Last year's Thanksgiving table

Thanksgiving really crept up on me this year! While I have the theme and general idea of how we'll be decorating this year's Thanksgiving table, I'm not together enough to get the table set before Thursday and get the photos ready to share. I thought I'd revisit last year's beautiful table as a precursor to this year's, and I will tell you that this year's colors are going to be copper and blue!

Reposted from November 23, 2010
This is what 3 crazy and over-stimulated women can do in an afternoon when they have more on their agenda than is humanly possible (even for a mom!). I've been eager to do a table setting so that I can get more practiced at it. With Thanksgiving coming up, it seemed as good a time as any for my first official project. I gathered a few of my creative peeps on a Thursday and we brainstormed the details. My main inspiration was this photo from Leslie at A Creative Mint (the pinnacle of color inspiration and beautiful photography in my humble opinion):

Not having the time to make a quick trip to Morocco to get the delightful cups Leslie used, I had to improvise. I have some charming pressed glass cups at my house which I use for wine glasses (strange to some perhaps, but provincial to me and no broken glass stems in the dishwasher), and I'd just purchased some silver/gold Alhambra patterned votives from Crate and Barrel so those went into the creative soup. We have Thanksgiving (and most family events) at my sister Alex's so hers was the setting, table linen, silverware, and more. Aren't those flower plates beautiful? They come from Lindsay's room mate's collection of beautiful finds from Lord knows where (and likely some thrift store or Goodwill). Alex and I both contributed all our crystal candlesticks. Karyn (the photographer and creative muse) brought the silver mini pedestal with glass dome, which just was so cute. My point here is that everything on this table was borrowed, begged or bespoke. I want to thank Karyn, Lindsay, and Alex for their efforts and willingness to participate in my creative obsessions--I mean--projects. Everyone is super busy, so this was no small feat to find time and energy to spend on a "fun" project when you should really be wrapping presents, finishing newsletters, responding to charity emails etc. I begged Karyn to get me the 4 photos so I could post BEFORE Thanksgiving and so I am especially grateful. Thank you ladies again!! So without further ado, the photos please!

Karen's silver mini pedestal with a glass dome, pomegranate

Plates with gold chargers

My mini books as place cards. Each guest can write a nice note on the pages inside!

Karen added the gold trim around the glass rim.

Of course, even though we were going on and on about how much we had going on in our lives, we couldn't help ourselves but start planning the next event table. Creativity is a chronic and contagious disease, but you know that because you have the same affliction. Have a great Thanksgiving to you! If you have some creative thanksgiving tables to share, send them my way!

Bookclub Tea Party Part 2--Designing a Space

Guests enjoy conversation near the food stations, cleverly integrated into the existing bookshelf.

I'm back with Part 2 of the Bookclub Tea Party, which reviews the designing of the space or room where the book club tea party took place. In Part 1, highlighted the invitation and other paper products for the event. The original inspiration for this party is my mother's beautiful tea set. I created this inspiration photo, and this product inspiration collage which was our guide when designing this event.

When planning the event photoshoot, I'm so 3-dimensionally challenged, I knew I'd need some solid help in that department. Luckily, Tammy Duvall was ready and willing to jump into the creative pool and add some of her own fantastic ideas into the mix. I'm especially thankful for her efforts since she was in the midst of planning a huge 600 guest Gala Fundraiser. But as we say, a little stress is a perfect way to get your creative juices flowing, right?

I asked Tammy some questions about her part of the creative process:

Designing a space is very different from designing paper products (my specialty). What skills from your past career and education did you call upon for this project?
I have degrees in Fashion Design and Fashion Merchandising which have trained me to analyze line, color, texture and space.

Tammy sewed a slipcover for the window seat to pull in the crisp black lines inspired by the tea set.

The pillows on the couch were also arranged to reflect the visual concept of the tea set. The black icons were enlarged and heat transferred to the white linen pillow. Tammy sewed a thin grosgrain ribbon near the edge and trimmed it in solid colors coordinating with the tea set.

When I presented the Bookclub Party, what struck you as inspirational?
I loved the idea of a Book Club Party and was inspired by your tea set--from there the vision took shape.

