Cotton Picked

Yesterday, I got to gander at the new bridal and maids collection from Ivy & Aster and fell instantly in love with the feminine fabrics and whimsical appeal. From a local Atlanta designer, Ivy & Aster offers full-length and short bridal gowns and a fashion-forward assortment of bridesmaids selections as well as accessories. I'm besotted specifically with her Morning Glory short bridal {the lace is to die for!} and Confetti maid {oh, the hand pleating!}. You can see the full collection here and see their delightful story here.

Cotton Picked

This week has been nothing short of amazing for me. If you haven't yet, check out my before and after posts for the Making Things Happen Intensive in Phoenix. MTH has been a game changer for me, so you will slowly start noticing some changes on the blog and then I will be making a BIG announcement shortly after the new year! After an intense week, I am looking forward to seeing some of my girlfriends tonight {Congratulations, Bell!} and spending some quality time with my husband tomorrow. Before all of that, I would like you to feast your eyes on some blog loveliness,

cotton picked to help you get through the rest of the week. Enjoy!

Yummy pumpkin whoopie pies {even yummier styling}!

Photo booth, silhouette artist and bocce ball! Where do I sign up?

Down home North Carolina wedding complete with square dancing. Part I & II

Pretty San Fran wedding. Check out those florals!

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Who doesn't love a man in uniform {with an engagement ring}?

This DIY mirror is to-die-for!

Loving these vintage art prints.

Ralph Lauren as a style muse? Yes, please!

Cotton Picked

It's Friday! After a waterlogged week, we are excited to be walking around in the sunshine looking for some perfect props at Metrolina in Charlotte today. Other than our "buying trip", we've got a super-exciting Saturday trip to Phoenix planned. You can read all about that adventure and how I'm Making Things Happen here. To say we have a pretty busy weekend is a major understatement, but we still found some time to bring you something lovely to look at today. Can you tell we're in the mood for drama? Enjoy and have a great weekend!

 

Amazing dress, amazing portrait, amazing wedding.

Amen! Elaborate, old fashioned southern style wedding invitation.

Pretty polka dots for a pretty engagement shoot.

B&W drama at it's best!

A cake whose main ingredient is P's favorite beer. Let's get baking!

Cotton Picked

Please excuse our absence from the blog world this week. We've been super busy updating our website! Now complete, we can get back to the fun of Halloween week! Our very favorite Halloween treat, It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, aired last night and we must say, seeing Linus' excitement for the imminent arrival of the Great Pumpkin takes us back to our childhood wonderment of the holiday. Candy, candy, candy galore! Once we have children of our own, we plan to take them to the pumpkin patch, pick out the biggest pumpkin we can find, bring it home and proclaim it the Great Pumpkin. On All Hallows Eve, we will perform a little bit of Hocus Pocus and with a little extra magic {glitter} the Great Pumpkin will rise up at the witching hour to bring candy to the most sincere little boys and girls. How fun does that sound? We may need to implement this plan prior to having children...this is too much fun! In case you missed Charlie Brown and crew, here's a little clip Cotton Picked for your enjoyment! Happy Haunting!

More tricks & treats from the blog world:

A Corpse Bride photo shoot. Tim Burton would be so proud!

Glam Halloween inspiration, Southern Style!

Glittering Pumpkins!

This and this should get you into a spooktacular spirit! Happy Halloween!

P.S: Don't forget to enter our giveaway with Leslie & B to win a completely styled, completely free photoshoot! Contest ends Halloween night at midnight!

Cotton Picked

Happy Friday! This week has been slammed jammed and it's not over yet, folks! We're still recovering from all of the fried yummies at the South Carolina State Fair, so forgive us if we haven't been on our game this week. We're back in Atlanta, though, and ready to rock this weekend! One trend we're all about right now? Save the Dates via stop motion videos. So, we've Cotton Picked some of our favorites here for you. Enjoy! P.S: It is now our misson to figure out how to and then create a stop motion video for some fabulous occasion. We'll keep y'all posted!


a slice of invite from Jodi Miller on Vimeo.



Wedding Save the Date! from Joe Fayer on Vimeo.

