Lara Kimmerer | photographer

Meet Ashley of Eventfully, Ash Design

Ashley and I met over 6 years ago when we both worked at a small (but wonderful) coffee shop in New Jersey. We each went our separate ways, but life (and wedding blogs) brought us back into each other's lives. After discovering Ashley's burgeoning event design business - Eventfully, Ash - I asked if she would help design and coordinate my wedding. I'm so grateful to have had Ashley there that day, and in my life now. She has quite the drive - and so much enthusiasm it's infectious. I'm excited to see how Ashley's business grows. Great things are in her future...I just know it.

 

Meet Ashley...

How did you decide to get into Event Design?

It was a progression of many heart-to-heart's with myself. I went to the Culinary Institute of America out of high school with humble dreams of becoming a baker, opening a cafe/bakery in some quaint small town, and living simply. That was the plan all through college up until I had an honest moment with myself after graduation and realized, I'm a terrible baker. I mean there's just no two ways about it! So I changed gears. Maybe I wasn't a great baker but I was an excellent cake decorator. In general I've always had an eye for design. My grandmother was a graphic designer in the days when everything was done by hand, so the ability and desire to turn a blank canvas into something beautiful coursed through my blood. Alas, the cake decorator dream was short lived after realizing that you still have to be a somewhat competent baker (and honestly the baker's life is just not for me! I've never been much of a morning person!) But all of that interest in weddings got me looking at different wedding blogs for inspiration and I became enamored with what I was finding. I found myself frequenting websites such as 100 Layer Cake, Style Me Pretty, and Snippet & Ink daily. It was through these outlets that I realized what I was supposed to be doing. I had a background in hospitality, a working knowledge of banquets and catering, and an unyielding passion for design. Event Designer became the career path from that moment and since then I've been doing everything I can to make that happen.

 

How would you define your aesthetic?

Graphic, artisanal, chic rustic. Think Martha Stewart meets chic farmer meets graphic designer.

 

What inspires you and/or who inspires you?

I'm inspired by so much around me. There are days when I'm inundated with great ideas simply because I heard a great song on a brisk evening as I was driving home, other times it might be a photograph or quote I happened to catch a glimpse of while browsing the interwebs. Inspiration and I are fickle friends. When I have a quiet moment and no projects on the horizon I start to feel uneasy and desperate for an outlet. I find myself wandering Tumblr aimlessly or picking up a paintbrush and just practicing color theory to get those creative juices a-flowin'. I also have an enormous list of blogs bookmarked that I try and keep up with.

There are so many amazing designers out there right now. But in particular I'd have to credit Kelly and Paige of Bash, Please Design for truly inspiring me to get into this industry. I followed Kelly Harris' journey (she's one half of Bash, Please) as she fearlessly tried out a number of different DIY businesses (cuppie making, succulent arrangements, styling dessert tables) until she ingeniously wrapped all of them up into one awe inspiring package (joined by Paige Appel of Bash Eco Events), tied a bow around it, and called it Bash, Please Design. Their work is something to truly marvel at and it gives me the inspiration to work towards the same standards these ladies have set for the design industry.

 

Event Design is what interests and inspires you, but where does event coordination fit in for you?

Coordination sort of just comes with the package I suppose. Most people don't want to hire a coordinator and a designer separately - PLUS I figure if you're already immersed in every aspect of the design of the day, why not just be the person that coordinates the rest of the day, you know? It's something I'm still getting used to, really. I never thought I'd be a planner. I went to school for baking which is completely behind the scenes, and I feel the same way about design, but coordination is on the front lines! It's just something different and new to me…I love a good challenge!

 

I'm always interested to find this out. Perhaps in hopes of finding new people to add to my playlist. What music do you listen to while you're working?

Believe it or not, I work best in silence. It's the one time when I can sit down and work on something for hours at a time undisturbed. It's my thinking time for sure. And with all the creativity surrounding me while I work, I always end up coming up with some great new ideas for the next project. But once the silence becomes too much and my mind is exhausted of thought, I listen to fun dance-y music…Vampire Weekend, Two Door Cinema Club, Beirut, Beyonce, Modest Mouse…fun stuff like that!

