behind the scenes: studio

A few months ago, I asked for some last minute help packing and proofing day-of details for a fun wedding.  My friend Larissa came to the studio to lend a hand, and took a few photos of the behind the scenes.  I always love taking a look at Larissa's photos in general, so it was a really cool treat for me to see my workspace through her eyes.

a leftover valentine/notes to self.   // hello, bird. studio tour.

Each escort card had a hand illustrated lightning bolt, and I made this template to keep everything lined up consistently. That little square plate saves my desk from a lot of ink spills.   // hello, bird. studio tour.

My workspace changes pretty frequently as each project's pieces take over most surfaces to dry.  It makes the pieces that stick around even more special, and I love that Larissa grabbed some of my favorite little nooks.  On the left, I've got a pretty large amethyst I uncovered at a friend's gem-panning party!  There's also a white sculpture [partially seen] that's an early work from a local artist - Bethany Rusen. The sculpture was a gift from a friend that went to graduate school with Bethany, and I love that we ended up in the same city together. Funny how the world works sometimes.

a few of my favorite things: amethyst I uncovered at a friend's gem-panning party; geometric vase = favor from a friend's baby shower; friendly lion cookie jar from anthro years ago; white sculpture (early work of Bethany Rusen); 2 of my favorite candlestick holders // hello, bird. studio tour. 

I like to tape little fun things to the wall in my workspace, usually alongside summary lists for outstanding orders.  I use these lists as my packing guide to make sure everything is accounted for before the pretty details head to their party or new home. 

supplies scattered in pretty piles; photos, scraps + little parts of proofs; i love the dancing cake illustrated by my friend liz a few years ago.  // hello, bird. studio tour.

Scratch paper is my favorite. // Escort cards drying just below the desk.  //  // hello, bird. studio tour.

This is one of my favorite photos that Larissa took. // selecting the best stickers for the hangover kits - a very cool welcome bag addition.   // hello, bird. studio tour.

on my desk  // hello, bird. studio tour.

I love that Larissa was able to capture some of my hands moving around, and the tiny permanent things that keep me company in my workspace.   Since the projects change so frequently, it's really cool to have some of the process of a single project captured.  

 All photos in this post are courtesy of Larissa Gaul. 

 Thanks again, Larissa! It was a pleasure having you in the studio- looking forward to a repeat.

behind the scenes: rest.

September has been a very full month-- full of ups and downs.  I've driven more in the last three weeks than I have all year combined.  To be fair, I'm more of a pedestrian than a driver since living in Philly, but still so many miles travelled.

I've had the pleasure of seeing two of my favorite people marry the loves of their life, and the honor of standing by their sides as they promised each other forever.  I am so excited to say that my brother married- giving me a new sister (yay!) that I love as if she's always been my sister.  One of my best friends, Mallory, was married the following weekend.  My heart is so full for them + their love.  

 While driving between venues in the South, I was also able to see some of my favorite humans that we moved away from, making it harder to stay in touch.  With all of that joy, the  realization of all of the overwhelm and the busyness of the last months and the toll that it has taken on me has never been more apparent.

So, it's time for me to take a little time for me.  I'm looking to take a little time to rest and really recharge.  Sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in the glorification of busy, especially during fall wedding season.  After talking to a friend of mine about all of the overwhelm and the need for rest, the need for a more intentional focus has never been more obvious.

I'm looking forward to spending time focusing on the logistics of my buisness -- like actually finishing my branding, putting a legal contract in place, really growing my aesthetic + fine-tuning the direction I want to focus on -- and, primarily, working on all of this while operating solely under daytime working hours.  I'm also going to be separating my business from my personal in terms of my phone useage.  While I've basically cut out my Facebook useage over the last few years, I'm finding Instagram to be both amazing and distracting. I've been finding my phone to be incredibly distracting + counterproductive when I'm working, especially with wet ink on my hands and desk.  I have found that the phone and social media becomes such a distracting rabbit hole that sometimes it's hard to break away.  I need to spend more time away from my "screens" and be more present "in real life."

Here's to a more intentional season!  

Related reading: 

http://designhouseofmoira.com/blog/2014/10/14/stop-the-glorification-of-busy-reveling-in-the-imperfections

 

styled shoot: dreamy + smoky inspiration

A few months ago, Emily Wren had a gorgeous concept for a photo shoot, and I was thrilled to be included as part of the vendor line-up!  She was inspired by Filippo Minelli's series "Silence & Shapes" that uses colored smoke bombs in landscape photos.  We wanted to use the colored smoke in a softer way -- letting it bring color into some bridal looks we put together. 

I loved dreaming up a way to bring an ethereal, smoky quality to paper while keeping the colors light and soft.  I created a background with a layered wash of silver and gray tones.  To keep the writing style soft and dreamy, I skipped my usual nibs and did brush calligraphy instead.  The separation of watercolor-like tones was so fun! 

It was so fun to collaborate with so many talented teams!  Thanks for including me.

vendor dream team:   photography: Emily Wren Photography //  florals: Ilonka Florals // paper, signage + calligraphy: hello, bird.  //  food: Sweet Elizabeth's // styling: confetti & co. // models: Reinhard Agency // hair + makeup: Aleksandra Ambrozy // furniture: Maggpie Vintage // venue: Terrain // dresses: BHLDN

All photos in this post are courtesy of Emily Wren Photography.

This smoke bomb photo shoot was featured on 100 Layer Cake.