Maine Seasons Wedding featured on the Wedding Chicks Blog!

I just learned that one of my weddings was featured on the Wedding Chicks Blog! You can see more of the gorgeous pictures of this wedding on the blog post in the above link.  

This wedding was photographed by the lovely and oh so talented Sharyn Peavey-gorgeous images, as always!

I was so pregnant at this wedding, I remember having to move 130 chairs from the ceremony area to the reception tent during the cocktail hour.  Up a hill.  That is when I learned to strongly suggest that chairs be rented for both the ceremony and reception, unless the client wants to hire my staff or provide their own to move them!   All of the things I have learned over the years seem obvious now.  Isn't that how hindsight works?

Life is partially for learning we must remember!

Patchwork Quilt for a Friend's Daughter

I have wanted to work on a fabric item for a friend of mine who happens to be an incredibly talented photographer, mommy and lady-finally it is done!

Whenever I think of Sharyn I always think of this color palette-vibrant, interesting, fun and so pretty. Not surprising, Sharyn embodies all of those characteristics!

The front of this little quilt is in purple, magenta, lavender, gray and pale pink. I made some little yo -yos in coordinating fabric to accent the front.

For the back I wanted to do something with a little more contrast...I fell in love with this black and white checked fabric and thought it made the feminine little quilt a bit more sophisticated and serious.

And maybe some of you know that I had a break down recently. A long awaited breakdown. The new sewing machine is a dream. Not as meaty feeling and hefty as my antique machine, but buttery and smooth and loaded with fun stitches! I had to sample some one of my faves for this quilt. I love this little star stitch....the body of the quilt was stitched on my old machine, as it was fading, so the new machine had to have an option to drop the feed dogs-I have had it with the puckering of machine stitched quilting and it isn't likely I am going to have the time to pick up hand quilting anytime soon!

Not perfect, but colorful and cozy and made with love. That is what counts, right?

Recycled Toddler Sweater Dress

My husband e-mailed me this link-from the desk next to me the other night...he said, " I am sending you an e-mail, go look"  So I did and of course I had to make this little dress from a pile of my sweaters destined for Goodwill...Instructables is a fun web site, one which I never have time to peruse, but my husband checks it regularly and sends me the links he thinks I will like.  What a peach he is. 

Cozy and cute!  I had some little fabric yo yos left over from a Christmas project and they were just the right accessory for the dress.  Ava said, "I don't know about this dress, I think it needs sumting..."  A built in brooch if you will.  For a 2 year old who actually requests to wear brooches.  I mean really!  After I sewed on the "brooch" I was told, "Now this dress is beeuutiful mama"  Oh dear.  I am headed for trouble when she is a teenager, aren't I?!?

Just when I thought it was over, I was instructed to, "please make a hat to go with this beeuutiful dress".  Toddlers really keep you on your toes and you have to be mentally ready for anything at anytime.  I scanned the room, a hat, a hat....what can I make into a hat to match....a hat, a hat...think, think, panic, think...

I saw the straw hat I recently got at Baby Gap, just because I couldn't leave it there...it was in the boy's section with a blue madras band on it...

Off went the blue band and on went a custom pink ribbon band, complete with a yo yo applique, attached with good old hot glue.  Then I was told, "OK, now this is the best ensemble that I have ever seen in my  whole life!"  Ensemble?  Really? Wow.  Where could she have possibly heard that word?!?

That should fulfill my seamstress duties for the week.  I soaked up the sweet mommy appreciation too, I know it will be in limited supply in the not so far away future...

Creative Vintage Wedding Centerpieces

A fun way to incorporate vintage style into a wedding design: I am scavenging these vintage medicine and tincture bottles for one of my Maine brides this summer...I can't wait to see them at the wedding on the guest tables with flowers, mixed with tons of votive candles and canning jars of larger floral arrangements....

I am going to keep the color pallete for this wedding under wraps for a bit, it is going to be so gorgeous! 

I love the thrill of the hunt...  When I see a dusty box full of these little sweeties tucked in the back of an antiques shop, I get frantic, like I found the golden ticket...maybe I am a bit obsessed, maybe I am just really into treasure hunting... Either way, I feel so fortunate to have clients who love these special treasures too. 

I like to think of it as recycling with style: Using ordinary things in extraordinary ways....a good idea, and one that allows me to justify my scavenging habits!

With spring upon us (soon, I hope!) I get the fever to make my first trips to the "shops", the junk shops, the antiques barns and flea markets in the area, to hold me over until it gets warm enough for the yard sales to start...oh yeah and for the epic treasure hunting trip of my lifetime: Brimfield Antiques Show in May!!  Oh dear, it is too much for me to even type the word "Brimfield"!! 

Happy hunting!

