Pumpkins!

I seriously have not carved a pumpkin since I was really young, so I was pretty excited for our pumpkin night at Beau and Matthew's house. I don't remember there being so much elbow work involved though. Of course, I was the last one finished, and my skeleton head turned out looking more like an alien. That's what I get for not following the pattern book, but it turned out being a lot of fun.

It was so humid outside that our pumpkins started sweating. Typical Louisiana weather in October. 

Anyway, I hope these pictures put everyone into the Halloween spirit! Any interesting costumes for this weekend?

Jodi Arnold

It was only a matter of time before I featured Jodi's newest collection, and I thought this was the perfect week. Not only is Jodi's collection absolutely breathtaking, it's a fusion of ready-to-wear fashion and traditional art:

“I love the authenticity of creative expression coming from indigenous cultures. It is often contemporary yet grounded in traditions of storytelling. My inspiration for the Fall 2010 Collection is western Aboriginal art, especially that of Papunya painters." - Jodi Arnold

Having seen the clothing in person, the pictures really don't do the fabrics, textures and embellishments justice. Each item has a feeling of overwhelming attention to detail and craftsmanship. I personally am in love with the jacket pictured with the pink gloves. (Why don't I have pink gloves yet?) The fabric and cut were stunning in person. I can see all of these pieces becoming staple items in any wardrobe.

To read more about the collection visit the collection's website page.

And you can also read the article on my jewelry on the Shared Discovery page. Thanks Natalie!

I Wore... Jodi Arnold Artisanal Night

(All of these pictures were taken before the event, and I apologize for not being able to take any while it was going on!)

This past weekend was my BIG trip to Manhattan for the opening of my jewelry collection in Jodi Arnold's NYC store. I was one of the 7 artists that were included in the artisanal event, and wow, was I in talented company! All of the handmade products were so unique and well-crafted.

The store fluttered with people throughout the evening, and I was able to talk to a lot of interesting people about the collection. The necklaces were well-received as I got a lot of positive feedback on the pieces as well as the inspiration behind them. It was beneficial for me to get people's opinions from such a different demographic than my own. I also picked up a lot of ideas and tips about how I can progress in the future.

Probably my most exciting moment from the evening is when I talked with Jeralyn Gerba, a senior editor for Daily Candy, one of my ABSOLUTE favorite websites. (If you haven't seen it yet, I promise you need to sign up for their email list and sample sale site.) She even took a picture of one of the necklaces and sent it to her friend at J. Crew. How I didn't pass out on the spot, I'm not entirely sure.

The necklaces are now officially for sale in Manhattan! I can say that 50 million times, and it still hasn't completely set in yet. And after this weekend's Brooklyn event, they will be for sale at that location too! I'm so thankful and fortunate to have been given this opportunity!

But I can't bask in all the excitement for too long because it's already time for me to get back to work! The Etsy shop is almost completely depleted from these two events, and I need to go into mass production mode before the holidays. Make sure to email me any custom orders you might be interested in! (color, length, etc)

And again, thank you for everyone's nice messages and positive comments along the way! I truly appreciate every single one of you!

Black blazer by Romeo and Juliet Couture
Fringe top by jlee silver
Leggings from XXI
Snake-skin heels by Chinese Laundry

March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction

Here are pictures of most of the promotional items from last week's Signature Chefs Auction benefiting the March of Dimes. It was my first year volunteering for this event and had plenty of projects to keep me busy! The theme was Phantom of the Opera, so I built a logo that was used on many of the pieces. From there, I designed the formal invitation, VIP tickets, table numbers, table signs, chef's auction item signs and the various event signs that were displayed throughout the venue.

There were 12 chefs from the Baton Rouge area including Tsunami, Galatoire's, Mansurs on the Boulevard and White Oak Plantation. Guests were invited to visit each chef's table to taste their special menu items. I wasn't able to make the rounds at every chef's table because I had to leave early, but I will say that the food was spectacular.

