now you just say, "oh, romeo, yeah, you know i used to have a scene with him"

wedding crafty time continues! today was particularly productive with the following projects completed:

1. menus! i love this pattern from the Met. i'm very happy that all profits for these cards go back to the museum :) reading these descriptions makes be drool. unfortunately, i can barely sit down in the dress -- nevermind eating.

2. seating arrangements -- which are cleverly put as "tonight's performance by" type of insert.

3. which led to table numbers. i originally was just planning to print them on normal paper... BUT i had some great paper left over (from paper source) which i had to use. from there i decided to continue with the calligraphy theme. which lead to PAINTING the numbers on since my normal nibs were just too small.

as strange as it is... i miss the wedding already! i've had such a great time flexing my creativity. guess i'll either have to get hired or throw a lot of dinners in the near future!

quoted: romeo & juliet covered by edwin mccain (who i totally almost hired for the wedding)

it's so natural, you belong to me. i belong to you.

when i embarked on this wedding planning adventure, i had a whole bunch of VISIONS of what it would be like. i feel so truly blessed to have enough creative talent (and foresight to take calligraphy classes) to actually execute on my ideas. this of course has made me just a tiny bit crazy, but i greatly appreciate all the work that goes into creative design for all events.

moving on.

since neither of us are 'cake' people -- (which is different from dessert and sweets people because we are definitely *those* people) we had to think of a meaningful alternative to well.... the wedding cake. chocolate truffles were a natural selection since the fiance is a chocolate fanatic. instead of just getting boring, too modern white square plates to serve the chocolates... i worked up more of a thematic collection of candy dishes, vintage fine bone china, cake plates, domes, etc. the inspiration was a pink depression glass cake stand that his parents got me for christmas one year :)

below is a small cross section of what will be an opulent, chocolatey table. i've been playing around with various color patterns, heights, etc. final product tbd.

let's just say there was a whole lotta eBay going on at home.

quoted: end of the road by boyz II men

pretty woman say you'll stay with me, 'cuz i need you.

now that we're rounding out the FINAL week (literally), it was time to finalize the wedding programs. sticking with the whole opera theme, i designed mini playbills. since these usually just get thrown away (le sigh), i opted for the smallest paper size and binding.

also, the full-bleed just wouldn't work so they were actually all trimmed to be just the perfect size.

another great thing about having a small wedding is that all the crafty things are STILL FUN. considering we didn't have to duplicate this 300 times :D

and of course they were an excuse to showcase our engagement pictures. our photographers (verite) are seriously the most amazing and talented ladies around. i highly recommend them!

quoted: pretty woman by roy orbison

my love waits there in san francisco

even though we decided that favors where stupid (unless of course they were edible or instantly usable) and we would not have them, we now have favors! naturally we fell back on our original idea of sharing our favorite chocolates -- so now we've got hundreds of scharffenberger chocolate bars in our home. the smell -- so delicious!

i wanted to keep the wrapping simple (and green!) since we all know it gets tossed in the trash. also aimed for minimal cheesiness by leaving off anything wedding related like our names or the date. BUT did use several motifs including: same Italian decorative paper as the invitations, same <3 stamp as used to seal the invitation envelopes, gold curved and accented hangtag like the placecards (in progress), and of course CHOCOLATE (like the dessert/truffle table).


writing all the tags with my regular script. using my favorite Nikko G nib with dark blue penmanship ink.


stamping each one with the perfect shade of pink/rose that matches the paper accents.


check out the production line!


yummm chocolate. one extra rich milk + extra dark bar each. decorative paper slipped over to keep them together. the next batch is extra rick milk + semisweet.


coming all together. unfortunately it's late and the artificial lighting is bad. DMC precious metal embroidery thread was used to tie the tags on.


unfortunately, the tags are a little difficult to tie on but really completes the whole look. 2 favors completed, 64 more to go. **sigh**. this definitely falls under the category of "creating more work for myself"

quoted: 'i left my <3 in san francisco' by tony bennett

and if the answer is no, can i change your mind?

the best part about being handy is getting to repurpose the various elements into something new and fabulous. i decided for the wedding to wear my mother's pearls (my mother isn't a jewelry type of person but it's still cute and 'borrowed') and some delicate but low key earrings. since i couldn't find 'the perfect' pair... i decided to repurpose the earrings i got from last weekend's wedding. why?

