Decorating, eating, and hiking in Maine this past weekend
This past weekend, I took a group of friends and MSLO employees to Skylands, my home in Seal Harbor, Maine. I like introducing my living spaces to my employees because they find it so inspiring. The weather was glorious and we went on long hikes. Pierre Schaedelin, my former chef, was happy to join us. He so enjoys cooking in the Skylands kitchen and he created delicious meals for the gang. Please enjoy these photos.
1 We decided to bring some of our large ferns inside to 'brighten up' the interior.
2 Kevin created mini moss 'landscapes' using all types of moss found in our own woodland. Daily spritzing and filtered light will keep such a landscape alive for a long time.
3 We had a good number of paniculata hydrangeas (PeeGee) in bloom and we used them in arrangements in the living room.
4 This monumental arrangement used a lot of very long stemmed hydrangeas.
5 Kevin practices excellent flower arranging techniques - notice the drop cloths on the floor to keep everything easy for cleanup.
6 I had purchased four macho ferns at Angel Plants in Long Island last week and decided to carry them to Maine and use them in planters inside. As you can see, they are really 'macho' in size - it took four to create this very big arrangement.
7 One of our five-year-old Boston ferns from the back porch fit exactly in the big faux bois bowl in the living room.
8 Here's another view of the large Boston fern.
9 To decorate the table for lunch on the western terrace, one of my guests made a small landscape of woodland leaves and buds.
10 Pierre made an excellent salade nicoise from all the vegetables from the garden - in addition, he included Italian tuna and olives.
11 And for dessert - cookie ice cream sandwiches with homemade black raspberry and red currant ice creams.
12 One of our hikes took us to the top of Mt. Champlain, up the difficult precipice trail - Total Elevation: 2642'Trail Length: 5.3 miles. Here Tomas Maier - Creative Director Bottega Veneta - is smiling in pain.
13 Another guest climber - Kate Berry - Senior Assoc. Weddings Style Editor
14 Another guest clowning - Tori Mellott - Creative Deputy of Merchandising at MSLO
15 Kate, Tori, Vicki Lowery - Executive Editor MSL, and me half way to the top and hanging onto a 'rung.'
16 The top of precipice - we look happy - we were wiped out but thrilled to have succeeded to the top - that's Andrew Preston - COO of Tomas Maier - on the left.
17 Tomas and Andrew with the sea and the Porcupine Islands in the background
18 The four women, a bit sweaty
19 The view was certainly worth the climb.
20 Later in the day, we attended a picnic on privately owned Bartlett's Island on the other side of Mt. Desert - low tide and a beautiful beach.
21 The view from one side of Bartlett's looks directly at Blue Hill - and guess what? The hill is blue!
22 Some of the rocks on the island are hard gray granite called Ellsworth schist.
23 These rocks look like prehistoric oyster shells.
24 Another piece of Ellsworth schist.
25 Tori, me, and Kate standing in the rather cold water.
26 A collection of wobblies - made from round rocks indigenous to this part of Maine
27 These pink granite rocks have been tumbled in the tides for eons into round perfection.
28 Where did this random rock come from? Its called a glacial erratic.
29 Flying back home, the sky was filled with amazing giant clouds.
30 How stunning!
31 Such interesting shapes
Martha, you do lead the charmed life! It looks like you all had a beautiful day! Check out my latest post for a really unique lady that turns junk into treasure! She would be great to have on your show (with me in the audience of course!).
Posted by: Rebecca | August 19th, 2009 at 1:27 am
Oh I LOVE this!
Posted by: Adrienne | August 19th, 2009 at 1:34 am
If you like ferns as much as I do, you need to take a look at some of the ones available in Brasil. There is one called "Samambaia de Metro" (translation, Meter Fern), and Paulistinha. The "Meter fern" has fronds that are over one meter long; the width is about 1-2 feet. The Paulistinha is like the American Fern, but the fronds tend to be thiner. However, the leaves get to me more than 1 meter long. There are other ones, but are harder to find there. Like the "Imperial fern"... You got go there.
Posted by: CBH | August 19th, 2009 at 1:57 am
Martha. How beautiful. Those porcupine islands look gorgeous. I love the hydrangeas too. Looks like you had a wonderful time. Thanks for sharing your pics. Also, tell Francesa and Sharkey I enjoyed their day at the farm.
Posted by: Theresa G. | August 19th, 2009 at 3:52 am
These are lovely; what a wonderful weekend! I love those hydrangeas, and how delicious do those cookie ice cream sandwiches look? As always, thank you for sharing, Martha.
Posted by: Patrice | August 19th, 2009 at 9:20 am
That felt good.
Posted by: Amy Lomasney | August 19th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Martha: I love the wobblies; I have some on my front porch! Is that the official name? I was inspired by inukshuks seen up north where I now live. Mine are made from the "family jewels", rocks I have carted through moves all over the country and overseas. My rocks are dark gray and flat to oval, some with white veins, from the beach at Dana Point, CA, my longlost hometown. My mother would make dry stream beds with them 40 years ago, long before that idea was in fashion.
Posted by: Rhonda | August 19th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Husband and I are heading for Acadia in mid - September - looking foward to some time on the trails as well!
Posted by: Beverly | August 19th, 2009 at 11:37 am
Hi Martha,
I think ferns are my favorite thing – I just never get tired of looking at them. Your macho and Boston ferns are gorgeous and what a beautiful view that is of the random rock and the fern all around it. Just the right amount of sun gets in through the trees and lights up a path. I might need to use that on my desk top for awhile if you don’t mind. And your wobblies are so cute; I’m surprised Jodi Levine hasn’t been allowed to paint faces on them by now! I believe she was the one in the episode I remember or I saw it in the Kids magazine.
