Back from the dead

My goodness, taking a short break can sure get out-of-hand! I've been on a self-imposed exile from blogging for a number of months now, allowing me the chance to focus all of my energy on Epiphany Designs and my day job as a special needs teacher.

Quite honestly, I needed the break. I could see my blog posts dwindling the last half-of the year and recognized that it was time to allow a little more free-time for myself. Unfortunately that did not happen (even on my summer holiday break from teaching!) as my little invitation company is resoundingly taking off . Yay! The past few months at Epiphany Designs have been spent working with new clients, seeing my first ad in print in a bridal magazine, and even being featured in a full-page article in my former college's alumni magazine (see page 23 for the on-line version).

I also had the honour of designing the invitations for BOTH of my sibling-in-laws (thats a word, right?). Both are getting married at destination weddings, and Jamie & I are ridiculously excited to attend!

My sister-in-law Lindsay and her fiance Barclay

Kelowna, Bristish Columbia

My brother-in-law Justin and his fiancee, Tracy (who I am also a bridesmaid for!)
Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Stay tuned for pictures of both weddings once they happen!

I also did a design this summer for a client of mine that I loved the look of so much I "borrowed" for my own Big Day coming up:

Yes, you read right ... the big 3-0 is just around the corner. As Jamie likes to remind me, I'm entering cougar territory for sure!

Thats about it for now. I'm back, I'll be doing my best to blog regularily again, and hopefully those of you who emailed wondering where I was are resting easier at night!

*all images copyright Epiphany Designs 2008. Please do not use without permission*

Bridesmaid Gift Alert!

Damn Starbucks and their fancy-schmancy website -- I am unable to figure out how to get a pic to post of this super-cute bridesmaid gift idea! Now I must only use the magical power of the written word to persuade you ....

The maven of all coffee houses is now offering personalized Starbucks cards. As in, cards you can customize with images and messages exactly as you want. LOVE IT! What a great idea to slip into your bridesmaid gift packages. There are a variety of options to choose from, and the idea of having something actually written from you on the card is super-neat.

Since I can't post photos from the site, or show you the adorable card I made up for my pretend bridesmaid Nancy, well, you'll just have to check out the site yourself.

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As an addition, I just wanted to let you all know that I've recently re-begun posting on my other blog, Divapreneurs (it fell by the wayside for, oh, a little over a year). If you've ever wondered what its like to run a fledgling invitation company or, heck, are desperate to receive business advice from someone totally not qualified to give it, then feel free to check it out!

Clickety-Click

Here is something I desperately wanted for my own wedding reception but which was not, at the time, available in my city -- a photobooth!

The use of photobooths at wedding receptions is a fairly new idea, but its catching on wherever it goes. Pure retro, pure fun, this idea is new enough that chances are good your wedding will be remembered as a forerunner by guests.

In my hometown of Calgary, Canada, the best place to get a photobooth is at the The Photobooth Co. . The photobooths used are digital, touchscreen, give guests the option of black-and-white or color, and come out in strips of six. The fabulousness doesn't stop there, though ... how about the option of also purchasing a cd of all the images? Can you say "incredible memento"?!

If you're located in the States, the best way to find a photobooth rental company near you is by checking out America's Photobooth

Association website.

*all images courtesy of The Photobooth Co.*

Etsy = Fabulous

Anyone who is a regular reader of this blog knows that I am a rabid fan of Etsy. Ridiculously rabid fan. I scour the pages of its site daily, and never leave dissatisfied. I thought I'd make a quick post about some new wedding-related items I've seen recently:

Paper Cakes and Single Paper Cake Slices by Daisy's & Dots

Omigod, HOW cute are these?!!! And imagine the possibilities for bridal showers!!! Looking good enough to eat, each of these little cuties is actually a favour box that you can put goodies inside. SO cute. A few more:

Couture Cake Toppers by SheaChicDesign's Shop

We've all seen the standard silver-plated & swarovski crystal cake initals. I still love those, of course, but they are starting to show up at more and more weddings nowadays. If you like the look but want something a bit more unique, how about one of these cutie-patooties? Definetely for the bride who's having a fun and casual wedding. Love it!