Maine Flower Show

We went to the Portland, Maine Flower Show yesterday, despite gale force winds and rain.  We all needed a bit of spring!

One of the first exhibits was of a greenhouse with a cabbage garden, so pretty, I love them just for ornamentation!

This booth also featured a lettuce fence, which is brilliant, I think we will have to try this this year- a great way to dress up a fence and avoid bunnies and other creatures from gorging on your salad greens!  Self watering system of installation, with just gutters is also smart!  Hung on a slight angle so that water runs from the top down to the lower row...you can see the water coming down on the lower right of this picture...

And I have to mention the Hobbit house, a sweet little structure that also made us want to build this in our backyard.  Ava wanted to go "lie down and have a snack inside that little hut", still too little to know about Hobbits!  It was a pretty perfect installation, with little birch logs lining the roof...

Oh the color, what a treat on such a qunitessential Maine gray spring day! 

Lilacs and Maiden Hair ferns and the biggest Columbine flowers I have ever seen...

A stone stool for a little fairy...

And the real reason we went- our friend and stone mason, Matt Carter, of Green Island Stonework did a stone arch installation that we just had to se.  All  hand built with no mortar! 

Of course they won an award, the design and craftmanship was gorgeous. 

Ahh, who wouldn't want one of these perfectly antique looking stone structrues on their property?  There were even inquiries to temporarily install this for a wedding-wouldn't that be perfect!?!

There were waterfalls, tons of spring blooming bulbs,  and the smell of mulch in the air....makes me have the fever to get out there and dig! 

Maine Seasons Events in Wellwed Magazines!

I have been so excited to share this, but as it was an exclusive feature, we all had to keep it under wraps until the magazines came out. Sara of Griffin-vites Watercolor Stationery, photographer Brea McDonald and I collaborated on a fun summer wedding design photo shoot way back in June of 2009, and it can finally be shared! Shot at a private residence, the green summery backdrop was just right for this design.

Amazing that it takes that long to see a photo shoot published in a magazine at times...

(Brea Mcdonald Photography)

The "Berry Inspired" feature came out in Wellwed in New York, Wellwed Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and Vermont Vows this month. These magazines are so pretty, so well designed, with so many little details and fun graphics, I am honored to be in them. You can read the magazine feature here.

(Brea Mcdonald Photography)

Of course I scavenged in my stash to find some great props and personal details that I wanted to include to create a personal, colorful, fun and seasonally simple wedding design. White milk glass, fresh strawberries, white daisies, vintage tea cups, pieces of a vintage yo-yo quilt, a vintage kitchen scale, several antique quilts, a rustic tin box, and a little antique film camera, some garden chairs, vintage cooler, hand sewn ring pillow and assorted porcelain dessert pedestals were pulled together for this design.

(Brea Mcdonald Photography)

Sara took the strawberry and daisy concept and created an incredibly stylish wedding paper suite to include menus, invitations, reception, photo booth and beverage cards as well as favor tags and table numbers. Without even meeting in advance, Sara completely understood the design and aesthetic I was going for and totally exceeded my expectations with her creations. The fact that she is beautifully smart, humble, super talented, funny, sweet and genuine doesn't hurt either!

I even made a little gingham dress for you know who to sit at the "kid's table" amongst the over sized pinwheels... (Brea Mcdonald Photography)

Brea Mcdonald worked her photographic magic, climbing up on ladders, leaning into trees and crouching down low to capture all of the angles in the design elements. When we got to see a preview of her work, I was floored. Brea's photos make everything just that much prettier...the light, the crispness, the color, along with Brea's easy going, positive personality and sense of humor very much impressed me. How had I not worked with these two gems yet?

I have said this before, but I am humbled and incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by creative, real, supportive and talented women in this industry. Every day I am grateful for their friendship, humor, ears, opinions, encouragement and capabilities.

(Brea McDonald Photography, L-R: Brea, Sara and Meagan) Griffin-vites custom stationery is so pretty, so textural, with a splash of whimsy, it feels nostalgic and fresh to me all at the same time-I love the green ric-rac! (Brea Mcdonald Photography)

I whipped up a bouquet to reflect the colors and the feel of summer...loved the red polka dot ribbon! (Brea McDonald Photography) The luscious desserts were provided by 111 Maine Catering and fit the call for hand made, local and familiar summer desserts in lieu of a wedding cake. Strawberry shortcake, lemon squares, lintzer cookies and strawberry pie prettied up the dessert table, clothed with an antique quilt. Jennifer at 111 Maine is a caring, passionate, talented chef, who loves cooking and preparing food and offers her clients local, fresh and delicious food with an ease and professionalism that is so critical in the catering field. Jennifer is flexible, easy to work with and enjoys creating a custom menu for each client-another local gem!

