The Little Things No. 47

Dear friends,

It has been such a busy month, but also beautiful in so many ways. I hope that you all had a lovely April. I started doing photo shoots again now that the weather is getting nicer and I even hosted a tea party last Sunday. We really lucked out with a warm sunny day so I was able to set up the table outside instead of in my living room. I have not hosted anything like this in many years and this is the first time I have the space and a yard to host guests.

Very big news is that I was sworn in on Monday after an interviewing and an approval process as a board member for the Litchfield Arts Council (LAC). It is the LAC’s mission to support the artists and art community in our lovely town, to connect the community with the arts, and to support local tourism through the arts. They advocate for fair pay for local artists, which is so important because many events and organizations expect free work from artists. Us photographers know this well. I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked for free work or photos in exchange for “exposure” for my work. I’m just getting started so there is a lot for me to learn and hopefully I will be able to give back to my beautiful town. I am hoping that my skills in photography and my creative side will be of some use.

I have also put myself on a waiting list for a local artist studio right in town. It could take months or even a year for an opening, but I am happy to wait for the right space.

It feels like every day I’ve had photo shoots, client meetings, doctor appointments, various other meetings, and vet appointments for Madeleine (poor little sweetheart has an ear infection, but is doing well) so I have been slow on the blog, but I have come to learn that like everything, this blog has busy seasons and slower seasons and that is a good thing. You may notice some links at the bottom of this page. Last month I decided to start sharing links to articles that I have read over the month that I found to be interesting or uplifting news I wanted to share.

These are the little things that made April so lovely…

I met the lovely owner of the Hope & Honey Boutique in town. Leah and I actually met when talking in an aisle in Target of all places. We have since met a few times to collaborate on photos for her social media to support her business. I took a couple photos at the tea party this weekend, which she generously supplied the tea and iced tea. I plan on taking many more photos in the following weeks with two stunning dresses form her boutique. If you are local to Connecticut, I highly recommend that you check out her boutique if you’re in Litchfield. It is right underneath At The Corner and it supports so many local creatives and businesses supporting women and important organizations.

I’ve also been on a historical romance kick lately. But I’m very picky about which historical romances I will read. I love modern and strong heroines and sweet romances that remind me of Jane Austen.

Matthew and I have also been going to the library a lot lately. We finally got Matthew his own library card. He is trying to read a few books a month and I’m still figuring out how to find the time to read every book I check out.

Goodwill has been so helpful as I planned my tea party on a budget. I needed small plates, trays for the sandwiches, and thrifted teacups to gift the girls attending. I found almost everything at my local Goodwill.

Including this stunning flower basket I found for $3. It will be perfect for tulip picking season.

My mom and I do a bi-weekly art night, and one week we painted wooden eggs for Easter décor. It was much harder than it looked.

My beautiful cousin Alexis turned thirty!

The local library had a few good books on hosting a tea party. I read them over tea before work in the morning.

Matthew was away for a little over a week for a work trip in Spain. I missed him, but the time apart is also nice in it’s own way. Distance makes the heart grow fonder. He brought me back some Spanish chocolate.

My littles vegetable seeds began to sprout. Madeleine loves them.

I read outside for the first time in months and it felt so nice to feel the sun on my face.

Easter was a simple and fabulous day with Matthew, my dad, and his girlfriend Laura who has also become a good friend. She is a phenomenal cook and Easter brunch and dinner was fantastic.

Another book for my to-read list.

Afternoon walks.

We lived in Manchester for a couple years and Mulberry Street was one of our favorites. The food here is great. We met up with my father-in-law after work one night last week when he was working nearby.

The day before the tea party my friend Mary Catherine and I explored local shops, thrift stores, and antique stores. The Hidden Acorn in Woodbury was super cute and a great place to find gifts.

I brought home this little “air plant” and vase.

The next morning before the tea party we visited the Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market in New Milford. It is the largest flea market in the North East and just opening up for the season. We saw quite a few fun things and I was able to thrift some really lovely and affordable tea cups for the tea party.

Check out this 1800s camera. The bellows and lens were in fantastic condition. It still works! I don’t have need of it,. but it was really fun to look at.

Time for tea!