Under Construction

It's been a while since we've had a home makeover project in the works. I've had the itch to redecorate our main floor living room area, which is where we spend the most time in our home. I have a vision of what I'm hoping to achieve, along with plenty of room inspiration via Pinterest. I'm ready to say goodbye to the brown and gold walls, and welcome a fresh gray-blue. Easier said than done. 

After agonizing over what color to select, we purchased what I thought was the color I wanted and Andrew painted a couple walls to see how it looked. It turned out to be much too blue, and not enough gray. Very disappointing! 

I went back to the store and got some samples to help in the decision. I knew finding the perfect gray with a hint of blue would be challenging, but I didn't think it would be this difficult! Depending on the lighting, it changes throughout the day. 

Needless to say, our house is "under construction" at the moment with stuff all over the place. 

My office is a disaster, and is housing most of the displaced living room decor. 

Meanwhile, I have a couple design projects I'm working on. Along with some Christmas gift projects. And oh yeah, I'm excited to be hosting Thanksgiving! In 11 days! Nothing like company coming to light the fire for completing projects. We are also in the midst of replacing our water heater, fixing our dish washer, sealing a leak in our shower, and putting our downstairs back together. 

You might not be seeing me around here for a while. I'm off to check off my to-do list! 

Off to the Races

I went to my first horse race in September. We met some friends at Finger Lakes Gaming and Race Track for lunch, then watched the horses race around the track. It was a fun afternoon.

The track was larger than I pictured. It was interesting to watch the gate being set up. I also learned a little about placing bets and picking horses. I chose the horses with the best/funniest names. It's nice that you can play with just $2. We won enough to cover our lunch. Whoo hoo!

The best part for me was seeing the horses. It definitely made me want to ride. 

Those jockey's really are small in stature and know how to race. 

I'll take a horse with a pink blanket please.

Lynn and Peter's Wedding and Invitation

November. What?

It was just September, and we were attending Lynn and Pete's wedding. How exactly did two months slip by? Wow. 

Before I loose track of any more time, I want to share the wedding invitation set and save-the-date post card I designed for Lynn and Peter. My husband works with this adorable couple, and I don't know if it's possible to find two sweeter people. Lynn is simply adorable and we became instant friends. I was thrilled to work with them, as well as attend their September wedding. Lynn was looking for a love bird theme wedding invitation in her fall colors - red, gold, and green. I love the sweet simplicity.

Isn't she a beautiful bride? 

So much love and sweetness between these two. 

Showering them with bubbles after the ceremony. Look at that sky!

Their reception was at the Green Lantern Inn, in Fairport, NY. We had a blast! 

Here I am, striking a pose in my new favorite peplum dress (from H&M). Another wedding attendee was wearing the same one, so you know it was a good choice.

The happy couple took photos along the beautiful canal.

My love and I, enjoying the evening with friends. 

Congratulations Lynn and Peter! You two are such a sweet couple. We are blessed by your friendship and thrilled that we could share in your special day. We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness! 

 

Fall Foliage Photos

Sometimes I like to play photographer. Last week, we experienced a few Indian summer days - it reached 80 degrees at one point! In the middle of October. With the beautiful fall foliage and weather like that, I had to get outside and take it in. 

I hightailed it to one of my favorite parks after work. The sun was gleaming through the trees along the Eerie canal, illuminating the multitude of autumn colors. It felt so good to be outside again after accepting the fate of colder weather. 

My toes were happy to see the light of day again. Soon they'll be hidden beneath socks and boots. 

I was surprised by the fun details I came across. Tree bark dotted with amber sap, unusual looking toadstools, fluffy milkweed, a couple wandering ducks. Oh, and a snake that scared the crap out of me. I nearly stepped on it, trying to get a closeup of a tree. When enjoying nature, look before you step. Lesson learned!

There was beauty everywhere I looked. These are some of my favorite photos from that day. The colors drastically shifted as the sun set.

He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

Jeremiah 17:8

 

AIGA Upstate NY Design Crawl

Last night was the upstate NY Design Crawl, held simultaneously in Rochester, Syracuse, and Troy. It was a chance for designers and creative professionals to tour local studios and see other artists at work in their unique environments. Our evening took place in the Village Gate, one of my favorite "artsy" areas of town. I didn't realize there were so many designers under one roof. 

Myself and about 10 coworkers attended. Our first stop was at Minerva, a creative design, marketing and interactive studio. The place was packed.

They provided some stylish glasses to sport while we mingled. I was having some deep thoughts. We all agreed that we would like to work in their space - a modern industrial loft with lots of windows. It was great meeting Mike and the Minerva design team. It's always inspiring to see what other desingers are up to. 

Next stop, a screen printing demonstration by Hope Mountain News. These guys love to design and screen print. They obviously appreciate it as a craft and a hobby. You gotta have some serious parience to lay down ink, one by one, by hand, wait for it to dry, then on to the next. It does produce a beautiful graphic technique with gorgeous color. Reminded me of the screen printing that I did with Alex, on burlap and fabric. We only used one image and one color per print with a stencil method. There's nothing like using a jar of real ink and creating with your hands. 

The last stop was definitely my favorite. We toured Pistachio Press, my friends who printed the wedding invitation I designed this summer. Rachel and Jake are a husband and wife team who design and produce the most beautiful letter press pieces you ever saw. They share a space with Booksmart Studio, who print and bind books (in a nutshell). My bro in law, David, used to work there.

I was ready to move in as soon as I saw their space. Heart be still. Such a crafty-vintage-art-filled place. I even spotted some milk glass pieces. How I would love to work with letter press every day. 

They had a variety of work on display, including Sari & Travis' wedding set - hooray!

 Some of the team checking it out. 

My "big brother" Daryl. 

We even got to print a holiday card! Here's Cassandra, running the press. Use those muscles! 

Jake, helping me line it up perfectly. Getting my hands on a press was the highlight of my evening. It made me long to go back to my print making classes in college. I would gladly clean all the plates and rollers and deal with inky hands and clothing if I could spend a week printing to my hearts content again! 

They have some of the most adorable pieces for sale in their shop. I was inspired everywhere I looked. 

Of course, we had to try on some mustaches. 

We ended the evening at Good Luck Restaurant, one of my favorite "posh" places to go out. The atmosphere, food and drinks are so unique and never disappoint. Definitely a cool place for a special occasion or date night. We tried the autumn sangria, and it was absolutely delicious. I may need to try to replicate the recipe. The food was outstanding as well - savory flavors, unique combinations and always a beautiful family-style presentation.

It was a fun evening to gather with other local creatives, celebrate what we do every day and gain inspiration. Designers unite!

Thank you, Cassandra and Heather for sharing some of your photos :)