(Brea Mcdonald Photography) Another antique quilt from my grandmother and a vintage Brownie camera created a great "photo booth" opportunity... (Brea McDonald Photography)

(Brea McDonald Photography)

It was such a great experience to work with these talented creators, and being published with them is even better!

2009 A Look Back

I am forcing myself to look at those goals I set for 2009 and see where I succeeded and where I have some opportunity. I really don't like the word failure, it doesn't exist in my vocabulary...



So from this list of lofty goals, here are the things I would rate as successes for 2009:


From Who I want to be:


1. fearless (well maybe sometimes I was. 12 miles up a mountain on a bike with a toddler and and a thunderstorm pending and only an hour or so before sunset?!? Fearless I think!)

2.adventurous (I did take my 2 year old camping for 3 days in October in Maine in a camper that we had just finished a year long restoration on, without a test run!)

3.compassionate

4. sassy ( I mean really though, haven't I always been this, even when I tried not to?!?)

(Cunningham Photography)
5. confident (in varying degrees!)

6.capable (I managed to keep my daughter fed and alive, my husband still laughing, my business running and my house in relative states of organization and cleanliness)

(Cunningham Photography)

7. determined (I can't seem to quiet this internal force ever)

8. successful (Well, I am not sure I really defined that well enough. In general I think I was...)

9. fulfilled (when I stopped to realize that I actually was)

(Cunningham Photography)

10.positive (most of the time! I really am a "what-if" type of thinker, I can't help myself)

11. passionate (can't seem to squelch this even when I try...)

12. fair (I even allowed brownies after lunch sometimes and staying up late times and skipping a nap or two times and one more time on the slide times. I will remind her of that when she is 14 and says, "You are so unfair!" before an eye roll and a door slam)

13. forward thinking (I am getting better at defining the future and planning for it personally)

14. happy (generally, when I am not ranting and raving to my poor husband)

15. curious (and better at asking others for information and help when I need it to satisfy a curiosity)

16.funny (according to my husband, who says,"where did you come from? You crack me up!" a few times a week at least)

17. loving (who can resist a 2 year old to hug and read to?)

18. strong (don't we have to be?)

19. and myself (sometimes too much so!)

(Melissa Mullen Photography)

From the "who" category, characteristics I still think I have some opportunity with:

1. Spontaneous. I can't help it, I really am a planner in my fabric, it is just how I am woven. It is hard for me to just do something without proper and ample research, planning, and thinking about...Note: thing learned about self in 2009!

2. Strategic. I still have some clarity to get to on a strategy for the business, my life. I did check off quite a few goals in 2009, but some of it felt like serendipity, or coincidental, not planned and directly arising from a clear plan.

3. Tough minded. Again, hard to weave a new thread into an existing piece of fabric. I can't help myself, I care about everyone and everything so much, it disables me from being critical and willing to say "no" as much as I should.

4. Realistic. I really still believe I can accomplish all of this (life, baby, husband, business, clients, house keeping, cooking, bill paying, gardening, snow shoveling, knitting, getting dressed and brushing my teeth, etc.) in a 24 hour day. I might event slightly believe that I actually have more than 24 hours to work with...Delusional? Likely. Don't tell anyone. I can't shake the feeling of possibility though...

5. And the unicorn of my existence: patience. Thought having a baby would force me to have patience, and maybe she has increased my levels, but overall I feel that this continues to be a life long opportunity for me. I just can't seem to harness the internal ability to feel patience, or to choose to feel it. Patience makes me uneasy, uncomfortable, restless, panicked sometimes even. Is it possible to learn to have patience? I don't think my lack of patience is a threat to others or myself, but I might have to seek outside counsel on this one if I can't find some soon!

(Brea McDonald Photography)

From the what I want to do list, the successes:

1. Open my heart and mind to possibility-I did this in varying degrees. I took some risks this year under the premise of "this just might work"...I really believed that things could happen.

2. I did a better job at staying connected, and at defining what makes me and my business different, and even determined how to show this to others, some design photo shoots became a way for me to implement this plan, and couldn't have happened without the first part of this goal, being connected. It was with the encouragement and participation of several other talented and creative wedding professionals that I achieved this goal. Together we achieved it. If you all are reading this, thank you, you know who you are. Personally, being published, having something I created in the glossy pages of a magazine, posted to a wedding blog that is read across the globe, is a huge life achievement for me, regardless of how tiny in the big picture of things.

3. Reading magazines, blogs, making time to keep up even a little bit each week was a big step for me!
(Top photo of Maine Seasons work: Sharyn Peavey Photography)(Bottom photo Laura Klein)
4.Introducing myself to 50 new people? Well, I surprised myself here and met 78!


5. Finish a knit sweater? At the time of the goal writing, I really had my doubts. I think I closed out December at 15 or so finished knits. Yippee!