1) it'll be meaningful to have something from my best friend's wedding in mine (although she'll be standing right next to me)
2) i can incorporate something blue
3) i can design them exactly the way i want
4) i can finally use some of the jewelry making stuff stashed at home. yes, i completed this entire project without buying anything.
5) personal design challenge

it's late so tomorrow will be earring #2 :)






quoted: 'change your mind' by the killers

may angels lead you in hear you me my friends

this past saturday was my bff #1's wedding. there's something about being a bridesmaid, and then there's something else being the maid of honor at your best friend's wedding. it's a profound experience, especially when you're standing behind the bride and facing the groom. an overwhelming feeling of protectiveness mixed with absolute abandonment washed over me. perhaps that is what a friend's role in marriage is. to witness the vows of the groom and to want to watch out for your friend even though she's standing up there alone (as an adult). indeed.

i had the great pleasure of cooking up the placemats for the rehearsal dinner since the brown kraft paper table covers needed some love. the couple is traveling through spain and morocco for their honeymoon and cooked/catered a fitting menu. trying to keep with the rustic feel, i played around with vintage country maps, did some color switching and saturation, and printed their "Honeymoon Tasting Menu". kinkos online print order turned out surprising well (given their small upload file limits) and does such snazzy things like cutting, folding, etc.

throw on my favorite 'hand drawn' placemats from paper source and off we go!



we had spanish tapas, moroccan dinner, AND homemade smores on top of all that. there's nothing like good friends, good food, and something awesome to celebrate!


quoted: 'hear you me' by jimmy eat world

but you are the one i've been waiting for today

fueled by a few sips of banfi's rosa regale, i finally got enough nerve to submit a mother's day card for the paper source contest (vote here). this is actually the first time i've ever entered some kind of art/design/card contest-- but why not? i've taken on an uplifting philosophy lately which is -- the worse that could happen is that you don't win. it's like a job interview -- what's the worse that could happen? you don't get the job.

anyhow, i already designed 2 sets of cards to send to my girl friends. both a bit cheeky to celebrate mother's day. 1 for those ladies who are hoping to be mothers. 1 for those ladies who are so not. actual mothers already get cards from their kids so we left them out of the mix ;)

this set was inspired by my good friends (4 of them!) that are 'trying'. and of course by the scientific notion that each canon shot has about 12 million of those little swimmers. hey, science is on your side.

quoted: today by josh radin

as long matters as long you're here with me now

one of my childhood friends has the ULTIMATE girlie mom. my mother requested that i make a card that reflected her favorite things (girlie-ness and pink). it also came with a delicious red berry fruit tart from la boulangerie.

fabriano paper (one of my faves)
silk+satin pink ribbon from the ribbonerie (also my fave)
dr. phil martin's gold ink (metallic particles are perfectly suspended when mixed)
okay so maybe i made a card with all *my* favorite things :)

quoted: "as long as it matters" by gin blossoms

and when those stars burn out, here. oh she'll be there, yes she'll be there.

because i like the creative stuff, my MOH #2 let me design my own bridal shower invites. this idea came to me while talking to her on IM (like we do everyday). these are our actual profiles and how obnoxious we usually are. seriously, i'm still laughing ;)

>>click on the picture to make it bigger and legible.



we'll see if this ends up being the final design.

quoted: 'she is love' by parachute

i'm too sexy for my shirt too sexy for my shirt so sexy it hurts

little hang tags to add to a bridal shower invitation. i've had these tags for years and now i finally get to use them! the best thing about bridal shower games are seeing all the women from different generations giggle together.

quoted: you should all know this one.

i saw mommy kissing santa claus underneath the mistletoe last night

long overdue of course. these were our super cute christmas cards from this winter. since the series have been following our life changes for the past few years, this one was particularly significant. of course several of our friends got engaged/married in the past year so we hope they enjoyed these life events as much as we have.

