Lilac Saloon

Sneak Peek! Robyn's Wedding

I'm working on a really fun order for a wedding!  It's all Aqua & Red with little pops of green.  The brides dress is even going to be red!!

Aside from bouquets and boutonnieres, she also wants to put some small Wallflowers on the tables at the reception.  The best part about that, is that she can use them as decor in her home after the wedding.  No throwing away of dead flowers.  No waste.  Everyone wins!

This bouquet is the flower girl's bouquet.  It's tiny because she is only 5!  I thought I'd give you a little peek into the order.  I'm getting close to being finished so I'll share photos of the rest very soon!

Contact me if you're interested in ordering bouquets for your wedding or flowers for your home!  Custom orders are my absolute most favorite thing, ever.  :)

Harmony: Woodgrain

I'm really loving this Harmony drawing application.  It is so fun to experiment with the different effects.  I already linked to it earlier today but now that I've sketched with it a little bit more, I wanted to remind you that I am not kidding around!

Go and draw!!

Headscarf and Fun Links

It's Friday, y'all!!  

Yeah, I never say y'all but I guess I was just feeling it.  I'm working away on a custom wedding order of felt flowers.  I'm super excited to show you (when they're finished!) but I'll say that they're Aqua & Red and also that another kind of flower snuck into the bouquet, a genious request from the bride.

Like my headscarf today?  I should have twisted it differently so you can see the colors better because it actually is dip dyed and goes from the color you see up there to a really soft pastel shade of that same color.  And it was $1 and it's vintage.  Score!

 

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 Here are a few of my favorite internetty things right now:

Product Pricing Tips by Ashley Pahl on IHOD

Announcement of Indie Biz 3.0 class (I did the 2.0 class and it was wonderful!)

Princess Lasertron's list of Thing's to be Happy About

Amazing deer head embellishment on a winter jacket (I want to try this!)

Granny Stripe Blanket and Neat Ripple Pattern crochet tutorials on Attic 24

The most amazing online drawing platform since Odosketch.

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Julie

Our friends, Julie & CJ, are about to be parents for the first time!  They are a really sweet couple and we are so happy to have met them here in little Estherville.

We did a photoshoot over the weekend, celebrating Julie in the final days of her pregnancy before their daughter arrives.  I felt really special to spend this time with them and to photograph her at one of the most exciting times of her life.  Also... Isn't she gorgeous???

It was so much fun to take those pictures with them.  It was one of my first times really trying to work wth artificial lighting and also, because CJ is a photographer, I got to use his Canon 5D Mark II - omg.

I had to include this silhouette photo of their dog because she's so cute and the best dog ever.  And, her name is Prada.  Another reason to love Julie & CJ!

I'm really looking forward to all the amazing photo shoots we are going to be doing once the baby is born!!

"You & Me" Custom Embroideries

I just put some new embroideries in the shop!  

These are examples for custom orders - you just provide the names for me and I'll...

 draw and stitch
and cut and knot
and sand and paint
and glue and wrap
and tie and box and tape
and then I'll ship it off to you!

 

Love them?  Grab one from the shop and don't forget to tell us what names to stitch!

Pretty Lil Hearts

Psst!  Have you seen the new digital download over at Pretty Patterns?

Bonus: It's FREE.  Can anyone give it a test run for me?  Is it easy to download and use?  

I'd love input!  The more input I get, the more I will be able to offer patterns and other things for download!  I've got piles of ideas for the Pretty Patterns blog so any opinions and suggestions are openly welcomed!

 

Product Photography Tips on IHOD

Anna of In Honor of Design (my featured blogger!) is starting a new series on her blog called Small Business Guide.  She's going to be sharing her knowledge and the knowledge of other small business owners - giving those little tips that we all would love to have when starting out on our own in running a small business!

She asked me to contribute to her first topic today which is Product Photography!  We covered just one helpful and important tip - getting your backdrops SUPER white and beautiful.  Products online are really easy to look at when they're on a clean white background but it's hard to get it perfect white without some editing.