 
 

And lastly...five items you need to have with you at all times:

Carmex lip balm (It's really quite alarming how frequently I use this stuff).

My phone (easy access to tumblr and my enormous list of blogs I check daily - in case I need a creative pick-me-up!).

A large iced mocha.

My sketchbook.

And my good luck paper boat given to me by an amazing lady named Lara Kimmerer :)

 

Check out website to see all of the inspiration she's collected. Seeing these images inspired me to contact her to help with our wedding!

 

*Ashley & I have an exciting annoncement - which we'll be sharing tomorrow!* Be sure to check back! (really excited to share with you all!!)

Stoneburner Family | Portraits Around Jamaica Pond and Home

This is the Stoneburner Family...Lacy, Scott and their Puggle, PJ. A new addition is expected in late February, so Lacy asked if I would come over and photograph their life as they experience it now...just the three of them. (Lacy wrote her own blog post about the experience.) You will quickly see who steals the show.

This is a perfect example of what I love to do. On my website I mention that I want to photograph "the moments in peoples' lives - however big, however small". These are the "small" moments in Lacy & Scott's life together. They make up some of the most important moments in their everyday...sitting down with PJ, discussing their days, and enjoying just being with each other.

You may recognize Lacy from a post I did last week. Lacy & I have a contest going on right now, which ends tonight at midnight. Go here to find out more about it!

Monday Morning Music | Voices and Nothing More

Okay...this is more like Monday afternoon, but I wanted to get this in because I'm excited. Tonight is the live episode of The Sing Off. As I've mentioned before, I was in an a cappella group when I was in college at Drew University. Our name was On A Different Note - and the group is still singing and continuing on the all-female group tradition on campus today. I was also in a Boston based group for about a year or so, called Boston Accent, who are also still around and singing!

Tonight I'll be routing for Pentatonix. They're amazing. The group is made up of only 5 people, but they rival the sound of the larger groups. Actually, their sound surpasses the larger groups.

Anyway - a cappella is cool. I highly suggest you watch the show tonight. Here is Pentatonix performing "Dog Days Are Over" by Florence and the Machine.

 

Pentatonix | Dog Days Are Over

This was the sunrise the morning of our wedding. I feel this song when looking at this photo. For me - there's an excitement for what's next in life - and the not knowing.

Jessie & Mark | married | Cape Cod Wedding

Jessie & Mark's love is so palpable. They so honestly, and so truly love one another, that the energy surrounding them...especially on their wedding day, was incredible to be witness to. It was an honor to be in the midst of all of their family and friends and experience their day with them.

We had an hour before the wedding began to take photos of the two of them, and to take family photos. I can't tell you how calm this makes the rest of the day feel - and we were able to take time and get some great shots of the wedding party too - it was wonderful. After the emotional ceremony we took Jessie & Mark aside for about 10 minutes and let them take in everything that had just happened. The two of them really forgot about us being there and let themselves feel everything in those moments, which is the whole point. And then it was on to the party...and party they did!

Jessie & Mark - I can't express to you enough how honored Peter & I were to be a part of your day. We area very thankful (on this Thanksgiving) to know you both.

photographer: Lara Kimmerer | venue & catering: Scituate Country Club | flowers: Flowers & Festivities | Groomsmaid Dresses: Priscilla of Boston | DJ: Avid Entertainment |

Giveaway | Stoneburner Bookbinding & Eli Scheer

To begin...

My friend Lacy Stoneburner, of Stoneburner Bookbinding - teamed up with designer, Eli Scheer, who happens to also my friend - to create limited edition pieces which are being sold in Lacy's Etsy shop. You can read more about their collaboration here.

We're giving away the beautiful journal featured above! Details on the giveway are at the bottom of this post.

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Lacy and I have known each other for about 7 years now. I was even a bridesmaid in her wedding! Over the last year I've watched Lacy's bookbinding and preservation business grow quite a bit. In fact, she is one of my vendors. Lacy makes the beautiful CD cases that I deliver to my clients.

I asked Lacy a few questions, so you could all get to know her a bit more:

How did you find yourself in the book binder/preservationist business?

