An Artful Life – My love, our life, the story…

Today is THE day.  Even though we are preparing for a flurry of celebrations over the next few weeks, today is the real day to celebrate.  10 years ago today two kids embarked on the adventure of their lives.  Adam and I said I DO, to what has been a crazy ride…one that I never want to get off of.

Yes, it is true, we were high school sweethearts…enter the ahh’s…:)

Me in red, some not-so-good lookin’ fake nails and him, with those glasses, agh!  But we were in love and somehow knew, even then, we would be seeing a lot more of eachother for a long time to come.  Check out that boutonniere…purple irises, pretty adventurous for a 1995 prom, right?

We dated all through college…I followed him to Penn State Main Campus…me – followed?  Yes, it is true.  What we will do for love….

Adam popped the question in 1998.  On one knee with The Engagement Mary’s Moo Moo figurine in hand he said he had found the one…

I launched into a full blown wedding planning frenzy and unknowingly planted the business seeds that grew into what Momental is today.  Just some of our handcrafted pre-Momental wedding stationery is pictured above.  Don’t look too close though, admittedly this was before our craftsmanship was impeccable.  My how far we have come!  I remember falling in love with the Martha Stewart Weddinga Magazine, never dreaming I would one day meet the fabulous Darcy Miller!  I was a subscriber then and still am now.  How about those adorable “for your tears of joy” tissue packs? Adam thought I was nuts to make those the week before our wedding but nonetheless, stayed up one night to help me stuff them!

Yellowstone National Park

From the beginning travel was a huge part of our relationship and will always be.  From a week long drive to Florida in our teens to our hikes in Utah as thirty-somethings, we wander together and make life about discovering what the world has in store for us...together.

With just about a week until we renew our vows, amidst the flurry of to-do lists and stress of preparing The Momental Girls for my absence in the studio, I need to take a moment.  Adam and I both chatted with our lovely Pastor yesterday as she is putting the final touches on our ceremony in Zion.  “What do you want to tell him, after 10 years?” The words that came to mind were thank you, thank you, thank you.  Thank you for being my true and real partner in life, my rock.  I love you.

An Artful Life/Artful Admirations – Stephanie Elizabeth Designs

Today’s post is a combination of An Artful Life and Artful Admirations.    Through a look into my home I would like to introduce you to the work of the artist behind one of my most prized art collections.  Years ago when I first began my business I traveled to Art shows locally selling my stationery.  I met wonderful artists in my travels,  many of whom I still see today.   One of these artists is Stephanie Elizabeth whose forte is painting found objects with her signature style.  I adore Stephanie’s snowmen as evidenced by my Holiday entryway decor.  Join me for a tour…

My father’s vintage Victrola is the centerpiece in this corner but this time of year the snowmen take over.  A vintage sled, completely painted from top to bottom is perhaps my favorite piece in the collection.  A pair of antique skates is the newest addition this year.
Stephanie’s very painterly, rich style of brushstroke combined with whimsical color palettes are central to her style.

In addition to painted pieces, Stephanie creates assemblage sculptures – this one makes my laugh each time I pass by – I love the button legs!

The focal point of the foyer is the staircase adorned with lit greens.  For years I have added Stephanie’s painted wooden bowls to my collection.  I finally acquired so many of these lovelies that I decided to hang them from the evergreen swags.

Take a look at the level of detail on these pieces.  After years of collecting  and creating art myself  I have found that pieces which reveal something new each time you look are those with the most impact.  This is precisely why Stephanie’s snowmen are so beloved.  From the inquisitive expressions, masterful shading and color use to the thoughtful text she uses, Stephanie’s art is truly dimensional in idea and application.  She brings to life the joy of fresh fallen snow, the crispness in the air as you build the first snowman of the year and the warmth you feel when sipping hot chocolate on a freezing winter afternoon.

Renewal Inspirations – Depression Glass and Vintage Linens

An inpromptu trip to a local Antique market last weekend was all I needed to get inspired.  Last week I announced that The Hubby and I are planning a wedding vow renewal bash.  I must admit settling on a color palette has been difficult for me.   Wandering around the Antique Center I was repeatedly drawn to the vintage tablecloths in so many of the booths.  Picking up a simple piece with light orange and yellow roses, worn from use and frayed a bit on the edges I was immediately drawn in.  At that moment I knew the search for our perfect color palette was over and boy was I lucky The Hubby agreed!

From there I found a few Depression Glass pieces I hope to use as centerpieces, reminding me so much of the lovlies in my mother’s china closet, I marveled at as a child.

During the stationery design process I always encourage my clients to find inspiration in uncommon places.  A cherished card kept in a memory box for years, a simple dinner plate loved for it’s pattern or a field full of wildflowers growing along the interstate.  In my experience it is a heightened awareness of those items you surround yourself with most often that can inspire with most meaning and passion.

What seemingly mundane items have inspired your planning process?

An Artful Life – New look, new photos!

The day I have been waiting for, losing sleep over and after hours prepping for is finally complete! Shane East lugged his gear to the studio and set up a traveling photo studio to capture nearly 1500 shots just in the first day(more to come on Thursday). The studio was a mess of paper, paint and flower pieces being tossed/placed here and there to create the perfect environment for our invites. To experience these collections come to life on camera was quite exhilarating. I can hardly wait for the new website launch in only 3 weeks!

An Artful Life – A lovely weekend in New Hope, PA

Recently the hubby and I took a long weekend to celebrate our 9th anniversary. New Hope, PA is only a little over an hour away but feels like so much more. I find this area to be entirely inspiring, filled with gorgeous landscape, family owned eateries and eclectic shopping that I love so much. We spent three days enjoying all the splendor the area has to offer; walks along main street visiting my favorite A Mano gallery, lunch stops at The Blue Tortilla for their famous guacamole made table side and a heavenly stay at Barley Sheaf Farms.

The staff at Barley Sheaf were nothing short of amazing and truly made us feel at home. Thank You!!

Momental Collaborates for The I DO Brunch!

This week I am wrapping up a creative project with The Wedding Diva, Linnyette Richardson-Hall, savvy event planner and two of her favorite vendors in the Baltimore area (Richardson’s Flowers & Gifts and Gala Cloths) I was honored when asked to collaborate on four tablescapes to be featured at The I DO Brunch in April.

“The “I DO BRUNCH” is a networking event for wedding planners and coordinators that will offer an unprecedented chance to discuss in a open environment, the many challenges professional planners face in today’s wedding industry. Beautiful decor, lively entertainment and great giveaways have been carefully orchestrated with some of the region’s finest companies to make this a one-of-a-kind experience!“

Linnyette gave the collaborating team a bit of color direction (green, purple, spring, garden feel) but essentially allowed our imaginations to run wild! I created four inspiration boards to help the process and ensure my pieces will flow perfectly with the linens and floral design. I am so excited to create a full collection of menus, table numbers, seating cards and more – be sure to keep an eye out for another post with photos later next month!

An Artful Life – new look, new logo!

For the past several weeks I have been working feverishly on a new logo for Momental Designs. It has proven to be a big undertaking to design something for myself. As most designers will tell you it is extremely difficult to conceive personal design work with a good amount of objectivity. I must admit to assist in the perspective portion of this process I have enlisted the professional opinion of Heidi from Spitfiregirl Design. She is the fab designer of the wildly popular Style Me Pretty Logo and Blogsite and the soon to be fabulous new Momental site! So to help in this process I thought I would ask your opinion of the various logo versions I have been working on.

Would love to hear what you think!