The Maine Inspiration

28/03/2022

My sister is getting married next month and we planned her a garden inspired bridal shower. Trying to embrace the last bit of summer… but also wanted to have a theme that represents her personality accurately. She brightens any room, she’s a ray of sunshine to all who meet her and an absolute gem. I love creating special moments and memories for anyone, but it’s especially wonderful to do so for someone I care so much about. My absolute love language and giving the best that I can give to show my love is planning and creating something that celebrates them. It’s so wonderful to celebrate our friends and family and I’m forever grateful I have people in my life I can celebrate. 🥂

Food:
Venue:
Decor and planning:
Stationery: .creative

03/02/2022

I’ve been neglecting my own home for a while now, so I’m going through a decluttering and working on some mood boards for the spaces. We have been here two years and I only have 3 pictures up on the wall… so need to make time to prioritize that.

Our homes are our sanctuaries and I really want that for my family. I want our home to be a place of renewal, a place to unwind and feel safe. I have years of photographs to sort through and finally get printed. Cupboards to paint and move, and lastly pack away all the baby clothes that don’t fit my not so baby anymore 😢. I feel so blessed to me the mother of the house, and the responsibility to create that space is such an honor to me. It’s an act of love, which I love giving.

I’ll be sharing some of my updates, so if you would like to see keep your eyes on my stories.

Xoxo
Charmaine
mainecollective

25/01/2022

G R O U P B O O K I N G S
Now available for parties, events or just something creative to do as a group.

We offer the following for group bookings:
✨ Ceramics - Milk jug or tapas bowls
✨ Soy Candle making
✨ Soap making

Contact us for more info

24/01/2022

✨Mom life ✨

Let’s not beat around the bush.. it’s hard! Wether you are a stay at home mom or working mom or a somewhere in-between trying to balance home business life mom😂, you are doing a great job! I realized with my eldest that this time flies by so fast. I’m learning to let go of expectations and unrealistic goals. So some days I’ll be on point with awesome content to share and then I’ll be nowhere for a while cause my family needs me.

Social media has become a world of ‘perfection’. I don’t want to show perfect. I strive to inspire others that life’s hard, but girl, you got this 💪🏻

It’s ok to have set-backs, creative blocks and pivots. That’s life! Embrace it and work through it.

Spending quality time and being present with your loved ones is amazing and oh so necessary, but you are an individual as well. Don’t get lost. For me my sanity lies in the quiet moments, the middle of the night moments where I find myself again. Where ideas come to mind, so while rocking to sleep, cooking dinner or having my shower I ponder on those ideas and they grow into projects or future plans. My point being is it takes time, and it’s about the journey, not the destination. Cherish the season you are in. Xx

22/01/2022

Summer is in full swing 🌞
We are all at home down with the Rona, but still trying to keep it beautiful and of course tastey! Made some iced coffees using ground coffee in a pour over and some cold frothed half and half (milk and cream), added some ice and boom 💥 best iced coffee ever!
It really sucks being sick but at least we get to spend some time together as a family which is always such a blessing.
Stay cool, stay caffeinated 👏🏻😂

07/01/2022

Goals for 2022 ✨
~ Not take life too seriously

~ Celebrate life (not just special
occasions)

~ Do more projects that inspire me &
do more of what I love

~ Develop products that are
beautiful and of high standard

~ Be present

I used to stress about so many things.. so many things that are SO IRRELEVANT. Am I successful? What do people think? How much money will I make with this (and previous) business? After a turmoil of 2020 and 2021 I’ve learnt to change my PERSPECTIVE. Now being successful is being happy, how I make others feel is important to me and money is not important (it’s still nice to have though.. ha ha but I’m not chasing it anymore. That just makes you miserable)
Super excited for this year and all she has to offer.
Cheers to the new year Maine peeps! 🥂

25/12/2021

✨Merry Christmas ✨
Today was an amazing day celebrating the birth of Jesus. Since early yesterday I have been playing carols and can’t help but feel emotional and just love feeling His presence in my home. So so grateful for everyone in my life and feel so incredibly blessed to be able to have so many people to love and who love me. (Even if far away) I absolutely LOVE Christmas! I love giving, by making food, gifts, love and hugs. I mean who doesn’t feel happy when they give someone they love those things? Hope you all had a good one too. Now, time to put the kids to bed and veg on the couch with my stretchy pants 😂 lunch was sooo good! 😜

21/12/2021

That’s a wrap! Wow, is all I can say is It’s been an amazing year filled with ups and downs.. new beginnings and wonderful memories. I’m so looking forward to next year and all she has in store. But for now.. I’m going to try and take in the moments and the special times with my loved ones. Our Christmas plans have changed a bit due to covid (like it has for so many) and I won’t have my parents with me anymore, but I still have my parents and I will see them again. I’ve heard of so many that have lost loved ones this year and it absolutely breaks my heart. I’m so sorry if you have lost someone, or can’t spend Christmas with your family. It makes me realize just how grateful I am for my beautiful little family and I am so grateful to have them.
For those hurting, please know you are not alone. Xx Sending lots of love to everyone out there. Thank you for the amazing support. I hope that I’m 2022 all your dreams and wishes come true.

