Office Art

I have currently been in my office (at the agency) for over a year and a half and haven't done much to make the space "mine" besides a succulent and a framed photo of Nate and I.

I had my eye on this Balloon Ride art print from Rifle Paper Co for a while.

It's bright and happy but I just never pulled the trigger. I've also been in love with the World is Your Oyster print for EVER but I felt like if I ever decided to purchase it, I'd want to keep it at home and not bring it in to the office.

I needed to find something that I chose specifically for my office.

I had the opportunity of picking some prints from my best friend Minted.

Sushi by Katie Craig caught my eye while I was searching for a print for my home last year. I ended up going with another one of her prints though because I was having a purple obsession at the time. I decided this was the perfect opportunity to go for Sushi. It's colorful, bright and full of pep! I LOVE the color palette and my little succulent is in a color blocked pot that is aqua and white. Perfect.

I was able to squeeze another small print into my budget and I thought I'd get a companion for Sushi. Sushi has a lot going on {in a good way of course} so I needing something a little simpler both in design and color. I thought foil would be a nice accent.

Here are my three options:

A // Sushi + Hugs and Kisses Heart by Hooray Creative

B // Sushi + Magnifique by Maribou Design

C // Sushi + Criss Cross by Annie Clark

I like each combo for different reasons. I like the rose gold (A) with the peachy coral tones. I like the gold foil (B) with the palette too. I like the simplicity of the letters with the complexity of the painting. In C, I like the mix of colors and shapes.

Decisions, decisions. What do you think??

Mount Washington Engagement Sesh

It's finally starting to warm up here in Pittsburgh but I still have snowy goodies to post!

Nate and I shot these love birds...or as they would call themselves, love "minks" (it's their pet name...don't ask) late January. We didn't intentionally plan for a snow shoot but it just happened that way. This is Victoria and Tony...the friends that I made the care package for!

V + T have a really cool story. 

Here it is in a nutshell: They went to high school together and were in the same graduating class but didn't know each other. Fast forward a decade, they connect at their 10-year reunion. Tony is living in Oklahoma at the time and Victoria is in Pittsburgh. Sparks fly. Tony travels to Pittsburgh, they have their first date and ride the incline up to Mount Washington (hence the location of their engagement shoot). Tony moves to Pittsburgh. They date. He proposes. She says yes. They start planning their Pittsburgh wedding. Tony gets job offer in Austin, Texas. They move to Texas. 

So they are now down south and enjoying the warm sunny weather along with cactuses and food trucks galore!

They will be traveling back to Pittsburgh to tie the knot in October!

October 17th to be exact which is Nate and I's wedding anniversary! 

(It will be 7 years this year!)

Oh and how adorable is their little pup, Tiki?

She only ended up in a couple of shots because we had her tucked in our coats to keep her warm!

Shipping Love to Austin, TX

You guys, I think I uncovered a passion of mine. Making curated boxes!

I had so much fun putting this care package together for my friends Victoria and Tony who just moved from Pittsburgh (here!) to Austin, TX.

I wanted to give them a gift to celebrate Tony's new job and their new home but I didn't want to make them lug anything else with them on their already jam packed journey so my husband suggested sending a care package once they got there. I loved the idea and I thought it would be super fun for them to get an unexpected package at their new address!

I picked up that box at Target during the Valentine's Day season. It was a pretty pink and had a gold metallic heart on the lid. I added a little personal touch by adding "V+T" in gold glitter letters.

This box seriously became such a labor of love. I was almost sad when I finally shipped it because it had become my fun little project that I worked on every chance I got. I loved finding special pieces that I knew would mean 

so much to them.

I am high lighting some of the contents below.

1 // Heart Shaped Marshmallows Candle from Candelles. It was a special edition scent for Valentine's Day. The label art was illustrated by Jessica Garvin from the Little Baby Garvin blog. This candle smelled like Rice Krispie Treats!! I bought one for myself and refuse to burn it down. I put it away to try to save it for a little while longer!

2 // Sienna Mercato Pint Glass - Tony collects pint glasses and one of the last times we saw him before he left was at one of our favorite restaurants in Pittsburgh. It's like a 3 in 1 kind of place. There is a meatball joint on the first floor, a pizza place on the second floor and beer garden on the rooftop. Tony had mentioned that he needed to get a glass before he left but never did. I was so excited to go back and eat meatballs get him one!

3 // "Cookie Dough Mug Muff" - Since I started my Paleo journey at the beginning of the year (which hasn't been going so well as of late), this has become one of my favorite snacks when I need something sweet! It takes almost no effort and seriously is ready in less than two minutes! I packed up two little bags of the dry ingredients for them! Here is the recipe!

4 // Gold Foil Pennsylvania Print from Minted - This was obviously something to remind them of "home." I knew that the gold foil would be right up Victoria's alley...and I was right.

5 // Cactus Salt & Pepper Shakers from Target - These are probably one of my favorite items in the box. They were just put on the shelves in the store and I don't see them on the website yet. V + T have been binging on cute little cactuses and succulents now that they're in the land of plenty! Target also had little succulent salt & pepper shakers that were equally adorable!

