Here comes the Sun

Imagine you are engaged, about to marry the boy of your dreams - and you have visions of sunflowers just dancing in your head. That was Marisa, a few months ago. Marisa is Mike's cousin, babysitter of our children and the gorgeous bride in this photo.

Marisa and her fiance, Corey came to Heirloom about 8 months before their wedding to be held at the Brandywine Manor House, with a simple idea, Sunflowers. They loved the vibrant color, the beauty and symbol of the flower. But how does one translate that into a wedding concept?

Beauty - Inner or Outer? Outer in the case of the flower, inner in the case of the couple. Correct? Well in this case, luckily that is correct. Marisa and Corey are two of the most honest and loving people I know, both caring about others more than themselves, and so genuinely in love it seeps out of their pores when they are around. So, that is what I used as the basis of my concept: Intertwined.

While developing the concept, I needed a layout. I chose a mini book so that I could paint a grand love story.  For inspiration I began reading The Iron Fairies, a little book from my dear friend Amy, when the concept came to me. The key to their love story is underneath everything. So I began writing a poem all about two ravishingly beautiful sunflowers who admire each other from afar, but really don't pay much attention. One day, however, they look down, beneath the garden's ground to find that their roots are somehow intertwined, and that is when they realize their destiny. It all comes together, it all makes sense on the last page of the invitation book: "It's not the beauty we can see, or bright rich colors calling thee, it's underneath and deep inside, undying love that's true and tried."

Jane Ramsey, illustrator extraordinaire, was sought after to create these four stunning watercolors, which are now framed and hanging in the couple's home.

Jeff Reeder, Shot the fabulous product and event photography you see. Custom-designed placecards adorned a table just inside the lavish white tent.

So when considering a wedding invitation, anniversary card, family reunion, baby announcement, or any memorable life event, remember, stories are powerful, and conceptual designers allow guests a peek inside the real you.  ~Heirloom

Oh, and don't forget to have a good time!

Charmed

Art is all around, you just need to know where to look. As you may recall, a few months ago, I began working with Lauren and Cheryl of Time for Design, an interior design group based in Doylestown, to freshen up my front sitting room. We collaborated on a fresh look for both my room and their new logo and marketing pieces. Our creativity flowed brilliantly into my dining room where we created this dramatic picture window. As you will see, we pulled our creative natures to build something fun, and a little bit unique.

I chose a striking blue and gray print from one of my favorites,  Calico Corners, to frame and add depth to my window while Lauren crafted the panels and provided inspiration for the sheer Linen Romans inside the windows.

Time for Design picked up on my love of vintage, and suggested I use antique buttons and necklaces to accent my new window treatments. I did just that. I made an immediate run to Vintage in Doylestown, where owner, Debi, helped me rummage through every gorgeous button, earring and pin available! We found fantastic glass, metal and plastic gems, which soon became mine, or I should say, my curtain's possessions.

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I then went right upstairs to my own stash of vintage jewelry and pulled out 4 silver charm bracelets which belonged to my dear mother and my great aunt, Grace. They were perfect, nostalgic and lovely. Strung together, they made the tie backs I've always dreamed of! I attached a little cup hook to my wall, and pulled the curtains back easily.

Next, I took these lovely buttons, earrings, and pins from time gone by, and hand-sewed them to the tops of the Linen Romans. We velcroed the romans to the window frame to avoid nail holes and permanent damage, and to provide what I call, "style flexibility".  The pretty buttons, pins and earrings appear to be holding the Romans in place, but this is just an illusion.

button windows

close buttons

The blue panels are attached above by 6 decorative iron hooks I found at Pier One for $2 each! I just love how they show off the iron work around the room. They are also very versatile, as Lauren simply placed 3 loops behind the panels, to attach to the hooks. This trick allows me to easily change fabric/panels as seasons or styles change, which is important in my world.

hooks for panels

Ultimately, I am very pleased with the collaboration and results. Not only do I have pretty windows, but I can remember my mom and aunt every time I look outside. And that alone makes me smile. Remember to reuse and rescue fabulous items when decorating, designing, and dressing yourself, your business and your home.  ~ Heirloom

window from afar

The Story of a Studio

The Story of a Studio The day has come. Heirloom's Cottage Studio is finally open. She received her first visit this Tuesday morning. A hand-blown chartreuse vase from Martha's Vineyard, filled with fresh lilac, adorned her interior, and a custom clay Heirloom sign decorated her little white portico.

Her restoration was both fun and interesting. She sits in the middle of the little Bucks County Farm, we call home. At first, no one noticed her, the dingy pale ivory that she was. She looked like she hadn't showered in years. Her insides were not much better. What she needed was a little pampering, and I heard her cries.

So about a year ago, my husband and I set out to rescue her, give her the make-over she deserved. We tore out her floor, gave her all new wiring, and plumbing. Then we bought her a new wardrobe, some fresh paint and a few accessories.

She is now our bright center of inspiration and creative ideas. Stop by and visit the Heirloom Cottage Studio soon. Heirloom. Couture Art Direction and Design. www.heirloom-occasions.com

Hexing

Hexing Lauren and Ryan came to Heirloom with a wedding vision that immediately touched my heart. "We're getting married on a family farm, and want to include our families as much as possible". I could hardly believe it, they were the perfect couple for Heirloom. Little did any of us know at the time, that I had previously created "Our Story" event art for Ryan's sister, a few years earlier. So that just made the match even more ideal.

Lauren loved quilts, hex signs and anything capturing a meaningful step back in time. And anyone who knows me, realizes...I do too! So we set out to create an elegant artistic vision set against rustic Bucks County beauty. We began by realizing the guests will needed forewarning. A Farmers Almanac predicts and forewarns, so we created an almanac for this wedding. An illustrator was hired to create icons of all of the couple's favorite things, horses, flowers, snowflakes, oak leaves. I then designed the card. The almanac card promises the guests, vows, kisses, smiles, laughs and memories. Lots of reasons to attend.

Next came the actual elegant wedding invitation. White was crisp and clean and served as an appropriate backdrop for a colorful custom Hex Sign. Another group of illustrations incorporated the couple's favorite family memories, a center monogram, and lovely embellishments around the edge. I then paired the card with another which read "A Symbol of Luck" and a description with the meaning of the Hex Sign. Which was followed by "The Symbol of Love" and a description of the wedding in the form of the invitation.

As you can see by the photos below, Ryan's parents took the time to can fresh peach jam jars which were then topped with a variety of other hexes, as favors for their guests. Every detail was carefully planned and made the day feel like a page out of Country Living. See all the event photos from Cooks Creek Farm:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heirloom/49844798761?v=photos&ref=mf#!/album.php?aid=159405&id=49844798761

The Story of Heirloom

The Story of Heirloom."We'll Always have Paris". You see, my husband proposed on our first trip to Paris and of course, that became the artistic backdrop for our wedding. A very Victorian 4- part  invitation was born. As lovely as it was, it helped me launch Heirloom. With the expertise of a few colleagues, I designed my first web site and orders started flowing in. I chose the name Heirloom, because I love all things vintage and sentimental, and adopted this Victorian image of my great-grandmother for my branding. Business cards sprung up alongside my new web site, and voila...concepts for events started flourishing. Interesting art creations just began emerging from the fascinating stories I heard. Little precious birthdays they thought they'd never see, intimate weddings in serene locations, happy retirement parties filled with lifelong friends – all sorts of stories turned into events! And that is the beginning. The beginning of Heirloom.