14/12/2021

Beauty is everywhere! You just need to be looking. Picked these from the veggie garden.. they are onion flowers!? How beautiful? 😍

12/12/2021

The ups and downs of life. 🌱
One thing we are sure of in this life is nothing is guaranteed, and nothing lasts forever; good or bad. I’ve learnt to appreciate the good times and learn from the tough times. Life is tough, but it is beautiful! A few things I’ve learnt that steal your joy
~ Comparing yourself to others
~ Sweating the small stuff
~ Expecting people to treat you the same way as you treat them.
~ Wanting immediate results

We are all made so wonderfully unique and have our own wonderful talents and passions. I’ve decided to embrace my uniqueness and work on how those unique talents can make the world a better place. Your life is not meant to be perfect, but it’s meant to be wonderful. (Even in the tough times)
I will be taking some time today to breath life in and be grateful and appreciated everything I have been blessed with. Will you be doing the same?

08/12/2021

✨ Christmas Wreath ✨
Making a Christmas wreath is really easier than it looks. I had a few dried flowers lying around that I have collected throughout the year (always a great idea to buy fresh flowers that dry well) and they worked so well to make a wreath.

What you need:
~ Dried flowers & foliage (or flowers that will dry well)
~ Wire
~ Insulation tape (for wire)
~ Florist wire and tape
~ Brown paper (I repurposed some from a online parcel’s packaging)
~ Christmas music in the background 😜

Enjoy!
Charmaine xoxo

01/12/2021

As the countdown to Christmas starts, I’m being more conscious of slowing down and breathing.

My son has his last day of school today and I would like to focus on my kids a bit with intensional quality time. I’ll be putting my phone on airplane mode more, sipping my drinks longer and paging through some inspiring books and just embracing the small (but beautiful) moments.

Life is beautiful, don’t forget to breath it in. Moments don’t last forever, but they do have the potential to become wonderful memories. Stop and smell the roses once in a while.

01/12/2021

☀️ Summer is here ☀️

Quick, simple and delicious is what I go for when it comes to summer lunch time or you can serve it as a delicious side. There’s no time in my house to spend hours at the stove so I’m always looking for new delicious ways to make quick meals. If they are healthy that’s an added bonus 😜

The ingredients just balance so nicely:
~ Freshness from tomatoes
~ Creaminess from the feta
~ Nutty flavors from pine nuts

What more do you want? I am by no means a vegetarian, but I could eat this as a main(e) everyday. Just love it!

15/11/2021

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? 🎄🍾 So are we! Long table soirée with ‘champagne’ tasting is a wonderful way to celebrate the end of the year! There’s limited space, so book early to avoid disappointment.
Ticket link: https://store61562724.company.site/products/White-Christmas-p416685508 🍾

14/11/2021

12/11/2021

We have changed our name 🍾✨👏🏻
I am so excited for this new season! Such amazing projects lined up, 😱😱 I am bursting at the seams with excitement. I can’t wait to share more. Sooo much inspiration to share with you. This festive season is one I will definitely be celebrating to the full and I can’t wait to share some amazing content with you all. After the year we’ve all had.. it’s time to celebrate!

28/10/2021

Make your own plant pot out of clay.

Join us for a morning of creativity and fun as I teach you how to make your own pot plant from scratch using clay using the slab rolling method. Once made and painted, the pots will need to dry for a few days and then will go through a two firing process in the kiln. 2-3 weeks after the workshop your pots will be ready for collection. This workshop is for anyone wanting to learn a new skill and have a fun relaxing morning. No previous experience is needed.

Tickets: https://store61562724.company.site/products/Ceramic-Planter-Workshop-p410545273

Coffee, tea and light snacks will be served

Date: Saturday 6 November 2021

Time:10:00-12:30

Place: 6 Milkwood Close, Lovemore Park, Port Elizabeth

18/10/2021

Garden Day 🌿
Inspiration to bring the garden into the home. AMAZING food by and the guests were absolutely such a treat. We spent the afternoon relaxing, chatting and just enjoying the day. Was so lovely having our regulars and meeting wonderful new people- too many to mention.
This was 100% my passion translated into an event and I loved pouring it out with love and inspiration into each person there today. I can’t say thank you enough. We chatted, we laughed and we ATE! (Still can’t get over the food 😂)

14/10/2021

We are so excited for this weekend’s Garden Day event. You will not only be tasting this delicious floral laminate pasta, but Michaela from FORAGE will be doing a demo showing you how to make it yourself! Bursting with excitement!

