About Kalin Kalin + Matt Our Team Farm Timeline
Fall 2018
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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
Make new friends, but keep the old...
A year of no 'new' programming.
A year of no 'new' programming.
Bright & Waggy
Bright & Waggy
The week I stopped running.
The week I stopped running.
 
 
 
 
 

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If you're new around here here's a quick synopsis:⠀ ⠀ I'm Kalin, I design wedding flowers for couples Up North. ⠀ I left a career in Television to work from a 3 car garage and run my own business.⠀ I'm married to Matt, who really is the best. ⠀ We have these animals who think they are lap dogs. They are called the Boopings.⠀ ⠀ I'm loud, overly confident and a 3 on the Enneagram. ⠀ I also procrastinate too often, spill food on myself at every meal and have an actual inability to hang after 10pm. ⠀ ⠀ When I design your wedding flowers I'm not gonna be like any of your other 'vendor' experiences - we are a little weird and big time in the 'we love our clients' department. ⠀ I sometimes cry when I hand you your bridal bouquet. ⠀ ⠀ I can hear a song once and sing it back to you.⠀ But 'studying' wasn't really my jam and I failed high math - lots. ⠀ ⠀ I'm a sucker for a good meal, a good glass, a good hug and the kind of talks where you are snapping and nodding your head and saying 'go in woman- go IN'⠀ ⠀ My favorite place in the world is Walloon Lake. ⠀ My squat form needs work.⠀ My conversation skills do not.⠀ ⠀ I design really really beautiful flowers.⠀ And I cannot wait to do it for you :) ⠀ ⠀ Happy #fridayintroductions loves⠀ xo⠀ K ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #farmHER #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #girlboss #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #bridalbouquet #sweetwaterfloral
Coffee is on me this morning loves. Especially you early birds, it usually goes quick! Stop by a Starbucks near you and scan this and enjoy a bevvy on yours truly. ⠀ ⠀ I'm so so so grateful for all of you who follow along here and watch me make weird food and love on the boopings and appreciate beautiful flowers and Carhartt bibs. ⠀ ⠀ When I started a 'business' ig account nearly 4 years ago I really thought I would instagram flowers everyday, boy did that change. ⠀ ⠀ My first love will forever be storytelling. When I design flowers I get to be a part of your love story, I've chronicled our story of the farm and business right here and love sharing stories from our every day weird life.⠀ ⠀ So enjoy your coffee and thank you.⠀ Clinks!⠀ ⠀ xo⠀ K⠀ ⠀ PS- If you buy like 10 floral pattern mugs and a breakfast sandwhich I will put a hex on your so you shart yourself today. So play nicely. My hexes work. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #farmHER #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #girlboss #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #bridalbouquet #sweetwaterfloral
"Crazy to see you here this early, did you take the morning off?" ⠀ ⠀ I knew what she meant. She thought I was still on the morning show. Because this happens all the time. Weekly. ⠀ ⠀ I looked across the waiting room at the vet and smiled, "I actually am not on the show any more in the mornings, we moved to Petoskey, I left the station." ⠀ ⠀ Wally stirred and tried to go meet her dog. It's name was cupcake or sprinkle or something. ⠀ ⠀ "Oh my goodness, I could have sworn I just saw you on there. That's how good you were! I cannot believe you would go do anything else you were just so good at that - you were meant to be on there!" ⠀ ⠀ "Thanks so much" I smiled. I meant it. I always do. ⠀ But in the beginning these kind of talks hurt me. I wanted to yell back "But I'm really good at other things, like floral design, and writing, and running my own business." ⠀ ⠀ But I would smile and nod and thank them for watching. Because viewers fund your paycheck when you're on TV and the station I worked for is really really great. And I want them to keep watching. ⠀ ⠀ It took me a while but now it doesn't bother me. I'm flattered. Truly. And it makes me happy- because you can be one thing and then reinvent yourself and be another thing and continue doing that you're entire life. ⠀ ⠀ You don't have to be defined by what people told you 'you were meant to do.' ⠀ ⠀ Be confident in the work you do. Don't apologize for it. Be polite. Be gracious. And when you feel like it - go do something else. ⠀ ⠀ Wednesday clinkings,⠀ xo⠀ K⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Image: @jillianbowes of one of our fav days this summer. ⠀
cut the last of the dahlias in the snow yesterday. When it started falling from the sky I pulled on my muck boots and puffer and the dogs and I walked out to the garden and I cut the last of the dahlias. ⠀ ⠀ The dahlias I thought for sure wouldn't grow. Like so many things this summer they struggled in the beginning. ⠀ ⠀ But damn if they didn't prove me wrong. I'm writing an entire blog post about it but its really vulnerable and I'm not there yet. But like most of my writing, one day, it'll be out there. ⠀ ⠀ And so while two giant dogs skipped around and stomped on mole hills, I cut the last of the dahlias in a snowstorm in mid October. ⠀ ⠀ And now I give them another frost or so and then we dig. We dig up the dahlias. We also rip out all the plants, pull all the fabric, move all the tools. ⠀ ⠀ The wind is cold. The gales of November are not far off. But it stopped snowing and it all melted and we are holding onto fall color for just a few days more.⠀ ⠀ Happy Tuesday⠀ xo⠀ K ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #farmHER #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #girlboss #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #bridalbouquet #sweetwaterfloral
