Views of Maine-Cundy's Harbor

After performing assistant to the hostess duties at a recent event, I took a little drive before going home. My daughter was already asleep and my husband wouldn't mind if I was a little late...

I drove to the end of Cundy's Harbor, Maine, to see the wharf at sunset. Holbrook's wharf is a working wharf, and you can read a bit about it's rejuvenation at the above link.

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Even though I grew up 15 minutes from here, I haven't been down this way in years. I think we will soon be driving down the peninsula one afternoon, for a visit to Holbrook's General Store!

Cal & Jack's Open House

I recently spent a humid summer evening assisting with the celebration of a friend and client's open house. This dynamic couple built their "someday" house, before someday came, and I admire them for doing it. For their privacy, I won't show the house, but trust me, it is beautiful!

They invited all of the people who had worked on the house, the architects, the framers, painters, general contractor, electrical and plumbing contractors, as well as many friends, family members and neighbors. What a treat for those who worked on the house in it's various stages of completion, to come back and see it all finished.

I whipped up a few wildflower arrangements from my garden and had to raid my friend's garden (thanks Emily!) as our unwelcome by the neighbors, groundhog has eaten most of my garden's bounty this year.

On the menu for this 3-7 p.m. evening gathering was shrimp cocktail, Jack's famous Lobster Gazpacho (or is it really Cal's?!?), Lobster Dip, a cheese, fruit and cracker display, mini cupcakes and of course, beer and wine in cheery yellow buckets.

The signature cocktail was so popular, I thought it should be shared with the masses. Cal gave me permission to post the Spiked Lemonade recipe, that Coastal Living Magazine staffers um, really enjoyed during a photo shoot at the house recently. Really, don't forget to add the seltzer-it tastes just like lemonade and can be dangerous!

Cal's Seriously Delicious Lemonade:

1 cup citrus Vodka

3/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup Grand Mariner

1/2 cup sugar

4 cups seltzer

Mix in pitcher and chill, or serve over ice with slices of lemon for garnish

Portland Museum of Art Wedding

Oh how I wish these pictures could translate...What a joy to coordinate Christina and Colin's Portland Museum of Art wedding ceremony. You know those people who are truly beautiful, inside and out? The ones who glow with the goodness that radiates from within them? Yeah, that would describe this bride and groom and the so delightful (and one of my beloved former brides) special event coordinator at the museum. (Her actual title is "Project Manager for Administration and Special Events") Jen probably won't be delighted that I put this picture here, but I think she looks beautiful, and she is so composed, professional, witty, capable and a treat to work with. If you are ever wanting to have a special event at the Museum, Jen is the go to expert-you will love her. She is a gem of an event coordinator, friend, confidant, logistics tactical commander and I love the name badge and radio ear piece-this exemplifies the behind the scenes things that go on at well planned weddings... Someday when I grow up, I would love to have Jen work with me full time-really, she is that good. Okay, enough about my opinion, on to the wedding details! Luckily the weather held out, and though it was quite humid, the ceremony was held outside in the sculpture garden, with views of the sculpture gallery inside. We hung small paper lanterns outside in the huge tree for the cocktail hour. Aurora Provisions provided the delish hor d'oeuvres reception food and drink, and friendly capable service. I love their tag line: "Beautiful food for busy people"!

Ceremony music was provided by Don Pride, who provided classical guitar for the prelude and processional.

D.J. Mark Sawyer handled the announcements and reception music. Dan Straine provided photographic documentation, and I can't wait to see his pictures. Alas, all I have to share with you now are some of my poorly lit and time limited snap shots! Can you spy Dan in this photo in the sculpture garden?!? Look closely and you can see his lens...

Just as I met the bride and Jen for the rehearsal the night before, the girls had a Cynthia Nixon sighting, and she gave best wishes to Christina, for her wedding the following day. I mean who has a celebrity sighting on the eve of their wedding in a small Maine city?!?

As I was leaving, the McLellan house looked so sophisticated against the Maine summer night sky...

Happy wishes Christina and Colin, I so enjoyed being a part of your meaningful wedding!

That Tough Day at Work

Hancock Gourmet Lobster featured the photo shoot I assisted with on their blog! You can read the post here. So cute and well written-and I must admit, I felt a tiny bit special being invited to help style this shoot. Just think of all the hands that catalog will be in, and my hands had a part in some of the images all of those people will see. The world is a small place in that sense, and we are all connected-you just have to look deeply. Thanks Cal, Amber, & Gil, both for a great day and for a great post!

