Prairie Hive Mag, Best of 2011

 Prairie Hive Mag, Issues 1-4

Better late than never, right?  When I started over a week ago putting together my favorite images from the first few issues of Prairie Hive, there ended up being so many it took me a while to finish up!  To kick off a new year, I wanted to take a look back at our first issues, share some of my personal favorites from the magazine, and share a few behind the scenes stories with our readers!

For our first (partial) year, we had a great time in 2011 and can’t believe how far we have come.  Our team started this project with no idea where it might take us, and still continue to be surprised around every turn!  We look forward to sharing even more great homes with you in 2012, look for a few format changes and some new additions to both the magazine and the blog!

Details

Sometimes it’s the smallest things in our featured homes that really catch our eye.  Above are some of my favorite details from the homes we have visited.  As we get to know our homeowners, both through the interview process and often through spending a couple (or more) hours invading their homes, I always find that it’s often these little things that tell us the most about who they really are.  These personal touches, enhanced by Alayna’s stunning photography often end up being some of my personal favorites in each issue.

Clockwise: Issue 1, Hood home, dishware collection; Issue 1, Hood home, Sputnik style light; Issue 4, Robinson home, Cufflinks; Issue 3,  Lupp home, Bookcase; Issue 2, Rippy home, Dining Table; Issue 4, Robinson home, Peruvian Glass; Issue 4, Robinson home, Sunglasses.

Recipes

Oh, the food!  Behind the scenes scoop: Despite the fact that we have frequently had our hands all over the food for a few hours after a photo shoot, we routinely pig out on all the yumminess when it’s over (we are a close knit group).  Sometimes we make the food, sometimes we enlist the help of local businesses (or spouses), but we have had some truly delicious menus at our party shoots!

These are some of my favorites (both the photos and the foods themselves).

 Clockwise: Issue 1, Rose’ Sangria; Issue 4, Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese and Pistachios; Issue 2, Shrimp, Cucumber and Dill Canapes; Issue 2, Melon, Pea and Squash Bruschetta; Issue 1, Curry Popcorn, Issue 3, S’mores with Coconut Marshmallows; Issue 3, S’mores Bar; Issue 3, Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce.  

Confession: The Sangria at the top wasn’t real…we decided at the last minute that we needed a pitcher of something on the table, so we concocted a colorful drink out of random stuff we found in the fridge.  Afterwards, we showed our favorite Mixologist the photos and had him come up with something that would look like it.  However, it was taste tested, approved and will be an integral part of my first summer party this year! Thanks, Tony Collins for the recipe!

Have you tried any of our recipes?  What were your top picks?

Get Crafty

When I tried to pick my favorite craft, I found I really couldn’t do it!  I have been truly amazed at some of the wonderful items that Roxanne has come up with for each issue, so I included them all!  They are all beautiful on their own, then add in Dawn’s photography incorporated into the spaces or events, they come to life.

 Clockwise: Issue 4, Glitter & Grain Wood Orbs, Issue 3, Dreamcatcher; Issue 1, Pom Garland, Issue 2, Hand Painted Silk Scarves.  

We try to take a do-it-yourself approach to our entertaining features, so keep the flowers simple and easy for readers to replicate with what they can find locally and seasonally at the florist or favorite market.  These are a couple of my favorite shots of some of the simple arrangements that Lisa has put together.

 Issue 2, Casual Cocktails; Issue 3, Zinnias from A Moveable Feast

Most Accommodating Couple Award: The Lupps

The photo below pretty much says it all – the Lupps were so wonderful to work with, considering we invaded their home not once, but twice to shoot both the home and the outdoor party there.  Not only did we take photos of their home, we completely destroyed it in the process.  Their bookcase was fantastic, but K.C.’s massive board game collection was all stored inside, which wasn’t exactly…um, photogenic.  We completely emptied it, then re-arranged the games, raided cabinets for their personal items, and brought in a few props of our own to add height and color where we thought it needed a little oomph. I think we scared Jen a little when we discovered her hidden pottery collection and got so excited we started running all over the house with it.

