MY WHY

The smallest title for probably the most meaningful blog post I've ever written. 

Welcome back to the blog friends. It's been a while hasn't it? I've taken some time away from this little space and it was MUCH needed. I felt like I was just blogging to blog a couple of months ago and I didn't have a clear vision of where I wanted my little corner of the internet to go. I fell in love with writing here last year, but a path was needed (as well as a carefully curated blog calendar) and guys, I'm back for good. We're kicking off all new blog posts today with an important one. If you follow me over on IG, you'll know I was at Creative at Heart Round 4 in Maryland last weekend and I always leave that conference on a high filled with motivation and a positive outlook on this little business. There was just something about round 4 that made it such a special experience for me. Every CAH does that, but this one just had that boom about it.

Image by Andrea Pesce Photography.

This post I'm about to write stems from Tiffany Farley's speech from this past weekend and all the way back to Bonnie's speech last November in Charleston at CAH round 3. It's about building a business and brand around your why. Basically we all want our businesses to be profitable because there are bills to be paid y'all. But that's not your why. It's not my why and it really shouldn't be anyone's reason for wanting to start their own business. 

So what is my why? Well, it's something I've never shared before ever to anyone really. Chris is my reason for starting creating centerpieces on our kitchen island, but why did I turn it into an actual business? Why do I love to invest in each couple of mine and be a part of the biggest day of their lives? For starters, I never thought I would get married. I was always a relationship girl (6 year high school sweetheart, 4 year relationship before Chris) but I never thought I would be the one in the white dress with every detail perfect, and having a grand sparkler exit of most girl's dreams. I know it sound silly, but I really did think that that was for other girls, not me. See, I didn't have the greatest childhood. I won't go into too much detail as much of it is too personal for me to share here, but growing up was difficult for me. I was the girl who after years of a terrible home experience started high school and basically lived with friends because I didn't want to go home. I was the girl who was parent-less at graduations because they didn't feel like coming. I was the girl that couldn't have opinions at home because they were always wrong. I was the girl who tried to hold her head up high while her home life was crumbling. Family was not a word I associated with happiness or safety. It was a burden and something I just had to deal with. My extended family is all overseas, so I didn't have an aunt or uncle or grandmother to turn to. I just had me and some rather wonderful friends who will forever be special to me. They got me through. I knew what was happening in their houses was normal and I remember thinking at about age 15 that maybe one day I would have a functioning home life like them. Maybe. Then, 10 years later I met Chris. Life as I knew it changed. And with him came this great big family that treated me as one of their own. I had a mother for the first time that I could just call and say hello and ask advice for. (Hi Kathy!) And for the first time marriage seemed like it might be in the cards for me. And it was. On September 20th, 2014 I made Chris my forever. I actually got my happy ending and the word family became the happiest of words and the most important thing in the world to me. (insert dancing lady emoji here) 

So my why comes from my past. Creating beautiful florals for a bride and her family is a way for me to celebrate something that I never thought I would have. I put a little bit of my heart into every bouquet because as I'm making it, I'm thinking to myself. This is the last thing a bride will hold on to before becoming a wife. And as Mary Marantz would say, THAT MATTERS. There not just roses or peonies or dahlias, they are little parts of a girl who uses this business to celebrate how far she has come in life and gets to love on others because of what she went through. And that little girl inside from 20 years ago is beaming inside of her. My favorite part of a wedding day? Walking into a bridal suite with the most stunning of brides surrounded by her family and friends and I get to hand over her bouquet. Something that has been curated just for her and her story. They are not just flowers, and each wedding is not just another wedding to check off on my calendar. Each one is so meaningful to me.

And now you know why. 

Warmly,

Michelle 

The One Sweet Office

I'm so happy to be able to FINALLY show you around the new and improved One Sweet Office today! If you remember this post where I first introduced you to this little space, my office is actually the little sitting nook right off of our master bedroom. When the rebrand first began back in March I knew I needed to transform this little space into something a little more me. 

So let's do a little before and after shall we? Here's where we started...

And here's what we have today!

Isn't it lovely!

More than anything I love the copious amount of natural light this room gets, it's the best in the whole house. All the actual processing of flowers and floral design happens in our kitchen. We have really great counter space down there and I'm hoping to keep all things One Sweet Day in May under this roof for as long as possible, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have dreams of a brick and mortar floral store front. And Thank goodness Chris (mostly) doesn't mind the mess I create. 

I'm going to make everything around me beautiful and that will be my life

- Elsie de Wolfe 

The office is where you can find me most days. It's where Taylor Swift is on repeat, where the coffee mugs pile up, and where I run this little dream of a business. I believe that even when you are married you should have a space that's all yours and inspires you, and not only if you're not a small business owner. 

My main goal was to not spend a bajillion dollars redecorating. This girl is on a budget y'all. I found the perfect paint color at Benjamin Moore. It's called London Fog and it's the prettiest softest grey. My whole house will be grey one day, I just love it so much. The biggest splurge was my rug. I knew I wanted the fluffiest pink rug possible and I found the perfect one over on Overstock.  

