Inspirations – Vintage Seaside Elegant Wedding Invitations

Fresh off the phone with Tara and dreaming of breezy seaside watercolors in tones of taupe, blush and whites…

Bouquet, Papers, Windows on the Water, Bridesmaids, Frenchie on Beach

Behind the Scenes – Pantone Emerald and White Wedding Inspiration Part II

I’m back with more from our Fiore celebration shoot!  To get caught up, have a look here to read more about Envelopments’® most recent and very spirited pattern, Fiore!

The design process for this pattern was a very collaborative one, where a certain synergy between creative minds was a must.  My watercolor swirls, swags and swooshes were crafted into a detailed, whimsical and precise pattern…

What I adore most about these projects are the collaborations they inspire…a perfect example is this painted Paloma’s Nest piece…Delicate vines in shimmer copper and green against the white porcelain sit effortlessly in this scene.

Fiore inspired a rich saturated palette along with ornate but edited details throughout the shoot; a kind of artful opulence.

We even decked out the doors frames and window panes in hand cut and painted leaves inspired by Fiore’s Flora…

We wanted a nod to a royal vibe but one that was without a doubt youthful and modern.  Jess crafted this painted crown for a bit of humor.

Love these next two shots so much and considering how long they took to set up, I just had to share! Our day unfolded on stunning Hillside Farms property on the locally famed Cottage porch.  This family crest on the wall of the porch has always fascinated me.   So the crest got a bit of Fiore styling too…

And then there was the bouquet….

A whopping 10 stationery suites were created for this shoot!  It only makes sense as Fiore is incredibly versatile, speaking in volumes to design aesthetics from ultra rustic and classic to whimsical and modern.

I’m in love with one of Envelopments® newest colors “Lucky”.  Here I combined Fiore with a cherry wood layer, Meant to Be Calligraphy and of course the verdant richness of Lucky.  Free-hand painted vines and leaves were added in copper.

The full suite…

This suite was designed with a more rustic affair in mind.  I love the eclectic mix of soft blush, teals and taupe tones…Abstract flourishes with juicy watercolor textures were inspired by my research of Italian pottery.

An alternative place setting with a salt and watercolor painted technique on the place card!

And how could we not have a closer look at the Fiore Whiskey bar? We had such a blast Fiore-styling iconic brands like Jack Daniels and Jim Beam.  I want to see a full real wedding bar styled like this! Mindy Weiss, maybe you can make it happen?

So much love to this team and especially my friends at Envelopments® for inspiring yet another incredible collaboration! XO

Concept, Styling and Design – Kristy Rice from Momental Designs  ::  Design Assistant – Jessica Zielen  ::  Photography – Amanda of Swoon Over It Photography  ::  Venue – The Cottage at Hillside Farms  ::  Film – Birdhouse Productions  ::  Florals – Papertini  ::  Pattern and Papers – Envelopments  ::  Gowns – The Dessy Group  ::  Capelet – Desla Couture::  Hair and Makeup – Tatum Neiderhiser from Aura Salon   ::  Custom Upholstery – Maggpie Upholstry  ::  Custom “Penny” Table – Maggpie Vintage Rentals  ::  Calligraphy – Meant to Be Calligraphy  ::  Ring Bearer Bowl – Painted Collaboration with Paloma’s Nest  ::  Models – Steph Strazdus, Danielle Pasternak, Kristy Kravitsky

Behind the Scenes – Pantone Emerald and White Wedding Inspiration Part I

Emerald, the punchy, saturated, sophisticated Pantone Color of the Year and our muse for a shoot project to celebrate my most recent pattern collaboration with the team at Envelopments®!  So to follow up last year’s watercolor pattern named Trellis, I joined forces with the talented crew at Envelopments® to create another watercolor pattern launched this past February.  Fiore, is a modern, whimisical spin on a classic Florentine pattern.  Fiore is the dishy, detailed and fresh follow up to last year’s feminine, flowery Trellis.