Save the date! 31 july 2010 from Kishi-Grover on Vimeo.

a+a's save the date from Courtney Brooke on Vimeo.

Cotton Picked

Happy Friday! We are so, so looking forward to relaxing after this week. Weekend plans include football {of course!} and a trip to the State Fair for some delicious fried food! We're sure that some people go to the Fair for the rides or to see the Racing Pigs or to people watch, but it's the only time of the year where we will eat a Pronto Pup {corn dog}, Fiske Fries and an Elephant Ear {fried dough for all of you healthy folks out there} all in one afternoon! We plan on being in a food coma on Sunday. As delicious {or disgusting} as our weekend sounds to you, we hope y'all have a wonderful weekend planned! To kick things off, here is the  wrap-up of wedded bliss for the week. Enjoy!

Fat, hand-lettered font and an oh-so-chic color combo. Lovely invites!

Charming little bridesmaid bouquet! We adore "just gathered" floral arrangements.

A cotton candy stand!

If we were to have a destination wedding, a vineyard would be at the top of the list.

Also:

We were featured! Thanks again to Postcards & Pretties!

Cotton Picked

Oh, October! Where do you think you're going? We can't believe we're almost halfway through our favorite month! The pumpkins are out {although we have a fat little squirrel who thinks they are his personal all-you-can-eat buffet} and we are focusing hard on Halloween! We stumbled upon Martha's new Halloween guide on stands now and we must say, it's the perfect thing to get you in the spirit! In other news, we're preparing for another trip to Chicagoland. Travel, travel, travel...it's been a busy fall! Here's something worth slowing down: a weekly wrap-up of pretties from around the blog-world. Kick back, relax and soak in the lovely.

Ginormous, gorgeous paper blooms.

A DIY dream: A reclaimed barn wood wall.

The best {and simplest} bouquet we've seen in a while.

Once upon a time, there was a true Southern wedding. Part I & II.

Cotton Picked

We're still a little sleepy this morning from attending the Dian Fossey International Gorilla Fund event last night. The trip to "Rwanda" was hosted at the fabulous Mary Bairstow atelier and featured the artwork of my dear friend, Courtney J. Garrett. And the weekend fun doesn't stop there! We have a baby shower on Saturday for this little butterbean and then we're headed to Auburn for some football! Whew! We're ready to wrap this week up with some lovelies from around the blog world. Enjoy and Happy Friday!

We're still loving the XOXO props {especially since these hang the Louis Vuitton window}

Yellow pom poms! Delicious pops of color.

Tea for two.

It's Fall y'all!

Cakes inspired by art

A statement necklace and cowboy boots? This is a bride after my own heart!

Cotton Picked

Unfortunatey, we, along with everyone else we know, are sick. This means we have consumed our fair share of comfort food, gotten a lot of fluids and sleep and are ready for a relaxing weekend. We're excited to decorate for Fall and prepare for a very busy upcoming week{end}. We found some lovely weddings to wrap up the week for you...enjoy!

We're in love with her dress. and shoes. and venue.

She made her dress and veil amongst other details for her wedding. We crown her Queen of the DIY Brides.

Sweet Summer is drawing to a close. Thanks to them,we long for a picnic and one more day at the lake.

Homemade wedding cakes!



Cotton Picked

We're working from our satellite office in South Carolina today as we prepare for some time with family, friends and Gamecock football. It's been a super busy, super short week, but we were so thankful for the break. Here's a wrap up of some of the beautiful things found in the blog world this week.

We are obsessed with the abandoned plantation in this shoot. We will find it on the way back to Atlanta.

Some life inspiration. Always when you need it.

Tailgate in style with gameday dresses from Judith March.

It's a wedding teepee! We now have a serious urge to build a fort in the living room.

Cotton Picked

This is our 100th post! We'll add it to the celebration of our dear friends, Matt & Julia's, engagement along with Carolina winning their first football game. It's going to be a great weekend! Here's a wrap of of some of our weekly favorites. Happy Friday!

These chevron floors makes us want to renovate. Like, now!

Anthro just came out with their September catalog. We don't think we could justify buying every single thing within it's pages {but we'll try}.