Every surface was considered a design space. The nectarines in a glass bowl introduced freshness to the coffee table.

What struck you as a challenge?
Our task was to pull together not only a Book Club Party but also creating the look and feel of the space, food and accessories (paper products) and the flow of the guests.

Stacks of books were used to create an instant table to rest cups of tea.

So much of your talents are intuitive (which are often difficult to put into words), can you try to describe how you took the visual inspiration and translated it into a larger space?
Any event requires a "feel" to the space in which it is being held. I asked myself, "How would I want to 'feel' at a Book Club party?" "How would I like the surrounding to look?" "How can I create those qualities which would essentially encourage me to feel social and reflective with other members of the book club?"

A lovely spot for listening and reflecting by the picture window.

We struggled half-way through the project to keep to the original concept. Why do you think creatives have such difficulty staying focused?
I think creatives are always faced with the challenge of the original concept because being creative is being open to the possibilities, respecting the possibilities outside of the original idea. Sometimes taking a walk down other paths help lead us back home, sometimes those paths take us somewhere completely different and blow our minds!

What did you love the most about the final shoot?
I loved that I was waiting for our guests to arrive any minute--that's how complete the project felt to me. I was ready to entertain!!!!

What would you change if we could do it again?
We would have had those damn raspberry-filled cakes!!! (more on this drama in a later post)

Will you ever work with me again and what kind of styled shoot would inspire you? :o)
I would love to work with you again! I don't like to dictate what would inspire me. It's when I feel most uncomfortable I am most inspired.

What true words that wise Tammy speaks! I am so struck by the part about creatives being open to possibilities. It's so true and it can be a blessing and a curse sometimes, can't it? Wandering off the path can lead to frustration and it can also lead to a design gem. There were many times when I was thankful that we had the original inspiration photo to lead me back home.

Thanks again so much Tammy! Thanks also to Karyn Hlad-Miller who did the photography and to Alexis Anderson who helped with the food. Next week I'll highlight that tasty portion of this event, and I'll include recipes as well. Thanks for reading!

The invitation rejection story

The client/designer collaboration is a helpful and necessary creative road. When I meet with clients, I love the initial boom of excitement that comes from starting a new design for them. Something about that special person makes me think differently about a new idea; personalities and event descriptions become symbols and pictures in my head which translate into paper and text. The first part of the custom invitation process starts with several idea samples that are either chosen as-is, or tweaked until they are just what the client wanted (even if they didn't have the words to describe it yet!). I work really hard at the initial design step, which is why I require a small design deposit. Most of my efforts are in brainstorming and tinkering with the ideas until I'm happy with a sample, the rest is just a matter of fine-tuning.

Here's an example of a design that I loved dearly. I loved it so much, I almost stopped designing the rest of the ideas in my head. "How could anything else be better?" I asked myself in the midst of the creative high. Luckily I know thyself better. There is always another great idea. And I'm glad I pressed forward because this was not the design that was chosen. It was great, but not quite right for this particular customer. I still love it, though, and I'm sure it will be just perfect for someone else. And don't worry about Joe, he'll be getting another kick*ss Bar Mitzvah invitation.

So. Margot, what do you love so much about it?
Well, thank you for asking! I used my Silhouette SD to make a simple die-cut of "JOE", which was a stylized font I manipulated, and then set it in the center of a foldover layer over the invitation. The fun part for me was creating the "JOE" inside to line up with the cut-out, while being readable on it's own once the overlay was lifted. It wouldn't work for all names, but I think it would work for many. And I also adore the super modern typesetting I created for the invitation. It's fun to push those invitation "standards".

So, if you know of anyone having a Bar Mitzvah with the name "JOE", let me know... :o)

Now Trending: Hand drawn invitations

I've really enjoyed watching this trend grow. It's a wonderful response to a computerized world where everything is digital, digitized and perfected with a mouse instead of a pencil eraser. Of course, don't think for a moment that the computer doesn't participate in this trend! It's just nice to see artists working off-line for a while before going back to our little fr'enemies. I've toyed around with this and have enjoyed it immensely. It's fun to sit and draw!

