Image | Floral Design | Styling by ornaments from victoria hoke lane
When my mum was visiting over Thanksgiving, she brought some of her cookies for me to photograph. She also brought a few examples of her latest project, gorgeous one-of-a-kind Christmas tree ornaments! She makes these using the same molds she uses for her cookies, but these ornaments are made with a lightweight permanent dough that is perfect for these ornaments, which she then hand paints and embellishes.
They are each so charming, and I just fell in love with this castle scene! These are a few of my favorites, but there are many different styles to choose from. Wouldn't these make lovely gifts for friends or coworkers this holiday season?
Contact Victoria Hoke Lane via email {info (at) victoriahokelane (dot) com} for her catalog and ordering information!
Ornaments by Victoria Hoke Lane. Images | Florals | Styling by Lauryl Lane.winter wonderland
Less than a week after I arrived in Denver, I woke up one morning to about eight inches of snow!!! First snow of the season, and in October!!! And exactly one week later, we got ten inches more! The locals here say all the early snow is unusual and probably means that we're in for a mean winter. I'm slightly terrified and also terribly excited. The prospect of a white Christmas absolutely thrills me to pieces!
I don't mind being "snowed-in." I suppose that's one of the great things about working from home, and also one of the worst! I never get to claim a snow day, work is always just a few steps away. But on the upside, that also means that if I am snowed-in, there's a very slim chance that I'll get cabin fever. I'll always have something to do!
Having an early snow like this sure made for some particularly gorgeous trees- it's just stunning to see the changing leaf colors with a layer of snow on them. Pretty, pretty!
And I couldn't resist an image of my "Cali-convertible" completely covered in white powder. When I bought this car, I definitely didn't envision it like this!
It amazed me how much the snow blows around- even the succulents on my covered back patio were covered in drifts of snow. I've since moved my succulents into the studio... they didn't seem to be a big fan of freezing temperatures.
I also had to cut back the palm tree - the weight of the snow ended up breaking almost all of the branches. And the fountain has been turned off since we discovered that even running water can freeze!
I know that many people don't like snow or cold temperatures- and while I'll admit that I'm not yet fully adjusted and my winter wardrobe needs some serious improvements- I also know that the biggest things I've missed living in Southern California have been experiencing all four seasons and SNOW!!! There is something ridiculously cozy about snuggling under a blanket and looking out your window at a white winter wonderland. I love it.
Images by Lauryl Lane.the big reveal!!!
I write to you today from the awe-inspiring state of....
It's my new home!
I know the rumor mills have been circulating, and I'm happy to put all the speculation to rest. It's official! I have moved to Denver, Colorado, and am in the process of relocating my company as well. Earlier this morning we put out an official press release, and I love how the title was worded, "Botanical Stylist Lauryl Lane Says Goodbye To Hollywood Hills And Hello To Rocky Mountains."
Those who have been following my work/blog will know that I've had an ongoing love affair with the city of Los Angeles, and saying goodbye to L.A. is definitely one of the hardest things I've ever done. Los Angeles has been so good to me. I know a lot of people who, like me, grew up in the midwest and then moved to the "big city," only to be chewed up and spit out. Why L.A. never did that to me, I don't know. It must have known I was a kindred spirit from day one. I have had nothing but wonderful experiences in Los Angeles, and the friends I've made there will remain my friends for life. I also have an exceptional base of clients in Southern California, and I will continue to serve them no matter where I end up.
Nothing changes for my clients currently booked in SoCal. I will be there, designing your events, just as planned. I have a place to stay anytime I need to go back to L.A., and I also have the use of a friend's floral design studio in West Hollywood. I will continue to take bookings in the area too, although those will be limited.
My husband moved here in July, and I've gone back and forth many times already. The two hour flight between DEN & LAX is unbelievably pain-free. But I've missed my husband, a lot, and I've ultimately decided that I want to cut back on the amount of travel weddings/events that I'm doing anyway, and focus on designing "at home."
Although Denver was never a city "on our radar," we like it. I've always considered myself a "mountain girl," despite never having lived near mountains of any kind... so moving to Colorado felt like "going home." I miss my friends in L.A. like crazy, but in this digital age, good friends are only a skype away, so I think I'll be just fine. ;-)
Can I just say how EXCITED I am to start designing here in Colorado? This place is so gorgeous I can hardly stand it! I'm still setting up my office and getting my studio unpacked, but I'll have lots more details to share in the coming days and weeks and months...
