About Kalin Kalin + Matt Farm Timeline
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Floral Design in Northern Michigan
 
 

Welcome to Sweetwater

we design beautiful wedding flowers in northern Michigan.

 
 
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We are so glad you found our corner of the internet. Whether its flowering for your wedding day or hosting something special for you here at the farm, this brand is dedicated to making the special moments in life feel that way.


We are obsessed with Northern Michigan, flowers, lavender, jumping in the lake and bubbly beverages.


Sweetwater was born from our love of the fresh water that surrounds us. We cannot wait for you to experience a bit of what we do.

 
 
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Flowers

Wedding Floral Design
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Farm

Lavender Love
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The Blog

Stems & Sprigs
Okay yeah, its a bad one.
Okay yeah, its a bad one.
Soups on.
Soups on.
The 2019 Sweetwater Squad
The 2019 Sweetwater Squad
Write the next chapter.
Write the next chapter.
 
 
 
 
 

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Since Matt and I discussed the summer project priorities this weekend I'll admit I'm itching for the snow to melt. Which is laughable because we have easily another 8+ weeks before the ground thaws and we can actually do things around here. ⠀ ⠀ The first step is usually spending an entire week burning all the sticks. Branches. Logs. Having a tiny little 10 acre parcel with lots of mature trees makes for an interesting time when the snow melts. ⠀ ⠀ Right now our Christmas tree is so covered with snow on the fire pit that the dogs run OVER it when I call them inside. It's like a packed down little ice hill. ⠀ ⠀ Another weird thought is how our priorities have changed since we got here. How you need to live on a piece of land a bit before understanding what you want from it. ⠀ ⠀ I've got a while before we start moving fences and studios and landscaping for the year. But that doesn't mean I can't get excited. ⠀ ⠀ xo⠀ K ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #bridalbouquet #sweetwaterfloral
4 years ago when I started this business on our dining room table, it looked a lot different.⠀ ⠀ Different name, different service, different idea of what I thought the brand would be. ⠀ ⠀ It's just our family and close friends who have been here since those days. When i was a television reporter who worked mornings and played with flowers in the afternoon and hosted pop up shops with tiny little arrangements. ⠀ ⠀ I'm here on a Monday morning to remind you that it will change. Your day to day will not be whatever it is right now forever. It'll change for the better and for the worse, it'll get easier and harder. If you own a business people always say 'stay in your lane' but I like to add 'but keep checking your blind spots.'⠀ ⠀ We are humans. We adapt. Our lives change. We move and grow and get older and maybe a little wiser. If you're like me as you get older you care less and less about what people think and its such a beautiful ride to be on. ⠀ ⠀ When I started I cared about how many followers there were and how many likes a photo got and what other floral designers were doing. I would compare my work to others and think about how much better they were than me. ⠀ ⠀ And little by little I cut that shit out. We were gonna design flowers the way I loved to design them, and they were beautiful, and I was gonna run a business that focused on people and stories and allowing flowers to be a part of that. I stopped chasing editorials and followers and shiny magazine spreads and having everyone know about my business. ⠀ ⠀ And wouldn't you know, when I grew it the way that felt most like me- the shiny magazine spreads, and people knowing about our business and all that stuff that can help you feel legit - it followed. In a way that made me really really proud because it was so us. ⠀ ⠀ So stop comparing and obsessing and checking the number by your name. At the end of our days no one will say 'she lived a good life - with X number of followers' people are gonna remember how you made them feel and what you created in this world. ⠀ ⠀ Happy Monday babes⠀ coffee clinks⠀ ⠀ xo⠀ K⠀ ⠀ #upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #petoskey #harborsprings #traversec