6 // Galvanized Letter H - This is for Victoria's soon-to-be new last name! Her and Tony are getting married in October (on my wedding anniversary!) This was just a cute little thing for them to put in their house as they gear up to becoming newly weds! Oh and I got it at Michael's!

7 // Framed Photo of the Two of Us - Believe it or not, that picture frame has like 90 6 coats of hot pink spray paint on it. It was the one thing hold up my delivery for days! It's an Ikea from but I wanted to add some pizazz! Yes, you see some Rifle Paper Co. florals in the background. I cut up one of my old Rifle calendar's and then placed a photo of us over top. The photo was from my big 3-0 party last year (we're wearing party hats!) and you probably can't read it but it says "Good friends are like the stars, you don't always see them but you know that they are always there." - I thought it was appropriate for our new "long distance relationship!"

8 // A Bag of Unopened Pistachios - I know, I know...what??? Yes, you read it correctly. I collected a bunch of pistachios that I couldn't open and sent them all the way to Texas. When Victoria and I worked together, I would bring pistachios for a snack and would get easily frustrated with all of the ones that I couldn't open so I'd give them to her and she'd work her little fingers in there get those bad boys open. This was the PERFECT thing to put in the box to make it super personal and fun. In Victoria's words, "The pistachios put it over the top!"

There were some other little trinkets scattered throughout the box too but these were my favs.

So there you have it! The key to making a care package is to be thoughtful and personal. Think of inside jokes and things that would just make some one's day and of course anything pretty!

Love and miss you, Victoria and Tony!

"Cutest Couple Ever" goes to...

Mark + Beth!!

Look at these two...I mean c'mon, does it get any cuter?

Nate and I had the privilege of capturing a some sweet moments of our 

friends Mark + Beth in the fall. They didn't want anything fancy, just a few shots in one of their favorite areas of Pittsburgh: near the Point Brugge Café 

in Point Breeze.

We didn't have to coach them much because they were just so naturally intimate...and maybe it was a little bit of Mark keeping Beth warm too?

The greens and golden browns were gorgeous but I was just loving the 

black and whites with this shoot!

Don't their hugs just look so cozy?

A+M Engagement Sesh

These two.

So many laughs. More laughs than photos probably.

This is one of my bestest friends and her soon to be husband.

I've been friends with Amanda literally as long as I can remember

and it was so much fun for Nate and I to be able to capture

some moments of the two of them during their engagement.

They will be getting hitched this summer!

Mike also happens to be the CEO and Co-Founder 

of the company Cell Helmet.

You may have even seen him presenting his product on Shark Tank!

Romantic Blush + Gold Wedding

Be still my heart.

This custom wedding suite is one of my most favorite projects ever.

I got to explore new territory and try some different printing methods.

We did pink letterpress with the added glam of gold foil.

Envelopes were lined with a custom floral watercolor pattern which is probably my favorite part of the suite.

Mama's Sauce did the letterpress and foil for me and they were so insanely wonderful to work with. So on-point, answered emails quickly, knowledgable, 

super nice and really quick! If you are looking to do this type of printing 

please check them out. You won't be disappointed. I promise.

For favors the bride and groom had a custom coffee roast brewed and we designed up custom coffee bags! They named the brew "Crescent Beach" because it's where they first said "I love you" and where the groom proposed...in a plane...flying over the beach! Sheesh if that's not the most romantic thing I don't know what is. Seriously. 

I got the bags printed at Roastar.com who also did an incredible job!

We wrapped the bags in vellum strips and they doubled as escort cards, 

telling the guests where to sit.

Such a gorgeous event from start to finish and such amazing 

attention to detail!

Rebecca Minkoff Baby Shower

Imagine my excitement one morning as I was scrolling through my Pinterest feed {with one eye open} early in the morning and I recognize my straw flags in a pin. I click through and it takes me to Project Nursery's post on Rebecca Minkoff's gorgeous lavender baby shower...using my design!

I found that it was also featured on InStyle and People as well!

Every single detail is so lovely. From the favor tags to the straw flags...

all of it is just so beautifully executed.

The shower’s lavender color scheme was inspired by one of Rebecca’s totes.

Natalie Lawler from Minted along with Rock Paper Scissors Events are responsible for putting together such a fabulous event!

This is why I love being a part of the Minted design community. It opens up so many doors and opportunities to have my work out there in the world in ways that I may never have been able to on my own.

{Photos courtesy of ProjectNursery.com, InStyle.com and People.com}

All of the breathtaking shots were captured by the lovely 

Sara Wight of Sara Wight Photography.

Check out her work!

We Shot a Wedding 2.0

My husband and I do not consider ourselves professional 

photographers but we were asked {for a second time} to capture

 the moments of a lovely couple's "I do's."

The ceremony was held at our home church in April. 

We traveled to a near by park to get some nice outdoor shots.

The weather was beautiful and it was just about "golden hour."

We also got permission from a nice gentleman to use his 

beautiful hundred year old barn* as a back drop for some 

of the bridal party shots.

Such an easy couple to shoot. 

They were fun and certainly in love.

*The nice man told us how old the barn was but I don't remember. It had to be at least a hundred. I think.

