“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don’t take my sunshine away”

— Unknown

image sources:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4 

I often gravitate towards the subdued, the dark, the melancholy, but when summer rolls around it's hard to avoid (or want to) the sunny happy colors that fill our days. From acid yellows to tomato red our vision is consumed by the bursting deliciousness of bright hues. A sensory overload that dances in our minds and hearts during those long days and longer nights of June and July. Happy days are these. 

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Some images are kindred spirits, they relate and respond to one another in a way similar to how body language communicates between two people. It’s chemical, mineral, visual. It’s couplings. - b.

Is there anything more beautiful than a bouquet of flowers that reflects perfectly the season at hand? There's something so invigorating about their presence in a room, like suddenly the sweetest, happiest friend you know has showed up and it instantly lifts your spirits. I had all these things in mind (and more) when I created these wildflower-inspired arrangements for Maddie's bra making workshop 2 weekends ago. 

The bouquets included a mix of queen anne's lace, white roses, sunflowers, berry branches, solidago, mini coin greens, red dianthus, and pink stock to name a few. The palette matched the occasion perfectly as you'll see below:

Maddie is by far the hardest working person I know. Not only does she hold down a full-time job, but she also blogs full-time and is so passionate about teaching that in her "spare time" she teaches sewing lessons and gives these workshops. How amongst all of that she has time for friends like me, who beg and plead with her to let them be a part of this, is beyond me. Superwoman deserves to be surrounded by really pretty things so with each event I try to deliver more and more beautiful blooms to match the surroundings.

I feel so lucky to be a part of events that celebrate the amazing talents of so many people. In recognition of that fact, here's a list of everyone who helped make Maddie's workshop possible:

Catering: New Old Fashioned
Photography: Jessica Maida Photography
Chocolates (for swag bag): John and Kira’s Chocolates
Bra notions: Bra Making Supplies by Arte Crafts
Bra Fabric: Tailor Made Shop
Signage: Meredith Langer
Mini Herbal Workshop: The Parlour
Lingerie Discount (for swag bag): Dear Kate.

See more from the bra making workshop on Madalynne or follow along on Maddie's workshop adventures via Instagram: #bramakingwithmadalynne - b.

It feels like a million years ago that Ryan and I boarded a jet bound for Copenhagen, Denmark but at last I am ready to share our adventures with you, a little bit at a time. Writing down everything that we saw, did and experienced is definitely the hardest part so bear with me as I ramble through my newest favorite city on earth. 

We started our trip like any good tourist, with lots and lots of sightseeing. An easy thing to do in Copenhagen as there are SO many sights to see. The weather was a mixed bag of perfectly pleasant and torrential downpour which made planning our excursions in the city as challenging as they were fun. We downloaded this amazing app by Triposo that made it easy to create tailored walking routes, ensuring we maximized our time in each section of the city. If you're planning a trip to Denmark I highly recommend doing this, and no they're not paying me to say so.

Here are some highlights:

The main attractions we hit during those first few days included: Indre By, Nyhavn, Kastellet, the Little Mermaid Statue, the Ny Carlsberg Glypotek Museum, a Canal Tour, the Church of Our Savior, and the Ründetaarn. I'll talk more about how we did all this on a small budget in an upcoming post (stay tuned).

Though it was amazing to see so many of the sights throughout the city there were two that definitely stood out for both of us: Climbing the giant, spiraling tower of the Church of Our Savior during our first hours in the city and seeing all of the neighborhoods that surround Copenhagen (pictured above). As well as walking up the gentle slope of the Ründetaarn and looking out of the observation deck of the oldest european astronomical conservatory. A mouth-full that was well worth it. Unfortunately we don't have any pictures from this excursion, except on Instagram here. 

Our senses were overloaded with pastel colored houses around every corner, sweet natured Danes who thought we were locals, bicycles filling every square inch of street and sidewalk, and most of all a beautiful city that was only beginning to show us its truly wonderful nature. Next week I'll share a little bit about the area we stayed in, and the food & drink we consumed in obscene quantities. - b.