As I write this, I can hear children laughing and counting backward to play hide and seek. If there is anything more representative of a light heart than that, I do not know what it is. Light Heart ,the Emici Livet bouquet, is all about love. A pure love that will never fade. It supports you, it endures with you and provides optimism, support and ease. A simple fact that you are loved simply. You can rest easy because there will always be someone who will want the very best for you. Whether it is near or far, it won’t be dimmed, it will never dull.

The concept of Light Heart is carefree but the construction is uniquely complex. About 100 hours were invested to create a physical, all lasting representation of what optimism is. Freshwater pearls in several shapes and sizes were sourced along with crystal quartz and white topaz gemstones. Hand carved mother of pearl flowers centered with the tiniest of freshwater pearls are featured. Each silk satin flower is molded with shapes cut by rare antique tools and curled by hand, petal by petal. Double faced silk velvet leaves completely made in the Emici Livet studio recall dusty miller. A once in a lifetime arrangement, yet there is no fear of loss. Light Heart would not allow that, it would always cheer you on for what you want and highlight the sun around the corner.

The photos featured here are behind the scenes photos from a photo shoot I attended in southern Oregon for a completely new catalog of head pieces and veils for Eden Luxe Bridal. She is the sweetest and you will be able to shop her new catalog soon. I can’t wait to share the fine art photography films from Meg Fish Photography for this shoot that goes way beyond to feature what these simple phone pics above can capture.

Photo above of Light Heart by Karli Efseaff.

Model hair by Savant Hair

Gown by Jason Alexander

Makeup by Stephanie Ryan

Bouquet by Emici Livet

Hair accessories by Eden Luxe Bridal

Oh hello my dear friends. My name is Marie, I make things by hand. Lots of things that I think are quite beautiful and I hope you do too. Deciding to start a brand new tradition for Emici Livet has been truly exciting and might just be the best design yet. September 30th will mark the very first annual Emici Livet Fall Sample Sale and the studio buzz is palpable. Shhhhh… do you feel it? I do.

If you’re a fan of Emici Livet this is the one event that you simply can not miss. There will only be one of most of the pieces offered in the sample sale and you can get them for at least 50% off. That means if you love it, grab it. This event gives me a chance to flex my design muscles creating conceptual pieces and some old favorites to make this event even more versatile.

My favorite thing about what I do is connecting with people in their happiest moments. The joy of my clients comes back to me and infuses my work. Grateful almost seems a subpar word for how I feel. Being able to do what I do and have my work be present in a flower at a ceremony honoring love or a party to celebrate life or even just a clip on a handbag going about the day. That to me is why I create. For life’s moments that fill the heart and make us feel alive. Livet means “the life” and this is why I do what I do.

Be sure to check back on September 30th when the sample sale begins! There are going to be lots of items to choose from but many are only single availability. Hope to see you there! XO -Marie

 

 

 

Dearest friends, being able to give love back to you is the best thing I could hope for. Lighthouse is a very special stem and there were several entries across Facebook, Instagram and the previous blog post. As much as I wish I could give all of you who entered something very special far beyond my words of gratitude, I only have one Lighthouse to give. I am very excited to announce that the winner is Carol S. with the comment: “This flower is gorgeous. I love the name, Lighthouse. It truly represents a beacon of hope.” 

 

I will be contacting you very soon Carol to get your info. I can’t wait to send you Lighthouse and all the love that comes with it. Thank you to all who entered the giveaway! There is still a lot of goodness to come.

XO -Marie

Hello dear friends. I have added two heaping scoops of cocoa mix to my coffee this morning because I needed just a bit more sweetness for this post. I think the mood feels perfect now especially paired with the weather here today. Just a bit stormy. Could not think of a more appropriate time to show you the latest very special single stem from Emici Livet. This is Lighthouse.

Lighthouse is a beacon, a signal of hope and encouragement that you are almost home. A sight that is truly beautiful when your eyes come upon it. I created Lighthouse out of charcoal silk satin petals that embrace the light in the middle. Rhinestones, tahitian freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals in silver and peacock. I think everyone should have a lighthouse so I am doing my small part and giving one away to a lucky winner. I am so grateful for all of your support and love that you have shown me. There is more to come. Tremendous beauty and wonder is waiting. I will keep sailing and bring you back treasures I find along the way.

