The Fete Blog

At first glance, Thomas Madrecki is your above-average cool guy: slim and attractive, hip and well-dressed, absurdly intelligent (he’s a University of Virginia grad, after all), and sweet. What more could you ask for in a friend?

How about a friend who just happened to fall into the culinary world and, with a bit of ambition and courage, landed himself a spot working in some of the most famous restaurants in the world? Or what about a friend who put together, on a whim, an underground dinner party– one of those ones you read about in the Washingtonian or on the hip blogs– to such success that he now throws monthly dinners for those in the know? Talent like that doesn’t just happen. Talent in Tom is manifested in a combination of guts and savvy, an taste for experimental flavor, and a nostalgic romanticism.

I met Tom through the Cavalier Daily– at a time when we were both major journalism geeks– and his path into the culinary world has been incredible to watch. Chez le Commis, his dinner party series based in Arlington, has quickly become fabled among DC foodies. Without much more blabbering from me, meet Tom Madrecki– you’ll likely be sitting at one of his dinners (or restaurants!) one day soon.

images of a Chez le Commis dinner by Scott Suchman for Washingtonian Magazine

You had an interesting journey into cooking. How did your passion for food, cooking, and culinary experimentation begin?

Tom: The things we call passions, the things we love, the things we identify with– I’m firmly convinced they have their origins in childhood. So I can’t say for certain what first set me down this path, but perhaps it was sorting peas with my mom when I was little. Perhaps it was the first bite of an ice cream sandwich. Those moments leave indelible impressions, and I don’t think I would be the first chef to admit to wanting to recreate something latent in those experiences. I think that’s true for everyone though– it is very human to long for childhood.

What was the inspiration for Chez le Commis? Why was this the route you wanted to go with your cooking career?

Tom: The idea for Chez first came about while sitting in my apartment in Paris– it was like 2 a.m., 3 a.m., and a friend of mine (who I met while working at Noma) was staying with me at the time. He and I were going back and forth about different cooking ideas, drinking beers, depressingly eating McDonalds because it was the only thing open at the time and it was in the same building as mine. And I was throwing out all these dish ideas, and I finally realized– this is what I want to do. I want to cook my food. I hate that saying something like that makes me sound like some overly-confident, impatient millennial. But I suppose that, to some degree, that’s what I am; I also think, though, that that is precisely the reason Chez succeeds. It’s too young and immature to realize risk.

What does a typical Chez experience look like for you– and what can your guests expect from the experience?

Tom: It looks like a stack of 100 dirty dishes, 50 wine glasses, 15 empty bottles and my living room being turned upside down. It also looks like 16 people having too much fun– actually smiling at dinner! I want people to relax, to enjoy themselves, to fall in love. Have too much wine– it’s good for you.

What are your current favorite flavor combinations?

Tom: Grapefruit and olives. Smoke and pork fat. Burnt limes, grilled asparagus and seaweed. Ice cream and ice cream. OK, seriously– I love some weird, interesting flavor combinations, but I also want to make food that’s tasty, that people enjoy. I don’t want my cuisine to be an intellectual one. I want it to be an emotional one.

One of Tom’s several appearances on DC morning television– hitting the big time!

Tell us the truth: what’s your take on the whole local food movement? Overrated or totally worth the investment (for restaurants and for home cooks)?

Tom: People need to understand that it’s not a choice between “expensive local” and “cheap normal.” Yes, some foods at farmers markets and organic grocery stores can cost more than their non-local counterparts. But if you’re smart, if you educate yourself about how to actually cook, you’ll save money and eat better. Instead of spending $60 on industrially produced crap at the Giant, you could spend that money on vegetables, eggs, maybe a chicken or two. You could make a whole week’s worth of dinners. To be fair, they’d be simple dinners, but you’d actually be eating real food. Your kids would be eating real food. And you would be happier, because the food would actually taste like something worth eating. At the end of the day, I don’t want to be a moralist– you know what, I enjoy some of that industrially produced food, too! But there are ways to pursue quality without breaking the bank.

What’s your dream culinary project?

Tom: Making pasta and drinking wine with my girlfriend. And opening a restaurant where the wine is $20-30 a bottle, there’s a few simple but awesome dishes that change every day based on the market, and a totally chill, laid-back vibe. I want to create the kind of experience I want when I go to a restaurant– the experience that never exists, but you always wish did.

Tom in Foodshed magazine

Cooking– and creating your own underground restaurant– is such an ambitious and courageous adventure– what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Tom: I don’t think it’s cliche, because nobody actually does it… Good things happen when you follow your heart. A lot of bad things will probably happen, too, but I think you’ll always be happier at the end of the day if you respond to those feelings inside you rather than dimming the lights on them.

Where do you turn for inspiration? Chefs, blogs, restaurants, food photographers… 

Tom: I read and collect cookbooks, but it’s almost an academic exercise. You look at them so that you know what the rest of the world is doing, and then you try not to do that. Travel inspires me– the sights, the sounds, the feeling of being in a foreign land. Music inspires me– there’s something about the way it connects with us, in a way I don’t think the culinary world full understands yet. We have to get to their level. You know how some music comes on, and you have this very physical reaction? You just want to dance. And in a way, that’s my goal in cooking, to cause that physical reaction, but in this case I want to elicit a smile.

My perfect day is _____.

Tom: Brunch, Beach, BBQ, Repeat.

What’s next for you? What’s next for Chez?

Tom: Keep pushing. Chez isn’t where I want it yet; there’s so much we can improve. And maybe one day I’ll figure my life out, wake up and realize that it’s finally time to quit my day job and open a real restaurant. We’ll see.

Follow along with Tom’s culinary adventures (and hey, get yourself to a Chez dinner– maybe hitting Charlottesville one day soon!). Chez’s site | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram! All non-Chez dinner images courtesy Tom.

image by Cynthia Kain Photography

For one reason or another, we’re all completely fascinated with the idea of a grand proposal– the stuff you see in movies, where the day is perfectly orchestrated around a scavenger hunt that ends at the Eiffel Tower or a sweeping hot air balloon ride. All conclude, of course, with a sweet little ring, a bended knee, and a passionate kiss. What girl doesn’t dream of that?

