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Hey, ever thought about this?
Pepto-Bismol is pink, do you think the color of Pepto and its packaging makes one feel relief??
Pink causes you to relax and be calm… maybe it does that to your stomach too!
Love,
Featured: #PeptoBismol #funny
Your space, your clothes, your home should reflect you. The colors you choose are a big part of the reflection!
Photo credit: Suzanne Jones
That scares a lot of people! My suggestion is don’t be afraid! You only live once and this is not the dress rehearsal.
Start with an inspiration, what inspires you? Where do you like to travel? What makes you feel happy, comforted, safe? Is there a fabric you love? A family heirloom you cherish?
I cherish my daughter Liza’s bronze-dipped baby shoes. Photo by Nathan Leduc
Get a fun tray, start collecting items you love and put on it soon you will have your very own inspiration board, play around with the swatches, the things the ideas the place represented, this is real life pinning!
Don’t be too serious, have fun! There are a lot of rules about, but who’s watching.
Now that you have what you love, OWN IT!
I love to paint large paint samples on poster board, how can anyone choose a color from a tiny chip??
You can live with it for a few days, see it at different times of the day, see how it makes you feel, how does it look with you stuff??
There are a few virtual makeover sites online that are fun to try to when testing colors, try BHG.com, upload your room photo!!
Daring Colors + Unexpected Colors + Marketing and Design With Color = Dynamite!
Hire us today and let us take your space from the mundane to the extraordinary!
Brands I love:
Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams
A recent project featured in these photos the Massee on Main loft apartments at Old Town, Columbus, GA we painted everything Benjamin Moore Super White, gotta love Super White! We painted the kitchen and bath cabinets high gloss seen here and the base cabinets and islands SW6230 Rainstorm in high gloss, such a custom look in a rental product I love it!!
Loft at Old Town, Super White walls by Benjamin Moore + SW Rainstorm in high gloss! Photo: Suzanne Jones
Serena and Lily are great for paint color suggestions!
House Beautiful has a nice collection of energetic and soothing colors
West Elm + Pottery Barn every issue of their catalog has a great selection of new colors from a variety of paint makers
Sherwin-Williams shares seasonal palettes from sherwin-williams with colors you can count on usually with a coupon, too!
Better Homes and Gardens always a page about color in every issue, great to tear out and save for that next design job to inspire!
Love,
Featured: #AmericanBronzingCo #BHG #BenjaminMoore #Sherwin-Williams #SerenaandLily #HouseBeautiful #WestElm #PotteryBarn #JonathanAdlerTrays #SuzanneJonesPhoto #CPJCustomHomes #AmberCarpenter #BarnLighElectric #ShawFlooring #LillyPulitzer #HistoricalConcepts #JonathanAdler #JenniferSchoenberger #OldTownColumbus #SouthenLiving #SouthernLivingInspiredCommunities #FreshieandZero #WoodruffDevelopment
I enjoy CrossFit and anything fitness related. I have also run two full marathons and at least a handful of half marathons, but who’s counting!? One of my favorite races was the Disney marathon. This was a memorable race for me because I got to have three of my favorite things in one place: running, family and Disney!
One of the main things that I, and the rest of the world, love about Disney is their mascots. They allow us to channel our inner child and let our imaginations fly. Every time I go to Disney, whether it is to run their marathon or simply to go for vacation, and see a mascot, I am immediately brought back to my younger years, where I could be anything I wanted!! Brilliant marketing! Everyone wants their picture made with Mickey!
Marketing and Design with Color and Woodruff Property Management Company have incorporated mascots and “real life” animated characters into property brands, and it’s been a great marketing tool! We take mascots to community events and everyone wants a selfie with them. Then, they post on social media… It’s the perfect memory! We design the costumes and create the brand for our clients. If you need a costume, we can create just about anything! Click here to visit our services page!
We believe that as part of a brand, a mascot is great at helping you connect your audience to your message. Don’t believe me? Just look at all big companies like Aflac and the duck, the University of Georgia and the UGA bulldog, Chick-fil-A and the cow, Macy’s and the pink pig… All these mascots have become timeless icons, becoming an overall part of your personal experience with the brand. Mascots go back years and years and never fail to create a smile and a memory!
One of our favorite mascots at WPMC is Ruffie! Isn’t she so cute?
Lakeside Village. Lulie and Ruffie. Photo by Suzanne Jones
Ruffie started with a client with brand new apartments, Lakeside Village, who needed a brand. We were hired to develop the brand and roll out a marketing campaign. We included a mascot, a name, color schemes, a logo, design work, media and advertising, and it quickly evolved into a powerfully striking campaign.
