Christmas cheer

I'm officially on vacation in just a few hours. It's been such a busy year that I'm not sure if I even remember what "vacation mode" feels like...what should I do? Or more importantly, what should I NOT do? When you live/work in the same space, it can be difficult to draw the line between the two. I'm sure that a "KEEP OUT" sign on my office door would help, although I'm hoping it won't come to that. I've got lots of festive, holiday tasks to keep me busy.

I also plan on working on my resolutions for 2010. Granted, I've never made and kept any resolution thus far, but that won't stop me from trying. The one resolution that I'd love to keep is to STAY CONNECTED with my loved ones. Seems simple when I read the words in black and white, but with a crazy workload and the regular stresses of life weighing me down, it's been a real challenge for me. I'm already trying to kickstart that resolution by contacting old friends that I haven't seen in ages, so that's gotta be worth at least 10 bonus points? Let's hope I can keep it up.

So, as Christmas approaches I'd like to wish everyone a happy and restful holiday with an extra dose of good cheer!

Just another Thursday

Finally replaced my card reader only to find out that my photo woes weren't caused by a faulty card reader. I think the problem was actually stemming from my computer itself...maybe the USB port? Maybe pirates? Who knows. Hopefully my techie husband can diagnose it for me.

In the meantime, I managed to copy over a couple of photos that I took last Friday...my "this is what's on my work table today" photos. I was going to take new photos this morning, but interestingly enough, my work table looks exactly the same as it did a week ago. I swear I've been busier than ever...guess I just didn't have much assembly work to finish up.

So without further ado, this is what's STILL on my work table today:

The last of my 2010 desk calendars anxiously awaiting a new home...

And this "e"...

It was supposed to be the start of a new sign for my Emi Ink booth for the wedding expos. I covered the top surface in paper flowers and Swarovski crystals and intended to move onto the interior and exterior edges next. Turned out to be too much work for the limited time that I had so I pitched the idea. I still love my "e" though and recently dusted it off when I showed it to one of my customers.

Photo-less

Why, oh why, do bad things happen to good card readers??

I've been dealing with a finicky card reader for a couple of weeks now and need to find a replacement asap so I can download all the photos I've taken. I even took some pics this morning in hopes that I could miraculously post some on my blog. No such luck.

I came up with a silly idea of posting random "this is what's on my work table today" photos. Thought it might be fun...or weird. Now I'll never know because I probably won't be in the mood to post these photos on Monday. Mondays are like that for me. It's the day that I reset my brain and focus on all the deadlines for the coming week, update my production schedule and catch up on any lingering emails from the previous week. Fridays, on the other hand, usually consist of an odd mix of work + cleaning up + play + creative endeavors (aka playing, but for business purposes).

Oh well. Photos have an unbelievable shelf life (unlike the milk in my fridge) so maybe I'll post them on Monday.

Shifting gears a bit...

It's as if Santa Claus himself declared my office a satellite workshop for a dozen of his elves. Paper strewn about, scraps of ribbon scattered on the floor, a colorful explosion of holiday goodness. No elves here, though...just me. I made this mess all by myself.

Last week I participated in the annual fair at the East-West Center on the UH Manoa campus. Did I panic when I only had ONE notecard set ready to sell just a week prior to the fair? Yeah, a little. I knew that I had to work at the speed of light following the Thanksgiving holiday and my clean-ish office space suffered for it. No time to properly organize my supplies or even put my tools away after I used them. As my mom told me many times in my youth, it looked as if a hurricane had blown through my room.

But after the storm...

I was happy with the notecards, calendars and gift tags that I created for the show. A different assortment of goodies than in previous years and most of my inventory sold well. It was a nice two-day break from wedding invitations and event stationery, but now back to our regular programming.

hello December

:: hello Christmas trees freshly unpacked from the Matson containers.

:: hello shopping mall Santas (you're finally growing on me).

:: hello Salvation Army bell ringers.

:: hello hot chocolate and marshmallow samples at Williams-Sonoma.