I shared a tip on getting your background white in both Photoshop and Lightroom, and I am sure this can be translated into the more affordable versions of Photoshop as well.  I hope it helps those of you that are looking to give your photos a bit of a pop!

Head over to Anna's blog to see the tutorial!

Russia Gets Me

It is SO COLD HERE.  I saw this editorial for Marie Claire Russia and it spoke to me.  It says..."You CAN be warm!  It's possible and we will show you how!"...

Do you think I could rock those clothes in Estherville, Iowa?  Yes?

Iza Olak by Alan Gelati for Marie Claire Russia Jan 2011

The Sketchbook Project: Complete!

I signed up for The Sketchbook Project, and I sketched, and I finished the book and I mailed it in!  I did it.  I completed the project and I made the deadline and I had fun.  But mostly, I finished.  That makes me very proud because there was a lot of doubt looming over my head!

Here are peeks into the book...

I didn't do this because I'm an amazing sketcher or obsessive doodler.  I actually don't even draw very often anymore!  I didn't do it for any reason other than having a fun project to do that was different from my normal creative outlets.  Although, some of the sketches turned out better than I expected and I might turn them into digital patterns for the Pretty Patterns blog - which will also be a lot of fun!

I put scans of every page of the sketchbook up on flickr so you can hop over there and check those out too.  I made a lot of the patterns relate to each other through the pages, since the paper was a bit see-through.  You can see that effect in the scans better than in these photos!

Did you do The Sketchbook Project too?  I'd love to see your book if you have photos or scans - share a link!

9 Years (Together)

 

Today, Evan and I have been together for 9 years!

Just wanted to brag... ;)

2 Years (Married)

Today is our wedding anniversary!  Last year, we celebrated with a long weekend stomping around downtown Columbus - eating Jeni's Ice Cream and jumping on the beds at The Loft.  

 

We celebrated it simply this year.

- Slept in until 11!

- Signed up for gym memberships

- Watched internet TV while cutting wool felt together

- Had a big yummy dinner of Chinese food

- Read the little notes that everyone wrote to us on our wedding day

 

Being married for 2 years doesn't seem so long, but we've been together for much longer!  We have another anniversary to celebrate on the 19th :)

 

I love you, Evan!!  Thank you for freezing your buns off to take these photos with me :)

Wheat

I love this so stinkin' much.

Liu Wen in Chanel by Victor Demarchelier for Vogue China Feb 2011

Make Something! New Mittens

I had this little knitted "sweater" sitting around for over a year, just waiting to be used for something.  I don't know if you can really tell...but the back of the sweater has a giant slice taken out of it.  I got this for free at a sample sale at my old job.  One of the nice perks of working in the fashion industry!  I wanted to use the fabric for something because it's really soft, very nice yarn.

It has been so darn cold in Iowa lately that I couldn't help but be inspired to make something to help warm me up!!  I might even layer these with a thin pair of gloves, too.  Like I said...it's really cold here!

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Previously on "Make Something!" - Thread Wrapped Headband Tutorial

Featured Blogger: IHOD

We've got a new featured blogger!  Everyone give a nice warm welcome to Anna of In Honor of Design.  Welcome to the Saloon, Anna!

Anna is adorable, friendly and super creative.  She's also well on her way to being a mother of 2!  Head on over to the interview with her and learn about why she loves blogging, living in a small town and she may even reveal a guilty pleasure or 4!

Introducing: Felt Heart Confetti

We're introducing a new item to the shop!

Felt Heart Confetti: 100 hand cut wool felt hearts  ($8)

These hearts were born from the need to waste less and to be thoughtful of how we use our resources and materials.  When making Wallflowers, there are A TON of small felt scraps leftover.  The scraps are too small to make new flower petals with and are in very odd and random shapes.

All of that scrap goes into a basket, not the trash.

There are as many colors of hearts as there have been colors of Wallflowers because the hearts are the by-product of all the Wallflowers ever made!

We cut hearts out of scraps as tiny as we can possibly handle!  No felt is wasted.  Not only is it being used...it has been turned into something even more useful and beautiful!

