Jessica Thomas



For the Better Homes & Gardens shoot at our house I got to work with super-talented  Jessica Thomas.  I can't reiterate enough how awesome she is.   When there's a photo shoot for a magazine at your house, they often bring in more items to accessorize with and to get the mood they're looking for in the photos.  Jessica & I spoke about the syling and she was so conscientious of making sure the things they brought in fit with my style.  When talking about adding more ornaments to the tree, I gave her a few words like, "natural" "vintage" "fun" "sparkly" and she just ran with it. 

When a box of ornaments arrived I (please keep in mind I'm totally sentimental when my hormones are out of whack like right now with a new baby - ha!)..  I got teary because they were just so perfect.  The things that arrived were adorable and the perfect mix of natural-vintage-sparkle.  I just LOVED everything & of course ended up buying it because I want it on my tree every year.  I called Jessica immediately on the phone (she was at the gift show at the time) to tell her how happy I was and how good she was and I know she was totally thinking, "What is wrong with this girl??!  Wayyyyy too excited." hahaha    But this is the first time I've ever gotten to work with someone the way people work with a designer.  I had so much fun!!  I wanted to share some photos of Jessica's work with you and I'm sure you'll recognize a few of these. 


How perfect are these?  (below)  Jessica is so good at taking your accessories and turning them into works of art. 



I love the causual feel of these (below):


I LOVE this room below.  The walls & color scheme with lots of natural elements of course are amazing, but especially the yellow sofa with the throw & the pillows.  Aren't they perfect?  (or perfectly "imperfect"?)  So much time goes into every shot.  It's insane.


And here's the other view of the same room.  LOVE!!  I wonder how much tweaking went into those shelves?!  Beautiful.


I've had this image (below) torn out of a magazine (Country Home) saved for years.  You might remember it from my post on "Fall..." I think it's one of the most evocative pictures ever and I can almost smell the apple cider and the leaves.  (Told you I was hormonally sentimental as of late! ;)


I love the quietness in this photo:


And who can resist this cutie (below)?  Jessica loves dogs.  Our poor Ashby (who is crazy when we have visitors and will steal food like it's her job) was locked up (don't worry in a comfy bedroom) for a lot of the shoot during the days to keep her out of everyone's hair.  Jessica felt so terrible for her. 


I love the energy in the space below.  The yellow umbrella is the perfect touch in the umbrella stand:



And finally, this image below is in the current BHG issue.  How gorgeous is the collection of blue bottles on the table?!!!  LOVE LOVE LOVE:


I really can't thank Jessica enough for all she did for
the shoot.  She was assisted by Joanna Linberg (Assistant BHG editor) and they did a fantastic job & were so great to be around.  Christian still talks about them & we wish they lived closer!  It really was a dream-come-true for me and just wouldn't have been the same without them. 



Check out Jessica's website- Jessica Thomas Designs - for more yummy images.  She's a freelancer so you'll notice images from a variety of magazines in different styles.  Also, her house is about to be featured in the next issue of Do It Yourself Magazine so be sure to check it out.  I can't wait!!  Have an awesome weekend!!



xoxo,
lauren


ps-  I know that some of you are having issues with your Pure Style Home emails.  (unreadable / writing over photos, etc.)  I'm so sorry about this and have no idea why it's doing this but am trying to figure it out.  (I'm very UN-computer-savvy so I'm not having an easy time of it.)  I'm in the process of revamping Pure Style Home so I'm hoping that when the new website/ blog is completed, it will fix this issue because it has something to do with my blogger layout.  Anyway, if you can just come directly here (http://www.purestylehome.blogspot.com/) when you get the emails for a little while longer, I appreciate it!! Sorry!!

21 comments:

Leah Moss said...

Wow, she is so super talented!

I just checked out her site, and the first picture, the one with the eggs and the overlapping linen is one of my FAVORITES ever!!! Sort of like the pumpkin picture you posted...you can just hear the bees and smell that lazy freshness of spring/summer.

Leah Moss said...

Wow, she is so super talented!

I just checked out her site, and the first picture, the one with the eggs and the overlapping linen is one of my FAVORITES ever!!! Sort of like the pumpkin picture you posted...you can just hear the bees and smell that lazy freshness of spring/summer.

Jennifer said...

That fall photo is one of my favs too! Maybe I stole it from you? Who knows. I am in awe of stylists and I bet you picked up a bunch of great tips!

Jennifer said...

okay I just looked through her portfolio and recognized so many great images. VERY inspiring! can't wait to see her take on your house.

(that Country Home spread took my breath away -- cheesy as that sounds)

Unknown said...

Great photos! Thanks for sharing. Is your dog a Labradoodle?

~Grace Happens~ said...

i could stare for hours at all of those pics. so much eye candy and attention to detail. gonna go check out her site now.

ps. i met your buddies eddie and jaithan the other day. we had a drunk fest in my town. haha! hope to one day meet you if i'm ever back in northern va. i'm sure our boys would have a ball together too!

LiveLikeYou said...

HI Lauren, beautiful images!!! I spent ten years of my life on shoots, and was always blown away with what a good art director and stylist could do to a picture. Their magic work create a "feeling" which is what we all fall so hard for when we look at an image. On that note...could really use her at my house!

FrenchGardenHouse said...

Lauren, those are beautiful images. Good styling, great photography, magical. Jessica's work is wonderful, thank you for letting us get to see her work. Lidy

Acanthus and Acorn said...

Lauren,
She has a wonderful web site...I was stunned to learn some of my favorite saved images she styled!

Katie said...

Beautiful photos. Jessica is so talented. That fall photo is just gorgeous.

Nancy @ Live love laugh said...

Thank you for sharing these perfect pics! (Nothing wrong with my email) Just think...the pictures of your home will be torn from the BH and saved for years as inspiration, too!
~Nancy

Alison from MyDesignDreams said...

I can't believe she is responsible for photographing that amazing A-Frame house from ReadyMade magazine! Those images are amazing... makes me want to live there. I just posted pictures from that shoot on my blog earlier this week.. what a weird coincidence.

Inspiration through Images:
http://mydesigndreams.com/?p=534

D.E. said...

Just found your blog and it's very lovely. Blessings, DE
whiteserenade

Gwen Driscoll said...

Lauren,

Just love your blog and Congrats on your shoot. The images are beautiful so I know your home will be too. Hope you are having a great weekend and loving your new baba!

Gwen

Marija said...

If there is one thing I have learned from your BH&G photoshoot is how important the styling is. Who knew it took hours to arrange these shots? I can't wait to see what they've done with your place.

The quiet photo above is my favorite, btw. Marija

DesignTies said...

Having a photo shoot in your home must have been an amazing experience!! My living room was on TV a couple of years ago, and it was SUCH a fun time for me!!

Jessica's photos are beautiful -- she really has an awesome eye for detail :-)

It's amazing what a big difference the right accessories can make in a room. I just did a little photo shoot of my kitchen makeover this morning -- I put a couple of vases of tulips on the counter, and they really have a huge impact in the space :-)

Kelly

Riviera Boardwalk said...

I am having the same problem so when you figure out how to fix it pkease let us know.
xoxo,
nancy

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

She has a beautiful portfolio...I particularly love her food section and the thanksgiving in the barn. Stirring!

Maria Killam said...

I love the items that make a space feel colourful and beautiful! Great post Lauren!

shi(f)t said...

love the bright blue entry--the pop of yellow from the umbrellas and the light fixture is downright dreamy!

pve design said...

Stunning shots and I love a mixture of vintage finds.
I must wrap and send a book to you that I know you will love. It is right up your alley!
pve