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Brooke, One Small Blonde
Started as something empowering. I admit throwing it around from time to time when I was surrounded by people taking the plunge, ...
Read moreArtists, academics, athletes, whatever categories you happen to fall under, we all feel dried up at some point, losing our sense of why, how, and even what we are doing.
Read moreSOCIETY
Bishop Arts District
SOCIETY by Jackson Vaughn is a tiny candle shop in the Bishop Arts District that looks - and smells - exactly like you walked into someone's candle-filled study. It's eclectic but cohesive. Knick knacks and enough scents to spend a whole afternoon smelling. Walking in is instantly relaxing and cozy, and even though it's small, it's easy to get lost in there.
HOUNDSTOOTH
Sylvan Thirty
Houndstooth Coffee is a slightly mellower Houndstooth than it's sister location on Henderson. The muted greens, natural wood, and sleek blacks and whites, make this a perfect place to get some work done, but mostly chat with a friendly neighbor. It makes the city of Dallas feel like a small town, where most people who walk through stop to say hello, catch up, and go on with their days. Natural light streams in, and the palm fronds that lean against the side windows make you feel like you could be anywhere in the world (other than Dallas).
Set & Co.
Davis Street
Housewares, magazines, furniture, and every other perfectly-curated trinket you can imagine. Walking in to Set & Co. is like walking into your interior-designer-friend's house and wanting everything for yourself but then actually being able to buy it. It is owned by a husband and wife who are just as cool as their store and it is always a welcome space where you can wander, peruse, and treat yourself.
Place on Parry
Fair Park
Place on Parry is a blank canvas plus a little bit more. An all-white event space that is literally anything you want it to be. Rentable as a photo studio, workshop space, a place to host a dinner or engagement party, it's lofty ceilings and open floor plan are perfect for letting your creativity take over. It has a huge window in serving as the street-side wall that let's in so much light, that would make any photographer swoon.
Americano
The Joule Hotel
The food is amazing, that's a given. But the color palette at Americano is what makes this Italian-American restaurant inside the Joule Hotel so special. Lovely hues of turquoise, red, and green against a black grid of windows really transports diners into a world where siestas and afternoon Aperol spritzes replace the mid-afternoon slump and another cup of bland coffee. It's comfortable, it's happy, there's pizza - it's wonderful. Added bonus: there's a neon sign in the very back that reads: IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD. (what Instagram dreams are made of)
Local Press & Brew
Oak Cliff
The best place about Local Press & Brew is that this coffee shop slash juice bar not only makes all their products locally, but they also sell and support work of local artisans. It's sleek and contemporary without losing any sense of hospitality. White subway tile, minimal wood stools, marble tables, a wall of mirrors, and beautifully displayed local goods make Local a perfect place to stop in, grab a green juice, take a breath, recharge, and tackle the rest of the day.
The Swoon Event is a well-crafted wedding vendor event bringing a select group of creatives together in a wedding venue to rock what they got for soon-to-be-brides
Read moreBECKLEY Photography (formerly BECKLEY & Co.) (yes we are still a team) (yes we still offer our styling services) (yes we hate that "& Co." wasn't accepted by the state's office as an official business title) (and yes we are still nursing our wounds)
... had the wonderful opportunity to work with Dan Sauer photography last weekend on a magical styled shoot. Dan is a photographer friend of mine from Los Angeles and coordinated this entire shoot in no time at all - which is a testament both to how amazing he is and also how phenomenal Dallas is. (In case you missed it, I think very highly of the Dallas creative community. See: Every post ever on the BECKLEY blog)
This was an exciting opportunity for the BECKLEY Photography team because our lovely Elizabeth did the hair and makeup for the "bride" and our brand new stylist Alex worked flawlessly on-set styling the models to perfection. Big win for team BECKLEY!
Let me list these fantastic vendors because they are forever my favorite people:
Photography | Dan Sauer Photography | @dan.sauer
Set Design | Melanie & Co. | @melanieannewing
Florist-tables | Platinum Petals Floral | @platinumpetalsfloral
Florist-crown/bouquet | Leeny's Flowers | @leenys_flowers
Model Stylist: | That's us! | @beckleyco
Dress | Circle Park Bridal | @circleparkbridal
Vintage rentals | Gold Dust Vintage | @golddustvintagerentals
Baker | @brigid.mcmahan
Calligraphy | Kimi Nam | @kimi.nam
Models | @claireballor & @james.voelker
January's featured event by MAXWELL & GRAY was a mommy + me pancake party with Dallas nutritionist Kara (NUTRITION BY KARA) teaching mommies and their little ones how to make easy and healthy four-ingredient pancakes. The kids loved learning how to make the pancakes, but we all know there is nothing better on a bright Saturday morning than sitting at a kiddie table, drowning your pancakes in syrup, and shoveling them down. (So kid-tested, mother-approved!)
