Blog Crush: Fleur Chicago

I wanted to take a moment today and share with you my latest blog obsession, Fleur Chicago.  As someone whose fairly new to the industry I am constantly learning new things, and I think it's important to stay on top of what's going on in the industry.  I research flowers like it's my job...oh wait, it is!  I came across the Fleur blog the other night and it's a rare thing that I read a new blog all the way to it's beginning, but for this one I just had to.  Take a look and you'll see why:

And this wedding that I've been obsessing over:

Wasn't that beautiful?  Happy Friday everyone, I hope you have a great weekend!

love, em

From Here to There: Hand Drawn Maps

If often use this blog to brag about my wonderful friends and their accomplishments.  I think that in the world of independent business, and the arts nothing could be more important than sharing information and promoting one another.  My friend Sage Dawson who I've mentioned before in past posts is an amazing printmaker and now a published artist.  One of her pieces is featured in a new book "From Here to There" all about hand drawn maps.  The book's receiving good reviews and recognition, and has some really lovely images.  Here's some of these and a little synopsis:

 

Sage's piece.

    "From Here to There celebrates ephemeral documents—usually forgotten or tossed aside after having served their purpose—giving them their due as artifacts representing stories from people's lives around the world. There is the young woman suffering from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis who created maps of the Humira injections on her stomach and thighs to help her remember the sites, and give them time to heal. Or the young boy who imagined a whole country for ants and put it to paper...The maps featured in From Here to There are as varied and touching as the stories they tell." This and more information at Amazon.

The Moneypit: Changes to the Kitchen

We're making some changes to the kitchen and I've been seeking out inspiration.  I want to put a sitting area in our breakfast nook, as we have only used the table that resides there once or twice to eat on, and we now have a complete formal dining room.  Plus whenever we host parties the kitchen is the place where most people like to gather and socialize.  

However I've been having trouble finding a interestingly designed sitting area for a kitchen.  Most are rather generic and boring, so I guess I'm left to my own devices.  But while browsing over at Apartment Therapy I did come across this lovely retro piece of renovation.  Gah, I die!  I'm loving everything about this space:

 

Isn't it adorable?

love, em  

Addicted

Someone got a new toy...me! And I couldn't be more excited. With all the new amazing phone options out there I had to weigh my pros and cons a little more carefully than I may have needed to in the past, but I went with my gut and got the iPhone.

Of course one of the first apps. I downloaded was Hipstamatic, and I spent time on Sunday playing around with some adorable models.

love, em

Freckled Nest Winner!

The lucky winner of the Freckle Nest give-away is Lindsay.  Not only am I excited to send her a pair of my earrings, but she also has a super cute blog that you should check out ldc designs:

 

Congrats Lindsay, and thanks to Leigh-Ann for letting me be part of Freckled Nest!

love, em

Chicago Trip 2010

To celebrate our two year anniversary Matt and I traveled to Chicago for the second year in a row.  Only this time we had scads of friends to hang out with who have moved there since our last visit, including my dearest Claudia and her husband James, Matt's brother Zach, and Liz.  As always we had a fantastic time, but having resident Chicagians (??) around to show us some of the sites enhanced our usual enjoyment.  

Go Chiefs, Pack sucks!

It was Sue the Tyrannosaurs birthday!

Fireworks at Navy Pier.  This is the view from Claudia and James apartment.

We went to Northerly Island for a picnic lunch.    

   

Thanks so much to our gracious hosts Claudia and James.  We had such a wonderful time with you guys!

love, em

I can hear the crickets chirping...

because it's been so quite around here.  Sorry for my abscence my lovelies, I don't know what has gotten into me lately.  Well actually I take it back, I do know.  It's called work, and I've been doing it a lot lately with two weddings in a row at the end of August, and also finding out the building where I have my floral studio is closing.  I have to say it wasn't a huge surprise, but they gave me two weeks notice, yikes!  So I've been a busy bee trying to clean out my in home space to make way for making lovely flowers.  I'm excited about the change, and I think it will be so much more convenient to have everything right here.

Pardon my dust, I'll get back to being a handmaker of things soon...

  love, em