Happy Easter!
Wishing you and yours a wonderful Easter. May your weekend be filled with friends, family, fellowship…and lots of candy!
XO,
Jennifer Claire
She has Arrived! Welcome baby Tara
Well, our beautiful baby girl is finally here! Tara Noelle was born on October 15th weighing 5 pounds 8 ounces. Life since her arrival has been amazing and busy. No one can early truly prepare you for what life will be like once you become a parent. Somehow though, you just make it work! We slowly but surely getting used to balancing work, family, baby, and everything in general. It feels good to FINALLY be blogging and sharing the news of Tara’s birth. Along with being a good mommy, I also hope to post more! Have I mentioned that I have almost 100 custom designed invitations that I am yet to reveal??? Goodness.
We had an awesome newborn photography session with Arden Prucha Photography when Tara was about 2 weeks old. Let me just tell you…photographing a newborn is an ART FORM! Luckily, Arden and her crew have it down. They were so patient, gentle and creative. She did such an amazing job of capturing Tara’s sweet tininess. I am forever grateful and truly in awe of the Arden’s talent.
Some of my favorite shots are the ones of baby Tara lying on my wedding dress. The dress was the perfect shabby chic, romantic, vintage backdrop….just the look I was going for of course. 
To see more images of Tara and her shabby chic nursery, be sure to visit Arden’s blog! Her work is truly divine and inspirational and she is constantly adding awesome tips, how-to’s, and images to her site!
Hello October
Can you believe October is here? A new month with so much to look forward to…pumpkins, cool weather, fall leaves, comfy sweaters and boots. Ahhhh.
I am now 36 weeks pregnant and patiently waiting for our baby girl to arrive. This October is going to be an especially special one. One filled with sleepless nights and lots of love and joy. We can’t wait and will be sure to keep you updated on our new addition!
In the meantime, here is some fall inspiration for you. Enjoy!
Image Credits (clockwise)
Vintage Circus Baby Shower Invitation
How much fun is this?? I love vintage circus/carnival typography and graphics so when asked to create a baby shower invitation with this theme, I was thrilled. Oh the possibilities! We wanted the invitation to be “baby shower appropriate” but still chic with an authentic, vintage feel. I referred to some historical circus posters and advertisements for inspiration and the final product came out simply adorable. Thank you Miranda and congratulations Mommy-to-be Eleanor!
Holiday Gift Wrapping Inspiration
Want to take this years gifts to a new level without breaking the bank? Put them in a cute outfit and make presentation a priority! Here, I embellished a number of boxes with tulle, raffia, burlap ribbon, bakers twine, doilies, and cute tags to give the packaging some personality. For the wrapping paper, I used Kraft brown paper (from Dollar Tree!) and a few different 12×12 scrapbooking sheets. What are some of the creative ways you have wrapped up your gifts this year?
Meghan + Ken: Wedding Invitation
When you are designing for one of your very best friends, it can be a lot of fun….and a little bit of pressure. Especially when they have as good of style and taste as this bride. Meghan and Ken are getting married in January at the Frontiers of Flight Museum here in Dallas. We started off setting the tone for her 1940′s inspired wedding with her save the date and Meghan wanted to follow up with an invitation that was “formal but not pretentious, gentile and reflective of her families past.”
We used thermography printing in navy on each piece of the suite, even the front and back sides of the custom map. Meghan also decided to go with an inner and outer envelope for the invitation and had a calligrapher do the addressing. The flower wreath monogram might be my favorite part of the design (maybe because I poured my heart and soul into the individual placement of each flower and leaf…) but it is also now a reoccuring element that we are going to incorporate in her ceremony programs and other wedding paper goods.
I can’t wait to share pictures of Meg and Ken’s special day…..if the wedding is half as beautiful as this couple, it is going to be knock your socks off amazingness. Stay tuned!
Julie + Aaron: Wedding Invitation Suite
Designing for this couple has been a delightful experience. Julie is a documentary film maker for the Discovery Channel and whether traveling to the Sahara desert to ride camels or to Holland to play with chimpanzees, she has always been so easy to communicate with and open to design ideas. The couple is tying the knot in Washington, DC during the first Cherry Blossom weekend in March. Can I say perfect backdrop for a wedding??
Julie wanted an invitation that not only expressed her personal style but that also reflected their French and Italian backgrounds. We used a mix of French inspired typography and graphics to show tribute to their past and a vintage postcard of the Washington Monument surrounded by cherry blossom trees to reflect the couple present day.
I simply adore this invitation…not only because it is unique and pretty, pretty, pretty, but because it is so personal and created with meaning. Everything from the hand drawn map to the packaging just came together so perfectly. LOVE.
New Holiday Card Designs
The more holiday cards I design, the closer I get to reality: it is indeed Christmas time! Here are a few creations for a corporate client of mine. We decided to do a folded card and these are the ideas I had for the front. Want to guess which one they chose? Number one- the red and silver card with the ornaments.Which one would YOU have chosen?