Unique Placecards by Laura Hooper Calligraphy

Love these little beauties for placecards. What a unique idea! This Etsy store does hand-calligraphed placecards on sanddollars and compasses. What a great idea!



*all images courtesy of Dasy's & Dots, SheaChicDesign's Shop, and Laura Hooper Designs respectively.

The Patterns of Spring + An Extra Goodie

I love changes in season. Up here in Canada it's such sweet relief to tumble from the bitter cold of winter into the welcoming arms of spring (I'm so figuratively descriptive today I could puke with disgust) that we will literally start patio season the moment the mercury rises above 0 degrees (er, 32 degrees for my american friends). I adore everything about the spring -- the milder days, the sense of newness all around, the anticipation for summer. Everything just seems brighter, more cheerful, and more-spirited. This sense of fun often transfers itself over to fashion and design, and this spring is no different.

With every change in season I always get asked by brides I work with what's new and delicious in invitation designs ... and for this spring, all I can say is PATTERNS. Patterns, patterns, patterns! Gorgeous, whimsical, fun, flirty, and always fabulous patterns.

It takes serious chutzpa to put patterned paper on a wedding invitation. Many of us have just barely escaped the grasps of ye olde 1990s cream white invitation with the embossed image of 2 intertwined hearts on it ... as such, bright, funky patterned paper seems a ridiculously far step to take!

And yet ... and yet, patterned paper is anything but ridiculous. Depending on how it is used, it can add an air of inherant sophistication and modernity (is that a word?) to event invites, bringing with it both tastes of the past and hints at the future in its design. When creating patterned invitations for clients, I tend to look for papers that harken back to the old days in "new" ways ... unique colours such as lime greens and deep magentas add immediate pop to paisley, for example, or asian-inspired layouts enhance the image of flowers rather then making them look cheesy and over-done.

This week I was playing around with some patterned papers for a client of my invitation company, Epiphany Designs, and decided to create a few samples for your perusal. Here are three I came up with that will hopefully show you the beauty and uniqueness of using patterns on invitations.

Head down to your local invitation company and tell them "I would like to explore using patterns on my wedding invites, please". Or head over to your local scrapbooking store and simply let all the new designs and colors inspire your creativity (#1 fav thing to do on a Saturday!). You'll be surprised what you discover ...

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A little addition to my post that I thought would interest you ladies.

One of my minor healthy addictions (lets not even talk about my unhealthy ones!) is scanning the popculture and celebrity-watching sites each day. My absolute favorite, from-a-girl's-perspective blog is http://www.popsugar.com/ (check it out, honestly. Its addicting!). These incredible gals keep coming up with various off-shoots that are equally extraordinary: http://www.fitsugar/, http://www.lilsugar/, and http://www.yumsugar/, to name a few. And what a surprise, they've done it again! But this time its wedding-related. Yay!

IDoSugar is new, fun, savvy, and informative ... basically everything I'd like this little bloggie to be (damn). They update it constantly (damn again), and continue to stumble across the neat, the unique, and the ludicrous (check out their most recent post about engagement-usb sticks -- say whaaat?).

If you're looking to add to your wedding-blogroll, this is one to bookmark. And stay tuned for even more fabulous-ness from the ladies at PopSugar!

*all images courtesy of and copyrighted by Epiphany Designs 2008*

I'm Back!

Lord, have I been gone long! What with taking possession of and moving into our new home (LOVE it), getting hit hard with a wicked cold, and falling smack-dab into the middle of my busiest time of year .. well, its been hard to get to blogging. Oh, and becoming the proud owner of Guitar Hero III didn't help much, either (*side note: can ANYONE give me tips on how to defeat Lou on Medium? I'm stuck!). I'm not a video game person by anymeans, but if you haven't played this, you're missing out. Seriously!

Anyways, I'm back, and eager to get going. Lets hope there are a few of you left after my extended abscence!

