Barnard Interiors BLOG

Blast from the Past: Festive Fall

2011-11-09T18:56:00.001-06:00

Well, much loved readers, I have decided to go back to my decorating roots and scrounge up some of my past endeavours! For this inaugural Barnard Interiors: Blast From the Past, I thought it would be appropriate to find some pictures of some autumnal decorating and floral work I have done in the past to get us all ready, for this, my favorite time of the year... FALL! The crispness in the air and the rich colors of the trees changing colors... how could you not get excited?

I hope you enjoy this first of many blasts from my decorating past! Happy fall, faithful readers!

This was a great client who let me "dress" the front of their home for the fall! Circa 2005.

Gotta love a cluster... of pumpkins and corn!

Can you find all the little creatures in the wreath???

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One of my all time favorite weddings of the lovely Lindsey Mills to Tim Kennedy! Was so thrilled with the outcome!

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This was the floral arrangement I did for my family's Thanksgiving table the first year I started the floral part of my business. Circa 2006.

Love, love, love, my Momma's hand hammered copper bowl!

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As I was going through my pictures, these of Mom's and my trip to Floydada, the Pumpkin capitol of the USA. Grand time!

The pumpkin patch... is that Charlie Brown out there???

I had to end with a picture of the lovely maze from some random farmer's crop. It is a sight to see when you are driving in west Texas.

HAPPY FALL and a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving to you ALL!

Summer Sedum Wedding

2011-10-21T18:02:00.003-05:00

Sometimes, you meet people who are just genuinely nice and thoughtful friends and this is true of my friend Rachel whom I met a few years ago when she hired me to do the flowers for a commercial shoot for the Overton Hotel. This thoughtful friend of mine, had a friend of hers who was getting married this summer and she was gracious enough to offer to buy her bridal bouquet and his boutonniere! I try to be a giving and thoughtful friend, but that is just downright awesome friendliness in my book!

I had a meeting with the bride and my friend Rachel and we soon discovered that the bride (actually ALL of us) were crazy about sedums! Her colors were bright yellow, a favorite of mine, and navy blue. The bride and groom were to be married in a local park just the two of them and an officiate! How utterly romantic! The following day there was to be a festive celebration. This all being said, the flowers needed to be able to hold up to hot temperatures and for at least two days. Sedums and billy balls were the optimal choice.

This was my first time working with sedums and I have to say, I loved every second of it! I love the modern look of the flowers and bride, groom, Rachel and myself were all thrilled with the outcome. Thanks Rachel for calling on me in your time of need!

Before I took the flowers to their final destination, I dropped by and had my good friend, Shawn Best of Best Frame Photography take a few pics... I couldn't narrow down the darn things so once again, I am bombarding you with images... I blame you, Mr. Best, for your rockin' pictures. Thanks for helping a friend out on such short notice. If he made my flowers look this good... can you imagine what he can do with people!?!? Thanks friend!

Anna's Modern Marvel

2011-10-12T20:22:00.002-05:00

Ahhhhhhh...... how marvelous!!! Here is another wedding I've finally finished editing and I'm so happy to share the darling Miss Anna's special day with you. This was a truly unique wedding and bride. One of the first weddings in which the bride was in great desire of modern flairs! When I met Anna, I instantly clicked with her bubbly personality and her sense of direction and grasp of how she wanted her modern wedding to look. We used spider mums, mini calla lilies, button mums, berries, orchids, guinea feathers, and glossy black wire to tie in her colors and her modern aesthetic. Everyone was thrilled with the outcome and I was proud to give Anna her vision for her most important day. Here's how it all came together...

CEREMONY & RECEPTION ARRANGEMENT

This was lovingly known as the "orb arrangement!" Can you guess why? I was terribly please with its semi gravity defying look. The orchids, wire and grass really dresses up the sometimes poo-pooed carnation. Carnations ROCK!

BRIDAL PARTY FLOWERS

Flower Girl kissing balls.

It was time for the bridal party flowers' close up. The bride had a lovely old handkerchief that we added as a special touch to her bouquet.