I've worked in libraries since I was a teenager but initially got into the field because it was a good job for a kid that didn't involve food service. When I went to college I chose to major in cultural anthropology because it was interesting, not necessarily because I saw myself as an anthropologist down the line. After I graduated I found a job at another library that had a tuition reimbursement program and thought, what the heck? I signed up for library science grad school and soon discovered preservation. While I was going through this all it seemed to be a slow progression, but looking back it makes a lot of sense to me. I essentially spend my day-job preserving the cultural heritage I studied as an anthropologist. My favorite items to work on are ephemeral pieces from the early 1900s - specifically this collection of materials from the Massachusetts Agricultural College (now UMass Amherst) Extension School. Pamphlets on beekeeping, garden planning and the domestic arts are fascinating to me! I've been working in the preservation field now for nearly five years, but somewhere along the way I found the yearning to use preservation techniques on new materials. It can be really difficult to bring a warped, brittle book back to life, so on my weekends I began working with new materials and making small books and paper projects. From there things have progressed into a small business that is extremely satisfying. 

There is a give and take from both my preservation work and my bookbinding work. I see old binding styles during my preservation work and think about how they can be adapted to my bookbinding work. With my bookbinding, I have the opportunity to experiment with bindings and techniques that may not be preservationally sound, but that have aspects that can be integrated into my preservation work.

 

What inspires you and/or who inspires you?

I am inspired by various and sundry things and am open to inspiration from odd avenues. Earlier this year I was sick and subsequently watching a lot of tv. On two different shows within the same day autograph books were mentioned and I instantly began thinking about how to create them. When I went into the studio to work up a model, I realized that I was creating the perfect size covers for these books each time I cut a cover for one of my standard size journals. So out of a few tv mentions and remnants I had in the studio, I created some really cute autograph books that I'll be introducing into the shop over the next few weeks.

 

While you're working, do you listen to music? And, if so, what kind of music - or who do you listen to?

While I'm working I often stream video - movies specifically - to have something going on in the background while my mind is focused on the work at hand. As for music, lately I've been pulled towards four bands/musicians specifically: Architecture in Helsinki, The Avett Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. The more upbeat the music, the more fun I have working.

 

Five items you need to have with you at all times.

While working:
1. Utility blade
2. Cork-backed ruler
3. Teflon "bone" folder
4. Real bone folder
5. PVA glue

In life:
1. Cell phone (to obsessively check if I've received any new email)
2. Granola bar (to stave off crankiness)
3. Mints (to stave off nausea)
4. T-pass
5. Chapstick (if I can remember it)

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I've known Eli for just about 5 years now. I met Eli through our mutual friend Casey (who you saw in the photo above). Eli's design work has always interested me. I love the intracy in a lot of his designs.

Eli & Casey are currently travelling the world (or, at least a good deal of it). They're about halfway through. You can follow along with their travels on the blog WonderWander.org. My favorite post so far is this one - where Eli & Casey write about their experience at the Yi Peng festival in Thailand. The photos below are from their blog.

As Casey wrote, "Rice paper lanterns are lit aflame, filled with prayers, and sent off to the heavens." Absolutely beautiful.

I'm incredibly interested to see what inspirations Eli brings into his work after this unbelievable trip.

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Giveaway!

And now what you've been waiting for! All of the books from the collaboration between Stoneburner Bookbinding & Eli Scheer are limited edition.  The journal featured above is the 1st of only 8 books in this series - and it can be yours!

To put yourself in the running to win the book:

1.  Go to Lacy's Stoneburner Bookbinding's facebook page and "like" her business.

2.  Go to my Lara Kimmerer | photographer facebook page and "like" my business.

3.  Leave a comment at the bottom of this post telling me you've done both - and you'll be entered in the contest! If you've already "liked" both our businesses, no problem - just let me know you'd like to be entered as well.

*** You'll get an extra entry in the contest if you tweet this post as well! (@larakimmerer) 

Contest ends at midnight EST next Tuesday, November 29th. The randomly selected winner will be announced on Wednesday the 30th! Good Luck!

UPDATE: Tamar is our winner! Congratulations, Tamar! Thank you for entering everyone!