What's really at the heart of this is the charm of having a custom illustration that in some way, represents you. The artists who create these can bring your physical likeness, your hobbies and your event venue or city to light in a comfortable and friendly way. It's casual, but still says "We cared about this event, and hope you do too."

I did a post previously on Marie Letourneau's illustrated invitations here and have collected some more lovely examples of hand drawn invitations, credits to follow the image.

A collection of illustrated or hand-drawn invitations

1. Handwritten invitation text by Bella Figura
2. Save the date tree border by See The Skyline
3. Watercolor Panoramic invitation by Tree Space Studio
4. Hand drawn map by E Fine Stationery
5. Drawn wreath border invitation by Patricia Mumau
6. "Celebrate" banners by PaperInvitationCards
7. Silhouette invitation by ElloThere
8. Couple in the Park Invitation by Jack and Jill Wedding
9. Hand drawn calligraphy for guest addressing by Andrea Lynn Karmazyn

Easter Goodies!

Homemade Marshmallow Eggs

Sugar Cookie "Eggs"

Last Sunday the kids at our church held a bakesale to support the relief in Japan. As I am always ready to jump at an idea that is both worthy in cause and creativity, I was all over this. I know that a "better" mom would have asked the kids what they wanted to do to contribute but I'm sorry to tell you that I don't work that way. My husband and I discussed what we were willing to to (since we'd be doing the bulk of the work anyway) and brought the kids in for important decisions like choosing the color of sprinkles and handwriting the tags. I love to create, but I really don't have lots of patience.

So, now that you know I'm a design-nazi mom, you can really appreciate the effort (and future therapy bills for my kids) put into these projects.

Homemade Marshmallow "Peeps"
This was actually my darling husband's idea. He's been into making homemade marshmallows (his day job is producing gelato so he's quite a creative foodie) and I thought it was brilliant. I'm not a fan of Peeps (I'd much prefer some nice crispy onion rings) but my kids love them, and I appreciate not filling them with all those awful chemicals used in the store-bought ones. This recipe is particularly good because it doesn't use high fructose corn syrup.

Making marshmallows is really rather easy. Start with a batch using the recipe here. Prepare a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper, then a light dusting of sifted powdered sugar, and spread the soft marshmallow mixture on top of that. Ours was about 3/4" thick. Sprinkle bands of colored sanding sugar on the mixture, covering all the white completely. This was a great job for the kids, so little N helped me with that. Let the mixture set and once firm, use a cookie cutter to create the shapes. I know you're thinking now, "Hey, you called these homemade Peeps and I didn't actually see any chicks in your pictures!" You are correct. The cute little chick cutter wasn't working with our marshmallow mix; the beaks and feet kept breaking off. And since I was going for beauty here, I decided to let the kids eat those ones. Once the shape is removed from the sheet, cover the edges with more sanding sugar and set aside for packaging.

I placed 2 eggs in a clear plastic sleeve (link here) and put a cute stamped sticker on top. This was mainly because I thought it was easier to handle and sell at the bakesale. They would be really nice on a plate with some other treats, or also great as a decoration on a cake!

Easter Egg Sugar Cookies
Since the "Peeps" were kind of involved, I wanted to keep the next baked good simple. My kids love these sugar cookies covered with pastel M&Ms. I make them at Christmas with red and green M&Ms and they look like ornaments. A good basic sugar cookie recipe is here. Roll the dough in the M&M's and bake as directed.

Bookclub Tea Party Part 1-Free Printables Included!

Yes, just part one! There were so many great aspects to this styled photo shoot that I couldn't possibly do it all in one post--and I know you'd fade away after 30 seconds no matter how compelling my writing is. We're just geared that way. At least I am.

The inspiration for this party was essentially my mother's tea set from Susie Davis called Black Fruit circa 1960, London. Again, props to my mama for having such good taste in tea sets. I have loved and lusted after this china for as long as I could remember, and I hope my mom is reading this so she can write that in her last will and testament. I did an initial color scheme photo in this post and the event inspiration details in this post.

