2015 ADDY Awards

First of all, I can't believe it's taken me over a month to share this exciting news. I've been in babyland for 5 weeks now and am just now coming up for air. That being said, it's weird typing on a keyboard again and trying to come up with words that make sense. My brain is mush, so please bare with me. I had to miss the ADDY Awards ceremony this year because I was literally giving birth to our son when the event took place. I know that's a terrible excuse, but it's all I got.

That being said, I am so excited to be included in the 2015 ADDY Winner's Reel. View the video below.

What an honor it was to receive two American Advertising Awards this year: A Gold ADDY for the Local Goodness Farm-to-Table campaign for USA Children's and Women's Hospital and a Silver ADDY for the "Mind, Body, Spirit Campaign" for UMS-Wright Preparatory School. What a treat it was just to work with these wonderful clients. I poured my heart and soul into both of these projects, and am so proud of how they turned out.

Click here for more details on the Local Goodness Farm-to-Table campaign for USA Children's and Women's Hospital.

Read my previous post about this project here.

And I'm thrilled that we received a Silver ADDY for the "Mind, Body, Spirit Campaign" for UMS-Wright Preparatory School. View the videos below or on the UMS-Wright website. A huge thanks to the AMAZING and TALENTED Cari Searcy with All Good Creatives. Without her, none of this would have been possible. We tried our best to capture the heart, soul and spirit of this wonderful school (which is not an easy task to do in 60 seconds), and I'm so proud of how it turned out. We absolutely LOVED working with the fabulous team at UMS. Seriously one of the most fun projects I've ever been a part of...belly laughs every day.

Read more details from my previous post.(Can you tell I want you to read my previous posts when I had more of a brain?!)

Click Here to read more...

And finally, here is my post from last year's ADDY Awards. This is one of my favorite posts on this blog so far because I focused on what really matters when it comes to my career, what awards like this really mean to me, and what it took for me to get here in the first place. I wish I had time to reflect more on this, but since my feelings really haven't changed since last year, this post is still so true and real today.

I'm loving this time with my babies right now (kissing those chubby cheeks never gets old), but I'm also looking forward to returning back to work in May. Adjusting to TWO kiddos is pretty much what I expected (and much more!) — definitely double the work and double the fun. And I repeat, double the work. I'm trying to soak in every moment because they really grow up too fast. I could cry (and do often) just thinking about it. I'm grateful to work with such wonderful people and that I love what I do. So much to be grateful for...God is so good.

Caroline Ceramics

So proud of my client and dear friend, Caroline Boykin with Caroline Ceramics. She was recently featured in Cottage Gardens and has some more exciting news coming soon. View Caroline's blog post here. Love how these gold foil, letterpress business cards turned out. We just finished these 6 page media kits to showcase her beautiful work...   We're constantly updating the website and shop so make sure and visit often!

I'm so proud of this girl and her amazing talents. And I can't believe she's about to be a mama. Love you C! Little Leavie is one lucky little girl to have you as a mama.

New Branding: Local Goodness

The University of South Alabama Children’s & Women’s Hospital hosted Local Goodness, a unique farm to table event last Sunday. It was a HUGE success, and I was truly honored to do the branding for Local Goodness and all of the design work for this event. Beth, Liz, Kristen, Abby and the entire committee were a dream to work with and we had so much fun coming up with these designs for the 1st Annual event. Given the enormous success of the event—I bet this will the first of many for Local Goodness!

The event was sponsored by Hancock Bank, and guests dined on local meats, seafood and produce as they enjoyed authentic bluegrass music performed by local band Fat Man Squeeze.Because of the rain, the event was moved from the USA Children's and Women's Hospital Park to the Cruise Terminal. The committee did a fabulous job of bringing the park inside and the decorations really helped make this such a successful evening.

Local Goodness will help raise funds to redesign the Evaluation Center, the emergency department that sees over 35,000 patients annually, almost 90% of them children. Local Goodness will pay tribute to local cuisine, art and music while raising awareness and support for the hospital’s mission of providing the highest quality healthcare for the children and women in this region.

I thought I'd share these sweet words from Beth Mattei, Director of Development at USA Children's and Women's Hospital. I've been terrible about updating my website (need to that soon!) but I'll add this testimonial here for now. And thanks Beth, the feeling is mutual. Local Goodness and USA Children's and Women's Hospital are beyond blessed to have YOU!

"From the moment we first met with Hadley, it was clear that she was the perfect person to create the look we wanted for our first ever signature event. Local Goodness has been a dream for a long time and she helped bring it to life. In the fundraising world, first impressions are everything. Hadley created a logo and invitation that perfectly set the tone for what this event is all about. She was able to work within a really tight deadline and still deliver a well thought out, original design. Local Goodness is a celebration of all things "local" and what a true local talent we have with Hadley."

