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What a perfect engagement session to feature on a day with forecasted thunderstorms! This gorgeous session, captured by Britt Croft makes the rain look like a truly beautiful thing. With matching umbrellas and a scoop of ice cream, Rachel and Matt made the best of what would otherwise have been a dreary, wet day.
I’ll start by saying, it’s never too late to follow your dreams. I normally don’t share personal posts… but this one is going to get real personal, so turn away if you don’t want to go deep with me. This week I am “retiring” (to blog full-time) from an almost 13 year career that has been incredibly good to me – but it wasn’t my passion. I cannot put into words how unfulfilled I was working at something that wasn’t my true calling. It was painful and that pain ached deep within my bones. So much so that I’ve been trying for about 10 years now to change my job situation – and by this time next week I will actually be living my dream come true. Which is a really big deal for me! When I started this blog I hoped that one day it would afford me the luxury of sharing my passion with the world while being able to earn a fair living from home and I’m thrilled that day is finally here. My heart is overflowing with gratitude and appreciation for all that God has blessed me with, including all of you. I wish I could bottle this feeling and give everyone a little taste of it. What is your dream? What can you do to reach it? Below is my story of trial and error and how I made it to this day…
If I really start at the beginning – I have to tell you that I’ve been crafty since I was born. Both of my parents are incredibly creative and are both artists in their own rite. My entire life they encouraged learning, experimenting and creativity. From baking and all types of crafting to building things with wood and working on cars – simply put, they taught me how to “make” things. Let’s just say that I got my first sewing machine when I was three; I was allowed to use a legit hot glue gun when I was like 6 and years later in high school I made at least 10 prom dresses, including my own. Which by the way was made from a wedding dress pattern because I was crazy about the boy who was taking me to prom. Good thing he was ok with how crazy I was about him… lucky me that boy is now my amazing husband and the talented photographer that shoots everything for this blog. This blog literally wouldn’t exist without his talent.
So… jump to high school graduation – I’m like barely 18 and the thought of college and a 9-5 job makes me want to barf, literally. I love being creative, crafting is my life and all I want to do is make things with my hands. So what comes to mind? My hair dresser. She is super cool and has such a stylish job that is far from boring and it’s totally creative – so a month or so after graduation I’m signed up. I’m going to be a hair dresser. While in beauty school I started working for a caterer serving food at weddings – that’s where my wedding obsession took root. On some weekends I saw 3-4 different weddings… what the bride wore, the escort cards, the centerpieces, the favors, the food, the cake – I saw everything. Even the things I didn’t want to see – either way, I was obsessed. I remember walking by the wedding coordinators room and thinking ‘I want to do that!’. But it’s too late, I’m already in school for something else. Before I know it I’m working in a huge salon and I’m only 19! Since I’m so young (and nobody wants me to color their hair) the receptionists keep booking me up-do’s – which I’m really good at. Again, the wedding obsession grows. I quickly become the go-to gal for wedding hair styles and then I start traveling to wedding venues to do hair on site. Most hair dressers I knew hated that pressure… the “wedding day” pressure – not me – I loved it. I craved it. It’s like a drug that I can’t get enough of. Time passes and now I have a full blown hair dressing career and I’m bored as can be.
On a trip to Vegas my cousin asks me, “What would you do if money or education wasn’t an issue – so basically if you won the lottery – what would you do?” I immediately say “I’d be a crafter, or a wedding planner, or a marine biologist”. 1, 2, 3, easy – no question. But, I’m a hair dresser – wait – that doesn’t make sense. As soon as I heard the answers to that question rolling off my tongue – I knew deep inside that I had to make a change. So “crafter” it was – I was just going to shoot for #1 because why not. I won’t bore you with the details of my many, many crafting failures, but I’ve basically done and tried it all and more. And it was sad. I even quit doing hair once to follow a crafting dream and when it didn’t work out I had to begrudgingly go back. Which was beyond painful. But still through all the defeats – my need to follow my passion was still burning inside me, it was always in the back of my mind and I just kept thinking ‘one day’.
