On a small island, a boat ride away from the big island of Mount Desert, is where I spent my day last week with this lovely family. Katelyn, Nick and new baby Elliott (and their pups Abigail and Norton) live on an island that most people might not be familiar with when they think of the MDI area. Let’s put it this way, it’s not one that the cruise ships are clamoring to get to in the summer time. But for those of us who have lived here all their life, Islesford is an institution in Maine island living. It has a history that runs deep through Nick’s family. When you say the last name of Hadlock on this island, people know who you’re talking about. Hadlock Cove even bears their family name. Nick is an eighth generation islander and fisherman who spends most of his year on a lobster boat, like so many people in that area do. And it is on this little island that this family is laying their roots.

To even get to them, I had to take the mail boat over, which leaves Northeast Harbor at exactly 11am and returns at 4pm. And if you miss the boat…well…you’re out of luck. This is the reality of island living. There are schedules and routine and things that need to be planned out significantly. There is no spur of the moment when you live on an island. However, it does make it a little  easier when you own your own boat and need to get to the hospital in Ellsworth when someone goes into labor…which was the case for Katelyn. And so after a boat ride, a car ride and many hours of labor later, baby Elliott, all nine pounds of him, joined his island family.

There is no knowing whether Elliott will take over his dad’s lobster boat someday (although they’re already talking about it), but one thing is for sure; it will not be long before we see this adorable little boy sporting his own pair of Muck boots and Grundens and having his picture taken with the tasty crustacean. And I already promised them that I would be there to take that photo.

The plastic rings on the right are actual lobster tags from every year that Nick has been fishing. It will make a great toy for Elliott when he’s big enough.

Let me start by saying that this was my husband’s idea.

And his ideas are usually good, don’t get me wrong. This one, however, I took a fast liking to which is odd for me because the project I am about to embark on is going to require giving up a lot of control…something I am NOT good at!

So here’s the deal. I need a change. I’ve discussed this recently. And my office is one place that I have a very hard time enjoying and getting work done because I don’t feel, well, inspired half the time. My office is an amalgamation of different furniture pieces with no real cohesion, a closet that is packed full of stuff and a playroom for my two year-old that just isn’t working. Half the time I don’t even feel like this is MY space. There is junk everywhere. It has turned into one of those rooms where we just throw stuff and hope that no one sees it. So knowing how much this has upset me for a while now, my husband sat me down yesterday and said, “For your birthday I want to redo this office for you.” And I just about cried. It was one of those days. But his brainy idea was to make it a fun experience that my clients and readers could follow along with, watch my progress and even contribute to! Yes everyone…I am crowdsourcing my office remodel.

Yup. I am going to let other people (aka YOU) help me make this place the office I’ve always wanted. I will create a Pinterest board of my design hopes and dreams, post color swatches on the blog, items to choose from and I am going to let you all pick. Obviously, I’ll have a little bit of veto power (this my office remember), but I think this is exactly the creative project that I need this winter to lighten things up and have a little fun.

So here’s how it’s going to work. If you’re a twitter fan, follow my hashtag #officeremodel for all the updates. On facebook, just keep following the Anne Schmidt Photography page. Every week, maybe a couple times a week, I’ll post something new about the progress. Leave a comment on my blog (not my facebook page) to let me know what you think or to vote on whatever I’m doing that day. It might be paint colors, or new lamps or a rug…who knows!

So here I am letting you to my life. This is what my office looks like right now. It’s very…well…green. And it is small; we’re only talking a 10′ x 12′ room…barely.

And actually this is the cleanest it’s been in weeks. I couldn’t muster up the guts to show you what it looked like before. As far as what to keep and what to get rid of, I’m very keen on keeping my pink chair. I love that chair. And it might just be my new desk chair. Speaking of the desk, I haven’t decided whether it’s staying or going. This project doesn’t have a super huge budget so obviously I need to have some perspective if I’m bringing in new furniture pieces. If I do keep the desk, I think a new color is in order. (but between you and me, I really want to get rid of it)

Here are things that my new office is going to need.

- Storage (closet, walls, a place to display my books, magazine and various camera tchotchkes)

- A lounging nook. Somewhere to sit that isn’t at my desk

- Plants…this is a must

- Pops of color with decor pieces

- Workflow organization (a place to put receipts, maybe a tackboard of ideas, a calendar that I can look at everyday)

So that’s it for now! Check back soon for the first big update and to track my progress.

Thanks for joining me on this adventure.

xoxo

Anne

Last week this wonderful Maine wedding was published on Style Me Pretty’s Massachusetts blog. It was a weekend long destination celebration to the Acadia National Park region of Maine and I was thrilled to be a part of it. Click here to see the feature! Congratulations Sally & Gray!

I have to admit…I am very excited about this feature. Not only is this my first full wedding feature in a print publication, but it is of one of my favorite weddings from 2012. I could not be happier for Meghan & Jono that their gorgeous wedding has been shared in this magazine! Their wedding was very personal with lots of DIY touches that were so meaningful to the couple and I am honored that Maine Magazine chose to publish it. You can see more photos of the wedding that weren’t included in print by going to Maine’s site. Pick up your copy today to read all about their story and why they chose some of the details that made this wedding so special!

It all started with a gardenia plant. A design detail that Sally knew she wanted incorporated throughout her wedding.

It’s a story that I won’t repeat here…the story behind this gardenia plant. And if I did repeat it, Sally may just kill me. But if you know these two well, you already know the story behind this delicate plant and why it is so special to them. The short version is that Gray gifted a plant to Sally at the hospital they were both working at together. The plant was stolen and how they got it back, well…like I said, I can’t repeat here. But the plant was recovered and is now thriving in Sally’s parents garden in Virginia. People will go to great lengths when special things are taken.

And on their wedding day, Gray gifted Sally with another special item. Made by Chart Metal Works and tied to her bouquet, he gave his bride a custom made pendant with the map of Mount Desert Island to signify where they got married.

Also incorporated into their wedding is this couples love of travel and how both their careers have taken them all over the world. They are both in the medical field, but Gray also used to play hockey, first at UMaine and then going pro for a few years. Sally, an OB, has delivered babies all over the world, at one point being the only doctor for miles in a rural, African village. They have spent time apart, and time together, and now are using their skills to help their new community in Alaska. It is evident by the pins on the map that these two have been blessed with wonderful friends from all over the globe and many of them made it to Maine to celebrate with them.

Their wedding took place in Thuya Gardens in Northeast Harbor, followed by a night time, tented reception at the Asticou Inn. With gorgeous designs and flowers from Sweetest Thing, this wedding was a perfect combination of the Fall season in Maine with just a little kiss of the gardenia scented south.

Ceremony Venue:  Thuya Gardens

Reception Venue & Catering:  Asticou Inn

Planning/Design/Flowers:  Sweetest Thing

Wedding Invitations:  Gus & Ruby Letterpress

Tent & Rentals:  Wallace Tent & Party Rental

Hair & Make Up:  The L Factor

Gown:  Justina McCaffrey Couture

Shoes:  Anthropologie

Bridesmaids dresses:  J.Crew 

Boleros:  Sandi McKeen Couture

Grooms & Groomsmen’s shoes:  Converse, custom made

Cupcakes:  Bella Cakes

Band: Time Pilots

Bouquet Pendant:  Chart Metal Works, custom made