Both a silent and live auction took place during the evening helping to raise $83,730! 

I'm very thankful to be a part of this worthwhile cause, not to mention I met some very talented and devoted people during the process. Some of them have even become an integral part of my invitation business and even introduced me to the wedding circuit in Baton Rouge. 

Just the start of many great projects happening!

Saints Twitter Page

I was asked to design a Twitter background for the official Saints page a couple of months ago, but it recently needed some photo updating. I decided to give it a little bit of an overhaul, and here is the final page. Depending on if you are using the new or old Twitter interface, there may be some differences in how the background is oriented.

Had to include a picture of my Drew Brees autographed football. :)

Keep up with the national champs at @Official_Saints.

On a side note, I should probably make a background for my own Twitter page! Any ideas?

Allyson & Brian

I am constantly reminded of how blessed I am to know so many creative people. Brian Athey and I graduated in graphic design together, and he is one of the most talented illustrators and designers that I know. I literally had tears in my eyes when I opened the Save the Date that he designed for his and Allyson's wedding. It was so startlingly sentimental to see all of his talent culminated into such a meaningful piece. Not only that, he designed an AMAZING wedding website that includes pictures and hand renderings throughout. 

Brian contacted me and sent proofs of his designs throughout the process since he was relatively new at designing wedding pieces. I'm so pleased to see his design style show through in the end products! 

I'm very proud and happy for you Brian! I'm so lucky to have had your friendship and support over the years!

Tibi

Today's post is on Tibi, a brand every girl should know (just for you Katie Athey). There is seriously not a single thing on the website that I do not want. The line developed by Amy Smilovic, started in Hong Kong with 4 easy to wear styles and is now sold worldwide with it's relocation in Soho, New York.

Here are Amy's own words on her inspiration for Tibi:


"I love fashion. I love beautiful things that are well made, with rich and luxurious fabrics. I'm passionate about art, music, modern architecture, and all things chic.  I think women should dress in a way that's effortless but never lazy. I love it when I see an individual's personal style reflected in the way they dress. And I always think a woman should dress in contradictions - youthful and sophisticated, masculine and feminine, bold and muted colors."

I hope to have time to stop by the NYC Tibi store this weekend! Amazing how a couple pieces can turn into something huge. :)

Tibi is also newly available on Rent the Runway, making it available to almost any budget!

Sorry for the delay in today's post. I usually try to post every morning, but this week has been such a whirlwind trying to get everything ready for tomorrow. My roommate told me I looked like Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter yesterday, so I decided I needed to sacrifice an early blog post for some much-needed sleep!  Please forgive me!

I Wore... St. Louis

I went to St. Louis this past weekend to visit Jordan's family. His nephew, Weston, had his 3rd birthday party (oh my goodness - kids everywhere), and we went to the Rams game to watch Donnie, Jordan's brother-in-law, play against the Chargers.

I finally got to see the THE ARCH. I'm a sucker for tourist attractions. A lot of Kodak moments ensued on this trip. These are just a handful.

 On the field for pregame workouts

 Left: Jordan with his mom and his niece Addison. Right: Weston and Donnie

I had to dig through my closet to find Rams colors - navy and gold. Considering it's an indoor facility and the fact that I'm always FREEZING, I decided to bring along a cardigan.

BDG striped shirt from Urban Outfitters
Brown cardi from The Gap
Dark skinnies by Citizens of Humanity
Sandals by Bamboo

and a necklace by moi!

Athletic Facility Invitations

LSU has had a lot of new facility grand openings, ribbon cutting ceremonies, and unveilings recently. Here are two of the printed invitations that I designed for the Basketball Practice Facility and the University Club golf course. Both invites are similar using the same fonts and formatting. However, I love the texture of the cream linen paper that the basketball invitation was printed on.

The other invitations in the facility series were sent out via email, so no printed items to show you!

If you're interested in a design to send via email, contact apinchoflovely@gmail.com.