This bride wore a $5 dress and a medal made by the groom.

Lovely hand stitched delights for your bridesmaids, friends or your home.

Cotton Picked

The artist husband asked his wife what she would paint if she could. "Cakes", she replied. So he did.

I agree, True Love is a Big Deal.

Miranda & Blake are getting married. You know...the country cuties? And they had antler centerpieces. Love!

The lace on this gown is just lovely! And the navy & yellow takes me back to my favorite day in July.

Cotton Picked

Happy Friday! We have been busy, busy this week and love it! Fall is right around the corner and we find ourselves wondering where the year has gone. Time flies when you're having fun, right? Here's a wrap up of some of our favorites from the week. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

credits clockwise: A magical forest wedding in Forks, Washington {yes, that Forks} Aubrey Joy

Two photographers get engaged...in a photobooth!

 The Notebook inspired engagement session. Love the re-created Allie/Noah kiss! Blushing Bride Studio

We're swooning over this Aussie's headpiece! So dramatic! Paper + Lace

Cotton Picked

It's Friday the 13th and in honor of this most superstious of days, our Cotton Picked feature is a little more "Dark and Stormy Night" than usual. We're up early packing for a trip to the Windy City and very much looking forward to a little rest and relaxation {and perhaps a Chicago Dog}. Enjoy the rundown of our weekly favorites and Happy Friday!

Good friend and artist, Courtney J. Garrett has some updated work on her site. 

 She's kicking it Grey Gardens style in the Hamptons this week. We are supremely jealous!

Let them eat cake, indeed. A golden wedding confection fit for a queen! via 100 Layer Cake

Such a cozy mantlepiece! And there are pink flamingos! via W. Scott Chester

A fancy reason to purchase another copy of The Great Gatsby. via Coralie Bickford-Smith

Cotton Picked

Here's a story: we love all things literary! There's just something about cracking open a brand new {or old} book and letting the written word take over your imagination. We feel books are the perfect centerpiece or focal point of your event. Especially if you're the nose-in-a-book kind of gal. The End.

We die over these floor to ceiling custom bookshelves. A must have for our future home renovation via design*sponge

A wedding dress should always have the proper backdrop. SmogShoppe via Style Me Pretty

Lovely literature for your table via Once Wed

Cotton Picked

Unique fingerprint papercuts from Lori Danelle. The perfect paper gift for a first anniversary!

Tiny balloons put me in the best mood! Invitation via Oh Happy Day.

Pretty coral bouquets from Boukates.

Cotton Picked

Today's Cotton Picked spotlights delightful wedding dresses under $1,000. I just adore a bargin, don't you? So I selected five dresses that would be perfect for that bride with a budget {or not. They're all gorgeous, regardless of price point}. I'm in quite the bohemian mood, so if these gowns all seem a little boho, pretty please don't hold it against me!

credits clockwise: jenny yoo, jcrew, nicole miller, thread, saja

Have a fancy find or spotlight request? Let us know at info@highcottoneventdesign.com or leave a comment below.

Cotton Picked

via sara gabriel

There is something so irresistable to me about layers and layers of tulle. All of that netted froth swirling around to create the perfect pouf. These stunners from Sara Gabriel are quite the head turners. I am particulary in love with the Marilyn and think it would be a delight to wear down the aisle or just for the reception. It is our firm belief that a bride must wear some variation of a veil throughout her special day. After all, darling, you are the bride! Why not make it dramatic?

Clockwise: Joan, Charisse, Marilyn, Ginger; Sara Gabriel can be found at Kelly's Closet in Atlanta and Bella Vista Bridal in Columbia.

Have a fancy find or spotlight request? Let us know at info@highcottoneventdesign.com or leave a comment below.

Cotton Picked

via anthropologie

I've started a new feature on the site {Cotton Picked} to focus on a delightful find of the week. It will feature fashion, design, food or a combination and I pink swear it will always be fabulous. First up, Anthropologie for my birthday girl ensemble super wishlist.

unaligned bands dress, beaded swag bib necklace, chrysanthemum heels, gleeful speed clutch

Have a fancy find or spotlight request? Let us know at info@highcottoneventdesign.com or leave a comment below.