HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I've had the flu this week, so sorry for the scant posts! Have a wonderful Halloween!

Halloween Week: Vintage Greetings

Here are some really fun vintage Halloween Postcards! You can find all sorts of vintage holiday cards at many antique shops, and they are also available in books for crafters and scrapbookers. Vintage postcards are great for so many things, from wedding save the dates, table cards and other blissful diy ideas, but I really like using them as everyday art. Frame them and put them on tables or hang them on the wall, and they make really creative alternative art for your home!

Halloween Week : Inspiration Board

Looking through the archives at my good blogging buddy and all around talented wedding guru over at Snippet and Ink, I found this Halloween theme board Kathryn did last year.

Halloween Week : Fun Costumes

Everyone loves dressing up, and for those of you who enjoy a good laugh or a heartfelt "awww" when you see something really cute, here are some of my favorite unique costumes I found that celebrate the true creative spirit of halloween!

Halloween Week: Eastern State

Living in Delaware, you tend to spend a lot of time in Philly. A few years back, Nic and I discovered our love for a very spooky landmark in the city of brotherly love, Eastern State Penitentiary. Nic's photos have been published all over, and garnered him a lot of recognition. Since then, there have been a lot of changes and hype around ESP, and it's become quite a tourist attraction. During Halloween, they create Terror Behind the Walls, a theme park haunted house startle type attraction. For me, Eastern State is creepy enough on it's own, and I prefer to the real life ghost stories whispered in the abandoned prison. For those of you who can't get to philly, here are some of Nic's beautiful photos of this well known haunt.

Specials from Laura Hooper!

The incredibly talented calligrapher, Laura Hooper, is running a special on her amazing hand-drawn maps! Order a custom map between now and November 1st and get a FREE frameable copy. Laura's work can be seen all over the best wedding blogs, not to mention some of the top wedding magazines in the country! Laura is not only one of the best calligrapher's out there, she's also one of the nicest! Be sure to check out her website for some gorgeous eye candy!

Suky

When you are looking for the chicest Bridal Gowns in the Philadelphia area, look no further than Suky Rosans! Right in the heart of the Main Line, this wedding staple is the go-to salon for all things couture and bridal. I found my dream gown at Suky's, and would recommend to any and every bride. Suky's is a chic and creamy wedding fantasy world, the place every young girl dreams of when searching for "the one" wedding gown. When you walk into Suky's, it's almost surreal, as the first thing you see is a blurry and ethereal wall sized black and white photo of Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn, primping for something you know must have been wonderfully dreamy. And that's what Suky's is, a wonderful, dreamy wedding shoppe candy land for the bride to be! Suky has gowns from all the major designers on your list, from Vera Wang, Angel Sanchez, Carolina Herrerra, Monique Lhuillier, Ines di Santo, Badgley Mischka, Romona Keveza, Pronovias-the list goes on! They have shoes, and jewels, and evening and bridesmaids gowns, and you could literally spend hours, if not days, searching throught the racks for the perfect gown. The staff is professional, friendly and very easy to work with, and I found that I didn't even have to say anything, but that my fitter seemed to know exactly what I wanted before the thought popped into my own head.

If you are looking for your dream dress, and want that dreamy experience to go along with it, I would suggest you make an appointment at Suky's in Ardmore ASAP!

Suky is conveniently located in the heart of the Main Line, only 20 minutes from Center City Philadelphia.

Suky, 102 East Montgomery Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-3686 sukyoccasions.com.

Bridal Gowns from Giambattista Valli!

For those of you looking for beautiful gowns you've never seen before, Giambattista Valli is having an exclusive preview of his debut Spring 2009 Bridal Collection at Bergdorf Goodman, Tuesday October 28th & Wednesday October 29th from 10am to 4pm! This will be the exclusive launch of Valli’s debut bridal collection, so the gowns will not be available in any other stores. Located on the store’s seventh floor, the Bergdorf Goodman Bridal Salon offers a full range of services for the bride-to-be and 12 European and American designer bridal gown collections.

