happy hour drink turned into a very fun night... isn't that how the story always seems to go?

I had a client meeting at (what felt like) the crack of dawn Sunday morning.  Afterwards, I drove back to Greenville and took a much needed nap before starting to pack for our trip (we leave Wednesday ---- eeeek!).  

The weekend really made me miss my home state and all of its charm.  It also doesn't help that my parents and a lot of old friends are there.  As much as we love living in Greenville, it's really hard not to get homesick from time to time!  

Where did you grow up?  Could you imagine yourself living there now?

Three Years

Happy Anniversary to my one and only.  

We like each other.

We also have tons of fun.

Let's do this again.

xo,

N

Now who's gonna give me a high five for writing the best love haiku everrrrr?

All photos courtesy of the crazy talented Melissa Schollaert. I just love her to pieces.

For more photos of the best day ever, check out Southern Weddings Magazine here, the Southern Weddings blog here, and Melissa'a blog here, here, here, and here.

Finally, the Announcement

just a little peek at my desk

Hi again! The last two weeks have been a whirlwind and I am happy to be getting back into my routine.  New Orleans was fabulous.  So fabulous, in fact, that I forgot to take any pictures.  And the pictures that I did take... well, what happens at Mardi Gras stays at Mardi Gras, mmk?

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw that I was in Charleston this past weekend for work (lucky me, right?).  I know I've hinted here and on Insta about exactly what "work" means, but for some reason I've been putting off making the announcement.  I don't really know why.  Work is such a HUGE part of my life, that I feel like it's only fair that I share here.  So, without further adieu, I'd like to introduce you to my baby, Tailor & Table Design Studio.

It all started about a year and a half ago, when I was unhappy at my current job.  I was a lead event coordinator at a pretty big event company and while I had the opportunity to work with some AMAZING clients on several spectacular events, I was ready to move on.  It's a job that most people think is very glamorous, but in reality, it's incredibly stressful and draining.  I mean event planning isn't saving lives or anything, but it was named one of the top 5 most stressful jobs by the Huffington Post.  It didn't help that my office was 2 hours away from my house (and clients were even further away),  which meant a LOT of my time was spent on the road.  Needless to say, I was ready for something different.

I took another job in the event industry about 15 minutes from my house.  The commute was a breeze, the hours were regular, and my boss was wonderful.   The salary wasn't terrible either ;).  Yet, I still wasn't happy.  Going from a fast pace job where I had a lot of power to a job where I was just the rental girl who answered phones really did a number on my psyche.  I was bored to tears.  I think I even told Levi one night that I felt like "my soul was suffocating".  Dramatic? Yes.  But that's really the best representation of how I felt at the time.

So.  What's a gal to do?  Stay at a cushy job where there's nothing really bad and keep collecting a paycheck on a regular basis, all while finding a creative outlet outside of work, right?  Wrong.  That would make too much sense, silly.  Instead, after a lot of heart to heart conversations with Levi, my parents, and friends, I decided to take the biggest risk of my life and start my own business.

Now, in all fairness, my (really, really wonderful) business partner and I worked hard for almost a full year before we launched T&T.  We planned this out carefully, so it was far from a rash decision.  We both stayed at our other jobs until we felt ready to introduce T&T to the world.  And then, this October, we did it.  We put ourselves out there for the world to see and boy oh boy, did it feel GOOD (and scary -- very scary).

So what is Tailor & Table?

Tailor & Table is a full-service design studio specializing in events, florals, creative styling, and interiors.  Between the two of us, we have experience designing luxury weddings, styled shoots, store fronts, print editorials, residential interiors -- and the list goes on.  Simply put, it makes us ridiculously happy to make places and products look good. We're based in the Southeast, but we travel just about anywhere, nationally and internationally.  We currently have clients in four states and counting (only one country thus far, but hoping to add onto that soon :))!

The reaction since our launch has been nothing short of amazing.  We've already welcomed the most amazing clients into the T&T family, and I can't wait until their events and projects come to fruition.  They are the best clients in the world -- they put so much trust in T&T, and I can't wait to make them as happy as they make me.  So many amazing things opportunities have come our way since October, and I can't wait to see what else is in store for us.  I feel like I'm living the dream, and I don't want to wake up.