:: hello wrapping paper and your coordinating ribbon and tags.

:: hello low-fat eggnog (we cleared out a space in our refrigerator door just for you).

:: hello free-shipping deals.

:: hello holiday movie marathon

:: hello vacation and precious time with family and friends (oh, how I've missed you).

my cyber monday deal

This is the Cyber Monday deal that I found on Amazon.com this morning: a 1-year subscription to Real Simple for $5.

Obviously it's not the most exciting deal out there, but it's the perfect gift for me...from me. It's exactly what I wanted, I know it'll fit, and I didn't have to spend too much money on it. Yes, I have a real knack for selecting gifts for myself. I've had lots of practice.

The real reason for my Cyber Monday purchase is because I was feeling a little out of the loop since missing out on all the Black Friday deals. I was tied up with other commitments that kept me far from the big shopping malls, but I probably wouldn't have been brave enough to venture into the mob-like scenes on Friday...or Saturday...or even Sunday. I'll probably sneak in a weekday or two of shopping while most people are working and their kiddies are in school. An empty mall is a happy place for me since the kung fu fighting shopping skills that I mastered in my younger years are a bit rusty.

Ahh, Christmas in T-minus 26 days. Let the games begin.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

My day off

This past weekend, I took a break. It doesn't sound very exciting, but trust me...it was monumental. I decided to put my mental health above all else - working, unpacking, cleaning, and feelings of guilt caused by not working, not unpacking and not cleaning.

This is where I went on my break:


It's just minutes away from my home and is always a peaceful oasis where I can escape EVERYTHING. Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden is tucked away in Kaneohe at the base of the Ko'olau mountains. It's perfect.

I went with my husband and my girlfriend's family for a morning of catch and release fishing. I was the designated photographer for the day and I was happily reunited with my DSLR camera - it hasn't seen the light of day in months!

First delightful photo of the day, this wild mushroom patch (they were HUGE):

The fish were calling and these helpful signs guided us to the lake:

The day was overcast so it was nice and cool but not so easy to see the fish! The fish could see the bait though, and that's all that mattered. The fish started off small:

But as the day progressed, and our skills were honed to perfection, the fish got bigger!

And prettier!

I had the most fun watching my friend's son and seeing his face light up every time his dad had a nibble.

So, I have a "blogging" confession. I was trying to come up with some clever fish title for this post and turned to the reliable Google search. What I found was not a funny fish pun, but this quote by Henry David Thoreau:

"Men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after."

It definitely struck a chord with me and as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, it's become clearer to me what the "big prize" is in my life. Time. Quality time with my husband, my family, my friends and simply nurturing relationships that are important to me. This is what I'm fishing for and I'm so thankful for days like these that help to bring everything into perspective once again.

Sweet damask

Have you checked out the Fall/Winter 2009 issue of Hawaii Bride & Groom Magazine? My talented friends from Vignette did the set design for the cover story and it is B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L! Love the artsy look and feel that they whipped up.

Also in this issue...

A few months back I was asked to come up with table cards for a photo spread highlighting the popular damask trend that's been spotted just about everywhere! Usually mainstream color combos are the superstars of the wedding season, so it thrills me that a PATTERN is so popular among brides and grooms these days.


Our table was dressed in linens by REA Events and topped with custom damask runners. SU-V Expressions contributed the pretty florals and Cakeworks provided all the delicious goodies for the dessert table. The minute the photo shoot was over, this hungry crew of wedding vendors couldn't wait to sample all the desserts.

Here's a shot of one of my table cards with a custom-designed stand:

And the pièce de résistance, the gorgeous damask cake by Cakeworks:

Photos by Stefanie and Anna Riedel

Halloween is over already?

I wish I could say that I've been hibernating this past month. Far from it. The challenge of moving (packing + unpacking + cleaning + home renovation projects) has left me with only fleeting moments of downtime. Even as I type this, I'm surrounded by only half an office: half of my things have been moved to my new studio space, half of my things remain in the old space. Add to this my ramped up workload for all the spring weddings just around the corner, and it's no wonder that my blog has been collecting dust.

