With the 4th just around the corner, I wanted to share our adorable 4th of July inspiration shoot featured on Occasions Magazine Online. I had the pleasure of working once again with the lovely ladies of Simply Charming Socials. Those girls have talent dripping from their fingertips and I’m always excited to see what they come up with next!

“We wanted to show our classic take on an Independence Day dinner party, and by classic we mean timeless, with a bit of prep, and nuances of vintage. Our color scheme was blue and white with pops of red. Other than an American flag painting on display, there are subtle hints of this patriotism throughout the party, from star-shaped place cards to a banner of states hanging from a cherry red Studebaker. We focused on the small details: hand-written menus, a gallery of art frames, covered bottles, ribbon flag stirrers and an USA state banner…” 

When the girls contacted me about the shoot, they shared with me their vision of a classy take on the traditional 4th of July party and asked me if I happened to have a vintage red truck. How perfect is that, right? Unfortunately I don’t own a red truck and hung up the phone thinking about how awesome that would be, a true symbol of Americana. I put my thinking cap on and was determined to find them the perfect truck. You see, while I have lots of random goodies in my collection, if I don’t have it I try my darndest to get it. And get it I did!

You see, that’s the thing about the South – it’s a small world. Everybody knows somebody, that knows somebody. A big thanks to the Carto family for sharing their very special piece of American history with us. Isn’t it a beauty?

Hop on over to the Occasions Magazine website to see the entire shoot. There’s lots of great 4th of July inspiration to be had.

Photos by 35 Atlanta

Ok boys and girls, it’s time to dig deep inside your recipe box, call Grandma for some old-fashioned favorites…

It’s time for a week of Blueberry Bliss on Blue Eyed Yonder!

We did this last year and had tons of great recipes and ate blueberries until we almost popped! This year we are adding a little twist. Not only will be pick five recipes to create and taste test here on the BEY blog, we will also be sharing the final product with others! That’s right, spreading the blueberry cheer!

We’ll be thinking about those around us that might just need a little cheering up, or a thank you, or a just-because-you’re-so-darn-nice gift. So please submit your favorite blueberry recipes, because I just know that sweet little ol’ lady that lives by herself could use a little company and a yummy homemade treat.

Feel free to share your recipe in the comments section or email it to krista(at)blueeyedyonder(dot)com. I look forward to seeing whatcha got!

I’m so tickled to share our Summer in the South shoot today on the Southern Weddings Magazine blog. I’ve had the vision for this shoot dancing around in my head even before I started Blue Eyed Yonder. It feels so good to finally see it come to life!

This shoot was inspired by the memories of lazy summer days growing up in the South. Warm afternoons filled with picnics and ice cream, dipping your toes in the cool waters of a pond or loading up in the car and hitting the road with your best buddies.

Check out this darling video from Artworks Wedding Cinema. It feels like a step back in time to a hot summer day in the 1950’s.

A big thanks to all of the wonderful vendors involved! You made this shoot so much fun, so gorgeous and so unforgettable! xo

Photography: Horace & Gertrude // Styling and Concept: Blue Eyed Yonder // Hair and Makeup – Raney O’Keefe // Cinematography: Artworks Wedding Cinema // Paper Goods: Yours Is The Earth // Travel Bags: Lesley Graham, Tiny Fete // Vintage Prop Rentals: Blue Eyed Yonder // 1955 Chevy Bel-Air: Blue Eyed Yonder // Swimsuits: Unique Vintage // Models: Savannah Jane Morgan, Jessica Burkhalter, Stephanie Bowen // Adorable Puppy: Minnie Puddin’

We’re off this weekend to South Georgia. Deep South. Where the air’s a little sweeter, time moves a little slower and the best places are still found at the end of a dirt road.

We plan to grab some buckets and load up on fresh blueberries from my family’s farm, Bonnie Blueberries. The prettiest and sweetest blueberries around! This got me thinking back to last year during blueberry season, Blue Eyed Yonder had a week of Blueberry Bliss where readers contributed their favorite blueberry desserts and I selected a few to try out and share on the blog.

Here’s a little sampling of last year’s recipes:

Mema’s Blueberry Cheesecake
Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
Blueberry Dumplings
Oven Dried Blueberries
Blueberry Ginger Mojito
Blueberry Buckle

I’d love to host Blueberry Bliss again this year! So, dig deep into your secret recipe box and send over your favorite blueberry recipes. Feel free to leave your recipe in the comment section or email it to me at krista(at)blueeyedyonder(dot)com. All suggestions are needed by next Wednesday, June 20th.

I’ll be hard to top last years, but I bet you can do it! Whatcha got?