Enter mid 20’s – or in other terms, wedding season. I get married – I plan the entire thing by myself and I’m on fire to say the least… the best time of my life so far. Then all my friends get married and I help them with everything – from hair to invitations – I did it all and I was happy to. Then one day I hear about wedding blogs – what is that? Ohh, only the best thing ever. When all the weddings in my life were over and I was still waking up and drinking my coffee while reading like 10 wedding blogs instead of watching tv – I realized I had a problem. Still sad at my life decisions and aching to follow my passion I wonder, is wedding blogging my answer? Then I saw a DIY tutorial on a wedding blog… OMG – worlds collide. What!?!? Sharing how to make crafts for weddings? Could I do that? It was like the heavens opened up and said “This is it sister, here’s your chance!”. And so my process began.
It’s New Years Eve 2011 and I’m putting on my mascara before we go out for a night of celebration – I remember it like it was yesterday. While staring at myself in the mirror my blog name just came to me – something turquoise. Because my ‘something blue’ wasn’t blue it was turquoise – because that’s my favorite color. It was the perfect name. I run to the computer – mid-makeup application to check and see if the url is available. IT IS – and I click buy. The entire night I’m on a major high, dreaming of what could be… there’s also plenty of fear mixed in there but that’s ok, I’ll work through it. And I did. 3.5 years later here I am – my long time dream is now my new reality and I almost can’t believe it. The amazing thing is that I am no longer sad about all those ‘failures’ from before – now I can clearly see that they were merely stepping stones. I’m now truly grateful for every experience I’ve had because now it’s my success story. Every single experience in my life has lead to to this point, to something better – to Something Turquoise. I didn’t arrive here by accident. I have always followed my heart. I have always listened to my passion. Even when it hurt. Your heart will never lead you astray, the hardest part is learning how to listen to it. My success in this space is not just my own… if you want to hear about the people behind my success – check out this post.
How did I do it? There are 3 things that were critical to my success:
So I’ll end the way I started, it’s never too late to follow your dreams. I hope that in sharing my story I will have inspired you in someway to listen and follow your heart.
I’m taking this week off to close down my salon, say goodbye to clients that have touched my life and to take a teeny bit of time for myself. So I’m leaving you with 5 awesome links to fabulous things I found on the internet recently…
I will see you all back here on Monday, September 9th… I thank you from the bottom of my crafty heart for reading this post and visiting my blog. I am eternally grateful for each and every one of you.
Happy, happy Saturday everyone! I’m completely thrilled to be sharing today’s Etsy Wedding Artist Giveaway from Stamp Nouveau with you today – because we are huge fans! Not only are their designs absolutely adorable – but their product is superior. I know because I’ve ordered multiple custom stamps from them! If you are considering hand-making certain items for your wedding day, having a custom stamp is the way to go! One custom wedding or return address stamp is up for grabs (a $50 value) and you’ve got a week to enter… may the odds be ever in your favor!
“Stamp Nouveau started with a love of packaging and beautiful stationery. Knowing that someone has taken the time to sit down and hand write a note means they must really like you. You are worth so much more than a text or email. This world needs more love letters!” – Jennifer of Stamp Nouveau
One lucky ST bride will win their choice of ANY wedding stamp or custom return address stamp from Stamp Nouveau !!! Check out their Etsy shop to see all the styles that they offer – there are SO many!!!
Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter! Contest ends 9/6/14 at 12:00pm. Winner chosen at random and will be announced next Monday the 8th. If the winner doesn’t respond in 24 hours another winner will be chosen.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I am a crafty and independent girl at heart. Since I was young I’ve constantly had my hands in an art project, creating something ridiculous that I could simply buy and didn’t know yet! I have come to find that when a budget comes into play, my desire to create is amplified by 10 simply because I don’t want to buy something that I can make by hand. But if we’re being honest, I often come to realize that maybe my enthusiasm to create isn’t always the greatest decision. When it comes to your wedding, putting down the paint brush and mason jars could be for the best!