In real life, not all men are so savvy, most plans aren’t so well-laid, and the average budget is not conducive to private jets and Tiffany diamonds. But that doesn’t mean that the average proposal needs to be humdrum– and Elizabeth Carter, founder of Washington D.C.-based Bespoke Proposals, is here to help! With an all-star background in event planning and an eye for dramatic, meaningful, and unforgettable details, Elizabeth has made it her goal to help your groom completely wow you.

First things first– how did you get into the wedding industry? What originally sparked your interest in weddings and love stories?

Elizabeth: Funnily enough, the thing that first sparked my interest in special events was shopping for an invitation to my high school graduation party. I remember being in the paper store, flipping through endless albums of invitations with my mother, and feeling like I could just stay there forever. When it came time for me to find a college internship I knew I wanted to learn more about events and couldn’t think of more joyous thing than a wedding. I still love weddings more than anything, whether I am the planner or a guest. How many occasions does one get where all of their loved ones are gathered in one room to celebrate something as happy as two people in love starting a new life together?

You gained so much creative experience working for beloved event planner Tara Guerard– what was the number one most valuable lesson you learned from your time with her?

Elizabeth: It is so hard to choose only one! I cannot tell you how many times in the process of starting Bespoke Proposals that I have thought, “What would Tara do?” I have to say her confidence is what makes her the best at what she does. She built Soiree based on the confidence that she could create beautiful things for betrothed couples and that trait exudes throughout the entire planning process with her. Brides are so often full of indecision and nerves, but Tara has a way of getting to know people and their desires very quickly. That makes for simple decision making and that easy assurance she passes along to her couples is welcomed. I want to pass that same confidence along to every person I help propose. The day you ask someone to marry you is one of those high points in life, and you deserve to enter it with the faith that everything is going to go your way.

image by Cynthia Kain Photography

With weddings becoming more and more creative, detailed, and personalized, why is having an equally romantic proposal important?

Elizabeth: One of the main pillars by which I live my life is that you should live every day to the fullest. Great moments don’t just fall into our laps, we have to make them. Some days that can be kind of hard– those mundane Tuesdays when you’re sitting in your windowless office– but big moments, like proposals, provide us with fabulous opportunities to make a milestone special for the ones we love. I believe that those opportunities should be taken advantage of!

image by Cynthia Kain Photography

Tell us a little bit about Bespoke Proposals– how is your vision of a proposal different from (or similar to!) the other-the-top, dramatic, made-for-TV version of a proposal?

Elizabeth: The proposals that I strive to produce are seen but also felt. Proposals seen on TV are full of grandiosities like helicopters, ball gowns, and beaches in Bali. This is beautiful, but it isn’t real life for most of us. The most important thing is that a proposal be built exclusively for your One, not the masses. True romance is knowing someone so intimately that you’re able to create the perfect, personalized experience for them. It’s about knowing the details that would be important to them and implementing those so their specific dream comes true, no matter how simple or how grand. It is for this exact reason that I don’t think Goggling proposal advice is very productive. All of those tips were built for someone else, not for you. Get creative and stay personalized.

What was the first proposal you helped plan? What was the most memorable proposal you’ve helped plan?

Elizabeth: My first proposal was probably also the most memorable because it was my first go at this. The couple was from New York City and they embodied that Manhattan sophistication, so I wanted to give them a very New York experience. Gramercy Park is a small fenced-in park in lower Manhattan. It is one of only two remaining private parks in New York City, and the only people with keys are the owners of homes adjacent to the park. It is kind of a curious mystery to locals, but I learned about a loophole. If you are a guest of the Gramercy Park Hotel, the hotel can give you access to the park.

This location combined all of the things he was looking for: a beautiful setting, an exclusive experience she couldn’t stumble into on an ordinary day, and that style so embodied by New York, so it was the ideal place to pop the question. He booked a room and got that Yes! he was looking for! The entire day was planned out– from the ruse to get her to the hotel to the after party where they celebrated with 25 close friends and family.

Beyond proposals (and/or weddings), what’s your dream creative project?

Elizabeth: Oh I love this one! My dream for forever has been to own my own boutique hotel. We have family in a beautiful historic town along the coast of North Carolina and I would love nothing more than to open a small, 40 to 50 room hotel there. In my dreams it is complete with an oyster bar, a rooftop pool, and each room has it’s own huge clawfoot bathtub.

There is so much wedding inspiration out there– what’s your advice for brides and grooms as they go about starting their wedding planning journey? Where do you turn, personally, for inspiration?

Elizabeth: My best advice to brides is to be decisive. There are so many choices out there these days that it can be difficult to wade through them all. It is important to have confidence in your plan, and make decisions based on it. Choose one direction and find resources that fit within that feel or theme. My wedding was in horse country outside of Washington, DC so I stuck to local Virginia wedding resources, mostly blogs. That made it easier for me to choose things that were “of” my location and were also easy to implement.

What’s next for you? What’s next for Bespoke Proposals?

Elizabeth: My dream for the company is to eventually see it expanded into other consulting areas for men. I would love to fill that niche between the wealthy who have personal assistants and busy people who struggle to do it all on their own. Now, men may have help in certain areas of their lives– physical trainers for example– but to my knowledge there is not one go-to place for the everyman to make his life a little easier. These opportunities can go beyond romantic events like proposals and anniversaries and into niche, almost concierge-like areas. I think the sky is the limit!

Follow along with Elizabeth and her fabulous proposals on Facebook | on Twitter! all images, unless credited, courtesy of Elizabeth! 

I’m so thrilled to showcase the personality and talent of such a fabulous lady– I’ve long felt like kindred spirits with Chicago-based photographer Cassandra Eldridge and to have the opportunity to showcase her style is a big honor! Between her charming photographic style, her genuine and heartfelt blog posts, and her artistic, yet elegant, lifestyle, she is a thrill to follow and a friend to cherish. She’s already captivated the hearts of brides across the Midwest (and Paris!)– world domination is sure to follow!

