Big changes are coming!

I've been thinking a lot about my itty bitty company, and what I want my "brand" to be. How can I stand out in this world of stationery in a way thats different but still me? In order for my company to be successful, I have to really love everything that I sell and what my company is to the outside world...at least I think so. I've been struggling lately with the look of my company. What do I want it to feel like? Do I really like the name? Eh. Is this whole look me? Ugh... Is it a mac or a pc? That question should answer itself. I get so overwhelmed when I see other companies that have great names and a great brand. I ask myself, what is it thats making them so awesome? Why do I secretly hate them so much? And after days of stressing it hit me. Its because they know who they are. They picked a side and they stuck with it.

If you know me, and a lot of you probably don't, at least personally, but lets play along. You know that I've never really had a definitive style per say. Its hard as a graphic designer to really have a style, at least for me. Theres so many styles out there that I like, how can I pick JUST one! For our wedding it took me 4 months to pick the freaking colors! How could I?!? Have you SEEN the pantone book...its magical! I almost had a nervous breakdown just doing the invitations. In my mind, this was it, I only had one shot to design them, and they had to be perfect. They had to have every single thing I loved about every invitation I ever saw. Do you understand how much unrealistic pointless pressure I put on myself! You see what I have to deal with on a daily basis...in my mind! Breath.

Going back to my company. So I came to the realization that I really need to start treating this like my full time job... aside from my other full time job. If Im really gonna do this at some point, I have to start laying a strong foundation (see hunny I know about construction!). So I started to think... If I am a brand, what would my name be? Now this name has to really be me, it has to make me smile, it has to make you smile, and it has to give a little light as to what my style is. So after weeks of writing down names, a little bit of crying (listen PS-I love you was on, your a freak if you don't cry!), I think I have it. And it makes me smile... and for the first time, it feels like me...

Ps- Im still deciding if I want to go with paper, studio, or design. But thats a tiny detail. Im leaning towards paper and just adding the words design studio in other places. Cuz the word paper makes me happy.

More to come! Next come brand colors...hello panic attacks! 

They are so pretty I wanna hug them!

I got contacted a few weeks ago by Rene' "the story keeper", this ridiculously AMAZING wedding photographer in Orange County. I mean, her pictures make you want to get married over and over again. For some reason every single wedding she photographs should be featured on Martha Stewart. She has a way of taking the simplest detail at a wedding and photographing it in a way that makes you feel enchanted. And if you ever read her blog get ready to cry people. Anyways, back from my tangent, she contacted me because she wanted me to send her a few samples of my wedding invitations for her to use on a blog post.

She has noticed that brides tend to choose their invites to quickly, without really thinking about their personality and the style of the wedding. I, honestly, have noticed that too many brides are getting their wedding invitations from certain online printers which shall remain nameless...cough vistaprint! cough. Sorry, I had something in my throat. And are choosing poorly (i'm being nice) designed invitations to announce one of the most important days of their life... hopefully.

She thought my invitations were the type of invitations brides should be getting. Uber flattered and in shock someone thinks about my invitations like that, I sent her anything and everything she asked for.

So a few days ago she emailed me some of the pictures she had taken. I opened my email and was floored. Never could I imagine my invitations looking so pretty. I just stared at the pictures, and kept opening my email to look at them, they made me so happy. So without further adieu, here they are... in all their glory. Now I have to figure out how to take pictures like this at home... sigh.