"Honest to God, the Best Oatmeal Cookies, I Swear!"

No really, that is what the recipe is called! I have had several requests for this recipe, so here it is, from my friend Emily's cookbook for picky eaters. Hmmm, that would include me! This recipe is versatile, you can add dried cranberries, cherries, raisins, chocolate or peanut butter chips...Scrumptious, crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, any way you make them.

Honest to God, the Best Oatmeal Cookies, I Swear!

Oven 350 degrees, Yield about 4 dozen

Line Cookie Sheets with Parchment Paper, or grease

1 C. (2 Sticks) unsalted Butter, soft

1 C. Sugar

1 C. Light Brown Sugar, packed

2 Lg. eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 C. Flour

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

3 C. Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

1/2 C. dried Cranberries, cherries, chocolate chips, or the accessory of your heart's desire!

Beat Butter & Sugar together in large bowl with electric mixer

Add Eggs & Vanilla, beat well

Add Flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, beat thoroughly

Add Oats and cranberries, chocolate chips, etc. Beat Slowly by hand until well mixed

With Wet hands, roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheets, 2 inches apart

(measure this, it really is a small amount, no wonder I always don't get the yield, but always get huge cookies that stick together!)

Bake for 10-12 mins.

Let stand for 1 minute before removing from cookie sheet

Place on wire rack

Try, really hard, not to eat about 14 of these before you even clean up your baking mess!

Enjoy!

Photo Shoot film by McCormick Media

I am so excited to announce the debut of Sara McCormick's film about my last wedding photo shoot at Clark's Cove Farm!

Maine Wedding Vendors: Road Trip to Creativity from Sara McCormick on Vimeo.

Sara M. worked for 8+ hours, filming Brea, Sara and I set up and shoot the autumn design from our four seasons wedding series. Sara M. did a beautiful job capturing the essence of the design, the process, the place and the relationship between us girls. I seriously cried when I watched this. (All photos this post by Brea McDonald)

Maybe it is the emotion of seeing yourself doing what you love to do, after a lifetime of not really listening to your inner voice, telling you to follow your destiny...maybe it is the weight and power of seeing yourself surrounded by other, women like you, who support you and cheer you on, and share themselves with you, professionally, emotionally and creatively. For many reasons, this film creates emotion for me.

And here are some favorite photographs from the shoot taken by Brea. Get a close view of Sara's stationery, she hand illustrates the concept illustration, she did an excellent job translating my Autumn concept into stationery that is so sweet-can you see the little apple seeds in between the wording on the menu? Details, my absolute favorite!

You can even get a peek at those napkin sweaters I mentioned in the past..they really worked!

And maybe the sweetest picture of the day...but of course I would think that!

What do you think of the film?

Clark's Cove Farm-Next Maine Wedding Shoot Location

In preparation for the next of a series of wedding design photo shoots I am working on, I recently visited Clark's Cove Farm, in Walpole, Maine to scout out the property for a possible shoot venue. When I arrived, I was treated to such delightful views of a lovingly cared for property and an even more delightful owner, Tim. Some other delights who are involved with this photo shoot are Brea & Sara, Amy Maloney, (whose web site is being hand crafted as I write) whose floral designs completely fulfill her business name, Pretty Flowers (207.798.5687), One Stop Party Shoppe Rentals , Barn Door Cafe & Bakery, and Placesetters, Inc. Tim kindly squeezed a few minutes out of his busy day to chat with me, even while others were waiting to see him, proof of a kind soul. It was fun to share the photo shoot idea with another industry professional who gets it-you know? I am soo excited that Clark's Cove Farm will be hosting the next Maine Seasons Events wedding photo shoot! Enjoy my meager snapshots of what is, undeniably, a magical and extraordinary place...but then again, I do have a weakness for apple orchards... ...and gardens... ...and breathtaking scenery...

...and whimsy and fun...

Maine Wedding Photo Shoot-Part 2

Here are a few of my faves from Brea McDonald's professional photos from our last wedding magazine shoot. Dessert buffet, hand made pinwheels... Some of Sara Fitzgerald O'Brien's incredible custom designed, watercolor stationery...

A bouquet made by yours truly, so prettily photographed by Brea on a rusty old tool box, scavenged from a barn on a road trip through Vermont with my sister...

I can't stand these-so sweet! I made Ava this little dress for the shoot, though it came out a bit too big, it didn't stop her from sipping her milk from a pinwheel straw at the "kid's table"! Of course, she selected the sunglasses...

