In a holding pattern?

I had the pleasure of meeting Kristin Kato of A Cake Life a couple of days ago and we quickly bonded over the creative outlets that our respective businesses provide, the wonderful world of blogging, and our personal design styles. (I'll wait to share more about Kristin because her talent and artistry deserves an entry of its own!)

At some point during our conversation, I brought out my paper swatch books and I told her that I wished that more of my clients felt comfortable using prints and patterns versus the solid cardstock that most of them select for their wedding stationery. It wasn't until I was updating my production schedule today that I remembered that I have three jobs coming up that will indulge my pattern obsession!

This first pattern has a tropical feel, but I love that the leafy outlines are thin and not overpowering. For me, it represents that "tropical elegance" that's sometimes hard to capture.



Purple is definitely a "hot" color this season and I can't wait to complete my pocketfold invitations using this deep purple brocade pattern. The interior invitation will feature text only so as not to compete with the intricate design.



The third pattern is a lovely pairing of aquamarine and Tiffany blue. I love that each individual element of this pattern could be a beautiful embellishment on its own. Altogether, the print is simply gorgeous.

Join me in my quest to give prints and patterns the attention they deserve!

Hawaii Bride & Groom - Spring/Summer 2011

The Spring/Summer 2011 issue of Hawaii Bride & Groom magazine is hitting newsstands now!

I was excited to collaborate with several amazingly talented wedding pros for an editorial feature photographed at The Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Here are a few sneak peeks:

Finally changed out my ad, too! Special thanks to Kris Labang Photography for shooting the photo of this custom program.

View the latest issue of Hawaii Bride & Groom online here.

She made me drink soup

As a kid, I hated soup for whatever reason. So, on those fateful nights when I saw the soup pot on the stove, I would cry. I cried so hard and so long that my mother would give me a time-out...although, in those days no one called them time-outs. While I sat alone feeling sorry for myself, I could hear my parents and two older brothers in the kitchen -- talking, laughing, murmuring about the little girl crying in the hallway and her odd hatred of soup. When my time-out was over, I was allowed to return to the table. Would my mom make me a bologna and cheese sandwich instead? Or maybe my beloved musubi with ume? Nope. I got a bowl of fill-in-the-blank soup (that was once hot and steaming, but was now lukewarm) just like everyone else. Defeated, I drank it. The ironic thing is that my mom is a really good cook and I really can't pinpoint any particular reason for these soup tantrums. I chalk it up to just one of those puzzling mysteries about kids that has no rhyme or reason.

I'm happy to say that  my soup aversion is no longer and, in fact, I love my mom's soup. Frozen ziploc bags of Portuguese bean soup were part of my care package when I moved away from Hawaii for the first time. Homemade chicken soup is still her go-to remedy when any of us feels a cold coming on...doesn't matter that her kids are not "kids" anymore and have all flown the nest. For me, my mom's soup equals love and I'll take an extra bowl of that any day.

Happy Mother's Day...

Up, up, and away

Sad, but true fact: a lot of my design ideas will hit the cutting room floor before seeing the light of day. I suppose it's just the nature of this job, having to come up with several concepts for each client and holding my breath while they pick one and reject the others. Most of the time, I can accurately predict which design they'll pick, but I often throw in an extra design as a "curve ball" of sorts - something a little different, something that speaks more loudly to my own interpretation of their wedding style, something that they didn't ask for but might be willing to consider once they see it fleshed out on paper.

Someone contacted me a few weeks ago inquiring about custom invitations for her son's first birthday party. The theme of the party was inspired by the Disney/Pixar movie UP and she was having a difficult time finding suitable invitations. I loved the movie, loved her theme, and loved the possibility of designing something so fun and youthful. We exchanged a couple of emails, I sent her my proposal, she approved it, and we were just about to start the design process...and then...she found out that her sister-in-law had already taken care of the invitations and was planning to surprise her with it! That meant a lost order for me (which was unfortunate but totally understandable), but even worse, the UP design was stuck in my mind for days! I realized that I needed to move forward with the design to remedy the visions of balloons dancing in my head. This is what I came up with:

I envisioned putting the client's last name on the mailbox fronting the house, and adding a few wayward balloons to the rsvp card...maybe even a single balloon on the mailing envelope. If I'm lucky, this design will find its way into the hands of another client one day and be saved from obscurity!

Help us help you

When I'm meeting with my clients for the first time, I can normally size them up pretty quickly and assign them to one of three categories after a few minutes of discussion:

1) I HAVE A CLEAR VISION, PLEASE EXECUTE IT FOR ME.
This client knows exactly what they want from distinct color, to style, to specific fonts. They've labored over all the details and may have even put together a mock-up of the design themselves. Little time is wasted in making decisions

2) I KNOW WHAT I LIKE AND DON'T LIKE, PLEASE HELP ME TRANSLATE THIS.

This client may come in with magazine tear sheets, fabric swatches, images of different invitation styles that they've collected off the internet. They have a general idea of the design direction they'd like to go in, but need guidance in how to pull it all together.

3) I HAVE MY COLORS PICKED OUT. THAT'S IT. PLEASE HELP ME...I'M BEGGING YOU

This client wants an overview of every option that's available. They're not sure if they want something simple or something elaborate. They appreciate a slow and steady approach in which they can see lots of samples in hopes that something will spark the perfect inspiration.

Honestly, I don't prefer one type of client over the other. I enjoy quick and efficient consultations with my "clear vision" clients just as much as I enjoy the challenge of helping couples discover their personal style preferences. It's all good. But what makes it even better is when my clients are open to suggestions and can benefit from my experience or knowledge. For example, maybe your dream invitation includes a beautiful satin bow wrapped around the outside sleeve but you don't realize that this will add bulk and require additional postage. Or maybe you're having a plated dinner and never thought to include menu options on your response cards.

You can't possibly be expected to know all the ins and outs of invitations, or anything wedding-related for that matter, but that's what you should rely on the professionals for. Allow them to guide you, offer their expertise, and you can reap the benefits from their years of experience and knowledge. Relieve the pressure to know all, do all, control all. Help us help you.

And in my own personal attempt to not do all and control all, I've decided to give my coffee maker more control in my daily life. For the first time, I set up the auto brew function and came downstairs this morning to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. I never trusted it to actually come through for me like this, but that's part of own silly control issues hard at work. Yeah, anyway...



My shining moment

The power went out last night at around dusk just as I was beginning assembly on an invitation order that needed to be completed for a shipment going out today. I scrambled to reposition my work table directly in front of the window to soak up the last bit of daylight, but ultimately succumbed to using a single flashlight to finish up the job. I thought about digging out my hiking headlamp but then the lights went back on. I had exactly two invitations left to assemble. Naturally.

Surprise shower for someone, sometime, somewhere

Completed an order for bridal shower invitations last week and was thrilled with how they turned out! They were the perfect, petite-sized invitations with rich, vibrant colors celebrating the bride-to-be and her upcoming nuptials. I only wish I could post a complete photo of it...but it's a surprise shower and I'd hate to be the party pooper who spoils the excitement. This close-up shot will have to do for now!