New Design: Elyse & Josh's Hometown Wedding Invitation

 

When Elyse and Josh approached me about designing their wedding invitations a few things were very clear from the start: they wanted invitations that clearly expressed who they were as a couple, they had a modern, organic and playful sense of style, and they were not afraid to experiment with printing and color. We played around with multiple design options and finally settled on a "hometown" themed invitation that showcased (through blind impression) the beautiful rivers and lakes of Rochester, NY. Elyse and Josh both cherish time outdoors – hiking, biking and camping, which made this design a perfect fit.

Response Card

With matching envelopes

Elyse & Josh's monogram

The design consisted of a deep, earthy green that matched both the outer and RSVP envelope. We also created a custom compass rose monogram that Elyse plans to use throughout the wedding. The final invitation suite was printed by Letterpress Chicago who did a fantastic job with the detailed blind impression map.

Intrigued and Inspired By: Montreal's New Tourism Campaign

These crazy creatures have been on my radar for the past month or so. I keep spotting them both in print and online. I was instantly hooked by their curious presence (What are they?) and by the beautiful illustration quality (Can we say yes to color and line?). Reid forwarded me the above ad from the New Yorker this morning, and I decided it was time to start digging. This group of hybrid animals are the voice of Montreal's tourism campaign. It is hard to find out much about them–which is an utter shame. In my opinion, these guys could be a huge success. Why you ask? They are quirky and visually stimulating. They have distinct personalities that are witty and humorous. And, they are WAY out of the box for current advertising trends.

Bearcan: not to be read beercan, but half bear and half toucan

Deerus: Half Walrus Half Deer

Squirrog: Half Squirrel Half Frog

The Ceagle Brothers: Half Eagle Half Cat

I just adore them all. We are actually headed to Montreal with Reid's parents for a weekend vacation, and I might stalk these ads all over town. I am hoping they are easier to find in Montreal. Until I find out more, does anyone know what agency or illustrator is behind this? I want to give them the credit they deserve.

Starting a Vintage Sign Letter Collection...

via

I am finally going to stop talking about how much I love old sign letters, and I am going to do something about it. I am starting a collection - today (or tomorrow after you help me make my first purchase decision). This collection is going to be legendary (at least for me). Old letters make me so happy.

In 2005, I tried to start my collection with a beautiful 2 foot plastic "A" (seen here in my first Chicago Apartment) that I bought at Standard Deluxe during the Old 280 Boogie Woogie in Waverly, Alabama. It was quite a conversation piece in every place I lived. Since it was such a treasured find and my first authentic vintage sign letter, I always placed it in a prominent spot for all to see. People, especially my husband, didn't understand why I had a giant "A" as decoration. They just didn't get it. I bought an "A" because it is one of my favorite typographic forms. I guess an "L" or a "C" would have needed less explanation, but they are boring letterforms. Sadly my "Waverly A" was knocked off of a shelf by Russell, the cat, about a year ago. I was devastated.

Which brings me to today...
I am going to start my new collection with an obvious letterform, "B". Since I got married, I finally have a great typographic form that doesn't require explanation. Today, I started researching old sign letters, and I found a great place to buy them online called Bay City Cargo. I am also swooning over Kidimo (pictured above). They are a Parisian boutique specializing in found letters. They are out of my price range, but their studio and letter pieces are amazingly inspirational.

I need your help with my "B".

My two favorites from Bay City Cargo are below. Which one do you like? Leave a comment and let me know. I am buying one of the two tomorrow depending on which one gets the most votes.

Option #1: Red See-through Plastic (17 inches tall)

 

Option #2: Worn Plastic (17 inches tall)

Also, if anyone has any flea markets or antique stores that have sign letters please let me know. Thanks!!!

Type Inspiration

Happy Friday! The weather is weird again in Chicago, but I am still very excited about the upcoming weekend. Why, you ask? Because I am going to be lazy... do a little work, clean up a bit and relax. I can't wait.

To end the week, I wanted to share a couple of extremely inspirational typographic images that I have been hoarding lately over on pinterest. I hope you enjoy!

This one pretty much speaks for itself. It is and incredibly beautiful combination of type, antique wood and color.

I am also slightly obsessed with this one. It is hand drawn and each mark and scribble has a life of its own. STUNNING!

I am intrigued by this G. I love the mathematical precision mixed with a little unexpected and organic flare.

Tickets to Spain (check)

After a lot of back and forth on destination, searching for flight deals and figuring out the amount of time I could take off work, we finally booked two tickets to Madrid for Reid's Bar Trip. For all the non-lawyers out there, myself included, this is a trip to celebrate the completion of the Bar Exam and is also the final big vacation before starting the "real world" at a law firm with LONG hours and unexpected last minute deadlines. I am so excited to travel to Spain as it has been a dream destination ever since my parents went to Barcelona for the 1992 Olympics. The Spanish culture, art and design has always been a huge inspiration to me, and I cannot wait to see it all in person.

Both posters are from David Klein's famous TWA poster series created in 1960. I really appreciate and respect most of his illustration work, but his travel posters are among my absolute favorites. These colorful illustrations capture the beauty of Spanish culture through the movement and fashion of matadors and flamenco dancers. I simply don't agree with bull fighting at all so we will not be attending one, but matadors do have a very strong historical presence. On the other hand, flamenco dancing is breathtaking and I do want to check seeing the "real thing" off of my to-do list. Klein captures the over-the-top elegance of both outfits beautifully. Also, the color combinations used combined with the extreme spacial relationship of the figures are what make them memorable piece of design history. Are the typefaces cliche? Totally, but I like the kitschy Spanish vibe.

Does anyone have any Spanish recommendations for our trip?

New Design: Save the Dates for both Melissa and Liz

Awhile ago, two friends of mine from different walks of life (childhood and Atlanta during grad school) approached me about designing their wedding stationery. I was thrilled beyond words because both Liz and Melissa were fantastic girls with elegant style. Plus they were my first two weddings to design outside of Chicago.

 

Melissa and Marc wanted a simple but elegant save the date that showed their zest for life and extreme love for one another. Their engagement photos were spectacular and we couldn't decide on just one feature photo. So we played up the photographs and went minimal on the type. The back of the card simply mimics the design on the front and gives the guest a bit more information. Melissa's invitations are also stunning. I get to pick them up in a couple of days and cannot wait to see the final outcome. 

 

Liz and Darren wanted a Save the Date that set the tone for their "old world elegance" wedding in Houston, Texas this fall. Liz knew what she wanted: scroll work, elegant typefaces and eggplant purple. We played around with multiple options, but decided on the regal design seen below. Another childhood friend, Becky of Rebecca Todd Photography, took their stunning engagement photos and was also in charge of printing them on a beautiful pearlized/sparkly photo paper (sorry for the glare on the photo). Liz's Save the Dates definitely set the tone for everything else to come. Her invitations are going to be out of this world elegant.

 

 

Time Flies...

When you are married to your best friend.

Sorry for the bit of cheese in the title, but it's truly how I feel! Yesterday marked our 1 year anniversary. It is hard to believe that a year ago we go married in the humidity and heat of the Georgia mountains. The first year of marriage has had a lot of ups, very few downs and a LOT of learning experiences. All in all, I am still the happiest girl in the world...

Especially since Reid surprised me with a trip to Graham Elliot last night for dinner. I have been wanting to go there for a very long time and was completely shocked when he pulled up to the door. We even got a tour of the kitchen. Reid knows that one of the keys to my heart is through good food and great ambiance.

I cannot wait to see what this year brings for us.

(oh and sorry for not posting for the past few days - our Internet has been in and out. It is finally fixed and I have a lot to share this week)