DIY: Anthroplogie Inspired Christmas Tree Topper
I have been obsessing over the Mythic Nest Tree Topper from Anthropolgie since last season. It’s amazing. And priced at $428.00…..reinforcement that I have always had the unfortunate talent of picking out gorgeous things that I cannot afford. I am sure you can relate.
SO, I went on a little DIY frenzy, especially after reading that Anthro’s was made out of cardborad, glitter, paper and cotton. The goal: make a “similar” tree topper and do so without spending one dollar. Yep. NOT ONE DOLLAR. The day was black Friday and no way was I venturing out into the madness to pick up materials. Instead, I gathered things from around my house, my yard (yes) and created my own little crown jewel. The result: a lovely adornment to my vintage Christmas tree that not only is budget friendly, but that I can call my own.
Continue reading for the full DIY post with instructions. Enjoy!
I took pictures along the way so if you would like to read the step by step DIY instructions and view more images, click below.
Deer Friends Holiday Party Invitation
Friend and client Lisa is full of great ideas and shares my healthy obsession for all things Anthroplogie so I was super excited when she asked me to create a “Deer Friends” invitation for her holiday get together. She provided me with an adorable poem for the card and told me “to do my thing.” Love it.
To reinforce the theme and add a touch of personalization, I put a line at the top for Lisa to write the name of each guest. The calligraphy reindeer graphic, tape and stitching designs and other vintage elements make this invitation so Lisa…and oh so unique.
Elizabeth + Ramon: Save the Date & Engagement Session
Oh, goodness. Get ready. These just might be the most amazing engagement photos. EVER.
After meeting with Elizabeth and her mom and viewing the pictures taken by Shipra Panosian Photography, how could I not be inspired to design their Save the Date invitation? So much hard work and passion went into this engagement session and I am so honored to be a part of it. Shipra created true works of art reflecting the couples love story and family history…..I am in awe of her style and you must check out her blog here!
Inspired by their love for music and playing the piano, Elizabeth found a vintage piano, painted it robin’s egg blue and used it as the back drop for the session. A number of other family heirlooms were used to stage the scene, including vintage pocket watches, a strand of pearls, a gold candelabra, and her Grandmothers bible. I just adore the relaxed “english tea party” theme they created….don’t you think it looks like something out of a movie?
Below are a handful of Shipra Panosian’s masterpieces that she so graciously shared with us and the
2-sided Save the Date invitation I designed for the couple. Enjoy!
To view more engagement photos of Elizabeth and Ramon taken by Shipra Panosian Photography, click below
Hot off the Press! Engagement Party Invitations
When Elizabeth approached me to design engagement party invitations for her and Ramon, I was super excited. They are such a delightful couple with amazing ideas….dream clients. A few days passed and Elizabeth called to let me know that her brother had decided to propose to his girlfriend so now they wanted to have a joint engagement party. FUN! Here is the catch: the proposal was a surprise and they wanted the party to be a surprise for her as well.
After much brainstorming, I decided the only way to pull this off was to tell a story through the invitation, causing people to want to read every word and really get a grasp of the “top secret” situation. We paired the invitation with Crane’s pearl white envelopes lined in black and used a headline news style format to tell the love story of each couple, giving guests an occasion to really look forward to!
Designer Spotlight: Atelier Aimee
Oh, my. This is the real deal. Atelier Aimee gowns are over the top in every way…all out gorgeousness…a dreamy explosion of french inspired details. Aimee means loved in French, which explains why these dresses are filled with such romance, innocence and passion…making each and everyone a masterpiece.
Where were these gowns when I was getting married?
Tuesdays Table
Don’t you love this time of year? At last it feels like fall has arrived and the simple inspiration behind Tuesday’s Table this week: leaves. Why? They are free. And pretty.
My favorite things on the table: the gorgeous garden roses, the burlap table runner from Laurie Anna’s and the “work in progress” invitation I have been designing for a client who like me, loves all things natural, organic and vintage. Happy Tuesday!
To learn more about where to find items featured this week, read on.
Click below for details on where to find this weeks goodies
Tis the Season! Holiday Party Invitations
I had such a blast working with Crosstex Energy on their corporate holiday party invitations. Being that the event is taking place at the Frontiers of Flight Museum, they wanted a festive design that incorporated an airplane while also displaying their company logo. I got a little carried away (told you I had fun) and created a number of options for the picking. The team selected my favorite design, with the vintage Santa in the plane and snowflake background. Perfect for the occasion.
Mrs. Press: 2010-2011 Lookbook
Oh, my. A new obsession. The designs featured in Mrs. Press’s new lookbook are vintage-mod fashion greatness. Her selection of silky fabrics, soft colors, and sparkly detailing make this collection romantic, feminine and whimsical. I’m especially drooling over the silk romper and sequin bolero. Must. have.
Images via: Mrs. Press
Photography: Cara Stricker
