Nelle Handbags

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Miss Canary over on Weddingbee for posting about these ridiculously stunning clutches. Nelle Handbags is the work of designer, Laura Nelli. She seamlessly mixes textures, fabrics and sparkly jewels to create luxurious and timeless pieces. I can see these working with a bridal gown, an evening gown, or as an accessory for a fun night out in jeans and cute shoes. I am not a bride to be, but there's no way I'm passing up on one of these gems. They'll be available via her website within the next week. No word on pricing yet, but the other bags shown are under $100.

We're Moving On Up.... To New Hampshire?

Yes, it's true! After more than 8 years in Miami, we've made the choice to head North. Fingers crossed, we'll be relocating to the Massachusetts / New Hampshire border by the end of Spring. While this is going to be a crazy, slightly chaotic move, it will also enable us to build the print studio we've always wanted and hopefully open our studio to the public in time. The property we've fallen in love with has a 130 year old barn attached to it which will serve as the new White Aisle. We'll need to put a floor into it, as well as some new insulated walls, but the ceiling will be left as is with it's beautiful beams. I've spent the last couple of weeks pouring over stacks of House Beautiful, Domino and Elle Decor magazines that I secretly kept for years in the hopes that this day would come. Here are some of the photos I'm using for inspiration to start this massive new project.

Letterpress Sale

A Vintage Inspired Miami Wedding

Last night I was lucky enough to watch 2 of my good friends get married at the lovely Deering Estate in South Miami. I just had to share a few of the photos I took for those brides out there going for a 20's feel. The bride, Hillary, arrived to the ceremony in a vintage Rolls Royce looking uber sexy in a sheath dress with a plunging neckline. The gown had an ornate cream colored beaded lace overlay. She went with a simple ivory birdcage veil with a silk gardenia and small pearl brooch attached. Little hints of sparkle were everywhere, from her jewelry and his cuff links, to the strands of crystals dripping off of the centerpieces. There were also whimsical details such as polka dot sheer chocolate table overlays, and a cotton candy stand. They had chosen our "Lily" stationery line which complimented the vintage look of the day. The couple blended their Jewish-Cuban, Catholic-mid-western roots in a fun, elegant, "Gatsby-esque" way which everyone is sure to be raving about for a long time to come. Congrats Hillary & Eddie! I can't wait to see the pro photos!

all photos : Rebecca Garrison-Sokoloff

Meet Pierre

Recently I've been getting a lot of requests for items in "peacock blue." It's a color I love, and one I get to see on a daily basis. Meet Pierre...

About 6 months ago I was sitting in my office when I looked out the window in front of my desk and saw this guy hanging out looking back at me. He had been in some sort of accident (probably hit by a car) and one of his wings wasn't working so well. We decided to start taking care of him. He now hangs out all day long sunning himself in the grass and eating. He's compeletely free to come and go as he pleases, but he's usually relaxing under our mango tree. His best friend is a little black kitten who (I swear it's true) actually snuggles with him. The two are inseperable. I always thought cat + bird = disaster, but apparently I was wrong. From time to time we have his entire peacock family show up for a day, and most recently we've been visited by little peacock babies! I suppose it's all a little unusual, but my husband and I decided that when a peacock shows up in your yard, it's got to be a good thing right?

With that said, I put together a board using some of my favorite peacock related images saved in my "favorites" for those of you using this beautiful color for your event.

flower girls: www.brides.com , swatch: www.verabradley.com ,
bouquet: www.thegreenvase.com , table setting: www.brides.com
mirror: www.southernaccents.com , ring : www.sunshineexim.com
car: www.clubs.hemmings.com , cake: www.maplesweddingcakes.com

Invites for a Good Cause: Part 1

Last year we decided to create a few invitation designs which would be linked with specific charities. With the sale of each one, 25% would act as a donation. I've gotten a lot of interested emails asking questions about the groups we've chosen to work with, so I thought this blog might be a good venue to go into a little more detail invite by invite.

Invitation #1 : "Blossom"

This brand new design is going to be linked to Cambodian Children's Fund, which is one of my favorite NGO's on the face of the planet! For those of you familiar with our company, you already know we are linked to Cambodia, but CCF is very different from the other groups we've worked with. They were founded by Hollywood film executive Scott Neeson, who travelled to Cambodia on vacation in early 2003 and found his life changed by the desperate circumstances and unlikely courage of Phnom Penh's most impoverished children. After a 26 year career in the film business, Scott exited the industry to establish and oversee the Cambodian Children's Fund. He is now Executive Director and lives year-round in Phnom Penh.

The CCF was originally developed to provide a safe haven for children in critical need. Most are taken from the local garbage dump where they have been living (yes... living,) picking recyclables out of the trash for $0.25 a day. Within four short years, it has grown to include three separate facilities, where over 300 children receive nutrition and housing, as well as medical treatment, a full education and vocational training.

They offer a child sponsorship program like none I've ever seen. When you sponsor one of their children, you truly become linked to them. You receive emails, photos and DVD's from them. You correspond on a weekly or even daily basis, learning all about their life, their friends and family. My husband and I were lucky to find this program and sponsor 2 children. This Fall we traveled to Phnom Penh and met them face to face. We visited the dump where they had once lived, and saw how a child can be transformed from the sadness and misery of unbelievable poverty, to being truly hopeful and happy again.

CCF is now in the process of opening a Community Center to provide medical care, fresh water and nutrition to the families that are still living in the waste dump. It has the potential to improve these peoples lives on many, many levels. We hope that through the money we raise with this invite line, we can be apart of this wonderful project.

Here's to hoping that our Blossom design will be a great fit for a lot of events! Here is a quick inspiration board I came up with...

top row: www.whiteaisle.com & www.tribec.com
second row: www.brides.com
bottom row: www.brides.com & www.thegreenvase.com

Inspired by Fabric

Happy New Year! As I've been designing our new invites for 2008, I've been really inspired by the mix of metallic colors seemingly everywhere for the holidays. I love the deep silvers and antique golds along with richly patterned velvets and silks. Since I just finished uploading all of the new designs to our website, I decided to sit down and create an inspiration board around our "Damask" invitation design. I think this combo would make for a stunning January event. I've always admired all of the creative brides and professionals over at Style Me Pretty who have come up with such gorgeous, innovative boards. Here's my first shot at my own little version.

Damask Invite: http://www.whiteaisle.com/
Furnishings: http://www.brocadehome.com/
Silver brocade dress: http://www.neimanmarcus.com/
Gold damask dress: http://www.fashion-era.com/
Wedding gown: http://www.lazarobridal.com/
Gold Manolo's: http://www.neimanmarcus.com/
Bouquet: http://www.nisiesenchanted.com/
Brooch: http://www.whiteaisle.com/