The stem of Lighthouse is wrapped in dupioni silk and bendable giving it maximum flexibility for your display. The leaves are a wondrous variety created in the studio with antique die cutters and presses in my most beloved green silk velvet.

Lighthouse would make an amazing gift for someone special or just to keep for your very own (after all, you are special too). It is a larger bloom making it suitable for a simple bridal stem as well. The flower alone measures 4 1/2″ in diameter not including the amazing leaves that broaden it even further. Silky soft double faced satin ribbons cascade downward for added drama. Completely finished on the back so Lighthouse looks enticing at every angle.

There are a few different ways to enter this giveaway. The winner will be chosen by me on Friday September 25th. Winner must get back to me within 24 hours to claim this prize or a back up winner will be chosen. This contest is open to international entries. Here are the different ways you can enter this Emici Livet giveaway:

1. Leave a comment on this blog post below to enter.  Each comment will count as an entry.

2. Like the post about this on Facebook and share it with your friends.

3. Find Emici Livet and the giveaway post on Instagram and tag a friend or few in the comment section that you think would like to win as well. Your comment on Instagram will count as an entry but people who are tagged on Instagram will need to enter to be eligible so don’t worry, I won’t contact them unless they enter on their own. 😉

Don’t want to wait? You can shop Lighthouse on the site here. 

Love is unexpected and magical. Evergreen, the latest heirloom bouquet from Emici Livet, reflects one of the many ways that love can surprise you and be manifested. It represents an affection that never loses its leaves. Everlasting and beautiful, strong and true.

Evergreen is created out of two different shades of green silk velvet and several different types of foliage that are all cut and pressed in the Emici Livet studio using rare antique tools. Hand wired clusters of gemstones, freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals add luster and depth. This Emici Livet bouquet is a truly everlasting heirloom. Each stem is wrapped in one of three different shades of green silk dupioni and finished with velvet accents so it can be taken apart if desired.

Love is not always simple but it is always beautiful. Several shades of Swarovski crystals, natural stones and pearls combine to create accent sprigs. Delicate fern fronds in silk velvet lend their support. Airbrushed silk net cradles faceted green amethyst gemstones. As with all Emici Livet bouquets, this is an art piece. A reminder that when you love something, you see the worth and beauty within. It’s evergreen.

Creating my very own metal leaves for Emici Livet is a process that has been underway for many months. I had so badly wanted to incorporate metal components into my designs that are exclusive to the studio. Giving each piece an even deeper level of the Emici Livet signature. The first step was finding the rare antique leaf molds that would be used to form the leaves. There was only one problem. They were missing their other halves. Someone along the way had taken the bronze bases to scrap. A devastating setback. Not one to shy away from the challenge or the opportunity to be able to work with these amazing antique tools, I set out to see if it was possible to cast the other necessary halves of the molds. To restore the original purpose and functionality to these molds who not only make art but are truly art themselves. Trial and error over several months inched me closer and closer to success but I had not yet succeeded at breathing life into these beloved pieces of history that I would cradle in my hands.

My father and I began to work together on this and each time I would pack up my molds and drive across Washington state so we could work on my secret project. Eventually we ended up finding a talented and inventive Seattle man and sought his advice on casting. Future blog post about him later. This broke everything wide open. My personal design world was about to broaden in the most spectacular way.  With his exceedingly generous help, I held the very first newly cast bronze half to one of my precious leaf molds. Pairing the old with the new, bridging the generations, I was able to mold my very first metal leaf. A beautiful moment of highly assisted triumph.

 Each leaf is cut individually from metal and then pressed in an antique mold. The much needed pressure on the mold itself is provided by a large cast iron antique millinery table press that had to be shipped in a long haul truck all the way across the US from New York to my studio in Washington state. The journey to these metal leaves has been a tale of circumstance, luck, love and sheer determination. After molding, the leaves are then plated in a multi step process in finishes like 24kt gold or rhodium. The bouquets pictured above are the first to display these exclusive Emici Livet leaves. You can see these heirloom bouquets at Powder Bride in Toronto. More details to come on the creative process, the obsession grows!

Emici Livet flower necklaces on the runway. Photo credit Joshua Trujillo.
Photo credit Joshua Lewis.

Photo credit Joshua Lewis.

 

Photo Credit Joshua Trujillo.

Photo credit Joshua Trujillo.