11/10/2021

If you have booked your ticket for this garden day, here’s a little something to look forward to. You will not only be tasting laminated pasta, but you will learn how to make it yourself! A live demo by Michaela to show you how to incorporate edible flowers and herbs into your pasta. If you would still like to book, there are only 3 spots left, So don’t wait.

10/10/2021

We only have a few spaces left for our garden day celebration, dress-up and bring your flower crown.

Enjoy a 7 course meal by FORAGE inbetween creative sessions where you will make decorative flower holders out of clay, learn to press flowers and plant your own micro-herbs. Be inspired to bring your garden into your home.

Follow link to book: https://store61562724.company.site/products/Workshops-&-events-c120020960

09/10/2021

We had a group of ladies book a soap workshop this morning. So many of them haven’t seen each other in a while, and enjoyed chatting while learning a new craft.
Was so lovely having all of you 🙂

If you would like to book a workshop for you and a bunch of friends send us an e-mail and we’ll send you through our packages.

[email protected]

06/10/2021

Meet the chef at our Garden Day event:

Michaela studied at the South African Academy of culinary arts, where she continued to do her internship at the St Francis links Golf Estate. After that she went to work in a renowned resort Anantara hotel on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand. This is where she fell in love with fine dining.

When she returned to South Africa she worked for a catering company and soon discovered that her passion did not lie with catering, but with creating food experiences. From a young age she was inspired by her gran and the love she had for food. She started experimenting by re-inventing old school dishes and bringing them to life in a more modern way, creating beautiful fine-dinging dishes.

Who is Michaela Joan?

Michaela studied at the South African Academy of culinary arts, where she continued to do her internship at the St Francis links Golf Estate. After that she went to work in a renowned resort Anantara hotel on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand. This is where she fell in love with fine dining.

When she returned to South Africa she worked for a catering company and soon discovered that her passion did not lie with catering, but with creating food experiences. From a young age she was inspired by her gran and the love she had for food. She started experimenting by re-inventing old school dishes and bringing them to life in a more modern way, creating beautiful fine-dinging dishes.

Michaela started FORAGE in 2018 as private chef that creates beautiful food experiences for people in their homes or for special events. We are honoured to have her at our Garden Day celebration where she will be creating a seven course (vegetarian) meal inspired by the garden and all her beautiful bounty.

03/10/2021

Garden Day 2021
Bookings now open: https://store61562724.company.site/products/Workshops-&-events-c120020960

30/09/2021

We have something very special planned.. have worked so many hours to bring you an inspirational day that celebrates the garden by bringing it into the home. More info coming soon. Garden Day 2021. Bookings opening soon.

07/09/2021

O L I V E T R E E What to note before you buy one:
🪴Make sure it gets lots of light (minimum 6 hours a day)
🪴 Spray your plant instead of watering, so the roots don’t rot. Olive trees are naturally found in hot dry areas.
🪴 It might not thrive for a long period of time, so don’t get too attached. Might have to plant it in your garden.
🪴Make sure the pot size leaves at least 10cm space between the roots and the pot when planting.



📸 Pinterest (source unknown)

03/09/2021

Let’s talk crockery.. I haven’t bought crockery for years. I was still using the plates and bowls my mom bought me as a student 🤭.. and that was 10 years ago 🤪 I was running dangerously low with 2 bowls and only four plates. But I wanted to invest in beautiful crockery that would last or that was cheap enough to be replaced soon if need be. There are so many options out there.. I just couldn’t choose. This week I took the plunge and bought plates at the pret-o-pot factory sale. They sell ‘damaged’ or imperfect plates made for Woolworths and Poetry stores to name a few. I’m so happy! I can’t wait to have dinner parties and cook inspiring food for my friends and family. I’m sure I’m not the only one that hasn’t bought items they desperately need… my next purchase, a washing basket!

24/08/2021

Ceramic face trinket bowl workshop.
interest in our workshops, we are so excited to announce our newest ceramic workshop.

In this workshop you will learn how to make your own ceramic trinket face bowl out of clay. Enjoy a morning with friends or come and make some new ones. (All Covid protocols in place and plenty of space and fresh air)

Once your bowl has dried, I will fire it in the Kiln. You will receive your end piece in 3 weeks from the workshop date.

R320 pp

Saturday 4 September 10:00-12:00

To book: =====> https://app.gumroad.com/products/GkuiG/edit

14/08/2021

We had such a lovely bunch of ladies at our first workshop in our new space today. Each one of them made me smile. I’m so thankful I get to do what I love, and sharing my passions and inspiration with others. Thank you all so much for your support and kind words, it was so lovely having you all. If you missed out this round, keep your eyes posted for the next one or leave your e-mail address below to be added to the workshop and newsletter e-mailer.