Megan Hively knows yoga.  I know this because I took her class several weeks ago.  The class was excellent,  just difficult enough but gave ample time for proper stretching.  I was sore the next day in the good, I exercised my body and feel it, kind of way. She impressed me with the flow of the class and knowledge of yoga so I…

This is not your average Effortless and Exquisite post because the day I’m going to describe is not your average day.  Certain ones we remember our entire lives.  This was one of those days.  It is still extremely surreal and I feel very blessed.  I will give you some of the background details and then the story.                                                      The Background:   I am…

Life is sometimes difficult.  I want my blog to be a helpful, witty read for everyone who visits.  I also want to talk about things in life that are substantive and even hard to write about.   Fourteen years ago my brother Robby had brain cancer at age 11.  Our family stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in New York City during his operation and his…

Some people study to learn a craft while a chosen few are born with boundless creativity and phenomenal skill.  It’s really not fair.  Janna Avery is one of those naturally talented people that if she wasn’t so nice, we’d gossip about her.  Callista Designs is the floral design company owned by Janna.  Janna mixes quirky with traditional arrangements and adds a few take-your-breath pieces to make each event amazing.  She is…

I sometimes have nothing to wear…well that isn’t actually true but I sometimes struggle with putting clothes together to find that just right look.  Fashion Stylist Nisha Evoy does not have that problem.  She became a stylist twelve years ago after Lucky Magazine inspired a passion for fashion.  Nisha counts Rachel Zoe and Nicole Richie among her fashion icons.  She…

Lights, Camera, wait, is my dress just right? Does my hair look funny?  I struggle uncomfortably with myself just before the button clicks.  My standard pose is rolling my eyes upward while inwardly grimacing, hoping the shot won’t be completely bizarre.  Some people are so photogenic and look fabulous in photos and other people end up a viral sensation with…

Event planning can be stressful.  Wedding planning can ruin lives.  Well, perhaps not to that extreme unless you live in the deep south and you have a family full of women that innately have a need for lavish weddings like people innately need air or water.  If you don’t already agree with me, you will never understand.  To combat the patchy hair loss that…

Fitness is a great idea in theory.  It is not effortless.  Most everyone wants to be fit but making it happen is the tricky part.  Gyms can be intimidating and the thought of a grueling workout for some is a huge turn off.  Two New Yorkers have a concept that battles those daunting gyms with the muscle head guys and women…

Autumn afternoons are best spent outside in the sunshine with the first cool breeze of the season blowing through the air.  Going to the pumpkin patch or corn maze with family or friends is my favorite way to usher in the colors and fun of fall.  This particular farm is in Rural Hill near Charlotte, NC.  The farm is also a historical site that…

  Call me Ishmael. I’m using the opening line from Moby Dick to begin my blog because I wasn’t sure how or where to start and it worked really well for Herman Melville. I had the idea for a blog several years ago but life, work, relationships, etc. take time and I procrastinated. Several years ago I saved a quote…