I LOVED the "cage" affect the black wire had on all the bouquets!

The classic/modern groom's boutonniere. Thanks to my good friend Alisa, I actually got all these amazing pictures of the flowers IN USE! Thanks girl!

THE RECEPTION

This is the spectacular ball room of the Legacy Event Center in downtown Lubbock!

Large bowl arrangement of moss, gladiolas, spray orchid buds, bear grass, and bell of ireland buds.

This was my first time to use hanging amaranthus and I really feel that it gave a modern edge to a classic monochromatic arrangement.

I love the floating spray orchids. It is an elegant way to display my favorite flower!

THE CAKE

This AMAZING marriage bell is made ENTIRELY of sugar and has been at every wedding on the bride's side since the 1940s! They sure don't make things the way they used to... I created a cage of black wire to ensconce the bell and used the orchids to surround it. It was hard to make something so retro and vintage look modern, but the mother of the bride was happily speechless!

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THE END... :)

I just wanted to take this chance to thank all the people that helped me with this wedding weekend. I had two weddings and couldn't have accomplished all that I did without the help of my friends/assistants Toni and Kim and my good friend, Alisa (Alisa Joy Photography) who got me some great photographs of my flowers in use! XXOO to you all!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS ANNA & JASON ANDREWS! May God bless your happy union!

Stacey's Bridal Portrait Bouquet

2011-09-11T14:56:00.000-05:00

Well, this weekend, I did the wedding flowers for the lovely Miss Stacey Kinast and did she ever look stunning! Here are a few snap shots I took of her bridal portrait bouquet. Her colors were coral, lime green, cream and black with accents of orange. It may sound a little odd... (I've gotten several odd looks), but wait till you see her wedding day flowers! Almost as breathtaking as the bride... ok not quite THAT breathtaking, but flowers I was proud and thrilled to do!

For her bridal portrait shoot, I was able to find several of her flowers in stock! These included: spider mums, stock, alstromeria lilies, a miscellaneous greenery that looked kinda cool and feather balls! Jacob is a farmer so the touch of feathers was very fitting.

Congratulations Stacey and Jacob on your wedding! Thanks for letting me be a part of the festivities.

Cote's Colors - Bridal Portrait Bouquet

2011-09-01T18:41:00.001-05:00

Here is a preview of the bright and colorful bridal portrait bouquet I did for the lovely Miss Jennifer Cote's photo shoot this June! Again, I had a hard time selecting my favorites, so please indulge my indecision. I love the mix of brilliantly bright colors! Just wait till you see the wedding pictures... it's a color bonanza!

here is a close-up of the grip

I LOVE FLOWERS!

Best Frame Photography... No really, that's his name!

2011-08-24T20:02:00.000-05:00

I met Mr. Shawn Best several years ago when I was first getting started in the interior design field. We were introduced through my client. At the time, Shawn was (and still is) into carpentry and did a masterful job on some mahogany wainscoting as well as a huge custom bar for my clients Irish Pub themed basement. It was the man cave to end all man caves and a great way to meet the talented Mr. Best. Below are pictures of the end result from my decorating website!

Not too long ago, I got a call from Shawn saying that he had decided to take his hobby of photography to the next level and try a hand at it professionally. Well, he started doing family portraits and moved on to senior portraits and now is getting into the wedding end of it too. Here is a little taste of BOTH of our passions and his obvious talent. I had a hard time choosing which ones I liked the best (as always), so settle down with a cup of coffee and enjoy the view for a spell.

I had Shawn take these pictures of some arrangements I'd done for a thank you to the vendors I was introduced to during a wedding and he managed to make my work look AMAZING (even if I do say so myself).

Shawn then asked me to do a "thank you" arrangement to the lovely lady who allowed him to use her gorgeous historical home in Lubbock, to do a bridal shoot. He yet again, captured my flowers in a glorious way! If I got a thank you gift like this, I might just let him move into his own wing... :)

Shawn recently did a bridal portrait shoot for the lovely Miss Jennie and he asked me to do a bridal bouquet and a hair piece for her. While he was at it, he asked me to get some flowers for his adorable and devoted wife, Sally, who loves fresh flowers. I think he is a keeper, Sally... just sayin'...