Of course DIY could mean making your own dress or making your own centerpieces, but what is going too far and what is doable? A lot of brides go for the DIY route because they believe it will be less expensive than buying all of those interesting details. Many times this is the case, but others it may not be. There are absolutely ways to save some change while still putting your personal flare into the details.
Some of my favorite looks come from combining structured, bought items and adding personal flare…adding a DIY aspect to something rather than making the whole wedding an after work project!
Let’s say the theme of the wedding is ‘travel’… What do you make and what do you buy? I would encourage you to buy or rent a really unique center piece from the places you like to travel, symbolic of the place. Then all you have to do is add a beautiful arrangement to it – varying size, color, style depending on your taste. Where does the DIY come into play? Hand stamp table numbers to compliment the centerpieces or even fill small jars with a spice from that country or state for their favor! Be creative, unique, fun and subtle. Less is more when it comes to these details. You also won’t need to spend ten months making the precious details of your day. Try to find a comfortable balance and distribute the difficult/messy details to a professional. After all, you want to enjoy your rehearsal dinner and morning of your wedding rather than assembling hand made details! Everything will come together in the end, and your DIY projects will be made even more beautiful when surrounded by professional touches.
Yesterday we shared Part I of this incredible engagement session by Liz & Ryan Photography and today we’re sharing even more! I know, I know, you thought it couldn’t get any better. Well, brace yourselves because this nighttime romance is something to be reckoned with! It is demure, sophisticated, and has a sprinkling of sweetness.
Hi friends!
Today I’m sharing one of my all time favorite wedding traditions… the toasts! Each wedding toast is so different and unique to the couple – some are very nostalgic, some are funny and some of a mix of both. Here are the toasts that are traditionally given at a wedding –
There are a few things needed for a great toast – prepared notes, personal memories about the bride and groom to share mixed with funny stories, well wishes for the bride and groom, and of course – a great beverage to toast with! While some couples opt for a champagne toast, I’m a big believer in toasting with wine that’s already at the table – as long as it’s good wine of course!
One of my favorites to serve at weddings is the Votre Santé line from Francis Ford Coppola . It’s of course high quality wine, but also has well-designed labels (very important to a wedding designer!!), and the name of the of the line is perfect for weddings – “a votre santé” means “to your health” and was a toast Francis Coppola’s Grandmother would give each time she raised a glass. The toast became a family tradition – so of course this wine is perfect for toasting at weddings!
One of my favorite toasts to give to the newlyweds is “to life, laughter and happily ever after!”
xox Mindy
We are absolutely protesting the end of summer… and so we thought it fitting to end the month by sharing this stunning, bold nautical wedding bouquet. Our favorite florist Jacki from Floral Design by Jacqueline Ahne has once again outdone herself, creating this funky and fresh design. It’s not just the style that lends perfectly for a summer or early fall wedding… these flowers peak availability season is the same. This nautical bouquet combines bold tropical flowers and sharp colors with soft pillowy blooms for a loud seaworthy statement!
Most of these beautiful flowers are available year round with the peak availability being in summer and fall.
This bouquet was created in a bouquet holder to allow for the short stems of the thistle and Celosia to be included. It also allowed us to easily place the tulip anthiriums facing the right direction. Tulip Anthiriums are very strong however it’s best to keep the ‘touching’ to a minimum – since they can discolor quickly from the oils on our hands.
1 bunch black Scabiosa, 1 stem blue Thistle, 5 stems gold Celosia, 5 white tulip Anthiriums, and 5 stems red Dahlias. You will also need 1 bouquet holder, ¼ yard blue and white stripped fabric (or ribbon) and gold head pins.
The boutonnieres shown here are colorful mixes that perfectly compliment this funky nautical bouquet. From mini dahlia blooms to scabiosa blooms these boutonnieres are packed full of texture! Some of the stems are covered in the same stripped fabric for a uniform look. The textures and bold primary colors make these bouts manly!
Photographer: Something Turquoise Photography // Florals by: Floral Designs by Jacqueline Ahne // Styling: Jen | Something Turquoise // Dress: Forever 21
Photographer: Rebecca Ellison Photography
Handmade Teepee: Raspberry and Lime
Hair Stylist: Knockout Beauty
Canoe Rental: White Rock Paddle Co.
