3 years young

This month marks the third anniversary of Emi Ink! No parades or balloons or parties, though. Instead, I'm opting for a quiet celebration filled with gratitude, layered in appreciation and sprinkled with hopeful wishes for the future.

After much thought about what I wanted to write in commemoration of my anniversary, I settled on this short list of things I've learned:

* I CAN do it all...but doing so comes with a price.
My health and happiness isn't worth the title of "superhero." (I would, however, wear those gold Wonder Woman cuffs because they are HOT!)

* It's ok to block out time for myself, even during the busiest weeks.
I ran into an old colleague last year who advised me to pencil in some ME TIME into my calendar. If something comes up, and I just can't do ME TIME, that's fine. I RESCHEDULE...I don't CANCEL. (This is one of the most valuable things I've ever learned.)

* The cost of doing business in Hawaii is high...really high.
Shipping materials to Hawaii is expensive. Going on buying trips to the mainland or abroad is even more expensive...but so much more fun!

* I don't know everything.
But I'm quite resourceful. And although I am not yet a Google Grandmaster like my husband, I can find the answer to 99.9% of my questions in 99.9 seconds.

* My commute to work ROCKS!
Whenever I need to run an early morning or late afternoon errand, the reality of RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC smacks me in the face and I am even more grateful for my 20-ft. commute to the office.

* Paper really makes me happy.
It's not quite like biting into a decadent piece of chocolate, but I'm convinced that working with beautiful paper releases endorphins in my brain.

* Making my clients happy makes me really, really happy.
I live for the moment when I can present my clients with their completed invitations. Creating their perfect design is something that I take seriously and when everything falls into place, it's like magic.

* Buffalo mozzarella is made from the milk of water buffaloes.
I realize this has nothing to do with Emi Ink, but it's something that I learned not too long ago...and, yes, I feel silly that I didn't know this earlier. I just thought there were different grades of mozzarella and "buffalo" referred to the specific type...not the ingredients!

Thank you for supporting this lil' stationer. Can't wait to see what the next three years will bring!

I spy...hapa|hale

What started out as a dreadful Wednesday complete with a mind-numbing migraine, has turned into quite a lovely day. Yes, a small reason for that is my doctor-prescribed pills, but the real miracle drug was reading today's fabulous post about Emi Ink on hapa hale.

hapa hale is a delightful blog that showcases the best that Hawaii has to offer. Part fashionista news, eco-chic finds, foodie must-haves, and all around Hawaiian-inspired fabulosity, hapa hale has been a must-read for me and all of my friends for quite some time. I'm so Thrilled (note the capital "T") with the write-up on Emi Ink!

Mahalo, Leigh!

It's About Time!

Oh, what I wouldn't give to jump into the scene above and spend a few quite hours sitting on that bridge...

I've been wanting to write a post about It's About Time for quite some time and now that I have a few gorgeous photos to include, the time is right. It's about time!

If you're scratching your head in confusion, let me explain. It's About Time is the company you need to seek out when you want to mount your precious 1001 origami cranes in the most special way. You know the many, many hours you'll spend folding your teeny, tiny cranes? Husband and wife team, Bryan and Christine Yoshimura, will transform your flock of paper birds into a work of art...a treasured keepsake that will last a lifetime.



The method used for creating each custom piece is top secret, but I do know that Bryan and Christine have perfected a technique that allows for an unbelievable amount of detail to be shown in the design. If you want to commission a piece of your own, be sure to contact the company early since this type of artistry naturally requires a lot of lead time. Oh, and before you start folding your cranes, it would be best to contact them and get schooled on the best method for your folding frenzy.

Contact It's About Time by phone (808.591.2004) or email (itsabouttime@hawaii.rr.com).

Wednesday nights are fun!

Still shopping around for wedding vendors? The Wedding Cafe launches it's popular series of workshops TOMORROW!

