happy friday!

welcome to the first in my new series of mini shoots i'll be featuring on the blog each month.

if you're on the west coast like me, it may be hard to get in the spirit of a hot meal enjoyed in a cozy setting... with the heat and all. but, i have hopes it'll cool down again and we can go back to our

normal winter activities. like eating chili while curled up in blankets.

my inspiration was a date that you could go on right in your living room.

just set your coffee table, put out some blankets and floor pillows, and your set.

i used a mexican blanket we brought home from our last trip there. the navy reminded me of winter, so this was the perfect option. black kraft paper was a nice contrast as well as the cement block i've been dying to use. if you didn't know, i'm kind of obsessed with hardware stores. things like cement

blocks inspire me. strange... but as you can see, it made a nice pedestal for our chili condiments.

branches were placed down the center of the table and babys breath was attached to give them a little life.

silverware was wrapped with string and chargers for the individual cast iron bowls were made from rope.

the candles at night were just gorgeous. they provided all the light necessary for a nice dinner for two.

valentines day is coming up. how about staging this for your someone special?

or even adding a few more settings, inviting a few friends over and hosting a game night.

hope you enjoy! have a fabulous weekend... i'm off to the desert for some r & r.

i'm looking forward to some hiking, hopefully lounging by the pool, good food, good wine, and time alone with ryan:)