Calder at Age 2

Oh sweet Calder-bear...no words can describe how much we ADORE you. I recently made this for her (and for us!) highlighting all of things she loves at this age. I love this age and am trying to soak in every minute with her. She growing like a weed and time really does fly these days! We've had such a FUN summer together and I can't believe she starts her new school (and wears those precious St. Paul's uniforms!) next week. Here are some highlights from this summer...and why I've been so MIA on the blog...

These are the moments that matter.

The child LOVES to swim. She asked me if we could swim this morning before I dropped her off at school and of course I couldn't say no...so we're making this a short day in the office!

Entertaining you on the boat was sometimes a challenge...And we ended this summer with a bang. Calder got her second set of tubes put in and her adenoids removed. She bounced back like a champ and Dr. Elliot was amazing too. We're ready for school start very soon and I can already tell she feels so much better!

So long sweet summer. It's been a GREAT one!

Pandora Faves

I love listening to music while I work. Right now, I'm working on a new branding project and was in a design daze ... and then this song played on my Pandora "Allison Krauss" station. I had to look it up on youtube and am playing it over and over again as I work. Not crazy about the cheesy nature shots (this was the only version I could find) ... but the message was too good not to share.

And oh how I LOVE Allison Krauss. Her voice brings me back to childhood and has always been one of my favorites. Yep, this song and this song (plus a few dozen more) make me happy and take me back home.

And while I'm typing this, this James Taylor fave started playing on the same pandora station.

It's gonna be a good day. Now back to work...

New Branding: Katherine Bramlett Designs

There's something about helping artist's with their businesses and branding, that I just LOVE. From the moment Katherine Bramlett contacted me and I saw her beautiful artwork on Instagram, I knew we'd make a good pair. I can't wait to get started on her new branding. Think watercolor brush strokes + pretty blue/greens and pinks. Definitely something simple and refreshing, just like her work...

photo by Handley McCrory

 

Pictured above is a gorgeous piece by Katherine, paired with a Lulie Wallace (left). Photo by Sarah Swanson Design. Just stumbled upon her blog and and I'm glad I did. Check it out. PS. I love Lulie and her work too. So many talented, young artists out there...

Make sure to visit Katherine's SHOP! Can't wait to get started on this one...

Throwback Thursday

Two throwbacks this Thursday. One's work-related and one makes me dream about our upcoming week at the BEACH. [video width="1280" height="720" mp4="http://hadleybinion.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Finding+Your+Dreams+a+Home-HD-2.mp4"][/video]

Sure seems like yesterday that this little girl was learning to walk. This TV commercial for Roberts Brothers will always be one of my all-time favorite projects.

We're loving every second of our THIRD summer with Calder. Crazy how times flies. There's nothing better than summer beach trips. CANNOT WAIT for our upcoming week-long beach trip. The collage above is a flashback to last year and the year before that. No place I'd rather be than with my boogie at the beach.

I have so many new projects coming up and can't wait to share them with you soon! Now just to find the time...

Sarah Otts Paintings

Just finished updating the oh-so talented and beautiful Sarah Otts' website. Check out the new online store! Her work continues to amaze me....    

So, so thankful for Sarah and our friendship. Here we are at the beach a few weeks ago. Love these two mamas (and their precious kiddos) so much.

Click here and PIN away..

Photos of Sarah by the talented Janie Long Photography

Words to live by

I’m a sucker for quotes and good design, so when you put the two together I go a little overboard. Here are some of my favorites this week. All are black and white and fabulous.

 

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.

Online Video Campaign: UMS-Wright

http://vimeo.com/93490553 It was such an honor to produce this video for UMS-Wright Preparatory School. The entire school says this prayer every day, and we thought it would be the perfect script for the video. We tried our best to capture the heart, soul and spirit of this wonderful school. We spent 2 1/2 days shooting this, and we'll use the rest of the footage for the upcoming series so stay tuned.

Of course, this wouldn't have been possible without the help of many people:

A huge thanks to the AMAZING and TALENTED Cari Searcy with All Good Creatives. Cari did all of the video production and she has the patience of Job. We've worked together for over a year now (and have completed over 15 videos thus far!) She's become a dear friend and is such a joy to work with — not to mention that she's unbelievably good at what she does. Also, thank you to Cari's assistant and sound control expert, Adam Anderson (far left). Adam puts up with our endless ideas and crazy schedules so well. Here we all are with football phenom and UMS grad Jay Prosch.

