Friday, November 26, 2010

...Bay Bella...


... Woods&Company recently had the honor of being a part of Bay Bella publishing's Bridal Best of the Bay competition. 

... Bay Bella is a local Bay Area publishing company that puts out the bridal publications Bride 9 and Mocha Bride. This year, they put on a competition called the "Bridal Best of the Bay", featuring invitation, hair, make-up, event, cake, and favor vendors from the 9 counties in the Bay Area.

... The first part of the competition was on the county level. Nine vendors from each category competed to earn a spot in the final "all county" competition, where the vendor represented their county amongst the eight other counties in the Bay Area.

... Woods&Company was asked to be a part of the competition representing the favor vendors. Woods&Company competed with eight other favor vendors in San Francisco county to be represented at the final "all county" competition.

... Excitingly, Woods&Company won the county level! We were chosen as the favor vendor from San Francisco county to go to the "all county" competition.

... So, on November 18th, Woods&Company represented San Francisco county at Bay Bella's Gala Awards Event that took place at the Regency here in San Francisco. It was a great time with some very talented Bay Area wedding vendors, as well as some celebrities of the wedding industry presenting the awards. While Woods&Company was not awarded the Best of the Bay, it was an honor to be selected and to win the Best of San Francisco County award. 

... As a county winner, Woods&Company will have a feature in the winter issues of both Bride 9 and Mocha Bride.


... And here are some photos of our table at the competition. I am hoping to have some more professional photos to display in the future.





Saturday, November 6, 2010

...The Knot Northern California...

... Woods&Company is delighted to have been mentioned in the Fall/Winter issue of The Knot Northern California.

... See page 30 for our mention and lots of other great wedding planning suggestions thanks to contributions by local wedding planners Alison Hotchkiss, Angela Nelson (Lulu Events), and Amy Nichols.

... Thanks for the "shout out" Amy! Much appreciated!

...and she WAS a happy camper!

... over the summer, I posted a project that I completed for a former camper of mine who was getting married. I posted a few pictures of the samples that I did for her, and that I had on hand. However, what I was really hoping for was that she would send me some of the pictures from her actual wedding.

... and so she did! She just got her proofs back from her photographer, and forwarded them along to me!  As you remember, I did her escort cards, table names, menus, favors, and tags for her welcome bags. So check them out!

Display of Escort Cards





Table Names, All Places the Bride and Groom have been together



I made tags for their Welcome Bags (bag tags, tags for the snacks and water, list of weekend events, and a list of  the things to do in the area)


Friday, October 22, 2010

... A Sweet Addition to Woods&Company...


... Well, life has been quite busy these days, my husband Jeff and I just last week welcomed with great love and excitement our first child into the world! Baby Katherine was born last Friday and we are totally in love with her! So, you'll forgive me if I have been a little pre-occupied lately! The past few weeks have been taken over first by my "nesting" instinct and the urge to REST, and then the arrival of Katy and now life amongst feedings, changings, and lots and lots of holding and staring at our little girl with awe!

... However, I don't want to leave you without any good Woods&Company "stuff", so I am including some pictures of a project I did right before the baby arrived. I created some welcome bags for a wedding here in San Francisco at the end of September.

... Roy and Danielle got married at the St. Francis hotel in San Francisco on September 25, 2010.  They contacted me about creating some welcome bags for their guests who were staying at the St. Francis and a few other hotels in the Union Square area. They had seen my travel case welcome gift box in the Spring/Summer issue of Brides Northern California, and wanted to do something similar.

... We wound up using the same graphics for their gifts as I used in the travel case, but designed the gifts in simple white bags and used the fonts from their wedding invitations. The red color was also one of their wedding colors.

... We included in these bags two water bottles with custom made labels, a packet of tissues, some Ghiradelli chocolates, a packet of pretzels, a packet of gum, some ibuprofin (essential in post-party recovery!), maps of San Francisco, and custom designed welcome letters to the guests, a weekend itinerary for the guests, and Roy and Danielle's favorite things to do in San Francisco.

... The pictures shown below were actually the mock up photos that I did while designing the gifts, I am getting all set to photograph the actual bags with all the contents to post online.

