Five Faves for Friday…Props for an Engagement Photo Shoot

Did you just get engaged?
Maybe over the holidays
or Valentine's Day…
If so & you're planning an engagement shoot
there's more to think about than just a photographer.
What do you want the images to reflect? Do you want to keep
them simple or do you want to tell a story?
Props can help you tell your unique story. Just make sure it
is personal & authentic. They should capture
a special moment in time, but also be timeless.

Here are a few items that you might want to incorporate
into your session. And find more on our Pinterest board "engagement shoot inspiration".

1. Suitcases & Trunks

this perfectly chippy trunk makes the image
so much more adorable…don't ya think?

The Schultzes Photography

perfectly styled suitcases with the wedding date & monogram

Two One Photography

suitcases, tent, blanket & lanterns at the campsite

Wedding Chicks

2. Upholstered Seating

a gorgeous little vignette with upholstered chairs
& an AMAZING mantel

Green Wedding Shoes

a cute little upholstered settee in the woods ~
I like the rustic & chic mix

Fab You Bliss

easy yet gorgeous styling with this vintage victorian chair

Abi Ruth Photography

a gorgeous vintage settee with a rustic "barn" backdrop…
this would be gorgeous for an engagement photo session

Green Wedding Shoes

3. Bicycles

a vintage bicycle by the barn

Katie Day Photography

bikes under the trees ready for a picnic

Bridal Musings

4. Blankets

the perfect cozy quilt to show your love
wrapped up together at dusk

Fab You Bliss

The only prop used was this plaid blanket
& the shoot turned out super sweet

The Sweetest Occasion 

another cute use of a flannel blanket

Alixann Loosle Photography

similar but with a fabulous quilt ~ love!

Green Wedding Shoes

5. Signage

a simple message using Scrabble letters
"FOREVER"

Style Me Pretty

I LOVE the sign
& the fabulous victorian settee placed in an orchard

Green Wedding Shoes

And definitely take advantage of this photoshoot to get your save-the-date image to send out to guests…
Look at this cute idea with the chalkboard tin cans on the bike.

Wedding Chicks

But, most important stay true to yourself & share your love
for each other. This is a precious moment in time
that will be captured forever. Writing this post makes me want to schedule an "engagement photo shoot" for our 3rd anniversary since we never had one done. We'll see!

If you're in Northern California looking for vintage prop rentals, check out our rental page & our Instagram page for all of the newest additions! We're adding items daily.

What are you going to incorporate into your photo shoot?

Cheers ~ Erica

New Inventory Images

I've been busy taking product shots (in between the downpours of desperately needed rain) for the new website I'm working on. This blog has been fabulous, but doesn't quite showcase all of the inventory I have to rent. This process is taking a ton more time than I ever anticipated & is all-consuming.

So in the meantime, I thought I would share some 

new pics of old & brand new inventory…

And make sure to check out the Instagram feed

for all of the new inventory!

Kathryn Upholstered Chair

Angelo Bistro Chair

Heart Tin on our Kathy & Lynette Suitcases

Kory Drop-leaf Table

Stella Yellow Chair with Round Wire Birdcage

Silver Cake Knife & Server Set on our Citrus Cake Stand

Amber Aqua Flower Cart

Carola & Amelie Suitcases

Millie Stool with a Milk Glass Flower Pot

Jessica Barrels with the Silver Cake Stand

Our new Silver Champagne Bucket...

sitting on our Annabella Pink Side Table

Enjoy the week ~ Cheers!

Erica

Wedding Trends for 2014…Unique Cake Toppers

The first Wedding Trend of 2014 that I shared was of

Naked Cakes 

See post here.

Luckily, to top your gorgeous cake there are so many more options these days besides the standard stiff bride & groom in a

gown & tux. Not only do these not resemble most modern couples these days they also feel a bit childish in a funny way as well.

Lucky for you ~ you have so many fun choices ~ Enjoy!

Cute scrabble words

Elizabeth Anne Designs

So many fun bunting flags with or without words

Gorgeous fern, flower & dragonfly cutout 

Madelaine Trait

Stylish wooden banners

Petite clay hearts with your initials & wedding date

Hello Plum Studios

And glitter makes everything better; right!?!

Originally found on Tumbler with no source, but similar (or maybe the same) hearts can be found at

Etsy: Detroit Paper Company

More flags perfect for a nautical wedding

Bridal Musings

Or keep it super simple with elegant candles

Burnetts Boards

Or a perfect pile of succulents!

Burnetts Boards

One of these toppers might be the perfect option as well for your engagement party, shower or rehearsal dinner that might be a bit less formal. Either way, I love all the options that abound.

Find a ton of options on Etsy or DIY them yourself…

Or if that's too much, let us make them for you. We love a fun DIY project to enhance your cake.

Five Faves for Friday…Crafty Studio Spaces

I feel blessed to be able to turn our second upstairs bedroom

into my dream craft / office space. That being said,

it's a tiny space that I have crammed my office, some storage &

a craft area into. Because of this (& because it IS a

CRAFT room after all) I needed to get creative. These five elements helped me to create a

functional & inspiring space on a budget.

1.  Bookshelf as a Divider

I saw the image below on Pinterest & instantly knew I wanted

to use a bookcase that my father & I made using old bead board as

the back panel. This gave me a display shelf that is seen

directly upon entering the room. I'm able to create

small vignettes of my rental items to be inspired & inspire others. My craft table is sandwiched behind the bookcase

which not only creates a great "wall" to hang things from, but also hides & contains some of the clutter.

I could imagine using a curtain, an armoire or a door in the

same manner. There are definitely lots of options to try if you

get creative. We'll see how this space evolves over time.

VINTAGE

2.  Sawhorses & Door as a Craft Table

I bought some sawhorses from IKEA & re-purposed an old hollow

door as a workspace for my old Singer sewing machine & a space

to craft. I plan to paint the door a bright green (someday),

but for now it is a dingy white & works just fabulously. It's

such an easy & stylish option & it can be

easily adjusted or moved.

3.  Picture Frame as an Inspiration Board

I found a funky old window screen in the barn when we moved

to The Farmhouse & although the screen was all ripped up

it was perfect for displaying items of inspiration on rope with

clothespins. I used this at our wedding celebration to hang 

family pictures & a place to display friends WISHES for us

written on fabric scrap flags. Eventually I'll sew them

into celebration flags to hang in the breezeway.

VINTAGE

But as seen below, you can use just about anything or

even just the wall itself as an inspiration board.

Every craft room or workspace needs one!

Lauren Conrad

4.  Cubbies & Bins as Organization

I love collecting wire bins, wooden boxes, crocks & all sorts

of cubbies for corralling all of my crafty goodness. I like

seeing what I have on display, so I am inspired

(& so I remember what I have!)

Forever Love

Misch Masch by Nina

5.  Windows or Good Lighting

I'm fortunate to have two big windows in my workspace to

let in a bunch of natural light. These happen to be the only

windows that were replaced with double paned ones before we

bought The Farmhouse & they cleaned up pretty well.

sf girl by bay

Style-Files

If you aren't that lucky…make sure to have some inspiring &

functional lighting to keep things inviting.

Room Designs

All the images above are credited unless they were pinned on

Pinterest without the correct link. If any of these images are

yours please be in touch so I can give you credit…

Find more inspiration on our Pinterest board: studio love.

Although we finally finished painting my craft room / office,

I've just begun to go through all of my fabric, crafts & who

knows what else has been boxed away. Once I make some sense of

the room I'll be sure to post a before & after of the space.

Here are a some snippets of a few corners…

Follow on Instagram to see all the current action.

Cheers ~ Erica