Up bright and early and ready for yoga around the pond, Day 2 at the RT Lodge Fam trip was a big, full, festive day! For a gal who doesn’t do yoga, I felt pretty good that I could “hang” with those who did and thanks to my mat neighbor Chelsea Petaja for not minding my accidental hand touches and giggles!

We toured the immediate property around the lodge and discussed the botanicals and gardens with Jeff and then enjoyed lunch by the pond in a great dine around setting. My favorite part? Cake before lunch!

Left Image by Sarah Ingram; Right Image by Natalie Watson

Left Image by Natalie Watson; Right Image by Sarah Ingram

Images by Sarah Ingram

The afternoon had a few different activities to choose from and I joined the gals from McQueen Pottery on the lawn where we made impression molds from the beautiful floral surrounding RT Lodge. Over the course of our stay we were fortunate to use their beautiful pottery and I may have taken some home!

Left Image by Natalie Watson; Right Image by Sarah Ingram

Image by Sarah Ingram

In true Southern Style, the lodge crew put on a BBQ fit for a queen our second night! Nestled among the trees is their beautiful sailcloth tent and outdoor bar space. Dressed in our “BBQ Chic” attire we dined, drank and danced… or should I say square danced the night away!  Full bellies and hearts and we still had one more day- pinch us!

Lish

Dolled up with the fabulous ladies from VLD Events, Cassandra Snyder, and The Happy Envelope.

Images by Natalie Watson

Images by Sarah Ingram

Image by Sarah Ingram Photography

Time flies when you are having fun, and wishing you were back in Tennessee! A few weeks ago I was invited to join a some of the most fun, friendly and inspiring colleagues in Maryville, Tennessee for a fam trip at RT Lodge. Let me start by saying that Southern Hospitality is alive and well thanks to Gary, Alex, Trevor, Katie, Jeff and the whole crew there!

Left Image by Sarah Ingram Photography; Right Image by  Natalie Watson Photography

RT Lodge is a boutique hotel and event facility nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. With a timeless aesthetic, beautiful grounds, a focus on world class cuisine and hospitality you can’t go wrong with this spectacular locale. From the moment you arrive, the talented team at RT Lodge will make you feel right at home in an atmosphere that allows you to “connect, escape and celebrate.” If you are looking for a private venue nestled in the peaceful and picturesque Tennessee foothills, this is your place!

Images by Sarah Ingram Photography

Less than an hour from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I kicked off the start of my southern lovin’ and took to the park to explore for a few hours and I’m so glad I did!

Next trip I will be certain to explore a bit more as the Smokey’s really are something special.

At check-in we were warmly greeted by our host and hostesses and had a chance to explore the grounds before the perfect Welcome Dinner. In RT Lodge style, our beautiful welcome gift sure made the stay more enjoyable and was great to bring home to share some of the South with the North.

Thanks to the DC crew for letting me crash your wine party on the patio- great meeting new friends from Grit & Grace, Evoke DC, and Engaging Affairs and seeing old friends the Karson-Butler gals!

Dinner was in the lodge in a cozy and brightly lit dining area and library and the first meal from Executive Chef Trevor Stockton  was other worldly and as the week progressed the food kept getting better and better! (Stay tuned as I’ll share all the incredible supporters for this getaway trip in a later post!)

Images by Natalie Watson Photography

It was a fabulous day and so full of excitement yet easy and comfortable. Nothing rushed or hurried. Just an all around good day and we were just getting started!

xoxo,

Lish

One of the greatest visionaries of our time was a man who drew a mouse, made him dance on a page and sing a song. In today’s world if you were to open a TED X with Steam Boat Willy, you may not be taken to seriously. But for those of us dreamers, that mouse was more than just ink on a page. That mouse was no ordinary mouse thanks to to vision and bravery of his creator, Mr. Walt Disney. Disney turned a few rounded lines and music notes into a phenomena that changed the way we all “see” the world and seeing isn’t always believing, sometimes it takes a little faith, hope and Pixie dust. Thank you Mr. Disney for being a pioneer of the impossible and we’ll continue to dream that dream right along with you.

