Introducing Coach House Craft

Hello fellow blogger friends!  An exciting announcement to share today- my newest online shop Coach House Craft is now live on Etsy. This shop has been well over a year in the making and I'm thrilled to share that its open.

Coach House Craft combines my love for playful photography, styling, and crocheting food. All of the crocheted pieces have been handmade by me too. These fun photographs would make quirky, colorful, and educational pieces of art in a child's bedroom or playroom. Created with love from my home in Chicago to yours. If you live near or around the Chicagoland area I am more than happy to even deliver your art prints to you in person. Stop by the shop to view weekly updates of new prints I'm cooking up too :)  As always thank you for your continued love an support!!

Still Life Perspectives

This weekend as the last of my Valentine flowers were about to fade I wanted to capture thier beauty.  I love both of these perspectives for very different reasons. I am really drawn to the sparseness and use of negative space in both shots. And I really liked the ornate and rustic pattern of the surface I used. A found piece of metal waiting to be thrown out by its former owner.  The softness of the flowers mixed with the industrial surface is what I really love about these shots.

This series of still life shots really got me thinking about new ways to create photographs that are interesting to look at, simplistic in technique and using only natural window lighting. I hope to shoot more in the near future.

Pastry Crochet Patterns

Crocheting has always been a fun hobby for me. Until recently I've turned this creative hobby into something that I carve time out to do almost everyday. It's so fun to see things come to life and be able to get creative with color combinations. And thank goodness for the web (for tons of free crochet patterns) and YouTube (for all the very helpful video crochet tutorials). Here are the links to two of my most recent favorite pastry patterns: Frosted Donuts and the Short Cake.

Have fun experimenting with all different kinds of frosting and cake combos, and see if you can only make one...I bet you can't!  It's quickly become my newest form of therapy and creative outlet. Have fun!!

Weekend Recap

Do you ever notice that when you make plans on a Friday night that your weekends just feel longer?
While the home body in me begs to stay on the couch and avoid having to deal with another cold Chicago night there is nothing like live music at a small local venue to get me bundled up and out the door.

Joe and I headed out to the Empty Bottle in Chicago's Ukrainian Village neighborhood for some tasty brews and to stand front and center to listen to one of our recent favorite bands perform- Crow Moses. I love their laid back vibe along with mix of acoustic and electric guitars. Check them out on Spotify if you're looking to add to your playlist.

I've been reserving Sundays for whatever moves my soul. Sometimes this means staying in my robe all day and crafting in bed, catching up on Netflicks, or catching up on magazine reading. I did all of these this past weekend and it was much needed! How was your weekend? Do you ever take a day to yourself to do whatever moves you?!

Good Cheer + Happy New Year!

  Happy New Year to everyone! How can January already be over with and the new year already in full swing?! I took the month of January off from social media to reconnect and refresh my mind and quiet my thoughts. I feel like I have found a jolt of inspiration and energy that I have been missing for quite sometime. One of those things being that I miss connecting with people here on my blog.
  I miss sharing things/ ideas/ people that inspire me and keep me excited to connect with a creative community. So, while I don't think I will be keeping to a regular blogging schedule, I will be checking in and sharing my thoughts and posting creative projects along the way.

I hope you can join me along the way too, cheers friends!!

xo,

Liz

Lately...

Our lil Coach House is currently being taken over by DIY wedding projects!!  It has really become a space that only creative people could stand to live in, given all the chaos, but hey we are making it work!!  And trying hard to live in the moment and really appriceate this time.

1. Creating mock arrangements for out tables.
2. Diving into hand lettering our invitations.
3. Joe cutting out the liners for the invitation envelopes.

4. Finally organized my workspace shelves!
5. Menu tasting with our caterers Wild Asparagus.
6. And our wedding website is up and running! Loved how this all came together.
Check it out at lizandjoe.net

Thankful & Updates

  I'm so thankful for the new year and for all the good things that have seemed to be happening lately.  Sharing my dreams and visions with the universe (and anyone who is willing to listen), while abit scary is also what needs to be felt in order to move forward and not only grow but flourish into building the best life you could only have imagined in the past.  I've been carrying this quote on a post-it in my ipad case as a daily inspirational nudge to myself.

Blessings to all who have shared and continued to visit me here in this small space I am happy to call home.  

Some updates that I am happy to share is that I am growing the business into 2 different avenues. One being product photography for small business' while also continuing to grow my other love of wedding photography.  Thank you for your continued support for a helping me do what my heart has called me to do :)