Oh Come Let Us Adore Him

If you have been watching all of the "12 Days until Christmas" 

Christmas movie count downs, you know that we are now on day 6!

 December has flown by and Christmas will be here before we know it.

 I meant to post this at the beginning of the month 

but better late than never, right?

My Christmas gift to you - A free 8x10 printable!

{click to download}

{my festive mantle}

 I am so thankful that Jesus came to this earth so that we could have a relationship with the Creator of the Universe. 

Jesus, Emmanuel here with us
Tell all the world
We have a Saviour
We are no longer lost
'Cause He has come down for us
We have a Saviour

{Hillsong}

Giraffe + Elephant Thank You's

I added these cuties to the shop recently.

A friend of mine from the far away land of Baltimore, contacted me 

earlier this year to do some custom Thank You's for her to send out 

after her baby shower. 

I knew that she was doing elephants in her nursery as well as gray and yellow. I sat down in my living room and started messing around with some watercolors and was having so much fun!

I had created a couple different versions but in the end, we liked the chevrons and confetti the best.

We couldn't decide on which we liked more so we decided to print both! 

{Perfect compromise!}

I love how they turned out. They are one of my favorite items!

I think that they would be super cute party invitations too. 

{Add that to the to-do list!}

The Thank You's are available in an 8 card set {with pretty gray envelopes} or as individual cards here and here.

Lovely Letterpress.

Breath taking...right?

Minted just launched a gorgeous Letterpress line with an 

inaugural collection of 30 invitation suites and Stache + Kiss is one of them!

They are hand pressed on beautiful 100% cotton paper.

Honored to be a part and can't wait to see them!

All photos courtesy of minted.com

Pink, Grey, and Glitter Shower

{Invitation Design}

Pink, Grey, and Glitter...Oh My!

Some family members and I hosted a baby shower for my expecting sister-in-law at the beginning of this month. We wanted it to have a soft and feminine feel without being too baby-ish. Instead of filling the space with bottles and binkies, we chose to fill it with florals and glitter. 

If you ask Lauren her favorite color it will be gray every time... so we took that and added the pink and the gold. We tried to add details in all the right areas and I think it turned out beautifully.

::INVITATIONS::

I did hand drawn water color illustrations for the invitations {pictured above} and also carried the look through out the rest of the print pieces. 

To be honest it was the first time I picked up a paint brush in a very long time! I had SO much fun messing around with paints again! I can't wait to get into them again!

To add a little "bling" to the invitations I bought spray glitter {who knew you could buy a can of spray glitter?...not me. From Michael's} and with the help of my wonderful husband we put a very subtle dusting of glitter on each invite. BUT that wasn't enough glitter! So I added a gold glitter belly band! I bought a roll of gold glitter wrapping paper from Michael's {which was cheaper than buying sheets of glitter scrapbook paper} and cut them into 1" strips and used double stick tape to connect the ends.

The envelopes are from Paper Source in the color gravel. The envelopes were hand written in white gel pen!

{Centerpieces}

::CENTERPIECES::

We used mason jars for the centerpieces. We spray painted the bottoms in gold {which I don't think we necessarily had to do} and then covered the bottom in glue, then poured on the glitter! {You better believe that there will be glitter all over my mother-in-law's house for weeks to come!} The jars were filled with pink gerbera daisies and white mini roses from our local Whole Foods. {One of my favorite places to get flowers.}

{Place Settings}

{Garland}

::PLACEMATS, CONFETTI + GARLAND::

We purchased scrapbook paper in different patterns and colors {grey + pink}  from Michael's and used it for placemats as well as confetti and a festive garland! {We had some left over and made it into a necklace for the mommy-to-be}

{Confetti + Straws with flags}

{Silverware}

::WRAPPED SILVERWARE::

We started off with grey napkins from Ikea and added a strip of pink burlap, layered with a piece of gold polka dotted scrapbook paper, and topped off with a strand of gold sequins! {All hot glued together...ouch!}

{Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes}

{Best Bruschetta Recipe...ever}

{Cake Pops made my my Sister-in-law, Rachel}

::BEVERAGE STATION::

We purchased these super cute glass bottles from Ikea. {Everyone was asking where they were from.} I used a gold sharpie to label them. Which didn't really work that well, I probably needed some kind of paint marker.

We purchased the grey + white striped straws from Etsy and then I added the custom flags. The water bottle labels were designed to match the rest of the shower with water color details.

{Beverage Station}

{Water Bottle Labels}

::FAVORS::

The favors were made by the mommy-to-be's sister. They are reused baby food jars! {How appropriate!} She made both Vanilla and Sage & Citrus. She topped them with fabrics that matched the shower and a little bit of natural twine. I designed the labels to match the rest of the shower! {They look very cute sitting on my kitchen windowsill at the moment!}

{Candle Favors}

{Words of Wisdom Tip Book}

{Diaper Cake made by mommy-to-be's mother}

{Gift from me and my sister-in-law. The cute tag is a Penelope Poppy design!}

OH and the shower won Project of the Week at Project Nursery!

{Thanks to all who voted this week!}

**Photography by Lauren Armstrong Photography**