Baby Girl Nursery Print, Water Color Calligraphy

I have a handful of work that does not fit my typical wedding and live event work. It’s always piece I love and am proud of, but differ just enough from my typical offerings. This beautiful, water color and brush lettering print is just one of those pieces that could not stay hidden in my files any longer!

Photo by Wonder & Awe; Mary McCoy

It is always an honor when someone asks me to do a print for them. It seems even more sweet when it is a print to hang in a nursery, since so many hours are usually sent by new parents in that space.

When Chelsea ask me for this beautiful brush, calligraphy verse I had to say ‘yes’.How beautiful is this room and how it fits above the bookcase? Just a gorgeous sentiment and in an already beautiful room.

Trending Wedding Colors : 2021

Photos starting top Left Column: Boutonnière florals by Izzy & Co. Photography | RSVP by Lina Lulu Paperie | Florals by Elisabeth Dari | Bridesmaid Dress Photo by Teresa Williams | Organic Florals photo by Teresa Williams | Save the Date by Lina Lulu Paperie and Photo by EV Photography

I am in love with the color trends emerging for late 2020 and forecasted for 2021 weddings! We will continue to see beautiful earth tones with such colors as Terracotta, Warm Grey, Hazy yellow and Sage Green through out all the seasons. Neutrals, I believe, will continue to dominate in the winter and spring weddings with a mix of off-white colors complimented against beige, grey and pale pinks. For late spring and summer wedding colors found in nature will be back in vibrant hues including airy blues, shades of greens, and a mix of purples and soft pinks to bring in the feminine, romantic feel that comes with those long summer nights.

What do you think will be popular this upcoming year? Do you think neutrals will be gone by the time Winter 2021 comes? I’d love to hear your opinion or what colors you have picked for your wedding!

Pattern Play

I have been loving the patterns popping up on my Pinterest lately. From fun food patterns to illustrated gems, they seem to be all that I have been pinning. I especially have been loving the floral and geometric gems. I grabbed  a few of my favorite to create this mood board. What have you been pinning lately?

Patterns (TOP to BOTTOM) : 1 & 2 | 3 & 4 | 5 & 6

Moodboard: Christmas Season

Top: 1 / 2 / 3 Middle: 4 / 5 / 6 Bottom: 7 / 8 / 9

Though the snow today was not a totally unwelcomed (cold) surprise in Chicago, it feels as if it is officially been proclaimed winter! With later months come Thanksgiving, and of course the season of Christmas. I know it is somewhat scandalous to think about Christmas before the Thanksgiving turkey is even plucked for the table, but it is with snow that the warm feelings of Christmas and winter come sweeping in to my mind – and of course designing our Christmas/Holiday card! I pulled some photos I have seen that remind me of how Christmas season past have felt and looked like for me, and what I want to convey in our card this year. (Plus, how cute is that snow covered fox!) The large snowflakes, the cozy lights and coco, and the steady stream of red from decorations to car lights on their way to and fro. And how about that great typeface, Frosted by Molly Jaques. It felt like a perfect cherry on top to start thinking about this years holiday season.

Sketches and Suprises: B is for Beauty

I have the amazing privileged to work along side a talented group of designers at my full time job. They constantly are introducing trends, smarter design solutions, pushing one another to create stunning design solutions.  

One of those instances is what the team calls Infused Inspiration Fridays: Challenges.

Started by a small pool of our design team, about a handful of us on the team gather and execute a predetermined design challenge once a month on Friday afternoon. Someone on the team creates a "challenge", in which we are given a set of guide lines, and a set time limit. The challenges have ranged so far from creating a pattern inspired by fall decor to creating a music album cover with only a set of words and images.

This past week our challenge was to use one image and the word "beauty" to create something that we believed represented beauty.

My interpretation of our teams Infused Inspiration Friday Challenge - read below to see the guidelines!

Here is an example of the rules: 

 1. Download assets. Link sent in email.
2. Create your interpretation of “beauty” only using:
—the word “beauty”   — this image
3. You have the one image and one word. In addition you can use any color, any font, any size, any medium (on or off the computer), and anything you can create using the word “beauty” and this image.
4. You CANNOT add any other images or textures. 
5. Your final piece must use this image and have the word “beauty” written somewhere on it.
6. You have 25 minutes to design and print your piece.
7. Present your piece to the team at the round table.
8. Have fun! 

Each time it is incredible to see not only what myself and my teammates produced in a short time, but how wide of a range of thoughts and talents are represented in this fun exercise.

Color Companions: Brown & Red

The richness of the mid-fall changing of the leaves doesn't come every year, but when it does it stops you in your tracks. All those leaves creating a blaze with the mix of oranges, yellows, and reds. Makes you want to grab a sweater!

That is definitely a top reason I love the transition from summer to fall - chunky sweaters to wrap you up in front of bonfires, and that great deep, red wine color you can add to deepen and soften your fall decore of pumpkin orange and mum yellow.

Clockwise: Sweater , Type Poster, Berries, and Rug

Creative Quotes

Artist Admiration : Rifle Paper Co

Since I first saw her illustrated wedding invitations floating around magazines and blogs alike, I have been attracted to Anna Bonds work and her company Rifle Paper Co. 

The palette of  mixed muted colors with pops of fun colors have always inspired my own love and work  with floral motifs. Their latest look book is stunning with their product displayed mixed among sweet paper cut out flowers, and gorgeous fresh flowers that make each page truly pop off the page.

Find more of their look book images here and here.

Look Book 2013, Rifle Paper Co.

Rifle Paper Co. Look Book, 2013

Color Companions: Blue & Green

With the changing of summer into fall, and the mixed weather we have been having in the Midwest, I've been inspired by the bold swatches of summer's fresh green that is clinging on to the leaves and grass under the cool  grey blue that is the fall early evening sky.

Makes for a lovely combo. 

Clockwise: Quote  by Zyanya Lorenzo ; Japanese Paper ( JAGAT ) ; Photo Inspired by Farm Wedding, Once Wed ; Chuncky Necklace ( LE CATCH BLOG )

Creative Quotes

Color Companions: Black & White

I have decide to dedicate this space as both a function for showcasing projects I've finished, ideas that I am working on, and mix in things and people that inspire me.

Clockwise: Pop Fiz Dress  from Mod Cloth ; Lotta Agaton Shop (Picture from DESIGNLOVEFEST) ; Paul Kilsby Gorgeous Photograph ; "Finley & Alice" from Kevin Davis Young

Creative Quotes

This article, Unsolicited Thoughts on Unsolicited Design, by designer Matt Stevens was passed onto me by a co-worker and it struck a great nerve in me. With being fresh out of college, designing outside of work was not a common practice for the first 6-8 months from a classroom environment. Freed from classes, same student projects, and homework -  I came home at night from working a creative job for 8 hours, and all I desired was to eat dinner and stay far from my computer.  As the months went on, I noticed something different from the few times I would pick up my sketchbook and doodle outside my job versus those nights I would hardly do anything in the pursuit of "relaxing". I noticed those nights I was creative for my own sake, I felt more energized to go back to work and begin the next work day more excited to work on my "mandatory" design projects.

Overall the words rang through my ears as I read through Mr. Stevens article. Like anything one does, you make time for the things you love. Why not continue to remind ourselves as creatives why we chose design as a career path and continue to make time for creative things.