Classic Color: Navy
We love thinking about color here at Sarah Drake. The Pantone book is a permanent fixture on my desk, and referred to daily, as I peruse just the right grey (cool or warm?) or green (forest or grass?)
We love a neutral palette, and have shown our love of white, taupe and white, and dove grey here on the blog. But lately, I’ve been drawn to navy. Whether it’s a classic day dress from my girls over at twentythirtyforty.net, or tights that I covet from charlie’s third grade classmates, or a classic choice for wedding invitations, navy is a color that never goes out of style. So, go on, embrace navy. And, I sort of think you can wear it with black.
Check out my Pinterest page for more navy inspiration.
Rustic Redwoods Romance
Kim and Ben were pretty spectacular clients. Hilary from Estera Events recommended them to us, and being able to be part of such a lovely wedding was such a treat. Hilary shares the lovely event over on their blog, where you can see more of their beautiful Northern Californian féte.
Images of Invitations: Amanda Hein
Images of Event: Kevin Meynell
Cultural Center Custom Invitations
These custom illustrated invitations for Mary Jo and Stephen’s late summer wedding at the Chicago Cultural Center were a soothing combination of sage and taupe. I love how the vintage icons we sourced for the details card and their monogram wrap really pull it all together to be a great representation of a Chicago Cultural Center wedding.
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Photos of Invitations by Amanda Hein. Photos of event by Robyn Rachel
2012…Hitting the ground running
I hope you all are having the best start to 2012. I’m excited to be fielding emails and inquiries, scheduling consults, etc. I even have a few early weddings this year, and the production of custom jobs has been keeping me busy. In fact, I haven’t taken one day off since Jan 2nd!
This past weekend, I got to be part of very special baby shower at the Elysian Hotel. Pistil and Vine brought me in to design the invitations and menus, and it was such a fun job- we really just had a blast, not only with the client, but with the catering staff at the Elysian, and talking over little details with Megan for the invite and menus. Megan did all the planning, floral, and coordinated the sweets table, all of which was just amazing. Julia Franzosa came in and photographed the shower, and will be sharing the professional photos soon, but here is a little behind the scene action showing a bit of what goes into planning such an event.
Posted on January 16th, 2012 | No Comments »
In Print
Grace Ormonde Wedding Style is such a glamourous wedding publication; we are certainly honored to be featured in their wedding invitation roundup amongst wonderful company!
Please see our press page for more places we’re popping up this winter, and more of Nikita and Bochao’s Dual language invitation on our website.
Black and White
Another of my favorite custom jobs from this summer- Jenny and Lee’s black and white dual language wedding invitation. The rose pattern was letterpressed with no ink to create a deep deboss of the artwork. Both a chinese and english version of the text was designed, and then duplexed together, not only creating a luxuriously thick invite, but inviting both their english and chinese speaking guests in one invite. The invite was tied together with the response postcard with red string, symbolizing luck and happiness.
Reflecting on 2011…and the future
The last week of 2011. Already. It’s been a whirlwind year, and as I think ahead to new and exciting happenings for 2012, I can’t help but reflect on what I’ve learned this year, not only personally, but business-wise. It’s different even, thinking about what I’ve learned. In the past, I might have thought, what went right, what went wrong, but I’ve been working so hard to change that, and look at mistakes as an opportunity to grow; not to be dwelled upon.
There have been a lot of changes this year. I’ve tried to write more about them here in the blog, and have written a few posts that scratched the surface of my personal story telling. In this post, I talked a little about my experience with my mom. But I cut out half the story, as I thought it was too personal. I’ve spent a lot of time being a private person, protecting myself, and that’s not always satisfying. I’m working on sharing more this year. More of who I am, and what I stand for, as a human, and as a company. So, be fore-warned, you may just see a bit more Sarah Drake.