As a vendor, I love these workshops because it gives me another opportunity to connect with brides (and grooms!) in a small, intimate atmophere. I rely heavily on advertising and referrals, but nothing is better than being able to show my things in person and talk one-on-one with couples.

As a bride-to-be last year, I thought the workshops were a total lifesaver! I was so busy with work that researching and contacting vendors was like a part-time job in itself. Being in a room where The Wedding Cafe had gathered many of the top florists, photographers, videographers, etc., in the same place at the same time was almost too good to be true.

Check out the complete schedule at TheWeddingCafe.net and mark these fabulous events in your calendar.

You light up my life

Having finally gotten over an unhealthy obsession with candles, I recently found a suitable replacement...lanterns. I've always loved the look of outdoor wedding receptions with strings of beautiful paper lanterns illuminating the night's festivities.

I picked up a string of 3" cherry blossom lanterns on clearance at World Market a couple months back, and then a few days later I received a teardrop Soji lantern in the mail from a friend who, I'm convinced, possesses great psychic powers. The cool thing about the Soji lantern is its tiny solar panel that soaks up sunlight during the day and creates a soft glow at night. There's just something about my lantern that brings a much needed zen moment into my day.

If you need more zen for your reception, check out the Paper Lantern Store for inspiration.

Good distractions

People often ask me how I decide what to blog about. Sometimes there are obvious things that I want to share (like when I discover an incredibly good restaurant), or cool events happening in the wedding industry, or fun finds that I just can’t keep to myself.

Other times, like today, material just presents itself without much rhyme or reason. Case in point, this is the dialogue that was running through my head this morning:

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Yay, it’s Friday!

Oh, the Bridal Expo starts today.

Everyone’s probably setting up their booths right now.

Maybe I should have reserved a booth this year.

No, I needed a little break and some extra time to catch up on some projects.

But I’m going to miss out on meeting lots of cool people....like when I first launched Emi Ink at the Bridal Expo.

Hey, it’s been THREE YEARS since we launched!!

Ooh, I need to do a birthday post today to celebrate my 3rd anniversary!

I need something cute…like a cake with candles.

No, cuter…like a cupcake!

Maybe I can find a yummy red velvet cupcake?

Or, I could repost that pic of the cupcake I scarfed down in Seattle?

No, I need something more special…like a handmade cupcake…from Etsy!

Wow, someone is making cupcake rings?

And necklaces?

Oh, and sweet little happy face clouds with shooting stars?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

And so it went... That’s how I discovered the whimsical stuff from Metal Sugar. And that’s why I got distracted and decided to put off my anniversary post ‘til later this month.

Got inspiration?

In the early stages of planning, some brides like to put together inspiration boards to represent the different aspects of their wedding: their favorite cake, the perfect gown, the "must have" favors that will match perfectly with their couture linens. Well, I love looking at people's inspiration boards and enjoy putting them together for clients, too!

Recently, one of my clients emailed me photos of a few bouquets and table arrangements she liked so we could try and match her invitations to her vibrant color scheme. The colorful and bold inspiration board pictured above is what I first presented her with and she selected the colors and patterns that matched their wedding theme the best.

Sometimes, however, we start from scratch. If I meet with a couple early enough in the planning process, they may not have decided on colors or a particular theme yet. And that's when I know we can have some real fun! Basically, we have a blank slate before us, I ask a bunch of questions, and then throw out ideas or hunt down an array of paper in different colors, patterns, textures...anything that I think matches the couple's style.


Oftentimes, a carefully selected color scheme or pattern will inspire the entire look and feel of the wedding...so choose wisely, my friends.

Très magnifique!

Issue number four of WHITE is hot off the presses! This latest issue is dedicated to love and is guaranteed to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. We've been thrilled to be a part of WHITE since its inception and I enjoy reading about all the talented people in our local wedding community just as much as my brides and grooms do!



Pick up your copy at The Wedding Cafe, Barnes & Noble, or Borders!

Earth friendly and diva-riffic

When good people do good things, green events happen and the earth smiles.