I love how whimsical they look just scattered about.  Once, after cutting an entire tupperware container full of hearts... I dropped the whole thing!  They spilled onto the carpet all across the room.  Let me tell you - it was the prettiest accident I had ever seen!

* decorate tables for a party

* decorate the dessert table at your wedding

* stick them onto the pages of your scrapbooks

* stuff them into an envelope with a note to a friend

* stick them in your valentine's day cards

* stitch them onto your sewing projects (patch doll clothes with them!)

* sprinkle them inside the tissue paper when wrapping gifts

With the endless possibilities... what will you do with your Felt Heart Confetti?

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*Don't forget, we can create confetti in the colors of your choice, too!  Wedding colors, themed party colors, school colors or even holiday colors.  Let us know and we'll create a custom batch of hearts for you!*

Shot of Summer

I'm sorting through my photos of 2010 and making more space on my hard drive for the billions of photos I'm bound to take in 2011.  This means I'm uncovering photos that I have not looked at in quite awhile!  This is my favorite forgotten shot of the summer.

Visit Norway

Does anybody want to go to Norway as badly as I do?

I screen grabbed these images using Visit Norway's 360 degree camera view - it's so fun!!  You can explore a bunch of different parts of Norway and zoom in and out and up and down.  And it's so gorgeous it will probably make you cry.  Go see for yourself!

I've had Iceland on the top of my list of places to visit and now I think I've got Norway at #2!

Cozy & Yummy

I'm doing a little Etsy shopping right now.  One of my goals this year is to buy something from another Etsy shop once per month.  I'm leaning toward something cozy and warm or something sweet and yummy.  Here are a few things at the top of my wishlist.  What should I go for??  So hard to choose!

12 French Macarons from EasternCookie on Etsy  $16

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Hand Knit Beanie with Visor by pixiebell on Etsy $40

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Assorted Gourmet French Nougats by kettleconfections on Etsy $18

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White Mini Paws by saralagace on Etsy $45

Cole Rise

 

I came across Cole Rise and knew he was just one of those photographers that I had to share with you. His photos have such a serene styling to them.  I sort of get lost in the little worlds within his photos...  Do you?

Cole's website, twitter

Recap 2010

2010 was quite a year for me!  Thank goodness I have pictures to help me remember it.  I love doing a photo summary of the year...even if it's really just for me.  I love looking back at it as one full story.

Below is a super photo heavy post (it took me like...12 hours or something!) of the greatest hits of my 2010.  If you'd like to take the journey...grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the show...

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I tried my first macaron.  I bought these from Whole Foods and they changed my life.

I learned how to paint with light!

I started writing for the 2nd year in the 5 year journal that my mom and I share.  We have 2 and we swap them back and forth each year.

Evan and I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary together.  It was also our 8 year anniversary of being together!  That sounds a little more impressive than one year :)  We stayed in hotels in downtown Columbus, explored the Franklin Park Conservatory and ate yummy food!

We got a visit from our great friends Sarah & Charlie.  They all got tattoos!

We celebrated Evan's 25th Birthday with a cozy winter party.  Warm fire, close friends, a handmade sign, Chinese food and cake and movies!

We drove up to Alpena for a visit and did weird and creative things on the way.  My mother-in-law took me on an antiquing roadtrip that weekend, too!  It was amazing!

I made a button necklace, started brainstorming for my potential business and learned to make cupcakes and frosting from scratch (and made a blog especially for my mama)!

I got my first pair of Toms, took an online class, experimented with chain-mail, fabric manipulation and painted the bottoms of my shoes.

We experimented with night photography.

We went to an amazing and hilarious cat show.  I highly recommend going...with a camera.

I modeled our first chain-mail design.

We hung out in Louisville for a weekend.

We threw a 25th birthday party for our dear roomie, Peter!

We did a fun photoshoot for Evan and his brother, Michael.

We started packing to move to Iowa.  The big change begins!!

I said goodbye to my job, friends and co-workers and life as I knew it.

We left Ohio and entered Iowa!

I had fun exploring our new little home, Estherville.