Photo credit: Nathan Leduc / Sign: Justin Smith
Ruffie quickly became an important part of the Lakeside Village brand. People recognize her from making public appearances at events, being on billboards, print, media, etc… We can help you achieve this too! We are all about making marketing fun and effective!!
A proven fact: people spend more time looking at ads that have people or animals in them!
Wrapping up my thoughts up… boundaries are never in my book. All I see is opportunity. I could’ve seen the Disney marathon as a big obstacle to surpass, but instead, I saw it as an opportunity to drop my 42k time and enjoy being around all my favorite Disney characters! The leader in mascots make the brand! I had plenty of time to think and be inspired by the power of a brand and how I could incorporate mascots into my marketing plans.
Here’s my two cents for you: do things that you love, do them with great love, and the chips will fall into place!
Love,
Featured: #LakesideVillage #DisneyMarathon #CrossFit #Aflac #UGA #Chick-fil-A #Macy’s #OutfrontMedia #WaltDisneyWorld #Cinderella #Asics #Nike #UnderArmour
The Lisi Lerch brand initially started with her selling Kentucky Derby hats that she was inspired to create because of the lack of affordable women’s hats in the marketplace. Fast forward a few years, she tested the waters in jewelry making and became an instant success. I love her fun merchandise so much I wanted to become a sales rep for her!! Do I have time??
It’s easy to sell stuff you LOVE and I could wear her jewels every day!!!!
I have seen Lisi’s booth at market several times, but I have never actually seen her. This July, I went to Atlanta for the July Market and we ran into each other. She’s as cute as I thought she would be! She’s fun, energetic, creative and kind!
As you might already know, I love Lilly Pulitzer, and probably wear something Lilly every day. I have the Elsa top in pink, and not just one, but five of the exact same shade of pink!! That day, I happened to be wearing it!! As we walked up to Lisi’s booth, I immediately spotted my top, and it happened to be Lisi, and we were wearing the same top!! I knew I liked her!! We immediately hit it off and connected. I purchased the Libby Cluster necklace in neon yellow and wore it right out of the booth!!
Lisi, myself and my new necklace!
We discussed numerous areas of the United States and markets where her jewelry would be well received. I told her that people stop me every time I wear Lisi Lerch jewelry and ask me where I get her creations. I believe in instant updates to your wardrobe in which her pieces are just that and more!! You can update your brand for your business and the design of your spaces as easily as updating your wardrobe. Click here and call us today for a free consultation!!
Stay fun, frolicky and frisky!
Love,
Featured: #LisiLerch #AmericasMart #LillyPulitzerElsaTop #HollyEarrings #neonyellow #KentuckyDerby
My favorite place on Earth is 30A. I love the beach! Luckily, I have visitied many beaches in the United States and the world, but nothing beats this spot.
My 30A sticker stash! I used them to make wallpaper for the girls’ lockers!!
During one of our visits to 30A, I went into the Tommy Crow studio, shortly after he opened in Rosemary Beach. As a collector and lover of butterflies, his butterfly photo on canvas immediately spoke to me. I knew I had to have it! However, I just wasn’t sure where it would go.
Source: http://fineart.tommycrow.com/butterflies/
Several years later working on a project, I knew I had the perfect spot for this incredible piece of art. The mascot of the property where I decided to use this piece, Swallowtail Flats Apartments at Old Town, in Columbus, GA, a Southern Living Inspired Community, happened to be a swallowtail butterfly. We chose the swallowtail butterfly, because it is the state butterfly of Georgia! Did you know that? If not, we all learn something every day!!
Tommy Crow produces large format fine art photography and collaborates with designers on custom photo artwork, which is what we acquired for the Mill at Swallowtail Flats. In our case, it happened to be a perfect match, since we were able to tie in the logo to the picture and wrap it up as part of the brand, which is where the magic happened!!
We have invited Tommy to stop by several times, but he hasn’t been able to come by yet, but one day!!
At Marketing and Design with color we believe that creating a brand is not only about the aesthetics but about relaying a message delivered in a subtle, fun and engaging way!
I cannot wait to tell you more about our butterfly benches, butterfly logo, and all things Swallowtail Flats!!
Hire us today to make the most of the art you already own!
Love,
Featured: #30A #TommyCrow #TommyCrowButterflies #SwallowtailFlats #OldTown #SouthernLivingInspiredCommunities
My Better Half: Bruce Jones
Bruce, President of Woodruff Development, develops single family residential homes, multifamily apartment complexes, shopping centers, office space, parks and play spaces. He creatively improves & redevelops multi-family communities and shopping centers. He’s great in the garden and envisioning anything and making it happen.
Bruce was born in Columbus in 1972 on May 7th— the same day as me!
