I just received the greatest rehearsal dinner invitation! One of my best friend’s son is getting married in May to a precious curly-haired beauty and this invitation illustrates who they are in the best of ways!
Another one of my best friend’s son, Trip Carroll, created this invitation and he’s so incredibly talented… I couldn’t wait to share! Notice that the end of the kite strand trails off at the bottom of the card. When you flip it over from the bottom, this is the image on the other side…
Brilliant, right? (See my “Vine” version here.) The cool thing is that Trip captured a younger version of Blake and Meagan with sheer perfection. See for yourself!
So adorable!
Trip earned his MFA in Illustration from New York’s School of the Visual Arts. His masters studies at SVA allowed him to learn from the comic, design and illustration masters that he had admired as a budding child and adolescent artist.
Trip is currently the marketing and design manager at the Flatiron Room, NYC’s premier whisky bar. You’ll see his design skills on their impressive site here. He also provides commissioned work through his design company, Ink & Iron, as you see in Blake and Meagan’s rehearsal dinner invitation.
Trip’s ability to communicate a story through his designs and art are evident in his impressive portfolio. Be sure to reach out to him the next time you need a great design for an invitation, logo, brand development or web design!
Have you ever wondered why we decorate eggs for Easter? Well, I’m not sure why I’ve never thought about this, but I decided to look into it…
I discovered that it’s a symbol of “New Life”! I’m not sure why I never thought about this before! Growing up in a Christian home, I knew that Easter was about celebrating Christ’s resurrection and just thought of the Easter bunny as the “Santa” of Easter… I never thought about the reason behind the tradition of Easter eggs…
In Christianity, the egg symbolizes the empty tomb of Jesus. The egg appears to be like the stone of a tomb…a bird hatches from it with life! Similarly the Easter egg is a reminder that Jesus rose from the grave and that those who believe will experience eternal life.
I hope that this will cause you to look at the time you put into making your eggs beautiful a bit differently!
I’m a camera and video app junkie. I just can’t say “no” when I hear about the “latest and greatest” no matter what the ratings say…but the truth is I only use one on a regular basis. That’s Camera+.
I have a really nice camera that is covered in dust because of this app! Here are a few pics I took this afternoon in my house using Camera+ on my iPhone…
I picked up a few bunches of tulips at the grocery store yesterday to bring a little Spring inside my home. I used no special effect on this pic…just a little cropping.
A white background does wonders on almost anything that you’re shooting. This vase of tulips is sitting on my Ikea DOCKSTA table…shot from above.
Like many camera apps, there are many effects to chose from to give your pics a great finish. Instagram is the perfect partner to Camera+, as you can easily save your photos to your library and pull them to Instagram to share. My favorite effect on Instagram is the little water drop icon. This allows you to get the blurry effect around the edges, or at the top and bottom, of your photograph. I used this on the picture above taken in my living room and the jewelry pieces laying on my wooden floor below.
What is your favorite camera app? Do you use Instagram? You can find me on Instagram here. Follow me and I’ll follow you right back!
There’s just nothing better than sharing a latte with your besties and when you get a talented barista that makes your latte a sip-able work of art, it’s even more special!
Please allow me to brag and tell you that I’ve mastered the ability to stir and sip my latte while keeping the foamy design in tact throughout the entire drinking experience…*curtsy*… so perhaps I’ll share my technique via video soon!
My favorite local spot to grab a latte is Oddfellows in the Bishop Arts District. This laid-back restaurant has all of the things that make brunch a favorite part of my weekend…a patio, exceptional lattes, migas, asiago cheese grits and plenty of hipsters and dogs to keep your view interesting. Grab your sunnies and join in the fun!
I’ve recently heard about a barista in Fort Worth that makes fun latte art and I’m ready to make a special trip to try it! These designs are done by Coffee Katie at Caffe di Angeli. It’s interesting that they don’t have anything on their website or FB page about these artistic lattes, but Coffee Katie has quiet a gallery here of her work at the cafe.
How much fun is this grumpy cat?! Coffee Katie, I’m heading west to check out your brew soon!
Where is your favorite place to grab a latte? What would you want to see on your latte? Have you mastered the stir and sip without destroying the design?
Yesterday I shared about the loss of my precious Princess. In September I mourned the loss of a sweet black lab, Duchess, that my ex and I loved very much. My dear friend, Kim of Dwell With Dignity, gave me this book, Dog Heaven, for comfort. I cannot tell you what a blanket of warmth this has been!
I have read this book over and over again. This is the best gift you can give someone who is grieving the loss of a pet.
If you’ve lost a cat, here’s the feline version…
What has brought you comfort when you’ve lost a pet? Did you feel guilty in getting over your grief? I would love to hear about your sweet companion that you are looking forward to seeing in heaven!
Mark your calendars for March 15th and 16th! One of my favorite design stores, Blue Print, is hosting an art show that features art couple, Signe and Genna Grushovenko.
After reading their resume in preparation to share this event with you, I’ve fallen in love with this couple’s technique. Born of a love of old posed photographs, Signe and Genna combine both abstract and figurative techniques to create a finished product with high emotional content.
In Signe’s words, here is their unique process of collaboration…
“Partners in both life and art, Genna and I have been collaborating for nearly ten years.
Our process begins when Genna creates rich, tonal underpaintings on supports of primed linen, canvas, or Masonite. The underpaintings start with a layer of acrylic color, sometime sprayed, sometimes rolled, sometimes brushed. Once the acrylic layer is dry, he applies small amounts of oil pigment mixed with copious amounts of mineral spirits. The colors are applied wetly with house paint brushes with the canvas standing. The canvas is then rotated and more layers are applied and allowed to run into one another. When satisfied with the design and palette of each individual piece, Genna lays it on its back and allows it to dry.
When I am ready to paint, I go to my supply of underpainted supports and select one. I then choose an image from my collection of vintage photos that will mesh well with the style and palette of the underpainting. Using the photo as reference, I execute a drawing in oil pastel and complete the painting in oil.
Collaborating with Genna has influenced my work in many ways, pushing me to work with textures and colors I would have never chosen for myself. The final results of our art partnership are multi-layered paintings with deep surfaces, crisp at first glance but rewarding the careful viewer with an undercurrent of complex tonality and colorplay.
I am grateful to Genna for bringing to my work the same sweet richness he’s brought to my life. ~Signe ”
I cannot wait to see this exhibition in the beautiful surroundings of Blue Print! I plan to go on the 16th… Please join me!