... I love the simplicity of these gifts, and I hope the guests felt most welcomed!

... Congratulations to you, Roy and Danielle! I hope you are enjoying your new life as husband and wife!

















Thursday, September 23, 2010

...Follow Up on Some Wedding Programs...

... a LONG time ago, I posted an entry called "Teaser" and it was an image of some wedding programs I was doing for a wedding back in May. I told you all that I would post more pictures after the event. Well, I never followed up, and that makes me sad.

... One of the reasons why I have not yet followed up is because I really wanted to get some images of the programs AT the wedding, but I have not been able to get my hands on any!

... I was just going through some photos and I did find some images of the programs that I took myself during assembly, as well as a shot of them all completed. This will give you an idea of how the programs looked overall.

... The project was pretty simple. The bride sent me an image of this style of program, and I adapted it for her wedding. She really liked the simplicity of having the programs connected at the corner, and we decided on a moss green ribbon that complimented her wedding. We decided against a bow and instead went with a simple knot at the corner.

... The flower graphic was from her wedding invitations, and we just repeated it throughout the programs in full color on the front and watermarked on the subsequent pages.

... All the paper is from Paper Source, and the ribbon was from Fantastico here in San Francisco (a GREAT place to get large quantities of ribbon at very very low prices!)



... The front page of the program


...Ribbons cut and ready to be put to work!


... The "assembly line', all pages laid out and ready to be put together!


... Finished Product...


... Voila! All done and ready to head to the bride for her big day!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

...Never Before Posted...



... I was just going through some images from my photo album and I came across this gift box I made around Valentine's Day. I made this specifically for a fellow vendor, but it can be easily adaptable as a gift box for a wedding, bridal shower, or just a yummy thank you!

... This gift box is filled with sweets wrapped up in interesting small packages. I incorporated a number of coordinating patterned papers, ribbons and tags. The tag on the top of the box is a simple card stock cut in the shape of a large tag, and then layered with papers to give it depth and texture. The tag is secured around the entire box with a light pink grosgrain ribbon that I just love. The box came from Paper Source, and comes in a variety of sizes to fit your needs.

... Take a look at some of these details...










Monday, August 9, 2010

...What a Weekend For Weddings...



... It seems as though this past weekend was a very popular weekend for weddings. I had 3 different clients who were getting married over this past weekend! I have been very busy lately!

... Congratulations to Kevin and Marissa who had a beautiful vineyard wedding on Long Island!

... Congratulations to Ami and Paul, who's amazing Hindu wedding was celebrated at a winery in Geyserville, CA!

... Congratulations to Bobby and Steffany, celebrated their wedding at a laid back, homegrown farm wedding in Petaluma, CA

... Congratulations to you all, and I wish you many, many years of happiness and laughter!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Hopefully a Happy Camper...



... So one of the best jobs I have ever had was to be a camp counselor at the summer camp where I went as a girl. Every summer I would look forward to 2 months on the lake in New Hampshire with some of the greatest friends I have ever made.

... While being a camp counselor is a challenging job (my friend and I did the math one year, and essentially we worked 144 hours a week!), it is also a lot of fun and the girls I was a counselor for were really great kids.

... The last summer I was a counselor, I had the oldest campers and they were absolutely awesome. Many of them stayed more than 1 session and so I was really able to get to know them and make some great memories.

... While those days are sadly long gone, through the magic of Facebook, I have been able to reconnect with so many of my camp friends, including some former campers who are no longer girls, but fabulous women out in the world! It's great to catch up with them, but also a little trippy to realize that they are all grown up!

... And, kind of crazy when I find out these gals are doing things like getting married! One of my campers from that last summer I was a counselor is saying her vows tomorrow on Long Island. I couldn't be happier for her! So, when she asked me if I would help her out with some details for her wedding, I was so excited to do it!

... I made her tags for her out of town guest bags and then brought the theme of those tags into some of the details for her wedding. We did table names, place cards, menus, and favors. I used the Pharmacy font and paired it with the Honey Script font to create a really fun yet still sophisticated look. Using a fun and preppy color theme of pink and moss green, I mixed that with two types of decorative paper in the pink and green scheme. All the items we created using a series of the paper layered together to give interest and depth.

