Saturday, January 14, 2012

Brides


I love working with brides.  Through the years there have been so many brides from all walks of life.  Some live right here in West Michigan, others have planned their weddings with me from as far away as California.  I've seen marriages bloom and families grow as babies enter the picture.  From coffee barristras, teachers to future brain surgeons, the brides and their styles have varied immensely and I've loved working with them all! 

Currently, I'm working with a sweet bride who is from the Ukraine.  She lives in Washington D.C., her fiance lives in Canada.  With family in West Michigan, their wedding and reception will take place in Holland, Michigan.  Drawn to locally grown flowers and a vintage rustic theme, the couple have shared a couple ideas:

Bridal Bouquets:






Boutonniere:


Bridesmaids Bouquets:





Centerpieces:










A couple additional ideas incorporating books and blue mason jars:


As we are enjoying the freshly fallen pure white snow in Michigan, I'm also enjoying the planning of colorful spring planting - incorporating what this couple and many others are requesting this year.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Tick tock, it's a clock!

Clocks.  I don't know what it is about them that just draws my attention.  I counted.  We have 16 in our house.  That does not include watches, but does include cell phones.  Having 16 clocks in the house does not necessarily mean that we are on time to all of our commitments either (I do hear some of you laughing).

I think it all started when my husband worked in engineering for Hekman Furniture and decided that he would like to use his "sister company discount" to purchase a Howard Miller wall clock that caught our attention.  It has graced the walls of two of our homes now.


When we were moving from one home to the next, my husband decided that he would build a huge clock.  Yet to be finished, this one is 5 feet in diameter.  Though unfinished, it makes quite a statement behind the loveseat in our office.


I found this little bargain at the Allegan Antique Market with friends this past summer.  I call it "grandma's clock" because based on my memory, it looks exactly like the alarm clock that sat in my grandma's bedroom for all of the years that I'd known her.  There might have been a few sibling fights over who got to "wind it" next!  It makes me think of my sweet grandma every time I see it (in my kitchen).


Knowing our affinity for clocks, my sister bought this tree ornament for us years ago.  It hangs on our Christmas tree every year.


The Howard Miller clock shown at a different angle.  Paint colors have changed in the house, but the clock remains the same.  (A few flowers were on display after we participated in a local bridal show).


At the same time that my husband designed the 5 ft. clock, he had made faces for 3 ft clocks.  Our cousins loved the supplies and finished the project - sending us a photo of the finished project.  Love it!


The other day, my husband mentioned wanting to finish this one.  He designed the hands at the time that he designed the clock.  I can't wait to have it finished, but in the meantime, curling up right here with a book when I don't have to pay attention to the real time is just a gift!