This is a not to be missed opportunity to see the unveiling of a brand new Bridal Couture collection!

Holiday Photo Cards!

You know the saying, "it's never too early to get a jump on the holidays"? Well, it couldn't be more true! Milkmaid Press and Jubilee Photography are offering Personalized Holiday Photo Cards in four brand new designs and colors! Even though we aren't set up with an online shopping cart, it's still pretty easy to place an order!

Simply email info@jubilee-photography.com or info@milkmaidpress.com, and include in your email the following:

-Valid Email
- Design Choice and Colorway
- Quantity
- Personalized Greeting and Names to include
-Hi-Res JPG Photo

Once we get your order, we'll send you an invoice via Paypal. Once that transaction is complete, we'll create your personalized holiday greeting cards, send you a proof, and once that's approved, we'll print and ship your order! All orders SHIP FREE USPS!

Not sure what type of image to send? Find a funny snapshot you took, the professional pics of the family, wedding or engagement photos or anything you want to share with friends and family! Just make sure you choose a photo you love! If you don't have a professionally done portrait or a candid casual snapshot and are interested in hiring Jubilee Photography for your family portraits, give us a call or shoot us an email! Hire us as your photographer anytime between now and November 22 and receive a complimentary set of 25 personalized cards with a purchase of 100 or more.

To find out more and to view the designs, visit www.jubilee-photography.com and click on specials and events!

Ethan & Brandon's Second Photos

My newest muses and nephews, Ethan and Brandon, are a little over 3 weeks old now, and I love spending time with them whenever I get the chance! They are the tiniest, quietest most relaxed babies, and I really love cuddling them and holding their tiny velvet heads! Here are some more casual shots of the boys, hanging out, napping and generally being pretty darn adorable.

Ethan's giving me the Jimmy eye!

Brandon fell asleep during the Eagles game.

Caroline & Emma

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of photographing Caroline and Emma, two of the sweetest, spunkiest and smartest kids I've ever known! They lived close to an elementary school, so we trekked over there for some good old fashioned playtime, and we snuck in a few pictures as well!

Have a {Frolic}ing Good Friday!

I wanted to give a shout out to one of my favorite blogs, and a big fan favorite, {frolic}, and a new home to spreading the word about the stationery magic designed at Milkmaid Press. The site really focuses on great design, be it for a wedding, party, everyday, fashion, home...you name it, the oh so chic Chelsea Fuss is on it. I've been a fan for a while, and am happy to announce that Milkmaid Press is a delighted sponsor featured on the blog! Chelsea has impeccable style and an eye for those trends that become instant classics, so be sure to check out her musings daily!

In the Spirit of Halloween

Halloween is fast approaching, and if you are the type (like me) who really enjoy all things spooky, ghoulish and haunted, there is more out there for you than you may realize! The Travel Channel has a slew of programming and online excitement celebrating this haunting holiday, with a lot of halloween themed shows and interactive games. They are also debuting a brand new paranormal investigation show, Ghost Adventures, which is no doubt in response to Ghost Hunters, on Sci Fi, and Paranormal State, on A&E. The Travel Channels Halloween Specials revolve around haunted locations and scare attractions. A really nice addition they've included is a list of haunted travel ideas for those of us that simply watching about a haunted location isn't enough, we want to check it out for ourselves! On Discovery, you can check out their cult favorite, A Haunting, which is in season 4 already, and on their sister channel, Discovery ID, they have a few additional paranormal investigative docudramas for your pleasure. If the story behind some of the most frightening individuals and locations of fiction and reality are more your thing, check out Biography to see what they are doing for halloween with everything from the paranormal to their special Boo-ographies!
Sadly, there aren't many of the novelty Halloween specials that many of us grew up anticipating from the big networks, such as The Great Pumpkin or Disney's Sleep Hollow Cartoon. There is a blog dedicated to those great old shows with their links on amazon to buy up that long lost nostalgia!

Luckily, I already have my favorite Halloween specials on DVD! Now if only I could find Captain Noah on DVD.......he always had great Autumn themed shows that make me misty eyed for my youth and Saturday Morning!