Thank you to Andrea Pesce who took all these gorgeous images. The One Sweet pups got in on the action too. It's amazing what a few treats can do to get them to stay still. 

Desk World Market Chair Home Goods Desk Accessories- Kate Spade & Target Pouf Kouvy Couch Target Wall Arts & Prints Hobby Lobby Emily Ley Kaitlin Parisho Evelyn Henson Pottery Barn Coffee Table- hand me down Throw pillows Etsy Pottery Barn

Love,

Michelle

Welcome to the One Sweet Office.

Hi y'all! Glad you are here!  

So if you follow me on Instagram you've probably seen little snippets here and there of my lovely and oh so girly home office. I thought today I'd give you an official introduction. Meet the One Sweet Day in May office or #onesweetoffice. My husband and I call it my girl cave or my maxi pad haha mostly because he has his very own  "man cave." Over the past couple months though it's become the One Sweet office. Pretty perfect, right? 

 I'm giving you a kind of behind the scenes tour today because One Sweet Day in May is getting an official Rebrand starting in March and launching in...any guesses?? in MAY! YAY! Beginning in March I will be starting a Rebranding series here on the blog so you can journey through it with me. The One Sweet office is going to be going through somewhat of a makeover in the next couple months to become a huge part of my brand, not that my office doesn't reflect me now, but it's going to be transformed into total Michelle goodness. Eeeep! I was thinking of doing this blog post so I'll be able to look back on the beginnings of One Sweet office. I may or may not be a crazy sentimental person haha. Stay tuned, friends!  

This is where I spend a lot of my days. Where I make phone calls, write and return emails, and play Taylor Swift non-stop. A.k.a. The best place in the whole house. 

My office is actually a little nook right off of our master bedroom. I didn't want to take up an entire room in the house for myself. I'd rather have a few guestrooms haha. There is a great big window and streams in the best light and when it snows I have the best view in the whole house. While sitting in here I overlook the front of our house so I can see when Chris gets home or stalk the mailman haha. It started with me just needing a desk. I hadn't really had one since High School and I didn't want to break the bank. I ended up finding the perfect one at Overstock.com. It was like Christmas morning when it arrived. 

 It's just the right size and the most perfect glossy white. Pretty much my dream desk. 

So here I had my little white desk. It was so lonely there all by itself. I'd always loved the idea of having a sitting area in an office, so I thought a little loveseat might be the best addition. It was right around my birthday and Chris ordered it for me as my gift. It is now known as my "birthday couch" Best gift ever! It's from Target, gosh that store has everything. 

Isn't it the cutest. It's where I sit and have my afternoon coffee break and where the dogs hang out during the day.  

The coffee table is an old piece that Chris had in our last house. I'm pretty sure it's a hand me down from his parents. It used to be a dark espresso color, but I painted it white. Yeah, I can be a pretty good little crafter haha. Love that little table. The lucite nesting tables are also from Overstock. It's a smaller space and I wanted pieces that would be airy and wouldn't look like they took up space. Boom. Lucite ghost tables. Thank you furniture Gods!  

The pink candle holders are from Michael's. Lordy I always get into trouble at that store. I haven't finished reading The Glitter Plan yet, but so far I love it. Those Juicy Couture ladies rock! Such an inspiring book! 

If you don't know yet, one of my weaknesses is throw pillows. I just love them! You'll see them change quite often round here. They'll switch rooms occasionally too. Such a simple and usually inexpensive room update. The one with my name on it is from an Etsy shop called Fancy it pretty and the Love life one is Pottery Barn. 

Right now on my coffee table you'll find the Southern Weddings Wedding Planner. Guys, if I could have dreamed up the most perfect planner, this would be it. It's seriously amazing. That little print there is from Ashley Proffitt and it was a part of the Creative at Heart Conference Swag. It needs a frame stat.  

Speaking of frames...I love being surrounded by motivating and pretty wall art. I've hung a few of my favorites up. They are from a few different places. Feel free to e-mail me of you'd like more info. My favorite one is the middle one. Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show is My husband and my song and I had the lovely Kaitlin Parisho Designs hand letter it for me.  

I of course had to hang up a wedding photo too.  

And a little snap of my desk space. That candle is from Target (where else?) and smells amazing. 

 Levi says hi! 

So here it is. A little look at where the magic of One Sweet Day in May begins. I have big dreams for this little space of mine. And I apologize for the Iphone pics...but BIG news, it's actually getting photographed professionally in April as a part of my rebrand. Yay! And I wanted you to see it at its very beginnings. So what's in store for the One Sweet Office? I'm thinking a rug, curtains, an organization system, an actual gallery wall, and plenty of girly Kate Spade inspired things. Oh, this is going to be fun.  

Another reason why I'm sharing this with you? Well, we just moved into this house last April and with the wedding 5 months ago and Chris switching careers, finances have been a little tight. We haven't really done much with the house decorating and so a part of this blog is to take you on a little decorating journey with me through every room in our house. They'll be plenty of DIYs and before and afters. So excited y'all!  

Hope you enjoyed the mini tour! Talk to you later! 

Love,  

Michelle xoxo