It was everything we hoped for and more. Good food. Good music. Good people and all for Good cause. Click here to learn more about the University of South Alabama Children’s & Women’s Hospital. What a treasure we have in Mobile, AL and what a special event this was to be a part of!

Local Goodness: Sneak peek

I just finished the branding, invitation set and print ads for this Farm-to-Table event, hosted by Local Goodness. All proceeds benefit the USA Women's & Children's Hospital. Despite the time crunch, this has been one of my very favorite projects. Over 1,500 invitation sets were mailed out today! Wait until you see the final product...EACH invitation set was hand wrapped with red and white twine, and a custom designed seed packet (filled with basil seeds) was tied to the top as a favor. The "real" favor will be given to each guest at the event. The seed packets were hand stamped and read "Plant seeds of GOODNESS." More pics coming soon.... What a special event this will be—and all for a great (I mean, GOOD) cause. My job's not over yet...billboards, tickets, menus and many other items to come. Stay tuned for more details.

New Branding: Mobile Pediatric Dentistry

I've had so much fun working on the branding for Dr. Stephen Greenleaf's new practice: Mobile Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Greenleaf has been such a joy to work with, and I know Calder will be visiting him as soon as I can get the courage to schedule her first dentist appointment! Check out the website for more info.

Lately

Here are some snapshots from my computer and what I've been working on lately. Don't get me wrong, I'm VERY grateful to be so busy, but these days I can barely come up for air. Whew! It's been such a huge blessing, but burning the candle on both ends can only continue for so long...especially when chasing a toddler around is my #1 priority! That being said, I'm thinking about hiring an assistant or maybe a summer graphic design intern. I don't know all of the details yet but will post more info soon, so please keep your ears open or contact me if you're interested.

My business has been growing steadily for a while now, and I figure, like my dad has been telling me: "you have to grow with it too, Hadley." I'm realizing (or maybe more like it's slapping me in the face)...I can't do it all my own. It's hard to give up control or trust that anyone else can help, BUT I know it's the truth. I'm praying for balance and the ability to say "no." Remember that girl who talked about white space and balance? I need to find her again!

To be continued soon...

Branding: Mobile Mardi Gras style

I'm killing two birds with one stone today. Here's a “Throw Back Thursday Wednesday” post + branding project. Thankfully, tomorrow I'll be far away from my computer and in the Tennessee mountain land—eating lots of turkey and being thankful for a much needed break! I'm so excited to re-share this branding project I designed back in-the-day (see original blog post here). I completed this design project in March of 2011...so it's pretty old school now...but still one of my all-time favorite projects. Throwback from Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Kings and Queens and Beads, Oh My!

Yes, Mardi Gras was last Tuesday, but I wanted to share with you some design work I did for the King of Mardi Gras Juvenile Carnival Court, Benjamin Partridge Cummings Jr. I met with his mother, Laura Cummings, before Christmas and we have been working diligently ever since. Laura was an absolute joy to work with and I loved getting to know her and her family.

As you should know, Mobile is the original Mardi Gras. Believe me, as a "transplant" to this town, you can't help but notice the pride Mobilians have in that title. For weeks, the streets of downtown Mobile are filled with the sights and sounds of live marching bands, brilliant-colored floats and of course the crowds of parade goers that is Mardi Gras in Mobile. I've grown to love it, but when you experience it for the first time it is a very foreign culture and like nothing you've ever seen. There's a lot that goes into Mardi Gras, especially for the King and Court's family...whew...it's a different world around here. It really reminded me of planning a wedding!

King Ben's royal monogram was custom designed and began with pen and paper. The rakes and cowbells symbolize the history of Mobile Mardi Gras. Ben's family played a major role in the Mardi Gras history, which made it even more special. Here is excerpt from the Press Register article: "Most Mardi Gras royals have relatives who were involved in Carnival festivities in the past. But Benjamin Partridge Cummings Jr., the 2011 juvenile king for the Mobile Carnival Association, has a unique claim to fame. His fourth great-grandfather (that’s the great-great-great-great grandfather) was an antebellum Mobile hardware store owner whose rakes, cowbells and other tools helped found Mobile’s very first mystic society."

This hand-assembled pocketfold Coronation invitation featured a custom-designed royal monogram for the MCA's Juvenile King.

Here's a great picture and article of the fabulous King Benjamin in the Press Register I designed these neckties for the family to give out as gifts. I've never designed clothing before, let alone neckties, so this was a fun and challenging project.

And finally, one of my favorite creations was Ben's royal crest, which illustrates and symbolizes everything that he loves.

What an incredible memory for the entire family, and I'm truly honored to have been a part of it.

Caroline Ceramics

I can't tell you how much I LOVE this girl and her beautiful pottery. We've been working on her new marketing material so stay tuned...fabulous, round letterpress business cards, postcards and new stationery system coming soon. Here's a repost from my old blog about her recent branding, website design, and her NEW ONLINE SHOP!