take flight on the wind of wishing you were here

today the ~30 invitations finally made it into the mailbox. a part of me is very very sad that they are gone. but at the same time, i'm happy that they are on their way to special people. i'm rather proud of these and love how everything came together.

each handwritten with some gold ink (nikko g nib)

much to my dismay, they replaced all the traditional stamped meter mail with ugly bar-code metered mail. ended up ordering the 'king/queen' stamps which were quite fitting. thank goodness stamps are stickers now.

note the subtle envelope liner that is reflected in the Opera House design.

the invitation enclosure tied with a pink silk ribbon

unwrapping... like a box of chocolates. the bow took some careful consideration. i wanted to have it only be one pull, but still have the bow-look.

oh no! the beautiful bow!

and the insides are revealed!

my calligraphy classes definitely came into handy ;)

as part of our season tickets, we had the chance to watch the Balanchine Masterworks last week. Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48 is my all time favorite composition and was the reason I selected the program. but behold another special treat... dancing invitations! I was beyond excited to see the costumes since the color palette was exactly like the one I picked. sweet!

quoted by: "awakening" by mae

we were the kings and queens of promise

phase 2-4: assembling the invitations (insides are hidden to keep the secret factor)

this is the best advice i've received about designing invitations.
"think of the whole invitation as a package of fancy chocolates. the experience starts the minute you start opening the box." -jenn tong/cheng graphic designer extraordinaire

the ribbon is this absolutely delicate pink silk that took my breathe away. it not only channels the femininity of weddings, but echos the marie antoinette decadence so well. as always, thank you the ribbonerie for stocking the finest.

tower of ~50 invitations lovingly hand written (by me) and assembled by the future husband. our handiwork coming to a mailbox near you.

phase 5: addressing the envelopes

my make-shift calligraphy corner (i.e. dining room table) with all necessary supplies in arm's reach.

my hand hurts. especially after doing this about 50 times. don't stalk my friend please. i really hope they make it through the mail.

quoted: "kings and queens" by 30 seconds to mars

but if you wait around a while, i'll make you fall for me

sneak preview: mno wedding invitations with fresh calligraphy. the picture doesn't do the actual ink justice (shimmery blue and accented with antique gold). the idea is swirly, french, decadence. the experience begins when the guest sees a colored envelope (break the monotony of white/cream envelopes!) with gold lettering. open up to a presentation style enclosure and TA-DAH! more to come obviously.

phase 1: invitations

it's actually quite laborious having to handwrite everything (calligraphers earn ever penny), which for some reason i didn't suspect would quite take so long. half of the invitations are complete, handful of envelopes... soon rsvp cards.

quoted: 'the promise' by when in rome

make a wish or just take charge

fantasizing about getting my own letterpress. i like the blind-deboss since it adds some texture without detracting from the actual message. played around with a few different styles, but keep going back to song lyrics. you know how i love those lyrics. thought it would be cute if the RSVP card, rehearsal dinner invite, etc all had different pieces of the song. this one is from 'the everglow' by mae which was our first concert together ;)

quoted: the everglow by mae

every day and every night i always dream you are by my side

i woke up early on thursday already in the midst of planning. i do love when that happens (kind of like writing term papers in your sleep). i'm pretty sure it was the high from deciding on our photographers (the-oh-so-talented ladies of verite photography) the night before.

the l'amour toujours idea keeps coming back since: it means 'love always' in french (which we are learning -- or at least trying to), it's an semi-obscure gigi d'agostino trance/electronic song that both of us love (separately) and break out dancing when it comes onto the ipod (together), and might be our first dance song (the mellow version of course). from euro-dance to opera. i know.

so this started out as a normal 4Bar card... then after a shuttle ride to work, the ticket idea solidified. i dashed straight to the computer when i got home and whipped this out after a few hours. inspiration is so great!

