tiny boxwood bliss

you enter a modern metal gate covered in perfectly groomed vines. french music and fresh baked bread filled the air. a sign directs you to place your order, you enter the most beautiful garden your mind can imagine.

last sunday reece and i had brunch at the most amazing place. part french cafe, part nursery, part posh modern garden gift shop. tiny boxwoods in houston texas is tucked away in the middle of downtown.

inside metal beams and concrete floors contrasted with wooden tables and fresh picked hydrangeas.

on the other side of the green lawn the nursery is laid out in a perfect grid pattern. bright yellows and pink line the walkway.

i would love for the inside of my house to decorated this way... maybe after the cup ill make some changes. the small shop in the corner of the nursery was so relaxing...

attention to detail everywhere... love how these wagons are displayed....

onto the rice ucf baseball game then back to columbia to wrap up the cup dresses!

one week and its off to the races....

this box of serger thread is now empty...

one week from saturday 183 girls will be wearing a frock that we have designed and made especially for her. a dress to match her hair color, favorite sandals, dates bowtie and personality. each one thought about as if it were the last dress they may have to wear for the rest of their lives. it really is unlike just picking a dress for another occasion from another shop. what does that fabric say about who she is? is it modern and classy? fun and vintage? to have a dress made that exactly says "me". we pick the navy ruffle to contrast with olive skin and the skirt with pockets even though we know we wont put anything in them, its just fun, right?

perfectly planned out and constructed with "her" in mind. the KD at carolina, the young newlywed... even had a grandmother making her appearance at the cup for the 26th time. woman of all ages and walks of life in custom dresses. some who save and plan for a year knowing that this is the dress they have to have and other who stubble in by the suggestion of a friend. i have to admit that it is moving when a gal has thought about her custom laroque dress for sometime. i know i always appreciate things more after pinning over them.

17 girls have yet to be fitted. 12 bow ties need hooks and 8 monogram sashes in the works. i know it seems last minute, it feels that way too. we start with cup dresses right after christmas but its hard to think seersucker thoughts with snow on the ground. my team of seamstresses assures me that we are on track but i still worry and can't sit still.

this time next week

numerous bow tying lessons will have been given, dresses will be pressed, hats will be adored with matching bows we will be off to the races!

here is a look behind the scenes...

don't you love this green sewing machine?

we file your order by day. all of the waiting prints where ordered one tuesday in march...

one week of orders pre cup...

back to the ironing board... happy one week before cup!

lindsey and charlie say i do in laroque!

it is so rewarding to share someone's special day with them. lindsey and charlie were such a great couple to work with and get to know. they share the type of love little girls dream of... you should have seen his face when she walked down the aisle. he was so happy and she was so beautiful. i love how each of the bridesmaid picked out the style that fit her personality best. they looked just lovely.

its occasions like this that make me remember what this is all about... outfitting ladies for real life. making them feel special on days that matter most.

a happy surprise... well really two!

its nice to have visitors.

its even nicer to have visitors who bring fun surprises!

meet my friends brenton and lauren. brenton is a local artist known for making bottle neck guitar slides from recycled wine bottles. he uses some fancy secretive technique to remove the neck of the bottle in way to preserve the shape of the neck of the bottle. i would imagine that this would be a very complicated venture. have you ever seen a bottle perfectly broken? brenton said if i was real nice and supplied the next afternoon treat he would show me the factory (of sorts) how this process happens. after the neck of the bottle is removed it is then polished to be fabricated into the most beautiful guitar slide you have ever seen. ( not that i have seen that many but ill assure you that these slides are beautiful even to a non-slider.)

did you notice the glasses in the photo above, this is brenton's newest venture, glasses from the bottom of the bottles. he had a order for a slide to be made from the top of the bottle below... so we shared an afternoon libation of an italian sparkling wine. after all, can't just pour out the wine...it was for business purposes of course.

almost makes me want to take a guitar lesson... or is that the wine talking?... remember the blue slide in the above photo? i imagine its made from a similar bottle as the one we shared.

surprise number two!

does this dress look familiar to you? it is one of my all time favorite dresses i made a few years ago for my friend liz! lauren is a local artist who specializes painting dresses.

here we have the original design!

talk about making my day! friends, sparkling wine, and beautiful painting!

happy wednesday for sure! below are a few more examples of lauren's work

i love her style. whimsical but sophisticate.

wouldn't it be fun to have your wedding dress painted? or maybe your birthday dress? maybe a unique gift for a friend? lauren had my mind spinning of all the past designs that i would love to see in oil and charcoal...

to see more of lauren's work:

http://www.laurenspaintpalette.blogspot.com/

to see more of brenton's work:

http://www.mrbsguitarslides.com/

you don't have to have a fancy surprise to come visit me. im just happy to for you to stop by. thats the perk of owning your own place... you can take a break { by break i mean iron in one hand, wine in the other} when needed.

this week at the shop!

here are a few of my favorite looks from this week...

hope you are having a good day!

xoxo

701 market

hello saturday!

have you been to the market at 701 whaley on saturday mornings? live music fills the air out on the porch while 25 + local venders sell their goods inside. from local farmers to craftsman, the market offers a unique mix of goods that are produced in south carolina.

breakfast and fresh cut tulips for the shop. love the electric red.

that's right, edible flowers. who knew?

brought home this loaf. no bread after wednesday... im giving it up for lent. are you giving something up? thought my last few slices should be homemade.

three bad seeds! my favorite booth at the market! how cute are these handmade animals? they are constructed with reclaimed apparel. the wool from old sweaters is washed to give it a felt look. each creature is unique.

see more of their work at threebadseeds.com

inside out chocolate!

perfect place to spend saturday morning