Wedding Gifts - from the Shops of Uxbridge

It is that time of year again! With wedding season upon us, there are two big challenges every wedding guest faces - what will I wear and what will I give?? Check out our Summer Style post for gorgeous summer dresses that can be worn both for summer weddings or a casual lunch with friends, and see our selection of wedding gifts from your local Uxbridge shops below!

[Presents, Presents, Presents, Low's Furniture - 76 Brock St. W., La Petite Fleur]

Trends Taking Root - Stylish Lamps

Ever since I went to the Interior Design Show in Toronto back in January, the trends I saw there have been floating around in my head until I see a piece in a store that brings it back to the forefront. While shooting photos for another blog post, I came across these great lamps at Low's Furniture that are the same style as many of the ones seen at the show (and trending big for 2011). Here are a couple photos taken of displays I saw in January, as well as a round up of my favourites. - PS. I realize that the pendant fixtures are not lamps, but they were too cute to leave out!

[Low's Furniture - 76 Brock St. W, Uxbridge, Graham & Green, IKEA]

Summer Style - From the Shops of Uxbridge

Summer is all about easy, comfortable clothes and what could be easier than wearing a dress? A whole outfit rolled into one piece of clothing that not only feels great to wear in hot weather, but is a versatile look that can usually transition from day to night just by changing up the accessories. Check out some of my favourite dresses below, as well as this super-soft blue sweater from Presents, Presents, Presents - perfect for wearing over a light dress on a cool summer's evening.

Client Appreciation Packages

For about a month now, I have been delivering these little flower pots to my current clients as well as people/businesses who I would love to work with in the future. They encompass the whole premise of my name - Take Root Creative which is all about helping businesses "take root" in their community through design.

Each kit contains a bag of soil, Cosmo seeds, a plant identifier, the clay pot with tray and a double-sided post card with information about what Take Root Creative is all about. As the last packages get delivered this week, I thought that it would be fun to show you how it came together!

If you are interested in creating a client appreciation campaign for your business, email me at caitlin[at]takerootcreative[dot]com.

Logo Re-design - Dr. Ron McMullen | Optometrist

The task was to design a new logo for Dr. Ron McMullen that would still utilize some aspects of the previous branding but bring a fresh look to the business. The element we decided to keep the same was colour. The soft shades of blue found in the previous logo were also incorporated into the interior design of the office and have become a recognizable trade mark of the business.

[Previous Logo - Dr. Ron McMullen]

[Interior Office Photo - taken by Take Root Creative]

The changes made to the previous design include updating the fonts, streamlining the background box, and most importantly creating a logo that encompasses all aspects of eye health. The idea is that just because you don't need glasses, does not mean that you don't need your eyes checked regularly. By using a graphic of an eye versus a pair of glasses, we're changing that 'focus'. (I couldn't think of any other word that would not bring to mind a pun of some sort - my apologies!)

[Dr. Ron McMullen - new logo, long version]

[Dr. Ron McMullen - new logo, square version]

In the end, we decided on two versions of the logo for ease of use in various advertisements and other applications and voila - you have a fresh look that grows with the business and it's community, while staying true to the roots it started with.

1st Annual Youth Film Festival

The Uxbridge Youth Centre is hosting the 1st Annual Youth Film Festival sponsored by the Roxy Theatres of Uxbridge. I am so excited to not only be designing the promotional material for this event, but also to be helping out the great group of people who have put this together. If you know a young person (or are a young person yourself) and want to participate, see the poster and info sheet below for all the details.

Super 8 + Cameras

Even in this digital age where anything is possible, we are still attracted to photography techniques of the past ...we just might use a digital means to get there. Super 8, set in the summer of 1979 follows a group of kids who witness a train crash while filming a Super 8 movie. Not only is the footage shot by the kids reminiscent of 1970s/80s home movies, but Super 8 has a vintage look itself with the way light beams are distorted when they enter the camera. You get a sense you are watching a film versus being in the film as is customary.

Whether you are snapping photos or shooting footage, there are several options out there for achieving the techniques from an older camera without having to revive a relic. Super 8 has released a video iPhone App in time for the movie and still photo programs like the popular Instagram are both free to download.

Here are some options of both cameras and apps to check out:

[Image Credits: Super 8, Super 8 App, Instagram, Photojojo, Polaroid, Urban Outfitters]