Thank you to UMS's amazing duo - Julie Otts and Meridy Jones - for ALL of your planning and support. I ADORE these two ladies, and they make our job so much easier and FUN! Thanks to Matt Damico at Day 6 Entertainment for recording over a dozen UMS students in the sound booth for their "voice recording field trip." They loved this!

Thank you to the UMS-Wright teachers, students, parents and alumni for participating in this video campaign. YOU are what makes this school so special, and we loved meeting and getting to know so many of you! Stay tuned. This is just the beginning ...

And finally, I had to share Meridy's sweet comments below. There's nothing better than receiving emails like these from happy clients:

Hadley, From the trustees to the parents to the students to the Public - ALL are in awe of our new school video. The positive feedback and compliments to you and your team have been endless. You truly captured the heart and soul of UMS-Wright. You and Cari are so gifted, and we can't wait until our next adventure. Congratulations on winning the state championship of video land — you hit this one out of the park!

Meridy

Calder-bear

Calder and I were saying our prayers the other night and while we were praying for our family members, I started thinking about how special it would be if she could see and point to each person as we prayed. It was one of those sweet nights...and believe me not all are! She spends a lot of time staring at these walls, so why not fill them with happy memories and people she loves. That's far more meaningful than a print or painting could be.

Yeah I know, I'm a huge dork, but I'm pretty proud of this last minute creation. I duck taped 2 foam poster boards together, wrapped the fabric around it (note: this was a curtain from Walmart that I had in college), added the nail heads and drilled a little hole in the back for hanging...and wholla! Here you have...Calder's bulletin board! Yes, it's rigged and took less than 30 minutes, but Calder LOVES it and it makes our prayer time that much more special. Plus it makes my heart happy to know our fam is close by all the time. It's hard believe she was ever this small. I filled another wall with her artwork. She makes something new at school every day, and as soon as she gets home we run into her room, grab some tape, and she proudly hangs it herself. I love that these are such great ways to teach her too. I absolutely LOVE this age. I think it's my favorite age so far (I've said that about each age). The terrible twos are not terrible...yeah we've had more tantrums and potty training has been challenging, but she's SO FUN and my best liI girlfriend. I may have blogged about many artists over the years, but never have I seen THIS kind of talent. Calder Binion is my favorite artist of all time!

And I'll end with these PRECIOUS pics of Calder and her sweet friend William. These two had a blast playing the other night and are too cute for words.

#ispytrouble

New Website: PH Company

It's been an EXCITING day around here. The PH Building and Design Company's NEW WEBSITE just LAUNCHED!  Go grab a drink, sit back and stay for a while. Believe me, you'll be glad you did. Their portfolio is truly inspiring and absolutely stunning.

Of course I love everything about their style and work. Who wouldn't? And I honestly can't say enough about Perry and Peyton too. Make sure to read their About page. Not many spouses could work together every day—but these two do it with such ease and grace. Simply put: Perry was born to design. Peyton was born to build. And they were meant to share their passions together. Perry and Peyton make a great team as husband and wife, parents to Julia, Haas and Henry, and as business partners. In Peyton’s words: “I enjoy working with Perry and bouncing ideas off each other. It actually is fun. I think we are a good mix of form and function.” And in Perry's words: "I love working with Peyton. It has been the biggest blessing. I think we make a great team — each bringing our own perspective, but have enough in common that it runs smoothly. I can honestly say that we almost never bicker over a job.”

It's true. They're the complete package—so genuine and kind and ridiculously talented. Oh, and they aren't terrible to look at either.

Thanks Chad Riley Photography for capturing their work so beautifully and to Victoria Austin Designs for your programming help and designer's touch. It's always so refreshing to work with other designers, and Victoria reminds me of myself five years ago. She's super busy building her wedding invitation business and loving every minute of it...despite the crazy hours and countless headaches that comes with it. I love her clean and simple style. Check out her website here.

Here's some more eye candy...

www.phbuildingdesign.com

New Branding: #LOVMOB

Love Mobile is a movement of people showing radical love & grace in our city. Share, tag and post here about those who are making a difference. Read this recent article about Love Mobile: From the Pulpit: How to love your neighbor right here in Mobile

"This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other." - John 13:35

New website coming soon, but for now, like the Love Mobile facebook page.

And thank you to Brad Goode for your incredibly kind words. Brad is the genius behind LovMob and our wonderful preacher at Dauphin Way United Methodist Church.

