Happy New Year!
Lilywillow is looking forward to 2011 with a renewed sense of purpose and some anticipatory energy for all the wonderful things this year could and will hold - Working with our new brides and grooms, some exciting changes here in the studio, out-of-the-box wild and crazy custom design opportunities, and of course our continually rewarding relationships with our wonderful retail partners.
2010 was a big year for Lilywillow P+P. We just completed our 3rd full year of operation here in Colorado (our 5th total counting our time in Pittsburgh - Go Steelers). This accomplishment alone gives us pause for reflection and a multitude of gracious thanks to the family and friends who have helped, supported, encouraged, listened, chimed in, re-focused, re-harnessed, treated us for dinner, dropped by a bag of dog food or a 6 pack of beer, and unwaveringly stood with us in making Lilywillow the success she has become. We could not, quite literally, have done this without you. Thank you all a million times over.
There's a practice around today's dining room tables - High/Low - where you share the very best part of your day (the high) and the very, well worst (the low). We thought we'd play that here.
"The Highs" for Lilywillow P+P the past 3+ years:
- Waking up everyday to a sky full of mountains and a backyard full of critters instead of spending hours staring at the license plates of the cars in front of us to sit in cubes or go to pointlessly repetitive meetings for the 900th time. Amen.
- Enjoying the privilege of working with some of the most creative, kind, thoughtful, generous, and talented retailers and vendors in the stationery and wedding industries. You are an un-ending source of thought, idea and delight and we love every single project and opportunity.
- Helping more than 300+ brides and grooms (192 in 2010) create wedding invitations that were uniquely "them" - from the colors and type down through to the perfect artwork or wonderfully quirky wording. These projects ARE Lilywillow and we've loved each project in its own way. All told this is more than 1,800 wedding-inspired stationery pieces (invitations, response cards, reception cards, schedules, programs, etc).
- Going "International" this year with weddings in Finland, England, Italy and Canada - Hurray!
- Learning a bit more about the Jewish faith with several English/Hebrew invitations and our first Bar Mitzvah invitation suite.
- Three FAVORITE Wedding Invitation Projects (there are so many more of course!): 1.) A "barn-inspired" Vermont wedding with the sweetest and kindest bride/woman I've ever met via email and phone in my life. 2.) A "family-inspired" CO wedding with the most "clients" I've ever designed for on a single project and the most gorgeous full-suite of pieces when all was said and done. 3.) And, a mountain-inspired (Devil's Thumb Ranch - Tabernash, CO) wedding that produced the most custom design options for any couple yet brought us back full-circle to the existing invitation design that caught the bride and groom's eye the first day we met - pushed the design in unique ways and made it work just for them.
- The preparation, design and printing of 285 unique stationery products - everyday cards, holiday cards, stationery sets, gift tags, party invitation, baby announcements, and more.
- Our custom projects with Holland Photo Arts of Charlottesville, VA (see their most recent holiday project tomorrow), a fabulous type-inspired 1st Birthday Party invitation for the Hudson Man (thanks mamma Sara), and some wonderfully one-of-a-kind projects with Gus & Ruby Letterpress in Portsmouth, NH (including our letterpress collaborations). Big smooches to all!
- Three trips to New York City to exhibit in the National Stationery Show, a trip to Atlanta for the Gift Mart, Denver (of course) for the Home & Gift Show, 27 Bridal Shows in 3 States, and 7 Craft/Gift Markets locally - meeting all the lovely people, enjoying our fellow vendors, getting out of the studio for a few days at a time, and peddling our wares!
- Lilywillow's Stationery being picked up in 46 stores, in 18 states and 2 countries and Lilywillow's Wedding Collection being carried by 43 retail partners in 19 states and 2 countries. We never dreamed...thank you.
- Appearances in both print and online with some of the best wedding and stationery themed publications and blogs in the business. We truly appreciate it!
"The Lows" for Lilywillow P+P the past 3+ years:
- Some pretty sleepless nights in the beginning waiting for the economy to make a turn around...slowly catching back up in the sleep department but bless you coffee maker in the interim.
- The "sprinkling" of gray hair that seems to have spread like wildfire (I am not kidding) with each passing month.
- The loss of the Lily Dog this year, our Company Namesake & Director of Funny. She is much missed around the studio and on our walks in the backyard field. I dare say the UPS man does not miss you nearly enough.
- Yup, that's about it.
What's coming in 2011 for Lilywillow P+P?
- A completely re-designed and re-launched Lilywillow Website coming in January - www.lilywillow.com - with big, gorgeous project photos and a clearer overall purpose and process.
- 8 NEW wedding invitation designs coming in February.
- A collection of personal/business stationery coming in April, a small holiday collection coming in August, and another paper surprise coming late fall.
- A VERY WELCOME year off from the National Stationery Show to take 2, most-likely 3 exciting Lilywillow Road Trips to visit our Existing Team of Retailers - we're planning to do the East Coast this spring, the Mid-West in June or July, and the West Coast in September. We will be blogging these adventures so look for that later this year.
So...it is going to be a big, crazy, silly-busy year and we can't wait! Again, all the best to our brides and grooms from the past 3+, our retail friends, and industry pals. You're the best and we're looking forward to everything 2011 has in store.
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