I love my job!  I really, really love my job.  One of the reasons I love it so much is because of the amazing people I get the pleasure of working with on a regular basis. One of my favorite people in the world is Becca Kaufman from BKO (Becca Kaufman Orchestra).

I was lucky enough to meet Becca when she joined MFO Entertainment (they also represent The Larry King Orchestra whom I simply adore) and we became fast friends.  It turns out we live in the same part of town and our kids even had soccer together.  What a small world!

Becca was also a strong supporter for our eleven eleven WEDDING Giveaway this past year. She worked so hard to make sure Amanda and Mike had the best night possible!  It meant so much to have Becca’s unwavering support.

I was delighted to sip a glass of champagne with Becca!

How did you get into the music business?

I always loved to sing and was auditioning and performing throughout my childhood.  I went to Northwestern University and was a theatre major, but sophomore year some friends and I started a band, and I was hooked.  I loved how the same songs could change depending on the crowd and the mood we were in.  I also discovered the recording studio at that time and it felt like home-certainly more than theatre ever had.

What is your favorite song to sing?

Depends on the day, time and my mood.  Same goes for the music I listen to.  But I have always loved to sing and listen to songs that tell a story.

If you had to pick one song and you’d only be able to listen to that one song everyday for the rest of your life … What would it be?

In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel.  It was my first dance, it describes love and devotion and dedication and it always makes me feel joyful and loved.

How do you balance Motherhood with work?

Depends on the day.  It’s a constant juggling act because my kids’ schedule, just like my work schedule, is always changing.  I have a husband who is very involved when he isn’t traveling and wonderful childcare and friends who work with me to make sure my children always have what they need and are loved and supported.  I love what I do, and I know my children sense that.  I feel I am a better mother because of it, so it’s worth the juggling.

I could not have said it better myself!

What’s your favorite place to perform?

I think my favorite performances have never been made by the place but rather the people I am playing with and for.

You also do Music Showcases, tell us more about those, why you enjoy them and how all the readers can enjoy them!

For the last 10 years I have co-produced a monthly vocal showcase, Chicago Singer Spotlight, at the incredible FitzGerald’s in Berwyn.  We feature 4 singers who have different experience levels and vocal styles backed by an incredible house band. Our goal was to give singers of all backgrounds a chance to spread their wings in a supportive nurturing environment.  We have professional vocalists trying out a style of music they have never performed before to people who have always dreamed of performing with a band.  The singers can get a recording of the show, professional photos and can network with others. They also don’t have to worry about putting a band together or filling a club by themselves-it has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done and I wish there was something like this when I started out.  Please come out and support the show-it’s the second Wednesday of every month!

It really is always a fantastic show!!

What is your personal “guilty pleasure” music wise?

Don’t have one!

I don’t believe her but I let this one slide!

What is your favorite color?

Purple

What is your favorite book?

I never get to read anymore-3 kids make it impossible because I get so absorbed in a story I can’t do anything else.   I love mysteries and my favorite indulgence on vacation is to read as many books as I can.  I just finished the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series on my last trip and loved them.

What is your favorite tourist location in Chicago?

Buckingham Fountain

What is your all time favorite movie?

I have two and you cannot make pick just one!

1. Shawshank Redemption

2. Sense and Sensibility

What’s the best place you’ve ever eaten?

I am married to a chef, so I have been very fortunate to eat at many many incredible places.  I think the best place I have ever eaten was a small restaurant off of an alley way in Italy with my husband.  We don’t remember the name.  We were in Rome and it was not a tourist spot, it was a place for locals.  There was no menu-you ate what they served.  A carafe of wine, the most amazing homemade pasta with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella.  The food was delicious and the company divine.

What is your dream vacation?

A beach on an island somewhere, laying on a floaty in the ocean with a great book, the warm sun, a cool breeze and a frozen drink.

Me too Becca, when can we leave!?

What’s your favorite thing about working with Greatest Expectations?

I love that you listen to your clients.  Your celebrations are very personalized, beautifully executed and you don’t miss anything!  And of course-I adore you personally!

We adore you too Becca and cannot wait until the next time we get to enjoy your talent!

Here is one of my favorite pictures from Amanda and Mike’s eleven eleven WEDDING.

