Jammin'

Wedding season is in full swing which means there are not enough hours in the day! My office has been jammin' the last few weeks with invitation orders and some other fun stuff, like these darling jam labels.

Of course all work and no play makes for a boring Summer, so I have been doing a lot of traveling to show off my little (or not so little!) bundle of cuteness who has suddenly morphed into more of a little boy! It breaks my heart a little to see him grow up so fast, but watching him grow is awesome and oh so rewarding.

Some exciting things going on and coming up:

Check out my article in the newest issue of Vermont Bride Magazine! I will be contributing a little something in each issue to help with all of your invitation questions and quandaries.

Truly Noted just signed on to be a part of the 2nd Annual Vermont Bride Gala. I am so excited to be a part of this event! It is going to be at Boyden Farm and the theme this year is Alice In Wonderland. Unlike other wedding shows, this one involves each vendor to help bring the theme to life. I have been dreaming up all kinds of fun Wonderland inspired stationery items!

Hopefully coming soon- a new website for Truly Noted! In between invitation mock-ups I have been plugging away at a new web layout that will feature a cleaner, more streamlined look. And of course some new invitation designs! I have tweaked the Truly Noted logo a bit, too, which is going live on my Facebook today!

Hope you are all enjoying this fabulous Summer weather and maybe when the season starts to wind down I might find a little more time to do some blogging! ;-)

Oh, hello there!

Despite my lack of blogging lately, I am indeed still here. Not only am I here, I am officially working my butt off. I figured being a work-at-home-mom would be a big job, but I never figured on working harder than I ever have in my whole life. And yet, I love every single moment of it!

Each day whizzes by and each morning comes too soon. Some days it is a struggle to get down to my office and do much more than stay barely on top of the projects I have already. Then there is the occasional afternoon where inspiration strikes just right and I manage to whip up a few more designs for the Etsy shop.

My goal was to have 50 things for sale in my Etsy store, and I am excited to say that as of today I have a total of 60! Now I have the goal of going through and getting rid of some old designs that no one seems interested in and reviving others. Gotta keep it fresh!

Here is a sampling of some of the new stuff in the Truly Noted shop.

This Tree On A Hill design reminds me of the view out my front door. Majestic, yet somehow soft looking mountains on the horizon and a lush tree that makes you feel like there is a breeze even if there isn't one. The colors I picked are some of my favorites, but I think this would look dynamite in a few other Summer and Fall color combos as well.

I have done a few skyline invitations in the past and have wanted to add a line of them to my shop for a while. This is the first in a series of simple and classy cityscape designs I hope to introduce over the next month or so. I love the idea of a wedding in the big city, with the bustle and the grand buildings adding to the excitement and buzz in the air! Boston is a city I have visited many times and the old-fashioned banner illustration seems to fit the feeling there.

I have also been trying to add more Baby Shower invitations to the mix. Wedding season has been so busy that this area of my shop sort of sat on the back burner for a few weeks. But I want to really try and pump up this portion of the shop, as well as start adding in birthday party invitations to the mix. I just finished a few new baby shower designs and this Red Umbrella design is my favorite! I love umbrellas and I love the bright red and navy combination. It's modern and sweet with just a touch of humor. I think this design would also work for a bridal shower as well!

So that is what I have been up to the last few weeks. Hopefully I will have time to post some more new designs soon! Or you can just check out the shop. ;-)

Orange You Glad It's Summer?

I recently had the honor of being included in a wedding inspiration photo shoot featuring some of the area's top talent. Kathleen of North Photography and Merriam of The Little Purple Cake Shoppe hatched the idea over cupcakes and set out to gather all of the necessary details to make it amazing.

The orange and lime theme is fresh and colorful- perfect for a Summer wedding on the lake! I love all the light and airy details plus the antique touches that add just the right amount of romance. Hints of teal make the orange and lime really pop and adds just enough contrast for a truly gorgeous setting.

But enough talk and on to the photos! But first, here is a list of all the area professionals that were involved:

The Little Purple Cake Shoppe

Just Weddings Floral Design

Fiori Bridal Boutique

Truly Noted Stationary

The Grand Isle Lake House

North Photography

The shoot took place at The Grand Isle Lake House in Grand Isle. It is a beautiful spot overlooking the lake. Set away from the nearest town it is a serene and peaceful location. It also offers rooms for your guests to stay in and booking the entire Inn is definitely the way to go and offers you the most bang for your buck. My Brother-In-Law was married here a few Summers ago and I can say it was one of the most memorable weddings I have ever attended!

