Some big things are happening around here! 2011 marks the official growth staffing of Maine Seasons Events, with 5 employees officially coming on board, with the plan to continue to grow the business and teach someone new how to do what I do, so the organization can live and grow beyond me. Painful and exciting at the same time-certainly new territory for me. I will still be at the helm, just finally accepted that I can't actually do it all anymore and be a mother and wife... (shh, please don't tell anyone!) And I really don't need to be doing it all anymore, it just had to get crazy enough for me to realize this.
We are laying the plans to build a long dreamed about and needed barn space to store props and house the creative workshops of Maine Seasons Events and our life, while providing proper office space for myself and staff.
We have been designing and executing some photo shop concepts, soon to be released.
And we have had the opportunity to do the interior styling for several Maine Home + Design Magazine assignments, one of the houses we styled was just featured on the cover of the magazine...fun to see a different side things! (to see our interior styling, and read the inspiring article, please pick up the magazine!)
(Photo Trent Bell)
We are doing more work in the Bar Harbor area, with several weddings planned in that neck of the woods for 2011. New Hampshire is on our event map in 2011 as well.
There are some incredible, special, personal, colorful and exciting Maine Seasons weddings about to take place , I am so eager to see the designs come together for my clients and to see my clients come together as married couples. There are a lot of custom linens being made, vintage items being re -worked, custom tent lighting fixtures being crafted, unique centerpiece elements and creative and refreshing color palettes on the way. I am looking forward to my clients' celebrations and to sharing them. Stay tuned for recaps and sneak peeks, the fun starts in May!
I recently recovered from an abdominal surgery, with last hopes of having another baby...Ava turned 3 this winter, sigh. And yes, that is a chef hat. And wings. And a necklace. And elbow pads (of course, right?!?) All at once. Of course. More is more is more is better! The dress -up trunk from Ava's Gran was an instant hit! Our friend, and photographer, Sharyn Peavey came by to photograph Ava's party, and I am so grateful that she did. The photos below are by Sharyn.
So bittersweet, how is our baby three years old?!? Such a different creature than she was 3 years ago, and boy oh boy, do we have our hands full with this spirited little lady!
We have been sledding, ice skating, hunkering down making cookies, and we are SO ready already for this winter to take a bow and usher in spring.
The melting snow has me out on the hunt again, sourcing those vintage and forgotten lovelies and one of a kind items for my clients' weddings. Chris and Ava have been my scavenging team, going out about once a week to look for items on our list. Ava squeezes my hand when she sees an item from the list (an old globe, a piece of blue transfer ware, a piece of green glass)
She has been getting so excited about going treasure hunting, who knew you could bring a 3 year old into a glass filled antiques barn and walk out with no one and nothing damaged?!? And I am secretly delighted that she recognizes enamel ware! Just look at these 2 beauties she spied on a recent search!
I am proud to say our daughter has quite the eye, noticing great things and calling out, "Oooh, Mommy! Gorgeous! Let's take this beauty home and clean it up!" What sweet fun to treasure hunt with my daughter, I remember hunting with my own mother when I was little. History repeats, no?
Chris has been feverishly staying up all night, working on a new series of paintings-the latest of Ava is one of my favorites. And his portrait of me is a pretty good likeness I think...
Still working away on finalizing 2011 wedding plans, the last two designs going out this week and with wedding season just beginning again, I am realizing that it never ended.
I have a lofty goal: to take a week off in April, somehow, before wedding dates start. There is a massive push to finish up what is cooking now: staff orientation, April photo shoot, last vendor bookings for 2011 weddings to complete, visits with great grandparents on both sides, finishing the fence installation in the yard, repairing the old fence, cleaning the garage (ugh!) and hopefully soon, moving our seedlings out to the garden. Oh and wait- I forgot the 32 plants arriving in mid April (that I ordered in a state of winter refusal in February) that will need to be planted. I wish there were a handbook for how to slow down, clearly it isn't a concept I can understand! Maybe in early May?!?
Another lofty goal: to hop over here and write more often!
Fast wishes for spring's arrival!