Sometimes you come across something so beautiful that it just can’t last a single day, which is why we’ve broken this engagement session into two parts! Part two will be featured tomorrow… and would you believe it if we said we love it just as much (if not more) as this post?! Our sweet friends, Liz & Ryan are the photographers that captured this engagement & also happen to be the founders of Amazing Life Together — an incredible resource for couples!
“They love nature, animals, fishing, color, they are original, she is his sweetheart, he is her pirate and we love them both! When we got to the family lodge in St-Etienne de Bolton where Violaine was getting ready, we asked her to prepare her accessories (gown, jewelery, perfume and rings) in order for us to take pictures of them. In most cases, we use a bedroom to shoot these kinds of pictures so we expected her to tell us to do this inside one of the lodge bedrooms. Instead, she simply told us “Why don’t you just take everything back to the fir forest behind the lodge?”. WOW! We quickly headed back there with all the accessories, still not believing our luck! Once she was ready, the bride went over to the dock where her pirate showed up in a canoe to meet her. What a treat this was for our cameras and our eyes behind them! We used the fir forest to catch some shots of the couple before the ceremony. We then headed up to Eastman in the Eastern Townships for a ceremony that was to be held at the Haut Bois Normand sugar shack. Upon our arrival, we noticed the beautiful tipi awaiting, the colored ribbons and the owl. YES! A real owl with yellow eyes and all! It was also awaiting the ceremony since it was in charge of bringing the rings. Our hearts melted even more! These two do nothing like everyone else, do they! That day was filled with surprises. Good ones, of course! But the ceremony reached new heights when Violaine grabbed her ukulele to sing Gaetan her vows! He simply couldn’t resist! It was beautiful. After this emotional ceremony, we went to take pictures of the newlyweds by a barn. The light of dusk was fantastic. The reception hall was decorated much to their liking, with animals and flowers everywhere. La Meute, a young, talented, and dynamic team, was in charge of preparing the feast. The serving platters were placed directly on the tables so that everyone could serve themselves. It was a big party! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this very colorful day. We wish you both a long life filled with happiness!” – Bonnallie Brodeur Photographe
Our first look; when Gaëtan got into the boat and we saw each other. Our hearts beating and there were loads of emotions. It was so intense, we looked each other in the eyes and all the family assisted to the scene.
We made lots of things! The teepee; Gaëtan and I cut 14 trees (pines) during spring to build the structure. Each pole has a significance, we asked our guests to chose and write a one word wish for us on each pole. Our teepee is now in our garden and is full of love — something we built together, and each part of the structure adds to our home and love to make it stronger. Since we said “yes” right in front of the teepee, it’s the gate to our marriage. Gaetan designed my wedding ing and had a friend who create it. The same friend was also the ‘ring bearer’ of sorts at the wedding, but the actual ring bearer was his little owl! I sewed all the placemats and the napkins. We customized the plates with our logo. We made plenty of colorful origami for decor. We made the fabric garland, full of color that was hung across the teepee. We DIY-ed the table plan. We designed and sewed the invitations (it was a handkerchief). We put paper flags on all the straws. We built a big pig in plywood (it was the piggy bank). We created a sort of “cotillion explosion” for the first dance. We made darling little paper fortune tellers, with jokes and questions about us on the inside. I designed my dress, and had a wonderful seamstress bring it to life. And last, I sang my vows to Gaëtan during the ceremony, with a little ukulele.
Enjoy each second of this special day. Let your friends help out as much as they can. Choose a good friend or someone you trust to help organize the flow of the day. Choose a good photographer (even if it costs a lot, it’s better to have beautiful souvenirs for always) Be yourself and choose things that you reflect both of you. – Violaine, the bride
Photographer: Bonnallie Brodeur Photographe // Venue: La cabane à sucre au Bois Normand // Florist: Les Petites Excuses // Catering: La Meute // Videographer: Outan // Dress: Designed by the bride and executed by a local seamstress // Grooms attire: Our Legacy
