Pressed for time

The bouquet is one of the most fussed-over details of any wedding, but it’s also the thing that often gets forgotten or—worse yet!—tossed at the end of the night. Self-professed “flower fanatic” Karly Murphy of Kmpressed offers a solution: Press them!  The artist began pressing plants in 2015 after working in weddings and events with […]

For keeps

This one’s not for the album—it’s for the wall. In addition to her own still-life work, artist Sarah Miller accepts commissions for paintings of couples’ favorite wedding scenes, from candid engagement photos to their first look. It’s a great alternative for folks who want a more artful display of their big day. She paints each […]

What a gift!

Meal-planning, traveling, party outfits—the holidays are stressful enough before you even start thinking about making a listand checking it twice. So if you’re stumped about what to buy your doesn’t-like-golf-or-beer (#holidaycliches) father-in-law or your already-has-everything best friend, we asked some local folks to give us their tried-and-true gift ideas, from home décor to sweet treats, […]

On schedules

Even Laurel Smith admits that having a brand that creates both jewelry and dayplanners is a little disjointed. “I like things to be neat and tidy and make sense,” she says, a sensibility that carries through her line of minimalist bracelets, earrings, and other accessories. But that’s what a planner is for—keeping things tidy. And […]

Good picks

Onyx Art Deco bookends, a collection of vintage zoology plates, Brighton Pavilion side tables. Thanks to three new vendors on our local home décor scene, we have more options than ever when it comes to redesign. Street wares Like a lot of folks, Maria Gall started rethinking her career during the pandemic. With kids at […]

Living the dream

Don’t call Carrie Waller an influencer. Even though the home blogger has upwards of 55k Instagram followers (@dreamgreendiy), she has a different take. “I don’t love that term,” she says. “It has become kind of the standard for people in my industry, but I feel like it makes us sound very cold. I want people […]

For the win

Matthew Winston was thisclose to shutting down the candle-making business he’d recently started. The VCU grad had a degree in creative advertising, but couldn’t picture himself settling into a 9-5 job, so he turned his hobby into a business: The Win Candle. Hoping to drum up ome extra attention (“I would get a few orders […]

Reading list

Like many people, Samantha Koon Jones found herself with a lot of time on her hands at the start of the pandemic. So she turned to reading.  “I knew a couple of people on Bookstagram—a subgroup of Instagram users who post primarily about books and reading—and I liked the idea of keeping a virtual reading […]

From market to Market

Fernando Dizon has been selling Filipino food in Charlottesville since 2012, when he first set up a stand at City Market and called it Little Manila. Two years later, it was clear that people here loved their lumpia—so he and his wife Jessie expanded to a food truck. They knew one day they wanted to […]

We’re in love

February is the month of love, but forget the cards, flowers, and candy—we want hot chocolate. MarieBette feels that too, with its annual celebration of Hot Chocolate Month: a different flavor each of the month’s 28 days, from cheesecake to chipotle chili. Don’t forget the (housemade!) marshmallow.