Then I waited and procrastinated for several months (I think it was about 7) and then got myself in gear to finish the job. I invited Tammy Duvall (mom with fashion degree and insane need to do too much), Alexis Anderson (fabulous cake decorator and foodie), Karyn Hlad-Miller (photographer extraordinaire and fellow creative sucker) to join in the fun. So, the Jewel tone Book Club Tea Party became a reality. This wasn't an actual party because my book club wouldn't have the capacity to stop talking to pose for photos, nor could they NOT eat the food--you know how that goes, and I refer mainly to myself--but I think it makes for a great idea if you are either starting a book club for the first time, or getting the readers together for the start of another year. Do it in style, girl!

LET'S START WITH THE PAPER PARTS, SHALL WE?
I can speak coherently about that because I did it and since I have an insatiable need to understand artists and how they arrive at their final designs, I'll share my creative process with you.

First, I analyzed what was so beautiful about the tea set. It had a delicate and detailed black line drawing on a broad white background paired with a full flood of color striking jewel tone color. The overall style was classic but the color made it modern and edgy to me. When I translated those design elements into the coordinating peripheral paper materials it came out this way: A small black linear ornament with a splash of bold color (using the colors in the cups to keep visual consistency). The trick to a successful design is always in the balance of elements. In this case, the color equation was roughly a 2/3 white space, 1/6 black lines, 1/6 solid color. That makes one whole, right? Math was never my thing...

The invitation was a library pocket that I die cut with my Silhouette SD machine. It came standard with my software, so that was a nice bonus! The template for the pocket had a seam across the front so I used my most delightful Washi tape to cover it up. I chose the intricate black lace pattern to contrast with the simple lines of the main card design. I typeset the party specifics on a card that fit inside the pocket, making the enticing parts to stick out so you read those first. Then behind the invitation was a bookmark I created for each bookclub member to keep. It had all the books we'd be reading, the date of the discussion and who would be the host for that night. A handy memento that is both practical and pretty. I love it!

I always cherish a good party favor, so the bookplates were lots of fun to design. I carried over the design elements and printed them out on adhesive paper. Since I sometimes want my books back, but othertimes don't care, I included both options. A perfect gift for my book loving friends! I packaged a set of 6 in a flat white paper bag (from a restaurant supply store, probably used to hold large cookies, but we use them for the kid's lunches to cut down on plastic) folded over and closed with an ornately shaped color tag that I hand-wrote "Read On!" They were placed on the front table with a sign to let guests know that they shouldn't be shy and to take one with them when they left that day.

And for the fontophiles (not a real word), the main body text is Chisel Normal, and the script is Revised Dancer. The black ornaments are selections from Borderfont Classicals. Read more about using ornaments in this post.

The rest of the party signage is of course based on the main design concept. Smaller table tents for the food labels, and slightly larger tents for the various "stations" at the party, each with a punch of color in the border. One of my favorite ideas was to have a book exchange as a low key party "game". Guests bring their previously read and enjoyed paperbacks to exchange for another's beloved cast-offs. This was all mentioned in the invitation, of course, so everyone can be prepared.

Super cute, huh? Are you feeling like OMG I am so gonna take my bookclub up a notch this year! and have a fun party too? You're in luck because I'm giving away the bookmark and party signage printables FOR FREE! Just right click on the images below to download the jpg file. The bookmarks are blank because, uh, you need to come up with your own list. Even if you are not having a bookclub party, I think the bookplates would make a thoughtful gift for a teacher or friend who is always exclaiming, "You have to read this book!" I'm thinking these are going to be stocking stuffers this year.

SO ARE YOU STILL WITH ME OR DID I LOSE YOU? You are? Good, you have much more patience than I do. Next week, I will highlight the general decor and styling of the party, and the week after we can talk food and drinks (recipes and tragic story included, so you don't want to miss that one).

HERE ARE THE PRINTABLES!

Flower Petal Garlands from Paris

Ah, my bloggy friends! It's been a few weeks since I could really concentrate on my blog posts. I am doing a joyful but all-consuming design project, which as mercifully come to a temporary pause. It feel so good to have a "normal" day. Blog post in the morning, client work in the afternoon. All is good.

