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. :)

Portraits with a purpose

A few weeks ago I heard about an awesome project from talented Hawaii-based photographer, David Murphey.

How does the project work?
On April 25 & 26, you can have a professional portrait taken of you and your family. The portrait sitting fee is $30. 100% of the fee goes directly to the HCCF and is a tax deductible donation. You'll get a professional portrait session and 1 - 5X7" print from the event.

Who can participate in the project?
Anyone who would like a professional portrait is welcome. This time of year is perfect for school or senior portraits for your keiki.If your business headshot needs to be updated for your company brochure or website, it's a great chance to do it now. And, don't forget a portrait with your whole family!

How do I sign up?
REGISTER TODAY for you, your keiki or your entire family. After signing up, you'll receive a confirmation email with detailed instructions for the portrait day. What to wear, when to arrive and what to expect will all be covered.

Who's the photographer?
Hawaii photojournalist David Murphey will be photographing the event. David is nationally published, having photographed celebrity portraits for USA Today, Coastal Living and Wine Spectator. He's also a contributor to Modern Luxury Hawaii. To view more of his work, please visit davidmurphey.com.

For complete information, visit hawaiiportraitfundraiser.com

My kind of peeps

Trekked over to the new Target store in Salt Lake last weekend and was delighted to find a parking stall right away and a happy crowd of shoppers (many of whom looked like first-time visitors just like me). Hubby and I perused the aisles, made mental notes as we compared prices on our favorite items, and grabbed a few essentials here and there to fill our basket. Since when is a jumbo-sized box of Junior Mints an essential? Um, starting right now.

After the Junior Mints box leaped into our bakset of its own accord, I looked over my husband's shoulder and saw THE WALL in all its glory -- shelf after shelf of vibrantly colored Peeps all staring at me with wide eyes and closed beaks. I didn't even know they made Peeps in orange! And red! I resisted buying any, but couldn't walk away without snapping a picture first. There was a time in my life that I would have bought one in each color to display on a shelf (I hear that they have a shelf life of 2 years)...and another batch to devour by myself.

Ahh, I can still hear them chirping my name...

Window dressing

Today would have been an ordinary day filled with emails and phone calls and a thousand things on my to-do list, but I was able to break up my normal routine with something FUN this morning. Designer extraordinaire Naomi Lee from Les Saisons was my partner in crime as we installed this month's window display at The Wedding Cafe. Our tribute to SPRING had a touch of whimsy, a splash of vibrant colors and a definite organic flavor.

This was the vision:

A lovely marriage of paper and linen: Naomi draped a dressform in this gorgeous green linen while molding curly willow branches on the bodice, and my paper flowers were sprinkled throughout.

I wanted to add some fun escort cards into the mix and Naomi's old window shutters offered the perfect way to display them! Hmm...what names are printed on the escort cards? We put together a list of some of our most recent clients and happily added them to our "wall of fame."

Here's a sneak peek of the window display from inside the cafe. Sadly, my amateur photography skills failed me today as I just couldn't take one decent shot of the FRONT of the display without capturing the glare off the window. (How's that for a big tease?) Ah well, I have a whole month to get that photo!

A big thanks to Naomi for her creative genius and to Tanna at The Wedding Cafe!