foraged flowers

Don't laugh... OK, do if you must...

when i was little i used to forage for flowers to make arrangements for my mom... when i mean forage i mean going into people's yards (i was little) and picking their flowers, and also going to edge of a small airport field (when i lived in Nashville) and picking wildflowers, there was also woods that i would explore and forage too.  then using whatever container i could, i would cut and arrange the flowers for mom.

Driving on Sunday with my fiancé we saw a vacant lot a few blocks away from our house, with TONS of wildflowers.  It’s not a neighborhood garden, it's not some one's garden, it's just rubble of old foundation and lots of flowers that took over, most would be considered "weeds" by the home gardener... not me!  I love "weeds".  "BABY LOOK, STOP, I HAVE TOO...)

My fiancé parked the car with a shake of his head, and I got picking, making myself a nice kitchen table bouquet, that I later added basil flowers (from my harvested garden basil -tutorial coming soon), grass cat-tails, and a rose from the garden, then I added water into a vase, and then later changed into my vintage pitcher *took the picture before the change and set it on my table, it’s now been a few days and my lovelies still holding up just fine.

My mother and I will be foraging for some wildflower elements for the engagement party flowers… that’s going to be quite a sight on Undercliff Ave. that day.

I'm hoping that she'll know what we're picking, I'd love to plant them for next year.

(Don’t you love when you get to do childhood things unexpectedly?)

Rustic Engagement Party.

Here's the inspiration board (one of many) for our engagement party. 
My fiance picked the poms... kidding.
Although I love actual candles... it's not wise to use them in a 1930's pavilion with hanging poms and drunk guests.  I want to to be a laid back romantic with easy up and easy down. 
Since it is going to be September, sub the spring mix of flowers with rich fall tones and sprigs of fragrent lavender and rosemary from the garden.  Yellow is the primary color... but not primary yellow... more like a warm rich yellow, kinda like : summer's last hurrah - yellow. 

Note: summer's last hurrah for a paint color is so appropriate, no?  yes.

I love inspiration boards, do you ever use them when planning?

por favor!



Courtesy of Pizzazzerie



Engagement party is inching closer and my excitement is amping up along with the never ending ideas...

Right now let's just talk favors!

I have a few different ideas that need to meet certain needs.

1. Cost effective
2. Eco-friendly
3. Yummy

It shouldn't be too hard right, except I've been researching this for months now, and have too many ideas.  I usually say...

"One can never have too many great options."

In this case one can, and does.

Here they are folks, ideas for the favors.  In no particular order.

1. Seasoned (by yours truly) pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds.

2. Made with love 4oz mason jar pies.

3. From the garden Rosemary and basil infused olive oil.

4. Festive Fruit infused vodka.

Or I could make my life easier with:

5. Cookie assortment A and B.
6. Candy assortment.

Please visit the links to the various how-to blogs I found for these items.  I will post the winner and my own personal how-to  (with a few modifications I'm sure) once it's decided...

THE Engagement Postcard and Venue

As promised here are the front and backs of our postcards designed by yours truly.  We hope that everyone will hang the post card on the fridge for a little while.

Post cards are really a win:win.  Postage is cheaper 0.29, less paper, and you get to make a nifty little website to handle all RSVPS and etc...

I'm pretty excited to take out my calligraphy pens to address them to everyone!

Here's where we are hosting our engagement party... so in love with this place.

  



It's rustic with it's charming 1930's structure, wood floors, and open air views of the city and the back ground creaking of Hudson river boat basin.  There's even a beach on the edge.  The Palisades is one of my most favorite places to explore.

One second you're in dense forest, look down and you'll find a 500 ft

drop of rocky cliffs where it's interesting to drop pebbles off the end and listen where they land.  Look across and you'll see Manhattan, the GWB and the little red lighthouse (built in1880) that not many people know exist.

FUN FACT: that little red light house was built before the George Washington Bridge (built in 1931)...there's a great children's story about it. 

Also, there are abandoned mansions that are hidden in the woods from the late 1800's, check out this site too for better pictures.  The Cliffdale is the one that's most intact, a lot of others just have the foundations. 

John D. Rockefeller Jr., bought the surrounding area in 1930s, in an attempt to halt over-development of the cliffs spurred by the newly built George Washington Bridge.

In 1933, Rockefeller donated the land to the Park Commission with the request that the cliff line be returned to its natural state. In the following years, numerous turn-of-the-century mansions were bulldozed, including Cliffdale Manor.

Back story... Steve and I and our friends Lucy and Eugene went exploring and found The Cliffdale mansion... from climbing into a hole in the floor of the mansion... Lucy and I got poison ivy on out arms...Steve and Eugene... well they watered the bushes, so use your imagination as to where they were itching.

When planning a party what are some ways you are green and save some green?

New Camera!

Two friday's ago my camera broke- as I was trying to take birthday celebration pictures.  I don't know what happened, but it did.

The old camera that I had was a Cannon point and shoot.  My mom had got it for me a few years ago, and I loved the hell out of it...lately I've been really craving a more quality camera.  I took it as a sign when my camera broke, I had some extra birthday money, so I bought myself a treat.

I don't consider myself to be the most tech savvy individual, but I'm certainly not a dunce.  It was a bit confusing to sift through all the reviews, specs, and prices to figure out my needs.

I ended up going with a Consumer Reports pick for an SLR like camera.

