Valentine's getaway.

A little weekend recap.  

Duck, North Carolina. Hands down my favorite place in the whole world. Chris' parents have a beach house there and for the past 4 years we have made so many memories in this little piece of heaven.  

I grew up on in South Florida...home of palm trees, the whitest of sand, and sunshine everyday. Chris first took me to Duck March of 2011 and I was kind of hoping I wouldn't have to fake loving the beach there. No palm trees? March when it's about 50 degrees? Seriously? But we had the best time that weekend and I fell in love with the Outer Banks. Is it different than Palm Beach down in Florida? Absolutley, but it's perfect. To me it's got a kind of Nicholas Sparks feeling to it. It's a small town, family run business type of place. It has made North Carolina my favorite of all states and is the reason Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show is our song. You have the ocean on one side and the sound on the other. In the summer it's busy, like really busy. I'm pretty sure most of the East Coast packs up their cars and heads to the Outer Banks for the season. Which I still find hilarious as I used to go to the beach for an hour before class when I was in college. Now, it's a whole production. 

In the Fall and Winter, it's almost magical. Ecspecially in Duck. You feel like you are the only ones there. The beaches are no longer packed and I might even like it better this time of year. We've celebrated so many things down in Duck. It's where we got engaged, celebrated Chris' cousin's wedding, spent July 4th with the family, and taken countless trips with our friends and a few just the two of us. Like we did this past weekend. 

We decided it would be the perfect Valentine's getaway. Life has been a little crazy round here and sometimes I feel like days go by and I've barely talked to my husband. Duck was perfect timing for a little reconnecting and I wanted to share a few pics from our weekend away. 

This is Sweet T's. I know I'm a Starbucks addict, but this place beats them hands down. My all time favorite coffee spot. it's located right outside of the neighborhood and I usually walk down to it-though this weekend it was about 20 degrees-so I obviously jumped in the car. Sweet T's offers wine and beer tastings too year round and let's be honest- It's the cutest little shop ever.  

Thrift store shopping!  

There is a great little thrift store on the mainland that we always go to. We've grown quite an extensive ugly Christmas sweater collection thanks to this store haha. It's so much fun to walk around and laugh at the ridiculous things we find here. On this trip however, I found the perfect little vintage silver tray to be a part of an upcoming styled shoot that will be held here in Duck next month. Stay tuned for that one friends! 

Isn't it gorg!?

We celebrated Valentine's day with cinnamon rolls for breakfast...yum!  

And a little date night at a nearby restaurant called Cravings where we splurged on lobster fettuccini and a few glasses of wine. And of course took a few table selfies

I know, they're not very good haha. We had so much fun though. 

On the last day we were there we just relaxed all day and watched movies. Sometimes your body needs to do literally nothing. And that's exactly what we did.

And we ended our little getaway with the most beautiful sunset over the sound. Why are Winter sunsets the best sunsets?  

Duck, North Carolina- You have my heart and I can't wait for the thousand more memories we will make with you over the years.  

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

Flower crowns, backdrops, table runners, Oh my! A look into this year's floral trends in weddings

While it's definitely Winter here in Virginia, I have had much warmer thoughts of weddings later this year and what my brides have been wanting, showing me pictures of, and obsessing over. Flowers are such an integral part of an overall wedding. They do so much to enhance the feel of the day and they reflect who you are as a bride. With that being said, I'm excited for this year's wedding floral trends. Trends this year are very "untraditional' in all areas of weddings and more so with florals. Brides are finding new and unusual ways to use flowers in their weddings and I totally love it. 

1. Wearable Flowers.

Floral crowns are here to stay! This year instead of large and full blooms. brides are opting for a more delicate feel. Floral crowns made from just greenery are becoming more popular too. I love floral crowns because they are beautifully consistent to any wedding and there is something so girly about them. They can be made to look boho chic, glam, or whimsical. Whatever your heart desires. I think we'll see even more ways that flowers can be used in jewelry too like necklaces, earrings, and hair combs. 

2. Floral Runners

This is the one I am most excited about! I am just loving them right now! Floral table runners. 

Aren't they gorgeous? Talk about a totally different spin on traditional centerpieces and they can be incorporated into any style wedding and during any season. There are many many different ways to do a floral runner. Going for an over the top glam look? How about fluffy peonies bunched together cascading off the tables? Holiday inspired? Go for a pine or a douglas fir runner with pops of white. And for the understated bride, opt for a runner made entirely of greenery using olive branches, eucalyptus, or jasmine. So many options for all types of brides. And they aren't just for guest tables either. Use them for dessert table decor, escort card table, or your sweetheart table. 

3. Wild and Natural.

Brides are turning away from the perfectly round shaped bouquets and gravitating towards a just picked and natural feel for both bouquets and centerpieces. Think vines, branches, greenery , and seasonal blooms. For one, I am loving the step away from tradition. The "I just gathered this up from the garden" look is a breath of fresh air to me and I'm hoping it stays around for a while. 

Florals by Descanso Designs

4. Floral Backdrops.

Perhaps inspired by Kim Kardashian's wedding last May,  floral backdrops are such a great way to create uniqueness in your wedding decor and again, can be incorporated into any style wedding. Wonderful for both the ceremony and the reception. (Hello awesome photo booth backdrop!) Other options are hanging flowers or a floral adorned floral pergola like in my last post. Again, Brides are finding more and more unique uses for flowers and are using them in all aspects of their weddings. 

5. Deeper Color Palettes.

For years now it's been all about blush bouquets and pastels. Gorgeous, yes but those popular colors are making room for deeper color palettes that play off of Pantone's color of the year, Marsala. Richer tones like the deep reds and raspberry pair well with softer colors like rose and pinks making these wine inspired colors great for every season. On the other side, we'll see peaches, corals, and rust colors too.