The new Caroline Ceramics website is live! This was a true labor of love, and we so worked hard to make sure this site was everything it needed it be, including an online shop and blog. I can't tell you how much I love this girl, and it thrills me to see her beautiful work come alive on the site. The site design and branding is so Caroline, and that's what matters most in the end.

Check out Caroline's new site and buy her work online from her NEW ONLINE SHOP. Caroline is the complete package. Her work is so original and beautiful, just like her sweet little self!

lately

Here are some recent shots from my desktop and camera. I tried to mix up work and life—just like my real life balance I guess. I had a hard time narrowing it down from the gazillion options....sure wish I had time to do this post every day. And I really wish I had time to post more of Calder lately. I have thousands of pictures I've never done anything with. I try to place a big print order every 4 months or so and store them all in albums (we help keep shutterfly in business). It's so easy to forget to PRINT in this digital world—but I do hope that print will always win.

Calder is 22 months and growing like a weed. Gosh, she's fun. I rocked her to bed tonight and got so sentimental (and saaaad) about how fast time is going by. I'm trying to soak in every minute with her while maintaining a busy work schedule, which can be challenging to say the least. BUT, we're making it work and I love our schedule right now. She goes to MDO 4 days a week from 9-1. I cherish our mornings together and that's "our time" until she runs to the door with her backpack saying "schoooo, schoooo!!" She loves it which makes it a lot easier! From 9-1, I either have work appointments or work from home. It's amazing what you can get done in such a short time, when every minute is intentional and time can't be wasted.

I pick her up a little before 1, and we come home and have lunch. She rarely eats her lunch at school, so we make grilled cheeses and eat together everyday. From 1-2, we play together, usually outside, especially on these beautiful fall days! I love that time with her so much. She usually naps from 2-4ish (thankfully the girl loves her sleep), so that's my crunch time in the office working on deadlines and projects. When she wakes up, my work is over until she goes to sleep. Oh yes, sometimes I do have to work after 8 in order to make deadlines, BUT I wouldn't give up my day and mommy time for anything. It's a crazy schedule I know, but it works for us. Bruner goes to bed early and wakes up at the crack of dawn, so usually when he goes to sleep (8:30-9) I put in a few more hours if I have to. Not always, but I won't lie, I work a lot...but I get my time with my c-bear too, which is the most important thing to me.

Whew, sorry about that schedule info overload!

I will say that one of the MANY things I've learned since becoming a mother, is that there are MANY different ways to do everything and none of them are better than the other. Every situation is unique, and you just do what you have to do to make it work for your family. I've learned so much from other moms about scheduling and prioritizing. Believe me, our journey has been a trial and error process—and we don't have all the answers, that's for sure. But, I wanted to share this in case it helps any working moms out there. It's not easy finding a balance, but I do think you can make it work. I'm very thankful I'm passionate about what I do and love graphic design and everything that comes with it.

Of course, a few years down the road, things could be different and what works now won't work then. Schedules will change and life changes...so you have to change with it. But, I'm constantly reminding myself to soak these moments in. They are precious and time is flying by—so the focus has to be on what matters.

Sarah Otts Paintings

There's nothing I love more than helping talented, aspiring artists' businesses grow. I find it a true honor to work for every single one of my clients, but there's something especially special when that client is one of your best friends too. I just love Sarah Otts AND her paintings. Her work is amazing—there's no other way to put it. I have two of her paintings in our home, and I'm telling you, each one of them makes the entire room. Our kitchen and living room wouldn't be same without Sarah's artistic touch. Seriously, investing in her art is worth every single penny in my opinion! I can say that with 100% honestly, but let me remind you, mine were all 100% barters...lucky me for sure!

EXCITING NEWS! We just launched her ONLINE SHOP and revamped her website! You can now buy her paintings anywhere, anytime, which is HUGE!!! Check it out! Isn't she fabulous??

And bare with me as I get a little sentimental here about our little girls who are only 3 1/2 months apart. They've been best friends since birth, regardless of whether their mom's had anything to do with that or not!:)     Love you Sarah and so, so proud of you and all of your hard work! And finally, I can't believe it's already that time again! We're headed to the pumpkin patch this weekend with the same crew for pic #2. Calder's gonna be a peeeeecock!

Welcome!

Welcome to my new website and design blog!

I can't tell you how much hard work, sweat and tears (not to mention sleepless nights) have gone into this site. I honestly don't think I've ever worked so hard on any design project in my entire life. This site redesign started Spring 2013 and has taken me many months to finish. I'm thrilled to finally have this redesign behind me and in front of you!

Thanks for stopping by and following my design work and life as a wife and mom. I can't wait to share more with you soon!