little luxuries

Happy to report that Sunday's bridal show went amazingly well! I talked to so many brides-to-be, the majority with September weddings oddly enough (a good month!), and received a lot of great feedback on my work. It was nice to just put everything out there and see how it went. I'm looking forward to meeting and working with some new clients soon. With the busyness of it all though, I didn't have much time to take some good photos... next time!

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On another note, lately I've been exploring all different kinds of french skincare brands. It all started with an article I came across about the best french pharmacie products, and quickly developed into an obsession to track down at least a couple of the items mentioned over and over again in different articles. There's definitely quite a few cult favourites!

One in particular was NUXE dry oil. I've never tried a moisturizing oil in place of lotion before, but all I kept reading were positive reviews – and the reviews were right. This stuff is amazing! It goes on silky smooth and doesn't leave a greasy feeling, the scent is intoxicating (in a good way), and the best part, my skin feels moisturized and soft all day long. Something that rarely happens with regular lotion for me. I purchased the small bottle above, which will go a long way seeing as you don't need much each time you use it, but next time i'll be getting the larger bottle with the spray pump. I use it head to toe each day and a little in my hair when I blow dry it. It's definitely one of my favourites now too.

Nuxe Dry Oil | $26 – I found mine at Shoppers, but it's also available at The Bay and Amazon

showtime + a golden DIY

Tomorrow is the big day! I'll be heading to the Brantford Bridal Show where we'll have our own booth to showcase the new invite collection. I've been busy all week preparing everything we'll need, from business cards to samples, signs and DIY clipboards.

Remember this beautiful Russell + Hazel clipboard in my office inspiration post? I didn't have enough time to order a couple in for the show, so I took it upon myself to turn the situation into a bit of a DIY project. I headed to Staples to see if they had any clear clipboards and luckily I found a few for a mere $5. The acrylic part of the board comes pre-wrapped with plastic to avoid scratches, which was perfect for spray-painting the uncovered clip! I added some painers tape around the clip (just in case) and sprayed them with Krylon's "18 kt Gold Plate" paint. They dried in no time and now have the perfect touch of gold. And the best part of the clear acrylic is that the Daniella Marie logo can be seen through the back, on a sheet of paper that faces down on the board. Perfect, right?

I'm very excited to see it how it'll all come together tomorrow and promise to share a few pics. For now, i'm off to pick up some roses for our booth. If you're in the area, I hope to see you there tomorrow. And thank you all for your sweet comments and encouragement in my last post. It really means a lot!

a new adventure

Hello everyone... As promised, today i'm excited to start off the week by announcing Daniella Marie Stationery & Design!

After plenty of planning I've finally decided to go full-speed ahead into the wonderful world of wedding stationery. I've designed plenty of invitations in the past for friends and family, but it wasn't until late last year that I decided I really wanted to bring this little dream to life. It's something I love doing – design that's personal and truly treasured by its recipients – and I love that kind of creativity in my life. I'm more than happy to be offering my services to all the newly engaged couples out there, and can't wait to see where this adventure will take me. It's exciting, and a little nerve-wracking, but I decided I just have to go for it!

The hard deadline I mentioned? Well, it's a local bridal show this upcoming Sunday, where I'm officially presenting my work as a vendor for the day. It came up super quick, but with a lot of hard work and organization the past couple of weeks, I can say I'm definitely ready to do this.

I hope you'll pop by the new site (here) for more details, and I would be forever grateful if you'd come by and like my Facebook page. And of course, if you're newly engaged and looking to order your wedding stationery, feel free to take a look at my current collection and send me an email if you'd like to chat further. I'd be delighted to hear from you!

saturday + a little update

Ahh the weekend... and a long one at that! This Saturday morning consisted of tea and little Paris Vogue. I'll admit I can't read most of it (it's my one motivation to learn more French), but the gorgeous photoshoots and sophisticated design beats American Vogue for me every time.

That's not all that's happening this weekend though. Remember that hard deadline I made? Well it's 8 days away now and i'm feeling a nervous excitement of sorts that gets stronger as each day goes by. I've been focused and moving forward, and it's all coming together quite well. My to-do list is getting smaller, my concepts finalized, and it feels good to finally be sharing it all soon.

So there's an end to all this mystery... i'll be officially launching this upcoming Tuesday so be sure to pop on by! I'm excited to share this online with you all, but also to make my mark locally. I'm looking forward to a little creative adventure...

Have a great long weekend!

amour

Simple and sweet. 

I don't think Valentine's Day has to be a huge, glamorous affair, but I do like the notion of a beautiful card, fresh flowers, or a sweet treat. Just a little something to say "I love you."

Wishing you all a very Happy Valentine's Day – be it spent with family, friends, or that special someone! xo

un petit goûter

Last year I purchased a small madeleine pan from a restaurant supply store nearby. I've been wanting to make some ever since, and decided this weekend I finally have to give it a try. As it turns out, yesterday was the perfect day after getting snowed in. Somehow inclement weather and baking go hand in hand.

The recipe was fairly easy, with some wait time to allow the batter to chill. Even though they came out a little "rustic" looking let's call it, they were absolutely delicious. This recipe calls for the zest and juice of an orange, but next time I think I'll try lemon. I find there's a big difference between orange and lemon zest, and I was looking for that citrus tartness of lemon. My only other issue was actually getting the madeleines out of the pan. Even after buttering the pan and dusting with flour, they're a little difficult to get out. I suppose I'll just need more practice, right? ;)

Have you made madeleine cookies before? I'd love to know any tips or recipes you love.

Recipe adapted from The Cook's Atelier

inspiration

For the past little while I've been collecting photos here and there as inspiration for my new office. I've always admired the above image of Aerin Lauder's stunning space, with touches of gold and white, glass and mirrored surfaces. It's the perfect palette for a girly room done in the chicest way possible. I've also concluded it's my personal mission to find a chandelier just as gorgeous as this one – i'm obsessed. I'm so excited to finally get started on bringing this room together. Lots of good things to come!

1. Gilded Scissors | 2. Fresh Flowers | 3. Brass Pharmacy Lamp | 4. Personalized Pencils | 5. Signature Binder | 6. Business Card Holder | 7. Gold Pen | 8. Gold-edged Notecards 
| 9. Luxury Scent | 10. Gorgeous Lighting | 11. Stylish Clipboard | 12. Acrylic Tape Dispenser

alabaster

I'm back at it again. This time, painting what will be my own little space where creativity and inspiration can unfold. I'm beyond excited about it. I decided to try out Benjamin Moore's paint this time, after a not so fun experience with the 15-year-olds behind the paint counter at Canadian Tire (seriously, do any adults work there?!). I went with their Regal line in Alabaster – a selection of one of their whites with a slight pink tone to it. It's clean and airy looking, catching all the light, and covered amazingly well (2 coats!). The trim is next, and considering the previous owners got grey paint and black marks all over them, I can't wait to put a bright, fresh coat of white paint up there. It's looking better already...