... Here's a sneak preview, I strung the samples up from a ribbon on the wall in my office. I cannot wait to see the creations all set up at the wedding.






... So, to Marissa, I say CONGRATULATIONS! I hope your day is as special as you are!
... p.s. don't eat cheeseballs in your wedding dress, you might turn it orange!
... Love, your Cabin 1 Counselor!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

...Toss It All In There!

... So today I was walking down Chestnut Street, enjoying the quiet holiday Monday morning. I had just gotten a really great pedicure (Jeff and I are headed to a wedding later this week and the toesies were in need of some serious attention), and had to run an errand at Paper Source (of course!) before heading home.

... Along my way from the nail salon to Paper Source, I approached a store called "Toss"  (http://www.tossdesigns.com/ ) that I had noticed from afar but hadn't yet explored. Mostly because every time I think about it Jeff is with me, and it is really not his kind of store. However, today, I was alone, and it was such a relaxed day, I thought I'd pop in to see what was what with this store.

... OH MY GOODNESS I FOUND A NEW FAVORITE STORE! The preppy New Englander in me just about jumped out of her skin and could barely contain her excitement. Toss is a great store if you are looking for a treat for yourself or a stylish little something for a friend. Tote bags, cosmetics bags, travel accessories, cute bar supplies, even sweet little sandals, shoes,and jewlrey, Toss is a great place to find gifts for your particular event. I was shopping for a little something for myself, but I couldn't help get inspired for a Bridesmaid Thank You Gift.

... I have a friend who is planning to use navy blue and green as her wedding colors and I thought I would play on that for inspiration. I discovered that Toss carries a line of trendy, sturdy, and very reasonably priced eco-friendly bags by Bella (http://www.youarebella.com/). At $8.00 a bag, they are the perfect starting point for a beautiful gift for your bridesmaids. It is the kind of bag your gal can use later on to tote her lunch to work, or slip into her purse for use on the run. This bag folds up with a cute snap! Refuse that plastic bag from the store and slip your purchase into your fab Bella bag!

... Hmmm, but how to dress this fabulous bag up a little more and make it unique for your 'maids? Grab one of Toss' fantastic stick on monograms! These monograms are stitched fabric with a sticky back, so they can be applied to a multitude of items to make it your own! I chose the navy blue and white "T", and I love it with the green! The monogram is also "re-stickable" so your 'maid can take it off of this tote and throw it on another one if she likes! And, they are a steal!

... So, I just went from there. I could build a whole gift out of these two items that I picked up, and I WILL. However, I was just so excited to show these finds to you, I have only so far done the "exterior". I whipped up a little "bag tag" for this gift using navy blue card stock, green polka-dotted paper, and a little label printed in navy ink. I adhered it to the bag with some white ribbon and was ready to photograph!

... So, this creation is definitely "to be continued". I already have ideas for not only what items would be fabulous IN this bag, but how those items can be personalized.







... so check out Toss Designs and Bella totes and get inspired for your own event! Be sure to check back in with me to see where this design is gonig to go!

...Happy summer, everyone!




Wednesday, June 23, 2010

... 3 *blissful* years...



...Three years ago today, I said "I Do" to my amazing husband Jeff...

... I planned and planned and planned and loved my wedding, and in the end, it was the reason why Woods&Company was started!

...The day was a gorgeous San Francisco day, sunny but not hot and not an ounce of fog to be seen! Clear blue skies, we could see the ocean from the steps of St. Cecelia's where we said our vows... the day was perfect for wedding photos taken with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background, photos taken at the very spot where Jeff proposed a year before...


... The beautiful day continued at the Marines Memorial Club near Union Square (an AMAZING venue if any of you are looking for an elegant place to have your reception. The place is gorgeous, and the service and food there is out of this world. I did not have to worry about a THING.). We ate, drank, laughed, and danced well into the night.


... It was my favorite day of my life so far ;)



...I love you Jeff, here's to many more years and many more favorite days (October 19, 2010 maybe??)