Wow Martha, you are so athletic to be able to climb over 5 miles and I don’t see an ounce of sweat on you! How difficulty was it for your companions to keep up with you? LOL. Yes, the view at the top was magnificent for sure and so were the ones from the plane!
Back to the ferns for a sec – I was scanning the room in picture #8 and it looks like the Great Hall, but I don’t see the round table and the furniture looks brighter so maybe it isn’t or you changed things around a bit and got some faux bois. It looks great! Btw, Kevin looks right at home there which he said on his blog was his favorite place. He’s so lucky to get to visit so often but I’m sure he already knows that! Trish
Posted by: Trish | August 19th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Beautiful country! Love the wobblies too! Fun trip! Thank you for sharing Martha!
Posted by: Melanie Sirois | August 19th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
The photos are marvelous! Ferns amazing! Rocks very interesting! What'd you have a the picnic. Sounds grand!
Posted by: Kim | August 19th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Such beautiful pictures,such beautiful country. I've just recently found your website; this is wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing! Susan
Posted by: Susan Winfrey Smith | August 19th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Thanks for sharing your wonderful adventures with your fans, Martha. I enjoyed all the pictures very much. I kept saying, "Oh, how wonderful!"
Posted by: Melinda Konopisos | August 19th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Isn't Maine the perfect place to escape to! I love Bar Harbor area and we go as often as we can. You have a gorgous home there! But you really should check out the Northern most area of Maine sometime. (Caribou to Fort Kent)You would find the farming country beautiful. Happy summer!
Posted by: Natalie | August 19th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
May I borrow Kevin to create some extravagant flower arrangements for me??!? They are beautiful.
Posted by: MMC in San Diego | August 19th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Beautiful photos Martha! I'm located in Bucksport, Maine, need to find myself down to the island for photo ops.
Have a great day!!
Posted by: Jenny Bamford-Perkins | August 19th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
The last photo of the clouds looks like a ship or aircraft carrier.
Posted by: Brandy in VA | August 19th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Hi Martha: Great pictures - thanks for sharing.
My wife and I both love ferns as house plants - their lush green color is spectacular.
My wife is from Istanbul; and the Turkish name for a fern is a "Love Ladder" - referring to the step like leaves & the long stem; symbolizing the many steps involved in a good old fashioned love story
Thanks again for sharing..
Suleyman ve Ben
Posted by: Suleyman ve Ben | August 19th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Hire me. I want to move to Maine and work for you!
Posted by: Dianne Kristine | August 19th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
I love the rocks! I always bring at least one home from each trip! Beautiful photos - thank you Martha.
Posted by: pat merewether | August 19th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
.
Martha!
Stupendous, stupendous sights!!
And YOU, look at you! At 56 I think I'M ahead of the game..... but you dang got me beat! I always remember my mother years ago, hiking ahead of me up Mount Washington. I begged her to slow down AND she was 62! I was a hobblin' 20!
Some women just amaze me!!
My ego takes its hat off to you. The precipice is your pedestal, all yours!!
Limping with love!
AJS
.
Posted by: http://andyjspencer.blogspot.com/ | August 19th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Martha,
Do you have my Amish cookbook? I thought I seen the back cover of it on the one picture, on the table.
Posted by: Sicily Yoder | August 19th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Hi Martha, I love all of your photos of Skylands and these latest ones are no exception! The ferns, flowers, moss, hiking trips, rocks, views and flight shots are spectacular! It looks like the weather was really nice this time and a good time was had by all. It's so nice of you to take your employees to visit your different homes. I'm sure they were all inspired. Can't wait to see your photos of your Montana, Ted Turner and Yellowstone Park trip. Your tweets on Twitter sure sound like you are having a fantastic vacation. Continue having more fun. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | August 19th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
Glorious! Another amazing adventure...your guests must have felt sooo rejuvenated!
Posted by: sherey | August 20th, 2009 at 12:55 am
Absolutely fabulous photography. Martha you are truly an inspiration every day!
Posted by: Suzanne Vigneron | August 20th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
You've combined five of my favourite things in this post, Martha: Boston ferns, clouds, hiking, moss and Skylands!
Where ever I have lived I have always had a Boston fern or two. (I actually name them. My current fern is named Clara.)
-Andrew
Posted by: Andrew Ritchie | August 21st, 2009 at 1:47 pm
The ferns are so Victorian and fit perfectly with the house.
Posted by: Katharine | August 22nd, 2009 at 4:38 pm
This week-end along the southern Maine coast is beautiful. Hurricane Bill is sending in some breathtaking surf- Spent Saturday at Ogunquit beach- today I am going to a small, quiet beach in Kennebunkport- I love a good storm! Watching and listening to the surf is something I never tire of. Bought lobster off of a truck in Saco-was delicious- 3.99 lb made it taste even butter! I mean better....:)
Posted by: Julie Young | August 23rd, 2009 at 6:40 am
The "wobblies" are actually called cairns, which basically translates to a pile of rocks. I have smooth round rocks I've collected and it's fun to try to balance them.
Posted by: Deanna | August 25th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Martha, I have traveled very little in my life. I am 78 and live alone. I so enjoy seeing all the wonderful pictures you show. I almost feel like I was there too. Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Ginny Becraft | August 30th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
I have never been to Maine. What beautiful country. The food looks fantastic, the scenery fabulous and the hike must have been wonderful. Makes me jealous.
Posted by: Judi Geiger | August 31st, 2009 at 3:38 am