I've been emailed by a ton of fantastic wedding companies as of late, all with fabulous products for your perusal. Over the next few weeks I'll highlight my favs from the bunch, as well as making a small contest announcement. Sadly, as it IS Easter Sunday, I've got family gatherings to get to ... as such, I'm going to leave you with two small tidbits:

First of all, just yesterday I stumbled across a fantabulous on-line store called http://www.uncommongoods.com/ . For anyone looking for highly unique items to list on a registry (or, hell, to simply purchase on your own), this is the place for you. Some are a bit out-there, all are completely different from anything you'll find in a store. I've got my sights set on a few things already ... now just to convince the husband. Here's a couple that caught my eye (apologies the pics are so small, but believe me .. these items are adorable!):

Tidbit #2: The lovely Amira, owner of Posh Productions (an event company located here in Calgary), emailed me a short while ago with a tip for all you ladies on your Big Day. According to Amira "A great product I use and also have in my [wedding] emergency kit is Wine Away. It's a product that gets red wine stains out of bridal gowns. It also works great on other fabrics and pretty much anything that you get red wine on. Fabulous buy and works wonders!" Amira also noted that bottles of this run $12 here in Calgary, and can be found in many wine stores. Thanks, Amira! Hopefully we'll be hearing more from her and Posh Productions over the next few months. In the meanwhile, please check out her brand-spanking new blog for tips directly from a wedding planner at http://poshproductionscalgary.blogspot.com/.

Thats all for now. Expect me to be back on my weekly (and, occasionally, bi-weekly) posting schedule from now on. Ta!

*all images from http://www.uncommongoods.com/*

Just in Time for Valentine's Day -- A Boudoir Contest!!

Boudoir photoshoots are quickly becoming a de rigeur thing to do as a bride-to-be, and god knows, I love things that are de rigeur. Please get the horrific image of tacky boas, strange lighting, and 80s-esq hair out of your head. "Boudoir pictures" are not like they were in years past. Now they're hip, sexy, modern, and fun. Yes, fun!

Nowadays, many reputable (re: non-sleazy) photographers are offering something called a "boudoir marathon" at local hotels or their studios. Marathons are an event where a number of clients are photographed in a single day at the same location (and yes, at different times!). This makes the cost of getting professional pics significantly less, which is a bonus for you!

Many brides-to-be are getting these gorgeous photos done in advance of their wedding day so they can provide their hubbies with a book of the images on their wedding night. Another idea is to give the images to your husband for your first-year anniversary, as "paper" is the traditional gift.

Of course, you aren't simply limited to these times in your life! Boudoir pictures, which are surprisingly empowering to have taken, offer an opportunity for you to feel amazing about yourself. Why do I know? Because I recently partook in a "boudoir marathon" hosted by fabulous photographer Erica Tait (see my new profile pic, right), and now I want to make sure ALL girls get a chance to feel as incredible as I did! Here's the best part -- you may even be able to get this experience for free.

Erica is hosting a Calgary-based boudoir marathon at the Hotel Arts on March 5, and if you're able to get there, she's offering a delightful, do-not-ignore opportunity: the chance to win a free session at this marathon, including high resolution files and a black silk album with 10 images (value of $495)!

A spot has been reserved on March 5th at 3pm but if a more convenient time/date is available (when Erica is in Calgary) you are free to switch. The applicant must be willing to approve images from their session to be displayed on her website and blog.

Now I know, as with all contests I tell you about, you're asking "Andra, HOW do I apply for this AMAZING opportunity?". Here goes:

Please submit a story of why you deserve a free sesssion to taitphotography@gmail.com (use subject line "Free Calgary Boudoir") and include an image of youself. Both stories and images submitted for the contest will be posted on Erica's blog if you are a finalist. Entires will be accepted until February 5, which gives you, oh, about 3 days to get your act together, so get moving!

Ladies, I never thought I would have the guts to do something like this, but once the session started, it felt completely casual. Erica does a wonderful job of making you feel comfortable, and does an even better job of making you look amazing! To prove it -- here are two pics from my own session (eeek! I can't believe I'm posting these! But they're on her site anyways, so whats the harm ...)

These aren't even necessarily the best ones, simply the pictures I feel most comfortable posting for y'all! I wish I could show you more of the incredible ability Erica's has in capturing a woman's true beauty. Unfortunately, I only have access to my own shots and not those of her other clients, so please make sure you check out her gorgeous website for more images.

Well ladies, get on it! Once again, contest entries need to be in by February 5. Happy trying!

*images courtesy of Tait Photo*