taking the feel of tradition concert tickets (we have TONS of those), throw in some awesome font and swirls (nod to myself), throw in some pertinent information (date, time, location), add some flavor (gold pattern is a beautiful paper i picked up at paper-source for envelop lining that also echos the flat light fixture in the Opera House)
of course i love the little red hearts. they match my shoes!

we'll also write personal messages to everyone. we really want our guests to feel like we really want them there. because we do!

the translucent paper gave it a little extra something. like pocket holders! initially i was thinking of having a folded card w/ tickets tucked inside. but i feel like this highlights the ticket-ness more.

cream envelop w/ the decorative paper. navy blue backing. really liking the rounded edges. also liking the subtle cut edge. who knew those scissors i've had for 10+ years came into handy!

exploring with navy envelop instead. not convinced, writing with white or metallic ink on envelopes is usually more trouble than it's worth.

continuing on running w/ the idea. seats are "Center Box O" or "Center Box M" (haha) or even Orchestra or Mezzanine. so far this is my favorite. then again i say that about every one so far.

i also feel like save-the-dates are a little fussy for our event, esp since we will have to send out the invites 6 months in advanced. but this has the potential to look like a cool fridge magnet. haha. save the dates are also a great excuse to design a calendar! right, keep it under control...

quoted: l'amour toujours by gigi d'agostino

and i'm sending you a signal tonight you don't know how desparate i've become

vintage stamps where art thou? i <3 the idea of vintage stamps, mostly because the colors are so vibrant and my uncle used to carve stamps for taiwan (i know!) just the labor going into each one where you can see each mark of the artist is unbelievable. i'm not so much a fan of the 'fun' ones now :( although the adhesive backings are definitely an improvement! anyhow, i've collectively spent a few hours searching for vintage stamps to use on the invitations. and well, i've come to a point where i can't find stamps for a decent price AND i am starting to feel such huge guilty pangs for wanting to actually USE collectible stamps! :'( but the invitation i have in mind definitely doesn't do well with everyday stamps... i wonder if i could just get them metermailed (less intrusive design) OR if they can all be hand-delivered. just imagine someone showing up just to hand you in an invitation. how truly authentic... i wonder if ogs will let me hire couriers... hrm. maybe if i hock my goyard bag...

there is no art in the post. just the realization of being respectful and also minorly deterred. onwards and upwards?

i did find the family crest though... waxed seal... family crest... i'm madly in lust with this handmade italian fabriano ingres paper i picked up at arch last weekend. the most refined deckled edges. delicious. i think this is a sign that i should start brushing up on my calligraphy. still torn if i should go down the calligraphy route or the letterpress route. i still think calligraphy is more refined and will convey the feel we're going for. BUT i can do custom calligraphy and THEN letterpress it so it will be easier to read. those trajan capitals are a pain to write btw.

also on the hunt for the wedding ring. not that i'm EVER taking the engagement ring off!


quoted: missing you by tyler hilton (or at least his version)

i love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you

because i'm an overly emotional individual, i always get weepy when i hear the song 'the luckiest' by ben folds five. the lyrics are so intensely profound. i've been toying around with the idea of having putting on a stage production/theme-ish/thing that incorporates something like glossy fliers, movie posters, etc. maybe making a book out of the lyrics. telling people how lucky we all are. hmmm.

played around with photoshop for a bit. not loving it. thought about having one of my architect/friends do an ink drawing of the opera house that i could use. hmmmmmm.



back to the drawing board.

quoted: the luckiest by ben folds five

you and me are the same we don't know or care who's to blame

this morning we went to pick our rentals. of *course* i was armed with inspiration pieces and pre-email the nice lady at Hartmann Studios a preselected list and ideas. we actually had a REALLY good time and were super productive. i'm so glad i did all my pre-planning and had a firm idea of what we were looking and going for before starting. otherwise i can see how the choices would be intensely overwhelming.

from this:

to this:

i think it's rather divine. the lady suggested a few table cloths and we fell in love with this one. ogs then picked the wine glasses and i picked out everything else. all done under an hour! now to debate ice chiavari v. ghost chair.

quoted: united states of eurasia by muse (how appropriate is that title?)