mothers

In honor of Mother's Day, we wanted to share photographs of some of the women who have shaped our lives as well as some touching quotes about why our mothers (and grandmothers, great-grandmothers and great-great-grandmothers) are so special.

Someday I will be a better mother because of your presence in my life.

Elzie Harden holding her son Gerald. Also pictured is Gerald's father Dayton Harden.

“No man is poor who has a Godly mother.”  - Abraham Lincoln

Eliza Yates and her son Clovis Guy.

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.” -Washington Irving

Sadie Hardin with her son Greg.

"All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his."
-Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest

Elsie Stroup with her children Joan and Bob.

"I know how to do anything. I'm a mom." - Roseanne Barr

Joan Sutter holding her daughter Julie. Also pictured is Joan's father Clyde Stroup.

"The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness. When you become a mother, you are no longer the center of your own universe. You relinquish that position to your children."
-Jessica Lange

Lucy Cannon (who was pregnant with her son Fred) and her mother Tina de Forcade.

“But there's a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begin.” 
-Mitch Albom, For One More Day

Lucy Cannon with her mother Tina de Forcade and her daughter Tina Carignani. Also pictured are Tina's sons Carlo and Francesco and me with a turkey neck. Ha.

Laura Dumm and her great-granddaughter Julie.

To all of the mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day. 

Betty Wedding Invitation Suite

This week's wedding suite creation is named Betty in honor of Joan's older sister. Despite their age difference (Betty was born in 1921 and Joan in 1933), the sisters were very close throughout their lives. The above photo is Betty as a baby. Wasn't she precious?

For her wedding suite, we were inspired by linoleum block printing. We wanted something that looked hand-carved and really jumped off the page. The navy and white color scheme accomplishes that nicely. For added impact, we continued the design on the back side of each piece, and then finished out the suite with our preferred mix of classic and handwritten fonts. The timeless mix of color and pattern is perfect for a spring or summer wedding. It reminds us a little of an Anthropologie dress. Can't go wrong with that!

To learn more about the Betty wedding suite, you can contact us here. We would love to customize this suite for your special day!

Vintage Cars in Germantown

Today we're sharing more drool-worthy antique cars from last month's Germantown Car Show. As you can see, the wide range of makes and models was quite impressive. Of all of the gems, I was partial to the Chrysler Woody. It's about as high-maintenance as you can get, but the details were incredible. The very relaxed (and well behaved) poodle also stole my heart. Which vintage car is your favorite?

family photos: great-grandmothers

It's a day for beautiful, turn-of-the-century photographs of our families. The top photo is Jonathan's great-grandmother Eliza (back left) and her sisters. The middle photo is my great-grandmother Tina and her family. She is front and center. The bottom photo is my other great-grandmother Elsie and her sister Myrtle. Eliza's family lived in Prentiss County, Mississippi, Tina's family lived in Naples, Italy and Elsie's family lived in Lancaster, Ohio. The time period would be about the same for all of them. What would they have thought if they had known they would be linked together someday?