happy monday! so, maybe you’ve heard of brideside? they’re an online source for bridesmaid dresses…as they say: discover {view their styles + real wedding pics}, try {at home!} and buy {fairly self-explanatory}. and they’re pretty awesome. as are the dresses they carry {jenny yoo, dessy, and joanna august among others}.  hard to get all your ‘maids together to try on dresses? want them in one color but various styles? brideside it is.

well, this month mStarr is thrilled to be part of a promotion in conjunction with brideside. order your dresses by may 31st and get $40 off each dress, free swag bags with goodies from bliss spa, bare escentuals, true & co and more, and…a 30 minute phone consultation from yours truly! we’ll talk your wedding…venue, decor ideas, diy suggestions.

act quick! can’t wait to chat.

until next time…

ps. i also helped style the collections at brideside’s april pop-up shop in chicago. take a look at the pics here!

so i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again…i have met, and continue to meet, amazingly talented professionals in this industry. and I get to call many friends, none more so than becca of petal floral design + casey of hello love photography. in addition to their “day” jobs, they also are the duo behind the wedding blog blissfully inspired on boston.com {written about here}. and lucky me, they decided to profile mStarr a couple weeks ago!

over jalapeno margaritas +  homemade chips and salsa {becca, that one is for you}, we caught up on life, business, and building brands, and then took to the streets of somerville for an impromptu photo shoot. rarely do I care for pictures of myself but casey managed to capture me in just the right light!

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check out the feature here and of course be sure to read blissfully inspired! you can also like them on facebook.

enjoy the rest of the week! until next time…

it’s been an emotional few days for bostonians + americans alike. the marathon bombings left us all wondering “why” and “who”. it doesn’t make sense but terror generally doesn’t. i’m thankful my husband wasn’t where he would’ve been the past 7 years (up and down boylston street) had he not switched jobs in january. i’m thankful we moved the day before and weren’t able to get down there for “fun”. i’m thankful everyone i know who was at and around the finish line is safe. like everyone else, i’m thinking of those who lost their lives, their limbs and their liveliness on what was supposed to be one of the most exciting + community-based days in boston.

i’m a born + bred bostonian who proudly boasts as such. and especially proud to build my business in the city i hold so dearly. we live in a beautiful city rich in history and really no more beautiful than this time of year. below are some pics i snapped last week on the way to a client’s house on comm ave in back bay. the magnolia trees are starting to bloom + really there is no prettier walk.

we’re strong + we’ll get past this.

we are boston.

until next time…

floral heart by petal floral design // copyright white loft studio

it’s finally starting to feel like spring + that means wedding season is here! now i know there are more blogs out there than most of us can keep up with, but i’m about to add one more to the mix. enter blissfully inspired.

the gals behind petal floral design + hello love photography {otherwise known as becca + casey} have teamed up with boston.com to bring you everything you need and want to know about the wedding industry. such topics as picking a unique wedding song, cutting the cake + when to hire your photographer have been covered. and the gals want to hear from you! send ‘em a question at blissfullyinspired@gmail.com. or like them on facebook.

check out the blog because becca + casey are my friends. and because they’re smart + witty + super talented in their respective fields. and because you just might see a familiar face there in the coming weeks.

have a fabulous start to the week! until next time folks…

in the off-season, it’s a nice change of pace to do something non-wedding related and, while admittedly a bit challenging, something for your family! my uncle matt turned 60 back in february and he + my aunt tapped me to design a celebration at their home for a close group of friends + fam.

step 1

we needed a killer caterer. a company that not only makes yummy food but presents it well. enter chive events. chive is fully sustainable and operates with a zero-waste mentality. their ingredients are fresh, organic + direct from small new england farmers, and they make for some seriously tasty dishes. we worked together to create rustic food displays + it was a treat for guests to see the chefs working away in the open kitchen set-up. with a menu that included {just to name a few} housemade chorizo with lemony aioli and avocado, warm roasted winter veggies, tendercrop farm roast beef, molten taza chocolate cakes, and drinks made from local distilleries such as bully boy, everyone walked away with full stomachs + a lovely buzz from the drinks served at the bar.

step 2

how to fit 33 people for a sit-down dinner in one room, and have the tables look great. enter my tried and true rental company, new england country rentals. i wanted long tables, simple linens, a simple patterned napkin, classic china + glassware, and decorative flatware. and it’s just what I got.

step 3

when you want flowers, you go petal floral design. becca is both a friend + trusted professional who puts together lush, organic, free form arrangements with a variety of flowers that somehow always look “put together”. i asked for arrangements to fill the long tables and to build around a vintage record player {see step 4} on the bar. one word: STUNNING.

step 4

music is a big part of matt’s life…he’s a rocker and has played drums for a good part of his life. i knew i wanted to tie in music…something festive + playful…while still maintaining an elegant feel. i added cymbols + drum sticks to the tables and with leftover greenery + florals from becca, started wrapping around drums, even using a standing drum as a cocktail table!

step 5

i love taking the time to design really special, and personal, paper products and the menu card was no exception. because it was a small number of guests, and not everyone knew each other, my aunt wanted to designate where people would sit. instead of designing both a menu card + a placecard, i combined the two. a hand-drawn sketch of a drum set {that I did not draw!} was the centerpiece to build around.

step 6

let them eat cake! a family tradition…birthday cake from party favors.

had so much fun with this one! enjoy some of my fave pics below.