What first sparked your interest in photography? When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into making it your career?

Cassandra: My parents were always so encouraging. My mom would always tell me that I had a great eye, and I never really knew what that meant, but it made me want to keep a digital camera on me at all times (my first one was a little red Kodak point and shoot). About 10 years later, while I was living in Colorado, I was in such a strange spot of not knowing what I wanted to do with my life. I knew that it had to be creative, and it wasn’t working the 9-5 that I currently had. That just wasn’t working for me.

Soon after this push and pull, my father fell ill with Stage 4 cancer, and this put everything in my entire life into perspective. I knew I had to take the leap, if not for me, then for him. He was an entrepenuer himself, and nothing gives me more pride than seeing how proud he is, and having the unwavering support from him and my mother. They made this all possible for me. I can’t say I would have done it without their encouragement. I just wasn’t brave enough.

What’s your favorite part of a wedding day?

Cassandra: That’s such a tough question. The story of a wedding day as a whole is such a magical thing, isn’t it? I would have to say either the first look (if they choose to take this route) or being at the reception; this is my answer for many of reasons.

One: you have peace of mind as the photographer. You know this is the last stop of the night. You didn’t get lost. Everyone you need is in one room. The bride and the groom are together. Solace. Two: so many magical candids happen during this time. The bride and groom are seeing people they haven’t seen in ages, they’re seeling people they love unconditionally, speeches are being made and people are crying. It’s just so lovely and vulnerable.  And the first dance / father-daughter dance? Don’t even get me started. I cry 99% of the time.

Nowadays, everyone is a “photographer” (thanks iPhones)– but what does being a professional look like behind-the-scenes? What does a typical work day look like for you?

Cassandra: Oh man. I will say that leaving my 9-5 some days has me scratching my head. “Why did you do that? You had it made! A set schedule, a steady paycheck, how heavenly.”– but the truth is, having your freedom is a beautiful thing, when you know how to balance it. It takes a while, but once you nail down a system that works for you, you quickly realize that you’re one of the lucky ones.

A typical day for me, should I have weddings and portrait sessions to edit would go a little something like this…

I wake up slow (I always need about an hour of quiet time– drinking some tea, eating a big breakfast, catching up on my favorite blogs) then I will work on my blog for the day, hoping to have this done by 11am or so. I’ll spend some time answering emails, and then I will take about a 2 hour break in the afternoon for some “me” time– playing with my puppy, taking an afternoon bath (hello induglence!), do some grocery shopping… then I will return home to do some editing. By 5 or 6, I try to wrap up for the day. If I finish early, I may look at that as a bonus, or I may draft up some blog posts for the week. See? It’s all about balance!  It’s a tiring job, and it takes a LOT of tedious time and discipline to ensure you get everything met on time, but it really is so worth it.

You’re very vocal about keeping balanced as a businesswoman and a creative– what are your top five comfort must-haves?

Cassandra:
- fresh flowers near my work space
- a hot bath when my shoulders and lower back begin to bother me from sitting in a chair all day
- some good music on the iPod dock
- my heated throw blanket (I am always cold!)
- some good snacks and fun flavored tea (I love working alongside wheat thins, coconut milk yogurt with berries + vanilla caramel tea)

Where do you turn for inspiration? Do you have any specific mentors or role models?

Cassandra: Other bloggers, absolutely. This is such an amazing industry of people willing to share their lives and muses, and I feel grateful to be a small part of it. Some of my favorite bloggers that always give me inspiration are Mikaela Ruth (a lovely Canadian wedding photographer with some of the sweetest passages); YOUR blog– you have such honesty with what you say and I’m always so excited to see what you’ll be talking about each day; a few other blogs– Cupcakes & Cashmere (her simplicity and care free way of life is a reminder that I often need), Bleubird (I adore her mothering ways, and she leaves me feeling so excited for my future)… I literally could go on and on here.

Pinterest is another way to connect with photographers who remind me of what’s important. Shooting beyond the subject and trying to capture that story and bring it to life. Sometimes we get in a creative rut, and it’s so nice to have a one stop shop that can provide us with some spark.

One of my favorite projects of yours is your Love Sparks series with your boyfriend Trent; what have you found to be the secret to a successful, healthy, and passionate relationship? What keeps the love going when life gets real (and hard)?

Cassandra: Thank you! We have so much fun with it. Of course there are days where we’re like “oh shoot… it’s Sunday!” and throw together a last minute photo, but no matter what, we remember the challenge at hand– and we love it.

We don’t have much of a secret really– we just both genuinly enjoy each other. We’re rarely serious, and I think that’s so important. Life itself can already be so intense, you know? Some of my favorite moments with him are when we’re doubled over from laughing so hard. Sometimes for so long that we forget what the culprit was! He’s just so fun… and I never doubt his love for me. He makes it apparent every single day through the smallest actions… but bringing home flowers and cute gifts never hurts either. He’s good at that too.

What is your dream creative project?

Cassandra: I would absolutely die if I ever got to shoot for Kinfolk or Hearth Magazine.  I don’t even know what else to say. That’s it, that’s my dream project. 100%.

You’re based in Chicago, one major city I don’t know much about– what are a few not-to-be-missed places you’d recommend to a friend visiting?

Cassandra: Well first I recommend that you come either in the spring or summer– dodge the winter! What they say are not myths. It can be quite bruital. Summer in Chicago is my favorite, and I highly recommend heading over to either Oak Street Beach or North Ave Beach to take in the sun, hit the little tiki bar for some mid-day cocktails and some snacks, play some beach volleyball.

For dinner, RPM is my all time new favorite Chicago spot.The food is absolutely outstanding. Lou Malnati’s beats Giordannos for me for Chicago Style Pizza, too.

Parooze around Water Tower Mall (it’s lovely), check out Top Shop (we’re one of only four locations!), head on over to the Hershey Chocolate store/museum, and go a little bit further south to see the Planetarium (I’m obsessed with planetariums) and/or the Shedd.