Of course, the best part of my job is helping our custom clients tell their stories-over 20 times this year! Uncovering what our custom clients are looking for, and how they can best express their style is a process that is personal to them, and to me, as we work together to communicate their style. My interpretation is mixed in there too, and it’s a great experience when the two merge wonderfully. I love getting to know my custom wedding invitation clients, and am honored to play such a personal role in helping design a piece of their wedding.
This week, I’ll share a few of the highlights from this year… and I absolutely share my gratitude to the amazing people I get to work with for allowing me to do the job that I love. Getting to help you express yourselves is a huge honor.
Sunny and Tom’s November wedding at Spiaggia in Chicago:
Photos of Sunny and Tom courtesy of Agnes Malorny Photography.
Photos of Invitations by Amanda Hein Photography.
Giving and Receiving Gracefully
If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I’m going for a simple Christmas this year. Giving thoughtful, useful gifts. I love to give gifts, and never expect anything in return. Most people don’t give to get. But sometimes, it can be awkward for the receiver if you have given them something, and they have nothing in return for you. But, it doesn’t have to be this way- remember, we all have unique situations that determine our gift giving policies. Because it’s so personal, you don’t have to worry that your gift doesn’t match the scale of another’s. I’m all for giving what I want, and not feeling obligated to give anyone anything based on something they gave me.
Some tips to remember when giving and receiving this year:
1. As a host, if your guest gives you a gift, and you have nothing in return, accept it graciously. After all, you are giving them the gift of celebration!
2. At work, give down. You don’t need to purchase a gift for your boss. But, a little something for the intern who gets your coffee would be most appreciated.
3. Not everyone can afford to give to their entire family. If a distant relative sends you a present, instead of worrying that you didn’t send her anything, send her a wonderfully written thank you note. That’s a present in itself, and will definitely be remembered.
Rewriting Christmas Traditions
It’s easy to feel nostalgic this season. The cold weather, the baked treats, the trees, the decorations and the beautiful lights all remind me of Christmas in the past. In years past, I’ve tried to recreate traditions from when I was younger, but I’m choosing to rewrite the traditions and start new ones this year. After all, traditions are ours to create, right?
The Drake’s will be stopping at The Drake Hotel for tea, ice skating in the city and caroling at Millennium Park. We will be soaking in as much Chicago as possible this Christmas and hopefully for many Christmases to come.
One tradition that stands true throughout the years are my Grandma’s toffee candies. There is nothing as delicious as crunchy, buttery toffee. Just cover them in chocolate and you’ve reached sweet, tasty perfection. I posted the recipe last year here. These toffees can be a great dose of holiday cheer. Package them up in cute tins or pretty boxes—they are a gift that anyone would eat right up!
Christmas candy packaging idea by Martha Stewart
Posted on December 16th, 2011 | No Comments »
White {Simple} Christmas
Is it just me or do the holidays seem to get more complicated, extravagant, and over-the-top every year? With the hustle and bustle that surrounds the holidays, it’s easy to get lost in it all and not really enjoy the moments that matter most.
Think back to Christmas when you were a kid. I bet none of those moments were about material things or the latest gadget, but rather were times when you were surrounded by loved ones, good food, tradition and happiness.
In order to get back to simpler times, I’ve taken a pledge to keep things uncomplicated this year. From minimizing my shopping lists to enjoying the holidays from the comfort of our home, it will be all about simplicity.
From Country Living
One thing I do every year is send out Christmas cards to my close friends and family. Last year, Charlie did a series of self portraits. Before that, I opted out of Christmas Cards (too hectic!) and sent New Year’s Cards, coupled with an invitation to our home. This year, I’m sending hand-painted cards from our new limited edition line from our Chicago studio. For our beloved blog readers, you can use these cards too at 20% off when you type “FRIEND” into the coupon code at checkout.
Tis the most joyous season of all! Let’s remember to enjoy the simple things.
What are some of your most cherished holiday memories? How do you pledge to keep things from getting carried away this time of year?
Posted on December 14th, 2011 | No Comments »