A friend of mine commented that I should have been blogging about all the trials and tribulations that I experienced throughout the home buying process and our big move, but do I really want to relive the hundreds of trips to Home Depot? Or my surprising obsession with perfectly positioned canned goods with all labels facing front? Let me just say that we're making progress and I'm thrilled not to be brushing my teeth in the kitchen anymore.

This week I'm racing to finish a whole bunch of projects for a lovely couple on Kauai getting married next Saturday. It's been a whirwind of designing and proofing with a flurry of email exchanges everyday...I'm just as excited to see the finished products as they are!

Wedding Expo this weekend!

WHEN
Friday, 10/16: 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. (Fashion Show @ 7:30 p.m.)
Saturday, 10/17: 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m (Fashion Show @ 2:30 p.m.)

WHERE
Hawaii Convention Center

TICKETS
$7.00 at the door...or download a $1.00 off discount coupon here

Hello, October

September was over in the blink of an eye. I swear I just flipped my calendar from August to September and now I'm looking down the barrel of October.

*deep breath*

Am busy finishing up a slew of items for two clients getting married on October 10th. Also hoping to get caught up with emails and proposals in the coming week. And before you know it, it'll be time to prep for the next Wedding Expo!

I do have some interesting projects that I'd love to share...as soon as I find the time to take some photos. Round place cards, ceremony programs that blend form and function, sign-in sheets with bursts of COLOR.

All in due time.

Love the dots

Loved meeting all the crafty brides at last night's workshop, although I goofed up on the handouts that I had carefully (or not so carefully) prepped for the evening. About 80% of the handouts were missing page 2. Yikes. At least I realized this early on and just "winged it" during my 15-minute sessions. Tanna @ The Wedding Cafe was able to email the soft copy to all the attendees first thing this morning so crisis averted. Phew!

Anyway, the highlight of my evening was sending each attendee home with their very own box of mini glue dots. (I LOVE these things. They changed my life. I wouldn't be the person I am today without them.) I offered two quick craft projects at my station: a cute lovebirds favor tag and a hanging sign that read, "Bridal Suite - do not enter." Both projects required the attendees to master the art of glue dot application and I hope my love of glue dots was contagious.

DIY + Wine

In T minus three hours, I'll be setting up for the DIY Workshop at Wine the Experience. My session will cover a little bit of everything...tips and tools, fun with glue dots, and simple (and cheap!) tricks of the trade. Last time I participated in the DIY Workshop hosted by The Wedding Cafe, it felt a little like speed dating. Four groups of 12 people...15-minute rotations...talking a mile a minute.

I'm sure tonight's workshop will be lots of fun, especially since we're adding wine to the mix!

Bag-a-licious

I recently experienced a delightful series of mistakes.

My first mistake was checking out the limited time Kate Spade online sample sale.
"I'm not going to buy anything, I'm just going to look."

My second mistake was browsing through the handbags section and eyeing a particularly chic bag.
"This bag would be perfect for carrying my sample books to consultations."

My third mistake was falling in love with said bag and realizing that it was actually a BABY bag.
"It comes with a changing pad? What am I supposed to do with that?"

My fourth mistake was emailing my girlfriend about this perfect work/BABY bag.
"Please tell me all the reasons why I NEED this bag."

My fifth and final mistake was waking up the next morning and thinking about the bag even before I said "good morning" to my husband.
"Honey, I saw this great bag that I want to buy...but it's a business expense. Really!"

Four days later and it's already broken in and proven its worth. It has two side pockets perfect for my water bottles (yeah, I know this is where the baby's bottles are supposed to go), a waterproof lining (in case I spill an open bottle of Sierra Mist....been there, done that), and a pretty green changing pad for...I'm still stumped on this one but I WILL find a good use for this.

They say you always learn from your mistakes. I learned that I lack willpower when looking at pretty bags.