Stacy from Maxwell & Gray goes above and beyond in putting these events together and we are so excited for February's event coming up in a little over a week! Click the link to register
Born out of personal experiences, BECKLEY Photography** was created to offer location and style consulting before and during photo shoots to give clients the exact images they want without too much hassle and planning on what should be the blissful side of things. We love shooting engagement photos because <see any engagement photo session we've ever done> ... they are just so magical. Happy couples enjoying new experiences together, dressed up for the occasion, laughing kind of nervously in front of the lens at first, and ultimately warming up to the whole photo shoot thing and having a ball.
AND SO
To kick off 2016 we are GIVING AWAY an engagement shoot PLUS style consulting (what he wears, what she wears, what colors, where to go, etc. etc.). Super fun and exciting stuff.
The giveaway is hosted on instagram, but we are happy to share some details here on the blog.
Valued at $350, we will choose one lucky winner to enjoy this photography + styling engagement shoot package!
TO ENTER:
+ Follow us on instagram @BECKLEYCO
+ Tag three friends on the image who are either rocking some new bling themselves or may know someone who knows someone ETC. who will enjoy the chance to win!
That's all!
** In other exciting news, we are officially BECKLEY PHOTOGRAPHY LLC and will be shifting some gears to properly represent the new business title
Part One of BECKLEY HOW TO
We will be sharing tips on taking photos with an iPhone and with a DSLR, how to edit photos on the computer and on your phone, lighting and composition tips, and a lot more. But on this Monday morning we thought we'd start slow and just share all our coffee photos from the past year or so.
Bon Java and Happy Monday
Sunshine and blue skies are what Taylor and Scott had hoped for during their engagement session at the Dallas Arboretum, but instead they were met with overcast, gloomy autumn weather. There is nothing better, though, as a photographer, than assuring clients that this crummy and dreary atmosphere creates the most beautiful lighting. Their faces lit up (and that's all the sunshine I needed - the cheese ends there I promise).
We had a wonderful day wandering the grounds, battling only a few hoards of children while in the pumpkin patch. The Arboretum offers so many beautiful backdrops - if anyone in Dallas hasn't been or is contemplating a membership, I think it's such a wonderful retreat so close to a large city, it's always worth it to go - and take lots of photos!
You know that cool new place you find that everyone has known about for years but it's new and exciting to you? THE JOULE. An absolute new favorite spot for coffee, food, drinks, work, play, occasional celeb sighting.
Last week I met up with Kathryn of Wrapped in Rouge at the sleek hotel, got my third caffeine fix for the morning at Weekend, chatted with every barista and lobby manager in sight, and got some really fun shots inside and outside of the hotel that I have been really excited about.
I love shooting with style bloggers because they are like living, breathing, Pinterest boards (or simply, style inspiration) that make me remember that there is more out there than black jeans and grey sweaters.
See her post here where she describes her outfit details better and more eloquently than I ever could.
Working with Amanda is like a breath of fresh air. At our last photo shoot in Deep Ellum I arrived in less-than-a-cheery mood because traffic and school children wandering the streets, and the whole no parking spots thing. It just wasn't pretty. So when I arrived she gets out of her car, sees me, hops back in, and hands me a purple and black glittery wand. What could change my mood faster than a wand?
I love Amanda's classy style that never bores. We brought on a lot of attention while dodging traffic to get these photos.
Worth it.
BECKLEY & Co. was founded with the vision of becoming the source of inspiration for creating complete images that combine style, location, and photography. Officially a year old as of October, we have come along way in curating a brand that melds our California roots with Dallas's accessible networking, startup, and creative community.
While we have immediate goals in reaching out to more Dallas creatives and collaborating to bring our expertise to this great city (and beyond!), we also have goals to acquire and create a studio space in the not-too-distant-future.
We are the cool and cozy navys, greys, whites, and blacks. We are natural wood and cool breezes. We are matte finishes and copper accents. We are sage and eucalyptus. We are cotton and linen. We are BECKLEY & Co.
And if we were a storefront, we would be S E T & C O., which is by far the best kitchen and home decor store in Dallas, and probably Texas, America, and the world.
Sometimes the vision can seem impossible or we can get distracted with whatever matter is right in front of us, but it is so refreshing to walk into a shop like S E T & C O or brainstorming with other Dallas creatives and realizing there is a lot out there that is very real and attainable given hard work and dedication.
