Kimmie + Taylor: Birmingham Engagement Session

Taylor & Kimmie are the perfect mix of polished & refined with a good does of fun. We couldn't wait to shoot their engagement session after discussing ideas with them. They wanted the typical Birmingham spots such as Morris Avenue and Railroad Park with a candid and casual shooting style. We loved how the images turned out and had such a hard time picking our favorites to post! Their wedding in June is going to be a trip & sure to be just a beautiful!

Enjoy! - Spark & Arrow

When an engagement session ends like this you know the wedding is going to be fun!

Tablescape Styling Event: West Elm Birmingham

A few months ago we were honored to be asked to host a styling event at West Elm Birmingham! We spent several weeks gathering ideas & combing through West Elm products to bring customers unique & easy ways to spruce up their Spring tables!

All our planning & dreaming led to this beautiful split table showcasing two ways to style a Spring table. The table was anchored with cast metal jewelry trees turned centerpieces. One side neutral & airy with the other being colorful & bold.

For the neutral side we paired gold & silver pieces with light pastel accent dishes. Don't be afraid to mix your metallics. Tone is the key to creating a cohesive look. Malinda Kay created the handmade egg place cards which rested with a tiny air fern in a ceramic egg cup.

A sweet ceramic bunny filled with an air fern added a fun twist to the table and the beautiful work of Amy Stone graced the table in the form of a custom menu. We love her whimsy hand lettering & illustrations!

For the colorful & bold side we used the same centerpiece and added in some fun elements.

We loved the vibrance of this side with pops of red ranunculus in brown vintage bottles, colorful birds from the local floral store & coordinating paper products from another favorite of ours, Sincerely Me Caroline!

A bed of green moss covered the base of the jewelry tree and handmade metallic eggs rested on top.

Caroline of Sincerely Me created the perfect menu for a Spring meal using her custom watercolor drawings mixed with calligraphy illustrations & writing. She creates every detail by hand!

The other part of the event featured personal styling advice for customers from Spark & Arrow! We set up a variety of items on our Style Table for customers to create their own unique Spring ideas using West Elm products!

We loved seeing what everyone created!

This corked vile full of golden chocolate eggs was adorable when paired with simple West Elm dishes & a handmade placecard.

And the natural elements of this setting when paired with West Elm's Scape Dinnerware were stunning! Simply take a scrap piece of slate & write names of guests on them using a chalkboard marker. Tie it up with some twine & a feather and you're good to go!

A few customers brought in pieces from home for us to work with like Dianne. She said, "I've had this china for years and am looking for a way to spruce it up for Easter. I'm tired of it being stuck in the cabinet."

We paired her dish with the Organic Metallic Rimmed dinnerware and added in some fresh accents to bring the look together. A casual yet still elegant place setting!

Our good friends at Bamawise donated a few treats for customers to enjoy. All Alabama made and all delicious! G Mommas cookies, Cookies by Donna, Merry Cheese Crisps and Mook Mills cheese straws all received raving reviews!

Bamawise products can be found in your local Piggly Wiggly & Western Supermarkets.

Our next event at West Elm Birmingham is in the works! Stay tuned & be sure to follow us on Instagram @sparkandarrowcreative for updates!

Creative Collaborative: West Elm Birmingham & Birmingham Jewelry Makers

We often see our friends & fellow creatives sporting unique jewelry and often when we ask where it is from the words "local" & "handmade" & "artist" are used. Birmingham is overflowing with creative talent and our jewelry makers are in a class all their own! 

For this month's Creative Collaborative we teamed up with six local makers to showcase their work with West Elm's gorgeous products and here's what we created!

These ladies are talented! We couldn't help but dream & play with their incredible jewelry and we would love to introduce them to you.

First up is A.K. Hall. A.K.'s pieces are beautifully handcrafted and uniquely one of a kind. They reflect her love for the memorable & sentimental. Her first experience working with metal was in Albuquerque, New Mexico under the direction of Kristen Diener. After that, she went on to receive her Graduate Jeweler's Diploma from Revere Academy in San Francisco. She says she is "inspired by the imperfections of this life, but also how the imperfect can still be used to display undeniable beauty. 

Dig's Design's work is also a reflection of imperfect beauty. They create their unique pieces from scraps of wood left over from previous projects. What some would throw out as unusable, they repurposed to create these beautiful turquoise & mother of pearl inlaid pieces. We love the thunderbird necklace and of course the arrow bangle. Other pieces from Dig's Design feature reclaimed paper products such as maps, books & ledgers which are decoupaged onto bangles. They can be found online or in their pop-up shop Made Here, in Harbert Plaza.

If you say repurposed or vintage, you will probably catch our attention. We are suckers for all things eclectic & old. Here a Chick, There a Chick stole our hearts with her salvaged vintage jewelry pieces. Kerry started her business in 2012 from her love of antiques & thrifting. She gathers old jewelry from southern markets & facets them into new pieces full of charm. She shares her studio with her kids & most of the time doesn't know what a piece will look like until it is complete! Her bib necklaces are incredible & you are sure to find one to match your personality.

We must admit, when we brought Lucy's pieces home we caught our husband checking them out & identifying specific hardware pieces. Lucy's Lockets is all about taking architectural pieces & creating a story. Each piece has a history & a future. Her background in home design & architectural salvage led her to appreciate the beauty in everyday salvaged hardware & bring that beauty to you in every piece she creates.

The Rainy Day Studio started as a way for owner Saramia to create something with her collection of craft odds & ends. When she realized her love for jewelry making she began investing in more materials to suite her creative style. Her pieces are a unique mix of leather, natural stone, chain & bullet casings (yes, bullet casings). Saramia is also a talented designer & illustrator.

Last but certainly not least is Leigh Ann Harris with Sweet Auburn Studio. Leigh Ann spends her days running her own interior design company, Burrow Interior Design. When she's not busy renovating & designing homes she makes beautiful pieces named after her favorite city on the plains. You'll love her customizable stamped pieces and leather cuffs along with her on-trend tassel & beaded necklaces. Stack a few of her simple bracelets up or mix them with pieces you already have!

We've loved getting to know these ladies as well as styling and photographing their pieces! Give them some love & we'll see you next month!

-Spark & Arrow

(Styling/Photography by Spark & Arrow)

West Elm Products Used

Coral Jewelry Tree / Cast Metal Jewelry Tree / Manzanita Ring Dish / Glass Shadow Boxes

Mid-Century Marble & Wood Boxes / Gold Square Laquered Tray / Laquered Bath Tray

Square Symmetry Object / Whale Ring Holder / Small Display Box Terrarium / Faceted Terrarium

James : 8 Months : Mountain Brook, AL

We photographed James' baptism a few weeks ago and his precious mom wanted to capture him in his gown again before he grew out of it. He has the most perfect smile and was sure to show it off for us! What a doll!

And of course,  he couldn't wait to get back out of it. 

We would love to photograph for you! Check out our website for more info or e-mail sparkandarrowcreative@gmail.com.

Spark & Arrow