If you’re a sports fan, I highly recommend heading over to histroic Wrigleyville to watch the Cubbies. Head over to Bacci’s pizza for the biggest slice of pizza and a soda for only $4 (it’s so good!) or walk over to Cubbie Bear for live music and fun Chicago baseball fans. Oh, and you can NEVER go wrong by getting tickets to the Mad House to see the Bulls or Blackhawks play– those, are some of my all time favorite Chicago memories.

My perfect day is _____.

Cassandra: Waking up early, reading all of my favorite blogs before 10am, going out to breakfast, walking around in a maxi dress (which means the weather is lovley!) to do a little shopping, grabbing some lunch at an outdoor cafe, heading over to the beach to catch some vitamin D, coming home to cook a nice intimiate dinner, watch one of my favorite movies that I just can’t seem to get sick of, and end it all with a hot lavender bubble bath. Perfect day!

What’s next for you? What’s next for Cassandra Photo?

Cassandra: Ah, who knows!? That’s where the fun lies, right? The not knowing. I suppose I will continue to be obsessed with all of my clients and throw my heart and soul into capturing all of the magic that’s around me… and sharing it with all of you through my blog… and of course reaching for that aforementioned Dream Project. xx

Follow along with all of Cassandra’s adventures on her blog | on twitter! | on instagram | on pinterest | on Facebook | all images courtesy of or by Cassandra!

Charlottesville photographer Jack Looney can only be described as beloved. The brides and grooms he photographs love him; the community of wedding professionals love him; his fellow photographers look to him as a mentor, role model, and friend. Jack steps into leadership roles with an effortlessness reserved for only the most humble, talented, and kind creatives. Teamwork, collaboration, and showcasing the talents of others are what Jack does best– besides, of course, creating photographs.

What first sparked your passion for photography?

Jack: I spent my early childhood living on an island off the coast of Georgia (St. Simons Island) and in Savannah, and was inspired by the live oaks, Spanish moss and history, not to mention the marshes and all that live in and around them.

Photography didn’t strike me on a serious level until I worked for United Airlines filling in at airports such as Chicago O’Hare, Portland Maine, Charlottesville, Charleston, SC, Allentown, Shenandoah Valley, and others. There was lots of downtime between flights, and there were wonderful things to photograph (jets, helicopters, big sky views/storms/sunrise/sunsets on the ramps, ramp high jinks, propellers and chrome, etc.). I love ‘behind the scenes’ access and all that comes with it. I spent a small fortune on film processing in my airline years. I’m quite certain I spent more at Stubblefield’s Photo Lab in Charlottesville than I spent on my college degree. Frank Crocker was a friend and fellow United employee (with United in Charlottesville), and we’d have informal photo contests while at work. We also took photo trips (first class for free, as an employee) to photogenic places like Zion National Park, and others. I never thought of myself as a wedding photographer early on, but once I shot one (as a favor to a friend) I was hooked!

What is your strongest personality trait and how does it positively influence your work?

Jack: I’d like to think that I engage and get along with people, and as a photographer, that makes me enjoy what I do, because if you listen well, sincerely care and are willing to adapt, then clients appreciate those traits. That’s just my opinion. Plus I work a bazillion hours to stay on top of things.

Photography is profession in which very subjective results are created, so you (as a photographer) really should listen to a client’s vision and preferences, AND be willing to do things in addition to your expectations, wedding check-list and comfort level for that matter. Plus, I believe that enthusiasm for your profession is pretty valuable. I’m lucky to have a job that I absolutely love.

What is one of your favorite images and why?

Jack: No favorites. You know, all images (in terms of weddings) are important, even if in a checklist sort of way. That said, I always hope to find (among my images after a wedding) that candid moment in which I’m amazed as a viewer. That keeps me going, I think. Sort of like a fisherman always thinking with the next cast he’ll catch THAT fish. I think that’s a photojournalist’s motivation. That moment when having great equipment (and knowledge of that equipment), enthusiasm, assertiveness, positioning, knowledge of settings for that lighting situation, and just plain luck will create a timeless shot. I love weddings, the documenting, creating, and all of the posed and family shots. Every bit of it. But I’m always hoping for some unexpected amazing highlight shots. Absolutely. And it doesn’t happen as often as you’d think.

What is your favorite part of a wedding day?

Jack: It’s all fun with weddings. I guess the time I’m allowed to be alone with the couple is my favorite. That’s my best chance to get the shots the couple will really cherish.

What is your dream project to shoot?

Jack:  Nothing comes to mind, but I get particularly excited by collaborative projects, whether music, music video, weddings, weddings as 2nd shooter, weddings for friends, documentary projects, insect and reptile projects, etc. Documentary projects for organizations such as The Nature Conservancy or Southern Environmental Law Center excite me. Going out on the road on occasion for musical artists does too. Meaningful pro-bono projects are aplenty here in our area, and I try to be available for as many of them as I can! I also really enjoy working with local musicians. I have to be careful about what it is I dream about, since I try not to travel much anymore, having young kids and all…

My perfect day is spent _____.

Jack: We’re in the process of booking a lakehouse for a week this summer, and I’m really excited about days on or around the dock fishing, swimming, canoeing and grilling with the kids and Ryan (my wife).

You’re such a leader and mentor in the Charlottesville photography scene– who are your mentors? Who and what do you look to for inspiration?

Jack: I don’t really have a traditional mentor, although I draw inspiration and advice from all sorts of folks around here, and my parents and in-laws are wonderful people and advisors. And my wife is someone I respect immensely and rely on a lot. I’m very fortunate.

Dan Addison, UVa’s photographer, was sort of a photo-mentor early on in the process. To this day, we bounce lots of ideas off one another. And Jim Hall and I share lots of ideas. He moved, unfortunately, to San Francisco long ago. But our careers are in parallel in many ways, and he’s a guy I really connect with. Oh, and my Dad’s a nature photographer, and has been really supportive over the years. And we’re able to share lots through photography, which is really nice. I admire so many people in and orbiting around the photography community here, and feel a tremendous amount of support within the community. It’s great considering my profession is sort of a solitary one, traditionally.

