joyous

simple. sweet. joy.

Girl talk

I'm taking a break from sharing my new invitation designs in order to pay a quick tribute to two dear friends.

A girlfriend of mine flew in from the great (COLD!) northwest over the weekend and we hit the town with another childhood friend for a fun girls' night out. It's been a long time since the three of us have had a chance to hang out (sans our significant others) and the hours of chatter and laughter seemed to fly by in a matter of seconds.

I've known these women for about 25 years and there's something so comforting about being around old friends. There's no pretentiousness when you're around people who remember every schoolgirl crush, every embarassing haircut, every trial and tribulation that molded and shaped your life. There are just lots of "remember whens" followed by endless giggles. At a certain point during the evening, I looked at my two friends and felt a rush of nostalgia so strong that it nearly took my breath away. It seemed like just yesterday we were making up code names for the boys we liked and passing notes to each other in class...yet here we are now wearing grown up clothes, working at grown up jobs, making grown up decisions, settling into our grown up lives with our grown up husbands (and soon-to-be husbands).

We've come a long way, baby...

charm. charming. CHARMED.

I love the look of a rich aubergine hue paired with a pale silver luster. And I love softening up an image with a soft watermark behind it. This invitation design is charmed and it was made with love.

My love for damask

My latest obsession...damask. Love the romantic, vintage feel that damask patterns inspire and I would be giddy if I could live in a world wallpapered with damask. Check out my new luxe invitation here.

Happy Inauguration Day!

My weekend

Argh...I forgot my camera. For three days, I kept telling myself to remember my camera. Mission failed. No pics of my booth at the Bridal Expo this weekend, no pics of great new vendors that debuted at the show, no pics of anything that would be perfect to post on a Monday morning.

So, we'll do it old school this time with just words on a screen. :)

Photographers galore.
There were so many talented photographers at the show, but I have to give a special shout out to my neighbors, Kris Labang from On 3 Photography and Christie Pham from Christie Pham Photography. Check out their online portfolios...amazing.

Sweet treats.
Sometimes I'm able to sneak a bit of cake during the show, sometimes I'm not so lucky. This past weekend, I hit the jackpot. My favorite bites were from Satura Cakes - shortcake with fresh strawberries and vanilla cream + chocolate cake with chocolate ganache. Two heavenly flavors that made me light up.

Sexy lounging.
There's a new company called Vignette that rents sexy, chic furniture for your wedding celebration. Always wanted to create a posh lounge area for your guests to kick back in? Vignette is your answer. Their web site is in development so stay tuned.

DIY comeback.
Not that DIY ever went out of style, but savvy brides are rediscovering the joy in tackling do-it-yourself projects for their weddings. I frequent Ben Franklin often since it's a hop, skip and a jump away from my studio, but for a real treat, check out Creations By You on Liliha Street. This shop is full of little treasures in every aisle. Anything you could possibly need (and some things you never knew you needed) for your DIY wedding, can be found here. I particularly love their favor boxes and RIBBON! If I could have a ribbon display like that in my studio...just to look at...I'd be in heaven.

New stuff at Emi Ink
Oops, almost forgot to write about my own booth! I released several new designs at the show and have added them to my web site. Also had the chance to add a few more images to my online gallery - finally! I'll highlight some of my favorite new designs in my blog this week, so be sure and check back later!

That's it. Your very non-visual wrap-up of the show. :)

Storytelling

You know those women who seem to have it all together? The ones who artfully balance work and play and manage to squeeze in a million things into each and every day without missing a beat? I know someone like that...Tanna Dang.

Adding another notch to her belt, Tanna (the wedding goddess from The Wedding Cafe) has done it again with the release of her first book, "Wedding Belles: Ideas & Inspiration from Island Brides." It's a gorgeous book filled with tips and advice, inspirational stories from more than 70 brides, and wedding photos galore! My hubby and I picked up our copy from the cafe last night and were joined by the other "recently marrieds" who contributed personal stories for the book.

Check out the book's debut at the Bridal Expo this weekend before it hits stores!

Secret gift...at the show

Hey, remember when I posted this photo of my mini desk calendars last month?


I have a small batch left and since it's already mid-January, I've decided to give away the remaining calendars at the Bridal Expo this weekend. I'll probably only have enough to last the first day of the show...maybe only the first hour or two. But stop by my booth and whisper this in my ear, "Time waits for no one"...or simply ask if I have any calendars left. It'll be my little "secret gift" to those of you who read my blog (and a big THANK YOU for indulging me and my ramblings).

(Standard disclaimer: while supplies last!)

First show of the year

Wow, it's time for me to gear up for another Bridal Expo! Seems likeI just packed up my display and now I'll need to dust it off again. What's so good about attending these shows? Lots of vendors under one roof, prize giveaways, cake samples, etc. There's a lot to take in, but half of the fun is taking your bag full o' stuff and sorting out all the info at home.

What: BRIDAL EXPO
When: 1/16 (5:30pm - 10pm), 1/17 (10:30am - 5pm), 1/18 (10:30am - 4pm)
Where: Neal Blaisdell Exhibition Hall

See you there!

Hunting butterflies

It's not very often that my job involves "field work," but a couple of months ago, that's exactly what I did. A bride had scheduled a consultation with me and mentioned that she was inspired by the color of the butterfly display in Neiman Marcus. She said it was kind of a goldish, yellowish, greenish tone. I'm normally pretty good at envisioning colors, but this one I had to check out in person. I grabbed my camera, picked out a cute outfit suitable for loitering around the Neiman Marcus escalators, and set out to capture the goldish, yellowish, greenish butterflies on my digital camera.

I've always loved the store's butterfly display. So pretty, so delicate, so whimsical...so impractical to duplicate in my home. Each butterfly is constructed of two pairs of painted feathers and when they catch a bit of sunlight through the skylights, it's a sight to behold.

Back to the bride and her wedding invitation...we were able to translate the colors beautifully and I had so much fun creating the custom design that represented the couple's journey to marriage. I have a "thing" about publishing any photos of invitations for weddings that haven't taken place yet. It's partially out of respect for the couple's privacy and partially because it's like sneaking a peek at your birthday present when your birthday is still months away. Until I add photos of their invitation to my gallery, just picture a whimsical design in a beautiful goldish, yellowish, greenish color.

2009...already?

I know that I'm a week late, but Happy New Year to you all! After taking such a long break from blogging, I intended to recap the highlights from the holidays and our trip home to Chicago. Instead, I want to share the lessons I learned as I think they're much more important:

• 18 hours without electricity isn't such a bad thing when you're in the company of people you love
• don't wait for Santa to bring you the car phone charger that you so desperately need...just go out and buy it already!
• using miles for a first class upgrade on a 9-hour direct flight is a VERY GOOD THING
• chocolate peanut butter cup pies from Baker's Square are heavenly
• calories don't count during the holidays
• sooner or later, I WILL beat my mother-in-law at Boggle...maybe not this year, maybe not next year, but someday.
• there's a big difference between 35-degrees and 15 degrees, and with the wind-chill factor...fuhgeddaboudit!
• I CAN visit Bath and Body Works and spend less than 15 minutes and less than $25 there (this one's for my husband)
• I CAN visit Paper Source and spend less than 30 minutes and less than $50 there (this one's for my husband again)

In the past two weeks, I also learned a very important lesson about love. We lost someone special in our lives and through the mourning process, my husband and I witnessed and experienced great love and support from family and friends. I'm reminded once again to never underestimate the power of enduring friendship, a shoulder to cry on, and the bonds of family that keep us together.

Here's wishing that 2009 is a year filled with joy, love and laughter for us all.