Surprisingly, they let us come back and take over their kitchen (it was around 100 degrees the day of the party photo shoot), set up a dining room in their front lawn, and drive a quite large truck dangerously close to their trees.  They laughed at our lengthy debates over object placement, helped us hide bins of photo shoot props, and passed out wine and cheese to our sweaty, dirty team.

Thank you, K.C. and Jen!!

All Images from Issue 3

Coolest Detail You Probably Missed: 

Metallic Zodiac Wallpaper, Issue 2

This photo kind of got put in a corner in Issue 2, and I would be remiss if I didn’t point it out again.  Metallic. Zodiac. Wallpaper.  This was the original paper in the house when Todd and Heather moved in, and it’s so fantastic she kept it all in tact despite the renovations throughout the rest of the house.  Somehow we didn’t get a good close up shot – but take another look and soak it in.

Issue 2, Rippy Home, Powder Room

And here are, in no particular order, just a few more shots that I liked from various issues, with a few bits or behind the scenes info mixed in.

Issue One, Hood home, Accessories

Loved the Hasty-Bake Manual!

Issue 1, Movie Night on the Lawn

Fast fact: A tornado blew through town about an hour before we shot this.  No, seriously.  We had cancelled it, then once the storm had passed (mostly through the other side of town), decided at the final hour that it was back on and pulled the whole thing together in a short time frame to get as much light as we could before dark.  Alayna and Dawn did a great job pulling all that “green sky” vibe out of the pics…they ended up looking wonderful!

Issue 1, Movie Night on the Lawn, Retro Sodas

Love the colors in this shot.  And yes, we drank them later.

Issue 2, Rippy home, Living area

That glossy orange!  That driftwood!  That fireplace!

Overall room shots are hard because you can’t always capture the personality in the details, but I absolutely love this one from Issue 2.

Issue 2, Rippy home, Casual Cocktails

Oh, the weather we encountered in 2011.  It was about 107 degrees (no, really.) the day we shot this.  We carried everything up these very steps that afternoon, took a few dips in the pool to cool off, and proceeded to all pass out later once we got home.  We loved the way it turned out, though and I loved this shot just as the candles were starting to glow as we were wrapping up.

Issue 3, A Moveable Feast

Oh wait, did I already mention that it was 100 degrees AGAIN when we shot this outdoor party?  Nothing like a fall feast, hot cider and s’mores while you are dripping sweat in the drought ravaged pasture.  We were most thankful that we had decided not to incorporate people in the shoot, as we would have asked them to wear flannel, scarves and the like to set the autumn scene.

Issue 3, A Moveable Feast, S’mores and Cider Bar

The truck bed was actually a last minute call for the cider bar.  Thank goodness Lisa had the skills to back this monster up without knocking down one of the trees.  I was a little nervous for a few minutes there.

Issue 3, Lupp home

I just love this shot!

Issue 4, Robinson home entryway

Those ceilings!  That tapestry!

Issue 4, A Shimmering Soiree, Pohlenz Cucine Moderne

Gorgeous sky and scene in this photo, and thanks again to Pohlenz Cucine Moderne for letting us take over for an afternoon/evening and glitter bomb their showroom.

Issue 4, A Shimmering Soiree

I just love this champagne shot – and the cool kitchen trough that the glasses were set down in.

And yes, we drank this afterwards too.

Cheers to what’s to come in 2012!  Thanks for reading!

SarahV

A designer, product consultant, animal lover, admitted TV-addict and travel fanatic, Sarah also became an unintentional foodie when she met her husband, a chef. They recently welcomed their first child into the family - a rock star in training with some fantastic hair. A true believer that attitude is everything in design, fashion and life, her philosophy is that if you choose what you genuinely love it will all work together with a little thought.

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