Keeping busy at work

A couple of months ago, I met with a couple who turned to the stars for their wedding inspiration. Not the stars up in the heavens, but the stars sitting on the bride's desk at work.

Over the years, the bride-to-be has folded hundreds of puffy paper stars during her spare time and collected them in a large vase on her desk. Everything from the wedding decor to her invitations are inspired by these pretty, iridescent stars. When the bride showed me the photo above, I couldn't help but notice the paper flowers that she fashioned out of POST-IT NOTES! Talk about creativity in the workplace!

Goodbye August

Hello September! Please be kind to me....August kicked my butt.

If you're in the hunt for cool invites or unique favor ideas, head over to the Invitations and Favors Showcase hosted by The Wedding Cafe tomorrow night! The 411:

When: Wednesday, September 2

Time: 6:30pm

Where: Ward Warehouse conference room (check in @ The Wedding Cafe)

Hope to see you there!

I'll breathe when I have time...

I've been busy. That's the short answer to why I haven't found the time to update my blog in a MONTH. Actually, busy is an understatement. It's been a crazy + chaotic + stressful + barely-have-time-to-breathe kind of month.

• Celebrated hubby's birthday (several times)
• Designed damask-inspired pieces for a photo shoot at the lovely Bayer Estate
• Created a sample invitation set to present to the deserving winners of Hawaii Bride and Groom's Wedding of a Lifetime contest (and just did the video shoot this morning)
• Experienced a disappointing snafu with USPS while sending a rush shipment to a client in New York
• Diagnosed and performed a temporary fix for my online client gallery
• Had consultations with lots of 2010 spring/summer brides (I love that you're all planning ahead!)
• Survived a tidal wave of rush orders for 08/08/09 weddings (guest book pages, place cards, menus, etc.)
• And on a personal note, hubby and I began navigating our way through the home buying process (home renovation will be new hobby)

The rest of the month will be even busier. *sigh*

Map maker, map maker, make me a map...

Today is one of those days that's filled with many, many little projects for me. Some are bigger in scope than others, but all together they comprise a very random workday that truly tests my ability as a multi-tasker.

One of the first things on my "to do" list was creating a custom map for one my clients. The act of drawing lines and shapes in itself isn't too difficult, but the whole idea that some guests may be relying on this one map to get to your once-in-a-lifetime wedding makes me take the art of map-making very seriously. Take Google maps for example. When I need to drive to a neighborhood I've never been to, I love that I can map it out on Google. What I don't love is the sometimes illogical routes that the Google gods suggest I take. No way around that, I guess.

Anyway, thought I'd share some tips about making maps for your wedding (whether you're doing it yourself or having a professional design it for you):

1) Get the address correct. Yeah, sometimes I receive wrong addresses with transposed numbers, or misspelled street names. Check it once, twice, three times.

2) Figure out where most of your guests will be coming from - east, west? It makes a difference in the directions you'll want to include.

3) Do your guests a favor and make sure that the directions you include are clear and concise...and accurate. If you're mapping it out on Google/Yahoo/Mapquest, check if this route is logical and avoids any known problem spots. Generally, if your venue can provide you with their standard issue directions, these are the best and most reliable.

4) Include major streets and important landmarks. No need to include every single little street on your map unless you have lots of empty space you want to fill up. Choose the important ones and any landmarks that will make it easier for your guests to find you.

5) Make it easy to read, please. You know that pretty, script that you used to spell out your names on the invitation? It has no place on your map card....seriously. Okay, maybe you can use it for major headings or the name of your venue, but don't use it for the tiny bullet-point directions or to identify street names. Please.

6) North, south, east, west. Mauka, makai, Ewa, Diamond Head. Determine if your map will benefit from a directional icon. Most of the maps I create are for Hawaii venues and I have the added benefit of being able to add in a lovely coastline for 99% of those maps. Lucky we live Hawaii.