I got the Panasonic Lumix FZ40 - an SLR like camera- I can add lenses, but I don't need to.  For example; Maco shots (close ups of nature and objects FYI).  There are great presets for the newbies but with the flexibility to shoot manually.  BONUS: It also comes with the capability of recording 210 minutes of HD video and stereo sound. 

My poor (ok-enough-with-the-camera-babe) fiance- if he thought I was an annoying shutter bug then, wait until I start snapping now.

Here are some shots from around the way... I am no photographer, but I am one who enjoys taking pictures.

We are looking to go to Millbrook Vineyards this weekend and do an engagement shoot (and wine tasting).  Fingers crossed we will nail the shot for our vintage styled invite postcards as mentioned before.

The last shoot I tried to keep classic(y) with my chiffon navy skirt, white button collared down tank, and a tan blazer.  I'm not sure if it was the grey day, but I feel  I looked a little blah.  I think I need some more pop.  I will have to play around with outfits.  Steve looks great in anything he wears, or doesn't.

engagement picture ii

This weekend we are heading to attempt to shoot the engagement picture.  If it wasn't for people wanting to see our faces I would use the below pictures and call it a day.  oh here it comes... I can hear my Bubbie in my head now...

:insert accent of old school Jewish lady who was raised in the Bronx:

Why no faces Lindsey, people want to see your faces, what about the people who haven't even met Steve yet, they won't even know what he looks like, really, who does that, it's artsy, but not for an engagement party invitation, who thought this was a good idea, of course no one asked me, i wish you would have shown me before sending this out, you know I used to make things like this at Kwasha Lipton all the time, besides did you have to kiss in the picture, not everyone wants to see that, it's a neat picture, but who does that?

Case in point... (welcome to my life by the way) this beautiful (but hotter than hell) weekend will be the day.  I have the tripod, read my camera manual, yes the entire thing ,and I feel confident.

This photo was spur of the moment and random, then looking back I loved it.  I'm hoping for another one of those moments, with faces of course.

I find that art usually occurs that way in most forms, from painting to songwriting.  You force it, and push on... and get two lines written.  Then other times it's like you can't write fast enough.  Your hand is cramping and you feel as if you are no longer writing but just holding on to your pencil for all it's worth.

Yup, still hoping for one of those moments, only with a timer and camera.

Ever feel that way in your creative journey: that the second you stopped forcing it, it just flowed? Comment and share please.

 

postcard invites

As mentioned here, we had unsuccessfully taken engagement photos (granted we took them by ourselves because of fiance's unwillingness to "pose" he hates posed.)  So this weekend we are going to venture back to the Millbrook Vineyard for (another) wine tasting and some pictures, in that order (bring on the wisps to rid ourselves of wine mouth - and photoshop).

We have set a date for our engagement party September 24th 2011 at the Alpine Pavilion by the boat basin in Alpine, NJ.  It's a charming 1920's stone pavilion over looking the Hudson River complete with "beach" and a NYC view.  It should be a nice time of year, cooler, just as the leaves are changing, reminiscent of the fall hike that the now fiance and I took on date number one.

After we get the picture (my fiance kindly reminds me daily it only takes one - with more aspects than just pictures) we (I) am going to make a postcard in Illustrator and send 'em on out asap.  I was playing around at the airport waiting to fly to N.C., but I have to keep it a secret until it's sent out, sorry.  But I promise to update with the finished product.

The front is easy (sort of) after getting the right shot.  I'm thinking of applying a few layers of vintage in photoshop to match the back see bottom for front inspirations.

I am drawing inspiration from vintage postcards- here are just a handful out of the ones I looked at. 
Comment on which is your favorite back?  I don't know how we're going to pick!  I'm thinking a little here and there and we'll eventually get it.

1

2

3

4



5

 Here are some vintage styled fronts I like (see captions).



1. I like the coloration of this picture, I don't want a full black and white or sepia.



2. I love photoshop tutorials.  That will be in upcoming posts however.

p.s. today is my birthday, twenty-three.

The "Perfect" Picture

(Still not turning this into a wedding blog I swear) But it's so damn hard to take "THE" picture... You know, the one that will be printed on the magnet for "Save the Date"... that magnet will then be on your mother's, grandmother's (and don't forget in law's) fridge long enough for your first kid or two, to be born and out of diapers.
Case in point, 2 weekends ago we went to book (whoo hoo) the place for the wedding.  It's a charming vineyard in Upstate, NY about 1.5 hrs away from NYC- Millbrook Vineyards.  After we went through particulars we decide to set up the tripod and take a few shots, between the hair in my lip gloss, and my crooked tripod set up that resulted in my fiance looking like the leaning tower-they were not keepers to say the least, don't worry I'll post them after I load the trillion that exist.  We most definitely won't be using them.
Here are some ideas that I love.

 I could never convince Steve to do the above one with me. He HATES posed, hence the reason I am setting up my camera/tripod and shooting a bunch with a timer, he stiffens up when it comes time to take pictures.  They may be posed...but I think these are too adorable. 

If it were up to him he'd use the one of us (me seasick) on a fishing boat at 7am last year.  We got some great shots of my "chumming" overboard.  I will eventually (after we send out "The" picture) post what we decided on.

and some that I loathe.

 

Hello easy listening the beach version. 

 

Why not an actual article in wedding magazine/blog, or even an announcement in your local paper?  Why of all magazines... would you choose OK!?

As promised here are 3 of the most decent shots...FAIL.

Which leads us to...