14 November 2011

custom moving announcements / SHE PAPERIE & design boutique



i came to the decision early on that i'd outsource our moving announcements rather than attempt to whip something up myself. turning a project like this over to someone is usually tough for me. i am a bit of a control freak and i love the freedom in designing for myself. and i'm picky with anything associated with paper / designs / envelopes / fonts / etc. (don't i sound like a dream to work with?!) however, giving myself the luxury of delegating this responsibility was the best thing i could have done during those hectic moving-in weeks.

it became an easy decision since my computer was not even unboxed, nor was i in the right mindset, nor have any extra time to toy around in illustrator. but most importantly, i had someone specific in mind for this custom design work: suzanne of SHE PAPERIE + design boutique. suzanne is a graphic designer, darling details enthusiast and stylist extraordinaire (she has a background in interior design, and it shows). i knew she would know exactly how to craft up an announcement for our very first home. i gave her a few of my tumbling ideas (stripes, kate spade-esque) and she ran with them. with running shoes on. she ran with them and took them to the ice cream shop and bought them two scoops. i loved working with her and benefited greatly from seeing 'the other side' of the graphic design process. she tailored these announcements to us; suzanne's enthusiasm jumped through my inbox with pdf. proofs that suited my original ideas perfectly. she gets giddy about all the details coming together. (you should have seen how she packaged it all up for me!) she also crafted up the idea of coordinating washi tape to seal up the envelopes. genius! i love that she thought of the entire announcement entourage (that's service right there).

her mixing of fonts, graphic placements, happy quote and clever wording made me shout hooray. (psst. i love the two-sided flat; i doubt i'll ever move on from that format.) all i had to do was go pick out postage stamps and write out addresses. two of my favorite things. thank you, suzanne for bringing this special project to life and taking a big weight off my shoulders! your vibrance shines through. this post is part of my home is where the ART is series. the artwork is hers, but these opinions are all mine; learn more about my handpicked sponsored series here.

you juggle raising twins and running a booming business, what would your advice be to other entrepreneur mamas? (i'm all ears!) Forgo sleep. And learn how to juggle! Okay, so forgoing sleep probably isn’t the best advice to give. But really, at the end of the day, I just try to remind myself that I can’t do it all and I’ve given myself permission to not have be the ideal...fill-in-the-blank. Perfectionism is over rated (and yes, I’m a total recovering perfectionist). No matter how hard I try or how late I stay up, I just can’t be the perfect wife/mother/graphic designer/business owner/blogger all at the same time. And guess what? That’s okay. First and foremost, I am devoted to my family and then to all of my other roles second. I feel so blessed to have finally become a mother so I don’t take that gift for granted. But when it does come time to work, working in an organized, efficient as possible manner helps me maximize my design time. In the end, finding a comfortable balance between personal and professional endeavors is key. Do what works best for your family regardless of what outside sources think is best for you. Remind yourself of all that you are doing well instead of scrutinizing the areas where you fall short. Being a mama and an entrepreneur is no easy task, but be proud of yourself for even having the courage to try your hand at the juggling act!

what is an essential must-have for your creative work space? If I could only pick just one essential, it would be a rockin’ iTunes playlist to get me through long hours of working on my computer. But my Logitech TrackMan Mouse would be a close second. Oh, and snacks! A girl can’t live without those.

you told me that you don't like 'regurgitating' any one else's designs (i love that), where do you find your inspiration to keep every design fresh? Fashion, interior design and beautiful imagery found on pages of magazines I love are great sources of inspiration. However, since my work is heavily centered around custom design projects, ensuring that the end result is one tailored to my client’s own sentiments and style is very important to me. So essentially, the client is the one providing me with a great springboard of inspiration to draw from. I take cues from colors they love, a pattern they may be drawn to or often times will focus on a tiny detail (such as a fabric used in a nursery) to create an entire invitation ensemble from there. The ultimate satisfaction is when you’ve managed to create a design that is right in line with your brand yet at the same time when your client sees it, the response is “that was exactly what I had in mind!”

// these gorgeous images are by jeanna hayes photography and styled by suzanne herself. obviously i couldn't narrow them down, they came out so beautifully. and, don't worry. the addresses and phone numbers have all been completely altered. 










dig in: suzanne's website / blog

7 comments:

Alyssa Goodnight said...

Adorable! I LOVE your calligraphy, and you picked a perfect quote. :)

{natalie} said...

love the quote, your handwriting and the announcements are so perfect. i really love the washi tape to seal them up. very clever. and the hip, hip tiny flag looks so perfect in the photos. love it all.

Jessie said...

They're perfect - I adore Suzanne's work!! And congrats on the move! xx

*Dream Weaver* said...

I heart your moving announcment. Having it kate spade-esque is awesome.

Happy Moving in :)

Amanda said...

These are beautiful and the detail is amazing! And I LOVE the quote! (It sums up the past weekend for me:))

Unknown said...

What a sweet quote. Hope moving goes well for your cute family. Your handwriting is exquisite.

Tommy said...

These are great! And now I have another new blog to enjoy! Thanks. :)

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