Reading the same book over and over as a child was quite common for me.  The librarian overseeing the summer book club told me I was no longer allowed to borrow “The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe” and said I had exhausted the story.  And today I played “Let Me Listen” by Sage about 36 times in a row.  And right now all I want to use are garden roses.

There is a lot to do tonight.  I’m writing estimates and hanging with the kitties.  I’m hoping to manage a letter to Claire and Jess.And quickbook updates.  And I’m hoping to practice the banjo tonight.

So now it’s time to focus.  If you can pull your eyes away from these garden roses.

Once again Caleb created some beautiful wedding flowers this past weekend.  Filled with shades of marigold, they were gorgeous.

Sage was added in for greenery, and the dahlias are dreamy.

We were so busy we didn’t have time to snap any photos of the centerpieces except for when they were all packed up.

I saw the flowers come in. This wasn’t my client. I didn’t get to make it.  Caleb designed it, Laura constructed it.   They knew how to own it.

Team Caleb & Laura are like good knives.  German design and Japanese steel.  You can’t beat it!

The bouquet is actually two, tied together so the bride could give one to her and her fiance (now husband)’s mother during the ceremony.

I love it!

And really.., JASMINE IN AUGUST?!  Yeah!!

And some pretty darn cute  little bouts, too.

I have such a love/hate relationship with dahlias.  It’s true.  They can sometimes be the PERFECT color.  The EXACT shape and size you need.  That focal piece that is just the one you dreamed about!!!!  And then the bloody head snaps off the stem and you curse and you start making the entire bouquet all over again.

But when you do see them in their prime, in the right bouquet, looking just gorgeous,  you forgive them, you forget about their brattiness.  You embrace and love and adore them.  They’ve been looking especially amazing this year.  I can’t wait to snap some photos of tomorrow’s bridal bouquet, but here are just a few from last weekend.

Caleb created these.  His textures are fantastic!

You can’t really see the dahlia’s in this bridal bouquet, but I promise they’re there.

And dahlias buds make really great little bouts too.

Caleb & Laura worked on some pretty amazing things last weekend.

These two kids are pretty talented.

There are more photos, including some of the bridal bouquets, but those you’re going to have to wait for.  Mostly  because I am completely exhausted from a great photo shoot yesterday in Michigan and then catch up all day this afternoon.  I’m gonna finish this glass of cucumber water (that some wonderful man made for me) and sleep for 100 years.

Dreamy vacations are few and far between.  This trip to Misswa, Minnesota was more than I had ever imagined it could be.  I’m so lucky to have spent time away with Davey and his family.  I wish I was still floating in the lake, feeding the fish bits of bread and soaking up the sunshine.

We went for walks through the forest and gushed at mushroom varieties, admired the birch trunks and collected rocks and agate.

Driving through a torrential downpour (causing us to pull over), we were excited to finally arrive.   The two horned owls that greeted us on the porch while we sat there drinking red wine made the storm beyond worth it (I had never seen an owl outside of captivity before).

Bonfires brought s’mores and stories.  And three shooting stars.  That is kind of like magic (I had never seen a shooting star before).

Swimming, pontooning and fishing are now three of my favorite verbs.

Waves of memories from my childhood visits to my grandparent’s cottage overwhelmed me the entire time.

This vacation was simply dreamy.

P.S.  Thank you Missy and John for having me!