Fall Favorites 2012

Hi there! It's been a busy week, so I apologize for my lack of blogging. So many fun things are happening in the studio this week! I'm gearing up and preparing for my upcoming Christmas shows {Christmas Village in Nashville and The Market in Birmingham}. Lots of new merchandise and designs are in the works... it's crunch time though... these shows are less than a month away! Yikes!

I wanted to take a minute to share some Fall inspiration... I love fall and all the goodness that comes with it! Here are a few of my favorite things...

Don't forget! The Early Bird Christmas Card Special ends October 20th... be sure to get your orders in for a 15% off discount! You don't have to have your photo yet, just send your card design choice, quantity and wording. Happy Fall!

2012 Christmas Cards and Early Bird Special

Happy Wednesday! It's time to kick off the Most Wonderful Time of the Year... The 2012 Beth Hart Designs Christmas Cards are finally here! I'm so excited about these new designs, and I'm happy to share them with you!

The Early Bird Special is officially on! Now through October 20th, you can receive 15% off your Christmas card order... all you have to do is mention "Early Bird," and you're all set! You may either send your order to me at bethhartdesigns@gmail.com, or you may purchase one of the Top 12 designs in my Etsy shop. To view the entire Christmas Card collection, please visit my website by clicking here. Remember that colors, fonts, and wording can easily be changed to your preferences. I look forward to working with you!

I owe a huge thank you to my good friend Molly of SimplyMPhotography for providing the beautiful photographs you see in most of my designs. Be sure to book your Christmas card session with her today!

Design Inspiration - Black and White Stripes

I'm so very excited to begin this new blog series titled "Design Inspiration!" I really, really love Interior Design and Fashion, and I often find inspiration from both worlds to create new paper products for Beth Hart Designs. At The Stationery Academy, the super talented Emily McCarthy encouraged us to look around and find things we love for design inspiration. I took this advice to heart, and that's why I'm so thrilled to share this new series with you!

I'm planning to share my favorite patterns and trends, while I debut a brand new Stationery Suite design. You can follow my inspiration board on Pinterest to see what's getting my creative juices flowing! I will be adding these designs to my Etsy shop so you can purchase them for yourself or a friend!

And now the debut of the "Black & White Stripes & Dot Suite"

What's Happening Wednesday - A 30th Birthday Par-Tee!

Happy Wednesday! I wanted to take a little time to fill you in on what's been happening around here at Beth Hart Designs. My husband turned 30 yesterday, so I threw him a surprise birthday party last Friday night. We loved having our friends with us to celebrate, and I really enjoyed putting my design skills to use with a "golf par-tee" theme!

While doing some research on the internet one day, I came across a contest titled "Made in the South Awards" hosted by one of my favorite magazines, Garden & Gun. I thought to myself "Oh what the heck, I'll give it a shot!" So I called up my talented friend Molly of SimplyMPhotography to help me by taking some professional photos of the party products I'd made for my husband's birthday. She blew me away with the images she captured, and I was beyond thrilled to submit them for the contest! Whether or not I receive an award from Garden & Gun remains to be seen, but I'm so proud of the beautiful photos that Molly was able to give me! Here are a few of my favorites...

And now for the not so professional photos that I took at the party on Friday night... (I sure am glad I decided to go with paper design rather than take the photography route!)

Monday Motivation - Pursue Righteousness and Love

Good morning! I hope your Monday is off to a great start! I've had a very busy past few days celebrating my husband's 30th birthday, helping some sweet friends move into a new home, celebrating another good friend's graduation, and honoring my great aunt and uncle's 70th wedding anniversary - yes, that's right... 70th wedding anniversary!

My Aunt Rosie and Uncle Larry are the most amazing and admirable people. They love each other, their family, their friends, and life with all of their hearts. They have set such a wonderful example for me with their devotion to God and to each other. They are my inspiration in so many ways. They live righteously with hearts full of love, and they serve God with thankfulness for all of His blessings. They are in their 90's but have such young spirits with sharp minds and healthy bodies. They are a perfect picture of what I desire for my husband and me as we grow older together.

