Tag: Sinclair and Moore

Can I be honest? When I announced I was going to offer 5 scholarships to people I had a fear run through me… “what if no one applies…” I actually started trying to come up with friends in the industry I could gift scholarships to in the event that no one else was interested.

I have had several friends ask me why I would even give scholarships in the first place to workshops that have previously always sold out. I think to some it didn’t make sense to give limited seats away when there would be people willing to pay for those seats. The answer to this is simple: I know firsthand what it is like to have so many ambitions, goals and dreams but to feel like they are unattainable because of financial limitations. A lot of people don’t realize that I grew up pretty poor and have had to fight my way out of that. Exactly ten years ago I started my business with less than $500 in my bank account, and simultaneously worked a minimum wage job just to make ends meet. I know what it is like to wonder how rent will be paid in two weeks. I know what it is like to skip meals to save the money. I’ve laid awake at night filled with anxiety, wondering what the future holds. There were so many things I wanted to do at times, but just couldn’t afford to do them. But then somebody helped me. They believed in me. They saw talent and potential. At a time when I felt alone and was questioning if I should throw in the towel on my business, this person gave me a small loan that helped me get over a hump. They asked for me to pay it back someday by helping others who need the support to overcome the obstacles hindering their dreams. So I’m offering scholarships… to pay forward a kindness that was once given to me, and to help people who have lost a bit of hope regain the confidence to keep chasing their dreams and the calling on their lives.

Yet… like everyone… I am human, insecure and sometimes afraid to put myself out there. I didn’t even know if anyone would want a scholarship. The self doubt that so quickly creeps into all of us made me question if I really had anything to offer that people would want to learn.

But then the applications started rolling in… 1….2….5…. 20….100… 165… 230. I’m still blown away. More than 230 applicants from all over the world responded. We heard from people from Indonesia, Kenya, France, Australia, England, Mexico, Canada and almost every state in the Union. As I started reading through the words that were submitted, I realized that these were so much more than scholarship applications… these were stories of real people with real struggles, real fears, real hurdles, real insecurities, real questions, real victories, real hopes and real dreams. The vulnerability that was displayed and the honest glimpse into these lives was humbling to receive.

I want to say thank you to each person that applied. Thank you for being vulnerable, and taking a risk to put yourself out there. Thank you for sharing with me a bit of your journey. Thank you for your kind words to me and my wife about our work and how we have inspired you. I want you to know that we feel honored to have read your hopes and dreams and to be trusted with your stories. I felt a responsibility to carefully read each one and to give each person an equal opportunity.

Choosing 5 applicants from the beautiful stories we received was an impossibility. We decided to double the number of scholarships and offer 2 scholarships per session, for a total of 10 scholarships. We selected a range of people from different walks of life and different levels of experience. Some people have been in the industry for years and want to figure out how to take the next step, Some of these recipients are in a place of discouragement and are wondering if they should stop dreaming. One applicant touched me with the amount of joy she was beaming with in her photo, and that same joy resonated in her articulate words describing what she wanted out of life. Some people have never touched flowers before and are just getting started on their journey. The choices were difficult to make, and we sat for hours reading, discussing, narrowing it down and finally selected the 10 recipients.

Before I list the scholarship recipients, I want to repeat my thankfulness for everyone who applied.  Your stories have inspired me and reminded me why I want to teach workshops in the first place. My heart feels burdened thinking about how many people might be discouraged by not receiving a scholarship. To all of you I say… please keep dreaming and don’t give up on any of your goals.  I want you to know that your stories were just as meaningful, inspiring and beautiful as the people who are receiving the scholarships. Please don’t question that.  It was a terribly difficult decision, and I wish there was a way to gift a scholarship to everyone. We will have more workshops in the future with additional scholarships; I welcome you to apply again, and sincerely hope that you do.

The Sinclair and Moore Spring 2016 Scholarship Winners

March 29-31, 2016 – The Elements of Event Design

Kiara Bright- Hancock

Shalom Murphy

 

April 12-14, 2016 – The Art of Floral Design

Lisa Gillund

Sharika Kim

 

May 17-19, 2016 – The Elements of Event Design

Valerie Painter

Erin Day

 

June 7-9, 2016 – The Art of Floral Design

Kortney Dowel

Amy Tanton

 

June 16-18, 2016 – The Master Class

Laetitia Mayor

Kalin Falconer

Congratulations to all of the recipients!   We can’t wait to meet you and hear more about your story and play a small part of helping you get to where you want to be.  We’ll be in touch soon with more details.

 

I’ve always loved breakfast. Hands down it’s my favorite meal of the day, and I am fairly certain I could eat breakfast foods for every meal and never get sick of it.

