have a lovely labor day weekend

It's been such a busy few weeks, I am not sure where to begin, but I know that this weekend,  I am going to take some time off from everything and enjoy the last official weekend of summer. I know it's hard to reflect on something when it is still so close to you, but I have had a wonderful summer, with amazing new clients, beautiful weddings, and  the sweetest little babies and kids. I know I say this a lot, but I am truly blessed to be able to do what  I love.

I am never ever ready for summer to end, and seeing the hydrangea turn a pinkish color, reminds me that fall is on the horizon, and though it doesn't officially kick off for another few weeks, I feel a little bit of longing for summer's passing already. Time marches on before my eyes. Maybe that's why I feel the need to document everything?

What are you up to this weekend? I plan on staying put here in Litchfield Country with the exception of going to see Brett Dennen with my sister on Friday night (I can't wait). Have a lovely labor day weekend, and enjoy the last days of summer.

summertime (and the best of intentions)

Doesn't it seem like summertime is flying by? I had the best intentions of posting more wedding images for you this week, but time got away from me.  I seemed to have gotten lost in summer. In the mean time you can keep up to speed with me elsewhere on Facebook and Instagram where I usually post sneak peeks. I also have some pretty exciting changes coming to site and blog, which I am looking forward to sharing with you. Here are some summer links for you from around the world wide web.

Top ten ways to cook all that kale growing in your garden. // The easiest salsa ever. // An amazing all natural face mask all found in your kitchen! // The best summer hair products to control frizz. // My new favorite color for summer from Essie. //  How to make homemade ice cream without a machine! // //How to pack the best summer picnic. From Food 52 // And a song for your weekend. Don't you worry 'bout a thing! // 41 camping ideas worth your read! Have a lovely weekend~

AUGUST

Here we go! August is upon us and July has come and gone. Doesn't it seem summer passes faster than any other? My garden seems to mark the passage of time for me. In little ways; the hydrangea are in full bloom, and the peonies + roses have come and gone, and it is just a gentle reminder that as each new month comes and goes, there is always something to look forward to (or miss).

everything lavender

I love my lavender! Each year, I plant another because I can never have too much. I dry it, and it lasts for a year around the house. I've got French lavender and English lavender. I put it by my bedside table, I cook with it, I make sachets, and use the seeds to make simple syrup.

Here are a few DIY links form around the web, you can try with your lavender. Lavender bread, this looks so good, though I haven't tried it yet.  Lavender simple syrup, you can use this in summer cocktails (one of my fav's is a lavender mojito). Lavender sachets, put them in your delicates drawer.

And for those who want to purchase anything (and everything) lavender. 

Check out Local Harvest here. And don't miss this lovely Etsy shop, Prince Snow Farm. I adore her stuff! 

pressing ferns

I love ferns. They remind me of a bygone era.  So I thought I would share with you a quick and easy way to press and preserve them. You can frame them or use in artwork. 

1. Cut two sheets of wax paper big enough to cover the fern.

2. remove all brown or dead parts.

3. Place fern on wax paper 

4. Place fern (covered on both sides in wax paper) in large heavy book.

5. Let sit for 5-7 weeks in dry cool room. 

I think they would be so pretty framed in a guest room! Wouldn't it be nice to press some of your'e wedding flowers too?

homemade herbal tea

I am a big coffee drinker, but when I am sitting at the computer editing, I try to limit it to two cups before ten in the morning, otherwise I would sit and drink coffee all day-yikes. I also suffer from insomnia on occasion, so I've switched over to iced tea for the summer and can go through a pitcher in a day. BUT all the caffeine from the black tea isn't good either. I decided to make use of all the herbs I have in my garden, and did a little research on making use of the chamomile I have that grows like a weed (and that's ok by me). For a how-to you can check it out here. I added, mint, and lemon balm to one batch, and it was really good. Did you know you can also use fresh herbs right in your bath water? Chamomile and lavender are both supposed to relax you. Mint is energizing, you can also use lemon balm in foot baths. Who knew? There is a lot this up-rooted city girl didn't know.

What I love most, is it is equally good served cold with a sprig of lemon balm or mint for garnish. Also I don't feel like I am crawling out of skin by lunch time.

P.S- I realize not everyone has the ability to grow herbs on their own, though they do well in pots in a sunny window, you can also find them all at a local organic market, or Whole Foods. Have a relaxing Saturday! I'm excited for my cousins wedding this afternoon-it's an outdoor wedding and a BEAUTIFUL day! xo-kate

it's been worth the wait

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” 
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

sugaring flowers

I have been totally charmed by simple wedding cakes lately. Sugared flowers have been around forever, but lately I have seen some beautiful cakes on Pinterest, and at some of the very chic barn weddings I've photographed in the last nine months. They have that homemade organic feel, simple, and quite beautiful, it seems brides are moving away from the ornate bakery cakes, and leaning more towards homespun dessert tables, and I am loving it. I adore the look of vintage 1940's milk glass cake stands and eclectic china to add the the charm of the dessert table. You can easily find things like this on ebay, or at tag sales, and flea markets. So I thought I would share with you a "how to" on sugaring your own edible flowers. They are so sweet atop a simple cake. They keep for up to two weeks, once they are finished, so it is a feasible DIY project, you can tackle several weeks before the rush of the wedding.

Ingredients
1-2 cups of edible organic flowers
1 teaspoon water
1/2 cup superfine sugar
one small paintbrush
wire drying rack
wax paper

Prep
1. add the water to the egg white and whisk, till there are just a few bubbles.
2. working with one flower at a time dip the paintbrush in the egg white, and gently paint each petals, on both sides.
3. hold the flower above the bowl of sugar and sprinkle the top with a thin layer of sugar.
4.place flower on the wire drying rack to dry completely (depending upon the humidity in your house, this could take up to 24 hours.
5. use tweezer to dip the smaller petals (such as lilac) into the mixture and lay it on wax paper when you sugar them.
6. Store in airtight container for up to a few weeks (or more).

For a full list of edible flowers check this chart.



xoxo

a beautiful mess

We soaked up of every moment of summer yesterday. Once the rain cleared,  & the temperature dropped, it was sunny and breezy, the perfect days you dream about when you think about summer in New England. I cut plenty of flowers to bring indoors. I had a rough few days, so doing something I love (being in the garden) was great. A bouquet for each room, with a few to spare,  followed by a  good run with the beastie boys, "Brass Monkey" cranked up on the iPod, and ending the night by spotting the first firefly of the season...sometimes life is a beautiful mess.

first peonies

"Adopt the pace of Nature; her secret is patience." 

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

details

Just this for now. I love the simple details. I hope you had a lovely long weekend. xo

grape hyacinth

I am about to bombard you with more flower pictures (tis the season). I love the smell of grape hyacinth. The dark purple, periwinkle and white are so pretty when paired together. It almost has an ombre effect. I bought the vintage test tube vase  almost 15 years ago in Boulder, CO, and sadly one broke. When pairing flowers for cuttings, think about graduating variations of the same color (works well with lilacs too).

I took these with my iPhone, using the VSCOCAM App, you can download the app here. I was telling a friend, who wanted to take pictures of her flowers, that if set up well, in natural light you can get good shots using your iPhone (you don't need a fancy SLR). I love editing on the go with VSCOCAM and my iPhone.

If you are looking for something similar to this vase, I found this on Anthropology . Or if you are feeling ambitious  you could make your own.