In love: Miss Pickering

I recently stumbled across a blog written by an English florist, Simone Pickering and I am smitten. Miss Pickering, as she is more commonly known, is the owner of a “floral emporium” in Stamford and writes daily about her exploits with “the hound.”

By way of introduction her website states that,

“When not working Miss P likes to cook and wear slutty shoes.

The Hound is the resident shop dog.

He likes to greet customers, sleep, and eat roast chicken.

He loves Lily of the valley.

He hates gerbera.”

Her work is stunning, her wit pronounced and her English-ness undeniable. A daily dose of her blog is sure to amuse and inspire and serves to make this English designer a little less homesick.  


Miss P’s blog:
http://misspickering.blogspot.com/
The Hound’s blog:
http://www.shop-dog.blogspot.com/

Bride’s Eye View: Part I

Hi everyone,

I am so pleased to share the details of our upcoming wedding with you all! So here goes…

Jamie and I are getting married August 28th on Orcas Island, in the San Juan Islands in northwest Washington. We got engaged last summer (three minutes before we took the picture below) and have spent over a year planning our wedding, so I’m excited to share some of what we’ve learned in the process!

As I set out to plan our wedding, I turned to the dozens of wedding design blogs for inspiration, including this one. I found great ideas for dresses, décor, beautiful locations and reception entertainment. However, the problem was that I found too many great ideas! Overwhelmed by all the shiny pretty wedding things, I realized I had to first think big picture before dealing in the details. So, Jamie and I asked ourselves what I think is the most important question as you start planning - “How do we want our wedding to feel?”

If you’ve ever visited the San Juan Islands, you know it’s a laid back place, and that’s how we imagined our wedding from the start. Our wedding slogan, so to speak, became “organic, coastal barbecue.” We wanted our wedding to feel like a more dressed up, organized and beautiful version of the parties we throw at our home, surrounded by friends, with tasty and healthy food, and plenty of Northwest wine and beer. We wanted our guests to remember our wedding as part of a memorable weekend when they relaxed, unplugged, and enjoyed the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

Once we knew how we wanted the day to feel, I was finally able to contemplate a specific location, décor, and the many details we’ve since planned. The hardest part of the process was editing down all my ideas into a few manageable DIY projects. Rachel and I discussed everything I was thinking of doing and then she put together this design board:



I loved it! Not only did it help me tie all my ideas together and visualize the mood of the wedding, it gave me something tangible I could show other vendors and friends.

And so…our wedding colors became many shades of blue (the “coastal”) with some orange and peach thrown in for contrast at Rachel’s suggestion. We bought a bolt of burlap and used it for anything and everything we could, and started saving and re-purposing glass and tin jars for flowers and candles (“organic”). And we chose food and drink vendors we were confident could deliver a delicious but casual menu (the “barbecue”).

Throughout the next couple weeks, I’ll share some of the specific projects we took on to make our wedding concept a reality, and how it all unfolds in just 25 days from today!

~ Chelsea

Got Milk?

I got to use my collection of vintage milk glass vases and compotes for a recent bridal shower. You can find milk glass everywhere from Ebay and Etsy to your local thrift store. Collectors will buy them for anywhere up to $150 each but I got all of mine for about a dollar a piece at my local Goodwill!
 

Milk glass originated in Venice in the 16th century and is still manufactured today. It is popular with collectors and designers because it’s relatively easy to find and makes a stunning display when grouped en masse.



I particularly like how the cups and goblets lend a vintage twist to even the most modern floral arrangement and how dramatically colors pop against the stark white. The unique patterns on each one also photograph beautifully.

Here are some pictures from the shower…  
 

Becka and Scott

The colors for this weekend’s wedding in Sequim are absolutely divine! I just adore the combination of sophisticated jewel tones mixed with the casual feel of wildflowers.

I always start with the bride’s bouquet – picking the most beautiful flowers and setting the tone for the rest of the arrangements. Becka is bucking the trend and wearing a blue dress which should make the colors really pop.

These David Austin Cymabaline roses are some of my favorites – a heavenly scent and the closest thing  to peonies at this time of year. Antique green hydrangea and poppy pods give balance to the bright pinks, blues and orange.
The flower girl’s whimsical bouquet is one of my favorites to date.

A poppy pod, purple lisianthus flower and pink freesia make up Scott’s boutonniere and Orange Unique roses, pink lisianthus and pink freesia finish off the mother’s corsages.


And finally some of the reception flowers…

Garden Party

I’m sort of in love with my garden right now. After two years of solid hard work, it is finally starting to feel like the end is in sight. A little more “let’s relax back here and enjoy” rather than “hmm just need to…” So it seemed like the perfect backdrop for a photo shoot of these gorgeous wedding invitations that I’ve been dying to showcase. I love how unique invitations have become in the last few years. Gone is the stuffy cursive type and calligraphy and in its place, the perfect way for a couple to set the stage for their wedding’s tone and theme. These two are a prime example that fun and class can go hand in hand.