Valentine's Day at Just Be.

When I was little, my dad would always spoil my mom & I on Valentine's day. He would give my mom a beautiful arrangement of roses, a gift and a cute card. And I would always get a single pink rose, a gift like hers but miniature and a sweet daddy/daughter card. My moms card was always funny or silly, not super romantic. I remember year after year watching my mom open it and either laugh or roll her eyes at my fathers humor. I loved this moment every year because it reminded me how lucky I was to have two loving parents. Their relationship, far from perfect, was always something I idealized when I was young. And it was always on Valentine's Day every year that I told myself one day I would find a husband who would treat me the way my dad treats my mom.

Well, I lucked out and found myself a hopeless romantic man and I married him! And every year on Valentine's Day he spoils me with fun homemade gifts, secret adventures and adorable personalized cards. So every year, I decorate the house and enjoy the 14 days leading up to the "hallmark holiday" ad many of you may call it! And this year, I ever got a few extra special Valentine greetings...

Here is a little glimpse into our 2014 Valentine's Day!

If you follow my instagram, you know that my fireplace mantel is my favorite part 

of the house to decorate! I change it every month, and this February was no different!

This is wat my Valentines did V-day morning

 INSTEAD of making me breakfast in bed... gotta love em!

 Gifts for Mr. Viola,  the hunting & port enthusiast

And a homemade gift from him.

All in all, it was a lovely Valentine's Day! We went to the movies to see A Winter's Tale (mixed reviews on this one) and out to one of our favorite BYOB restaurants! Hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day, Hallmark Holiday or just your average Friday!

xoxo

be. 

Monday: Weekend Recap

Champagne is always appropriate... especially when we are throwing the party! 

On Saturday, we had a party to celebrate Just Be. Not only were the last few weeks busy for us with weddings but we had a lot more up our sleeves! On Friday we finally launched our website! And on Saturday our episode of Life & Living with Joanna Gagis aired on NJTV! And this week our Etsy site launches! With so many exciting things happening for our little company, we thought why dont we throw a party to celebrate! So many friends, family & supporters came and we are so thankful! 

Take a look at some of our decor & details from OUR big day!

Focal point of the launch party? A champagne bar, of course! Guests sipped on champs all night long adding their favorite flavors & garnishes! If you have never tried lavender syrup in your champagne, you aren't doing it right! I loved introducing a personal favorite to all my favorite people!

Everywhere you looked white roses, hydrangea & gold leaves covered every surface! 

And a fun little extra detail, gold glitter in the water! 

The entry table with our new business cards and cute promotional pencils for all the guests!

 

We decided to serve our guests summer salads & four different sliders!

Super easy & everyone loved all the choices!

Each table was complete with a gold & white chevron runner, a banner & framed signs!

No party would be complete without a dessert table full of cakes, cupcakes and treats!

And finally we all know what the best part of having a party is.... leftovers of course!

I woke up Sunday morning, grabbed a black & white cookie and a glass of Rose´

and hopped in the hammock to relax, what an amazing weekend!

Thank you to everyone who came to show their support!

Be sure to check out our new website, www.justbestudio.com and check back soon 

for our Etsy shop and our episode of Life & Living with Joanna Gagis from NJTV!

xoxo

be.

Styled Shoot: Sweet Summer Peaches

Well, it's been quite a while since we blogged so what better way to celebrate the 4th of July than with a fabulous, classic American styled shoot! What is more American than lace, peaches, a barn & an old pick up truck? We teamed up with some amazing South Jersey vendors for this and we hope you love it as much as we do! These images are stunning thanks to the always fabulous Stephanie, from Satlwater Studios! Enjoy!

Photography: Saltwater Studios
Dress & Bridal Accessories: Wedding Belles Boutique
Hair: Christine Strigh
Make-Up: Kacey Rosenberger
Invitations: Just Be.
Decor & Theme: Just Be.
Location: Polo Club Barn

 What an amazing background! This barn is located in Smithville, NJ and supplied the perfect amount of rustic chic for our styled shoot! It goes perfectly with the crisp white linen with burlap & lace runner! The delicate babies breath adds a simple elegant touch to the bold peach roses. 

The birdcages & mason jars add a vintage flare to complete the look!

 Our stunning model, Chelsea was the perfect fit for this fresh, playful shoot! 

She looked gorgeous in this all lace sweetheart neckline mermaid gown from 

Wedding Belles Boutique. Stephanie caught the light so perfectly!

I may be partial but I just LOVE place setting details! A simple table can be so elegant with

 just a few items! This menu card brings the rustic feel with the lace and twine on top! 

And what a fun way to bring your guests to their seats with vintage style seed packets as escort cards!

 Chelsea's hair looked truly amazing! I asked Christine for something 

fresh, young & light and she nailed it! Absolute perfection!

 Seriously, how adorable is she?!?!? Make-up by Kacey was spot on! 

Barely there look, but oh so stunning!

And of course some paper details by us! Fun burlap banner, specialty cocktail sign, peach striped straws & drink tags add fun little details to any bar! Don't forget the cute little stuff, people notice!

We borrowed this vintage truck from our local barber shoppe, The Smithville Barber Shoppe. 

It added such a fun touch to the shoot! So glad they let us steal it for a bit! Isn't the color amazing???

And of course we had to design a super fun, vintage invitation for the occasion! Simple linen & kraft paper with a lace & twine belly band of course! And who doesn't love a cute couple silhouette?!? Finishing the envelope off with a fabulous peach envelope liner, 

who wouldn't get excited receiving this in the mail?

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Thank you for stopping by to check out our Sweet Summer Peaches Styled Shoot!

Special thank you to all our amazing local vendors! 

You girls rock and I couldn't have done it without you!

xoxo

be.

Soon to be Mrs. Patrick Bell

A few weekends ago I had the opportunity to decorate one of the most beautiful showers I have ever been to. Although I feel all parties should be beautiful, this one in particular had to be perfect. My best friend Allison, whom I have known since kindergarten, is getting married in August and her shower needed to be perfect. I  did think it came out very nice but after she said to me "It was everything I could have ever asked for" I knew I had done my best to pull it off. The weather was perfect, the food was delicious and everyone had a great time. 

The beautiful DiRenzo girls! In their lovely gift wrap accessories. 

Again, I took the job of making the hat. I really think I have a future in this! But while doing so, I explained the process step by step to Allison's little sister so the tradition would live on.

Congratulations Alli & Pat! We can't wait until the 20th!

xoxo

be.