What’s next for you? What’s next for Jack Looney Photography?

Jack: I just love being a part of the scene here in Charlottesville. Every day brings a chance for a fun, new project, collaboration or event. And weddings every weekend!

Follow along with Jack on his blog, Twitter, and Facebook! All images by or courtesy of Jack Looney.

image by Meg Runion

I’m endlessly fascinated by the makers of jewelry– the process from raw materials to finished product is an intricate, creative, and subjective experience and all the love that goes in to each piece is astounding. And whether a jewelry line is massed produced or completely customized, it all starts somewhere: with a bead, a strangely-shaped piece of metal, a shiny stone.

I connected with designer Tricia Humphreys through our mutual friend Jen Fariello in my quest to discover more local artists and makers. The jewelry Tricia creates is a mash-up of old and new. When Tricia talks about her jewelry, it’s as if she’s discussing the lives of old friends– to her, each antique piece, whether it be a locket, part of a belt buckle, or a portion of a pocket watch, tells a story, one that she feels privileged to retell as she creates something entirely new by intertwining an “old” piece with new beading.

image by Tom Daly

When did your interest in jewelry begin?

Tricia: Don’t all little girls love jewelry? I can honestly say I have loved it all my life. As a child on vacation, I can remember visiting the amusement park at the beach night after night, collecting my arcade tickets, saving up for one very sparkly ring in the prize case. I still have that ring! My family has always celebrated milestones with gifts of jewelry… confirmations, turning 16, 18, 21, graduations, engagements, weddings, anniversaries, having babies and so on. Jewelry becomes a marker of a particular time in your life, and that gives each piece a sentimental meaning.

image by Tom Daly

My first job was in a jewelry store! I wasn’t even old enough to drive. The manager put me behind the counter at the ripe old age of 15 and I was in heaven.

My interest in antique jewelry dates back to childhood as well. My grandparents loved to go antiquing and I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of weekends with them. While they were hunting for the things they loved, I would go straight to the jewelry case. I always found myself wondering about the original owner of each piece of jewelry and how one came to be separated from the other.

At what point did you realize you wanted to make jewelry into a fully-realized business?

Tricia: My sister and I started making jewelry as soon as she was old enough to drive us to the bead store in the Fan District of Richmond. But things really got started for us on a rainy day at the beach in 2001.  With nothing else to do, we found a few bead stores, came back to the house and made a dozen necklaces. GotRocks was born. We started having trunk shows once or twice a year and our friends became loyal customers. Back then our primary goal was to make enough money to go to New York, buy more beads and start all over again!

image by Tom Daly

Then in 2011, my friend Wendi Smith of Leftover Luxuries fame connected me with Lynne Goldman and Steve Metz of Lynne Goldman Elements (formerly Lynne Goldman Studio). They have been carrying our work for almost two years and that has really enabled us to take things to a whole new level. They really “get” what we’re trying to do and see the value and beauty in it. The opportunity and encouragement I have gotten from Lynne and Steve has just been life changing! And now they’ve opened a stunning new store on the Downtown Mall… you have to go see it!

image by Jen Fariello

Take us behind the scenes: what does an average day look like for you? 

Tricia: Well, my real job is being a mom, so my days pretty much revolve around that, but I do spend a ton of time hunting for antique pieces that speak to me. I am REALLY picky, so the hunt can be time consuming. Whenever possible I love to find things in person, but I also have some great online resources. I tend to collect pieces for a while and then sit down to production. It ends up being a four to six week cycle; two to three weeks hunting, two to three weeks creating and producing.

image by Meg Runion

The concept of mixing old and new is one fashion folks are fascinated with; tell us a little about the concept and inspiration behind your pieces!

Tricia: The antiques are inspiration in and of themselves. I don’t buy a piece unless I am completely and totally in love with it. By the time I pull the trigger, I already have a picture in my head of how it is going to look in the end.

Anyone can take a sweet, romantic Victorian locket and turn it into a sweet, romantic necklace. What I love to do it to take that same piece and create something entirely unexpected. The best is when I can make something look really modern, even though it is over 100 years old; or when I can take a masculine piece like a watch fob or a sporting medal and make it look feminine; or when I can rework something that started its life as one thing and turn it into a wearable piece of jewelry. Every piece I purchase was once a symbol of something, of love, or loss, or hope, or accomplishment. To me they are orphans who have somehow lost their way. I love to bring them back to life and give them new homes.

How do you combat creative blocks? What do you do to keep yourself refreshed and creatively challenged?

Tricia: After I have been in production mode for a while my studio looks like a bomb went off. Cleaning up and reorganizing always makes me happy and it gives me a clean slate to work on. That’s a real boost for creativity. Coming home from bead buying with strands and strands of new sparkly things also really gets the creative juices flowing.

image by Tom Daly

Being a businesswoman is surely part of your life; what parts of your personality lend itself the business side of your company and the creative side? Are there aspects of small-business-owning that you want to continue improving?

Tricia: Believe it or not, being a stickler for details works for both my creative and business sides. It is the little details that make something special and beautiful. My work is very carefully crafted and being a little on the anal side really helps. And it helps on the business side for obvious reasons.

image by Meg Runion

What jewelry or fashion trends are you loving right now?

Tricia: Fall and winter fashions were a great source of inspiration because the focus was on color, especially jewel tones. For spring, I think the colors are going to go a little softer, but color is color and that’s what I love. For better or worse, I don’t really try to follow fashion with my work, I just try to make things that are beautiful. Beauty is always in style, right?

What advice do you have for up-and-coming designers or creatives? How do you create and run a small business while having a balanced life?

Tricia: Balance? You’re talking to the wrong person. Although I strive for that, I am far from it and sometimes my house feels like it is falling down around me! But I think the best advice is to create a great space to work in, even if it is just a worktable in a corner of a room. Then do what you love, and do it with confidence and conviction, and others will see the beauty and the value in it.

image by Tom Daly

What’s next for you?

Tricia: Long term, I would love to create a limited edition line of vintage-and antique-inspired jewelry based on pieces I collect.But in the short term, I’m just hoping for a long weekend in New York with my sister to find more goodies to work with!

