It’s November and I am knee deep in designing, traveling, hosting events, and prepping for the single biggest shopping weekend of the year. It’s my natural inclination to go inward, hunker down and get sh*t done but by the time Thanksgiving rolls around, I am able to come up for air and reflect on what I am truly thankful for. Then by month’s end I am awash in a wave of gratitude, which I happily ride all the way to the new year! In an effort to get a head start on my attitude of gratitude, I spent the day with Barrett Prendergast of Valleybrink Road, LA’s premier floral design and luxury gifting company. Together with her husband, this mama of 2 has created a curated lifestyle brand born out of her love of cooking, entertaining and styling the perfect gift. On a typical day you might find her designing epic florals for a huge photoshoot, curating a party for a special client or managing her signature flower and gift delivery services – all of which result in a feast for the eyes and food for the soul. Barrett is the epitome of her brand and its offerings…beautiful on the outside, pure magic on the inside, super sweet, a little spicy, effervescent and most importantly, unforgettable! | photos by annie mcelwain |

Barrett and I instantly connected over my fave piece of jewelry - a colorful beaded bracelet my son made for me! She mentioned that all of the jewelry she wears is sentimental to her in some way. So right off the bat, we got to work building a custom charm necklace complete with charms to represent her tribe - opal is her birthstone, the A disc is for her husband, the C is for her firstborn and the three diamond charm is for her baby boy, born in April. A true keepsake unique only to the person...now that's a perfect gift if you ask me ;) Ultimately, she was enamored with our opal tear and baguette diamond necklace and decided she had to have it for the shoot and IRL!

We all commented on her gorgeous rose gold rose-cut diamond wedding ring from Irene Neuwirth. She told us how her husband was the mastermind behind it and that it was some of his best work - how amazing! Seeing that this special piece is rose gold, she chose to stay in that colorway and selected statement rings like our 14k separated 5 band ring, pave diamond wide flat band, and our pave 5 band ring to play up the rosy hue.

She opted to keep her ear story simple and sophisticated, choosing a rose gold bezel set diamond ear cuff on one ear, an opal tiny open hoop on the other, completed with a pair of dangling diamond pave huggie hoops. We love that she stayed true to her ethos selecting sweet little luxuries that either add drama for a dinner party or date nite (like her ring story) or compliment her everyday wardrobe (like her ear game). After meeting her I feel like I received the best gift - a newfound friendship with Barrett herself!