Here is her "thinking face" as she calls it...

What fun! I will let you know as soon as they are out in a magazine! Keep your fingers crossed!

Can't Stop Knitting

I have been up to so much lately, I have backlogs of folders of pictures to share...and here is part of the reason that I haven't been blogging much:

Yep, that is my desk. Can you see the lists buried under the luscious distraction?!? They are in there, you just have to really look. Oh and my laptop is under there somewhere too.

The trouble started the other day when I realized that every single knitting needle I own, has a project started on it. I discovered this when I went searching for an empty set of needles to start another new project. Hmmm... I am 2 sleeves away from finishing a sweater for my very tall husband, and it may likely be the last I make for him-how BORING to knit so many rows of Stockinette stitch...

I am about 3 inches of a sleeve away from finishing the first ever sweater for myself...

About 30 minutes worth of knitting away from finishing a hat for a Christmas gift...

And 9 napkin sweaters away from being ready for my next wedding photo shoot on Oct. 8th. I know, a napkin sweater, really? But it is going to be so sweet and even napkins need to feel cozy on a cool autumn evening at a barn wedding reception. Right?

I just finished Ava's 2nd birthday sweater. How can she be almost 2?!?

Unfortunately, I just found this little gem at my local library. It doesn't appear that there will be any end in sight...

I've Been Up to Something

Oh I've been busy-sorry to have been away. I recently worked again with two fabulous girls-Brea McDonald and Sara Fitzgerald-O'Brien to complete a wedding theme we had started back in June. We had some interest from a wedding magazine editor and needed to create the rest of the wedding story to photograph, before the season changes completely! These are just my snapshots, Brea's photos will be much more delish, but I wanted to share. We created a hand made dessert table, complete with scrumptious strawberry desserts provided by 111 Maine. We only had 4 days notice that this shoot was going to take place, so I had to whip up a bouquet myself-hard to make September look like June! As usual, I scavenged some of my vintage finds, old coolers, metal boxes, family quilts and collected pie pedestals to work into the theme. These lemon squares are quite possibly the best I have ever eaten. Ever. And I have eaten my fair share! The magazine editor wanted a little girl in a red gingham dress...in 4 days, I had to make my own dress and employ my daughter to be in the shoot at the kid's table. I didn't have a pattern, just made this by cutting out freely and hoping for the best...we shall see how it worked in the pictures, I will post some when Brea's are available.

I made an assortment of paper pinwheels, originally to line the ceremony aisle, but we opted not to shoot that scene, and instead, pushed the pinwheels into the ground around the kid's table-so cute!

There are so many other things going on here, I haven't even made the time to get the pictures into the computer to share...just suffice it to say that what is coming next will be a feast for your eyes, and will give you a peek into what our lives have been consumed by for the past year! Stay tuned...

Sneak Peek -Extra Special Coastal Maine Wedding

I think I can only show you the set up of this one...there may be a chance of it being published, and I don't want to ruin it. If this wedding gets selected for publication, then I will yell it from the rooftops and send you links to see the rest, but for now, I can show you the days of set up that were required at this extra special, unique and delightful wedding.

This may shed some light on what goes on behind the scenes at a tented wedding. When you are building the venue from scratch, there are many details and logistical concerns to manage. But of course, with good planning, willing help and a passionate vision and desire, it all can be done expertly.

The main tent going up on Thursday morning.

The house and gardens are a vision in themselves.

The mother of the bride (whom I cried with almost as much as I laughed!) worked so diligently on the preparation for this event, including the designing and caring for the gardens, under atypical weather conditions this summer.

The ceremony weather back up tent going up later Thursday.

The hopeful ceremony location...

Thursday mid morning-my two dearest buddies, Geoff & Ro, from New Orleans, (NOLA if you are in the loop!) who spent the better of 9 hours on a 16 foot ladder with me, installing the lighting in this tent. If only I could have these 2 at all of my tented weddings! We worked for the better of 2 days to get all of the elements set up and installed, including the last minute redesign of the band stage...It takes much more work than most people know, to get from this:

Just to this:

And another wave of labor and energy to get to this:

And that is only about 40% of what needed to be set up!

We had a vision- a big, floaty, illuminated vision....some of these babies were 4 feet in diameter!

But of course, they had to be illuminated, which takes a bit of craft, wit and faith!

Some of the bride's maids and the bride herself enjoyed the perfect Maine weather, in between tasks.

Oh I wish I could share more-keep your fingers crossed!