Photograph by Amanda Hein Photography

It was such an honor to interview my long time friend and treasured vendor, Kelly Marie Uss from Fleur, Inc.  Kelly has worked in the floral industry for twelve years.  She loves working with unique blooms, pulling inspiration from cloud formations in the sky, ripples in raindrops, hidden clovers in grassy patches and the glow of the flowers themselves.  She pairs a modern and clean approach to design, softened with a versatile, whimsical wild-flower-esque touch.  Her background in painting and printmaking gave her a non traditional training in floral design and that is apparent in her sensitivity to texture and color.  “Nature offers us so much, often in the whirl-wind of life we miss the small details. I feel it’s my job to help people recognize time to slow down and enjoy the intricacies all around us” say Kelly Marie.  “There is so much beauty out there!” she says with a sigh and a smile.  And she definitely keeps us noticing.

Read all the way through the interview to discover what Kelly is giving away to one lucky Chicagoland reader!

How long have you been in the floral industry?

Twelve years! It is really amazing to think about it.

When did you open Fleur, and how has it grown?

Eight years ago. In fact, April 8th is Fleur’s golden birthday! We’ve grown so much it’s mind boggling. From just a little bucket shop to a new location. We started with just a small storefront and now have a new location with a private meeting room for clients. Also, our style has really changed from modest arrangements to stylized centerpieces, and all the designs in the middle. It’s so fun to keep pushing the boundaries. In addition to working on just spectacular weddings and events, our storefront offers a boutique style shop with new selections almost everyday. We’ve also begun carrying vintage vessels, gorgeous hand crafted jewelry and beautiful plants.

I can say from first hand experience how creative and fun Kelly’s floral concepts are!  I always love it when she calls to tell me she has a “new idea” because I know it will produce something amazing for one of my clients.

What is your favorite flower?

I have three. Peonies and lilac, because they remind me of my Mother’s garden growing up. And mimosa which resembles the softest little, butter yellow cotton balls. All three have incredible fragrances and do not last long, which makes them so very special and a reminder to me to stop and enjoy little moments.

Describe the perfect wedding centerpiece?

Right now I am just obsessed with vintage milk glass, or rather, vintage vessels in general. I love varying heights and shapes of containers, teacups and saucers filled with clusters of exploding movement and texture or one single bloom. I’d like to see dogwood blossoms, helleborus, peonies, ranunculus, jasmine, lots of buds, fun textures in a sherbet palette, with pillar candles! I’d love to place them on top of old, hardcover books, or sew a little “place-mat” out of vintage fabric. How bright and fun!

Like Kelly, I am currently obsessed with the look and style of vintage weddings.  I think they are so romantic and fun!

What is your favorite venue in the city?

I like open space and natural light, so I think it might have to be Prairie Productions because it is just a blank palette waiting and there is so much room for so many options. Salvage One is also just so eclectic and amazing!

Awhile ago I “sipped champagne” with the bride from a wedding Kelly and I did together at Prairie Productions. Check out some pictures from the event in my interview with Alyssa.

If you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

Everywhere!! I want to see it all! But if I was planning my next little holiday I think it would be in Nova Scotia. I’ve never been to that part of the world and would love to see the maritime culture. I just know I would be so inspired and filled with design ideas after a week there.

If you were an animal which one would you be and why?

Recently I read that my spirit animal may be a crab (!?), but I think I’m a little more like squirrel. I am always forgetting where I hide my keys, and I like to use acorns in arrangements. They’re also all over Chicago, and I feel like that these days with all my running around, I am too.

What is your favorite song or musician?

I don’t think I have a favorite song, but I really love singer/songwriters. Will Oldham, Bill Callahan, Tim Buckley, Linda Rich and so many more. It’s nice to come home after a long day of work to some soothing guitar melodies. And I play the banjo, so almost anything that has an accompanying banjo usually wins me over.

Who is your favorite artist?

As for artists, I love Paul Klee for his whimsy and color, and Winslow Homer for his nature and palette. They’re perfect descriptions of my realist and abstract sides.

What is your favorite restaurant?

Lula Cafe. Yum! Although, Avec is a close second. Oh gosh, I’m getting hungry right now, thinking about them.

What do you like most about working with Greatest Expectations?

As we all know, the wedding industry can be stressful for both the bride and the vendors. Working with you and your team is so fun that the stress is just eliminated! We can laugh and joke all the while figure out plans and develop a completely unique and personalized celebration for each and every client. You are always coming up with the most fabulous new ideas and your standard is a perfect pairing of good fun, humor and superb professionalism! It is always a delight to work with you and your staff.

Thank you Kelly!!  It warms my heart to hear such kind words from you.  I consider myself extremely blessed to not only work with you often but to call you my friend.

