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VINTAGE TRAVEL INSPIRED WEDDING SUITE::PART DEUX

Okay, so this my dears was the FAVE part of yesterday's suite.  It's the R.S.V.P. and we created it to look like a vintage linen postcard.  It turned out so much better than we even dreamed!  If we had a larger budget (and more time) we could have had these printed on actual linen cardstock but really these turned out quite swell indeed!

I think it's important that you know the image was just a snapshot that we pulled from a free stock photo site.  I think it would have been even more special if it was an image from the couple's travels but they aren't shutterbugs so we opted on the stock site. I hope when we do this suite in the future we will be able to get a photo that really means something to the couple because this would be so cool to turn into their personal stationery, don't you think? Here is the 'before' photo in all it's humble glory:

I really don't know if it's even possible but if it is I would love to turn the process of making this photo look like a vintage linen postcard into a Photoshop action for our creative photo kits (I am working on them scout's honor!) So the above photo was turned into this:

To say I love Photoshop is such an understatement.  To say I love it and want to marry it isn't even enough.  To say it changed my life is giving it plenty of credit but surely not as much as it truly deserves.  We really were happy with the result of the RSVP and the printing was nice and yummy too, the stock was thick and the colors were spot on for this piece ( a rarity as you designers out there can attest). We think this would ROCK as a Save the date (but we are biased).

Being that this wedding is taking place in D.C. there was only one wedding planner that could pull this off, my very fave DC event designer--Ms. Maria Cooke of Ritzy Bee events + blog!  It was a great coincidence that we were designing this suite and she was planning the couples wedding (I designed the Ritzy Bee logo!). I can't wait to see the pics. If you are planning a DC/Virginia based event and need something stunning Maria really is the end all, be all.  Plus she's sweeter than sugar and has the best taste. What more could you ask for?

VINTAGE TRAVEL INSPIRED WEDDING SUITE::BESOTTED BRAND LLC

As promised here's a little looksey into the custom wedding suite we recently created for our bride + groom.  It was a rush job, which we ordinarily wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole or a stack of Benjamin's (sanity first is our motto) but the bride had us at 'hello'.  She was smart, sassy and loved us so who were we to turn her away? The budget was super tight, especially with it being a rush.  To be honest I really wasn't sure if we could pull it off but when the bride loved the first comp and only made spelling changes we forged ahead. I am so happy we did!

Since the couple met while traveling and it is their great passion we used that as our creative spring board. We created a faux 'company' dubbed 'A & A Adventure Co.' (their initials).  We designed the invite to mimic an antique train ticket and asked the couple for a favorite quote to place in the space which would normally be reserved for the train's destination.

The ticket number on the bottom is actually the date of their wedding and of course this ticket is one way!

We added a vintage world map to the back of the invite, which in the future when we do this suite again I don't think we would do.  I would have loved to have lined the envelopes instead with the map or create envelope wrap labels with the motif.

Here's what we would have loved to have added to the suite:: a custom wrap label::

AND a custom vintage inspired return address stamp (complete with distressing--swoon!)

We chose Kraft envelopes so the invite when received felt like an old timey parcel.  Both Jules and I LOVE Kraft paper and thought it added a nice little touch.  Tomorrow I will upload our favorite piece of the suite.  We were both so proud of the way it turned out and I can't wait to share!

SLOAN PHOTOGRAPHERS

These images made me gasp, so lovely and nostalgic.  They are by the very talented husband + wife photography duo Sloan Photographers. The cute couple?  Geoff + Stacy. So sweet...

The above great find was due to the new to me Impressed, inc.

IT'S A WRAP....IS YOUR BRAND WORTHY?

{photo from gizmag}

Again, I am sure I am the last to know about this.  I just found out.  If I just found out, I was thinking there may be others out there as well--It's self-sticking wrapping paper!  It's by gift Jedi's Hallmark. It's clever, I like clever.  From a pr + marketing stand point it's great because it's NEW.  If you are struggling with your PR campaigns ask yourself, "Is my X newsworthy?"  If not perhaps an adjustment is in order. I have lot's to spill on PR + Marketing but I think it's best in small doses because A) I am not sure I want to spill all my beans B) I get easily distracted.  This bit of info I shared with you above is the cornerstone of PR, no, not the self-stick wrapping paper but "Is your X newsworthy?" 

BTW, I might be more apt to share with you more PR + Marketing 'secrets' if you have specific questions (remember I am tired, coming up with this stuff 'aint easy).  I did run a bi-coastal, fashion + lifestyle PR firm for nearly 20 years and have worked with every major publication you can think of.  I would call myself somewhat of an expert in this subject.  So ask away....

FREE CLOTHES!