No one makes me laugh harder than my besties. That’s a fact. ⠀ ⠀ We laugh about stories that are 10 years old. We dance like we are all single and ready to mingle and 19 at some bar in Chicago. ⠀ ⠀ We brunch like we’ve always brunched. Nowhere fancy. Just somewhere with coffee and eggs and bacon and toast. ⠀ ⠀ And the greatest joy I feel in my⠀ Life is that when I leave my best friends and think it couldn’t get any better. I remember that my favorite person at that brunch table is coming home with me and we lay on couches and nap and make dinner. ⠀ ⠀ We’re better together. Me and my besties. And me and my best friend & life partner. ⠀ ⠀ Happy Monday babes. ⠀ Xo⠀ ⠀ K ⠀ ⠀ Image: @carriechouse⠀ Planning: @foxandfernevents
Im gonna keep this short because my list today is long and it ends with me on a dance floor with the people I love most. ⠀ ⠀ When I started this journey of floral design I never really thought about one day designing for those I love. ⠀ ⠀ My sisters bouquet. My best friends boutonnière. The corsage for my mom. My own bridesmaid/ matron of honor bouquets to carry. This one, for my dear friend H. ⠀ ⠀ Designing for those I love is extra special. ⠀ And I’m so so glad they trust me to do it. ⠀ ⠀ Happy wedding day H+M. ♥️⠀ ⠀ Coffee clinks and not one but TWO minivans 🚐 full of blooms. Life is good. ⠀ ⠀ xo⠀ K⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #farmHER #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #girlboss #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #bridalbouquet #sweetwaterfloral
A few months after we moved here we needed a tractor. Badly. So we took the hefty five figures we had saved for one out of the bank, I had them put it in a leather envelope in cash stacks and I drove to the tractor place. ⠀ ⠀ "In my 23 years of selling tractors, you are the first woman I've ever had in here doing the negotiating" the sales guy told me. I test drove a few in the lot. Acting like I knew what the hell I was doing. I knew which one we wanted and what price we needed it at and they had told us on the phone the price was firm and I didn't believe that for a second. ⠀ ⠀ I wore knee high leather boots and red lipstick to do the dirty work. "We can't budge" he told me.⠀ I threw the cash on the table in stacks. Literally. I said nothing. ((S)he who speaks first loses people) ⠀ ⠀ We sat in silence for 2 full minutes staring at each other. I like to do this thing when people stare at me where I bug my eyes out and 'stare bigger.'⠀ ⠀ "How much cash is that?" He asked flatly. ⠀ I answered with the amount. ⠀ ⠀ A full 90 seconds more of silence. I looked at my fingernails. Stared bigger at him. Smiled at a woman awkwardly watching from the hallway, she looked sweaty. ⠀ ⠀ "I guess that'll work." ⠀ ⠀ I leapt from the chair and hugged him. "You just made the best deal ever" I told him, smiling. ⠀ ⠀ On the ride home I called Matt. ⠀ "I got it done. We own the tractor we wanted." ⠀ He laughed, not surprised in the least, 'you are the family negotiator' ⠀ ⠀ 5 days later the tractor showed up. ⠀ I had no idea how to start it.⠀ I still cant back it up with the trailer on it.⠀ It needs a new battery right now and I'm worthless there.⠀ ⠀ But I get things done for this family and always will. ⠀ Also shout out to spouses who acknowledge your strengths and let you run with them and SPEAK IT OUT LOUD. One of my favorite things ever is when Matt is like "you gotta here Kalin negotiate, she ALWAYS gets what she wants." ⠀ ⠀ Hairflip. 💁🏼‍♀️⠀ Bye.⠀ I"m Kalin. ⠀ ⠀ Happy #fridayintroductions ⠀ ⠀ xo⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Image: @thecompasspointshere⠀
The vines on the barn are always one of the last things to change. And when they do. The peak of the color is here. And with that, another season rounds a bend here at the farm. ⠀ ⠀ Today we start designing for a hella beautiful wedding this weekend. ⠀ ⠀ I'm always blown away by how the season feels never ending and then in the same moment it feels like it was just a weekend in May with so many women I love working on one of the best events of my career. ⠀ ⠀ And now, the rain brings down the leaves around the farm. I won't rake until spring. It's just my thing. ⠀ ⠀ The tiny, bustling with visitors for color tours, closes in just 3 weeks. And Matt and I will have a sleepover there (still have never stayed in our own tiny house) and we'll toast to a season that made us 'Superhosts' and super strong. ⠀ ⠀ One things for sure. Before we know it my friends, the snow is gonna fly. And while everyone will moan and groan and I know two adorable, fluffy, giant dogs who will have their absolutely favorite season. ⠀ ⠀ Wherever this Fall day finds you - I hope it involves something that brings you the kind of joy these two bring me.⠀ ⠀ Clinks babe⠀ xo⠀ K⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #upnorth #northernmichigan #puremichigan #weddingflowers #weddingplanning #flowers #farmHER #floraldesign #petoskey #harborsprings #traversecity #leelanau #engaged #theknot #girlboss #mackinacisland #goodvibesonly #vsco #walloonlake #charlevoix #bayharbor #bride #bridalbouquet #sweetwaterfloral