Sugar rush

I have the biggest sweet tooth of almost anyone I know. So does my husband. In fact, one of our earliest conversations was about candy. I don't remember why the subject came up, but it was definitely a bonding moment.

So, when Sandra Williams of Finishing Touch asked if I'd be interested in designing a table name card for a Candyland-themed photo shoot for Hawaii Bride & Groom Magazine, I had visions of sugarplums dancing in my head. The final product is pictured above surrounded by the gorgeous peony and gerbera daisy arrangements by Flowergirls.

Design inspiration

Shame on me. I've been wanting to write about this for over a year now. I have a (sometimes) bad habit of needing to wait for just the right moment to do something. But over 365 days' worth of moments have passed so I'm putting my neurotic tendency aside for the good of this blog.

See the beautiful piece of art to to the left? It's cool. Very cool. And here's why:

1) It's collapsible.
2) It turns your ordinary glass jars into works of art.
3) It's just so pretty!

I found this vase cover by Artecnica when I popped into Zinc Details in San Francisco last year. It was love at first sight. The delicate metal design is an intricate weave of flowers and vines and sweet little birds. I circled this piece three times before I snatched it up and headed to the cash register.

If I had to plan another wedding, I'd use this vase cover as my design inspiration.

love, love, love, hate

In my profession, I strive for perfection in everything I do. But when it comes to my personal life -- specifically, camping -- three out of four ain't bad.

Check out today's pics which are snapshots from my 17-hour stay at Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden this past weekend. Saturday morning was a blur of activity for me - client meetings, errands, scavenger hunt to find untreated wood to build our perfect little campfire. After a frenzied hour and a half of packing up our camping gear, stopping at the mini-mart for cold beverages and ice, picking up the necessary permits at the visitor center, realizing that we forgot the tent poles and sending my husband back home to get them, scoping out the perfect spot that was next to a fire pit + on level ground + upwind from the bathrooms, we finally met up with our friends and set up camp. Relaxing day, hmm?

Feeding the ducks and fish at the lake was at the top of our short agenda, but I noticed that my friends' son gobbled up almost as much bread as the ducks did...cute! After a nice walk around the lake, we let the firestarter (aka my husband) do his thing. In a matter of minutes, we were sitting around the campfire cooking our hot dogs, and an hour later we were perfecting our marshmallow-roasting technique.

Overall, I give this mini camping trip 3 out of 4 stars:

Spending time with friends...fun

Cooking over an open flame...fun

Enjoying the splendors of nature (flora)...fun

Enjoying the splendors of nature (fauna)...not so fun

Hearing my husband's reaction to the giant cane spider crawling up the side of our tent...priceless

Not soon enough

Destination selected.
Tickets purchased.
Countdown started.
Excitement contained...for now.

Good nuts unite!

There are good nuts, and there are bad nuts. I've eliminated all bad nuts from my life and hope you will, too.

When we're packing up precious cargo for clients, it's hard not to use at least a small amount of shipping peanuts. They fill up holes and hard to reach crevices better than almost any other packing material. To be mindful of the state of the earth we live in, Emi Ink only uses biodegradable cornstarch peanuts and urges its clients to recycle them whenever possible.

I know it's weird to blog about shipping peanuts, but these little guys are a much better choice than their earth-unfriendly styrofoam cousins. Yay for good nuts!

Crafty letters

I found the cutest craft letters at Paper Source awhile back and had to get my hands on them quick. I had an idea...a vision...an inspired thought from deep within. I loaded my shopping cart, whipped out my credit card, and celebrated my latest paper-related purchase (and trust me, there have been many).

That was two months ago and my adorable craft letters are still sitting in its original shipping box in the corner of my office. My vision is still crystal clear in my head, though, and will reveal itself to the grand masses (aka at the Wedding Expo) later this fall. But in the meantime, I thought I'd share my source for these crafty letters in case you're interested in doing something special at your reception.

