What was that? You've got oodles of time, nothing to do, no other planning, details, appointments or phone calls to make? Well, heck yea ... guess I would want to hand-craft my wedding invitations, too! It sure seems like a good idea until you're right in the middle of the fray frantically ordering paper, printing, cutting, assembling and trying to make the 5pm Post Office cut off time, because it wasn't as easy or quick as it all seemed initially.

There are only a few times in your life that you will order custom stationery, and your wedding is one of them. It is the only printed {well, beautifully printed} record of the day you excitedly said, "I DO!". The other icky document you get is the oh, so, official form your witnesses get to sign. Ewww. Unless of course you have your designer create an oh, so, fab document for your witnesses to sign ... that perfectly matches your wedding papery suite. Idea!

Of course, I am soooo beyond biased on this subject because I live and breathe the custom papery biz. To me ... truly, there is nothing like receiving a thoughtful, finely detailed, hand-crafted invitation or greeting in the mail. It's like a shiny little beacon amidst the junk mail, bills and coupons littering the mailbox. Love!

So, I say this ... if you insist on having a {literal} hand in your own wedding papery ... check with your paperies! Most offer design only services, DIY options, full design & assembly options ... they may just not list a whole long sorted tale about every service they perform. Save a little and do some of the manual labor or go all out and pamper yourself with a papery suite fit for a princess.

Remember, a custom papery is not only a supplier of materials & embellishments but a specialist in the art of invitation design and etiquette. And {while I'm thinking of it} an important note: No two paperies are alike ... what is crafted by one persons hand cannot be crafted the same by another's. Ahhhh, so true. {thinking ...}

Now, go forth! Find a papery you love, trust in their proven abilities and play with your wedding papery!

It's a rambl-y kinda day, my friends ...

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Sooo, this past wedding season really took a toll on my eating habits.  If you constructed a food pyramid of what I was eating - Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups would have been its own food group.  {right, M?}  Therefore, to get myself back on track I have limited my calories to 1200 a day and eating salads for at least two of my daily meals.  I am {surprisingly} enjoying coming up with creative combinations to keep me interested in my salad meals.  

Thought I would share today's lunch and my recent salad infatuation ... 2 cups of spring greens, a sprinkle of feta, 3 strawberries and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinaigrette.  

Any good salad ideas out there that are super-tasty with just a few ingredients??  If I have to think beyond 4 ingredients - I'm grabbin' the Reese's!

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Soooo, what did you do last night??  Here's what 1 venti vanilla latte {at 9pm,}, 2 diet pepsi's {at midnight and 1am respectively} and a whole lotta pent-up creativity helped me accomplish last night.

Two cute {baby related} jobs needed to get out the door early today.  As a wife and mother to one little rambunctious 4 year old it is tough to find enough hours in the day to get everything on my to do list done - well done right anyway.  So, I get up at 5am daily to get 2 solid hours of work before everyone rises, there are 2 days a week where I have an additional 3 hours while the little one is at preschool, 1 solid all day workday when the hubby is home, a good 2 hours at night when the little one goes nite-nite and often that is just not enough.  Twice this week, I pulled all nighters to get my clients their uber-fabulous stationery into their hot little hands.  

Pictured above is what 50 baby announcements looks like all neatly stacked for drying.  Double matting, photo, ribbon, hand glittering, a crystal and a lot of time, patience and love went into these babies.  More pics of The Chiesa Family's baby announcements to come.

Up next } Job 2 of 2 from last night BUZZ-Worthy baby shower invites ...

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Love, love, love my office mate and friend, Martha of Blooms by Martha Andrews, she sent me home with three bunches of melon color roses earlier in the week.  They make such a bright little spot in my home studio!  Thanks, M!!!  :)

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My friends and frequent clients the Rekers family sent me a yummy, yummy (oh, so bad for my lingering diet - but oh, so good) treat last week.  Thank you right back - for sending me the berry treat (and cookies!).  They were a wonderful surprise.

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Ok.  I am officially obsessed with these little scented oils from Bath and Body Works!  My sister-in-law gave me a set with the little oil warmer several birthdays ago and I have gradually collected a massive stockpile of scents.  

These little bottles pack a serious punch of room smelling loveliness.  Just a few drops in a warmer scents my entire house.  Top to bottom - every nook and cranny.  Love them if I'm feeling like I need to de-stress, love them if I'm having guests over, love them if I need to put myself in a creative mood - just plain love 'em.  

My all time favorite last year was a Fresh Lemonade - this months obsession is White Citrus.

How cute would these babies be as favors????

