Now that we are embarking upon the autumn season, I wanted to take a moment to reflect upon one of this summer’s most special moments for me.

Last July, I had the honor of celebrating my birthday with some of my best friends at a brunch at the Blackwall Hitch in Annapolis, Maryland.

I’m a July baby, so I was born under the zodiac sign of cancer.  Because of that, along with the fact that I live in the great state of Maryland AND I grew up on the Jersey shore, I have a special place in my heart for the Maryland Blue Crab.  My birthday brunch showcased the Maryland blue card in our drink stirrers (created by California Lustre), on my birthday cake, and our dessert plates.

When they sat down for brunch, my girlfriends were greeted by a ruby, pink, and gold table.  The ruby linen came from our friends at Nuage Designs, the centerpiece was created by Intrigue Designs, and everyone’s place setting had a mussel shell place card (nod back to my Jersey shore roots) with their name handwritten in gold by the talented calligrapher, Laura Hooper.

I felt so blessed to have local artist, Jordan Werre, create our menu cards. The Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse scene is one of my Maryland favorites, so it felt incredibly special to see her work in action that morning.  If there is a chance that you don’t know Jordan Werre, you need to check her out!

Another one of my favorite details was my birthday cake created by Couture Cakes by Sabrina. I came up with the idea of the cake myself, but the flavor and the cake creation was all Sabrina! The flavor was a decadent red velvet cake with a white chocolate buttercream. Yum!

It was such a lovely day to experience with my friends, and I am so grateful to have such talented photographer friends like Natarsha Wright to capture it.

Enjoy!

Love & Soul Always, Kay

Photos by Natarsha Wright Photography / Centerpiece by Intrigue Designs / Menu Card by Jordan Werre Illustrations / Birthday Cake by Couture Cakes by Sabrina / Place Card Calligraphy by Laura Hooper Calligraphy