First Big Girl Bed

Ahh, yet another reason I love my husband. Look what he sent me via text message from work the other day:

"Go get it!" I insisted.

Our following text conversation went like this:

"They aren't home" I was told.

"Leave your number on their door!" I replied.

"I am not doing that, I will come back by later and ask if they are getting rid of it"

"Is it by the road? Is it by their house, do you think they are getting rid of it?" I wrote.

"Umm, it is by the road sort of."

"How close to the road? Is it like, being put out with the trash close, or we are cleaning out our garage and sorting things close?"

No response.

"Please bring that bed home to me!" I texted him. Who could throw that curved foot board away?!?

That evening my husband came home empty handed. I pushed by him to look on his Jeep to see if he had the bed on the top. Nothing.

"They weren't home" he said, and "glad you are happy to see me too."

Oops.

Luckily, the next day was my husband's day off and I didn't even have to ask, he offered to drive me the 35 minutes to see if the bed was still there. He got the ratchet straps and we were off. He even went to the door and inquired about the bed and in minutes, was loading it on my car. I jumped out to help, Ava squealing, "Get it Daddy, get it!" from the backseat. That is my child.

I told him how happy I was about this FREE find. He said he could see it on my face.

"I feel like hobos, out here tying other people's trash to our car, obviously delighted." I said.

" I love that you love being a hobo with me." he replied.

When the time comes, Ava will have a new, old big girl bed. For now, she is still happily and inescapably in her crib. I have already primed and painted the bed and the side boards are in production, or at least in the queue. I had some "sugar pink" semi gloss left over from Lowe's and it was just enough to cover the bed. I will post some pictures of it done, maybe this winter when the big girl bed is revealed. Hmmm. Now the new-old big girl bed needs a hand made big girl quilt...

That Orange Yarn

Well, I made something from that orange yarn. But, as usual, it doesn't quite fit an adult, as intended. It may have to be a toddler hat.

It was fun to make, I used a very easy and simple pattern that is modifiable with stitch designs of your choice. I made some modifications to the pattern, as it is for a 9 month old baby and I wanted it to fit a 30 year old (almost!) woman. Yes, the intended recipient does spend a lot of time out in the woods, during hunting season!

The hat took about 3 hours to complete, total.

I used size 7 US needles and cast on 82 stitches to start. I knit in ribbing stitch for 3.5" instead of 2.5" as called for. I should have knit the body of the hat an inch or two longer, not the 4.5 " the pattern calls for. It does fit, but is a little short when the ribbing is folded.

I have made this with a seed stitch for the body, instead of the block pattern it calls for, and I have also done it in a rib all the way up to the decrease section.

Cozy? Yes! Blindingly bright? Oh yes!

Please Don't Ask Me Why

This morning Ava and I went to our local farmer's market, to buy umm, green beans and cucumbers and maybe a plant. Yeah, yeah, that was the plan, really. While Ava enjoyed a home made cookie, what did my wandering eye see?!?

Maybe the hunter orange color doesn't translate on a computer monitor...

Please don't ask me why I bought local hunter orange yarn. And please don't ask me why I started another knitting project, while I still have knit number-(what number is it anyway?!?) to be fixed and finished, a quilt still waiting to be bound and oh yeah, a 21 month old, a house, a husband and a camper that still needs renovations, and don't forget the 2 big weddings I have over the next two weekends.

Please don't ask. I don't think I could give you a logical answer.

Happy First Birthday Aubrey!

A friend of mine had a baby girl last August 1st. A whole year ago-how can that be possible?!?When I caught wind that baby Aubrey would be receiving a hand made dolly from her mama for her birthday, the idea sprang into my head that the dolly needed a bed and a hand made quilt. I mean, don't all dollies need such accoutrements?!? I raided the stash of wood that is leftover from the camper cabinets...then cut out a design. Okay my husband consulted and sighed while I drew a design on a paper scrap to illustrate my plan.

The feet of the bed are craft apples, screwed into the bottom of the bed, primed and painted to match the rest of the frame.

I ransacked my stash of fabric and paint to create this little bed without having to buy anything.

I even had the chocolate brown quilt binding in the stash!

The pillow is made from leftover stuffing I made camper pillows with, and muslin for the pillow inner case.

The mattress, lovingly upholstered with a removable envelope sheet, is a leftover piece of camper cushion, cut to the size of the bed...

A quick walk through my garden to clip some birthday flowers and we were off to the party.

Ava enjoyed eating cake and watching Aubrey dig into hers...