~ Maybe a lovely painted monogram at your sign-in table.
~ Maybe a Swarovski crystal-encrusted "i do" on your cake table.
~ Maybe a decoupaged "emi ink" to pay tribute to your favorite stationer's blog.

Just some ideas to inspire you.

Video coolness

I stumbled onto this VERY COOL web site called Animoto that allows you to create sleek, MTV-style video slideshows in minutes. Thirty-second spots are free, and all you need to do is upload your favorite pics, select your music (either upload an MP3 or you can browse through their collection), and just sit back and wait for the magic to happen. I created this slideshow starring my wonder dog, Abby, in minutes. Oh, and for a small fee you can produce full-lenth videos, too!

Ring and a prayer

This is a PSA disguised as a fairytale...although, there's nothing made up in this story.

Once upon a time, in a land not far away at all, there lived a prince and his lovely wife. The prince was not your ordinary prince. He enjoyed working with his hands and feeling the soil beneath his feet and took it upon himself to do all the landscaping around the castle. The prince would often marvel at nature's bounty as he transformed the castle grounds into a lush, green paradise.

One day, after many long hours of pruning the magnificent trees on the royal grounds, the prince looked down at his callused hand and noticed that his gold wedding band was missing. Devastated, the prince realized that it must have fallen off as he was throwing the cut branches into the dumpster. His wife tried to comfort him, but the prince could not be consoled. He said a little prayer that night that his precious ring would somehow find its way back to him and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight welcomed the new day, the prince took a deep breath, hauled his royal arse into the royal dumpster, and proceeded to sift through the branches with the desperate hope of finding his ring. It seemed an impossible task, but as if by magic, the ring appeared. The prince rejoiced and he and his wife lived happily ever after.

Important note: The prince had lost quite a bit of weight in the weeks preceding this story. His ring felt a little loose on his finger, but he continued to wear it as any devoted husband would.

The lesson: If you're embarking on a new diet/exercise regime or any type of weight loss challenge, anticipate that you'll actually lose weight...everywhere. Don't take any chances with your valuable jewelry, especially engagement rings or wedding bands. Keep them in a safe place (or on a chain around your neck) until you feel it's a good time to get them resized.

Sex in the gym

I have a secret. I have four workout buddies that have done the impossible...they've made me actually enjoy my cardio workouts! They make me forget that I'm stuck on a machine between two sweaty guys, they make it ok to be in a stuffy gym instead of enjoying a nice, icy mocha frappuccino, they make it fun to be doing something I normally hate doing for 35-40 minutes. And I owe it all to my husband.

He loaded a few seasons worth of Sex and the City on my iPod and I've swapped my workout music for workout videos. A cleverly placed towel and water bottle shield my iPod from my nosy neighbors when...ahem, some of the steamier scenes are on. I swear, it makes my cardio sessions fly by in no time.

Thanks ladies!

Best Wedding Blog...who, me?

Things have been so busy the past few months that I'm just getting around to announcing that my blog (the one you're reading right this very moment) was recognized by Best Wedding Blogs! Truthfully, I'm just thankful and a wee-bit amazed that I actually have "readers" who enjoy my ramblings each week. Who woulda guessed...

New web site design - CHECK!

It's here, it's here! After MANY hours of procrastination and MANY MORE hours of good ol' hard work, the newly designed Emi Ink site is finally LIVE! I still need to tweak a few things here and there, but for the most part it's done and I am definitely one happy camper.

Since the new site is just a few hours old as of this posting, if you happen to spot any broken links or typos (yikes!), please shoot me an email at emi@emiink.com to let me know. I've tried to go over everything with a fine-toothed comb, but I admit that my eyes are a bit weary at this point and, well, you know how these things go.

Some new features on the site:

* Sample wording (to make your life a little easier)
* Custom stamps (to make your invitations a little prettier)
* Suggested timeline (to make your wedding planning a little more organized)

Yay!

Happy Fourth of July!

Hope everyone enjoys the 4th of July holiday. Will be back next week with (hopefully) my new Emi Ink web site up!

My weekend recap