And finally... the piece-de-resistance... Miss Jennie's Bridal Shoot! I was able to go along and help with some poses and be my usual bossy self! :) Thanks Shawn for putting up with me and thanks Jennie, for putting up with all my hair brained poses.

I was so thrilled to be able to do a yellow bouquet! It is such a cheery color and highly underused in the bridal industry.

I LOVED these of Jennie's fabulous turquoise shoes, the yellow flowers, and the petticoat peeking out from her wedding dress! SO FABULOUS!!!

I kept trying to make her laugh because Shawn kept wanting serious poses... (heehee) But she has such a great smile!

LOVE these! They are SO artsy!

GREAT PIC!

I hope you have enjoyed seeing his abilities and make sure to call him for all your photography needs! Go check out his website for contact and pricing information and become a fan of Best Frame Photography on facebook to see mire "ahhhh - inspiring" images! Thanks Shawn for always helping me out, especially on short notice. Whether it is for carpentry or photography, you always give me your "best"!

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A Rosy Glow

2011-06-27T18:00:00.001-05:00

I am truly blessed with some of the most amazing brides in the world! One of those brides would have to be the lovely Miss Emily Rose! I was thrilled when my old high school friend, Jenny, sent me an email saying that she had given her sister my name for flowers and they would love for me to help with Emily's upcoming wedding! Well needless to say, I was utterly thrilled with the prospects and when Emily and I met for our consultation I quickly discovered that this bride was definitely on the same wavelength as I am and we hit it off immediately! She had grown into a lovely young woman and she was as classy as ever!

Emily really wanted a classic, romantic wedding and since it was essential to use roses (Rose is her maiden name) it was an easy thing to accomplish. She and Greg really planned the wedding of MY dreams... They got married at the quaint and romantic St. Paul's Chapel in Lubbock and then had their reception at La Diosa Wine Cellars! She found her gorgeous and flowy dress online and they really managed to keep things low key, but highly romantic! Way to go!!!

Here is the romantic look that we created for their wedding flowers! I know I say this every time, but this is one of my favorite weddings ever! (I just happen to have 100 favorite weddings...)

BRIDAL PARTY FLOWERS

flower girl posy

bridesmaid's bouquet

bride's bouquet

RECEPTION FLOWERS

(at La Diosa Wine Cellars)

THE CAKE

isn't that the cutest cake topper you have EVER seen?!?!

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One of my favorite shots my good friend, Toni, got for me. Want to say a huge thank you to her for taking such great pictures for me so that I could focus on the flowers!

To Emily and Greg I wish you a very blessed and happy marriage!

Ya'll are an amazing couple and truly best friends.

I am honored to have been a part of your lovely wedding!

Sandra's Spring Splendor

2011-04-20T16:56:00.000-05:00

I met Miss Sandra when she called me to help design the flowers for her Employee Appreciation Luncheon. Several months later, I got a call from her letting me know she was getting married and she wanted me to help her with her flowers! She is so petite, sweet, and adorable, how could I say no?!?!?! I was thrilled! I sat down with her and her handsome husband-to-be, Scott, to discuss what they had in mind for their flowers.

They wanted something springy and colorful to really get the feel of their early April nuptials. Sandra is a HUGE fan of tulips and what better time to have them than in the middle of spring? However, perhaps a little rudely, I confessed I didn't like the Easter egg look of regular tulips when clustered in a bouquet. Thankfully, she was not offended (outwardly) and was very receptive to my idea of using parrot tulips instead. They are a gorgeous flower and aren't used enough in my opinion.

Here is what I created for Sandra and Scott. I think it really came out famously!