Have a great weekend everyone! xoxo

Here at ADIM, we always have some form of adhesive within arm’s reach. From assembling stationery, to labeling boxes of decor, to mounting signage, these 9 types of tape are lifesavers on event days- “stick” with us, and we’ll show you the way!

1. Duck Tape
   There isn’t much you can’t fix with Duct Tape! Like McGuyver, we carry these waterproof, sticky rolls around with us everywhere and always multiple colors because you never know what type of quick fix you need to do! Recently we used a ROYGBIV assortment to decorate race cars for a 4 year old birthday party and they were a hit with all ages!
2. Packaging Tape
   We often joke that we are professional movers, always unpacking and packing boxes, especially with the amount of deliveries we get each day at the office, so you can only imagine the amount of packaging tape we go through a year. Where there is packaging tape there are tape guns and we may have been known to OK-corral it up a few times seeing whose the fastest tape gun slinger around!
3. Masking/Painters Tape
   Painters tape- the best, and cheapest way to label boxes, bags, fabric and pretty much anything you don’t want to leave a mark on but still identify it’s contents or placement. With all the boxes (see above!) it’s hard to diffentiate between color of kraft paper, if you get what we mean! With such easily removable tape, we can use the same boxes again and again while changing the name/location tag. And masking tape, well it’s a life saver we’ve used it for taping carpet seams under a bar, wrapping cords against a painted wall and taping boxes when the packaging tape runs out!
4. Glue Dots
   Looking to hide a seat assignment at a wedding ceremony? Quick hem a linen? Glue dots are a must have in your arsenal of stickiness and we love the semi-permenant options for more reasons than we can count on our stuck together fingers.
5. Gaffers Tape
   This is a producers dream! Made of fabric fibers vs. vinyl, when you use this tape around things that get hot (like lighting- which we used an awful lot of, or sound equipment- which we can’t get enough of!) it’s important not to make a mess of your equipment while keeping things tidy and functional!
6. Carpet Tape
   In a bind, this stuff is better than liquid nails and if you have to tape together wood, furniture, or who knows what, in a jiffy this stuff will not let you down! Be careful you keep the tape away from any stray or long hairs- once you pull back both sides of the tape all bets are off and you better stick it to em!
7. Gorilla Glue
   In the carpentry shop on a job site, sometimes screws and nails won’t do the trick and we use clamps and Gorilla glue! In a pickle, we’ve even used it as a faux finish on a side table! Problem solving at it’s finest!
8. Mounting Squares
   Our love of candle light runs deep, and stunning taper candles even deeper. But, when you have glass or clear candle holders and finicky candles, sometimes you need reinforcement and these clear mounting squares from 3M are a life saver! (Not to mention, they do not leave a residue when you peel them off- even better!)
9. Krazy Glue
   In the words of Prince (may he rest in peace), Let’s get Krazy! Krazy Glue that is! An oldie but a goodie and as we like to say- if it’s not broke, don’t fix it! It’s a go to for fine detail work and it adheres together almost any surface- which in today’s world of sticky options, is hard to find!

Floral Design by Field of Flowers Farm; Image by The Weber Photographers

We hope you all had a lovely weekend. We were busy celebrating the birthday of a very special 4 year old! There were race cars and superheroes galore! Now that we are back in the office and moving full speed ahead into wedding season, we thought what better way to kick off a new week than with some bright blooms? Lately we have been loving vibrant floral pieces to add playfulness and pops of color to our event design. While some couples love muted neutrals and pastels, it can be fun to mix things up with happy floral!

You may have noticed we uploaded a new gallery on our website titled “Happiness on Lake Michigan” and surely the vibrant color palette and cheery blooms added to the abundance of joy that day.

Wishing you a bright and happy week ahead!

Floral by Scarlett and Grace; Image by Milou Olin Photography

Floral Design by Nature Composed; Image by Rachel May Photography

Image by The Style Co

Floral Design by Elyssium Blooms; Image by Ivy Road Wedding Photography