I started Lilac Saloon!!!

We made little trips to Des Moines to see the family.  Mom taught me to make her amazing banana bread. I hung out with lil sis and we did a photo shoot.

We went to The Grotto of the Redemption.  It was totally even more intense than I had anticipated.  Completely unreal!!

We enjoyed our down time and explored the surrounding towns!  We love the old train and Spirit Lake.

I saw a Wind Turbine very up close for the first time.  The noise it makes as it pushes through the air is pretty cool to experience, too.

I had my first paid photography job.  What a challenge...a family with a dog and a 2 year old!  I had so much fun and it made me fall even more in love with capturing moments.

I experimented with fabric manipulation some more.  I've never even put any of this in the shop!  I didn't think I had the concept nailed down just right yet.

We experienced some really intense Iowa storms.  These are so very different from storms we may have had in Ohio or Michigan.  Iowa is serious about it's storms!  I learned to photograph lightning, too!

We drove 14 hours north east to Michigan for a little summer vacation.

I photographed Evan's adorable cousins, Isabel & Clarisse.

I had a blast hanging out with Amanda & Brant and their two energetic boys, snapping photos along the way!

We explored the sinkholes and the cracks in the earth.  Cooool stuff in Michigan, people!

We fully embraced our Iowa surroundings.

I learned how to crochet, made little bow accessories, a scalloped pillow and a needlebook.

We started Metal Octopus, selling old watch parts and typewriter pieces to steampunk artists on Etsy.

Oh yes, more chain mail!  We love doing photoshoots in Estherville.

We explored little parts of Iowa every time we got a chance.

We walked through weeds taller than us and thicker than forest in order to get into the old abandoned trains.  I wanted to photograph them so badly!!  It was worth it.  Sorry, Evan, about all those bug bites.

We walked across the Swinging Bridge.  I was totally scared and hyperventilating the whole time while Evan looked over his shoulder and laughed at me.

I started making flower bouquets inspired by Gerber Dasies....dare I break into the wedding scene.

I tried out some action sequence photography!

We were blessed with a visit from my little brothers and sister (and step-mom!) all the way from Pennsylvania!  That was one heck of a drive for them.  I can't believe how big these kids are getting!

Matthew, the oldest, came up to Estherville with us for 5 days of fun and adventure without his parents.  Freedom!  We went to Arnolds Park, enjoyed the scenery of the lakes, went to The Grotto, ate steak (his fave), and ended it with a trip to the Mall of America before his flight out of Minneapolis.

We enjoyed the nostalgia of a small town fair at night.

I made The Poor Man's Fancy for a friend's awesome website, Fancy Sandwiches.

I took time to do little creative projects.  A covered lightswitch, hand painted rocks, painted holga and fabric pumpkins - to name a few!

I decided to join The Sketchbook Project!

We shared a table at the Estherville Craft Show.

I hand embroidered wedding vows for Wendy & Justin - my most unique custom order yet!

I made a thread wrapped headband - and it's a tutorial!

I made a huge set of Wallflowers for Jennifer...all the way in the Netherlands!

I worked on custom Wallflowers for photography studios and nurseries and people who just love Wallflowers.

I introduced Spirit Lake to Lady Gaga on Halloween.  I proudly scared them.

We joined the Photography Club and made new friends!

I started doing a lot of embroidery.  I even taught my mom how!  She did that white one :)

We had a great Thanksgiving with family this year!

I photographed a baby for the first time.  Little Hanna - and she was a perfect angel!

I started making the Wallflowers bigger and better.

As the year comes closer to an end, I tried to do my best to get more organized to start the new year fresh and tidy.

My precious Dahlia turned 4 years old!  This also meant that I have been out of college for 4 years now.

We discovered an awesome vintage shop near my Mom's place.

We celebrated Christmas by giving handmade gifts to our family this year.

We had Christmas and also celebrated the New Year in Des Moines with family.

Are you still here?  What a year - right?!  As always, it was unpredictable and jam-packed with exploration, creative expression and love.

Thank you, 2010!!  I loved you!