BRIDAL PARTY FLOWERS

mother's corsage: I love these tiger stripe spray roses!

father's boutonnieres: I used the tiger spray roses to compliment the mother's

huge fan of wax flower these days... you'll be seeing it a lot :)

I really love all the vibrant colors of this wedding! quite a change from theme colors; very natural!

the vibrant and spring inspired bridesmaids' bouquets

the glorious and unique parrot tulip boutonniere that turned out so well...

so I can totally admit that I was wrong about tulips... they don't look like Easter eggs. I adore the texture and uniqueness of these parrot tulips... GORGEOUS!

you should see these bad boys when they open up all the way! AMAZING!

Thank you so much Sandra and Scott for letting me help you with your bridal party flowers and for allowing me to be a part of your wedding day! May God bless your happy union for at least a thousand years!

Melissa's Remix

2011-04-13T20:05:00.001-05:00

So my sister had been pestering me to come down to Houston to visit her for a LONG time and because of the LONG drive, I was horrible and put it off for far too long. I hadn't seen their "new" house that they have lived in for at least 5 years... So, I felt like a big enough of a heel, finally, to drive down there this February! I traveled down the scenic highways to get there in record time and it wasn't half as LONG as I had anticipated.

I had two missions while I was down there: 1. Scout out fabulous decorator shops (P.S. Shops in big cities are SUPER nice to decorators there and will totally work with us on prices! More competition = more deals!) and 2. to help my sister, Melissa, restyle her house to suit she and her husbands, artistic nature and tastes.

It was my neice's and my birthday that week and it was the first time we had ever spent it together! So needless to say, it was a very special week and a great deal was accomplished!

I got there, to a welcoming committee of... my sister's dog, Lou, who did not remember me and my efforts at Dog Whispering her were fruitless. (Melissa was picking up kids from school.) Once she did get home I was welcomed with squeals of delight and a flurry of hugs and kisses! WOW! Celia and Maddy, my nieces, informed me that I would be staying in Celia's room and this is what was awaiting me when I got in the room.

It made me laugh and smile all at the same time. It was SO Celia... adorable! My sis had gotten me a mini orchid and a hysterical card for my birthday/welcoming.

Now, the next day, let me just say, I often use the saying, "The butt crack of dawn," in a very negative way about times of day that are ungodly to be awake, but this family wakes up... at the crack of the butt crack of dawn, and therefor, so did I! Oy! But, my brother in law, had delicious French Press coffee which managed to wake me up, albeit slowly. It did help that I had my nieces and silly nephew to give me morning hugs and kisses... :)

So that first morning, while my sister was out putting the kids on the bus and chatting up her neighbor, I moved the furniture in the living room. Now let me say, my sister is rather like my father in that she isnt' a huge "reactor" like my other sister, mother, and myself. So when she came in for the big reveal, she was quiet and contemplative... how boring!!! But she didn't say she hated it, yet, so I took it as a lesser victory, but still a victory!

We got dressed and headed out to downtown Houston and all I have to say is that it was a blur! We went to about 14 different places in just one day!!! We are both alike in that we know what we want and if we don't see it, we keep moving... It was tons of fun though! Here are some pictures of some of the things we found, liked, loved, lost, and moved on from.

Someday, when I have a bigger house, I want to collect bad portraits and do a wall like this! I have loved this idea for a LONG time!

A chandelier Melissa and I wanted for her entry hall. Kinda crazy, kinda funky. Especially if you paint the gold lime green???

A chair Melissa had been ogling for a while. We just couldn't find a spot for it.

One of my purchases for my house! Who doesn't love a chromed Chinese garden stool? LOVE IT!!!

A chair I found and brought back for a friend.

A chair I wanted to bring home with me, but I SERIOUSLY didn't have a spot to put it! Sadness! I love the fabric!!!

Melissa's dream Mad Men sofa... someday soon sis!

I'm a chair-a-holic... what can I say?

AMAZING... Enough said.

