spotlight: frond suite

today i put together a simple inspiration board that was inspired by one of my pre-designed suites, the frond suite.

this suite was designed with a garden or outdoor themed wedding in mind. soft greens and neutrals are contrasted by oranges and corals and taken in a geometric direction. i love the idea of pairing this suite with rustic woods and old, exposed brick.

this suite is modern, clean and simple, but is also customizable for your wedding and your decor if you so desire. to see more information about this suite or any of the pre-designed suite options, go to my shop.

enjoy!

images | table setting | cake

weakness

weakness.

we all have struggles. different things that we would consider as “failings.” it is in these particular places that, i have found, hold some of the greatest potential to meet Him, the One who created us and the One who formed our most inward parts.

i’ve struggled with weaknesses for years. things that left me feeling like i wasn’t strong enough, but what i am beginning to realize is that these things only allow His strength to meet me in the places that sometimes feel alone and dark. they are moments to allow Him to come and hold me and become my strength when i am failing. it starts with choosing to believe His truth and His words that He speaks over me. our hearts and our flesh are weak, and they do fail us. He never does.

so even though it has been a difficult process of opening up about the things in my heart that can seem “lesser,” it offers an opportunity to those around me in my community to bond and connect in a way that would otherwise not be possible. because when we say that we are weak, we give others the opportunity to say they are too, and in that moment, a deep connection is formed that i think we all crave and desire. we find a similarity in others that allows us to feel connected, loved and even covered up in grace. it’s a manifestation of what His love is towards us. so, in admitting to weaknesses and struggles, and opening up about them to those closest to us, we are really choosing to be brave and courageous, and it allows for the gift of true love to wash over us in a whole new way.

collaboration: free wedding

almost three years ago to the day, i was involved in a collaborative project to help throw a free wedding.

many of the vendors from the notwedding that year decided to throw a contest to award a wedding to couples who applied and the one that got the most votes would win a complete wedding – free of charge.

i was a pair of helping hands at the notwedding that march (more to share on that soon), and was asked to come on board when they were in need of a wedding dress. in their minds, the perfect dress was light, airy, full of beautiful details – and sky blue. (it’s not every day you find a sky blue wedding dress!) starting with an old vintage slip that we found in east atlanta, and several yards of sky blue silk chiffon, we began cutting and draping a dress. along the way, i helped make a ring pillow and hand-bound the guest book which was covered in a vintage piece of cloth.

the day was sweet and such a fun celebration to be a part of. the vendors came together in a fun collaboration of whimsy, charm, and sweet romance, which was everything this couple was about.

it was such a pleasure to get to know and celebrate kaitlyn and sam. enjoy the pictures below, and if you want to see even more images from our labor of love, it was featured on oncewed here and here (and more).

recently spotted: bridesmaid cards

a new item is available in the shop - another product from the prep work done for my recent vendor show.

in creating this product, i thought about how fun it would be fun to ask your closest friends to be in your wedding party in a special and meaningful way, so i created cards (which can be customized) to formally ask those ladies (and gents) to stand by your side on your wedding day.

the cards below are shown in two different colorways, but i love custom projects and ideas, so if you had something in mind, but don’t see quite what you are looking for, feel free to contact me!

these items are also available in the shop now, so click here to go take a look!

hand-lettered wrapping

last week, cyd, from the sweetest occasion, featured me on her blog!
i had submitted a simple DIY project to her along with images, and the post was featured last wednesday!

you can check out the full project with steps and pictures here, but i also wanted to share a few details about it below.

the concept behind the DIY was mainly focused on creating your own gift wrap by hand-lettering your own messages either directly onto the box, or on another material that would be wrapped around the box. one example of the lettering is on twill tape, written with a fabric marker – both were bought at a local craft store, and another example is using doodles and messages on a kraft roll of paper that was then wrapped around a small jewelry gift box.

this idea could be used on any type of gift, from a wedding favor to a birthday present or just an everyday small token to a friend. adding that personal touch is what i love about hand-lettered projects. i hope these ideas might inspire you when wrapping your next gift to someone your heart loves. adding your own personal handwritten note makes the gift that much sweeter. enjoy!

november mountain wedding

this custom suite was also from last year. after meeting with erin and hearing what she envisioned for her wedding in the mountains of north carolina, we worked together to create a single-colored suite of invitations, custom maps, response postcards and belly bands.

her one main color – a deep violet/indigo – was what she wanted to use throughout her entire decor, with bridesmaids dresses, accents and stationery, so the key was using this color in several different applications and opacities to be able to still provide variety while keeping the suite consistent and cohesive.

i introduced custom envelope liners in this project, and also assembled and hand addressed her 200 envelopes for the first time on an official order! my favorite piece of this custom order had to be the foldout map that guests could take with them on the road to help make sure they were going the right way!

if you are looking for your own custom invites for your special day, check out more information here. erin and jonathan, it was an absolute pleasure helping you with your stationery! enjoy!

