As Seen In | Celebration Society
I adore Heather Vreeland's update of her wedding magazine. Occasions Magazine became The Celebration Society and got some posh new clothes to step out into the world in. I recently sat down with Lindsay from The Celebration Society to talk about A Fine Press and what...
Do You Sketch?
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to learn from Aaron Draplin. I enjoyed his speaking fiasco, but really dug the meat of two Q&A's he presented. I could probably write for a month on the things I learned, but one of my greatest takeaways was that I'm not...
A Lesson From The World’s Coolest Wedding Cake
By now, you've likely seen it. I hope you have. The Cake Seen 'Round The World. Rachael Tuefel of Intricate Icings made what I think might be the most stunning cake I've ever seen. From one side, it's the simplest of three-tiered cakes. No decorations. No frills....
Lessons from Aaron James Draplin
I have to admit something to you. It's kind of embarrassing, but I need to get it off my chest: Yesterday, I was a total fanboy. I don't know about you, but I didn't come to graphic design "honestly." I fell into it while I was pursuing something completely different....
It’s That Time of Year
It's engagement season. You know how I know? This infographic is getting repinned daily. It's a timeline of when to send your wedding invitations and save-the-dates. The thing I didn't include: timelines for engaging your stationer. That's because every stationer...
Why You Can’t Always Trust Your Graphic Designer
A few months ago, I got a quote request from a company that I was really eager to work with. It was a well-known brand that fit the profile of my ideal client and I was so excited. But whatever smile that first contact brought me quickly faded. The project was...
On Breaking Traditions
If I could distill a couple decades of learning music into one principle, it would be this: [no_blockquote text="If you're going to break the rules, you have to understand them first." text_color="" title_tag="h2" width="" line_height="" background_color=""...
Little Ways to Reinforce Your Brand
So, you've either learned to say "no" when the client asks to make the logo bigger or you've culled those clients from your list altogether. People are starting to get it - there's too much noise and shouting louder doesn't get you noticed more (or at least not for...
What Happens When You Don’t Practice What You Preach
Experimentation is an iterative process. Rarely does the first version work. Sometimes it's two, or five, or seventeen times. Maybe it's even Edison's infamous 1,000 attempts. Part of the iterative process is testing. Testing at every stage. And it's something I do a...
Making Sure Your Invitations Arrive
[no_blockquote text="If you're concerned about getting mail to your loved ones, the postal service recommends addressing all post with a sans-serif font, point size 10-12." text_color="" title_tag="h2" width="" line_height="" background_color="" border_color=""...
Handling the Unexpected
How do you handle the unexpected? I like to believe I thrive on change, but if I'm honest, I thrive on positive change. The not-so-positive stuff? It sucks. Like yesterday morning. I woke up to find my website - this website - all but paralyzed. It was there, but not...
Music Mondays | This is War
Are you a Thrice fan? I've always had friends who are, but I've never been able to get into them myself. Then I discovered my favorite Christmas song ever. May I present to you "This is War" by Thrice frontman Dustin Kensrue?
Loree’s Surprise Party
Do you know those people with the perfectly-curated instagram feeds? People like Hilary or my friend Beth? People who just exude style? I hate those people. OK. It's not hate. It's more like a tinge of jealousy. And it's not because I'm fooled into thinking their...
If You’re Wondering How Much Logo Design Costs
My friend Sarah Dayan wrote a great article about logo pricing. Spoiler alert: she doesn't tell you a dollar figure. The cost of a logo should be dependent on a myriad of factors. I'd argue that a designer who quotes a logo price without taking some time to understand...
Three Keys to Your Wedding Hashtag’s Success
Your guests want to know: Are you having an unplugged wedding? I think you should consider it. But you don't care what I think. Sightlines be damned! You're not telling your guests to stow their electronics. So if you're going to let them have their cameras and...
Why is Letterpress so Expensive?
In the 50's, everything from timesheets to invoices to newspapers were printed letterpress. So why is letterpress so expensive now? The answer is pretty simple: scarcity. When letterpress was the standard way of printing, there were letterpress presses and skilled...
When Do I Need to Order Corporate Holiday Cards?
It's that time of year. Okay, maybe it's a little after that time of year. You're running marketing for a law firm or manufacturer, maybe a large media empire... And it's on you to order corporate holiday cards. If you have a well-built-out calendar with plenty of...
Can’t the GRAMMYs Do Better?
Have you seen the unboxing video Weird Al posted of his 2015 GRAMMY? I want to talk about it for a minute, so watch it if you haven't already. So, this is the pinnacle of musical achievement in America? You wouldn't know it from that. Sure, the foam rubber insert is...
On Announcing Unplugged Weddings
Photographer Thomas Stewart recently posted an excellent unplugged wedding post on facebook. You may have seen it - it was shared more than 65,000 times. Yeah. You read that right. 65,000 shares. It's an awesome post. He hits the main points well and hard: Guest...
Writing Wedding Thank You Notes
Planning a wedding can be a whirlwind. There are so many things to consider and make decisions about that you might not have even known existed before getting engaged. It can easily be overwhelming. you can feel like there are things slipping through the cracks. The...
Too Pretty to Pick Up
I recently developed a handbill for an art exhibition. The show opens on Friday and will be hanging through the first week of December. It's called "Mysteries & Goddesses" and features the work of Stacy Goodowens Tabb. You should check it out. The primary delivery...