For lunch we went to this heavenly place called Kenny & Ziggy's New York Delicatessen Restaurant. It was amazing! Melissa had seen it on Food Network's Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. This was no dive, drive in or really what I would call a diner, simply because it was in such a ritzy neighborhood, but WHO CARES! The food was plentiful and delicious! For an appetizer we got a sampling of their tantalizing in house pickles and for lunch, I got the philly cheese steak sandwich with sweet potato fries (top), and Melissa got the veggie burger (bottom) made up of, tomatoes, lettuce, portobello mushroom, onion, eggplant, cheese, and the kitchen sink... I know, you are thinking, veggie burger??? Really??? Yes, really, it was delicious! This meal, no FEAST, really helped us get through our whirlwind shopping day and held us past dinner too...

The next day was an insane day... Before I left home, I was worried if I would even make it at all because the day I was supposed to leave, an ice/snow storm was going to be moving in and follow my planned path to Houston. I left a day earlier and missed the storm altogether, however, when it did hit Houston, it was an icy miserable mess. Our plans to go back into downtown were put on hold, which worked out in our favor because we were able to prepare for my niece's birthday party! Melissa got some balloons and I did a flower arrangement for the birthday girl! Melissa kept saying, "If you lived here, I would make you come over and arrange flowers for me all the time..." I believe she would work me till my fingers were raw, but I wouldn't mind... it's the martyr-ish behavior sisters relish... haha... Here are Maddy's flowers.

We had her favorite dinner of corned beef! (They are delightfully odd children and will eat everything and are willing to at least try just about anything! They amaze me!) We opened presents and went to bed!

The next day was my birthday and I was so exhausted I didn't want to make a big deal of it, but when I became so indecisive, Melissa took charge! First, we went to eat... oh joyous food! A true blessing from God above is seafood... fresh from... the SEA! Melissa took me to Goode Co. Seafood for my birthday meal! OUTSTANDING! I fell in love with the shrimp, crap, etc... that were in the lovely plates we shared, the names of which I cannot pronounce or remember, but they were fresh and wonderful. The one on the left was this wonderful gazpacho type heaven that we oohed and awed over. The one on the right is this wonderful shrimp filled empanada with Cajun spices. They were a bit of heaven on my birthday! Thanks Melissa for a fabulous day!

More shopping insued and the my birthday dinner consisted of wine, cheese, bread, chocolate covered strawberries and a cupcake from Ooh La La! YUMMY! These are amazingly huge and artistic cupcakes! Sadly, we ate them before I could get pictures of them.

Now it comes to the part two of my mission for this trip: restyling Melissa's home. She started talking about wanting a different look a long time ago, but didn't know how to get the look she wanted, and didn't even know how to define her style really. She needed my help. As we went shopping around to 25 different shops, I began to get a better understanding of her's and Michael's style. They are both VERY talented artists (you will see below in the pictures that I am NOT exaggerating) and they wanted their house to reflect that, but didn't know how or where to start.

One of my main faults as a designer (of which there are many) is that I get so excited about digging into projects that I forget to take before pictures. But let me just say, that the before was nice, but not Melissa's style and it did not look like two fun loving, quirky, humorous artists lived in this awesome house with some seriously cool kids! Here is what we accomplished in one day!

LIVING ROOM

The biggest bang for our buck was rearranging the furniture and getting new throw pillows to add color to the room. She already had this awesome rug and amazing coffee table so there was only a little tweaking to do.

Now the bookcase is full of Melissa's, her husband's, Michael, and her kid's art! They are a talented bunch!

This art is stuff Michael did in high school and college! He is so talented!

Melissa and I really fought it out over the fireplace... She wanted something really simple and this is what we compromised on. One of her abstract oil paintings and some decorative objects!

Two of my sisters abstract oil paintings and one of Michael's amazing graphic designs! Love the India lamp in the corner. When it is on it looks like the starry sky at night!

My brother in law, got this amazing antique curio cabinet for my sister for their wedding anniversary. We decided to move it into the living room and free up some space in the kitchen and make it their bar! Very Mad Men, don't you think?

ENTRY HALL

One of our Mom's awesome paintings. We selected a great turquoise color to paint this little nook in their entry hall to add a graphic shot of color.