Spooky Soiree

As an adult, Halloween tends to lose some of the magic it held as a child, which is why I am so happy that some of my favorite magazines have included ways for us grown-ups to enjoy the holiday and get geared up for a fantastic night of frights! If you plan on throwing a Halloween Bash or even a Wicked Wedding, we've got what you need for inspiration!

For more great halloween ideas and inspiration, check out Martha Stewart, Country Living, Southern Living, and The Hostess Blog for great ideas!

Jennifer and Tom, 10-11-08

I had the pleasure of being a second shooter this past Saturday at the wedding of Jennifer and Tom in Kennett Square, and boy was it a wonderful day! First of all, I couldn't have asked for friendlier or happier people-everyone was wonderful! I love being a second shooter-but the only problem is you often have very little time with the Bride herself, since she's with the lead photographer most of the time! I did however, happen to have a ball photographing the bridal party and family, and was able to snap a few shots of the happy couple as they dashed from place to place. The wedding was elegant and really warm. Simple Ivory roses, pretty chocolate gowns with ivory sash and delicate chocolate beading, and the guys all wore chocolate tuxes-which not only looked modern and retro at the same time, but was a really nice touch! I should have some of the images on the website soon, but for now, here are some of my favorite shots from the day!

Tom with his Dad, both avid car enthusiasts.

Awesome Jack-o-Lanterns, Part 2

Here is Part 2 of Awesome Jack-o-lanterns...some might be offensive, but please keep in mind, they are just pumpkins!

Awesome Jack-o-Lanterns, Part I

I love Halloween. I always have. It's always been one of my favorite holidays. I love all that stuff that goes with it, from horror movies and ghost stories, dressing up, all the fun and playful macabre, and of course, candy! I know it might be a little early, but when it comes to Halloween, I'm still a kid at heart! Here are some really great Jack-o-Lanterns, guaranteed to make you laugh and inspire you to take the art of pumpkin carving to the next level...

Saturday Miscelleny

Since I love cats, and my stationery company is called Milkmaid Press, I thought this image was especially funny and fitting for some Saturday hodgepodge!

Fall at Terrain

This past weekend, Nic and I ventured out to Terrain in nearby Glen Mills for their amazing brunch food. Nic took the time to experiment with his newest toy, the Blackbird Fly TLR (twin lens reflex) that shoots 35mm. I played around with a bit over lunch, taking some portraits of my husband, before coursing through the amazing visual feast Terrain bestows upon it's guests. With Nic and the Blackbird, and I with my trust digital SLR, we went our separate ways to photograph what we saw. I was really taken with the harvest feeling and general effortless splendor of the season at Terrain. I thought that had really outdone themselves with creative table settings. They had set their tables up to help sell products, but I couldn't help but think what a wonderful source of inspiration for anyone looking to decorate for the season, or who wanted unique decor for a holiday get together, party or perhaps even a wedding! Spy some of the beautiful eye candy Terrain has to offer, and if you want to see what the Blackbird Fly can do, check out four corners dark, nic's blog dedicated to preserving the wonderful art of toy and film cameras.














all images courtesy of Kristen Nichols, Jubilee Photography, and of course the obliging displays at Terrain!

Inspiration Fit for a Beach

I was shocked and very pleased when doing my daily blog browsing and I saw that the creative forces over at Elizabeth Anne Designs had created an inspiration board that fit to a T a laid back beachy suite I was designing at Milkmaid Press, using Sandy Khaki, Rustic Orange, and Seaglass Blues.
Clockwise from top left: BreeBailey’s Flickr, Jennifer Skog via The Bride’s Cafe, Junk Drawer, Trip Advisor, Brooke Mayo, The Knot, Toast, Laura Hooper, Jamaican Treasures

Here is another gorgeous board with the color palette from board genius Kathryn at Snippet and Ink! There's really no need for me to put up a board-both of these are just too perfect! Thanks guys!

