September Goals.

Goodbye Summer, you were simply wonderful. I'm going to miss you maxi dresses and flip flops, but I really am ready for boots and scarves. Since it's the start of a new month, it's time for monthly goals and I wanted to update you on my health journey! 

Simply put, September is nuts! The Fall season kicks off this weekend with not one, but two gorgeous weddings, be sure to follow along here! So because it's so so busy, my goal of this month is intentionality. Making sure I leave my phone and laptop upstairs after 6 o'clock, starting my day actually getting dressed in more than just yoga pants, and taking breaks throughout the day to make sure I'm giving myself "me" time. These are things I didn't do this Spring and it showed. I was exhausted. Busy is good, but it's only good when you are intentional with all aspects of your life. 

My second September goal is to continue my health journey and even pick it up a notch. I lost 10 pounds in August. I think I could have lost more if I didn't spend 5 days in Maine....but that's ok. I jumped back in the Pure Barre saddle today got back on healthy eating. Hooray! I still have a ways to go, but so far so great! My goal is to not be a certain weight or to be skinny. To be honest, I've always had curves and I love them. I don't want them to leave-they are what makes me who I am. So it's not a number on the scale, my goal is to be healthy. A healthy weight so I'm no longer pre-diabetic (ugh) and healthy Thyroid levels too. My next Endocrinologist appointment is October 30th and by then I want my labs numbers to drastically improve. It's a every day commitment though and it's hard. Through tests and lab results I've found out that because of Hypothyroidism, my body has a super slow metabolism (Thanks body!) So it's even harder for me to lose weight, but I think I started out pretty good! 

Thank you for your words of encouragement over the past month! Just keep swimming, am I right? Happy September sweet friends, make it a good one! 

Love, 

Michelle 

One Sweet Fridays. The Working Retreat Recap.

This One Sweet Fridays post is a little different, but I have something special to share! 

This week I was a lucky lady and attended The Working Retreat in the mountains of Maine and to be quite honest, I left a lot of my heart there. I woke up this morning a little sad that I left the mountains, and intentional time with some amazing industry friends. Not to mention, we ate like kings. This trip was so good from my heart. I struggle a bit sometimes with owning my own business and people not getting it. Not getting why I attend conferences, put on styled shoots. or put other people before my business. But the girls at The Working Retreat get it and to say it was wonderful would be an understatement. I'm actually getting a little teary-eyed typing this...that's how much I already miss it. 

Jessica and I flew up on Monday morning after somehow missing our first flight (yep, we were the girls chatting away at the gate and didn't see about 90 people board hah) We finally made it and joined the others. The next two days were spent wearing Yoga pants, listening to educational talks, and just good ol' girl talk about life, husbands, business, and the future. My favorite night was Wednesday night...The weather was perfect and we sat on the porch under blankets and chatted until way too late. We also had a game night which was absolutely hilarious. We laughed until we were crying. This retreat came at exactly the right time. I loved that it was placed during wedding season as we wedding ladies get tired out. This was such a great break right before the Fall busy season begins. 

Here are some snaps from our week...photos are from all of attendees of TWR including Annmarie, Kat, and Jessica

Many thanks to Annmarie who made this possible, Kat, Jess, and Alexandra for their inspiring talks, and the other attendees who made this a week I'll never forget. Can't wait for the next one! 

Maine, you were breathtakingly gorgeous and I know I will see you again. 

Love,

Michelle

Meet a One Sweet Bride- Emily

 

Everyone knows my brides are everything to me. I can honestly say that I have the best group of girls and they are the number 1 reason I love what I do. Today I'm introducing you to One Sweet Bride Emily! Emily is just the sweetest and I've loved getting to know her the past few months. I wanted to give you a behind the scenes of her wedding floral inspiration and let you get to know this sweet bride! 

Emily lives in the heart of Charlottesville and works for Borrowed and Blue! So fun! We instantly bonded over our love of all things weddings. Her fiance is Scott and they have the cutest pup Remi! 

The future Cornellas!

Aren't they the cutest?! 

These two are tying the knot at the beautiful Trump Winery in Charlottesville on September 5th! 

Emily is classic. She's girly yet wanted to stay simple and let her gorgeous venue do the talking. I mean...do you blame her?! 

Shades of white and deep hunter green are the main colors that will be used throughout to streamline the whole event complete with floral pergola and loose and free flowing centerpieces in gold floral bowls. Gahh, I cannot wait! 

Here are a few images I pulled from our inspiration board! 

I sent Emily over a few questions which she graciously answered! I loved getting to know more about Emily and Scott through their interview and I know you will too!

 

Photos by Jarad Ladia Photography

How did you two meet?

We actually met online, on OKCupid in December of 2011. We were both in graduate school in Chapel Hill, NC at the time. I love dogs, so when Scott sent me a message commenting on my profile picture (which was a photo of me and my puppy), I knew I had to respond! We ended up meeting for dinner — which turned into dinner, a concert, and shutting down the bar without even realizing it. The rest, as they say, was history!

Tell us about the proposal! 

We spent a year apart during our relationship — Scott was in Charlottesville working on his medicine residency, and I was in Durham, NC completing a one-year fellowship in local government. I finally moved up to Charlottesville during the summer of 2013, and Scott took me to Pippin Hill Vineyards my first weekend in town to celebrate. We loved the winery, but never went back after that first time until the proposal. In the weeks leading up to the proposal, Scott casually brought up the idea of going to the vineyard. So on a gorgeous late September afternoon, we went. After grabbing a glass of wine, we walked around the property for quite a while (Scott was trying to find the perfect spot to propose). Eventually, we made our way through one of the rows of grapes, and Scott popped the question. I had no idea he was planning this, and was in complete shock! Afterwards, we went to Afton Mountain Vineyards for a Saturday night concert they were having. We decided to wait to tell anyone (including our parents!) until after the concert. It was really nice having a couple of hours to let the engagement soak in, just the two of us.

What has been the most important to you while planning?

Guest experience. We've prioritized spending on items that will make our guests feel comfortable and taken care of, like transportation to and from the venue (since most of our guests are from out of town), food & drink, and overall experience. Plus, I've spent hours crafting a playlist that will hopefully keep everyone out on the dance floor! 

What has made you the most nervous? 

Feeling like I'm forgetting something. I've never planned a wedding before, so every step has been brand new! I've fully put my trust in vendors. After all, they've seen lots of weddings and know what works and what doesn't. My fingers are crossed that this approach works out!

What are you most excited about?

I'm most excited about having all of the people that we love and that have supported Scott & I through the years together in one place. It already feels surreal to me.

What are you looking forward to about being married? 

Scott and I already live together, so I'm not anticipating a huge change lifestyle wise, but I am looking forward to making plans & building a life together. I'm just so happy to know that Scott will be by my side from this point forward — it makes the future and all of the changes that will inevitably come a lot less scary and a lot more exciting.

Any advice for brides?

Just remember — there are NO rules to weddings. Do you love sushi? Serve it for dinner. Want to have your first dance to Lady Gaga? Do it. There will be lots (and I mean lots!) of people that will insert their opinions at every step of the planning process. Welcome the advice, because they really do mean well. But don't strive to make everyone happy because a) it's impossible and b) you risk having a wedding devoid of any of your personality in the process. I spent a lot of time & energy early on trying to please everyone. I failed miserably. After I let go of my people pleasing tendencies and turned my energy inward, things started flowing much more smoothly. The end result is a wedding I'm proud of and one that reflects our personality as a couple. 

Thanks so much Emily! I CANNOT WAIT for next weekend and your beautiful wedding! It's going to one for the books guys. 

Love, 

     Michelle