the knot magazine

Advertising can be a tricky thing that many people don't talk about and to be honest I knew little about until my mom became the founder of her own magazine.  With owning a magazine and becoming the editor, there are many nuances that without the insider info, I would have no clue about.

As a small business owner, we are putting our hearts into the day-in & out of the business. Being a creative business owner has it's own sets of vulnerabilities that only multiplies the insanity of it all.  With all that being said, we need advertising.  We need to have our future clients know that we exist, and what type of work we produce.  

But bring in Social Media and advertising can be a full time job! We have been an exclusively word of mouth business and we love it that way.  You know about us, because someone loved us.  And what can make a creative business owner happier, more proud and excited than having THAT client come to us.  

This month we got another feature in The Knot Texas magazine. We couldn't have been more excited to be the front image of the Houston section.  The Knot has been a Maxit supporter for many years, even though we have never advertised with them.  Which is AMAZING! We love that they support the creative community without condition.  There is no pay to play and it creates a fair playing ground for the community of creatives that have just started to get their small businesses out into the public.  Why is this important?

When we all began, we began with out anything. No money, but a ton of passion. And because we are in a vulnerable state at that time, we create on the back of our life savings. To make our dreams a reality.  All this to come back around to The Knot.  Yes, I have a point here people! 

The Knot highlights these small companies, and puts them on a national platform that makes the difference for so many of us. And because of that I want to thank them here.  THANK YOU! Because with out your dedication to the wedding and event industry many of us would be lost and many of our clients would never know who we are. There is something amazing about a massive company still giving the little guy a chance.

Thank you!

And now to the wedding that they highlighted: 

The remainder of the images are on the gallery tab... HERE

playfull pampas

We've been seeing a fun trend that we LOVE and must highlight.  PAMPAS GRASS!!! 

The lovely blooms are the most gorgeous puffy grass that can add so much movement to an event.  This color is like nothing else in the repertoire of flowers that we have available to us. 

How do we use it?  From anything from boutonnieres, to bouquets to corsages these blooms offer large blooms as well as little small wisps that can be incorporated to anything.  

And to give it even more reason to love it, there is a lovely region in Argentina (my home country) that is known as the Pampas. This is where these gorgeous grasses originated from and have a large presence in that area.  

These bad boys can grow to anywhere from 6 feet to as tall as 13 feet tall!!! They are beauties like no other.  I have not personally gone to cut them, but rumor has it that the grass surrounding the bloom is sharp and very difficult to deal with, so take caution before you go foraging.

Let's get back to that 13 foot tall branch!! This has me day dreaming of an insane tall entry urn of nothing but pampas grass?  Anyone?! And please note, you guys, just because they are grass does not make them cheap! Oy vey! What a misconception!!  Grasses and greenery, can be deceivingly expensive. Why?  Because they don't have that gorgeous bloom that we are ok with spending money on.  It's JUST green.  

Well guys, someone is still growing it on their property, watering it, pruning it, and then cutting it and processing it for us.  This costs money, time and lots of labor.  One 3 foot stem of pampas will run you $4.50.  A STEM.  But don't fret, they have a great bang for the buck.  

Keep an eye out for the event we did with this arrangement bellow! We added those pampas blooms and so many more goodies for a gorgeous back yard affair.

we give thanks

"Our family os a circle of strength and love with every birth and every union our circle grows.  Every joyous meal shared adds more love."

Gorgeous Calligraphy work by Southern Scripts

This year I am particularly thankful for my adorable, gorgeous, feisty niece.  Aro.  More on her later.  You better believe we are going to flower crown her like a champ, so stay tuned for that!

bridesmaid bouquets are just that, bouquets.

We often get the line of " Let's just put the bridesmaid bouquets in a vase and use it as a centerpiece." While we are all for repurposeing flowers (heyyy, instagram!), we aren't the biggest fans of using bouquets as centerpieces. Why not, you ask??? Well, They never seem to look right in the vase, they almost always get messed up from normal wear & tear during images and all the excitements, and they simply weren't constructed as centerpieces. 

