Goodbye Summer
The leaves are starting to turn and the weather is slowly getting colder in Chicago. As much as I love the beauty and crispness of Fall, I already miss the flowers, warmth and carefree feeling that summer brings. Here are a few snippets of our summer that included three trips back East, a kid-free night away at a friend's place in Michigan and lots of outdoor fun in the city.....
A beautiful wedding in York, Maine
An exciting perfume project
My travel companions
Quality time with the grandparents in Boston
Dancing in the rain in Cambridge, steps from where I attended preschool
A peaceful ride on the swan boats in the Boston Public Garden
A visit with old friends in Connecticut
The sunset from our friend's home in Michigan
Music and a mini potluck at Ravinia
Berry and veggie picking
Beautiful views from our rooftop
Lots of dining al fresco
Sun set on the water
CATEGORIES: Kids and family, Places, Beautiful things
A Maine Wedding
At this point in my life, the real friendships that I have formed over the years are those that I cherish the most. The people you know you can count on no matter what, who would be at your side in a heartbeat if you need them. Some are relatively new friends, and others are lifelong, childhood friends who have been there for as long as I can remember. Regina, who has remained a steady presence in my life since fifth grade, is one of those people. In June, she married her soulmate Mark in York, Maine, and I was incredibly honored to stand beside her as a bridesmaid.
The ceremony was incredibly personal from start to finish. The bride's brother, Neil, officiated the ceremony at the lovely and historic York Golf and Tennis Club. Literally every single detail had a special meaning attached. The couple was married under an arbor built by the groom from driftwood that his family had collected from the beach over the course of the year (Mark's adorable nephews even took part). The box that held the programs was made by Mark's grandfather, place-card holders came in the form of hand painted shims made by the groom, and the calligraphy was done by our high school classmate, Margaret. The image on the wedding program was a mural painted by a local artist in the 80's, and it has a very special significance to Regina. Ten years ago, the bride had a vivid dream of a very specific bucolic landscape, an image she never forgot. When she walked into Foster's (where the rehearsal dinner took place) for the first time, she stopped in her tracks when she saw the image she remembers vividly from that dream. If that isn't a sign that this union is meant to be, then I don't know what is!
The flowers were ikebana inspired in honor of Regina's grandmother who practiced the Japanese art of flower arranging every day after traveling exensively in Japan (Regina also lived in Japan and is fluent in Japanese). The arrangements, consisting of wild orchids, succulents, driftwood and moss, beautifully reflected the wild nautral beauty of Maine. Guests were given local taffy from The Goldenrod, which first opened in York, Maine in 1896, adding a sweet touch to the reception.
We ate, mingled, danced and sipped Maine Breezes until we were the last guests standing. Surrounded by friends and family and personal treasures, the couple's love was palpable. It was a magical weekend.
* All photos courtesy of Geneve Hoffman Photography (except the final three that I took!)
The couple under the beautiful arbor that Mark created
I loved the combination of the soft white flowers with succulents
Marks and Regina's hand made sign and a crate full of local taffy
Our bridesmaids bags held a beach cover-up, flip flops, a small tote, a silver bracelet, and an embroidered handkerchief.
Regina wore her sisters veil
We all took turns watching the guests arrive before the ceremony
The beautiful flower girls in sweet polka dots
CATEGORIES: Places, Beautiful things
A Connecticut Getaway
Several years ago, I was featured in the New York Times Thursday Styles section in an article entitled How an Underdog Pursued the Scent. The article mentioned that my family served as my personal focus group while I was developing my fragrances, but I also had a number of trusted friends living in New York at the time, who helped me tremendously along the way. They were there for moral support, and helped me with everything from wearing the perfume and giving me feedback to working as my pro bono PR/marketing guru in the early days (thank you Dani!). We have all stayed in touch over the years, and most live near one another in the Northeast.
Several weeks ago, my family and I traveled to Connecticut to visit this crowd. It was amazing to reminisce and to see our children play together (over 23 children and counting between us!). Our trip coincided with our 10 year wedding anniversary, and my husband's 40th birthday, which made our visit even more meaningful. Over the course of our four day visit, our hosts who generously housed our entire crew, threw us a lovely dinner party (while pregnant with baby #4), friends in Greenwich hosted a beautiful family friendly brunch, and another couple organized a beach-side BBQ with friends who came in from Long Island. We were incredibly touched by the lovely events that they all planned around our visit. It was a beautiful testiment to the fact that true friendships withstand the test of time and distance.
Here are a few shots from our visit...
The other side of the table
Late night cigars
The table was set with lanterns that had decorated the tables at our hosts beautiful wedding in NYC seven years ago
At the Sunday brunch, my friend thought of everything: crafts, bubble wands, leis, and delicious food and snacks for the kids and adults.
An impromptu hour of slip and slide after brunch
A day at the beach
Looking for crabs at a Sunday evening BBQ at the beach in Old Greenwich
Our dear friends came in from Long Island to join us, and seeing our kids together again was incredible
CATEGORIES: Kids and family, Places, Perfume news, events and articles
