Back in February super talented photographer Brea McDonald contacted me about collaborating on a photo shoot. I of course jumped at the chance to work with her! She had a photo for inspiration that was a gorgeous, moody range of romantic blues and we started brainstorming from there. Sara O’Brian the lovely and amazingly inspired custom watercolor invitation and paper notions creator of Griffin-vites was part of the party too. Between the three of us we came up with the romantic yet melancholy story of a mermaid waiting for her sea captain to arrive for their wedding celebration. The scene was set on the beach where the table was made up of shipwrecked items that floated to the shore. Vintage silver, antique glasses and china, found objects, simple flowers accented with seaweed and a driftwood table top were just some of the elements that helped create an amazing vignette. The fantastic photos from Brea are coming soon. For now you can see the process of the design, set up and the shoot captured so wonderfully on film by Meg Simone. Special thanks to Ashley at Occasions Bridal for the stunning dress!
Archive for the ‘Inspiration’ Category
Seaside Photo Shoot
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010One last look at winter…
Monday, April 5th, 2010I know Spring is officially here but I can’t help to take one last look at winter! We have a little pond behind the house and this winter we got lucky enough to have perfect ice skating conditions which means ice skating party! This was also a great opportunity for my good friend and fantastic photographer Geneve Hoffman and I to put our new venture of custom designed and styled family photo sessions to test. The results were precious! I had so much fun enjoying one of the last days of winter with dear friends and family skating as the sun went down and then snacking on warm treats in front of the bon fire.
Homemade berry muffins wrapped in parchment paper (inspired by Martha Stewart of course!), homemade marshmallows to top of hot chocolate, popcorn in bags decorated with snowflake stamps (we do get crafty around here!), vintage mason jars packed with snow made perfect candle holders, twinkle lights over the pond and a blazing bon fire were some of the just right special details that made everyone happy. But what truly made this a beautiful day was the gathering of friends and family on one of the last great days of winter!
Special thanks to Geneve for capturing the festivities. If you are interested in a custom family portrait session you can reach Geneve at LuminaLife.com. It would truly be our pleasure to help you and your family create and capture a very special day in your lives.
Holidays…Part 2
Friday, March 19th, 2010
Yes warmer days are here and tomorrow is the first day of spring but I can’t resist posting more photos from the holidays! The lovely and super talented Geneve Hoffman spent a day with my little family back in early December to capture our day of finding just the right Christmas tree and then bringing it home to decorate. Even though there wasn’t snow on the ground it was still the perfect day spent together getting into the holiday spirit!
Luckily we have a tree farm just down the road from us and after a very thorough search we found the perfect tree.
We’re big on crafts around here! Groovy paper from Gus & Ruby’s fantastic Portsmouth shop ready to be made into garlands and Wyatt and Geneve’s daughter Sage are busy making wrapping paper!
Special snacks and treats are a must! Gorgeous organic carrots, pear, ginger honey and cheddar paninis and hot cocoa of course!
Decorations ready to be hung on the tree..I definitely have a thing for anything that sparkles around the holidays! And I adore my little silver birds!
Tree trimming! So much fun especially now that Wyatt is a little older and can participate with out tearing the whole thing down! The garlands are perfect (thank you Whitney at Gus & Ruby for the inspiration!)
Decorations around the house..more fun with paper from Gus & Ruby to make extra special candle lanterns!
Many thanks to Geneve for capturing so beautifully a very special day!
Merry everything!
Thursday, December 31st, 2009Christmas is my favorite holiday! I plan menus, look forward to gatherings of friends and family and deck the halls. I am so pleased with the decorations from this year! Some gold and green, a little glitter, some gorgeous plants and alot of candles….
Some of my favorites…my glitter deer family and little birds hidden throughout the house, the gorgeous succulents, creamy poinsettias and rosemary topiaries, glowing, gold votives, our beautiful tree cut on a sunny winter morning just down the road, modern paper garlands and gorgeous candle lanterns made from fabulous paper from the fantastic Portsmouth shop Gus & Ruby , handmade wrapping paper by Wyatt, simple yet special gold ornaments scattered everywhere, lovely little green and spiky gourds, making my favorite treat – Whoopee Pies (with some crushed candy cane for good measure!), “The Nutcracker Suite”, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “James Brown Christmas Collection” playing all day everyday, the ivory burlap runner on my dining table, a warm fireplace, a pre christmas trip to the farmers market to stock up, my kitchen overflowing with homemade sweets and savories….but I truly get the most joy from having all my family around my dinner table for a feast after watching Wyatt and his three cousins eagerly and excitedly open presents… and my heart is full after seeing the huge smile on my husbands face on Christmas morning as he put on his skates to teach our son Wyatt how to skate for the first time on our pond. I think I’ll hold on to that moment and carry it with me into 2010…
Snapshots of fall…
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
Fall is a lovely time of year in New England - so much rich and colorful change! Over the past few weeks I’ve collected some snapshots of fall…all inspiring and a reminder of why I love living in New England.