When Steve and I first started dating, a pancake breakfast was the first thing I ever made for him. And let’s be honest, breakfast is one of the only meals I (know how to) cook. Over a stack of homemade banana walnut pancakes in New York City, we got to know each other better and began navigating our long distance relationship. On a second trip when he came out to visit, I just had to show him the best pancakes in the city, even if it was a two-hour wait. The wait was absolutely worth it, and pancakes have become a staple for us. While we don’t do very much cooking in our kitchen, we do know how to make delicious breakfasts and a mean stack of pancakes.

The pancakes that I made for Steve were just from a box, but the ones from the restaurant were the real deal made from meticulously sifted flour and whipped egg whites. There’s nothing wrong with making pancakes from a box, but if you want to experience a taste of fluffy homemade goodness that you’re surely going to be proud of, you must try this recipe.  I’ve included a few tips to help make this a successful recipe for you.

Sifting may not be fun, but it makes a world of a difference. Don’t be tempted to skip this step. It’ll help make your pancakes light and fluffy.

When separating egg whites from the yolks, it’s really important to make sure that no yolk gets into the bowl of egg whites. Make sure to only separate one egg at a time in an isolated bowl (we like to use a cup), so that if your yolk breaks into the white you have not destroyed the entire batch.

When you whisk the egg yolks and the butter and milk together, it will be a bit lumpy and you may think something went wrong. Just keep moving forward. It will all combine together in the end.

When you pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk together, make sure not to over-mix the batter.  You want the batter to be lumpy. Over-mixing will create dry and flat pancakes.

Whip your egg whites with an electric mixer so they form medium peaks. This means that that when you whip the egg whites, the mixture should be able to hold its shape and stand up, but the tip of the peak will fall back on itself and curl over. When you combine the egg whites with the batter in two stages, be gentle as you fold the batter together with your spatula. You will not want to completely mix in the egg whites, so make sure to leave large bits still floating in the batter. This will also add to the fluffiness of your pancakes.

We like to use an ice cream scoop to put the batter onto the hot griddle. It forms the perfect sized pancake.

Fresh blueberries work better than frozen, as frozen fruit  releases more liquid as they thaw out, which can make your pancakes soggy. Dropping the fruit into the batter after the pancake has started to cook is a more successful technique than mixing all of the blueberries into the batter  before cooking. This technique allows your pancake to cook thoroughly through the middle, instead of being undercooked around the fruit.

While your pancake is cooking, you can start heating your maple syrup. We like to create maple butter syrup by heating up 2 cups of real maple syrup and adding 1 cup of cold butter cut into small squares, and whisking it  together over medium heat. This isn’t healthy (at all!), but it does create a thick and rich syrup that tastes amazing and complements these pancakes perfectly. You can hit the gym another day.

Presentation can make the most simple food look artistic. Who doesn’t love a tall stack of pancakes garnished with even more fruit? This recipe makes quite a large breakfast- about 12-14 medium sized pancakes. So if you are making breakfast for two, you should cut the recipe in half- you will still have plenty of batter!

Now pour on the syrup and dig in!

download our recipe for buttermilk blueberry pancakes

recipe design and calligraphy: la Happy

photographer (and happy pancake eater) Matthew Land Studios

I hate being late.  For anything.  Especially for anything that involves working with our clients.

Yet somehow every time we met with Lauren, we were somehow late for the meeting.  Despite good intentions, and how early we left our house, we found ourselves late almost every time.

Once we were tardy because we were stuck in an accident related traffic jam.  45 minutes late.

Another time there was a “suspected” hazardous spill, and every major road leading to Lauren was blocked off. I ended up getting out of the car and running a little less than a mile to try and be there on time.  30 minutes late.

Even the week of Lauren’s wedding, the (should-have-been) 10 minute drive to meet with her took close to 45 minutes.  You guessed it.  Late again.

If I had to choose one word to describe Lauren it would be gracious.  She was gracious and understanding every time we were late for a meeting… gracious when a blackberry broke on the bodice of her Vera Wang dress…and she was gracious as she considered every detail that went into her wedding, wanting her guests to feel welcomed, loved, comfortable and blessed.  Lauren is one of the loveliest, calm and sweetest bides I have ever had the opportunity to work with.  Her trust in our work combined with her gentle spirit made the 20 months of planning and designing her wedding a truly wonderful experience.

Lauren and Tim married at Roche Harbor . Their day was captured by Michele M Waite Photography. Stationery from la Happy.  And be sure to watch their awesome video created by our favorite videographer Mitch from Cabfare Productions.