I’m going to be honest, right off the bat. I’ve got some mixed emotions about the news I’m going to tell you. It’s both good and bad. Mostly good, because I believe it’s all woven into God’s beautiful tapestry.
I guess it’s more sad than bad, a letting-go of sorts. It’s good-sad news. Like finding out your best friend just landed her dream job, but it’s across the country. Good slash sad. Thrilled with a dash of anxiety. This is happy and nerve-racking news.
Next week marks the third year of business for Alex Fly Designs. It has brought me so much joy and has grown into this misfit, wonderful thing I never saw coming. I have loved selling jewelry and prints and Scripture-driven products, but I have also felt unsettled and stretched and a little out-of-place. What once brought me peace is now making me feel like maybe I don't belong anymore-- like walking the halls of high school after you've graduated.
So here’s the news: after this Christmas season, I will be taking down most of my product offerings in the online shop.
I don’t know if this is a forever-kind-of-thing. It might be; it might not be. But I’m tentatively stepping out on this wobbly branch and hoping there’s a secret trampoline under my tree, just in case.
Are you ready for the good news, the kind of news that makes me breathe a little deeper and release all kinds of nervous energy on my kind, patient husband? My business will continue transitioning to a focus on words and a focus on weddings.
I will have more time to write, to meet you in your inboxes with my weird ramblings and stories, more time to work on some pet writing projects I have up my sleeve. I will also have more time to focus on my wedding clients in their paper goods, signage, and calligraphy. I will still take on a few commissions for custom artwork each month, but it will be a bit more methodical, and I will be able to dedicate the much-needed time required for each custom piece.
The people-pleaser in me wants to take on every single thing that comes my way, but I’m learning that’s not necessarily in anyone’s best interest. I want to serve you guys in the best possible way, and for me—that’s at a slower pace with a narrower focus.
This transition has been a long-time coming, like a train you can see approaching from miles away. I knew I would eventually have to step on board, after last calls and blown whistles and an impatient nudge from the conductor (As a side note: I am imagining the train to be the Hogwarts Express, of course).
So here I am, stepping out in faith and fear and everything in-between. I have loved creating these products and prints full of meaning, and I hope you have gained a little inspiration along the way, too.
But it ain’t over ‘til it’s over… so happy shopping until December 31st!
I’ll meet you at Platform 9 ¾.
I am so excited to share the paper goods I did for this rehearsal dinner because a) It's Auburn Themed. Be still, my heart. b) A navy + white combo is an all-time favorite!
All of the table names were places/things in Auburn. They put these double-sided navy cards in holders and used them as table markers.
The folded place cards were also done in white calligraphy and the number of dots represent their meal order. Inside the place cards I wrote the table names in block letters.
They were originally going to lay the place cards on the table at the entrance and let people keep up with them on the way to claiming their spot, but at the last minute they decided to opt for seating charts. I found some large navy poster board that matched the rest of the paper exactly (this kind of sheer luck never happens to me) and cut it to the dimensions they needed (16x20). They matted them, put them in frames, and set them on the entrance table! I thought this was such a great, easy solution for anyone who might need large seating charts.
My only complaint was that I did not get to hand deliver these packages (I'll take any excuse to go back and visit The Plains!)
“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”
If you're like me, you do not have the time or patience to decorate for every single holiday. But let's be real, Easter is special. We set aside this time to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Savior, we will have lots of visitors in our churches, and we get to hunt Easter eggs. There are infinitely more reasons that Easter is special, mostly regardless of the commercialized industry the world has tried to make it become.
But if you want a reminder or small pieces of holiday decor, I find the perfect solution to be prints. Frame it & set it on your mantle, on the Easter buffet, or tape it to the wall and decorating =done.
I've done the hard work for you (You're welcome) and all you have to do is download and print on regular paper or card stock. You can leave it as an 8.5x11 or cut down to 8x10.
Happy Easter, ya'll...He is risen!
Click here to download the free Easter printable.
Or head over to the Downloads page to grab the free Easter phone lock screens.
Today I turn 25, which means I will be eating cinnamon rolls and bacon and drinking an unhealthy amount of coffee. We will celebrate, I will do a little work and count my blessings.
And since I'm over here being grateful, I want to remind you that I am giving away a free set of prayer cards with every online order placed through this Friday, March 25th because I am so so thankful for you, this little community, and the opportunity to wake up every day to create.
Your wedding day will be perfectly imperfect. Things will go wrong (i.e. the violinist getting a flat tire and running up as the ceremony starts to play his part; a flower girl tripping right before we are about to walk down the aisle and having a meltdown, the cake baker calling while you are at your bridesmaids' luncheon THE DAY BEFORE YOUR WEDDING and saying, "Now this is a birthday cake, right?" etc.), but those things won't matter because at the end of the day, all of your favorite people are in one place and you are marrying your best friend. So you may end up eating fried chicken out of a bucket with a napkin-bib stuffed down your wedding dress (you can't make this stuff up), but it will also be the best day ever.
So, this is not a list about choosing the right flowers or caterer or picking a band over a DJ. Your big day will be perfectly imperfect and completely yours.
Besides booking yours truly for wedding invitations and signage (obviously), I always find myself giving brides the same pieces of advice (and none have to do with the actual wedding day). You may think these are no-brainers, but I am going to pass along these tips nonetheless...
1. Pack a Breakfast
If you have an early flight out the next morning, you will probably have to leave before the hotel breakfast opens. And yes-- if you want to wake up even earlier to grab something at the airport, knock yourself out (Preferably, I would like every second of sleep I can get). Our caterer was nice enough to pack us some to-go boxes, but eating chicken salad in bed at 4 AM isn't exactly ideal. A protein bar would've probably tasted better.
2. Lock Up Your Valuables
We were incredibly naïve and didn't lock up the cash we brought to the Dominican Republic. We stayed in a nice, all-inclusive resort and the staff was extremely friendly; it never even crossed my mind to be worried about leaving the room with my purse still inside. Insert panic on the third day of our honeymoon when we realize all of our money has been taken out of my purse and Kevin's wallet (which was buried in a pair of pants in his suitcase). People will steal without hesitation, y'all. It's sad but true.
3. Don't Go Parasailing
Because after we got all of our cash stolen, we obviously hadn't learned our lesson and thought, "Yeah, let's go parasailing in a foreign country!" I'm not a safety-obsessed person, but I'm pretty sure our parasailing instructor nor their procedures would have cut it in the U.S.. We received no instruction, hopped from one boat to another, and were up in the air before we knew what was happening. Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful. But as my husband said once our feet were back on the ground, "I've seen stronger ropes in my dad's garage." Not a good feeling.
Photos by Rebecca Long Photography from our wedding day, June 2013
I had the pleasure of creating the wedding invitations and wedding signage (along with the talented S.Arias Creates) for this fun, floral-inspired photoshoot located just outside of Birmingham, Alabama.
It is on WeddingChicks.com today, so be sure to go over to their site and check out the rest of it!
We had an awesome team of creatives, y'all:
Concept & Design: Heather Benge Events
Photography: Ashley Cox Photography
Videography: Love Be Videography
Venue: Shell B Acres
Hair & Makeup: Beauty by Jess
Flowers: Laurel Greene Studio
Cake: Cakes by Kim
Invitation Suite and Signs: Alex Fly Designs + S.Arias Creates
Gowns: Rent The Runway
Models: Carly Coyne, Lauren Bender, Alex Denning