West Elm changed all of this.

Several years ago, when I stepped into this gem of a store for the first time, I felt like such a lush! I wanted every single thing in that place. That never happens. It was a combination of amazement that someone could bring so many carefully curated items together in one space and wonder as to how someone visited the insides of my brain without telling me. It was my dream space. My soul mate of a store. The mecca of all things beautiful. I could walk into that place and never leave. Everything about it feels like home.

I remember telling myself that one day, I’d have a piece of artwork in West Elm.

Fast forward a few years, and now, the opportunity is within (a really long) arm’s reach. The reality of making a long-term dream come true is so close, yet SO FAR away.

Here’s the breakdown:

Minted, a site that showcases a collection of great designs from around the world, has teamed up with West Elm for a design challenge. Thousands of different designers also submit their work to each contest, and in this case, less than 1% of the designs will be chosen and sold at West Elm stores around the globe. I’m no statistician, but the odds are not in my favor. Knowing this, I’m still hopeful that somehow, in some way, one of my pieces will catch the attention of the right person.

If you believe that you can make things happen by ‘willing’ things into the world, then this is my will. WILL WILL WILL!!

Please, please, PLEASE take a second to sign up through Minted’s site & vote for the artwork displayed below. A few minutes of your time could contribute to a dream that I’ve had for….well, forever. Opportunity is knocking (ever so softly), and I’m ready to show the world my work.

Even if it takes another 10 years to make this dream come true, I’m going to keep working at it every day!

I knew I wanted something with metal fasteners at the top, and the small quantity of menus needed would quickly turn into an expensive job at the printer. Since there was quite a bit of text to work with, I split up the content on two separate pages, layering the cardstock to give the pieces some dimension.

Here’s how I created this look:

Materials needed:

-hammer
-corner rounding tool
-hole punch
-grommets
-grommet setter
-thick cardstock
-paper trimmer or x-acto knife

Instructions:

1. Create your menus in the program of your choice (I use Adobe Illustrator, but you could easily create something similar in Word, Pages, etc.).
2. Print out your menus. I was able to fit two designs on each sheet of paper, with the top layer of the menus measuring at 5 x 8 and the bottom layers measuring at 5 x 8.5.3. With a paper trimmer or x-acto knife, trim around the edges of your menus.4. Round corners.5. Line the two layers of your menus up and punch holes about 1/3″ – 1/2″ from the top of the cardstock.6. Place grommets in the punched holes and use a hammer to set the eyelets. Brads are a good alternative, if you don’t have access to grommets.7. Enjoy your dinner, and be sure to take plenty of pictures of your fabulous creations!

Take 50% all digital templates in our Etsy shop (promo code: UNCLESAM), and download this woodgrain birth announcement fo’ FREE here!

If you’re feeling extra generous, ‘share’ this on your Facebook page and follow Bittersweet for the latest updates and freebies!

*Photo credit: Dana Monticelli Photography

Available here.

Thank you, WC!!

This is all you need to do:

1. “Like” Bittersweet and Forever Photography on Facebook.
2. “Share” this on your business and/or personal page.
3. Click here to download your files!

XOXO

Bittersweetie

RollinsCole is a brand that has been in the works for many months, and I’m thrilled to see it take life outside the womb today.

*Big thanks to Mackenzie, Mel, Melissa, and the team over at Showit for giving this project their undivided attention!

Like all of our photography templates, this marketing set is fully customizable. It’s a breeze to swap out the images, text, and colors. If you already have a brand that you’re in love with, just update the colors to match your logo and other design elements. You can drag and drop designs and images directly onto the Photoshop spreads, so no two designs have to look the same.

Use the templates for your own marketing or turn them into photo cards to use with your clients – these can be transformed into save the dates, birth announcements, and graduation announcements, just to name a few of the possibilities…

*All images provided by Forever Photography Studio.

Available for purchase here.

I’m a huge fan of earth tones and organic looking fabrics, but the pops of color in these pillows bring just the right amount of bling to the neutral backgrounds. Find them here!

Download here, feel free to share, and as always, ENJOY!!

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