Top row from left: tent from Coastal Living via Topsy Turvy, bouquet by Ariella Chezar, photo by Vallentyne
Row 2: sand dollar seating cards photo by Jennifer Dery, lemonade caipirinha from Martha Stewart
Row 3: bouquet from Brides, ceviche from Ariella Chezar, photo by Elizabeth Messina, beach ceremony from Alison Events
Row 4: invitation by Ceci New York, beaded ring by Kuoting, flowers by Ariella Chezar for Brides, Oscar de la Renta dress via Zoe Lingard

Lavender and Lace

At Milkmaid Press, we're finally getting around to updating the site with some of our newest wedding stationery designs. This one is called Lavender and Lace, and it features vintage botanical print, butterflies and a delicate lace pattern in a cool, relaxed lilac and lavender palette. Here is the inspiration board that started it all!

Wedding Blog, Italian Style

I recently discovered Juliette's amazing Italian Wedding Blog, Un Matrimonio Formato, and I was really enamored with her gorgeous inspiration boards. They have such a fresh, unique approach and are really beautifully done! Be sure to check out this brand new blog, even if you don't speak the language, you can still admire the gorgeous boards and find all the inspiration you need! Thanks Juliette!

Affairs of State: Maryland

Since I just did a board focusing on Delaware's colors of blue and gold, I thought it only right to create a Maryland themed board, using Marylands colors of Gold, Red and Black infused with the laid back and quirky charm of the Chesapeake!

Images courtesy of Martha Stewart, Real Simple, Snippet and Ink, Amorology, The Knot, Brides

Absolutely Vintageous!

Looking for Vintage Wedding, Party and Event Dresses? Here are some drool-inducing cocktail and party dresses from one of my absolute favorite vintage vendors, Vintageous! I'm a vintage lover who buys frequently, so make sure if you are new to vintage online shopping, you read the descriptions carefully. Some dresses have stains, tears and other imperfections that accompany a vintage frock find. But aren't these one-of-a-kind blasts from the past just breathtaking? I just wish once a dress was sold, they'd take it down and stop teasing a girl! I LOVE this little white cocktail dress...perfect for a surprise wedding perhaps?














images courtesy of Vintageous,

Surprise! One Idea for an Usual Wedding

You always hear about surprise parties, and unexpected engagements, but have you ever heard of a surprise wedding?

A few years back, when Nic and I first were talking about getting married, we weren't sure we wanted a traditional wedding. After all, we're both artistic, we're casual and relaxed, we're not into the whole dancing-bouquet toss-chicken dance thing. We had been talking about putting together a photo show, but had kept procrastinating due to work and the general curiosity that is daily life. Then it hit me- why not put together an art show, and surprise everyone there by getting married! A Surprise Wedding. I read somewhere that's what Julia Roberts did, and I thought so can I! We wanted an intimate affair that expressed who we were with good food, great conversation, and the people closest to us, and we wanted to avoid most of the hoopla. After seriously considering it for a few months, we decided to scrap the idea for ourselves and go with something a little more traditional and family oriented, and one where our non-art loving friends would definitely RSVP and not show up 3 hours late!

I loved my wedding and wouldn't change a thing, but I still think about the "what if's" if we had tried the surprise wedding. It sounds bizarre and difficult to pull off, and it wouldn't work for everyone, but I still think the idea is worth exploring, and might be perfect for a couple out there struggling to find a unique way to get hitched and avoid all the fuss of wedding planning that eloping can offer, but still have friends and family share in the joy of a wedding.

Our approach to the surprise wedding was pretty simple. We'd put together photography show, and invite our closest friends and family to the show's opening reception. We'd find a really great gallery space, there would be champagne and hors'd oeuvres, our artwork would serve as the decor, and once everyone arrived for the big thank you speech for supporting our endeavors in the art world, we'd bring out the officiant and get married right then and there! It would be everything we wanted- intimate and simple, unique and artistic, and it would be a fete that no one would forget! The idea seemed really fun, and a great way to avoid a lot of the trouble and frustrations of planning a more traditional affair. We thought of a chic, art gallery show, but you could do a family picnic, an outdoor bbq, a holiday get together or a dinner party... there are a ton of possibilities!