We totally get that it is a budget friendly option for some and while we are all for saving a few bucks, we have some ideas on how to achieve a gorgeous wedding without reusing bridesmaid bouquets. 

• CANDLES

Using candles and a few sprigs on greenery on your table is a cost-efficient alternative. Photo by: Danielle Nowak Photography.

A great way to utilize your budget is by tons of candles. They are fairly inexpensive and bring an amazing romantic feel to your event. Add a little bit of greenery around them and not a single guest will be missing the floral centerpiece. 

• FRUIT OR VEGGIES

Using fruit and/or veggies in your centerpiece is a fun & interactive way to wow guests. Photo by: Rebecca Hollis Photography

Y'all should know by now that the Maxit team LOVES fruits on the tables cape. I mean, we did an entire blog post on it here. You simply can't go wrong with choosing seasonal fruits to fill in your tables. Summer wedding? Think citrus! Spring? Berries. Fall soiree? Figs & grapes. Winter wonderland?? Cranberries and plums are our go-to's. Check out the whole feature on this gorgeous event at Style Me Pretty.

• SOMETHING UNIQUE TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS

Oyster Shell & Coral centerpiece in place of a floral piece. Use what you have in your surroundings. 

Are you getting married on the beach? Try a stunning coral & shell centerpiece instead of florals. Married in the Great Outdoors? A gorgeous piece of wood would be a pretty option. You can drill holes into almost anything to for candles. Candles = DIMENSION. 

There are so many budget friendly options that look that much better than re-using your bridesmaid bouquets. We would never try to steer you away from floral centerpieces, because well, we love them, but sometimes less is more. If you didn't find inspiration here, Pinterest has an endless amount of ideas!

what it takes to stay creative

With out a doubt this can be one of the harder elements of a creative business.  Staying Creative. 

No one told me it was going to be this difficult, this demanding. The need to be creative is an innate feeling, an insistent burning feeling that won't go away.  It owns you, and requires your attention.  But from one minute to the next... poof... it's gone. Writers have dominated this phenomenon by trademarking it as "writers block".  

But I am here to tell you, the block is not only REAL, it is a real thing for all creatives.  

We live for creativity, we have built our business around it and have given days, months, weekends, years, skipped birthdays, weddings, and more family gathers than I'd like to admit, just to pursue this. With out it, I wouldn't feel alive.  If fuels the fire.  

But when it leaves us, it feels like the break-up of your first love.  Everything slows down.  The quiet mind is deafening. So what now?  I have dealt with this issue for the last 12 years.  Some years more than others and some years it even skips me.  But inevitably it rears its ugly head.  But stress no more... I have found some trusted ways to get your groove back! And here they are.  My hand-dandy, sure fired ways to get that block and show it who's boss.

1.  Set a Lunch Date with Another Creative - Hanging out with your creative pals is a must.  Listen to them talk about their latest projects and see how you can help.  Helping others in their pursuit of passion does something to a creative's soul that is severely necessary.  DO IT!
2.  Read a Creative's Book - Like going out to lunch with your creative pal, reading a book and seeing what has lead the path of others, is crucial to success.  You'll see it was never easy for anyone. Not just you.
3. Travel - This one is my favorite.  Fill your life with inspiration, see how others live, watch the sunset in the opposite hemisphere, ignite that inner child that has built our inspiration from the beginning. No travel is too small.
4. Meditate - Be still.  I know when I get in a rut, I can give myself a hard time.  That voice inside my head is mean and one of the more important things I do to shut her up is meditate.  Sit still, remove all the noise and hit your mental reset button.
5. Just Do It- If it's been going on for a while, and you can't seem to get the ball rolling.  Just do it, your muscle memory will come back.  You'll get back in a state of flow before you know it and rock it even more than before.

Here's how I got creative yesterday after giving myself a kick in the butt that I needed after a couple of mentally slow weeks.