My lovely letter arrived yesterday afternoon (complete with a recipe for chai tea!) and I wanted to share a little peek with you here today.  Really, is her work not the most delightful thing you’ve seen all week?  Friends with pretty handwriting make me so happy!

Happy Friday!

I hope you’ll explore the new site when you find the time.  It’s absolutely perfect for Chelsey and the brand she has created for Fourth & Folded.  And you might even see a familiar photo or two on the site.

Congratulations, Chelsey- I am so happy for you!

Happy Wednesday!

Enjoying a lunchtime brownie & a glass of milk is already on my agenda for this rainy Wednesday.  Go ahead, schedule some time for a sugary treat this afternoon… you might be surprised by the creativity that comes from it!

Thankfully Michael didn’t dig into the bag before I had a chance to photograph it at home, as there are all kinds of goodies inside- Little Lad’s popcorn, oyster crackers, Stonewall Kitchen jam, and  Wicked Whoopie whoopie pies.  Sarah also found these cute paper clips with ampersands on them- how perfect!

I guess my very own welcome bag was simply not enough.  Chad & Sarah know just how much I love dogs- as they are the proud parents of two of my favorites, The Pointer Sisters!  They picked out this adorable dog 2011 dog calendar made in Kennebunk- check out how perfect the August dog is!  Chad & Sarah also included a gift card to one of my very favorite stores in Maine- Rock Paper Scissors in Wiscasset.  (I’m heading to tonight’s engagement session early just so I can make a stop in the shop!)

And . . . because I just cannot stop smiling at Chad & Sarah’s kind hearts, here is a little preview of what’s to come from their lovely Camden wedding!

How lucky am I to be able to call these two friends?  Thank you, Chad & Sarah, not only for these lovely gifts, but for your constant friendship over the last year.

I met with my Willard Square neighbors, Genell & Saer, at the & unlimited studio a few months ago to talk about their upcoming September wedding on Cow Island.  After we discussed their plans for the big day, and how much we love our neighborhood, Genell asked me if I would consider taking photos of their newest project, the opening of Lila East End Yoga!  As it turns out, Genell has taken over the very yoga studio where I practice, on Congress Street in Portland’s East End, renaming it Lila.  What a small world!

Lila’s studio space is absolutely perfect.  How can you resist the temptation of practicing yoga in such a beautiful space?

There are so many unique details that make Lila such an inviting space.

Friends & yogis of all sizes came to Lila’s grand opening!  You probably cannot tell from this photograph, but that little darling in the back is this sweet little girl I photographed back in December!

A toast to Genell, Saer, and Lila East End Yoga!

Check out the Lila website and find a class that might suit your schedule & interests- the first class at Lila is always free!

When talking to Keri (of Keri & Paul) about her wedding cake a few months before the big day, I mentioned Chelsey’s cake stands and what significance they held since her father had made them.  Keri thought this was a lovely idea and approached her own father about a similar venture.  He created this cake stand for Keri & Paul, which everyone loved!

A few weeks before Keri & Paul’s Durham wedding, one of my favorite wedding blogs, Love & Lavender, published a series of posts entitled From Wedding to Home, about the idea of reusing your wedding decor after the festivities are all over.  Inspired by these ideas, I thought about how fun it might be to incorporate Keri & Paul’s cake stand as a base of an outdoor decorative arrangement.

A few outrageously large peonies & candles later . . .

I’d love to hear more of your own ideas for ways to reuse wedding (or any event) decor!  Happy Wednesday!

Chelsey and I planned on taking a few shots of her, the incredible designer behind 4th&Folded’s creations, in addition photographing her products.  After catching up and enjoying a tasty panini at my favorite cafe in Portland’s West End, we walked around the Old Port and snapped a few pictures.  Chelsey has such a great sense of style- don’t you love her cute, bright J.Crew coat?

To view more of 4th&Folded’s designs, go might want to visit her Etsy Shop.  You’ll be able to see all of the patterns, colors and fonts with which she can customize your order HERE.

From Chelsey:

My designs are what I refer to as ‘classically modern’. To start, you have ‘classic’, it speaks about a good foundation, proportions and details. Then you have ‘modern’, it negates any antiqueness, allows designs to be fresh, with clean lines and bold colors. It is being elegant, without being formal or stuffy. It is having a strong sense of design and style without being trendy. In effect, it is timeless.

The style and design principles upon which 4th&Folded were founded was certainly evident throughout Chelsey and her husband, David’s, entire wedding day.  Click HERE to see the amazing details coordinated by Chelsey, David and their families.

While she’s not working as an architect (seriously, how talented can one girl be?), Chelsey is busy adding more designs to the 4th&Folded collection.  Look for more great designs and products to come from 4th&Folded- I see exciting (and great!) things in Chelsey’s future.  In fact, just weeks after launching her site, 4th&Folded was mentioned on Style Me Pretty.  What a fun surprise!

I cannot stop drooling over these notecards.  How can you not love the whimsical simplicity?

And, of course, my personal favorite!

Thank you, Chelsey, for making a cold, rainy Saturday full of so much warmth & fun!  Just being in your presence and seeing your designs on paper in person left me feeling so inspired.

Today, Michael & I slept in and then feasted on bagels from Scratch.  We sipped our favorite morning drinks- coffee for Michael, chocolate soy milk for me; and while I took pictures for tomorrow’s Magazine Monday post, Michael read his favorite blogs and Orvis chewed on his bone.  This afternoon, a neighborhood run, followed by some well-deserved scrumptious baking is on our agenda.  And of course, we’ll manage to squeeze some reading and television time in there at some point too.  It is Sunday, after all.

Happy, happy Sunday!