So there you have it, folks. The post that I've taken forever to write, and I still don't feel like I did it justice.



Have you ever taken a giant risk?  Did it pay off?
















If you'd like to follow along on T&T's adventures, visit us on Facebook!

Ginger Mail from Ginger P. Designs + a GIVEAWAY!

In today's world, we can easily forget how little things, such as a handwritten card or package in the mail, can bring such joy someone's day.   I always enjoy a nice email or Insta shout out, but there is something about receiving pretty stationery that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.  Anyone who takes the time to mail you a letter the old-fashioned way must really, really love you, right?

I have a deep, deep love for all things paper (I have an entire board dedicated to it on Pinterest), so when Gina from Ginger P. Designs offered to send me some Ginger Mail, I almost exploded with excitement. 

Ginger Mail is a subscription service that arrive's on the subscriber's doorstep every six weeks.  It's composed of stylish stationery goods such as greeting cards, monthly calendars, notepads, and more of Ginger P Design's latest products.  With frigid temperatures and Valentine's Day just around the corner, "warm hearts" was the perfect theme for this mailer.  

Okay, okay.  Enough talk, let's get to the pretty!!

Are you dying yet?

Let me tell you, there was a lot of delighted squealing when this package was opened.  Each item was so thoughtfully designed.  My personal favorites include the "love is all you need" card.  Pretty precious, huh? 

 If you're anything like me, most of my stationery sits in a box unused because I'm afraid to run out of it (silly, huh?).  BUT with a new Ginger Mail package arriving every 6 weeks, I have no reason not to use every piece immediately!  For $15 a mailer, it's a steal.  With all of the craziness of day to day life, wouldn't it be so refreshing to send one or two dear friends a greeting card every month?  Yeah, I think so too.

Now here's the exciting news...

Ginger P. Designs has agreed to send a Ginger Mailer to one lucky All the Things, Etc reader! 

 It's your lucky day huh?!

WAYS TO ENTER:

| Follow Natalia of All the Things, Etc on Instagram & leave a comment below with your username |

| Follow Natalia of All the Things, Etc on Pinterest & leave a comment below with your username |

| Leave a comment telling me who would be the recipient of your Ginger Mail greeting card!* |

If you already follow along on Insta & Pinterest (fist bump, you rock), then just tell me your usernames in a comment below. :)

Also, think about following All the Things, Etc on Blogger or Bloglovin'.
There's no points for this, but boy would it be fun!

ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MIDNIGHT ON FEBRUARY 10TH.

WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON VALENTINE'S DAY!

Be sure to check out the sweet and talented Gina of Ginger P Designs on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and their website, of course.  In addition to the mailer, Gina also designs beautiful custom invitations and other paper goods.  Ch-yeah, buddy! You can sign up for your very own Ginger Mail subscription here! **

* Don't forget to include your email so that I can reach you if you're the lucky winner!

** DO. IT. NOW.


All photos are property of All the Things, Etc

Early Bird

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Up and out the door early this morning, traveling to Atlanta for a trend research and buying trip.  

Buying for what you ask?  Let's just say my new professional title is "Designer & Co-Founder" and that my heart is so happy that it could burst.

 I know I owe my blog readers some details, which I'll definitely provide very soon :).  

Until then, I'm going to spend the next 48 hours surrounding myself with beautiful things in my home city.
Don't forget to get a sneak peak behind the scenes on my Instagram (@tailortabledesignstudio).

Happy Friday, gang! Make this weekend a good one!

Hibernation, Party of Two

Hello my little Eskimo friends! 

Is everyone staying warm out there?  It's not too terrible here in South Carolina, but it's definitely been cold enough for Levi and I to justify going into hibernation mode for the past few days.

Frigid weather filled with cozy blankets and hot apple cider inspired this little inspiration board that I'm sharing with you today.

Is there anything more romantic than snuggling up to your sweetheart to keep warm and toasty?

Rosey Glow

ROSEY GLOW

Flax, Ivory, Coral, Rose, Ebony & Gold

THE day.  You know the one.  The last warm day of summer; the first night with air so crisp that you know autumn has officially arrived.  This board embodies that perfect day.  Summer's coral fades into fall's rose, while the gilded gold accents add a warm and elegant feel.  The only things missing from this board are candles. 

