A Side Project to the Side Project

aka ME!

I have been stuck. Very little inspiration to writing about stationery. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy it and love everything about it, but I'm going through a bit of a block. I also need to re-design this blog because it is most certainly uninspiring. Nevertheless, I'm not so stuck with my new blog that I created to end this constant conflict I've been having with this blog. I have a lot of random ideas and thoughts that run through my head and sometimes, it can be difficult to keep them all organized. I'll pop on here wanting to write about stationery, but all I can think about is event planning to-dos. So, I created a blog called My Big Small Wedding in an attempt to fix my scattered-brain of a problem. I have to admit, so far so good. Hopefully, it gives birth to inspiration and encouragement to get back to my first love, Lily Notes Studio.
Stick around...

Late Night Ramblings of An Insomniac

No where near capable of falling asleep yet and I've been awake since 6am! Nevertheless, I continue to work as much as I can growing Lily Notes, BC NYC and even, FWSB. I spend countless hours in front of my computer - it's official, I definitely need new prescription for my glasses - and I can never get to sleep before 4am.

I spent the last five days networking on Wedding Wire, Craigslist and Facebook and thus far, it's beginning to pay off. I courted a new stationery client - small budget, but worth adding something to my portfolio. I've also found two possible participants for the bridal show this October - click photo for details. On top of that, we almost brokered a deal for our own space, that we smartly decided to walk away from - we could certainly do better and find a more remarkable space to call home.

All in all, managing your own business is no easy feat. It takes so much effort, energy and emotion to be successful. As much as I complain, I find my self welcoming the sleepless nights because it provides me with the opportunity to manipulate more hours in the day. I often used these late nights to work on more designs and client proposals, as to not interrupt my day. Oh and I start a new job on Monday where I work from 3pm to 11pm Thursday thru Monday. Someone once called me abusive, which I've never believed {this was simply an accusation which often reflects what that person thinks of themselves}. But I now believe that I am abusive to no one but myself and this is simply so because I have to be. And I won't stop until I achieve what I want out of life.
Anyway, here are just a few of the samples I've been working on, as I get back to work!PS: It's official...I'm sick of yellow!

What I've Been Up To - A Quick Update!

So...the past three or four months have been a bit of a whirlwind. From cutting myself off from the world, to rejoining it with a subtle bang, I've been doing pretty alright for myself. Working with Renita and Fabulous Weddings Shoestring Budgets have proven itself quite fruitful for me. I've been having fun learning about event planning, I've been designing more invitations and I'm now part owner of our fun, brainchild - Bridal Cafe NYC! I've really been flexing those graphic design and creativity muscles on this one. I'm really happy about how things have been maturing and I am uber excited about the many gratifying opportunities that are yet to come. I also cannot wait to showcase all my invitations at our bridal showcase on June 3rd! I'll be extremely proud to have my work acknowledged by a lot of prospective clients. I am definitely keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that all continues to go well and I can finally have that bang up New Years Eve party I've always dreamed of. Hopefully, the rest of the year continues to give me many reasons to celebrate and be thankful for!In the meantime, checkout the new website and keep following, as we update it with loads of fun and interesting things to come - www.bridalcafenyc.com
Love, Kiki!

A Fabulous Wedding on A Shoesstring Budget!

Well...The Old Hollywood, Valentine's weekend wedding I worked on, finally aired on TLC's, Four Weddings this past Friday night. Unfortunately, our gorgeous bride, Francine, did not win the honeymoon getaway. However, as much as we were content with these results, I am not thrilled with the show's portrayal and ghastly comments made by viewers and even Francine's fellow contestants.

Now I would admit, there were a few things that Renita - owner of FWSB - & I decided we would change, if we had to do it all over again. There were a few logistical and catering elements that we believe we can adjust to further enhance and even perfect the overall experience. Nevertheless, TLC's brilliant producers did a smashing job leaving 90% of the memorable elements of Francine's wedding on the cutting room floor. I did like their portrayal of the wedding's ceremony - they really did capture the beauty and the sentiments of the moment. However, from this point on, it was all downhill. The show's contestants brought out their boxing gloves and the TLC producers were the ring card girls, as they tallied their hooks and jabs. They took the time to highlight a wind-tossed red carpet, a typical production breakdown and setup and the availability of salad dressing! Even a wonderful, professionally choreographed dance paying homage to the late Michael Jackson, performed by, yes, "urban" kids, in costumes reminiscent of the wedding's theme, was treated as a cheap kindergarten performance that warranted a lot more appreciation than what was ignorantly paid. But at the end of the day, this was reality television and in a society obsessed with opulent over-abundance and narrow-minded perceptions of what perfection should be, could we expect anything more of it?
What was unfortunately lost in prime-time translation, was what really mattered most to our Old Hollywood couple. This "wedding" was a celebration of Francine & Michael's commitment to each other. This wasn't some over-indulgent, factory produced farce to mark the beginning of the beginning of their lives together. They have been a solid couple with two beautiful children for over 15 years! Their wedding was an expression of their unity as a family and their devoted partnership in loving each other for many years to come. So, if you could not appreciate this unique and passionate profession, done on a realistic and attainable budget, then you can stick that nice little opinion of yours, where no one would care to tune in!

Not So Mellow Yellow

To be honest, I've never been a huge fan of the colour yellow. I've always dreaded its ease to look very tacky and cheap - especially in fashion. It is so easy for it to be portrayed horridly and it is not the most subdued of colours. However, 2010 has been proving itself quite kind to the intense colour. Fashion and interior designers, event planners and cake artists, have all found masterful, gorgeous ways to either showcase this faboulous colour or use its brilliance as fresh accents. Bridal magazines have depicted several fun ideas of how the colour can be used in a myriad of ways, to execute a memorable event. Even dress manufacturers like The Dessy Group, have an abundance of beautifully designed dresses in several shades of yellow, that would not be an eyesore and a significant embarrassment to a loyal bridesmaid.

All in all, yellow is everywhere! From it's delicate and whimsical hues to it's impacting, dramatic flare, yellow is surely making a bold statement and kicking it up a few notches for this Spring season. Not to mention, it is the signature colour for the bridal show I'm working on this coming June - more details on this to come! My boss, Renita - owner of Fabulous Weddings Shoestring Budgets, has been super excited and frighteningly obsessed with all things yellow and spring in bloom. We've been cataloguing every shade and every idea the colour yellow, in preparation of a fabulous bridal show.

However, as much as I am developing an affinity for yellow, I'm not quite sure I've completely committed to it's brilliant splendour. Nevertheless, I am trying. I created the inspiration board to the right about a week ago, to illustrate a modern twist in using yellow as an accent colour. I must say, I kind of like it - it adds an intense pop of colour, that oddly enough, can be quite elegant and chic. Oh...and it does not look cheap or tacky! I plan on designing a couple invitations depicting the colour, but after I bang out the current work I have on my plate. Either way, I have a new found respect for the use of yellow and I look forward to all the fun, fresh and fabulous ways {ode to FWSB} that my boss and I, among many others, will be depicting it this Spring.