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Photography business on the horizon?  Not likely.  I do love photography and would really like to keep it as my hobby - a way to relax, unwind and be purely creative.  I had the absolute pleasure of photographing my (well, sort of) niece's senior portraits a few weeks ago in Old Sacramento (the very same night I realized that I was coming down with chicken pox!).

Without going into a long story - I have known Ashli since the day she was born (and, yes, that makes me feel old) and am thrilled to see her grow into the creative, passionate, responsible young lady she is today.  Ashli is also my son's "numero uno" kidsitter and my occasional assistant around the studio.  I am so excited for her as she takes the next steps in her life when she graduates from high school this year.

Happy Graduation, Ash!!

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We took a much needed little family day trip last Tuesday to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.  I grew up in the bay area so we travel often to SF for little day trips just to hang out and soak up the city.  And we we've been wanting to see the newly renovated building since it's opening.

It's really difficult to take lots of pics with a little one in tow and really enjoy our day together at the same time.  So, not many pics from this trip.  We hadn't been to the newly renovated building and we had lots to experience.  

The most impressive part to us was the Rainforest structure.  A spherical structure that showed the many levels of a flooded Rainforest.  From the under the water to the the top of the canopy.  Butterflies, fish, birds, tropical trees & flowers.  It was amazing.  Hot and steamy - but amazing.  If it wasn't for the heat, I could have stayed in there for hours.

We always wrap up our SF trips with a stop at Pier 39.  We checked in on the Sea Lions, walked the pier, grabbed ice cream, clam chowder in a bread bowl and then headed home.  Pic of Wyatt's demolished cup of Bubble Gum ice cream - Ewww.  

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Love, love, love my new blender!!  Our son, Wyatt, got to pick the color - super cute!  We've been blending like maniacs since we got it just after Christmas.  Wyatt and I are blending up breakfast smoothies every day, mixing everything from salsa to pancake mix is super easy and the blender has instituted weekly Tequila Tuesday's at the Cooley house.  

Seriously, the consistency is perfect - liquifies ice in seconds - and no (I mean NO) little left over ice rocks to get stuck in a straw.  We purchased ours at Macy's, but you can check out more cool colors on the KitchenAid website.

Happy Blending!!

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Does everyone get mushy like me around the Holidays?  At the movies yesterday with my family, (we saw Bolt - super funny and a great pic for the whole family by the way) at the end of the movie I found myself blubbering like I don't even know what.  Earlier in the week, we rented Narnia: Prince Caspian (also a good family pic) and every time (I've tortured myself by watching it, and crying with it, three times!) the movie nears the end there's this song (I have to figure out what the name is) starts and the waterworks start.  My goodness - it's not even just movies a commercial can get me too!

Guess it's that I start thinking about everything all at once ... what am I making for dinner, ooo - have to grocery shop, finish up holiday shopping, get out the holiday cards, return phone calls, check email, finish that artwork, assemble those invites, did I send out all my estimates, did I figure out preschool for next week, am I getting enough sleep - no, I really want to see Twilight, am I heading in the right direction with my career, the weight of our country's economic woes, the fact that our Christmas will not be as grand as years past and more and more ... then (there's a glimmer of light) realize that I don't mind the previous list so much since really do have so much to be thankful for and just well up.  I really hope the tearing up goes away soon.  People may start to ask questions.  :)  Or maybe they're just thinking (ladies this is) that we really are all a lot more alike that we'd like to think.

I definitely am thankful - that is for sure.  To my past, present and future clients ... thank you from the bottom of my heart for trusting me to create the first glimpse into your most special events.  I am blessed to have worked with wonderful brides, businesses and families thought out my 6 year stretch as a business owner/graphic designer and really do love every crazy moment of it.  My growing business would not be possible with out ya'll!!

The pic above is from my annual holiday photo shoot with the two men in my life.  Oooo, they are so cute.  Without their love and support (along with the rest of my family), I wouldn't make it through a week.

I talk a a lot throughout my blog about my friends at The Memory Journalists and this year we were honored to have two photographers from the studio shoot our family pics.  We sorta felt like we were being stalked by the paparazzi for the afternoon - and loved it.  We do enjoy hamming it up for the camera.  :)  I have been blessed not only with great clients throughout the years, but have formed lasting friendships with colleagues through projects in the wedding & event industry.  Thank you to you all (ya'll know who you are!) for being a great source of inspiration and support!  

I know that all seems just a little disjointed - sort of rambling a little but I hope the message is clear - Thank you, everyone for everything you do to make my life a little sweeter.  Cheers!

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