I designed a pocketfold style invitation for the shoot, but it is not your traditional pocketfold. I took a patterned pocket and adhered it to the inside of a folded invite. I love the bright green floral pattern with the hints of orange and the faded, antique illustration with the bride and groom's names.

Gorgeous floral bouquet (and all other flowers) were done by Just Weddings Floral Design. The teal and lace wrap really make this bouquet special.

Dress and shoes provided by Fiori Bridal (my favorite wedding dress shop). The necklace and earrings were custom made by Fiori as well- something I never knew they offered, but what a fabulous service!

These gorgeous cake jars from The Little Purple Cake Shop look so yummy! I also designed a menu for the place settings.

I love the idea of using oranges (or any kind of fruit or vegetable) for the name cards. I cut these leaves out of metallic paper and they are attached with colorful pins. Such an easy and fresh way to make your tables special.

Fun, custom labels hung off of the cake jars.

Merriam and I collaborated for the Bride and Groom signs. I created the frame and name part and she painted the wooden signs for them to go on. I love the ribbon and floral touches!

Etsy Crush | Recycled Ideas

Plantable Birch Tree Leaves by Recycled Ideas

Eco-weddings are becoming more and more popular as we realize the impact every facet of our lives has on the environment. Couples have an increasingly large selection of eco-friendly products to choose from and products like these plantable paper birch leaves make it easy to make the jump to being 'green'.

From Etsy shop Recycled Ideas, these charming plantables also come in flower and heart shapes, among many other unique offerings, and are full of flower seeds such as poppy, cosmos and black eyed susans. I am particularly drawn to the leaves pictured above and think they would make lovely favors for a nature themed wedding. Or string them onto a large branch and invite guests to write good wishes for the happy couple. Then after you read through them they can be recycled in the backyard for a beautiful display every Spring to remind you of your special day.

Etsy Crush | Mystery & Manners

Custom set of necklaces by Mystery & Manners

Every bride spends countless hours coordinating all aspects of their wedding day, but sometimes it's the small details that get overlooked that make the biggest impact. Specifically I am talking about accessories. I spent a long time finding just the perfect earrings to wear at my own wedding, but I totally spaced on what my Maid of Honor would wear. Thankfully my Mother-in-law was paying attention and dug up some treasures from her jewelry stash to complete her ensemble.

But her jewelry didn't really match mine- not even close. And if my wedding party had included more bridesmaids what would they have done? We spend so much time thinking about the dresses that I think it's easy to overlook jewelry or assume that your bridesmaids will accessorize themselves.

This beautiful wedding set by Mystery & Manners on Etsy would be perfect for a larger wedding party. It could serve as your bridesmaid gifts as well as give everyone that cohesive, polished look. I love the gorgeous shade of turquoise paired with the creamy pearls and clear crystals in this set, but since you are probably not Leah you should contact Mystery & Manners directly so they can do a custom order for your wedding party.

Cristina & Jeffrey | Invitation Booklets

Things have been pretty busy over here in the studio. I have been working hard at finding new ways to connect with customers and re-evaluating where I spend my advertising dollars. It has been exciting and rewarding, and hopefully it will be producing real results soon!

One of my bigger project over the last couple of weeks are these beautiful booklet invitations I did for a charming Maine couple, Cristina and Jeffrey. They were married in a traditional ceremony in Scotland, in the ruins of Jeffrey's ancient Scottish clan's castle. How romantic! Now they are having a celebration in the states for their family and friends.

To fill everyone in on their Scottish nuptials and all the other details, they opted for a five page booklet, bound by brass eyelets. The pages are staggered so you can see the title indicating what you can find on each page. And the last page is a tear-out RSVP post card.

They were very fun to put design and put together! I even got to buy a fun new tool since they are the first booklet style invitation I have created. Looking forward to making more of these beauties in the future.

Etsy Crush | My Mom's Knitting

Crocodile Green Special Knitting Handbag by My Mom's Knitting

This morning was my turn to get up with the baby so my husband could sleep in. At 6:40 'the alarm' went off and by 7 I was browsing the front page of Etsy and there, staring me in the face was this gorgeous purse by My Mom's Knitting.

Of course it's green, and you know me and green. This would be the perfect Spring accessory- warm and cozy knit to ward off the chilly Spring air (I am in VT after all), but a nice lush green to remind me of where the season is going. Love that polka dot ribbon too.