My sister-in-law Charlotte is back in town, which means we having many deep discussions about creativity, what's going on in the crafting world, and how we can be a part of that. Charlotte is French, living in Munich, Germany and is quite involved with the etsy world, with her own store PetitPoeme and also is a contributer to the Etsy French Handmade group.

Charlotte's always got her finger on the pulse of what's new and fabulous. And she loves sharing that knowledge and connecting people who can help each other--you know people like that? They are always have an excited way of adding to the conversation, "You should meet so-and-so! You would love what they are doing with such-and-such! I'll introduce you!" and she does that very thing. She's a born networker, which is great for this sometimes introverted design gal.

Camille Gallery was her most recent recommendation. And as usual, I agree that this is a really special thing Camille does! Camille is a photographer and recycler who makes garlands out of real petals. Her process is quite involved, but as you can see, it produces such a delicate and romantic garland that is light and airy and a wonderful touch for a romantic wedding. You could also have her "preserve" your wedding bouquet as a garland for posterity. Imagine the flowers from your most special day hanging over your bed's headboard like fairy petals. Just lovely!

Here's how she does it in her own words:
"Process (for 1 garland!):
Making a flower petals garland is a very long process! and of course totally handmade by me.
First I select the flowers for their color. Then I dry the petals (this phase needs a minimum of two weeks for a bouquet of 10 flowers). Then I laminate the petals, and cut them one by one (one afternoon). And finally I assemble the garland (two hours)."

Yes, she did say that she cut them one by one. Mon Dieu! You can request a special order, with special color, or thread, if you want different petal colors on the same thread, etc. Just note that it takes at least one month to complete your order, so plan accordingly.

Bookclub photoshoot teaser...

First Book Club party photo, Karyn Llad-Miller

One thing I love about living a creative life is that I learn ALL THE TIME. I am not always a patient learner. As anyone who knows me well (or worked with me *cough*) knows that I get all excited about a new idea and then proceed to draw everyone in to my creative endeavor. Fortunately, I know many creatives who would be happy to drop everything and jump on board and more patient friends who are willing to play a supporting role. My father looked at me at one point and said, "Honestly, sometimes I have no idea where you came from!" and my mother asked me about 8 times, "Now why are you doing this?"

One aspect I'm practicing is event styling and photography. I see these things all over the internet and drool. Then my stomach hurts because I know I want to do it too--but with my own ideas. In my mind's eye it's really going to look fantastic! But the reality is that I'm not a professional in ALL aspects of the event styling--not even close (although I do feel closer now that I have my new camera) and that is the basis of much frustration.

I know what a good photograph looks like but I'm not able to take it. I know what the food should look like, but I can't make it. I know how a beautifully styled space looks like but thinking 3 dimensionally isn't my strongest suit. Even if I could do all those things well, I am just one person and there are other people in my life who would like to have me around some of the time (my kids, husband, clients) BUT, I can design great paper products since I've had LOTS of practice with that. So that's something.

When this last creation stormed into my brain, I set out to find the people who could help me do all the other things that I couldn't do. I called upon Karyn Llad-Miller since she is an amazing photographer. I yanked Tammy Duvall out of her Waldorf School/Gala Planning world and put her fashion and retail styling degree into gear, and I met Alexis Anderson who is a cake designing fool in her free time. After rescheduling about 12 times (the Universe was not yet ready for us) we finally got a full day to style and photograph my next project: The Bookclub Coffee party.

I'm pleased with our efforts, but as many of you might relate, I've been spending the last week rethinking and restyling to make it better. I'm already looking forward to the next one, knowing that I've got some more experience on my side.

I will flesh out the details of the event separately because well, that's what this blog is about. I'm just starting you out with one of the photographs Karyn sent to me last night. It's beautiful and I nearly cried when I saw it. I couldn't help it. I was feeling emotional people!

Have you heard of Wedzu?