7) Sometimes the little stuff goes a long way. Think of anything else that would be extra helpful to your guests. Do you want to designate a driving route with arrows? Indicate one-way streets that could be problematic? Provide mile markers or approximate driving times?

8) Just information or a pretty design? A map's sole purpose is to provide information, but that doesn't mean it can't be pretty, too. It's a part of your invitation set and I'm strong believer that it shouldn't stick out like a sore thumb. Can you carry over design elements from your invitation to your map card? Absolutely. Print it out on nice cardstock? Of course. You don't need to go overboard with your map, but it can be a wonderful addition in creating a cohesive look for your invitations.

Lovebirds

Delivered another batch of blank greeting cards to The Wedding Cafe over the weekend and included a half-dozen of the "Lovebirds" design shown above. I ♥ this sweet feathery duo and thought others might, too. There's been a recent love affair with bird design motifs in everything from stationery to housewares to jewelry...I love that a classic theme has made a comeback in a BIG way!

The write stuff

I have a client who's ordering custom guest book pages from me and she emailed this morning asking what pens I'd recommend using. Hmm, can you pick out my top two faves in the photo above?

I typically use matte cardstock vs. metallic cardstock on guest book pages for one reason - less possibility for smearing. And as a passionate advocate for "smear prevention," I typically favor fine tip ball point pens (I like the Pentel RSVP brand) or my new favorite, the fine tip Sharpie pen. This is different from the traditional Sharpie markers because it's supposed to be more pen-like and not bleed through paper. Works for me!

For ultimate cool factor, though, I always have my pink Retro Tornado pen on the ready. I guess it's only natural that my passion for paper would eventually lead to a passion for pens. *sigh*

Something's different around here...

Gotta start somewhere, right?

I wanted to do a complete redesign of my blog for a couple of years now and finally got around to it...well, at least phase one. At the very least, I wanted to bring in some color and liven things up. Oh, I also changed the name from "emi's blog" (gotta love the creativity there) to "emi ink chit chat" in honor of something very near and dear to my heart...which is a long story in itself that's probably not very interesting without some sort of visual aid.

Anyway, hope you like the redecorating around here because who knows how many years it'll take me to launch into phase two.

Not your typical Sunday

Talk about random sightings. In the span of an hour, my husband and I went out for coffee and spotted the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile...

...then we headed over to Borders and we spotted Lost star Jorge Garcia wandering through the aisles...

...and then I spotted my friend and linen extraordinaire, Naomi Lee of Les Saisons, on the cover of Pacific Edge Magazine.

Not bad for a lazy Sunday morning.

Yoga...maybe?

I know people who do yoga. I know people who teach yoga. I know people who swear by the innumerable benefits that come from yoga. But I've never heard of a more convincing argument to do yoga than what I heard a couple days ago. Actually, it wasn't what I HEARD, but what I SAW that opened my eyes to the true power of yoga.

I visited my salon for a haircut and could not stop staring at the guns on my stylist. I finally had to ask, "How did you get your arms to look like that?" She said it was yoga. Not just any yoga, though...Bikram yoga. It's the sweat-like-a-pig-in-a-106-degree-room-and-burn-calories-like-there's-no-tomorrow kind of yoga. It's like regular yoga, but cranked up a notch or two (or ten). She said you have to get used to being in a room full of people sweating out all the toxins in their bodies and the accompanying "scent" that goes along with it, but it's the best workout regimen she's ever had.

I'm a believer. Maybe not a follower, but a big believer.

Avalanche of paper

Who else but a good friend would help you sort out paper for five hours on a beautiful Saturday afternoon? Lucky me, I had two good friends who were up for the challenge and pitched in with this enormous task, spurred on by the promise of a free lunch. The nice photo above with the organized stacks of paper? That's a teeny, tiny drop in the bucket compared to the mountains of cardstock that I had amassed in the last four years. Next step is to package everything up...one of my friends has already secured some "pre-sales" of miscellaneous scrap packs on reserve for her crafty coworkers.