family holiday card + photo shoot 2011

the last nine months or so have introduced me to many first-time experiences. last december was one of those chances. i had the privilege of doing a mini photo shoot for one of my dearest friends and her family. we found a spot in a nearby park off the beaten path and walked along the lake taking shots just as the sun was coming up for the day and peaking over the trees.

their two little men (two of the cutest around) helped make the shoot so much fun! i tried to have my camera ready, and although i consider myself still a bit of a newbie as a photographer, the shots ended up coming together and i was able to capture a few sweet candids also.

here are some of my favorite shots:

the plan was to do a mini shoot and then choose a favorite image to become their family holiday card. after all the edits were done, here was the final card that they sent out to family and friends:

thankful for long-lasting friends who let you try new things and believe in you enough to support you stepping into those new places! love you, abraham family!

recently crafted: birthday present

a dear friend of mine had a birthday on saturday. i call her my “crafting buddy” when speaking of her to many of my other friends. we have so much fun going to craft stores and indulging in our habits of knitting, crocheting and jewelry making. because she has a large appreciation for handmade items and crafty gifts (as well as a strong love for coffee), i decided to make her a gift that incorporated both.

i bought coffee, a plain coffee bag (which can be found at your local craft store) and wrote my own message to her along with brewing instructions (in my own special way). with the fresh coffee, i hand-painted her a mug that is similar to the one seen below. classy style and great taste are two things that this friend exhibits all the time, so i stuck with a more traditional black and white pattern for her mug. the DIY i referenced for the mug can be found here.

we met and had coffee (of course) and did a little shopping on saturday, and it was so much fun getting to spend time in celebration of her life! love you katie!

the blooming

bloom //

when flowers bloom they are without shame or inhibition doing what the Maker always meant for them. in fact, it is their intended purpose. first the bud, then the flower, and sometimes the leaves or fruit follow.

in any case, it is usually a beautiful process to behold. when the bloom is about to open, the anticipation gets me. every time. i can’t wait to drink in the detail of the most intricate parts of the inside of the flower with my eyes.

the dictionary describes blooming to be the state or period of greatest beauty, freshness or vigor. it’s the time we all wait for when planting new flowers each year or each season…

i want to be my fullest self. to be radiant and glowing. to come into full beauty, health and to flourish. to be how He intended for me to be, and doing it so others can see His beauty. whether it looks like a bloom that opens in the midst of summer heat, or the one who needs the cooler temperatures to coax open its petals, i am seeking after what He has put inside of me for others to see, and i think, just maybe, it might be time to bloom.

wedding day hooray + table competition

i have shared a little bit about the show that i was involved in back in february – wedding day hooray – but i wanted to share some more details from the day. it was my first vendor show, and therefore, much of it was a learning experience.

it was so much fun to be involved in an environment where i was surrounded by creatives (who are also just as enthusiastic about the handmade wedding industry as i am), to network and build relationships with them and of course to meet all the fun clients that came through ambient + studio.

this booth was a dream back in october when i signed up to be a part of the show. when i found out in january that i had made it in, i hit the ground running trying to find just the right props and materials to make everything just the way it needed to be and the way i had pictured it for months.

as a vendor, we were each required to make what they call “swag” – also known as free giveaway goodies – and i decided to showcase one of my favor tag ideas – from the sweet treat collection. i attached starburst to the front and hoped that it would make an impact with all those who had a soft spot for pink and sweets!

here’s what the final booth set up looked like.
it was quite the juggling act trying to set this up entirely as well as decorate our table (more on that later), all in a matter of 3 short hours (i couldn’t have done it without the amazing support of miss rachel clifford!). i also owe a shout-out to miss katie scoglietti for coming to help out as well!

i wanted to show a little bit of everything that i like to do, so i had old custom projects shown, my small set of current collection suites were hung on the screen door, the stamps were debuted (check out last week’s post for more info on those), and i also introduced a few new other products (both handwritten and printed) that will be shared shortly – stay tuned!

the main focus was on my custom suites (my absolute favorite part of freelance work). so i designed a new custom suite and laid out the process from beginning to end. starting with original concepts, onto sketches, color palettes, other materials (such as textiles) for inspiration and textures, and finally the finished invites, coordinated printed pieces, a styled place setting and even an example of a bridal bouquet. i wanted brides to be able to picture original ideas and concepts laid out in a fashion where it can become a beautiful product that encompasses even the smallest details (which i think can be the most important and worth including).

another fun part to this new experience was collaborating in the table decor competition with jamie of julia’s poppies design. we brainstormed and worked long and hard making flowers, dying coffee filters and designing all the printed accessories to go with one of our newest suites – the melbourne collection (part of our new collection launching soon!).

the table is pictured below, and the DIY that we created was actually featured on Ruffled a couple of weeks ago!!

overall, the experience far exceeded my expectations and the feedback that i received was warm and so welcomed to a newbie like me trying to find my way in the world of handmade weddings. looking forward to bigger dreams and larger goals. here’s to new adventures in the future!

go to my shop to see more information about my products, and you can also like me on facebook!