A burst of color on a gray day.
Love the texture, movement and colors!
Homemade cinnamon sugar donuts are the best treat at the last farmer's market!
Perfect placement.
Details, details, details...
...framing a seaside view.
An unexpected warm and sunny day at the beach.
Seasonal Finds
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009I love this time of year…the leaves constantly changing color, the air a little cooler and visions of gathering friends and family for holiday feasts fill my head. I’ve always wanted a BIG dining table and thankfully I got my wish a few Thanksgivings ago when we fit 13 adults and a baby at each corner around a 10′ long x 40″ wide farm table made of old pine barn boards! Thank goodness my husband is an amazing craftsmen and carpenter! I have a lot of fun decorating it through out the seasons but this fall I am loving some new finds that are perfect for the table…a super cool, old chicken feeder dug up at a funky antique shop a few weeks ago, mini and spiky gourds from farmer’s market and lovely, perfectly shaped small pumpkins from a local farm…add a few oak tree branches with acorn tops from the back yard and my table is looking lovely! I’ll nestle a few votive candles in the mix when we sit for our next family gathering. My husband calls it the most unique horn of plenty he has seen…I’m already thinking about what will take it’s place for Christmas!
Love ROCKS!
Thursday, October 29th, 2009This is so fantastic I just had to share…one of my brides for 2010 is sooo lucky to have her mom planning all the details big and small for her Maine ocean side ceremony and reception. Below is her mom’s 3 am flash of brilliance… “Love ROCKS” from her island garden. A photo of this along with a wish rock will be given to the guests…very cool, very special and very inspired!!!
A great reminder that inspiration for your wedding or special event can come in all shapes and sizes and at any time of the day so make sure to keep a notepad by the side of your bed to scribble down whatever flashes of brilliance wakes you up at 3 am.
It’s all in the details…..
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009I am very excited and honored to be part of the Taste of the Nation party at historic Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth New Hampshire next week. It is a fantastic fundraising event hosted by Share Our Strength, Seacoast which is part of the national anti-hunger organization, Share Our Strength. The money raised directly benefits local organizations that help feed hungry children in our area.
I am helping to decorate the VIP tent with flowers, lighting and some extra special touches. One of the unique accents will be custom, silkscreened pillows for adirondack chairs generously on loan from our good friend Scott Masi of Chairman of the Board in York, Maine. I could not make the pillows happen with out my neighbor Rachel who is a very creative and talented artist and graphic designer. We were at her studio on Sunday printing the pillow covers and we were so excited with the results. As I looked at the covers drying on the line I was inspired to create custom banners for a ceremony, decoration in a tent or draped in trees with lights for evening cocktails…the possibilities are endless and I hope I get to work more with this process for my clients! I think the pillows are going to be too cool and couldn’t wait to post photos of our work from Sunday.
Professional photos will be posted asap following the event but for now here is a taste of what we are cooking up for Taste of the Nation. Share Our Strength is a nationwide organization that has Taste events throughout the states – look for one of their benefits in your town and go out and have a good time while supporting a crucial cause in our neighborhoods!
Rachel getting the screens ready. I am so envious of her studio space!
Our little bird ready to be printed.
LOVE the bird silhouette!
Completed coral covers.
Our sea bass design waiting to be printed.
Farmer’s Market Inspiration
Saturday, May 30th, 2009I am in full spring gardening mode and love checking out all the local greenhouses and the farmer’s market for unique flowers and inspiration. A few weeks ago I found gorgeous opal basil at a farm that will be perfect for next weeks wedding flowers. The flower color range is dark to light purples and the basil will add a gorgeous, velvety ,deep purple accent.
Opal Basil
This morning I struck out to the local farmer’s market to look for purple kale and other unique flowers and edibles for this same wedding. I didn’t find the kale I wanted but did sit and share a scone with my son Wyatt and listed to a great bluegrass band called Rock Spring The first song they played was Pachelbel’s Canon in D, one of the traditional processional songs for wedding ceremonies. You wouldn’t expect to hear this from a bluegrass band but it sounded so cool and fun and different…the key word being different! I do love the traditional strings for ceremonies but having a bluegrass band put a spin on those traditional songs is what makes a wedding stand out from all the rest.
So don’t be afraid to hire that steel drum player you heard at a local club, book the blue grass band for your ceremony or to ask your florist to create a design using unexpected elements…seek out inspiration in unexpected places, create your own traditions and infuse your celebration with pieces that make you smile. All your guests will smile along with you!