Find Tricia’s line, GotRocks Jewelry, exclusively at the new Lynne Goldman Elements on the Downtown Mall and follow along on Facebook! 

Arguably the most unforgettable man in Charlottesville, Hawes Spencer is the one behind your local news. If you’ve ever picked up a newspaper, listened to a radio broadcast, or watched a nightly news show local to Charlottesville, Virginia, you’ve been under his influence.

Wait– I know what you’re thinking. This is a wedding & lifestyle inspiration blog. Why are we getting all deep and newsy? Why do I need to know about the life of a former newspaper editor, investigative news reporter, and business owner? Well, for starters, we’re all people here– not just brides. You’re likely creative, entrepreneurial, business savvy yourself. Think of our chat with Hawes as a mini-internship– there are tips and tricks for life and business galore. Secondly, one thing I love about Hawes (who took a chance and gave me an internship, which lead to a job, which lead to my current role as editor of Hook Weddings) is his willingness to embrace change and his unfailing commitment to journalism– because heaven knows this new media world needs it. When it comes to social media, twittering, blogging, all the new ways we communicate, Hawes is on it. Instead of digging in his heels and refusing to go digital, he studied up and became as socially-coordinated as they come.

Trust me on this one and say hello to Hawes Spencer–>

Why is it so important to have strong local journalism?

Hawes: If there’s no local journalism, important stories just won’t get written. First and foremost people are members of their community and they can debate all they want about national issues and fiscal cliffs and gun control and abortion, but it all starts at the local level. But, at the same time, the local level is a hard place to make the numbers work– you’re relying on mom and pops businesses for advertisers and, by and large, they don’t have money.

The Hook in 2009 (that’s Hawes and current editor Courteney Stuart on the cover!)

The daily paper is still really important. The so-called alternate press is also important– but the main difference between The Hook and The Daily Progress is just that The Hook is free. The Hook has been unusual in that it doesn’t just write lifestyle stuff like a lot of alternative papers across America do. The alternative press took on a pretty ambitious mission of serving as an additional check on government and as a check on the mainstream media in their town. In order to have a vibrant intellectual life in a town, it’s important to have a multitude of sources.

What was an average day like for you, as the editor of a newspaper?

Hawes: I’d show up at my desk, check what was going on in town, find out if there was any breaking news, then start the day with a meeting among the dream team– the four full time members of the news staff, Courteney, Dave, Lisa, and myself– and we’d throw out ideas, try to find enterprise journalism; it was a great interplay of ideas.

Enterprise journalism isn’t going to get done if you wait for a press release or a statement from an official; it’s those stories people don’t necessarily want done. It doesn’t mean it’s going to be a negative story, it just means it’s going to involve creativity on the part of the news organization. I’m proud that we did a lot of that.

A re-interpretation of The Hook’s logo

Let’s talk social media– what is the most important social media tool for journalism?

Hawes: I only personally got on Facebook 4-5 months ago and I’m amazed at what a powerful channel it is. So many people get most or all of their news from their friends’ recommendations. If you’re not embracing social media, you really run the risk of getting left in the dust. It’s challenging– an online story transmitted through social media doesn’t have the ability to generate the revenue that a traditional story has in print– certainly not a local story. The economics are still heavily weighed in favor of the print product– advertisers continue to value that far higher than they do page views. News online is an incredible business challenge.

The very first issue of The Hook, in 2002.

You started up two incredibly successful news publications– what advice do you have to up-and-comers (in all industries)?

Hawes: Do your research and follow your dream. I wouldn’t start up another newspaper in Cville, not with as many as we already have, but there’s always going to be room for well-researched, well-packaged information.

Vintage Hawes– during his days as the editor of C-ville Weekly

If you could go back and do it all again, what would you do different?

Hawes: It always worked out just right for me– I wouldn’t change anything. I’ve been incredibly fortunate in everything I’ve worked on; I can’t believe how lucky I’ve been, my timing has been right on. I’m so glad that I got to edit Charlottesville newspapers for 23 1/2 years.

The Hook, 2009

When you were at The Hook, jugging a million projects, stories, and responsibilities, were you able to find balance?

Hawes: It’s not easy to have that discipline; I’m always encouraged or impressed by the example of John Grisham, who says he writes a significant amount every single day, bar none. That level of discipline has made him the most consistently best selling author in the world. He’s someone who strolls the Downtown Mall and seems perfectly comfortable in his own skin. He’s certainly found that balance of how to work professionally on your own and he’s a good example for all of us.

Suppose you just discipline yourself to being really charged up in the first couple of hours of your work day– I got all my Hook work done between the hours of 7am-noon. And then the afternoon was just gravy, where I could pursue some less important story or I could coach someone on something, just be available to troubleshoot things that might come up. I had the discipline to get up really early every morning and tackle all the burning fires, so when afternoon rolled around, there weren’t a lot of fires left to put out.

Hawes, current editor Courteney, and myself at a local game show for charity (and yes, we did win).

What do you value most in a person?

Hawes: A willingness to learn and a weird mixture of confidence and humility.I don’t think confidence and a willingness to learn are mutually exclusive. You have to have talent to get in the door and some experience, but there’s such a thing as too much confidence.

Hawes’ most beloved cover story, penned in 2009 (pilots are his real-life heros).

My perfect day is _____.

Hawes: Making breakfast for the kids, going out to the yard, cutting limbs from tree, lighting them into a giant bonfire, and drinking locally brewed beer.

The Hook, 2005

What’s next for you?

Hawes: I don’t know. I’m going skiing tomorrow. I wouldn’t mind having a good job, but I’m not expecting that I’m going to get some fancy job. I would be perfectly happy, for a while anyway, being a cub reporter at the Progress or one of the TV stations in town, even a radio station. I don’t have to have a big time job anymore, and it’s a huge relief and a huge luxury that I can just do what I want to do. I don’t have anything lined up, I haven’t made a single phone call in search of a job. I know people think I’m going to do some big time news outlet and I’m flattered that people want to think that– but there’s something to be said for expanding your horizons and I would get a kick out of working for a local TV station, improve my public speaking ability, learn to write pithily, and to learn to edit video: all important skills in the 21st century information economy and I find that a very desirable outcome.

