Who doesn’t love to relive the days when you were back in grade school and you couldn’t wait to pick out which Valentine’s card you would give to each classmate? You know, you always saved the cute ones for your besties and the super lovey ones for your biggest crush. And who can forget the fun times we all had making our little pouches that would hold all the Valentine’s we received (crossing our fingers that at the end of the day it would hold the card from our biggest crush confessing their love)?!?

So, I’m takin’ it back to the old school, ’cause I’m an old fool, who’s so cool (I digress)… To celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, I designed four different mini cards for you to print out & use to your heart’s content. Use these little cards to remind those special someones in your life just how much they are loved. Write a little note on the back and leave them in unexpected places on this special Hallmark holiday {insert smirk}.  In a lunchbox. On their pillow. In the car. In the shower. The places are endless. Be creative and share the love on Valentine’s Day this year.

My four-legged child will be getting the card above in his crate, because there is no doubt that he is as cute as a button.

Happy {early} Valentine’s Day! XOXO

CONDITIONS OF USE: All idieh design downloads are for personal, non-commercial use ONLY. Please do not redistribute and/or modify any of the downloads. If you’d like to link to the PDF, please link to this post directly. Thank you!

Yes, I know it’s almost the end of January and I’m just now writing a post to reflect on my 2011 goals, but hey, work with me here. After revisiting my 2011 goals, I am happy to say I’m rather pleased with what I accomplished and, to be honest, didn’t really realize it until now. No, I didn’t 100% complete all of them, but I did touch on each of them in one way or another.

My 2011 goals (completion percentage in parentheses):

1. Join a boxing gym (65%)

No, I didn’t join a boxing gym but I did complete an intense one-month bootcamp that I really enjoyed. If I was made of money, I would have continued, but, unfortunately, I am not. I also stumbled upon a Living Social coupon for a 10-session dance class, but have yet to use it. That will come in the next few months and let’s just say I’m beyond excited. If I can get my workout in via dance, I’m so there.

2. Learn to cook one new meal each month (50%)

I didn’t learn how to cook 12 new meals, but I did add a few to my VERY short list. I always turn to Rachel Ray to give me the helping hand I need in the kitchen. I will say my first attempt at her Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts with Tomato and Basil and Potatoes with Peppers and Onions was a huge success.

3. Go part-time with the day job (allowing me to focus on idieh design) (100%)

This one gets a HUGE, huge check mark. I went part-time with the day job in May and I’m loving every bit of it. Now, for when I no longer need the day job…

In addition to going part-time, I also launched the new brand of idieh design. And with a new brand comes a new website. Get ready for it to launch in the next month or so. This is something I have seriously put all my heart and soul into and am very proud of. Which leads me to one other HUGE undertaking for my business. We are now in the business of designing websites. More posts to come of clients I’ve worked with to re-brand not only their logo and business collateral, but also new websites! High fives all around.

4. Read before going to sleep at night (100%)

We’ll count this as a success and the best part, it wasn’t hard at all for me to accomplish. I really enjoy reading and especially at night, right before I go to bed. It helps to shut my brain down, because if you know me well, you know that’s a very large task in itself. Some books on my list were The Help, The Hunger Games Trilogy, and of course Harry Potter. (And, I did manage to read a few non-fiction books here and there. Look for this to be a more focused goal in 2012.) Yes, some nights were missed (I mean, when I don’t go to bed until 1am, sometimes you just need to go to bed.) To continue this goal into 2012, I’m currently reading Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Just look at the cover and you will wonder what is wrong with me. Reading THAT book, right before going to bed?! What can I say, I love Halloween and all things scary. I just do.

5. Focus on ME in 2011 (110% and more room to grow…)

Yes, the goals above were important ones, but this, by far, was a MASSIVE undertaking in 2011 and is definitely continuing into 2012. I won’t lie, there were some bumps (okay, maybe boulders) along the way, but I’m still surviving. I could probably right a whole post just on this goal, but I’ll keep it short and sweet for now. How did I focus on me?

I started by weeding out some very toxic people in my life. This is still a work in progress, but I have come a LONG way this year. One way I’ve done this is by trusting my gut.

I also adopted a new puppy (I can’t believe he’s already turned one!). Trey, to say the least, has tested my strength as a human being. He’s taught me being a single mom is a tough job, but, I love him to pieces and he keeps me company.