Love this old radio and the crazy modern art. Thought the two were a good pairing and an instant sign that artists are in residence!

ARTISTS' STUDIO

(OLD DINING ROOM)

Both Melissa and Michael both love cycling, jazz, art, and books... can you tell?

Melissa's nook. Before, it was all spread out, now it is more cozy and she gets tons of natural light to paint by.

Mel's favorite medium is watercolor. This is her latest effort, a sunflower.

We just pinned her work to the wall rather than spend a fortune framing it. I think it makes it feel way more artist's studio. (Isn't she amazing! I don't know how she gets all that detail into the paintings???)

Michael's desk with all is awesome art!

Michael is meticulous and did all this stuff without computers!!!! I love all the colors!

He drew this trumpet!!! WHAT?!?!?!

A cozy area for the kids to do their homework and for Melissa to respond to emails...(hint, hint, Melissa!!!)

All of Melissa's flower paintings make me want to fall into them and snuggle down for a nap! They look so soft! I'm so happy she is painting again!

More of the same amazing art! Details, details... I think I'll be commissioning her to paint some pictures for my clients!

MASTER BEDROOM

Melissa and I had talked about how to make her huge bedroom seem less ginormous and I suggested painting on a headboard. Lime green and chocolate brown are a great pairing and with the hint of red it really makes the whole look pop! She painted the vine and Michael drew out the headboard with a little ingenuity! It is amazing! Great job guys!

The reading/sitting area. Isn't Ben a great demonstrator?

Ben had a hard time understanding that I wanted him to look contemplative, so big sis Maddy showed him how...

Girls, watch out! He is gonna be a heart breaker!

*****

I feel I accomplished all my missions and had a blast in the process! Thanks sis for an awesome time. I promise I won't wait so long to come next time! I love you all very much. Thanks Michael for sharing your amazing coffee that enabled me to wake up at the butt crack of dawn. Thanks Celia and Maddy for giving up your room and making space for me in your loft dwelling! Oh and a special thanks goes out to Ben, for being my decorating assistant! Couldn't have done it without ya dude!

Melissa is assisting Ben in taking apart the old headboard from the master bedroom...

Ben using his new drill that Marme and Doc got him for Christmas.

P.S. As much as I give Melissa a hard time about not reacting in the beginning, by the end, she was very happy and excited about the outcome! In fact, I think I have created a decorating monster! Love ya sis!

Danielle's Dazzling Wedding Day

2011-04-01T14:40:00.002-05:00

I met the vivacious Miss Danielle back in the fall when she saw my work at Lindsey's wedding. She was one of the most laid back brides I have had in a while. She came to me with the colors and a few ideas and then really let me guide her to the perfect design for her wedding flowers. She is one of the few brides I have had who have taken advantage of the "faux real" bouquets I offer. Danielle knew she wanted to keep her bouquet forever and the "faux real" way was a perfect solution. Here are her bright and fun flowers... I feel they really reflected the vibrant personality of the bride!

flower girl's kissing ball

bridesmaids' bouquets

bride's "faux real" bouquet

toss bouquet

Congratulations Danielle and Carl on a long, happy and blessed marriage! Thanks for letting me be a part of your special day!

Silk bouquet.... Faux REAL!!!

2011-02-03T20:53:00.002-06:00

One of my new, lovely brides, Danielle, hired me to design her wedding flowers after seeing my work at Lindsey's wedding this October. Danielle wanted her bouquet to be in silk so she could cherish the memory forever. Being the frugal lady that she is, she wanted me to do her wedding bouquet now, so she could use it for her bridal portrait! Truly ingenious! I love it when brides really get ALL the bang for their buck.

Below are pictures that my good friend, Alisa, took for me recently. She was really blown away by how real this bouquet looked. I started making it with just some pretty silk flowers and by the time I was done with it, it looked amazingly "faux" real and super elegant. I couldn't pick my favorites, as usual, so I am flooding you with some awesome pics from Alisa! Thanks girl!