The biggest, most heartfelt thank you goes out to my girlfriends who realized firsthand my true obsession with paper. I owe you another lunch...and my first born child.

Love the LOVE!

This is the new LOVE stamp that was issued by the USPS last month! Isn't it fantastic? The King and Queen of Hearts tops my all-time list of favorite LOVE stamp designs. I'm kind of inspired to design an invitation set around this lovely design...hmm...

Remember the time...

Got up extra early this morning to get a headstart on my day, but immediately got sucked into the VH1 Michael Jackson video retrospective.

My parents won't remember this, but they turned me onto Michael Jackson tunes by way of a cassette tape that they gave me on my birthday way back when. It was "Thriller" and it was awesome. I played it over and over and over again...partially because it was the first tape that was my very own (aka no sharing with my older brothers) and partially because it was so addicting. Putting socks on my feet and teaching myself to moonwalk on the linoleum floor of our kitchen soon followed although I was never confident enough to break out THAT move at the quarterly "jam sessions" held at my elementary school.

Ok, gotta go...getting sucked back into the videos again.

Putting my iTunes on hold

Have you Pandora'd yet? I can't remember how or when I first visited the Pandora site, but all I know is it was love at first listen. For those not in the know, Pandora is an internet radio. That's the most basic of explanations. But the cool part for me is that I create stations based on artists that I like and the Pandora wizard (I'm envisioning an all powerful man dressed in robes who lives in Oz) plays music by other artists that you'll probably like. If Pandora plays something not to your liking, just give the tune a thumbs down and the site promises never to play it again. Ever.

On this sunny, breezy Aloha Friday, I'm tuning into my Coldplay station featuring Coldplay (surprise!) and other Coldplay-esque bands like The Fray and Third Eye Blind. Ahhh, perfect.

Don't look directly into the light...

Twice a year, The Wedding Cafe hosts a popular series of workshops that attracts hundreds of brides and grooms. I participate in the Invitation Showcase, naturally, and love meeting everyone and catching up with my fellow invitation designers. At the end of each workshop, we have a Q&A session and today I'm sharing my favorite tip.

Possible snafu: Even the most well-meaning guests could forget to write in their names on the response cards before mailing them in.

Easy fix: Before sending your invitations out, write a tiny number in the corner of your response cards that corresponds to your numbered guest list. Example: Aunt Fran is #3 on your Excel spreadsheet....write in "#3" on the back of her response card. If forgetful Aunt Fran mails back a blank card, you'll know who it's from!

Better fix: If the thought of a hand-scribbled number on your pristine response cards makes your stomach turn, enter the UV SECURITY MARKING SYSTEM -- aka, the SPY PEN. This pen uses an invisible ink of sorts that is only revealed with a UV light. Useful, relevant, and its cool factor is through the roof!

Here's a shot of the packaging:

The UV light:

The pen:

The test: I scribbled a "secret message" on the corner of my glossy business card.

The big reveal:

Look for this cool gadget at your local office supply store...it'll be in the same section as those pens that detect counterfeit bills. For local O'ahu girls, check out Fisher Hawaii on Cooke St. I saw a handful of them in stock about a month ago!

Sweeeeet!

The wedding of my "cupcake clients" hasn't even happened yet and I'm already anxious to see their photos! Over the past couple of weeks, I've been immersed in all things SWEEEEET in prepping all the custom stationery for the reception. The sweetfest kicked off with recipe card invitations (photo coming soon!) and wedding guests will be rewarded with a celebration fit for Willy Wonka himself.

One of my favorite projects is shown above - a hanging sign with blinged out letters and giant cupcakes. Everything was trimmed by hand - sprinkles and all! Loved seeing the bride's reaction when she saw it for the first time.

Hope to have great photos to share from this delectable wedding!

Carisse + Todd

I adore my clients. I really do. And it's such a great feeling when my clients are inspired by my design aesthetic and see all the possibilities of using wedding stationery as an important element of decor. My clients, Carisse and Todd, are a great example of the perfect marriage that takes place between client + designer when a clear, shared vision becomes reality.