I love these old photos... such treasures!

My sweet aunt and uncle are my inspiration for today's Monday Motivation. I think Proverbs 21:21 sums it up quite nicely. If we live righteously with loving hearts, we will experience life to the fullest. God is great and will bless us abundantly through our service to Him... just as He has blessed Aunt Rosie and Uncle Larry throughout their 70 years of marriage.

What's Happening Wednesday - Busy Bee!

Whew! It's already Wednesday! Where do the days go? Thank you so much to all of my customers for keeping this workin' girl in business... I really can't express enough gratitude! I also owe a BIG thank you to my favorite printing company for coming through for me and my customers this week! I'm blessed to be surrounded by so many good people!

It's been a very busy "short" week for me as I am preparing to head to Pensacola, Florida in the morning to attend The Stationery Academy! I am beyond excited about this opportunity! I can't wait to learn from some of my stationery business heroes and meet all of my fellow students! Be sure to tune in next week when I will be sharing about my experiences and introducing you to all of my new friends!

I better run! I've got lots of orders to package and ship out before I leave... I'm a busy busy bee! But before I go, I'll leave you with a photo from my last beach trip. I found this handsome fella at The Red Bar in Grayton Beach. I love his way of thinking!

Who I Am...

I've recently been challenged to be more personal in my business... tell a little more about the girl behind Beth Hart Designs. It's been a bit difficult, but I've finally developed a biography that I can proudly say truly represents me and why I'm in business - it expresses who I am and what I believe. Enjoy!

I’m a Southern girl.  A lover of life.  A child of God.  A blessed woman.  A firm believer.  A wife.  A daughter.  A sister.  A friend.  A designer…

Hi! I’m Beth Hart.

I love Southern hospitality… all aspects of it. From sitting with a best friend drinking sweet tea (or a glass of wine) on your front porch to hosting a swanky shin-dig at which you get to feel oh so sophisticated in your best dress. Southern hospitality is warm and gracious and makes you tingle with excitement at the very core of it.

What better way to portray Southern hospitality than with the perfect invitation or a personalized note card? Paper is a true icon of Southern hospitality. A hand-written note can do wonders for a bruised ego or a broken heart. The ideal invitation can excite your guests for the soon-to-be party-of-a-lifetime. With paper, birthdays are anticipated, weddings are glamorous, anniversaries are milestones, new born babies are introduced, Christmas greetings are shared, Life is celebrated.

I believe in paper, and therefore I’m a designer of paper.

I came to love paper through several life journeys… beginning with my heritage. I’m the daughter of a mother who treasures sending out heartfelt and meaningful Christmas cards. She also possesses the gift of writing and has touched so many lives with her handwritten notes – a true ministry. My grandmother was a hat-maker, yes a real-life milliner, who designed and created hats of all kinds for all types of people. Her work was superb, and her vigor for life and business makes me wish she was still here to inspire me. I’m blessed with a creative heritage, and for that I’m very grateful.

Southern hospitality runs deep in my education. From attending middle and high school at Battle Ground Academy, founded in 1889, to exploring the rich history of The University of Mississippi (fondly called Ole Miss) throughout college. I’ve learned to value education, work hard, be a teammate, lean on God, cheer at football games, graciously be a Southern lady, and flourish throughout life’s lessons at these incredible institutions, and for that I’m also grateful.

So there you have a taste of me, a bit of Beth Hart. A lover of music, fashion, sunshine, old hymns, antiques, twinkle lights, Sunday drives through the countryside, history, tradition, lazy days at the lake and of course, paper. I desire to be good at what I do and reach out to others to inspire stylish design and encourage Southern hospitality.

To go along with this biography, I needed some new professional photos. So I called up my good friend Molly of SimplyMPhotography to help me out. I'm amazed with her work! She possesses real talent - a true gift! She made me look good and was so patient with the sun & wind to work in our favor... I couldn't be more pleased! Thank you Molly! Below are a few of my favorites from the session: