Garrett Spring Soirée: April 2019

I was invited by sales manager, Sarah Ruth, to participate in this years Garrett Spring Soirée, a brunch event exclusivley for brides in the Chicago area! A timeless snack synonymous with Chicago itself, Garret Popcorn and Frango brands have so many delicious varieties of goodies that would be a great addition to both bridal and wedding events! I was so excited to get a chance to create one of a kind, calligraphy favors on their min tins.

Set-up in their corporate office, this fun event include the incredible brands Kendra Scott, Cecil’s Flowers, Tablescape Lines, DJ, and Roanoke restaurant, Pinestripes catering, and more. I had a great time meeting so many great couples and friends in the industry. With small displays of what the brand could offer from table mints to popcorn bars for your guests to make your mix. My favorite was their pairing bar of popcorn, chocolate and drinks —how fun!

Craft Show: International Women's Day Maker Fair

I was invited to participate in the 1871 International Women’s Day conference makers fair back in March. Hosted at their co-working space, 1871 had a full day of lectures and workshops for women to come to and take part in. As apart of the day, they had around 35 women makers set-up in a small pop-up shop makers fair. It was great opportunity to meet so many amazing kick-ass women entrepreneurs and to show off some new items in the shop. Thanks 1871 for hosting!

Photos by 1871/Victoria Messina

The Big Fake Wedding: Chicago 2018

When I heard about the Big Fake Wedding, I immediately thought about when I was a bride planning for my own big day. Being younger in age as a newly engaged bride-to-be, I hadn't attended many weddings with the mindset of what I liked about them and if I would repeat anything for my own day.

The concept of the Big Fake Wedding is so simple and smart. They come to a city, gathering talented local vendors and “create an experiential opportunity for wedding vendors to showcase their products and services to shopping brides and grooms just as they would at a real wedding.” You get to see the wedding in the form of a vow renewal ceremony and the reception complete with drinks, DJ and dancing. The best part s if you like something you see, taste or hear you can talk to the vendors who created it right then and there! How cool is that?

Each city is a different theme and experience for the couples attending, and Chicago did not disappoint. With the theme of “World Royalty” and pulling from beautiful, rich tones—there was so much inspiration to play with! Check out how the day pulled together over all:

The venue was the beautiful Zhou B Art Center owned and founded by two Chinese brothers, both incredible artist who rent out the space for art exhibits and events. This industrial and chic venue was full of charm and some seriously beautiful art.

Elizabeth Greve Photography

Elizabeth Greve Photography

My role in this big day was one of two invitation designers. With such a rich color scheme and moodboard full of pattern and texture to work from, I knew that I wanted to do something more elevated than a standard invite to incorporate these elements. After deciding on this beautiful paper cut folder in a rich gold to house the invitation suite, I wanted to incorporate each color in a unique way on the rest of the accenting pieces.

Blending the free strokes of the watercolor with the formality of the calligraphy created the perfect mixture of classic and modern that would be represented in both the venue and the elements of the wedding day overall. I loved how this suite represented the theme in a chic way!

Elizabeth Greve Photography

Thais Photography

The day flowed like a real wedding, complete with photos of the “bridal” party, ceremony and reception. The bride and groom who modeled for the day performed a vow renewal during the ceremony portion including their pastor, real friends and family in their “bridal” party.

It was a beautiful ceremony complete with string quartet playing a custom arrangement as the bridal party walked down the aisle and an incredible copper arch with lush florals serving as the backdrop for the bride and groom’s ceremony. The reception was full and fun with fantastic appetizers, desserts and specialty mixed drinks. The bride even performed a special choreographed dance mid reception!

Thank you again to the team at The Big Fake Wedding for having me, it was such a fun party to be apart of and incredible to meet so many wonderful couples!

Thais Photography

Elizabeth Greve Photography

Elizabeth Greve Photography | Mila Craila

Elizabeth Greve Photography

Cakes & Catering SOCIAL sparkling wine @socialsparklingwine

Favors & DetailsThe Standard Canvas @TheStandardCanvas

Groom & His MenBlank Label @blanklabelclothing

Bridesmaid Dresses Brideside Jewelry European Jewelry @europeanjewelryinc

Photo Booth Smilebooth@smilebooth

Cake ParfaitsVanille Pattisserie@vanillechicago

Day Of CoordinatorWedicity. DJ & EmceeCharizma Entertainment Group

Floral & Event Design: Bouquets, Boutonnieres & Tables 5,6,7 Eden

Floral & Event Design: Ceremony Backdrop & Tables 1,2 Nightshade Floral

Floral & Event Design: Flower Wall & Tables 3,4 Crafts By Stacey @craftsbystacey

Hair Styling Carrie Kacen Hair and Make-up Artistry @carriekacen

Hotel Accommodations W Hotel @wcitycenter

Invitations The Paperie Co @thepaperieco | Lina Lulu Paperie @linalulupaperie

Craft Cocktails CraftYours @craftyours

Makeup Artist Fearless & Bella @fearlessandbella

Marshmallow Favors Malvi: Marshmallow Confections @malvimallow

Catering LM Catering @lmcateringchi

Seating Chart, Custom Drawing, & Paper Goods XO Art & Design @xo_artanddesign

Dance Lessons Windy City Wedding Dance @windycityweddingdance

Photo Magnets Flash Magnets @flashmagnets

Ceremony Musician Bridge and Bow Music

Wedding Registry Mishkalo@mishkaloregistry Wedding Cake ECBG Cake Studio

Signage & Custom Jackets KRorerDecor @krorerdecor

Sparkling Water Spindrift Cookies Warm Belly Bakery @warmbellybakery

Table Accents The Blonde Scribe @theblondescribe

Travel Agent LovinAway @lovinaway

Photographers Thais Photography @bythaisphotography | Mila Craila Photography @milacrailaphotography | Elizabeth Greve Photography @egpwed

Venues Zhou B Art Center @zhoubevents

Wedding Dresses Winnie Couture @winniecouture

Wedding Films Eyework Studios

Portfolio: Baby Virgil Adventure Shower

Have you seen a sweeter looking baby shower? I had the privilege of working with Lauren and her mom for her wedding a few years back and just loved getting to celebrate this next step with them as they welcome a little boy this Spring. The theme was bears and adventure with a classic twist! How cute are all the details!

I had so much fun working with Deb from the concept of the invites to all the day-of pieces. My favorite piece is the Peter Pan quote that will hang in the nursery. Congratulations to Taylor and Lauren as they celebrate their little boys arrival!

Styled Shoot: Being Joy Photography at Venue 5126

I met Joy this summer at a local wedding gathering and instantly loved her spirit and vibe. I then proceeded to fall in love with her style and gorgeous photos! She invited me to be a part of an amazing team assembled to create a gorgeous boho inspired shoot  at Venue 5126 in Oswego, Illinois. 

Finding the right mix of modern, boho, and romantic was my aim as I created a simple but sophisticated wedding suite for this shoot. A combination of hand drawn botanicals, calligraphy and gold embossing become the perfect mix to produce a wild and tame feeling all in one.

The Incredible Vendor team included: Photography, Being Joy Photography  | Venue and Props, Venue 5126. | Flowers, Ashland and Addison, RJPdesigns | Gowns, Victoria Sdoukos Couture. | Hair, Hair By Dorthi. | Make-Up, Alana G | Models, Gabija Guzauskaite and Whitman Johnson

New Work

Sumer where have you gone? September is officially here and with it comes one of my favorite craft shows! I have been working hard on new designs and refining the old ones. Can't wait for you to see the new cards- look for them in the shop next week. Yay!

Portfolio: Nursery Calligraphy Art

I loved getting to work on this set of verses for Mama-to-be, Kara, for her nursery. They were both  18" x 18" squares with a matte gold ink. I loved how they turned out and hope they will bless this new family for years to come. 

Portfolio: VanSoelen Baby Shower

Another one of my sweet Sister-in-laws is expecting and this will make my seventh niece or nephew! To celebrate my mother-in-law threw a "Time" themed baby shower, complete with "It's Baby Time!" invites. 

I loved working on the illustrations for this one and thinking of all the sweet things new Baby V will be getting and doing in the near future. The invite included a "time of day card" to let the guests know which part of the day their gift should be the centered around such as "Bath Time", "Nap Time", "Play Time", ect. So clever and a fun way to involve the guests in the theme.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to celebrate that day with family as we were out of town, but I'm so excited to welcome the little one and celebrate with the wonderful parents to be this fall!

Portfolio: Olson Bridal Shower

Watercolor flowers done by Angie Makes

A few months ago I had the delight to work on these fun, oversized bridal shower invites. The party theme was a garden tea and the client was looking for something subtle but with a nod to the brides wedding colors. After a few different designs, we both settled on these graceful, watercolor flower invites. I really love how they turned out!

New Spring Prints in the Shop

Springtime is officially here in the Midwest and I couldn't be more happier with the sunshine! Plus my new Spring Print collection is now in the shop! Winter was long and cold, and I dreamt about the sunnier things to come. Inspired by a few favorite things, my 2015 print collection is full of simple color and whimsy.

Check the entire collection out now in my store: Linalulu Paperie and lookout for the spring stationery collection coming at the end of the month!

Welcome March & Desktop Wallpaper

March is here and the countdown to the first day of spring is on - March 21st can't come soon enough! Though the snow is pretty when it is falling - I'm ready for bright colors, sock free feet in flats, and little flowers popping up all around. Thank goodness Shamrock shakes are already here!

To celebrate the coming of the Spring I have created three different desktop and phone wall papers for you all! From a lovely quote by Longfellow, to a sweet reminder of His peace from the book of Micah, and then for the more orderly in the group a simple calendar. 

Download one or rotate through all three! 

Springtime Splendor : Desktop WallPaper | Phone Background

March Calendar : Desktop WallPaper | Phone Background

Micah : Desktop WallPaper | Phone Background

To download: click on the link above to the one you want, the image will open in its own window, and Save As or simply drag the image to your desktop. Then select system preferences and then desktop/screensaver.

Portfolio: Daisy Print

I love flowers, and growing up I had a sweet spot for daisies. Not quite what Kathleen Kelly said in the film, You've Got Mail, but I have to still agree daisies are the happiest and friendliest flowers out there. I hope spring comes sooner than later around here...

Portfolio: Emily Dickinson Quote

A friend approached me to do a few prints, and among them a quote by Emily Dickinson. I learned that the quote would be a gift for her mother who had been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. The quote had brought me to tears, and with the circumstance we agreed on a softer and cooler color palette. 

I loved how the piece turned out, and often pull out my sketches and "mess ups" to look over the sweet words. I hope they both feel comfort when they reread these words, and even more comfort knowing where true hope is found. 

Portfolio: New York Print

When I think of my favorite films growing up the 1998 classic Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movie, You've Got Mail, instantly comes to mind. I remember when my parents took us to see it in theaters. Many lines from this film have seemed to become go-to's for me.

F-O-X.That is amazing, you can spell "fox"! Can you spell "dog"? F-O-X.

It is a gem of a film, and I mean how much more classic than you can get than Tom and Meg? From the also quotable Sleepless in Seattle to the lesser known Joe vs the Valcano - they were a dream team of the late eighties and nineties romance comedies .

I recently created this print based on one of the opening lines from the movie, (cue "Dreams" by The Cranberries please!). The illustration was fun to pull together from pictures of the movie set and New York city itself.  I haven't experience New York in the Fall, but with the quote dancing along in my head I think a trip might be in order in the months ahead.