A year ago today I was reeling in the grief of my first miscarriage.⠀ ⠀ I'd spend the day like I spent most of those days immediately after- eating take out on my couch, watching Queer Eye and crying.⠀ ⠀ But little did I know that on that February 16th, hundreds of miles away in Ohio, a fluffy tri-colored puppy was born. ⠀ ⠀ A few months later, Matt asked me if I was ready for another dog. We thought it might help make things a bit brighter around the house. ⠀ ⠀ I called the breeder asking if she would have puppies in the fall, "we actually have one male left from our Winter litter, and he's just so sweet I have no idea why someone hasn't snagged him."⠀ ⠀ I knew why. He was meant to be ours. ⠀ ⠀ So on a Saturday in June, while I flowered for a wedding, Matt drove to Ohio and met Wally. Named after Walloon Lake. Matt called me on the drive and said "he's so cute and pretty goofy and you're gonna love him."⠀ ⠀ Wally immediately jumped into our pack and was the perfect fit. My heart felt better when he was near. It was as if he was the missing link. ⠀ ⠀ In September, as many of you know, Wally got really really sick. And in a really dark moment at the Animal Hospital, I got the talk from our vet team about how it would be quite expensive to keep Wally alive and this was a family decision and I stopped them mid sentence.⠀ ⠀ "Whatever we have to do, I will not let this dog die."⠀ ⠀ So I saved Wally. My little buddy from day 1. He loves Maple and adores Matt but nothing compares to the bond him and I share. ⠀ ⠀ (here come the tears)⠀ ⠀ Wally knew I needed him. To pull me off the couch. To lift the veil of grief that had seeped into every crack of my life. And just months later, he knew I would save him. He looked at me at the hospital that day and I promised him I would do every single thing in my power to get him healthy again and save his life, just like he had done for me. ⠀ ⠀ (I am full blown sobbing now)⠀ ⠀ Happy Birthday to you Wally. Our Walnut, Walter, Pumpkin, Walls, Wall, our "Little." You are 1 today. A year ago I didn't know you existed. But all along, you were meant to be right here, with our family. ⠀ ⠀ Coffee clinks and Birthday Pumpkin treats!⠀ ⠀ xo⠀ K
No I'm not stealing your clients.⠀ No I'm not a fraud.⠀ No its not all fake.⠀ No I'm not price gauging you. ⠀ No I don't want to go to coffee and help you put your business plan together stranger I barely know.⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Yes I believe in your business.⠀ Yes there is room for all of us.⠀ Yes I really am 'like this' in real life.⠀ Yes if we are real life friends I will want it so badly for you I'll sit with you for hours in my den and we'll make a marketing plan. ⠀ Yes I do design those flowers myself.⠀ Yes they are real. ⠀ Yes I do use that many swear words. ⠀ Yes I love carnations.⠀ Yes I wanna get coffee and connect and network. ⠀ ⠀ Thank you for your time.⠀ Thank you for believing in this team to provide you the best wedding flowers imaginable.⠀ Thank you for being here every morning and reading these weird blurbs on the internet from a random girl up north.⠀ Thank you for loving the Boopings.⠀ Thank you for understanding I still LOVE my privacy and respecting that.⠀ Thank you for talking all the shit and thinking you'll take it all down - let ya haters be your motivators.⠀ Thank you, next. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Happy #fridayintroductions⠀ xo⠀ ⠀ K⠀ ⠀ Image: @thecompasspointshere ⠀ ⠀ #upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #bridalbouquet #sweetwaterfloral
