Behind the Scenes – Opulent Ocean Wedding Shower for C Magazine

Been dying to share some never before seen shots of this Seaside Wedding Shower recently featured in C Magazine!  Leila of Be Inspired PR produced the entire event and chose a team to collaborate  for Nati, the lovely bride.

This shell encrusted private estate in Malibu was the inspiration for a pencil sketched pattern of peonies in various stages of bloom.  A clean shell border added to the eclectic palette of artwork… Words like lush, shimmering, seaside and florals were forwarded as I began to design.  A  glistening palette of golds and pinks were at the heart of every last detail.

Carissa of JL Designs never ceases to make our jaws fall and her combination of Peonies, Roses and White Astilbe here are no different. 

From the fireplace mantle to chandeliers and wall trim, softly toned shells were here, there and everywhere creating a sea nostalgia that not once was cliché.

Wild and elegant, this shell bodice I imagine is a conversation piece at every celebration held here.  Dupioni silk linens uplifted our textured menu paper selections featuring delicate brushstrokes on each.

Ruffling, sweet icing and lofty peonies define this confections table…

These snapshots are my own so not as lovely as those above by Elizabeth Messina.   A custom mixed shimmery pink ink was painted in various thicknesses on the peonies.  Touches of creamy pink ink was added as lowlights to really enliven the blooms.  Buttery gold was brushed sheer-ly onto shell sketches to impart a particular warmth overall.  Possibly my favorite detail were the place cards.  A simple bloom was free hand painted in a slightly abstract style that evolved from card to card.

Certain events seem to unfold effortlessly.  The team and location melt together effortlessly and Nati’s Malibu shower is certainly an example of this kind of harmony.  Elizabeth Messina took all of our hard work and transformed it into pure art.  Each image tells the tale of this day in delicate detail.  The colors are in luscious whispers but speak volumes to the energy and spirit that day held for all.

Photography – Elizabeth Messina ::  Production- Be Inspired PR :: Florals -  JL Designs ::  Stationery – Momental Designs ::  Scent Station -  Ka-Mil-Yin :: Linens – La Tavola

My Story is Art – Church Shot by Elizabeth Messina

I stumbled upon this wedding yesterday on Style Me Pretty.  Nestled deep in the galleries was this perfect shot.  I want to be there.

My Story is Art, Painted Beautifully

Elizabeth Messina

Every so often I feel the need to wax poetic; please forgive me in advance…today is one of those days.  After creating handmade, hand painted wedding invitations for over 7 years, building a team of 8+ employees and traversing the many highs and lows that owning a business can bring; this girl needs to take a moment and just be grateful.  It seems in this life we breeze about our days in a rush to the next big moment, project or trip.  We scoop up every opportunity to make a name for ourselves, our employees and for me the friends I have the joy of working with each day.  Don’t get me wrong, drive and passion are all good things but only when balanced by a strong sense of the life you are creating alongside a business or career.  I read this post by Liene Steven’s and this one by Sean Low earlier this week and both spoke to me in so many ways.  Our businesses and brands are so closely intertwined with our souls and personalities that it can be immensely difficult to have a life or even desire moments that exist outside of creating our art.  As an artist though I have mindfully chosen to craft moments where I can just be me; admiring and feeling life, not always the me going after life, if you know what I mean.

I read a little excerpt from the Elizabeth Messina studio tour on Brooklyn Bride a few weeks ago where she was speaking about her blog.

“…its been so wonderful to share a little bit of myself without anyone editing me or my work….i feel connected to the world in a way i couldn’t have imagined….”

In a way I imagine Ms. Messina’s connection with her blog is her mindful moment to just be and carefully share bits of herself with the world.  So with that being said  I plan to do the same…take a day each week and break from Peeks into the Studio and Behind the Scenes posts to share a bit of myself; what makes me tick, what get’s my creative juices flowing and what gives me rest. 

I am an artist. I see, hear and feel the world in color.  I like what I like and sometimes it defies description.  I can fall in love with a simple shadow in a photograph, texture or pose and have it make me want to paint.  These simple, un-categorizable types of moments are those I plan to share.  Our lives are full of moments…more of the kind hopefully that make us want to sing and paint, dance and write.  My story is art and makes me want to paint it beautifully with passion, generosity and care.  Join me? 

A Peek Inside the Studio – A Midsummer Night’s Tree Wedding Invitation

Earlier this year Kathryn contacted me with an idea.  Her wedding she explained was to be inspired in part by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  How lovely.  Her ideas were clear but Kathryn reached out to me to bring the vision to life and I am SOOO glad she did!

We decided a new Vintage Lacy Tree illustration was in order so I went to work on created this magical, washy watercolor tree trunk complete with a peeking fairy wing, dragonflies, hummingbird and creepy, crawly tree roots.  I have been experimenting with new closure/embellishment details and this hanging shimmery painted leaf is the newest!

Other projects recently have centered around this Enchanted Forest Wedding concept.  Betsy’s whimsical invitations are the perfect example. Elizabeth Messina’s Enchanted Fairy Wedding comes to mind too!

So what am I up to?

Packing for the Renewal in Zion ceremony that is just 2 weeks away and we are totally pumped about the custom ring renderings we received yesterday! Marc our talented ring designer is on Facebook….give him a shout!

Preparing for an impromptu shoot with my good friend Daniel Lanton next week.  All I can say is that I plan on raiding the family barn to make this one happen.

I am staying positive, forging ahead  and am excited to announce more details soon about the grand idea that came to life last week.