Lots and lots of candles.



Overgrown Elegance

OVERGROWN ELEGANCE

Leaf, Cream, Lavender, Charcoal & Stone
Love grows in abundance at this classy affair, inspired by the French countryside.  I imagine that a lot of fabulous champagne would be consumed at this event.  And cheese.  Fancy cheese.

Some of you may already know, but I work in the wedding and event industry.  It really is a dream come true, and I consider myself very lucky for being able to break into the biz.  However, whenever one's passion is also their full-time job, I think it's common to go through periods where you see-saw between "living to work" and "working to live".  For the past few months, I hadn't been feeling particularly inspired.

 Meh.

It happens.

But this weekend, the fire inside returned.  I sat down and started day-dreaming, and I had completed two entire inspiration boards in an hour (this is crazy considering I hadn't completed ONE inspiration board in three months, but I digress).

SO very long story short, you may be seeing a lot of wedding inspiration boards around these parts for the next few weeks.

Or months.

Or maybe just today and tomorrow.

Creativity, you are one fickle mistress.

Oh. Bee tee dubs? It's my 25th birthday.  Happy Birthday to me!

Southern Weddings

Yesterday was your typical Tuesday -- at work, answering a million emails, and in desperate need of a latte. I decided to take a sneak peak at Facebook (shhh) and boy, was I surprised when I saw a post from my fabulous wedding photographer saying that Natalia + Levi's wedding was named one of the Top Ten All-Time Favorite Weddings by Southern Weddings Magazine.

Wait. What?

I clicked on the link. Low and behold, there it was. 



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I respect the ladies at SW so, so much and they feature some of the absolute best content in the wedding world.  I can say with absolute confidence that they publish the BEST wedding magazine, period.  No one else even comes close!   I'm still completely baffled that they wanted to publish our wedding in their V4 print edition, and now I'm even more shocked that my little budget DIY affair made their Top Ten list*. 

Ladies of Southern Weddings, THANK YOU.

All of my talented, dedicated, super-duper awesome superstar vendors, THANK YOU.

Mom, Dad, Taryn & Tom, THANK YOU.

Levi, thanks for marrying me.  I know I can be a bit of a handful sometimes.

Be sure to head over to the SW blog to check out the other weddings on the list -- they included some of my all-time favorites (I still remember drooling over Lindsey & Tyson's wedding when I first saw it in V3, and absolutely nothing has changed).

Want to see more of our wedding?  Be sure to check out the Part One and Part Two on the Southern Wedddings Blog!

Also, I don't care if you're single, engaged, or already married -- go buy all five editions of Southern Weddings Magazine now.  It's so full of pretty.  You will thank me.

Happy 5th Birthday, Southern Weddings!!!

*Psssst, Marissa.  Thanks for choosing us! You're my homegurl.

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, gang! Here's a quick round-up of my favorite things this week...

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Completely obsessing over this fabulous wallpaper.  A small powder room is the perfect place to make a big statement with a patterned or textured wallpaper, especially since the rest of the room is clean and simple.

I've come back to stare at this picture at least 3-4 times this week. 

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I need to have another wedding so that I can wear this dress. 

(Monique Lhuillier is my homegirl. She can do no wrong)

Engaged readers, do me a solid and try this dress on.  

Then send me pictures so that I can live vicariously through you.

No, your eyes do not deceive you.

Yes, that is a lucite beer pong table (or table tennis to some of you, whatever)

I can be classy AND drink cheap beer? The world just got a little brighter.

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Love this super easy, chic outfit from Rosie.  I'll take her legs too, please.

This.  It makes my heart smile.  

And those ears?  Don't even get me started.

Stay warm this weekend, loves!!

Wedding Weekend: The Main Event

Finally! It's the wedding!