So I gathered a team of creatives to paint, shoot, film and flower a celebration of the new Fiore pattern.  Every surface celebrated the wit and whimsy of this versatile pattern with Pantone’s color of the year at the heart of it all.  Emerald and Fiore made a mindful match…we’re in love.

Fiore inspired a mod king’s feast table; an edited bounty of fresh from the garden greens set amongst clean whites and watercolor saturated greens.

Taking cues from Fiore’s graceful lines and lazy curves, I painted the dinnerware with shimmery golds and green.

The menu features a simple, free-hand painted pattern…


Our talented Jess, crafted this gilded antler chandelier from drum head frames and chain…so amazing.

The Dessy Group‘s Pantone matched gowns…perfection.  And how about that capelet from Desla Couture?

Place cards wrap the plates…so enchanted by Meant to Be Calligraphy‘s hand

Fiore upholstery and the succulent and Hellebore filled bouquets from Papertini.

Several suites of Fiore stationery were designed for this shoot and this was the first.  A soft palette of greens and gold brushstrokes sit beautifully alongside the richly detailed Fiore pattern.

Head over to Green Wedding Shoes to see more from this project!

Concept, Styling and Design – Kristy Rice from Momental Designs  ::  Design Assistant – Jessica Zielen  ::  Photography – Amanda of Swoon Over It Photography  ::  Venue – The Cottage at Hillside Farms  ::  Film – Birdhouse Productions  ::  Florals – Papertini  ::  Pattern and Papers – Envelopments  ::  Gowns – The Dessy Group  ::  Capelet – Desla Couture::  Hair and Makeup – Tatum Neiderhiser from Aura Salon   ::  Custom Upholstery – Maggpie Upholstry  ::  Custom “Penny” Table – Maggpie Vintage Rentals  ::  Calligraphy – Meant to Be Calligraphy  ::  Ring Bearer Bowl – Painted Collaboration with Paloma’s Nest  ::  Models – Steph Strazdus, Danielle Pasternak, Kristy Kravitsky

Creative in Love – 13 Years Ago and Thoughts on Being Separate

I’m taking another much needed break from my blogging silence to share a story.

Thirteen years ago seems like a lifetime when you speak the words.  But thirteen years married to Adam, feels like a beautiful blink.

I was 22, he was 24 and judging by today’s average we were just kids, embarking on a trip together down the aisle.  A reading I recall most from our ceremony was from Kahil Gibran’s The Prophet and was one we chose together:

“Then Almitra spoke again and said, “And what of Marriage, master?”
And he answered saying:
You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when white wings of death scatter your days.
Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together, yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow”

That day, we were full of romance and idealism and probably didn’t think too much of this reading, but today 13 years later it is the sentiment here that our marriage is built upon.

This painting I created back in 2009 reminds me so much of our beautiful separateness.  On this day, the Hubby and I set out to explore Zion National Park in the way we always have…together, but separate.  We rode the shuttle to a perfect spot, stepped off and sized up our surroundings.  He walked with me down to the river to find my perfect painting stop, sat on a boulder nearby as I set up, deciding where he would hike to while I painted.  Hours passed as the sun belted down.  My brushed moved quickly and before I knew it this painting had come into view.  Before I knew it, Adam was back from his hike and we just sat for a while, sharing each of our adventures, laughing and laying back against the cool rocks to soak it all in.  We didn’t need to be holding hand for hours or walking together along a path only one of us really wanted to be on.  We could be at peace in the momentary separateness each of us craved; the sweet separateness that makes coming back together so divine.

Happy, happy 13th.

A Peek into the Studio – Hand Painted Chaviano Couture Wedding Gown, NYC Bridal Market

When Annette of Chaviano Couture came to me at the Southern Weddings V5 launch party and wondered if I’d ever consider collaborating on a gown, I could barely contain my excitement.  Well, the fruits of this labor are debuting at Bridal Market in NYC this weekend!