Hey Valentine, thanks for being you. ⠀ ⠀ -Thanks for always 'putting the house to bed.' ⠀ -Thanks for always moving the snow.⠀ -Thanks for all winter dropping me at the door everywhere we go and picking me up at the door so I don't have to navigate cold and icy parking lots.⠀ -Thanks for never ever giving up on us, and our dreams and goals - even when they literally seem impossible.⠀ -Thanks for letting me steal the "Hornet Baseball" sweatpants and not saying anything about it, even though you got them for yourself and now I wear them daily. ⠀ -Thanks for just doing a closed mouth smile when I spill things on myself at restaurants.⠀ -Thanks for not telling me that you know the dogs were not in my way when I explain my sprained ankle saying, "the dogs got right in my way" even though I just literally fell over and sprained my ankle. 🤷🏼‍♀️⠀ -Thanks for loving Pitbull radio when we are in Florida. #mrworldwide⠀ -Thanks for trying to start our Delta movies at the exact same time so its like we are watching a movie together.⠀ -Thanks for always giving me some fries when I literally say every single time, "oh no, no fries for me."⠀ -Thanks for showing up in our life every day in a way that makes me feel like the most bodacious babe on the planet that I snagged a lover & partner like you.⠀ ⠀ You are the best 'valentime.' ♥️⠀ ⠀ Clinks to you my sweet⠀ xo⠀ K⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #bridalbouquet #sweetwaterfloral
Home and the pack is back together. ♥️⠀ ⠀ These two besties. While we adore them, time away as the two ORIGINAL besties was so nice. ⠀ ⠀ Back to normal today. Work. Proposals. Laundry. (BTW this one load daily thing has changed my life.) ⠀ ⠀ And with a regular work day comes both of my coworkers and 9-5 foot warmers. 🥰 ⠀ ⠀ Coffee clinks ⠀ Xo⠀ K⠀ ⠀ PS - today is the last day to register for our floral workshop next week at The Talcott in Walloon Lake! More info in my story today. 🌹 ⠀ ⠀ PPS-look closely and they are both doing the sorta creepy Berner sleep “with one eye half open” thing. 😂⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #bridalbouquet #sweetwaterfloral⠀ ⠀
A friendly reminder as I post this from an airport:⠀ ⠀ They call it work for a reason. It will never be vacation.⠀ ⠀ No matter how incredible your job, how fulfilled you feel, how amazing the company is you built, how 'flexible' your schedule and amazing your ability to 'work from anywhere' is - its still work. ⠀ ⠀ Vacation is no alarms and mini sand dollar hunting and swimming in the pool and naps and no plan and too much food and long lazy walks and reading on porches. That's vacation for me in winter. ⠀ ⠀ In summer it’s 24 hrs in the UP with a Clyde’s drive in burger and one night at a campground. 🤷🏼‍♀️ We ebb and flow people. ⠀ ⠀ I'm leaving vacation today to head home to work. To the boopings. To the farm. To the real world. ⠀ ⠀ So book yourself a vacation. Don't tell yourself you don't need one because you designed 'work that doesn't feel like work' - thats a damn lie. I ADORE MY LIFE AND WORK AND JOB AND THIS BUSINESS - but it’s still work. ⠀ ⠀ We need vacation. I needed this one. You need the next one. ⠀ Tuesday clinks and telling you to just book the vacation.⠀ ⠀ xo⠀ K⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #bridalbouquet #sweetwaterfloral⠀
I’m Kalin. My happy place is probably right here, a boat ride with my best friend and 🐶🐶. ⠀ ⠀ I’m overly confident, always on time & bad at math. ⠀ ⠀ I started this business because I loved flowers and wanted a creative outlet outside my day job. The flowers quieted my mind a bit. And I quickly realized no one is ever mad about flowers, like ever. ⠀ ⠀ Before I knew it this entire thing had turned into something crazy. We flower for a lot of weddings. There’s a team. I speak to groups now. I help women develop businesses that work. We have a small farm. There’s lots going on here. I also hair flip to industry drama or people’s petty bs and it’s been a dream. ⠀ ⠀ What you see is literally what you get. And I’m proud of that. ⠀ ⠀ Of course behind all these squares I’ve got messes and challenges and deadlines and all those things. ⠀ ⠀ But I also have the amazing job of creating for a living. And that is not something I take lightly. ⠀ ⠀ My hair is always tangly and my heart is always full. ⠀ ⠀ Happy #fridayintroductions ⠀ Coffee clinking ⠀ ⠀ Xo⠀ K ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #bridalbouquet #sweetwaterfloral⠀ ⠀