Kelly has generously agreed to giveaway a $100 vase arrangement to one lucky reader!!  The arrangement will be made in a vintage container and include wonderful blooms of the season.  The picture below is just an example of Kelly’s work.  The winning item may resemble this piece.  In order to win just post a comment to this thread telling us what you enjoy most about having fresh flowers in your home! A winner will be selected at Random on March 8th. You do not have to be a Greatest Expectations bride to win

I am so excited that I had a chance to interview Susan Jablonski from The Left Bank (one of my favorite stores and wedding mecca’s in Chicago!).  I have known Susan for many years and she is truly exceptional!  I love walking into The Left Bank and seeing all of the beautiful and inspired items she has available.  The customer service is top notch and I promise you will feel extra special the entire time you are there!  The Left Bank has a fantastic website where you can purchase many of the fabulous items sold in the downtown Chicago shop.  You should also check out their outstanding blog Everything But The Dress!

Because Susan is so amazing, she has provided the most beautiful brooch for us to giveaway to one truly lucky reader. (I will have a hard time parting with it.  I have it placed lovingly on my desk just to soak it in while I still can.  This is a beautiful piece of jewelry)  Read through the interview to discover how to win the brooch!

You have been in business a long time – how did The Left Bank get its start (and where did you get the name)?

The Left Bank is turning 15 years old on May 1 of this year! We began importing jewelry from France and as word got out about our unique jewelry, brides soon followed.  I’ve been a Francophile for nearly my  entire life, so I named the business after one of my favorite neighborhoods in Paris that is filled with petite boutiques, cafes and great nightlife.

How is it different today than when you first started?

Through the years, we’ve evolved and added a tremendous collection of veils, headpieces and those tough to find wedding shoes.  I believe the key to staying in business is to constantly evolve and embrace change.

What is your favorite thing about owning the shop?

Meeting wonderful people and sharing stories. When I first began, I was worried about not meeting people and expanding my friendships, but I was completely wrong.  We’re a small business, so it’s wonderful chatting with our clients and getting to know them.

This is exactly how Susan and I first met.  I purchased my wedding head piece at The Left Bank and we just became fast friends!

What is your favorite thing you sell?

My favorite things are our one-of-a-kind pieces that are crafted out of vintage components and turned into modern luxe jewelry.

Personally, I own way too many things from the shop

You got married not too long ago (congratulations!), what was your favorite and least favorite part of the planning process?

Ah, we’re 2 year newlyweds.  I was fortunate that I relied a lot on friends in the industry but did not make my mind up until the month before.  Being in the business I was inundated with friends asking me questions about the details, which was a bit tiresome, but a natural question.  I make very fast and efficient decisions, and with so many wonderful choices out there, I waited.  That goes without saying that I would not recommend this type of decision making to those outside the biz!

And neither would we!  Ladies, do not follow Susan’s example here!

What do you like most about married life?

Married life is great, but I’ve been independent since I was 4 years old (my sisters say!) so it’s taught me more patience.  I’ve married someone the complete opposite of me which keeps me more balanced.  I definitely believe in the “yin/yang” factor with relationships.

Did you wear a veil?

Yes, I wore a beautiful Italian Tulle veil which was super soft and draped beautifully over my gown.

I would have expected no less from Chicago’s veil expert!

What is your favorite museum in Chicago?

My favorite museum is the Art Institute and love the new Modern Wing. The AIC has a phenomenal collection and have always loved the Thorne Miniature Rooms.

If you could travel anywhere outside the United States where would it be and why?

Definitely France, I feel completely in my element there.

Describe the perfect Saturday night.

I work weekends, so a nice long bath and a glass of bubbly is heavenly.

I can totally  identify with this!

What is your favorite number?  Why?

Easy…22…my birth date!

What is your favorite saying?

“Make your life a dream and your dream a reality”
“Fais de ta vie un reve, et de ton reve une reality”…  Saint Exupery

If you were a color what color would you be and why?

Lavender, it’s calm, vibrant  and regal at the same time.

We have known each other for a very, very long time … What is your favorite thing about working with Greatest Expectations?

Heather, you always make me smile and I admire how you’ve grown your business and family.  When I meet your clients, they exude the same grace and professionalism as you. Kudos to you for being one of the top wedding planners!

Thank you Susan.  Those are extremely kind words and they mean a lot coming from you.  I do have some fantastic clients as well

Now onto the contest!!  Head on over to Everything But The Dress, look around and enjoy the blog.  Then come back here and post a comment telling us one thing Susan “Cannot live without”.  We will draw a random winner on Wednesday, February 10th.

Congratulations to Sarah our winner of the Ribbon Brooch!