happy autumn

Annnnd a few lovely fall arrangements to get us all in the mood for the season change. I don't know how succulents always end up in everything I do... they literally sneak up and beg to be added in. Such beautiful show stealers they are.

a modern beach wedding...

Just did some seating cards & custom programs for a sweet couple earlier this month. The setting was oh-so-chic at the Tower23 Hotel and JRDN Restaurant in Pacific Beach, Ca. This contemporary venue screamed for something simple & clean. We decided to do black photo boxes filled with sand for the seating cards and accented the tags with a knotted splash of color from a teal watercolor fabric and black & white geometric pattern. All of this tied in with their teal and white invites and the "Lily" modern calligraphy matched the outer envelopes I addressed for their guests. Congrats to Chris & Chelsea... here's to a beautiful life!

"Lily" & the City

So far, the "Lily & the City" modern calligraphy style has been the most requested for envelope addressing! Seems like it is a balanced blend of formality with a little California ease...lower case Lily font with a clean upper case address. I love when the outter envelope sets the tone for what's to come inside... fun!

fabric enhanced programs

I've yet to find a project that couldn't use a little piece of fabric to enhance the whole darn thing... something about the textures of the material, the patterns, I don't know, it all just works! I think these programs are very subtle and soft and needed just the right amount of pop to give it a hand-made, custom feel. I added a strip of fabric at the very top and tied the piece in the back through 2 holes. Voila! Now it's not just some paper your guests will use as a fan during your ceremony and then later for their piece of old gum on the car ride home. They'll certainly save this one in the "special box", I promise!

*This program layout can be changed in any way and with different fonts, so don't feel you're limited to this particular layout and style.*

hey, we were on Style Me Pretty!

I forgot to blog about this months ago... bad blogger. In my defense we were right in the middle of a big move but anyway, HERE IT IS! All details and designs from our wedding were created by myself (with help from my family and friends of course... it takes a village people!). Thanks to San Diego photogs, Betwixt Studio for capturing all these amazing images!

And thank you to my lovely husband... we are approaching our first anniversary and I couldn't be in a happier place in life. X O

Style Me Pretty gallery and article here!
http://www.stylemepretty.com/2011/01/27/san-diego-wedding-by-betwixt-studio/

a baby shower... part ll

Enjoy all the shower details and email me if you're interested in having us custom create your own shower goodies... all of these things can add a perfect & personal touch to your event, big or small.

** Teeny tiny name hanger is provided by the amazing etsy shop of Lila Frances... http://www.etsy.com/shop/lilafrances

a baby shower

Paul and I are expecting our first child this Summer... a little girl named Emaline : ) All the little things like planning her shower to decorating her nursery have been such fun projects to under go and I wanted to share the first half with you... the shower details! Check out the custom designed invitations we created above... with more to come; game print-outs, menu tags, florals, cake toppers, ribbon backdrop and my fave, the wish-hanging-line! All items created with love by yours truly, alk.emy design studio!

It was such a beautiful day (minus the actual showers!) with wonderful friends & family who came to help celebrate this baby girl. She is so lucky and we can't wait to meet her... enjoy the shower love.

wedding tree print

I know it's been done and in a thousand different ways but sometimes things are popular for good reason... they're really cute! This is a custom wedding tree print, 15"x20" poster size that I made for a bride as a shower gift, great idea, right? Her friend gave me the colors (navy, orange and fall like colors) and to avoid having your guests get down and dirty with the ink pads for a fingerprint tree, she had me custom paint the leaves on so guests can just sign near them. I loved the idea. You can frame this and hang it into your new home as husband and wife : ) Congrats to Chey & Brian! Thanks to my friend Jen for the referral! Check out her blog... www.aweddingdiary.com

will you be my bridesmaid?

Check out the cards I created & sent to my dear friends and family to ask them to be a part of our wedding... every girl had their name printed within that tiny hanger. So cute!

Thanks to Jana, Heather, Chelsea, Stacey, Brie & Ali for graciously accepting! You were all beautiful bridesmaids.

Materials used:

-Crumpled tissue paper of cut florals
-Sinamay leaves
-Black irridescent beads
-needle & thread
-glue gun
-black cardstock
-custom printed inner notes

These cards come in various colors & florals to match your wedding theme. Everything at alk.emy is happily custom made!

you're invited!

Invitations are the spice of my life! To me there's nothing better than a little surprise in the mailbox... starting with the envelopes (see below!) and then moving to the inside goodies. I have had the opportunity to make some really fun invites for myself & others and thought I'd share some of my designs with you. Much more to come!

our wedding florals

I was an ambitious bride last June who tackled the daunting task of doing my own wedding florals. While it wasn't my first time "doing flowers" it did happen to be my wedding weekend which made for an interesting few days, but wow was it worth it! I had the ultimate creative freedom I love and thought I rocked a style that was laid back, spunky and still elegant at the same time. The Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla is an amazing venue and one that begs to be enhanced by the subtlety of the right floral design. I played on the Museum's existing landscape of natural succulent gardens and added a pop of color with the yellow crespedia balls & a bit of softness with white dahlias, fragrant hyacinth & billowing millet.

Here are a few images by my photographers, (then "theorie") but now known as Betwixt Studio!

::ceremony magazine:: floral design spread!

I need to pick up the latest copy of Ceremony... where am I supposed to find this?! While I'm on the hunt, here are some designs I created for Modern Bouquet a few months back that are featured in this months San Diego Ceremony Magazine.

Succulents, dinner plate dahlias, spray roses... I love this ever so soft & beautiful rustic design.