–so much fun to chat with my former editor and a massive player in the Cville media scene! Stay tuned– he’s sure to make a comeback with something exciting, unexpected, and innovative.

This week, I dedicated this blog to celebrating my dear friend and mentor Jen Fariello. We’ve had fun interviews, glimpsed into her everyday life, and feasted on so much of her work as if it were candy. There’s no perfect way for me to thank her enough for all she’s brought to my life– and I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. So, without further ado, a celebration of Jen from the people who love her the most–>

love, jeannine lalonde

love, heather mott

love, meghan streit

love, robert radifera

love, jen maton

love, jan glennie-smith

love, sherry & pat

love, jennifer carroll

love, chris conklin (and emmett!)

Jen– you are so, so, so loved! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

image by Ron Dressel

These week, we’ve been celebrating the talent, creativity, and personality of our dear friend Jen Fariello. Honored by such publications as The Knot, Virginia Living, Wedding Wire, and more, Jen’s wedding work is renowed; her family and baby portraits are beloved; and her creative work graces the pages of national and local magazines every month. One thing Jen told me about loving to work in weddings is this: her brides and grooms become forever clients, as they trek back to Charlottesville for annual family portraits, ask Jen to photograph their newborns, and, eventually, recommend Jen to shoot their children’s weddings. It’s a never-ending cycle of loveliness and Jen and her work are steadfastly at the center of it.

If you could be anywhere else in the world right now, living a very different lifestyle, where would you be and what would you be doing?

Jen: I would be living in the South of France surrounded by animals and my boys. I would spend my days tending to the flower and vegetable garden and baking pies and breads. Documenting it all on film of course!

If you were introducing a newcomer to Charlottesville, where are three places you would take them?

Jen: Mas, the Downtown Mall and Pippin HIll Winery

What is your favorite memory from your wedding? What was the most unexpectedly stressful thing to plan?

Jen: I loved watching it all come together. Watching the tent go up, the barn being draped, the hay bales going on the grass and Chris and I putting the final touches on the front porch. Being married at  home was so special and I feel like I get to relive it all the time. The hay wreath still hangs on our barn. Chris’s grandmother died 2 days before the wedding so that was a really sad and stressful and certainly unexpected event that weighed heavy on all of us that weekend.

One of the other really vivid memory was when were were posing for our portraits on the front porch and I stopped and thought to myself…”so this is what it is like…wow…” I was referring to the tug that I felt between wanting to do what we were doing with our photographer and then missing what was happening during cocktail hour. I wanted to be with my guests and enjoy everything we had planned but I wanted lots of photos and was keenly aware of what my photographer needed from me. It really made me appreciate that part of the day from an entirely new perspective. If I could do it over again all I would really change is add more time to cocktail hour. It was such a beautiful day I didn’t want to go into the tent. We could have dined and danced under the stars.

What is your idea of happiness?

Jen: Spending my days doing what I love, surrounded by people I admire, trust and love and being able to put a smile on someone’s face.

image by Lynne Brubaker

What’s next for you?

Jen: Laundry and the gym.

For more Jen, follow her… on her website… on her blog… on Facebook… on Twitter!

image by Meg Runion

The name Jen Fariello is synonymous with excellence here in Charlottesville– and if you haven’t heard of her, you must be new in town. You don’t need to be in the wedding industry or a bride to know her; despite the many awards she’s won throughout the years for her wedding work, they are only half of Jen’s photographic focus. Families, babies, individual portraits– if you’re a Cville resident, Jen’s likely snapped a photo of you! From her earliest days as a photography student at UVA (and no, she didn’t plan on studying photography originally), to her journalistic work (when she lived and worked out of the Jefferson Theater on the Downtown Mall), to her very first weddings in the late ’90s, Jen’s enjoyed a full and thrilling creative, profesional, and personal life in Central Va. Without a doubt, she has made a memorable mark on her world.

image by Robert Radifera

There are so many ways to compliment your talents, so let’s just ask this: why photography? Why is this what you love to do?

Jen: That is so hard to describe. It has always been the language of my emotions (as cheesy as that sounds). I feel like some are good with words or their hands or numbers. I think and feel visually and my camera is how I express that, it is my tool. I love how a photograph can ignite a memory, an emotion, a feeling.

What is your dream creative project– the project to end all projects?

Jen: In a way I am living my dream project. Since I began my studio in 1996 I have been busy. Busy doing what I love for a living. I still can’t believe I get to do this for a living. I rarely have time to stop and ponder what if… what next. I used to think winter would be my down time and the time for other projects but winter is busy too, just in a different way.

If I could clone myself and work 120 hours a week instead of 80 hours a week I would love to do a book. I love images in print, in your hand. I love to flip pages to have that physical contact with images. A magazine would be amazing too.

image by Robert Radifera

What is the most magical part of a wedding day for you?

Jen: So hard to pick just one part of the day but I really love getting ready. I love the loveliness of all the details… I love the energy and excitement in the air. The anticipation of the day that will unfold in front of my camera. I am so excited for my bride each wedding day and I just can’t wait for it all to begin.

image by Aaron Watson

If we could only know three things about you, what would they be?

Jen: I love what I do! I am fairly shy when not doing it and… I keep thinking I am 25.

How has being a mom changed your approach to your work and your life? What does Emmett teach you? What do you want to teach him?

Jen: Adjusting to life as a mom while being someone who works 7 days a week has been a huge challenge. I have this zest for what I do and have always felt happiest doing it until Emmett came into my life. He is pure joy and happiness and so I have such a full life now. He teaches me that there is so much more to life than work and to really appreciate quality time together. To not waste a minute of it. I hope my husband and I can teach Emmett the incredible rewards one can have in life if you are able to do what you love for a living– to be creative and to work hard and to find the passion in yourself.