And, last but certainly not least, I bought a house. I have to repeat this. I. BOUGHT. A. HOUSE. Woah. Who would have thought. Not me. And this was totally not on the to-do list for 2011. But I am so happy it was added. Posts to come of the new crib and the steps I’m taking to Heidi-fy it.

Well, there ladies and gents, is a very small and brief re-cap of my 2011. 2012 goals are in the works and I’ll be sharing those soon. How did you do on your 2011 goals?

I always love when stationery clients become branding clients or vice versa. Not only does it give you a chance to learn more about that individual and their style, but it also usually leads to a lovely new friendship!  I was lucky enough to work with Lindsey on her wedding stationery, which led her to ask me to design a logo for her new business venture, emma Quist.

Sophisticated. Chic. Elite. These were the words Lindsey used to describe the emma Quist brand. She knew she wanted to derive the logo from the design I created for her wedding invitations. It was a radiating sun and only seemed fitting to use as inspiration since her father calls her sunshine and they were starting this new business together.

“Together, Lindsey and Craig [her father] have embarked upon a mission to create an elite haute jewelry brand that resonates with clientele of sophisticated style; those who appreciate rarity, luxury, and uncompromising craftsmanship uniquely articulated in an objet d’art.” - excerpt from emma Quist site

The initial design concept was this:

Lindsey loved the idea of the “Q” becoming one of the rays, but the overall feel was a little too modern for her. Therefore, we went back, tweaked the design and the logo of emma Quist was born. (Okay, it was a little more in depth than that, but we like to keep things simple around here.)

We chose a color combo of eggplant and black, along with a more intricate sun, paired with a dramatic, yet refined font. Lindsey was thrilled with the end result, as was I. What say you?

Louis XIV, the “Sun King” was the inspiration behind this engraved wedding invitation suite. The couple wanted an elegant, sophisticated, yet unique design with the emphasis being on a sun insignia. The bride loved the idea of incorporating a symbol that could be used throughout all of their stationery and a sun seemed most fitting considering her nickname was “Sunshine,” given to her by her father.

idieh design first created a custom sun emblem and then worked with Jennifer Schmitt Calligraphy to incorporate Jennifer’s beautiful script throughout the entire engraved ensemble. The sun emblem was cropped differently on each piece to give each card its own unique character. The liner pulled elements from the emblem and created an intricate repeating pattern. The main wedding invite consisted of a plum, charcoal, & white paper stock wrapped in a charcoal satin ribbon.The reception and response card fit snuggly behind the band, making the suite more of a package. The outer envelope was finished off with a custom wax seal with the couple’s initials. All of these elements were then carried throughout the remaining wedding stationery, such as the menus, escort cards, and table numbers.

To see more photos of this gorgeous wedding, check out the featured post on Elizabeth Anne Designs and Melissa Jill Photography’s part 1 and part 2 of Lindsey & Dan’s wedding day.

Photos 1 and 5: Melissa Jill Photography

Photos 2, 3, & 4: Lizzie Kimball Photography

I can’t even contain my excitement to share with you this modern wedding inspiration shoot recently featured on Junebug Weddings! Not only was this shoot modern, funky, and sophisticated (a.k.a. definitely our style!), but it was so much fun teaming up with the following creatives to make this shoot such a success:

Design & Execution: Outstanding Occasions
Photography: Melissa Jill Photography
Styling: AVE Styles
Florist: Camelback Flowershop
Venue: W Scottsdale
Make-up: Bliss Spa
Hair: Organic Hair Lounge
Jewelry: emma Quist (we created emma Quist’s logo, too!)
Cakes: Classic Cakes & Confections

And who can have a shoot without an inspired story behind it? This “wedding” was conceptualized based on the following details:

Tori, an interior designer and fashionista from LA, married Tyson, a quirky, Arizona guy who grew up riding horses. Through the use of a black, white & grey color palette, combined with a splash of hot pink, masculine & feminine details were infused throughout Tori & Tyson’s “wedding” day.

idieh design created a fabric invitation, combining multiple patterns such as houndstooth and stripes. The modern, clean, and type-focused invitation was wrapped with a charcoal grey elastic band to hold the response card and envelope.

The outer envelope was lined with a houndstooth liner, customized with the bride & groom’s names.

The graphic elements were carried throughout all aspects of the shoot.

A finishing touch was a donut shoppe full of donut pops and yummy toppings to decorate your own donut. Yum!

To see tons of more fabulous photos of this shoot, check out Junebug Weddings featured post here & Melissa Jill Photography’s post here.

How will you infuse your own personality into your big day?

Photos by Melissa Jill Photography.