Lake George, NY Wedding

The New York wedding went well last weekend-what a treat to work with my sister's old friend as the bride!

My sister and I loaded up her Subaru and headed out across New Hampshire and Vermont. It was great to be with my sister alone, for the first time in a long time. We laughed so much we missed our exit and ended up deep in southern Vermont before we realized our detour!

We stayed at the Chelka Lodge in Bolton Landing, New York-what a view!

Here are a few pictures of the flowers, cake and the new couple.

A detail of the cake flowers I decorated the cake with.

I assembled the bouquets and boutonnieres in the hotel room the night before...I was able to use Hosta leaves, daisies and Annabelle Hydrangea blossoms from my garden, so the bouquet was extra special for the bride who grew up in Maine and now lives in Florida. I wanted her to have a piece of Maine with her as she was married...

I used Dendrobium orchids, Hypericum berry, spider mums, yarrow, Kermit poms and daisy mums to complement the brown, green and white color scheme.

Luckily, once all of the flowers were out of the car, we had some room to visit a few antiques shops and junk stops along the way home. I found a great vintage cooler for my husband for Father's Day-for $15!

Happy wedding and marriage to Chris and Rebecca! It was an honor to be a part of this very important event in your lives, I love you both!

8 Signs of a Toddler in Your House

1. When you open your silverware drawer, this is what you see. Yes, a seal. A plastic toy seal. 2.When you come downstairs in the morning, this is what you almost trip over, on the bottom step. (Maybe you were just too tired to pick them up when you went to bed last night.) 3. When you reach for the refrigerator handle, you catch a glimpse of this: Are you in the right house?!? 4. Most of the framed art work on your walls looks something like this:

And you love it that way. 5. When you attempt to toss a huge armload of dirty clothes into the laundry basket, out of the corner of your puffy eye, you catch sight of this:

A second too late. None of that will harm the washing machine, right?

6. You have just cleaned the entire living room and you turn around to see this on the floor:

And it makes you smile.

7. You attempt to put your "keeper" magazines on the bookshelf, and this greets you:

Not just Gumby waving at you, but board books tucked into your now ripped home and garden magazines. But you don't mind. That much.

8. When you reach into your tote bag, you pull out an Owly.

Whom was missing for a painful 24 hours. You feel relieved and actually excited at the same time.

Happy Father's Day to an incredibly surprising, delightful and curious new father, we love you too much!

Green & White in the Garden

Oh, just one last sip of spring! This was such a flowery spring here, I can't let these pictures go unseen.

Without meaning to, I have somehow amassed a lot of green and white in my garden.

Ferns, so simple, so perfect.

Solomon's Seal are like earrings Nature puts on-they are so pretty dangling under their stem.

Ahh, one last deep inhale before we move on to summer.

A day at a Maine Sheep Farm

One of Ava's favorite books is this one. It has become one of my favorites too, best at bedtime.

We recently visited a local farm to see some baby lambs that had just been born that morning. These Sheep are Katahdin Hair sheep-they don't have wool?!? Being a knitter, I didn't dare to ask what they are bred for, let's not think about it. I like to think that sheep have a luxurious life, grazing in sunny fields, only to receive a welcome hair cut in the fall so us knitters can have our supplies...

We hiked along the field trail, and enjoyed the swooping swallows, just like in the book.

Sometimes I love my husband more from afar. I don't truly see him when he is close up, you know? I am grateful that he is a great father and that he adores our child so much. I am a lucky girl.

"Two little sheep, in grass knee deep, snuggled with their mama, fast asleep..."

Maine Seasons Events Featured!

I am so happy to have one of my table designs featured on the Nantucket Weddings Unveiled blog! The strawberry inspiration board is so perfect, I could just eat it! And it is looking like I must have that necklace. My birthday is in 9 days, so I can justify it, right?!? (Photo courtesy of Nantucket Weddings Unveiled Blog)

Before they Pass by-Spring Gratefuls

I want to appreciate these beauties, before they pass for the summer! Some random delights I am so thankful to be able to look at every day. Enjoy the view!

A recent wedding bouquet... ... and boutenniere.

A grand bearded Iris

And a bird's eye view of a Siberian Iris

One of the last bunches of purple and white lilacs for the season-where does the time go?!?

A Whole Lotta Late Night Cutting Going On

I am wrapping up the place card creation for an upcoming wedding...I don't typically do this, but it is for a long time friend of my sister's, we have all been there...

Since these pictures were taken in the wee hours, the lack of nice light is a little too obvious for my liking, but a behind the scenes peek is always fun.

3 spreadsheets, 11 piles and a zillion paper clippings on the floor later, this little hand cut labor of love is almost done...the white cards that were cut and glued to the backs are almost on....A word to the engaged, save yourselves from the stress and have a buffet at your wedding, please!

Knit #7 for 2009-Ava's Cozy Warmie

Remember this 100 % Cashmere, 100% splurge yarn, that I was disappointed with when it came in the mail? Well, it found a purpose. Those 2 tiny little precious portions of cashmere whispered out to me from the yarn box...They were too small, even together, to make a large item, but too special and soft to be left in the stash much longer... At first I thought they were telling me to knit my sister a "hunter orange" scarf for her autumn time in the woods. If I want to get cashmere on that girl, I know it will have to be functional! But I had to tell those little bundles of yarn, that they just weren't big enough to be a big girl scarf... After accepting their limitations, they decided to become a little button on scarflette for Ava's 2nd birthday. But how will I wait another 5 months to give it to her?!? Umm, wait, how can it only be 5 months until she is TWO!?! I haven't sewn on the button yet, I am not sure I love the melon green color with the orange... I just made up this pattern, as it was a small item, but should anyone want to make one, or a bigger one for a "big girl", here is the pattern: With US size 3 needles, CO 20 sts Work 5 rows of K1P1 ribbing making sure to knit on the knit stitches and purl on the purl stitches from the previous row. (I know those veteran knitters out there won't need this tip, but those of us new and still learning may be able to better understand how ribbing works this way!) Next row: (Row 1)K2 P1 K6 P2 K6 P1 K2 Next Row: P to end Repeat the last 2 rows until piece measures 17 1/2 inches or desired length Next Row: Button Hole Row- K7 sts, yo, K3tog, continue in pattern from Row 1 above, to end of row Next Row: P to end Next Row: P1K1 ribbing Next row: repeat row above 4 more times for a total of 5 ribbing rows BO, attach button on opposite end of scarflette from button hole Let me know if you have questions!