Thank you to everyone who has helped make this move possible, and to those of you who have been my support system along the way. I can't wait to introduce you to this city as I find my own way in it!!!
serenity
Happy Monday morning, comrades! Hope you're enjoying your coffee and taking a moment for peace and serenity before you gear up and start your week! xoxo
autumnal martha
When Martha arrives, all I want to do is brew a cup of tea and cozy up on the sofa to flip through page after glossy page of stunning images. Martha Stewart Living has been my favorite magazine since I was a young girl. When I was in grade school, our next-door-neighbor, Mrs. Rubottom (if you're reading this, Mrs. Ru, hi!), would pass MSL issues on to my mother after she'd read them. I devoured those issues. Later, my mum got her own subscription and I would often intercept the latest issue before mum even knew it had arrived.
After my college days of reading Cosmopolitan and Glamour (once I realized that I no longer cared about features like "10 Ways to Drive Your Man Crazy"), when I was in my own little apartment with my {lovah}, I got my own subscription to Martha. Although I've subscribed to many other magazines over the years, Martha Stewart Living is the only magazine that I've continued to get consistently, with no lapses. I keep all my past issues, because they are always relevant and I often find myself pulling out all the past May issues for gardening ideas or all the past December issues for holiday decor inspiration. It's good to have a few "constants" in your life. Martha is my "constant."
On an unrelated note, I recently inherited my great-grandmother's gorgeous velvet-upholstered sofa. Every time I walk through the living room and spot this beauty, I think of dear Grandma Vasu and I imagine how pleased she would be to see her sofa in my home.
It's the little things...
Images | Styling by Lauryl Lane.teatime
Being in the wedding industry is strange. There will be times, particularly during the winter, when I won't work for two or three weeks at a time. I'll make myself a little bit mad by organizing and re-organizing my home and office and studio... blogging an insane amount, baking up a storm, and then feeling weird because I'm not working. During those times, I have to create work for myself just so I don't feel useless. Not that house-wifely things are ever useless, but I'm a career woman. I need to be working, at least to some extent, or I can get into a serious funk.
There are other times in the wedding industry, namely now, when I feel crazy for the opposite reason. I am so busy that my head is spinning and I've been confusing my events and mis-filing my papers. I always catch my mistakes, but I have to remind myself to slow down and take a little bit of time to relax so I don't lose my mind completely. In the past three weeks I've flown to three different states and driven through eight more. I've been in hot, humid 100 degree temps, comfortable 70 degree temps and chilling 50 degree temps! In the midst of it all, I took an hour out of a recent afternoon to bake some shortbread, brew some tea, and read a chapter of a novel. It was SO worth it. And when I'd drained the last sip of tea from my cup, I was refreshed and ready to attack my work with renewed vigor. For I was also reminded how grateful I am to be busy. Life is good!
I've shared this recipe before, but newer readers may still appreciate it... for me, it never gets old. And the simplicity makes it all the more appealing!
Cranberry-Orange Shortbread
In a large bowl, combine:
- 1 cup softened butter (2 sticks)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, sifted
- 2 & 1/4 cups flour, sifted
- pinch of salt
When the ingredients are well combined and crumbly, add 1 teaspoon of orange flavoring and 1 cup of dried cranberries (I prefer Trader Joe's orange-flavored dried cranberries). Pat the mixture into an ungreased jelly roll pan. Bake at 275 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges.
Isn't this tea-cozy adorable? It was custom-made for me by my mother's good friend, Sandra Dalrymple. She's an incredible mixed-media artist in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I only wish she had a website...
If you're in crazy-busy mode, like me, please take some time to recharge your batteries! Even fifteen minutes away from the phone and the computer on your patio to breath in the fresh air and listen to the sounds of your neighborhood will give you a whole new outlook on life... I promise you, you won't regret it!
Images | Plant Design | Styling by Lauryl Lane.checking in...
I saw most of my family last week at my cousin's wedding, family members I hadn't seen since my little sister's wedding more than a year previous. I couldn't believe how many people mentioned that they missed my regular blog posts! Sometimes I forget that people actually read this blog on a regular basis- and frankly, I didn't know that the majority of my sisters were among those regular readers.
So I'm just popping in to say that there is lots of blogging to come! I've been swamped with work, travel weddings have been taking up a great deal of my time and I just haven't been home to sit down & write blog posts. But I've been taking pictures and I have plenty of content to share when my wedding season winds down... thank you for bearing with me!
Image | Floral Design | Styling by Lauryl Lane.serene setting
My Mum (Calligrapher Victoria Hoke Lane, designer of my logo!) has a new website coming soon (get excited!) and I've been sending over images of her work to her designer (Josh Berman, who designed my site- he's the best!). I came across this little luncheon that we designed together and realized that I never blogged it. Oops. Coming soon!