{visit modcloth on the bright side project!}

I don't usually talk about clothes or make mood boards but then again I don't usually give away gift certificates either.  Lucky for you The Bright Side Project does.  Modcloth a cute little shop I came across a couple months back is generously giving away some goods.  It really has some keen finds and great prices.  You have to move fast as it seems other hawk like fashionistsa's are on to this little find and have already bought out those cute booties that I thought would be mine.  Not fast enough. I won't let that happen again.  They also seem to have the cutest lil' mascot this side of the Mississippi...Nope he's not for sale.

 

{click here for more smarty pug pics}

MISS LEBOEUF PIGGIEBOTTOM--A BLAST FROM THE PAST

Oh happy Monday to you!  So much going on, have hardly time to take a breath of air let alone update this place.  In traditional Miss B. fashion, I had a boat load of to-do, but not much gumption to dive into it.  My mind kept wandering and finally I decided if its going to wander, I would let it and maybe when it was finished wandering it would allow me to finish my tasks at hand.  Well, the brain had a story it wanted pursued, a story about my Frenchie Boeuf turned into a child, named Miss LeBouef PiggieBottom.  Why PiggieBottom you ask?  Well, all Frenchies have bottoms that look like little piggies with their corkscrew tails.  Miss PiggieBottom wanted a pet budgie (a pudgie little bird), but I don't know how to draw a budgie, so she got a common raven instead.  The monocle was A.'s idea, even though he didn't like the idea of me pursuing silly stories instead of slaving over proposals, shame on him! I told him he didn't have any imagination, although the monocle is brilliant and that is Bouef's bad eye in real life. Sigh, I drew G.G. as well, she's in a snow bunny costume as she is in reality and Miss Tippen Hollowtree, a very tired young lady.   I don't know where the story is going, I guess I'll have to wait until the weekend and have Miss LeBoeuf PiggieBottom give me more details....

A post from December 2006.  Mind you I never did finish this story...

GEORGEOUS...BLAST FROM THE PAST...

I may have forewarned you about G.G., my snow bunny of a puppy whom is quite chicken (will elaborate soon).  I may have mentioned the need for medical attention if you saw a mere a glimpse of her, so I do hope you heeded my warning because I am about to unleash the cuteness and consider yourself well prepared for this ocular overload...

You see, I told you, it's not merely I that considers her drop dead Georgeous,  it is an undisputed fact.  Anyways, in keeping with my silly story that I have no idea where it's going, I needed a moment to get Georgeous a.k.a Georgie Girl, a.k.a. G.G. materialized into her storybook self.  What I do know is that Georgeous is Miss PiggieBottom's big, little sister, of course they are not biological sisters, but they are as sister as they come in the scheme of things.  Georgeous doesn't have any pets like her sister, since Miss PiggieBottom is allergic to near everything but Georgie does have quite a menagerie of friends, everyone knows and loves Georgeous...

a post from December 2006...

I LOVE CATHE HOLDEN...

I so do.  I love how creative she is, funny, and nice.  Yes, sooo nice. But really her creativity is aces, she just always knocks it out of the park.  I feel like dedicating this whole Blahg to her (this is after all my second post dedicated to her genius).  I want to come in each day and yelp, 'OMG!  Did you see what Cathe did?'  Yes, that's how I feel.  She made the world's CUTEST rubber stamp from all things a produce rubber band AND a wallpaper roller thingy.  It so blew me away.  You don't believe me do you that it was the CUTEST rubber stamp--EVER?  Okay, see for yourself....

 

{photo's property of the amazing Cathe Holden}

Are you squealing?  YES!  Well, get on over to Cathe's blog and learn how to make yourself a pretty lil', pennant rubber stamp!

ANOTHER BLOGGER WITH A BOOK DEAL? HOW UNUSUAL...

I totally swiped this image, I can tell you where it's from but I don't know who took it.  Whomever (?) was the photographer was pretty lucky to be in such close proximity to a squishy lil' beast like this. F.U. Penguin, a blog that had me dump mine for a week to sit drooling in front of hers? his?  I have no clue.  Well, he/she got a book deal, will be signing books at Fred Segal on Saturday.  I would be there ONLY if there was a promise of this panda being there too.

DID YOU KNOW?

I don't know if you know about this already, maybe, maybe not.  There's a site I am quite fond of not for it's offerings (but that's only because I can't afford any of their offerings) but their content.  They do the best interviews with designers in their series called 'Style Compass'.  I mean really the best.  It's so fun to get a peek into lives of designers that you may admire or discover new talent and inspiration. They really do feed the inner designer-phile addiction.  It's called 1st Dibs, and truly I hate the name (sorry to the founder Mr. Bruno).  I think the logo is cheap looking too (it's in italics for goodness sakes!).  Sorry, I have been thinking these things for a while and I wanted to tell someone.  Other than that, TOTALLY dig the site.  I think that it's not too late to make their logo rock but what do I know? I have monkeys swinging from a chandelier as my motif...