Island Inspired Wedding Invitation

In just one week I will witness the wedding of one of my closest friends from home and art school – as a bridesmaid! We both made the jump from Cape Elizabeth to Baltimore for college and shared an apartment together for two of the four years. More years have gone by than seem possible and now she’s getting married! In preparation for the big (Casco Bay island) day, we designed her wedding invitation suite inspired by our seaside home. Using a map of Casco Bay for the background, tinted to match the wedding colors, she created the calligraphy for the invitations and menu and hand addressed each and every envelope. Talk about talent and patience!

Here is a peek at the final suite, Hayley

8.20.14

EKLUND GRIFFIN Factory Visit

Blair and I had a great day in Connecticut visiting our new manufacturer. The space is large, open, and flooded with natural light. Equipped with incredibly skilled and dedicated people, and the advanced machinery to support them, we think we’ve found our home. We spent over two hours learning how the equipment worked and every step of the bag making process. It was like winning a golden ticket to the Willy Wonka factory, with fewer temptations to eat everything on the tour and subsequently be rolled away to the juicing room.

Now that we are once again moving full steam ahead we’ve got some numbers to crunch, some orders to place, and a new pattern and sample to tweak and approve before we debut our first tote – this year!! It’s a wonderful feeling to come to a place that feels respectful, collaborative, capable, promising and just plain good after searching for literally years. Whether it’s a college, a house or neighborhood, or factory- finding your happy place is the best feeling in the world.

Wishing you success in a new endeavor, Hayley

8.8.14

New Summer Staple

I suppose, technically, this is a men’s hat. The L.L. Bean Weathered Casco Bay Freeport Cap, to be exact. But the vintage baseball inspired lettering and rich Regatta blue is too awesome not to rock everywhere I go (you can also choose Iron gray). It’s already been to California with me and out sailing on both the Pacific and Atlantic. I love the soft cotton and easily adjustable hat band. Because this is currently my single favorite item in my wardrobe, Hayley and I popped over to Fort Williams between summer rain showers to snap a few photos to share with you. And are you ready for this?….

The best part: Hayley is the creative genius behind it. It’s the coolest thing to have a designer sister.

Go get one! Blair

8.6.14

Angela Adams

As a designer, Angela Adams draws inspiration from the same rocky coast and lush green state that we call home. She is one of the best known Portland, Maine design entrepreneurs- and for good reason. The array of patterns, textures, and colors in her rugs and other products are evocative of the most beautiful place in the world (though I may be biased) and her unique interpretation of the world and shapes around her yield fascinating abstract textiles. It’s invigorating and inspiring to see how Angela draws on Maine to inform her design and includes Maine in her process, much the same way I strive to incorporate my perspective and perception into my design.

Cheers! Hayley

p.s. If you’re in the market for a rug, Blair recommends “Waves” (number 1).

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7.14.14

Travel Maine : Road Trip Part I

While Blair is in California, our mother and I decided to go on a spontaneous road trip to Kennebunkport and Ogunquit, Maine. One of our favorite stops is Antiques on Nine, just outside of bustling downtown Kennebunkport. Located in an old chicken barn, Antiques on Nine is filled with antiques (surprise!), reproductions and other complimentary products.

Around the perimeter of the building is a collection of signs, bar letters, vintage outdoor furniture and sculptures. I have an affection for typography and definitely could have made good use of a small moving truck. While browsing, several DIY project ideas hatched in my head. I can’t wait to share them on the blog!

Next-door to Antiques on Nine is a row of cottages that I fell in love with. Right around the corner from endless beaches and shops, they look as though they could be straight off a postcard from the 1950′s.

It’s amazing how quickly summer fills up with plans, but I hope that you can find some time for yourself to jump in the car, cab, or on a train and venture out into the world on a spontaneous trip of your own. You never know what you might discover!

Happy adventuring, Hayley

7.11.14

Maine Made: Camping Gear

In honor of Hayley’s annual summer camping trip with friends next weekend, we’ve gathered some Maine products that will enhance your next camping excursion–most of which will last you a lifetime (but definitely not the doughnuts!). From a high-tech tent to gorgeously crafted wooden stand-up paddle boards, Maine craftsmen and manufacturers offer some of the best products on the market.

For camping at the lake, a world famous Old Town canoe is a must, and with a paddle by Shaw & Teeney you’ll be unstoppable. If it’s a drive-up campsite, bring along your SUP board for some calm water practice, throw a couple of Brahms Mount linen towels in your waxed-canvas L.L. Bean pack, and you’ll be ready to jump right in–literally or figuratively.

Growing up, both Hayley and I attended a summer camp where the out-of-camp overnight trips always included handmade nutmeg doughnuts cooked over the camper stove. So for us, doughnuts are an essential part of camping. The doughnuts you see here are a potato-based dough that is all the local craze. Even though I’m not going camping next weekend, I may just pick up some doughnuts to enjoy from the Holy Doughnut anyway.

Have a great weekend! Blair

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5.28.14

Midweek Moss Box

A bouquet can be fleeting, especially if you’re using already tired store-bought cut stems. But there is just something really special about having live plants in an indoor space. If you’re looking for a little more longevity out of your greenage, we suggest trying this alternative to a floral arrangement- the moss box. There is a lot of growth and color in the gardens here (finally!) but we opted for a simple box with a tall maidenhair fern and filled the rest of the space with soft moss, a few blades of grass and a baby tree, finished with a pine cone garnish. The softness of the fern and moss is balanced by the concrete planter which adds a nice clean and modern touch.

We’ve made variations of this for past Mother’s Days in an antique wooden box lined well with thick plastic. We find that shallow vessels work best, filled in with a bit of dirt before transplanting your chosen greens. If you’d like to make a moss box as a gift it’s sweet to include an inexpensive spray bottle for misting. Much easier than a watering can! If you get tired of the box, you can always plant its contents back in the yard- no harm, no foul!

Go get some dirt beneath your fingernails! Best, Blair

5.21.14

Loving Lemlem

You may have seen Lemlem products in a boutique or J.Crew. That’s where my eye first caught a flash of the bodacious and brightly striped scarves. Then, when I ever discovered that literally everything Lemlem makes is striped- well, as you know- stripes are simply Blair’s and my favorite!

Beneath the stripes, at the heart of Lemlem, is a mission to provide sustainable employment for artisan weavers and preserve this historic art form in Ethiopia. Liya Kebede, the founder of Lemlem and a well know model and actress, started the company in 2007. Lemlem has grown in the past 7 years, expanding its offerings and economic impact.

The use of color blocking, stripes, and pops of color contrasted with varied neutrals keeps the collection fresh and effortlessly chic. I’m particularly fond of the blue and orange pattern in images 1, 5 and 10 and I would dress up the gray and white stripe pant with a cute pop color pump and silk blouse.

What summer styles are you looking forward to rocking?

Cheers, Hayley