"Working with Hadley has been amazing from start to finish. We had an extremely tight deadline and Hadley was able to deliver the perfect design without compromising quality. She met with us personally and took the time to really understand what we wanted, not just what was easiest for her. I have worked with many designers who expect me to know as much about design as them, Hadley was able to speak in terms we understood and brought our vision to life perfectly. We had a very small budget for our project and our investment in the right branding upfront has been worth every penny spent. Hadley is a professional with grace, humility, patience and a first-class eye for design"

Normal Days

I haven't done a "Normal Days" post since January, so I figured it was time to dig through the photo albums. I. Could. Do. This. For. Hours. Here's an excerpt from my previous Normal Days posts. The same is true today and always.

It’s so nice to sit back and reflect on “our normal days” and look through some recent moments captured on camera. Time flies—that’s for sure—but this is what matters. I read this quote on one of my favorite blogs, A Cup of Jo: 5 beautiful motherhood tips, and got teary and thankful and sad—all at the same time. Of course, I had to quickly design a print of it. The words were just TOO good to read and quickly forget. Bottom line is: It’s the normalcy of life that we take for granted. We need to try and soak in every minute of it, because before we know it, it will be gone.

So, here’s to our “normal” days…

           best grandparents in the world! I adore this next series. These expressions are so Calder...

and yes...we make this face A LOT. she thinks it's so funny...and we do too! #gottaworkontablemanners    

That's it folks. Sorry for the gazillion pictures. Believe it or not, I used great restraint! :)

Branding: Mobile Pediatric Dentistry

Check out the new branding and marketing/ad campaign for Mobile Pediatric Dentistry. I'm so pleased with how this turned out, and Dr. Stephen Greenleaf's new office is so bright and happy. I mean, gone are the days of dreading the dentist! He has an awesome playroom/game room and kids can watch movies when getting their teeth cleaned. Calder will be visiting very soon for the first time (insert sigh) but I can't think of better place (or person) to take her to than Dr. Stephen Greenleaf. He has been an absolute dream to work with, and he incorporated his new branding so well into his new office.

I love everything about his new office. It's so exciting to see a branding board really come to life.

All photos taken by the talented and fabulous Devin Ford Photography.

New Branding: Lulu & Me

We just finished the new branding for Lulu & Me, which is a fabulous home and fabric store in downtown Fairhope. We will update their website eventually, but for now you can visit their site here. We're also transforming the exterior of their shop too.

See the BEFORE pic below.

Coming soon: new black awnings with their crisp white logo, a high-gloss green door, a new sign and window graphics. I'm working on their stationery system now, as well as some other graphics now so stay tuned. Much more to come!

We can't wait to share the AFTER picture with you. Finally this adorable store will look as fabulous on the outside, as it does on the inside!

days like this

Keeping it short and sweet this rainy Monday, while I try to crank out this never ending to-do list—one item at a time. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. And yes. Mama said there'd be days like this. And that's when you try to focus on the good stuff and all of your blessings. This print below makes me happy. Love. every. bit. of. it.

In fact, I think I just might have to print this and frame it in Calder's room. See more words to live by on my Pinterest board.

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!

beautiful words

A few favorites this week from my Pinterest board. Happy Friday!

PH Company

Hot couple alert! Perry (left) and Peyton Harvill sure do make one good-looking pair. New website for the PH Company coming soon! Here's a sneak peek of their work. I've been drooling all day long...

Stay tuned. This might be my favorite website yet.

Photos by Chad Riley Photography

Just Go

We relived our glory days in Oxford last weekend. I love these girls. Gah...we've had some good times together. I adored every single second at Ole Miss with them, and we've been through a lot since then. I cannot believe it's been 8 years since we graduated (most of us that is! haha) But, some things never change. We always pick up right where we left off. Weekends like this are critical to sanity and to life in general. Not that I hesitated for a minute when I received the email about a girls weekend (quite the opposite!) but I'm always reminded after trips like these that when in doubt — G O. Travel. Visit good friends. Take adventures. Bring back old memories. Go somewhere new. It is almost always worth every minute and penny spent. cheers to that... #treatyoself was the theme of the weekend. We wined and dined and shopped and didn't think twice about it.

We're getting smarter in our old age. This picture was clearly taken before the drinks started pouring (except for one special bday girl)...

It's times like these that give us new energy and inspiration. I have so many "work-related" posts on deck. I hope to find time to blog about them soon. Right now, I'm just trying to keep my head above the water...and to make time for the most important things in life (Bruner + my BEST girlfriend below). Nothing compares to my little boogie.

Handwriting always wins

When in doubt, handwriting always wins...