Sharon Taylor Designs Sustainable Supper is Featured on Inspired by This!!

I'm Inspired.

I'll start right at the top of the list:

1. Inspired by This is one of the leading wedding p.r. sites in the wedding industry. Leila inspires me daily, beyond words. I first found out about her through the ever-amazing Carissa Jones of JLDesigns, of L.A., CA...who I will have the pleasure of working with on a very special, knock-your-socks off, bohemian wedding in fall 2010.

Leila has given us, here at S.TaylorDesigns, such an honor of being highlighted in one of the prime spots of the year. Thanksgiving.

Thanks so much, Leila, and Brittany!

The Team that Made this Shoot Possible:

2. Ruell Chappell, co-founder of the Well Fed Neighborhood Alliance--The local sustainability visionary!

3. Chef Rob Corliss, founder of ATE {All Things Epicurean}

4. Photographer, Sesha Shannon, of Convey Studios.

5. The Farmers Market of Springfield, MO.

6. Other Contributors include:

Millsaps Farms

Stoney Acres Sheep Dairy

Springfield Farmers Market

Sunshine Valley Farms

Honey Heaven

Ozark Country Kitchen

Mountain View Farmers Market

Brown Derby Wine Center

Charley’s Antiques

Ter Ron Kat Gardens

I am thankful for each of these inspiring artists, farmers, and contributors above. I hope to have many more grand experiences such as this one. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Stay tuned next week for my interior design makeover updates.

10 Step Mason Jar Candles for the Holidays: Get Cozy!

I apologize for the lack of posting...please be sure and stay tuned this week for some fun barnyard posts! Got some goodies.

Will decided to gather up all of our old mason jars we have collected and stored in the cellar. We use them all the time for my event planning/parties that I host. But this time, instead of using tiny tea-lights that have to constantly be lit and re-lit, then cleaned out, he decided to make long-lasting candles to last us thru all of our own holiday celebrations.

The candles were a lot of fun to make, super cheap, and just a really sweet and simple cozy touch that goes right along with the "homegrown" philosophy that I heart. The large blocks of wax and candle making supplies were purchased at our local craft store.

Materials needed: A large pot, a steel "melting" pot/pitcher, jars, wick string, scissors, masking tape, candle anchors, thermometer, a stove, water, and a hammer.

Directions:

1. Place all of the jars and materials out on a table.

2. Unravel the wick spool and cut the wick thread a little longer than the height of the candle jar.

3. Feed the wick anchor thru and not it at the end.

4. Lower the anchor into the jar until the anchor is at the bottom of the jar...take the excess wick thread at the top and wind it around the pencil and tape it. {the wick needs to be completely vertical and centered with the pencil holding it in the right place.

5. Break a large block of wax with a hammer while still in the package.

6. Place the chunks of wax into the "melting" pot/pitcher.

7. Fill another large pot with 1/3 of water.

8. Place the "melting" pot/pitcher into the large pot of water.

9. Heat the two on Medium heat until reaching a temperature of 150 degrees or melted. Watch closely while wax melts.

10. Slowly take the "melting" pot/pitcher out of the boiling water and pour the melted wax into the prepped jars. Let cool. Cut wicks to 1/2 inch above solidified wax.

So far, they have burned beautifully for Halloween, and the sustainability dinner party {shown at top}, and will definitely be used for the rest of the winter season.

Also, on a side note...The wine pictured at top is a Missouri wine that is surprisingly good! It's called Mount Pleasant Claret {The International Wine Center}, and was chef-selected by local, Rob Corliss. I recently had the pleasure of working with him on a wonderfully delightful harvest dinner party that was hosted in a 10x12 greenhouse.

Happy Thanksgiving Week! Stay tuned for some delish posts this week.

{Images via Sesha of ConveyStudios, and sivan lewis photography. How-to images...by me.}

Sneak Peak of Mod Gypsy Blitz

This just in: Deeply. in love. with Sesha's painterly photography as seen here. I have more gypsy jewels from this shoot to share with all of you, but am keeping them in their jewel box for a special segment that will appear very soon...{to be announced}

This photo shoot was a huge amount of work for Sesha and me. Several mini meetings {in between our normal work days}, scouting drives, phone calls, prop and fashion sourcing, all day set-up, light testing, night shooting, breakdown, and drop-offs, and for sesha all the editing that goes with this as well.

...SO well worth all the effort! And with the large crew of people, I'm still amazed that we all somehow managed to dodge the masses of heavy walnuts that were dropping all around us due to heavy winds.

A huge thank you to Cyndy and John Platz and family for most graciously sharing their home, beautiful property, their handmade 15th Century Reproduction German tent, and one of the most gorgeous trees you'll ever see in your life. The branches must span 75 feet outwardly and parallel to the ground.

Also, thank you to the amazingly beautiful group of Sesha's friends who volunteered their time and fun! Great people!!

Thank you to my family for all their help at the shoot as well. Will, Charlie and Eleanor. And baby Sylvie too.

Thanks Sesha!!

I'll post a bit later about a give away.