until next time…

getting published never gets old but it’s especially fun to see it in print! last week i got word from our friends at well wed mag that the table we designed for the petersons table design series is featured in their current cape + islands issue! captured perfectly {as always} by casey at hello love photography, with floral design by becca at petal floral design, letterpress stationery from smudge ink, calligraphy by letter be, and of course rental items from peterson party center. seeing the picture reminded me just how beautiful this table really was!

original blog post can be found here and featured on the bliss celebrations blog.

until next time…

back in november, i had the chance to style a fun shoot at journeyman in somerville, ma. my friends over at smudge ink asked me to get involved + together we came up with the plan to theme it as an engagement party for a hip, young foodie couple. journeyman truly turns food into art with their creative plating + ingredients, and it was important to showcase their talents + amazing space that manages to be both industrial, modern + rustic at the same time. and i’m all about that.

ilex flowers created a whopper of a centerpiece based on our ideas + the lovely liz + mary from liz linder photography captured all the details perfectly. take a look below at some of my fave images and complete list of vendors + then head on over to brooklyn bride for the full feature!

until next time…

THE FAB PEEPS INVOLVED
event design + coordination // mStarr event styling + design
floral design // ilex flowers
letterpress stationery // smudge ink
venue + food // journeyman restaurant in somervilla, ma
photography // liz linder photography
makeup artistry // jaime mullane makeup artistry
hair styling // jenny matthews

the red rose? it may mean love but is it special? well that’s to be debated. i recently finished reading vanessa diffenbaugh’s the language of flowers for my book club and have been so inspired by it. this valentine’s day, take a lesson from the book’s main character victoria + her dictionary of flowers, many of whose meanings are awfully romantic.

happy valentine’s day to all, especially my hubby. until next time…

1 // saying “i love you” for the first time? say it with lilac, the first emotions of love

2 // bougainvillea says passion

3 // show your commitment with ivy {fidelity}

4 // jonquil says desire

 5 // the cactus represents ardent love

6 // for your best bud, give freesia to honor lasting friendship

 7 // the {parrot} tulip is a declaration of love

 8 // show your devotion with alstroemeria

9 // maybe you’ve just gotten back together with someone? the daffodil is both a sign of spring + new beginnings

10 // happy in your marriage? give the beautiful stephanotis

11 // from the mama to her bambinos…moss is a sign of maternal love

 12 // the orchid? refined beauty.

13 // for the beauty in your life…the white hyacinth

14 // agapanthus, a letter of love

happy wedding wednesday all! staying organized is a struggle for most of us right? as my husband will attest, i’m much better at professional organization than I am personal organization. the former project manager in me has honed my ability to effectively juggle multiple clients + projects, but my processes + tools are always evolving, thanks to various products that are both functional + often times, beautiful! below are some of my faves + a few wish list items!

until next time…

1 // macbook pro. the air seems to work for many but I need a big hard drive and have no problem with its weight,

2 // my iphone 5. enough said.

3 // epson workforce pro wp-4530 all-in-one printer…it’s hefty but great for a small business environment like mine.

4 // rusell + hazel mini binder in a gorg watercolor print + smart date mini filler paper. i write in this at client + vendor meetings.

5 // recycled clipfolio for site visits. i need something sturdy as I walk + write. similar from target seen here.

6 // rifle paper co products have become a staple in my everyday use. this set of 3 journals are legit beautiful + affordable. i use them for notes at home or to jot down ideas on the go.

7 // evernote. this app syncs between all my devices + is a true life saver. i have notes for every client, project, idea, list of resources, and can even insert pictures, screen shots and web clippings.

8 + 9 // every client + project gets a folder. i use paper presentation string tie portfolios {natural kraft} + paper source presentation folders {paper bag}

10 // wish list item #1: wacom bamboo splash tablet for hand writing notes on the computer + in photoshop/illustrator

11 // wish list item #2: doxie scanner for organizing receipts, magazine pages etc.

well the award season has begun! i missed most of the globes themselves, and all of the red carpet while cheering my beloved patriots on to the afc championship so i’ve been catching up today on the most important part…what the stars wore! reds + corals, whites, blushes + metallics, and black seemed to rule the runway and there were more stunners then bombs. a few {think amy adams + kerry washington} were very reminiscent of bridal gowns. so friends, who were your favorites? least favorites?

until next time…

 1 // jessica alba in coral oscar de la renta with perfect hair, jewels + makeup

2 // jennifer lawrence {aka j. law} goes retro in dior haute couture

3 // her hubby may have brought home the globes but jennifer garner looks just about perfect in vivienne westwood

4 // my fave gal in red…homeland’s leading lady claire danes in versace  {and she seriously just had a baby??}

1 // julianne hough looking glam in a white tulle + embroidered gown from none other than monique llhuillier

2 // isla fisher in reem acra

3 // miss golden globes francesca eastwood owning the carpet in white lace

4 // hands down my favorite look of the night…amy adams in an ethereal marchesa gown

5 // coach’s wife looking insanely gorgeous in a body-hugging kaufman franco sequined gown

 6 // j.lo seriously rocking zuhair murad

7 // kerry washington in sheer + embroidered miu miu

8 // hayden panettiere in a bridal-like roberto cavalli gown

1 // katharine mcphee in a plunging Theyskens’ Theory gown

2 // globes’ co-host amy poehler looking both adorable + sexy in a slim-fitting stella mccartney suit

3 // kate hudson. alexander mcqueen. enough said.

4 // helen mirren in badgley mischka couture. i don’t look as good as her and I’m half her age.