I started working with Carisse back in May 2008 after she spotted my work at the Wedding Expo. What transpired after that brief meeting was a wonderful collaboration of ideas and designs that resulted in a laundry list of custom stationery pieces. For this destination wedding couple, I created:

Luggage tag inserts
Save the dates
Engagement party invitations
Wedding invitations

Bridal shower thank you cards
Itineraries for welcome baskets

Flip-flop tags
Table number cards
Escort cards
Programs
Menu cards

Reserved seating cards
Restroom signs
Restroom basket signs
At-home reception invitations

And I'm wrapping up this lovely paper journey with a scrapbook that the couple will be displaying at their at-home receptions in a couple of weeks. I haven't had a chance to photograph all the pieces that I created for them yet, so thank goodness for the gorgeous photos by Chrissy Lambert Photography! Check out some of the photos at styleschool (the cool wedding blog by InStyle Weddings) and on the cakelava blog (check out their insane cake here).

All that sparkles

It's been two years since hubby and I tied the knot and I still find myself looking at my bedazzled left hand and thinking back to our special day. But this post isn't about our wedded bliss. It's not even about the gorgeous rings we got from The Diamond Specialists. It's about a great blog that The Diamond Specialists started recently that answers common questions and offers helpful advice on everything jewelry-related.

I just browsed through Jewelry 411 and zoomed in on two questions right away: "How do I clean my ring?" and "What the heck is palladium?" (I'm paraphrasing, of course). I don't habitually clean my rings and I've been thinking of switching the band on my e-ring to palladium. Bingo, questions answered.

If you already know everything there is to know about jewelry, check out The Diamond Specialists other blog for heart-warming proposal stories. So sweet!

Expo moments

Today's post is short...but sweet.

Favorite moment from the expo:
I was chatting with a bride and her mom about invitations while they were sampling a bit of bread pudding from the Koolau Ballrooms booth (stationed across the aisle from me). I asked them how it was and they said, "Really good!" Next thing I know, the sweet mother-of-the-bride disappears for a minute and comes back with a serving just for me. Awwww....

Favorite line heard at the expo:
A happy couple was flipping through my sample book and got to the Pocketfold-style invitations. The groom folds open the pocket and checks out the response card and response envelope neatly tucked into the pocket and exclaims, "Wow, this is bitchin!"

These are a few of my favorite things...

Wedding Expo - check!

Happy Monday! It was a busy but fun weekend for me! The Wedding Expo went smoothly and and I got the chance to chat with so many happy couples and catch up with some wedding industry friends. My only regret is not being able to walk around the show floor - no time! -- to see the other booths. So I can't do a vendor wrap-up for you, but I can share a few pics from the Emi Ink booth. (Wish I could cue the Wrestlemania-type voiceover for the dramatic introduction, but some things are better left unsaid!)


This is my wall of invitations. Each piece is mounted between two acrylic squares and hung with an intricate (not really) series of chains and hooks. This display always attracts curious little hands that love to grab and pull and shake. Yeah, 'nuff said!

I redesigned this display board a few days ago on a whim and was thrilled by the response! I showcased some of the stationery pieces that were created for recent clients and wanted to inspire people to start thinking about not only invitations, but ceremony and reception stationery as well. Oftentimes, you wouldn't think about stationery as an integral part of your table decor, but with the right design elements the possibilities are endless! Oh, and I should give a little shout-out to my husband who suggested that I mount all those paper swatches to the center of the board. It took me a long time to put it together, but it was definitely worth it!

A little damask never hurt anyone. I love damask. I love people who love damask. This mini display and the black and white color combo got a lot of attention.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the booth! I'll be updating my online gallery soon with photos of recent projects, so check back soon!

Wedding Expo this weekend!