6. Trip to Bar Harbor? Check, did it twice!

7. Take Ava out into the world to see, hear, smell, taste, explore and learn about life. We did this, she has had a lot of experiences and adventures for being so new to the planet! Lately she tells us she likes to "lay down in bed at night and close my eyes and dream about turtles and rays" "Like a Manta ray?" I ask. "Well of course I am talkin' about a Manta ray mommy" OF course.

(Brea McDonald Photography)
8. The whole drinking tea thing at nap time might have been a bit unrealistic, but I did increase my tea consumption as a whole. It just didn't always occur at nap time. And nap time didn't always occur either...

9. Be true to myself and my values. I think this one is a guiding light for me. I don't think I have to try that hard in this area, I just can't live any other way.

10. The camper completed? Yes, we miraculously finished it on October 7th, 2009 just in time for it's maiden voyage the next day. Phew! Where is the long promised blog you ask? I know, I really am going to get it finished one of these nights for all to see, I promise!

(Brea McDonald Photography)

The things I wanted to do that eluded me? Read on:

1. Write a work schedule for each week. I did try, but with being the full time care provider of a small human, working from home with that small person every day and just needing to work when I can, the nights, weekends, weekdays and mornings just all ran together more often than not. I am rolling this goal over to 2010!

2. The fabrics I had dreamed of designing took a back seat to the wedding designs I ended up creating.

(Cunningham Photography)

3. Ava's book did not get published. For the record, I finished writing it, I am just waiting on a certain someone to finish the illustrations. Ahem..

4. Swimming in Echo Lake with Ava and Chris didn't happen, due to weather related obstacles when we were in Bar Harbor. We did swim in the ocean a lot though. That counts, right?!?

5. Taking a bath once a month?!? Yeah right. I revised this goal to include shaving legs and trimming bangs at least that often.

6. The whole weekly exercise commitment really didn't commit either. I just don't think I wanted this badly enough to make time for it...There are always so many other things I need to be and want to be doing...

7. Spending quality time with my husband was satisfied by arguing in the husk of a rotting camper for a year and we did some laughing and talking too, but I think this year, there needs to be maybe one or two dates or times we actually leave the house just the two of us together. And running errands doesn't count.

And finally, from the things I want to have list, the successes:

1. A sense of wonder. With a child in your life, this is not optional.

2. A healthy child. Thankfully yes, 100% healthy.

3. A happy child. Have you met this one? She is a happy little nut and we love her.

(Brea McDonald Photography)

4. A happy husband. Well, he might not be wired as a jolly, happy, jubilant kind of guy, but if I can get him to laugh a few times a week, I think we can count this.

5. A strong marriage. Well, this will be year number 10 for marriage and year number 22 for really wanting to be around each other, and it doesn't look like either one of us is going anywhere so I think I will count this. (I asked just to check!)

6. A finished camper! Thank goodness, that thing might have done us in on all fronts if it hadn't been finished.

7. A positive impact on those around me? Well, I am not sure on this one. I will have to ask around!

8. Faith in my abilities. I did doubt myself, but kept pushing forward through the doubtful times, so I am counting it!

9. I finally do believe that all the wonders I seek are within myself.

10. Hope for the future. I did gain this hope this year.

11. Guts. I have them, I just don't always exercise the use of them. I did try them out a few times this year though.

Things that are still opportunities: (remember, we don't say "failure" in this house!)

1. The whole tidy house thing just may not be realistic for a creative project minded couple with a 2 year old and 3 cats...Clean? Almost always, but always not so tidy...maybe next year.

2. Organized workspace may be a non existent beast while working from home with a toddler on your lap as you e-mail...I did have several desk clean up sessions, but am sitting here today with piles around me. I feel lonely without the piles...

3. Peace of mind? I am not sure I will ever have this again after becoming a parent. I do experience moments of it though...

4. Clean garage? Don't laugh if you have seen it recently. This item just might come the closest to me actually admitting failure on. It is not organized, it is over stuffed and we have spent another year collecting and bringing home and not removing or cleaning out. Spring 2010, I swear.

5. The whole financial plan thing still eludes me-does surviving count as a short term financial plan?!?

6. I can't believe I am writing this, but it has now been since June of 2007 that I had my hair cut professionally. Maybe my husband should go to hair school to make it official.

7. I still don't have a clear vision for the future of my business though I do know a lot more about what the vision entails. I know much more about what I don't want that vision to involve too. Good year for learning and clarifying and being finally okay with what I want for this, and okay with the kind of work I want to do, not what anyone else might want for it.

8. Yeah, I didn't fare so well in the closet department either. I gained and lost and gained the same 10 lbs. in 2009 so the wardrobe stayed in a state of flux...

So there we have it. A long snapshot of my successes and opportunities over the course of 2009. On to fill 2010. Who's coming with me?