I hadn't until now, but my lovely Charlotte always has my back on these cool new websites. She actually sent me the link a long time ago and I saved the message until I had time to take a closer look (months later--ug)

It's called Wedzu and I think it looks like a great resource for Indie Brides. It has an etsy feel, and since it's focused on weddings only you can not get distracted by all the other cool "stuff" out there. Take a look ladies and tell me what you think!

Numbered Gift Wrap

So my daughter turned 11 this weekend. THE ONLY thing she wanted was an iTouch so I crunched some numbers, held my breath and bought one at the apple store. Then I prayed really hard that she wouldn't lose it or break it within the first month.

I wanted the Big Gift to be the last one she opened, so I thought about numbering the packages. Then I thought about making use of my new Silhouette SD. Then I cleaned out and organized my decorative paper stash so that I could find the right paper for the job. 2 hours later, I was ready to create!

I'm mostly pleased with how they turned out. I wish I had a little more time to better style and tweak the photograph since I'm still learning on my new camera. But I'm glad for the project and the weekend that allowed me a little time to put into it. It's the little things, you know...

Fall color forecast: Bamboo yellow

I know spring has just arrived, but in the event planning world fall is the season we have to think about. Planning does take a lot of time, doesn't it? So some of you brides out there are thinking about colors for your fall wedding. I thought I'd start with Pantone's color forecast for fall and offer up some creative ways to bring a little something special to your event based on these colors.

Today I am offering some event detail inspiration for Pantone 14-0740 Bamboo Yellow. I like this for a fall color because it is kind of overlooked when we think of burnt oranges, deep purples and rusty browns or autumn. Brighter, more summery yellow is toned down with a little green in the mix, and some warmer color mixed in to mute it down. When I think in CMYK terminology, there would be a bit of cyan and magenta and just a touch of black added to the yellow. But I digress.

Here is my collection of bamboo-inspired event goodies. More images are on my Pinterest Bamboo style board, which you can also view here. Links and credits will be listed underneath.

Bamboo inspired event details curated by Margot Madison

1. Amazing chandelier with a chinoiserie flair from Design Manifest.
2. Darling wedding print (great gift, isn't it?) from Smile Blue Eyes
3. Guest Sign-in Box (brilliant idea, eh?) from Cut The Cake Designs
4. Butterfly gift box from Fast Running Fox
5. Lanterns at a reception from Style Me Pretty
6. Custom wine labels from Absinthe Custom Prints
7. Dress from Gina Michele Eco
8. Pocket Mirror (bridesmaid favors, anyone?) from Gamiworks
9. Table decor from Style Me Pretty
10. Yellow invitation from the fabulous designer Margot Madison :o)
11. French Nougat from Kettle Creations. I love the added pops of green and cherry red in those.
12. Parasols from Occasions by Design

Will You Be My Bridesmaid Card-Free printable!

A Bridesmaid card designed by Margot Madison

I know that brides often are interested in sending cards to their future wedding party but good ones are sometimes hard to come by. I just designed this card for a client and thought I would share it with you. The bouquet is a bright bunch of pink flowers, and the inside says "Will you be my bridesmaid at our wedding?". You can download the file and add your wedding date and place, then print and fold (final folded size is 5x7, which fits an A7 envelope). I added the pretty bow to the bouquet to add a little softness.

And today, my kids and I had a great morning crafting these shamrock cootie catchers. Tonight, it's green spaghetti (made with pesto) and broccoli for dinner. I've not always gotten so involved with St. Patrick's Day but this year I'm feeling my Irish McConnaughey roots. Happy Green Fun to all!

Luck of the Irish Cootie Catcher

Too cute! A craft from A Subtle Revelry (formerly City Cradle) that I think my wee ones would love from their part English-Scots-Irish (and a little bit of German) mama. They'll be so pleased that I've moved on from the Kokeshi Dolls. ;o)

Since I don't think kids should have all the fun, I think this would also make a fun table favor for a dinner party or Irish themed wedding, don't you think?

Now then, back to work!

DIY Friday: Pretty Pencils made with Washi Tape

Pretty Washi Pencils.