Naturally, there are pro's and con's to a surprise wedding. A big plus with a surprise wedding is that you can save a ton of money and avoid a lot of the planning headaches by keeping it simple and a little more casual than a wedding usually becomes. You don't have to wear a big dress, choose bridesmaids or groomsmen, listen to everyone tell you what to do and how to do it. It's a wonderful way to get closer with your spouse-to-be. It's a secret only the 2 of you will share, and just the two of you will be doing all the planning as the two person team your about to become (just don't forget the officiant!). It can be really fun and casual, unexpected and intimate, all at the same time, and it's something that everyone in attendance will remember and be talking about for years to come. If you're not into the wedding thing and you prefer the idea of an elopement, but you want to share your marriage with friends and family, a surprise wedding may be just the thing you are looking for, and you didn't even know it!

image courtesy of A Practical Wedding

A J.Crew Wedding Dress

In my opinion, the J.Crew wedding and formal dresses are synonymous with Simple Preppy Elegance. These dresses look lovely alone, but you could always jazz it up with a great bold cardigan, or colorful layered jewelry and accessories to really make them personal and unique. And with price tags from $250-$2,000, that's a wedding steal! I really love the first dress with the pockets-it looks so comfortable and casual and at the same time sweetly sophisticated. Dressed up or dressed down, these gowns are gorgeous, so here are some of those oh so lovely, oh so coveted effortlessly chic wedding gowns from tried and true J.Crew!

Affairs of State: Delaware

I thought it might be a fun idea to create inspiration boards that focus not only on color, but on a particular State. After all, we often see weddings that follow a city, area or country theme, so why not a state theme? Delaware's state colors happen to be blue and gold, which make a really chic, preppy wedding when the main inspiration is the Lucinda strapless gown with pockets from J.Crew ($2500) and some pretty marigold and navy accessories also from J.Crew!

Images courtesy Rebecca Thuss, J.Crew, The Knot, Brides, Harry Winston, InStyle Weddings

All-In-One Venues : Conroy Catering

In my early days as a wedding photographer when I worked with one of their preferred vendors before he retired, I remember coming to the realization that all-in-one venues were not only great for busy photographers, but convenient for guests and often times, more budget friendly and less stressful for the bride and groom! When Nic and I were planning our wedding, we knew an all in one venue was the right choice for us. I had done a ton of weddings in the Philly-Baltimore areas, and had a short list of venues that were not only beautiful and all around exquisite, but made life a little easier during the planning stages! We wanted to get married at an inn or bed & breakfast, since we liked the idea of doing everything from the rehearsal dinner to the morning after breakfast all in one place, with our friends and family.

I remember being disappointed that the Glen Foerd Mansion, just north of Philly, was just a day of venue, but nevertheless, it's still one of my favorite all-inclusive wedding venues in the area!

Sprawling grounds surround the gorgeous mansion, which has sweeping views of the serene Delaware River. There are wooded grounds, sprawling greenery and a wraparound veranda that seems like something out of Gone with the Wind! The interior of the Glen Foerd Mansion is absolutely breathtaking. Rich old wood tones, beautifully appointed period furnishings, warm lighting and an overall sense of comfort and refinement. All you need to decorate are some flowers and your finished, the estate really does set the scene!

Conroy Catering is responsible for this immaculate venue, along with 2 others, coming soon, Fountainhead and Knowlton Mansion. My favorite is the Glen Foerd Mansion because of the waterfront, architecture, artwork and conservatory. It just seems to have everything. And what the Mansion doesn't have, Conroy Catering brings the rest! Table linens, Fine China, Food and Drink, Service Staff and Wedding Cake! They take care of so much, there's not much left to worry about!

They book up pretty quick, so if you're an interested bride or groom, I highly recommend contacting them immediately. Tell them Kristen at Jubilee Photography and All things Lovely sent you!