Here's hoping that Danielle's bridal portrait is WARM and successful! (It's been unusually cold and snowy here in the great South Plains of Texas with temps between 0-20F and mind numbing wind chills well below 0F!) Keep your eyes peeled for my blog post about her unique and beautiful wedding flowers in March!

Southern Weddings

2011-01-29T14:49:00.000-06:00

Calling all brides.... If you are getting married in the foreseeable future or if you happen to have a wedding already planned but no man, this is the post for you! Southern Weddings Magazine!

I was in the bookstore the other day looking through some of the wedding magazines, as I feel it is my duty as a floral designer to keep up to date on what is trending in weddings... (ha ha, ok honesty... I just like looking at all the pretty dresses, flowers, cakes, photography and rings, so shoot me!) I was looking at the usual fare when all of a sudden my eyes clamped on "Southern Weddings" magazine. Being a southern woman, myself, I was intrigued! I grabbed it faster than water runs off a gooses back in July... ok perhaps I am not THAT southern, but Texas is still South so anyway, I digress... The fresh looking cover had me from the word go and the inspirational and informative content kept me interested enough to bring thing sucker home with me!

Here is a look at what's behind the beautiful cover...

beautiful! gorgeous!

these are the lovely ladies of SW Magazine! Lara Casey , Emily Ayer, & Katherine Waterman. These young ladies definitely have an understanding of wedding trends... take a look see...

the photography in this mag are AMAZING! look at these inventive pics for the wedding rings. I specifically love the rings in the cotton bolls, but that must be West Texas coming out in me.

I love that classically elegant black dress; so striking mixed with that gorgeous white bouquet! my fav on this page is the orange and pink number in the top right corner. I tried to get a recent bride to let me use pussy willow this way, but she looked at me like I was odd... wish I'd had this photo to show her what I meant!

I thought this was a great engagement shoot and I LOVE that huge flower in her hair! those of you who know me, know my passion for turquoise and those earrings mixed with that flowers make my heart happy...

this is one of my utter fav bouquets in the whole magazine! so fresh and different. they used oranges!!! brilliant! I've use artichokes, thanks to my inventive bride, Lindsey, and now I want to branch out... let's hope there is a daring bride in my future willing to be a little quirky?!?!

another romantically inspiring bouquet! love the shape...

I love the little ring bearer's pillow with the paper flower with ribbon bow center. I'm also a fan of adding touches of flowers everywhere and love this floral touch worked in with the soft bun.

speaking of flowers in the hair... WOW! love this bouquet and adore the head piece... it may be a little "editorial" and impractical, but for the right bride, anything goes!

rock-a-billy romance... this is such an unexpected and unique wedding. I love the sedum boutonniere stuffed in the pocket with a handkerchief! so innovative!!

and as a hat's off to the farmers in the south, I love this tribute to cotton. a farmer friend of mine once told me, much to his chagrin, that is favorite flower was the cotton flower... well I think the cotton boll itself isn't half bad!

brides everywhere are embracing the candy bar at their weddings, but what about the biscuit bar?!?!? witty and genius I say, especially since I am now an excited, if not wet behind the ears, fruit jammer!

so here are some of the REAL WEDDINGS that aren't put on by a production team, but seriously, they still look like they were!

can I just say that whoever thought of putting their deserts in an old kitchen pantry was really very smart. what better way to show off the beauty of your deserts? soooo creative!

now this was a sassy bride to sit with a chicken in her lap on her wedding day! wonder if the chicken laid a golden egg in honor of the nuptials? hee hee

I just loved this pic of the hot air balloon. they suggest great honeymoon retreats as well as where to get the best deals.

the young and talented editors on the back cover!

These ladies may be young, but I think they have some brilliant ideas and brilliant people working on this magazine, blog and website to give brides new and creative ideas to make their "I do's" unforgettable. This is only the third issue, but I hope there will be many more. I will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for the new issues and I'll be keeping up with them online too. Check it out and get inspired, whether you are getting married, are already married, or ever hope to get married, this is a must read/see. Happy planning, happy endings!