season's change

i was on a serious carly simon binge until this. and now it is done.
now i am downloading the best of expose.

flowers are from a little wedding we did at ICI last weekend - one of my favorite spots for a small wedding, and incidentally the site of our very first wedding 3 years ago. Amy, the bride, is a gem - they drove through past the shop to shout hello after the ceremony on their way to the reception - my first drive by bride. I almost cried.

going down to meet jeremy now to do our official photo shoot of the new shop, so images coming soon. also want you to know it's hot, humid, and just disgusting in nyc right now. go download your expose. happy friday and thank you for all you're warm birthday wishes.

We had the pleasure of meeting artist, floral designer and master gardener Carol Duke a few weeks ago. We stayed at her Flower Hill Farm retreat during our Brimfield escapades. Her gardens are wild and stunning - at the time brimming with cone flowers (which now grace the header of this blog) yarrow, bee balm, lillies, astilbe, goosenecks, blueberries and hydrangea. Our room (the studio) had a clawfoot tub in the middle of it. After a day at Brimfield we'd wash off all the dust and sunblock in it while listening to the sounds of the evening garden through the open doors that looked out to the hillside of gardens. It was a beautiful 3 days.

Carol snapped this portrait of Eric and I on our way out. I hope to visit again at a different time of year to see the gardens in a different phase...in the meantime when I crave a shot of nature I visit her incredible blog where she documents the flowers and birds of her little paradise.

Today I turned 29, on the 29th, and its like a big deal, OK? When I was little my mom would always talk about how awesome you're golden birthday is, and I was always like "NO FAIR! I'm never gonna be 29!"

I woke up this morning and realized I didn't have any flowers in the shop to bring home for myself...then I received these delivered to my door
<----------------------------

from my best friend Jen (via nicolette camille)...
a florist getting flowers is the most amazing thing in the universe.

sneak peak i guess

my friend steve snapped this picture with his phone and sent it to me - yall have been so patiently awaiting a photo...and even though we're really not done setting up yet, i'll let this leak...nea looks good in there, right?

There's nothing you can do to turn me away..

i ran home for lunch. i put on a carly simon record. i made myself a pita sandwich with sprouts all sticking out of it. i'm wearing high waisted vintage Lee jeans. SPROUTS and PITA! What is happening to me? It's as if I warped myself to 1972. Quick I need a glowstick or a snap bracelet..

trying to bring a begonia back to life...store is almost ready, last night we had a break-though about how to set it up....it's so different from the old shop. it's been a real challenge trying to make it feel new but keep the old feel. oh whatever, i'm probably just thinking about it too much.

i've had brittney spears TOXIC stuck in my head for days.

later skaters

I forgot the corsages. That was the fatal mistake this past weekend. And of course this was one of my favorite couples, they were so great, and I felt so bad. The jam went down like this:

Everything went so smoothly - Joelle and I were done ahead of time. We had lunch. We delivered the flowers, I was home at 5pm. Eating Sharon's coconut sorbet out of the container at the kitchen table when I hear my phone buzz with a voicemail. I wait 20 minutes to check it.

I usually print out the wedding details, forming a checklist but our printer isn't set up at the new space yet. So the corsages were at the shop - not at the wedding in Queens. The voicemail was the bride.

Driving to Astoria in a panic, 15min before the wedding was to start, I envisioned flowerless mothers and grandmothers, disappointed and confused. We pulled up to the church, I ran up the steps of the church, corsage box in hand...to see 200 guests standing up looking back at me - the bride was right behind me, about to walk down the aisle.

So here's to always checking the list twice. Live and learn.

Back in the saddle except for one fatal mistake this weekend which someday I'll write about.

two days into Brimfield. we got everything on our list, avoided fried dough miraculously, and i got a superior wood carving of a naked lady on a cliff (homage to the original Creekside Soaps lable, Susan?) which may make an appearance at the new shop...more soon...

warm fuzzy peachy post

Word up: My friend Ashley from Small Measure is doing a contest where you can win her peach lavender butter (pictured above) JEEEZ! All you have to do is comment HERE with your favorite summertime food memory...DO IT! PEACH LAVENDER BUTTER! Her wit and deep knowledge of all things homestead will soon be available in books on raising chickens and canning and preserving...

In other news we're shipping out today for Brimfield to look for final touches for the new shop. This is the fun part. Plus Eric has promised me we can eat at Friendly's. He just came out wearing a backpack. I hope it's full of cash.

I'll try to post from the field..

florist says: "i still cook and eat"

OK HOLD THE PHONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
batterfried zucchini blossoms stuffed with manchego and ricotta, dipped in lavender honey with some quick pickled currants plus a bit of serrano ham

IF you mix about 1/2 - 2/3 cup of ricotta with an egg, some salt pepper and about 1/2 cup of grated manchego and a smattering of bread crumbs

THEN you stuff it into the zucchini blossoms (using a pastry bag or ziplock bag)

AND you mix a batter of 3/4 cup flower with 2/3 cup of beer to coat the stuffed blossoms

WILL you suspend judgment and fry them in 2 inches of canola oil??????????????????????

my pretty girl, and red velvet cake

Been taking it easy the past week or so as things calm down a bit at work. we're delaying the opening of Saipua for another 2 weeks as we finish small details like furnishings and lighting. Jenna made us this Red Velvet cake to celebrate the end of construction. Saw Whatever Works and Moon. Did some hiking with Nea.

a feathery wedding from the marathon weekend...more images of the others soon. now I'm off to unpack some flowers into our new shop which is 99% finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i'm also downloading whitney houston!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and I made a rhubarb buttermilk cake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!