Life is Good

I know, your jaw is on the floor and you're wondering what is going on! A blog post? Really? Yes, really! What has it been? Three, almost four months? I feel like I've been on another planet and I've missed you! And I've missed my blog like crazy! I wanted to hug it when I signed on to write this post (not kidding)! The good news is I have been busy doing something I really love! Here's the story...

Last year I decided to start listening to my inner self and I began to follow my true passions in life.  Since then, things haven't been the same. Along with some other amazing changes, I started working full time at Cork Factory Hotel in Lancaster, PA as a Wedding Sales Consultant. (You may remember my daughter Elizabeth's wedding was there.) The place, the people and the job are all awesome and I love it! If you ask me how I got there, I will tell you it was fate. It's been an amazing few months and a perfect fit! The bad news is, my new schedule has not given me time to blog the way I used to. And those of you who work full time know days off are precious. The race to tackle the to-do list begins the minute you leave the office. So obviously the blog went to the bottom of the priority list.

Well last week, for some reason, I decided to bump the blog up a notch on the list and get back to it. Call it perfect timing, prioritizing, whatever it was, I decided to sit down and write. I'm looking forward to blogging again whenever I can, about whatever I'm in the mood to share. No schedule, no plan (if you know me, that's not easy!)

So to give you an idea of what I've been up to, I decided to share a few of my favorite photos that I've captured at Cork Factory Hotel. I think you'll see why I love it there!

This is a wedding cake in progress behind the scenes at The Baker's Table, our on-site bakery. It's fun to see all of the beautifully decorated cakes that come out of this bakery. The talent is extraordinary.

Another day, another gorgeous wedding cake from The Baker's Table.

Each event is so very different and it's fun to see how people celebrate special occasions. This is a simple candlelight wedding ceremony in one of the newest event spaces at Urban Place, The Warehouse.

Meeting so many wonderful people in the wedding and event industry is definitely one of my favorite things about this job. I had the opportunity to sit down with Janell Berte of Posh Bridal recently to interview her for a Cork Factory Hotel blog post. These wedding dresses are just a few of the many stunning designs in her upscale shop.

Another "perk" to the job is having so many amazing coffee shops and restaurants to visit while I'm in the area. I have a few favorites but one of the best cups of tea I have had was at a little place called Cafe Di Vetro. You know how I feel about detail and presentation and this was one of the best!

So there you have it! You are officially updated and I am happy you are here. I'll look forward to staying in touch and keeping you posted! You can look forward to some more frequent posts and a possible new twist to the blog!

Have a wonderful week!

Leslie xo

Hello September

Welcome to September! I can't believe July and August are over. How did that happen? It seems like just yesterday I was saying "I'll be back soon" and all of a sudden we fast forward to September and the last few months are memories. I hope you had a wonderful summer! Mine was filled with celebrations, new beginnings, adventures and time spent with family and friends. It flew by quickly! When that happens we sometimes find ourselves hanging onto the season, not wanting to let go of the here and now. Other times we feel ready for a change. It's why those back to school commercials resonate with mothers everywhere! Either way, it's time for transition and ready or not, here it comes. I love this time of year so I will be embracing the new season and all that it brings but before I jump into fall recipes and cool weather projects, I want to share one of my favorite summer memories with you.

My daughter Elizabeth was married to the love of her life, Jon, in July. It was a magical day and I can honestly say I have never seen her happier. The entire process leading up to that day was wonderful. It was a fantastic collaboration of amazing people and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have ever had. I loved every minute of planning this special day with Elizabeth. We worked hard, laughed a lot and even shed a few tears. It was truly the highlight of our summer.

The wedding was held at the Cork Factory Hotel in Lancaster, PA. The wood ceilings and brick walls of this 19th Century building once housed the historic Armstrong Cork and Kerr Glass companies. This well preserved structure was a perfect setting for Elizabeth and Jon's special day. The awesome photos in this post are the work of New Chapters Photography, in Harrisburg, PA.

Elizabeth had a vision for a white flower wall that would be the backdrop for her wedding ceremony. After weeks of cutting and gluing, we covered the entire 8' X 12' structure with handmade paper flowers that we designed ourselves. We were thrilled with the end result. I will be sharing the experience from start to finish in an upcoming post.

Floating candles in a variety of glass vessels lined the bottom of the flower wall giving it a soft romantic glow.

Handmade programs tied with coral ribbon were hanging from chiavari chairs for each guest.

Elizabeth wanted simple but elegant hand tied bouquets of garden flowers. Blooms by Vickrey in Camp Hill, PA did a fantastic job with the entire wedding. Owner Mark Vickrey was on site all day making sure everything went as planned. Not only did that give us peace of mind, Mark was a blast to work with. He is one of our favorite vendors.

Elizabeth's headpiece was beautifully unique and a perfect compliment to her dress. When she decided to wear a headband I thought I would try to make one for her. I designed it to include a removable veil so she could wear the headband during the reception. It was so simple to make and was special for both of us.

Simple elegance was the goal for this wedding. Elizabeth chose balls of babies breath, some of which were suspended over the tables, instead of traditional arrangements. Another job well done by Blooms by Vickrey.

Individual miniature wedding cakes made by Kyrsten's Sweet Designs were placed on the tables for each guest. Kyrsten is an extremely talented local baker and cake designer from Harrisburg, PA. I will be sharing more about her and her amazing work in an upcoming post.

A few of our favorite things from this special day were the ice cream bar, the homemade chocolate covered sugar cookie spoons on the coffee bar and the fact that the guests loved taking their cakes home in individual boxes. We even included a fork just in case they wanted to dig in before they got home!

It was a wonderful day and a memory that will last a lifetime! What is your favorite summer memory? Do you have one or are there many that you will tuck away? It feels good to be blogging again! I'm looking forward to sharing lots of new things this fall so stop back soon. I hope your summer was memorable and you are heading into the new season looking forward to all of the wonderful things to come! There are so many!

Leslie xo

Photo credit and many thanks to New Chapters Photography! Another favorite vendor!