Here's a fun little project that adds a little something extra to your event. Make pretty pencils with the colorful patterns from the washi tape (found at places like Pretty Tape, or Happy Tape etc.) I created these to add a coordinated and practical touch to a baby shower game that needed a writing utensil.

The pencils ready for action at the baby shower game station.

It's pretty easy. First, find yourself some pencils. I searched high and low for white ones, but they are hard to come by apparently. I puchased a pack of yellow number 10 pencils and spray painted them white. It's important to have a white "canvas" because the washi tape is translucent.

Tape off the barrel at the top to protect it from the paint spray.

I used a handy-dandy egg carton as my prop.

Starting at the eraser side, wrap the tape at a diagonal to cover the entire pencil barrel. Trim off the excess at the top and bottom, sharpen the pencil and--Bob's Your Uncle--you've got yourself a snazzy pencil.

I think these would make cute teacher gifts or party favors for your kids' birthday parties too!

Winter Bat Mitzvah with Blue and Green color scheme

Man, I've been on the busy side here in the studio. That's good for me, but not so good for the blog posting schedule.

Today I thought I would share an inspiration board I created for a client whose Bat Mitzvah invitations I'm creating.

The party celebration is taking place at a winter club this fall. It's a rustic "aprés ski" kind of place with ice skating for the teenagers and a nice dinner for the adults on a separate floor. The venue has dark wood interior, so I suggested winter white as the neutral background, using different textures to compliment the rustic feel of the venue. Then I added some bright blue and green as accents (these were not your typical pink and purple twin girls), and created patterns to enhance the accent colors. I must say that I love the mittens--twin girls, winter theme--perfect!

Now, I created this a few months ago (before I started including the blog/artist in the name of the image), so I hope I can credit the photos properly. If you see an error, please let me know and I'll change it immediately.

Top left section is original artwork created by me, Margot Madison. Fonts are LaPortenia, Freebooter Script, Evangel, Eccentric and Terracotta regular, available from either Fonts.com or Dafont.com. Photo on top right is from Once Wed. Wood tag blanks from The Hickory Tree (logo customization is by me), Pom-pom trim from May Arts Ribbon, Cookie by Queen City Cookies, votive glasses from Cultural Intrigue, Blue pops picture from Once Wed, Wooden table number (similar) from Bragging Tags, Wood candle centerpieces (similar) from This Fine Day, Wood sign (similar) from Bragging Tags.

Here is also a good dessert table in similar colors from Whipperberry.

DIY: What to say on a Wedding Program

Clients are always overwhelmed with their programs. What do they say? How do they say it? It is a lot of text and organization for sure! I thought it would be helpful to post a sample so that you could take what you need, fill in your details and be a lot less stressed about it.

Here is a program I created for my lovely client Katherine. The format is useful because it uses both sides of a standard 8.5 x 11" piece of cardstock. The program is printed on both sides and folded down the middle. No ribbons, bows or assembly hassles which is a bonus when you're so close to your wedding date. You need to be primping your beautiful self, not tying bows on 100 programs!

A tip on program quantities: You don't need a program for every guest. Most couples will only take one and share it. If you expect 150 guests, you may only need 100-125 programs. Tragic true story: I put a lot of effort into my programs (bows, special assembly etc) and made enough for one per guest, only to see the huge basket still filled with programs after the wedding was over. All the late nights of laborious assembly gone to waste...don't let that happen to you. ;o)

Inside the program

Front and Back side of the program

Designing invitations with the dresses in mind--Brilliant!

Here is the news I have to start the creative work week:

1. Anthropologie is putting out a wedding line of clothing called BHLDN (And if you can't remember all those letters in a row, think "Beholden". It seems to work for me.)

2. An incredibly creative way to design wedding invitations is by being inspired by the dress! *Margot hits palm on forehead and says "Doh!"*

I really, really enjoyed this post from Kate at Magnolia Rouge (an excellent Aussie wedding blog/designer) where she used the BHLDN dresses to influence her wedding invitation designs. Brilliant. And beautiful designs, of course! Look at these text savvy beauties...

I might give this a try this week. If I'm any good, I'll show ya...