My good friend, Michelle, and I took a class at Perennial Community Workshop here in STL a few weeks ago. They offer educational programming in turning trash in to amazing items and teach the community to do the same! If you're like me, you save things for those "some day" moments. Well with Perennial you can repurpose those old clothes and wood scraps into something useful! We took a Wine Bottle Reuse Class hoping that we could turn a drinking habit into art.

Michelle and I suited up and ready to go!

We came armed with PLENTY of wine bottles.

First Step: Removing the labels.

Here's the instructor, Ralph, showing us the ropes of "scoring" the bottles with their special tool.

The gist of the process is: score wine bottle, dip in hot water, dip in ice bath. Repeat last two steps until it POPS. Sounds easy, right?

Yeah, easy... not so much! It's VERY time consuming and you lose a lot of wine bottles along the way which makes you want to drink MORE wine to stay sane. I guess you could say that's a win/win!?

Overall, it was a fun class but I doubt we'll become regular bottle poppers any time soon. I do, however, highly recommend Perennial or taking ANY local arts class. It was a lot of fun and I definitely learned something new! 

Be sure to check them out here.  

My new homepage images are up and I couldn't be more excited! A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of shooting a selection of my work with the very talented photographer, Jason Patrylo. I usually work with him on footwear photoshoots, so switching it up to stationery was a nice change of pace. Here's a little look at the behind the scenes action:

My first stop was loading up on props at Target, of course. Anything and everything glittery, gold and bright made it in to my cart. 

My favorite part about a photoshoot is playing with the accessories! I could experiment all day with tchotchke additions, but I tried to keep it pretty minimal. Jason did an awesome job with lighting, color correction and all the little extras that make an eye-catching photo. 

After a little retouching action, I walked away with six fun photos that I am very proud of. Looking forward to more like this in the future!

Looking back at 2016, I am filled with excitement! I was able to own a home for over a year now and not burn it down. I've seen more shoes than most girls could dream (oh hey day job). I still have the world's cutest puggle AND I've gotten to work on some really cool projects! Here's a run down of some of my favorite projects from 2016. I'm looking forward to what 2017 will bring! 

10. Heart of Gold Candle Co. is a little side gig that my gal pal, Alex, and I started to raise money for those in need. This holiday season we acquired over $1,000 for Stray Rescue St. Louis in candle sales! Making some fab smelling candles for a good cause while having fun... A win - win for sure. 

9. Joe Buck Classic for St. Louis Children's Hospital

8. Drake's First Wild Rumpus

7. Hairloom Salon: Branding for a third generation stylist

6. A stylish welcome for sweet baby Harrison.

5. St. Louis Children's Hospital Celebration Coffee

4. A Merry Little Christmas for Baby Lucy

3. A very near and dear to my heart Farm Party

2. Red, White and Party Hats! Happy First Birthday, Baby Vin!

1. The McZimz got hitched! Woo-hoo!

Did you know that most of my days are spent art directing photo shoots for Famous Footwear? I have had the pleasure of working with great brands, such as Nike, Converse, Adidas, Circus by Sam Edelman and SO many more. I do everything from wardrobe and prop shopping, model selection, location scouting, retouching coordination, and the list goes on... it keeps me very busy, but I absolutely love this part of my job! Here are a few images that I have worked on lately. 

All photos shot by Jason Patrylo & Judd Demaline of Caleres, Inc. (AKA the best photographers around!)

These classic invitations with calligraphy and gold foil touches were the perfect addition to my bff's spring wedding. At the wedding itself, plenty of FUN was brought to life with custom touches everywhere you looked.

Photos by Amanda Forbes Photography 

2015 was a very busy year for CWD! Here are my TOP TEN fave projects of the year.  

1. Cocktails & Clowns Invitations for St. Louis Children's Hospital

2. Bike & Booze Party

3. Courtney & Spencer's Seaside Wedding

4. Baby Kate's Arrival

5. Laura & Shawn's Golden Day

6. Grazie! from the Hill!

7. JO(e)Y to the World!

8. Save the Date for Mexico!

9. Cupcakes & Stud Muffins Party

10. All the stationery!

Here are a few shots from Courtney & Spencer's seaside nuptial invitation suite. 

I find myself too often sending a quick “Thank You!” via text or email now days, but I LOVE a handwritten note any day of the week. Stationery is a great way to express your style! From paper texture to size or color, the possibilities are endless! I always have a few different styles on hand, which is easy to do when you’re creating so many fun things for people! 

Sometimes thank you notes can seem daunting - especially when you have stacks to tackle after a shower or party. The first thing to do is just sit down and put your pen to paper! Here are a few pointers to keep in mind:

Keep a Checklist.
Organization is always a life saver. When you receive multiple gifts due to a special life occasion, plan on keeping record. It’s beneficial to keep a notebook on hand to list the names of those that gave the gift, their address when available, the gift given and date received. If you’re SUPER organized, start yourself an excel spreadsheet. (and impress all your friends!)

Jot it down on scratch paper first. 
It happens to the best of us, you’re writing a note on your beautiful stationery and all of the sudden you misspell a word or write the wrong color of gift. I find it best to start out by creating a draft on scrap paper. This spares your stationery from scratches and mistakes, and also helps your mind begin to get in the writing mode. It’s best to ‘start writing’ to get going. Even if you feel it’s silly or the content is not flowing, just write. You are sure to come up with some sentences that you can paste together.

What to Include.
Make each thank you card personal to the guest you’re writing it to. Specific details such as descriptive colors, sounds, inside jokes or feelings will give your note a fun personal flair. Mention how much you love the gift and how you can’t wait to use it. If it’s a cocktail shaker – say how you’re excited to make your fave cosmos at your next party. When writing a note to a friend, keep it in a chatty format as if you were speaking to them. I guarantee any and all kind words will be appreciated.

When to Send.
It’s important to keep in mind timing when you’re sending out your cards.  Enjoy your honeymoon or a little breather after your party, but try to shoot for your guests receiving a thank you in the first three months after the event. I try to shoot for one, but hey, we’re all busy! Try to make it a priority  - if someone took the time to do something nice for you, quickly and simply return the favor with a kind note. Try to tackle a few notes per day as to not get overwhelmed.

Whatever the reason, it’s always a good idea to end your note in a positive, uplifting way. Being positive is contagious, whether in person or in a written note. 

I'm still obsessed with instagram! Follow @courtneywinetdesign to stay up to date on my latest and greatest projects. Happy gramming! 

It is always so much fun teaming up with Local Grown Plants. We recently collaborated on their 2015 Trade Show Booth. CWD designed everything from the booth signage down to the stickers placed on the mailers.