Oh my. Blogging has definitely taken a backseat to EVERYTHING ELSE the past couple of months. Is anyone even reading this anymore? :)

Come check out our booth at the Wedding Expo this weekend and I will prove to you that I'm still alive and kicking...just not writing as much. Hopefully that will change since I'm showing early signs of blog deprivation.

W H A T
Hawaii World Class Wedding Expo

W H E N
Friday: 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fashion Show: 7:30 p.m.

Saturday: 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Fashion Show: 2:30 p.m.

W H E R E
Hawaii Convention Center

Great planning resource!

About a month ago, I received an email from Tara Mahealani Deponte of Pacific Wedding Guide with an invitation I couldn't refuse. The Pacific Wedding Guide is a fabulous resource for those planning destination weddings in Hawaii (and New Zealand!). It's chock full of helpful information, vendor listings, and anything and everything to de-mystify the challenge of destination wedding planning. I love a web site that's not only valuable in content but meticulously organized and I'm thrilled to have Emi Ink listed among their elite group of vendors.

Be sure to check out Pacific Wedding Guide's blog as well for the latest from Tara.

I spy...

Big mahalo to Hawaii Bride & Groom for the nice shout out on their web site! Click on over to see photos of some of my latest custom projects!

Still here

So, I've been "gone" for three weeks. The short explanation is that when my body speaks to me, I don't always listen.

The long explanation is that when there's work to be done, I often ignore subtle signals and hope that my "mind over body" mantra will be enough to keep me going. This time, I wasn't so lucky. But I'm on the mend now and am anxious to rejoin the land of the living.

Happy Earth Day!

Just a few hours left of Earth Day, but I really wanted to get this post in before the stroke of midnight. The Spring/Summer 2009 issue of Hawaii Bride and Groom magazine is set to hit newsstands any day now and I was excited to be able to contribute designs for one of the feature articles, "Eco Chic Ideas."

Recently, I've had a few clients who chose to bypass USPS in favor of hand delivering their invitations. Granted, their small celebrations didn't warrant an out-of-control guest count, but I thought it was a refreshing delivery method all the same. The handmade burlap pouches that I created for the magazine spread is perfect for housing invitations and the usual enclosures and provides guests with a reusable bag long after the invitation has been tossed aside. The pouch was handstitched and finished with a hemp cord loop and bamboo button closure, while the invitation was printed and mounted on recycled paper stock.

Check out Hawaii Bride and Groom for more details!

this and that

Last week, I was hanging on by a thread. Piles of work literally took over my studio, deadlines loomed over my head like dark clouds, and then...naturally....the worst migraine of my life. My life, personal and professional, stopped. But then it got a little better on "False Start Thursday" until I realized that I was slipping into "Miserable Black Hole Friday" and "Just Shoot Me Already Saturday." Thankfully, Sunday brought with it a ray of hope and a plain ol' MIRACLE when I was able to not only climb out of bed and out from the darkness, but attend my girlfriend's wedding that evening (that was my ONLY goal during the week).

The wedding was perfect. An intimate gathering of friends and family, dining under the stars, a jazz trio playing throughout the night, good food, laughter filling the air... a joyous celebration that suited the bride and groom perfectly.

I've dubbed my girlfriend the DIY Queen since every element of the wedding had her creative input. From the ring box to the favor boxes, the invitations to the escort cards, the centerpiece vases/lanterns to the card box...everything was masterfully designed and constructed in a way that was so utterly unique. Perhaps the fact that she's a brilliant architect has something to do with it! And the bold red and gold color scheme intertwined with wood elements created such a fresh look for the wedding decor.

To play along with their wood-kissed decor, I picked up a sample of this adorable Heart Stump from Shop Toast, inserted my gift in the center of the stump, attached a homemade tag, and used this as my wedding card for the bride/groom. (They don't need to know that I ate the candy that originally came with the Heart Stump, right?)

If you haven't checked out Shop Toast yet, you're missing out! They have the cutest favors around!! And now that they have a storefront, you can check them out in person. I dare you to visit their shop without leaving with a sample favor in hand. :)