Viva La Mexico!

I'm back. I'm tan. I'm answering emails. Uh, which just reminded me, I have had that auto response on all day. Damn!

Style Me Pretty Recap

Here is a recap from yesterday's Style Me Pretty feature. The inspiration boards looked great and we were all very excited to be featured! According to Abby, it was SMP's all time traffic high!! Here some images that were not shown. Again, many thanks to all of the vendors that offered up their services and helped make this shoot beautiful!

Rentals: Special Events Rental / Flowers , Table Design and Dessert Buffet: Aisha Holly | Dooby Design Group / Stationery: Molly Myers • Paisley Quill / Calligraphy: Jessica Larbes • Penned & Pretty / Photography: Aruna Mall • Aruna B. Photography / Videography: Ryan Koral • Epic Motion / Venue: The Royal Park Hotel • Kristen Hickey / Hair & Make-up: Angela Valentine & Jennifer Jaroma • Salon U2 / Cake: Papa Joe’s Market/La Sala Banquet • Sue Helzer / Dress: Amsale • Donated by V2V / Model: Andrea Walker

Holiday Cards

This year's holiday Cards.

Because we have had some changes at PQ, I wanted to do kind of a timeline of events of the past year, leading up to where we are now. It was definitely inspired by those cheesy typed up letters that you inevitably get every year from your Aunt in South Dakota, bragging about how successful your cousins are and all of the exciting places they have traveled in the past year. So, we did that, but put some humor in it and made it look much cooler than a typed up letter on ugly holiday paper. :)

And then of course, the family card. I will have you know, I orchestrated this shoot over Thanksgiving weekend at the lake. I told everyone that they had to wear red or green and look as J.Crew as possible. I think the rest of my family thought I was crazy and self absorbed, but they do not understand my process!

Really Santa, Really?

Ok, I couldn't resist. Here's some Holiday spirit for you. Did you know that Santa only works a 9 to 5er? Actually, he stops taking appointments after 5. SORRY. How ridiculous. So what do us working parents do? Well, you sneak out of your job early, drive like a mad man home to pick up your kid so you can meet Santa on time. Fight with your kid, trying despretely to stuff tiny arms (or in our case, chubby arms and double chins) into a red turtle neck, zig-zag in and out of rush hour traffic to the MALL, only to be thwarted by the mini-van going 20 in the left lane. You drop mom off at the door, cuz it's 4:59 and she needs to get her place in line, while dad and kid drive around looking for a parking space. They find one, on the third floor of the parking structure, 2 miles away from the nearest door. Mom makes it to Santa, but by now it is 5:01, and guess what?! Santa won't take any more appointments! AGGGGHHHHH. I guess we will leave our jobs extra early today and give it another shot.

This is my son having a tantrum before going to see Santa.

I will not show you the picture of Mommy having a tantrum when she found Santa wasn't taking any more appointments.

Take a deep breath and Have a Happy Holiday everyone!

Hand Painted Birth Announcement

When Rebecca contacted me earlier this season for baby announcements, I was thrilled! Not only does she have great style, but she is also the author behind, Clover and Bee, an awesome blog dedicated to all things midwest weddings. Being a Michigander, how could I not love this blog! :) 

The best thing about working on these invites, was that Rebecca totally trusted me to try something I have never done...hand-painted announcements! I think the result was just what she was looking for, a decorative, folk-artsy, feel.

I have been really inspired lately by the work of Anna over at Rifle Design. I have been waiting for an excuse to bust the paints out.  Rebecca's project seemed to be the perfect one. We got the ok from Rebecca, and away we went! I haven't painted anything since college, but it felt great!

I must say, that I cannot take full credit for this one! My husband, Matt, who is creative in his own right, actually sketched out the entire design and I just did the painting. :) He also drew images of ourselves in our son's Yellow Submarine birth announcement! If he keeps this up, we might have to put him on the pay roll!

Rebecca also suggested adding her and her husband's initials carved into the tree. Love it! It adds that personal touch.

5 Years!...WOW!

Today is our 5th wedding anniversary! I can't believe it has been that long! They are not joking when they say, time flies. Especially this year, with a new baby. I can't believe he will be 1 in a short few months! Crazy...

I thought you might get a kick out of looking back on my wedding day and the adventures in our life the past 5 years.

Yup, I'm a blinker...That was taken the week I found out I was pregnant. The bottom left was me at 7 months prego on the way to see AC/DC! And the middle two are taken by Jessica Johnston.  Happy Anniversary babe!

Halloween Card

This year I did our first family Halloween card. We purchased Campbell a lion costume and since then, he has been working at his fierce growl! 

For those of you that are familiar with my work, you have probably noticed that I have a love of type! I like to take various type styles and arrange them so that they all work together in a unique way. 

You open the envelope to see what scary surprise is inside!