—————————————————————-

A few notes: this is part one of a two-parter interview– stay tuned for part two on Thursday! For more Jen, follow her… on her website… on her blog… on Facebook… on Twitter! BONUS: do you have a question for Jen– about weddings, photography, her life, her secrets?? Comment below and we’ll see how many she can answer this week…

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again– having a community is the only way to make it through this world with happiness, love, and success. I was thrilled to find such a strong blogging community through Blogcademy and am more and more in awe of my fellow Bloggets every day. Case in point: Marthe Hagen of The Freedom Experiment. Not only is she a wildly successful blogger, curating a loving community through her writing, but she just saw the eagerly anticipated launch of her first e-book (I reviewed it here and you can learn more here!) and is spending the rest of 2012 traveling the world.

What is Marthe all about? Self-love and taking those leaps necessary to achieve your dreams. Down with a world where we can’t talk about our dreams! Marthe wants you to boldly follow them wherever they take you.

Why did you start blogging? What motivated you to share your story?

Marthe: In the beginning, a little over four years ago, I started blogging to have a space to share everything that I found inspiring. I didn’t really create my own content at first, I just re-blogged images, video’s, quotes etc. However, I slowly re-discovered my love for writing and started writing original content for the blog. Over the course of about a year I eased into an article-based blog– while still keeping my original whimsical and romantic aesthetic vision.

It’s only during the last year that I have really been sharing my full story. I was originally motivated by personal reasons; I realized that I was living a double life that seemed so perfect on the surface, but underneath I was really depressed and unhappy. Opening up and sharing the story of my personal struggles has been the singlemost important thing I have ever done for myself. And coincidentally, I think it’s the most important thing I have done for my readers. I get lots of e-mails from people thanking me for being so open – it makes them feel hopeful, empowered and less alone.

I am motivated by helping others heal.

What is the biggest takeaway you want readers to get out of your e-book, Feeling Good When Life is Hard?

Marthe: The singlemost important thing I want people to walk away with is a sense that everything is possible. You CAN go through very challenging stuff and still thrive. I want people to feel empowered and inspired to make tiny changes that will have a huge impact on their happiness.

Take us behind-the-scenes: what was the writing process like for you? Why did you choose the e-book format versus a more traditional book publisher route?

Marthe: The writing process was very organic. I wrote the entire first draft from various coffee shops in East Village, NYC. I hired a wonderful graphic designer very early on, and spent a great deal of time e-mailing back and forth with her. She designed the book chapter by chapter as I sent her the finished manuscript in pieces.

However, ironically my life got a whole lot of different ways harder right after the first draft was finished. My boyfriend (of 8 years) left me, we had to sell our apartment, a lot of my friends disappeared and I found myself very lonely and insecure about living alone. And it was very hard! In retrospect, this is the best thing that could ever have happened to the book. I suddenly got a very real chance to test my own advice. Some of it fell though, and I discovered and learned other techniques and tools that made a great difference in my life.

My favorite bits of the book is your advice to write love lists– what are your top five things on your personal love list that you turn to the most for inspiration?

Marthe: Great question! I would say that the top 5 things on my list– that I find myself turning to almost daily– are tea, magazines, candles, writing and poetry.

The book is chock-full of amazing advice and tips for developing self-awareness and curating happiness and creativity; what piece of advice do you follow or need the most?

Marthe: Actually, I think writing a love list and implementing the small things into our busy and often challenging lifestyles is one of the most impactful pieces of advice from the book. It’s all about maximizing happiness with minimal effort.

Another very important concept from the book that I use a lot in my daily life is self-coaching. Basically, self-coaching is about becoming aware of the thoughts that create our emotions and actions. It’s so easy to think that a circumstance (like being in debt for example) is making us anxious and thus leading to mindless shopping. However, it’s the thought about the situation– what we make being in debt mean– that really creates the anxiousness. If you think “I’m so screwed, I won’t be able to pay my next installment” that will make you anxious, but if you replace the thought with “I’m in debt and that’s alright– I will pay it off little by little”– you are in a whole different position to take action. If you want to learn more about self-coaching, I explain it more in depth in the book. Brooke Castillo also has a great e-book on self-coaching.

It’s an average Tuesday: what is the day like for you?

Marthe: Well, as I write this– it’s Sunday– but that doesn’t really matter to me. I don’t really have average days– as I work for myself and travel a lot. At the time of writing, I am visiting friends in Los Angeles. I am jet-lagged so I woke up at 5 am. The first thing I do in the morning is to make coffee, then I very often sit down to either write, answer e-mails or work on a creative project. I work for about 3-4 hours before I get out and about to meet people or run errands etc. Since I am travelling at the moment, I have plans to go to a yoga and wine tasting event on a vineyard outside Los Angeles today. Loving my life!

What are three words to describe you?

Marthe: Soulful and soul-full– as I often wear my emotions on the outside. People read me like an open book.
Adventurous– I’ll try anything once!
Phoenix– I crash and burn and re-invent myself often.

What’s next for you? What’s next for The Freedom Experiment?

Marthe: I very recently made the decision to put my law studies on hold for another term, as I go about writing and life coaching. I’m in the middle of life coach training, and I will very soon take on my first practice clients (jump on my newsletter to get updates if you are interested in some low-cost coaching– http://eepurl.com/d93n9). I have just joined a co-working office for young entrepreneurs, so creative work is definitely the direction I am flowing in.

My immediate plans are very cool too– I am currently in Los Angeles for Christmas– and then I fly off to Thailand to spend the new-years with my family there. I am so blessed to be able to live my life like this– my biggest joy is that I can work from anywhere and meet a lot of wonderful new people from all over this beautiful earth.

It truly is a wonderful world.

We are so enamored with Marthe and the lifestyle she represents– her story and her e-book should be staples in every modern woman’s life! If you’re happy, normal, busy, depressed, tired, flustered, kicking butt, or just needing to refresh your crazy life, check out Feeling Good When Life is Hard and keep The Freedom Experiment on your blog reader. Follow Marthe on Twitter as well! Thank you Marthe for sharing your lovely outlook with us! All images via Marthe’s Instagram