The Chill Garden

One of my favorite parts about this summer was starting my first vegetable garden! I've wanted to do this for so long, and so excited that I was finally able to have the space and time to do it this year. My grandfather is a farmer and I remember as a little kid going through his garden with him and him teaching me the basics of vegetable care! Honestly, I was just going off of faith, general research and knowledge, and his wisdom when I started this garden. It was totally a "trial and error" kind of deal, but I am so happy with the results.

So I started my garden 18 weeks ago, and all of my produce were little seedlings. I planted basil, cilantro, parsley, chives, strawberries, cantaloupes, silver queen corn, green peppers, yellow peppers, red peppers, sante fe peppers, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, white eggplant and tomatoes… seesh! So many things :) Everything produced SO well (except for the peppers…. I got one green pepper out of the whole pepper family)! I was able to eat to my hearts content and share my produce with so many of my friends. I picked about 12 cantaloupes, 20 cucumbers, 10 squash, 3 zucchini, 10 eggplants, 15 ears of corn, 6 tomatoes (about 25 more are growing now!), SO many herbs, AND fed all the wildlife in my yard whatever amount of strawberries they stole (I got to have 3 -___-)!

My secret? I put bunny poop in the soil (hehe)! I have 3 bunnies, and for the past 3.5 years, I have deposited their "soil" in one area of the yard. That particular area happened to be where I wanted to start the garden, so I dug up the ground, toiled everything, added additional soil, and went at it! A natural fertilizer is where it's at apparently! All of my veggies and fruit were so sweet, rich, and the most delicious thing I've ever tasted. I remember after tasting my first tomato, I could have just eaten it like a peach.

If you haven't tried your own mini garden, then I would suggest you try! It's so rewarding and so delicious! My philosophy is that if it doesn't work, it doesn't work, and at least you tried! It is so gratifying being able to not only eat locally (I try to purchase my groceries local), but to literally eat from your backyard! So please enjoy a few snaps of my garden progress this summer :-) I'll keep you all in sync with what's to come for the Fall garden!

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things

"Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens! Bright copper kettles, and warm woollen mittens!" OK, so those aren't some of my favorite things (except for copper cookware!), but today I will be sharing with you a little about myself and what I love!

  1. Otters: Despite my name being The Wedding Rabbit, my favorite animal is actually an otter! I love their care-free, spunky nature, and how much they love the water! I had the opportunity to hold a baby otter when I was a kid, and to this day probably one of the best days of my life.
  2. White Cheddar Popcorn: Not only is this the best snack in the world, it is a must-have for me on days that I'm coordinating! It's pretty much all I ever want when I'm on the run!
  3. Pen and Paper: I love good old fashioned pen and paper! It allows me the creative freedom to write where I please, draw doodles in the margins, and sketch up a quick draft of a table-scape idea for a bride! You just can't do this with a computer!
  4. Jelly Belly Jelly Beans: You can call me "Kelly Belly Jelly" if you want.
  5. Nature: I love all things green and growing! Being outside is my happy place! If I had the choice, I would just be outside all day long! This year I started my first vegetable garden (I've been wanting to do this for years), and I couldn't have been happier with the outcome. It was so much fun going to the garden everyday and literally picking my food for the day!
  6. Richmond: I was born and raised in Richmond, and I just love it! Richmond is so full of art, history, community, wonderful restaurants, and it's so diverse! I love that at any given time there is at least one festival to attend! Whether it be the Greek Festival, the Beer and Barley Fest, the State Fair, or (my favorite) the Celtic Festival! If you haven't had a chance to visit, please do!
  7. Flowers: There's just something sweet of having fresh arrangements around the house :)
  8. My Clip Board: My clip board is nothing special, but special to me! The one I use is just from Target, and I bought it 8 years ago when I first started doing events. I love that it's been loved and used and has been so reliable (the clip still works too)! ;-)
  9. Printed Photos: We live in a day and age where most everything is online or on our computers. But I still love to have photo prints! Being able to flip through photos whether in a book or in hand, is so wonderful and timeless!
  10. Making your day special!: I came in to this industry with the dream and desire to create events that are completely personal or unique to it's host! Growing up with my mother who is the master of tradition and attention to detail, I quickly became enthralled with the idea that I could help everyone to have a one-of-a-kind experience and event of their own! It makes me so happy to see that joyful faces of my wedding couples and their guests!

What are some of your favorite things?:)

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Styled Wedding Shoot | Midsummer Night's Dream

Considering it is now midsummer, it is time to share some beauties taken by Kait Winston Photography! Kait, Shana (of Sassy Snap Dragon Florals) and I created this shoot to embody the whimsical and dream-like summer romance of William Shakespeare's phenomenal play. Shana created enchanting floral details that popped beautifully with the romantic, earthy river-scape. Pearl's Cupcakes designed and provided the sweetest cupcakes that were not only pleasing to the eye, but absolutely delicious! The model of the shoot was yours truly! It was so fun to design, style and model for this shoot:) So without further a-do, please enjoy the photos below!

 

“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.” 
-William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Nights Dream

Photographer: Kait Winston Photography / Event Coordination + Design: The Wedding Rabbit / Cake Designer: Pearl’s Bake Shoppe / Floral Design: Sassy Snapdragon Floral / Model: Kelly Harrison of The Wedding Rabbit / Model: Todd Baker / Published: Sweet Violet Bride