Portfolio: VandenBranden Bridal Shower

I did these lovely invites to honor a family friend back in the late summer. Set with a a color palette of purple, cream, and grey - I knew I wanted to keep the invite itself airy, feminine, and bright. I had been admiring the Saint Agnes font for sometime and knew that these sweet invites would be a perfect use for the elegant, but whimsical font. The combination of it all created a beautiful outcome, don't you think?

Saint Agnes is a part of the foundry Great Lake Lettering started by Molly Jacques and Dathan Boardman.

Portfolio: Heirloom Creations

I have a handful of projects I would love to show you guys - starting with these cute business cards! Lynne, a very talented crocheter, approached me to help her take her sweet creations to the next level. She has been creating and selling beautiful crocheted baby gowns, dresses, and booties for some time to friends and family, and recently stared creating adorable barretts and hair-clips.

When we sat down to go over her business cards, she knew exactly what she wanted - orange and teal that could look vintage with a whimsical nod. She told me what she liked, brought me samples of her work, and told me what she didn't want to see. I loved her clear vision and voice which made creating a few samples of cards a breeze. After tweaking things here and there, we had our fun, final product!

These cards also have a double function. Lynne will punch holes on the orange polka dot block when an order is placed for hair clips. This way she can clip them on to the card. A simple way to have all the information next to the product  for reorders. So fun!

 I know Lynne loved them just as much as I do! She is currently working on opening an Etsy shop to sell her beautiful, baby goods. I can't wait to see all her beautiful goods to come!

Portfolio: All Creatures Great and Small

This past summer we celebrated the coming birth of my sweet cousin Laura's third baby and third little boy - Crosby Thomas. We found out she was decorating the nursery in a Noah's Ark theme and then asked if she had a quote, verse, or lyrics she wanted framed.

This project was so fun for me to work on! I loved combining my illustrations of all the happy creatures (great and small) with calligraphy. I used a premixed ink and regulated the pressure and amount of ink on the nib to give the letters an ocean feel of dark and light blue. As well, I added a little more swashes then I usually would for a "masculine" print to help give it that moving water look.

I loved working on this piece and I love that sweet Crosby and his brothers will see it everyday reminding them of all the great things our Lord has created.

Portfolio: Hand Done Type

A few friends recently put together a weekly, collaborative type challenge called Type Club 2014. They passed the link on to a handful of creatives they know, and the results have been really beautiful to see.

The premise: Each week a new quote is posted. You can interpret this quote any way you like, using any medium you like. There is a time "constraint" of one week. This "constraint" creates a deadline and a push for you to share the "final" piece with everyone else with out belaboring your work through social media.

It's a great exercise, and fun to see the interpretations and beautiful design from everyone.

Original art by Caroline Hutchison for Linalulu Paperie

Portfolio: Baby Berge Shower

A few weeks ago a group of ladies and myself threw a sweet baby shower for our friend and mama-to-be, Heather! This is Heather and husband, Daniel, first baby - and they are waiting to find out the sex of the child! SO brave but very fun!

We picked up on their nursery theme, Jungle Animals, and chose gender neutral colors of yellow and mint to compliment the fun animals. Heather is only a week away from her due date and we all can't wait to meet this newest little one!

See more of Heather's invite in our gallery.

Portfolio: Longyne/Smies Wedding

A few months back I had the pleasure of illustrating a beautiful, city inspired wedding suite for Cindy, and husband-to-be, Tyler. You can see the mini moodboard here I created when beginning this project.

I loved hearing the passion that Cindy and Tyler have for the city of Grand Rapids, MI and how it has played a role in their relationship - and now in their wedding! We went with dark green and a grey metallic inks to bring out the scheme of their wedding. I love how the metallic ink shimmers and makes the city feel alive in the background.

Best of luck you two - I know the Lord has much in-store for you in marriage!