Several other honorary bridesmaids and I went to Dry Bar Saturday morning in order to look picture perfect for the wedding.  It was my first time and I will definitely be back.  I have a TON of super thick, long hair (it's a blessing and a curse) and blowdrying it is the bane of my existence*.   Dry Bar really was the best start to my day.  In addition to a killer blow-out (I opted or the "Straight Up"), I drank free champagne and watched chick flicks.  Did I mention it was only $35, no matter what hair style you chose? Winning!  I went to the location off of West Paces Ferry in Atlanta, but Greenville needs a location, STAT.

*If I won the lottery tomorrow, I would hire a full-time hair stylist before a chef, personal trainer, or maid.  I hate it THAT much.

After being pampered at Dry Bar, we hurried back to the hotel to get ready in order to make it to the bridal suite in time to see the bride put on her beautiful dress.  Does this dress look familiar?  It's one of my Black Friday purchases that I was a little iffy about.  I'm so glad I kept it because it was perfect for the event.  Plus, I'm a sucker for tartan.

Dress (on sale!) // Shoes // Necklace via TJMaxx

From this point forward, everything was so fun that I honestly forgot to take pictures.  You can tell I'm still a blogging newbie, huh?  The bride was drop-dead-gorgeous, the groom was totally in love, the venue (the historic Biltmore) was out of this world beautiful, and the food and drink was top-notch.  Honestly, I was too busy tearing up the dance floor to worry about pictures.  The band was awesome and the bride and groom had one hell of a fun crowd. One guest grabbed a mic and gave a FLAWLESS performance of "Ice, Ice, Baby".  These were my kind of people.

Quick couple shot // amazing detail at the Biltmore

And then of course, it was Sunday and I had to face the post-wedding world.

McDonald's saved my life, yet again. I have no shame.

I hope you all enjoyed the mini series on the wedding! 

Do you all have any fun stuff planned for the first weekend on 2013?

(Psst! I finally added Google Friend connect to my page. Scroll on down and join, won't you?)

All photos property of All the Things, etc

Wedding Weekend Part II: The Rehearsal Dinner

After the bridesmaid luncheon, Levi and checked into our hotel room and got ready for the rehearsal dinner.  I ended up wearing a simple black dress with black tights and a chain link necklace. Easy peasy.

Asos // Target // Aldo // necklace via TJMaxx

I brought multiple coats to combat the freezing tempertaures.

 (Hello, my name is Natalia and I'm a serial over-packer)

Black Jacket: Forever 21 (old) // Cream Coat: Zara (sold out)

In the end, the cream coat won out.  

 Check out the great view from our room.  I may have pretended to live in a fabulous downtown apartment while I got ready, a la SATC (what girl DOESN'T do this?).  In addition to the great view, the hotel also offered a daily cocktail hour with complimentry wine and hors d'oeuvres.  Mama likey. 

Welcome to Atlanta, where the playas play

The rehearsal dinner was directly across the street from our hotel (my high heel-clad feet did a happy dance) at the Academy of Medicine.  It's an event space that I had never visited and I was very pleasantly surprised!  The exterior was gorgeous and the interior was full of black and white checkered floors and beautiful crystal chandeliers. Very traditional and very classy.

The food was really yummy -- we ate everything from pâté crostinis to BBQ sundaes (pulled pork, slaw, and the fixings inside of a mason jar).  After explaining what pâté was to Levi, he paused for a minute before asking in his Southern drawl, "so, it's basically a giblet cracker?".  

. . . 

Yes, honey. Yes it is.

All photos property of All the Things, Etc

What I Wore: Bridesmaid Luncheon

Anthropologie // JCrew // Aldo (a dead ringer for these, which are going to 3x the price on ebay!)  

Beautiful gift from the bride // Monogram from Etsy

Butternut Squash Soup & Spring Salad with Duck (both YUM)

Wedding Weekend kicked off with the bridesmaid luncheon at Briza in Midtown Atlanta.  We sipped pomegranate cocktails, ate the yummiest lunch, and just gabbed the afternoon away.  The rehearsal was actually at 10AM that morning, so everyone was able to relax and enjoy the rest of the day without any anxiety (genius).  Sars was one of the most relaxed, happy brides I've ever seen, and the positive energy was contagious! It was a fabulous start to a fabulous weekend.

Stay tuned for the rehearsal dinner, as well as the main event!

All photos property of All the Things, Etc

Sunday Edition

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