Bruce gradually developed his confidence in his ability to design things.
Credit: Suzanne Jones Photography
His first job was to develop and manage Scarborough Farms. This job had a big influence on what he does now. Bruce redeveloped the homestead on the property, and it looks like it has been there for years! A true talent. The house, chapel, boathouse, garden, and barn had to be made to look authentic and old.
Scarborough Farms; Before & After
credit: Taylor Sellers Photography | location: Scarborough Farms
The landscaping that Bruce created at Scarborough Farms gave him the experience to become the President of Grow, a landscaping and design firm. He has a natural gift with landscaping and nature.
Bruce has a way or making things look like they have been there forever. His attention to detail is amazing.
Check out the Garden and gun magazine article featuring Bruce and the house and gardens at Scarborough Farms.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”3″ gal_title=”Scarborough Farms – For post about Bruce”]
When Bruce developed and renovated the Scarborough Farmhouse, Mrs. Scarborough wanted to fill her home with God’s grace. She and her family wrote scriptures on the framing of their new renovations. This was a perfect way to christen her home and toast to humble beginnings! Bruce loved the ideas that Mrs. Scarborough had and began learning about how to incorporate the developer and the customer to produce the best home. Building a house on the word of God is not only fulfilling but brings new beginnings! When buying, building, or renovating your dwelling, allow God’s blessings into your home by using scriptures.
The Lord can bless a home in many ways. This brings me to the website, Milk and Honey Collective. This site has many wonderful pieces of art that has stories of God’s faithfulness. Click here to find more about ways to do this in your home.
Gardens at Scarborough Farms | Model Haley Green | credit: Taylor Sellers Photography
Bruce thinks it all started when we took a trip over MLK weekend in 2007, to Charleston, Daniel Island and Hilton Head, South Carolina and looked at developments, housing, and retail that Columbus didn’t yet have. Bruce at that time wasn’t very well traveled, but ever since he stays on the go! We get ideas everywhere we go and have fun while we are there!
credit: Nathan Leduc Photography
Bruce has been interviewed twice and featured in The Wall Street Journal (link)
Projects of his have been featured in: Ballard Designs, Southern Living, and Coming Home, a Rizzoli coffee table book. Click here to get your copy!
Our copy of “Coming Home”
Some of Bruce’s favorite stuff include:
Bills khakis– he says every pair you buy is the same. He loves the consistency, and since usually when you find something you love they quit making it, we buy extras!
Peter Millar shirts- these shirts fit his personality, laid back, full of color and style, and they fit great!
We love the Peter Millar freebies that come with every order!
Polo summer golf RLX wicking shirts- he works outside and they don’t show sweat. He doesn’t play golf but they’re perfect for his work outdoors!
Crest toothpaste! It’s just what he had growing up, so he loves it!
Colorful belts that are lightweight and don’t slip. He loves an alligator belt, too! The Bill’s buckles are too big, so we sent them back and made our own, press to order here! Shop Here!
Timex watch- $40. Most complimented purchase lately is to add a colorful Grosgrain Ribbon watch band. His favorite ribbon band is Hot pink and Lime green!
Most comfortable flip flops ever: we purchased Sanuks at Bombora in Rosemary Beach, and he walked all the way down south beach in the ocean with no blisters!
Costas lightweight sunglasses- if they break you can send them back. They have great customer service. His have been sent back twice and a brand new pair arrive a few days later!
I would be a wreck without his amazing talent and support on my team!
Love,
Featured: #Grow #BallardDesigns #SouthernLiving #ComingHomebyRizzoli #GardenandGun #WallStreetJournal #BillsKhakis #PeterMillar #Polo #Crest #Timex #Sanuks #Costas #NathanLeducPhotography #TaylorSellersPhotography #MilkandHoney #HerendUSA #Target #HistoricalConcepts #LillyPulitzer
Love at first sight!
We were in Birmingham recently to meet property management clients and we stayed at the new Grand Bohemian Hotel, Kessler Collection. The exterior bar/lounge space is full of color, rich, funky, exciting furniture! I couldn’t get enough.
I couldn’t get enough of these neon planters!
Back to Polar T... their furniture is a mix of modern with an old timey twist. They are replicas of antiques showcasing fun, bright colors. I had to go outside to sit there and simply enjoy the outdoors in this living space that was designed to deliver the wow factor. Side note: if you are the designer of that space, go ahead and contact me, I hope we meet one day— I’m sure we would hit it off!! The led cube lights top it off!
Polar T is a company founded in Mexico, that delivers a Victorian style furniture, designed in a way that is relevant and alive to the world. It is simply fantastic, odd, daring, classic, beautiful, and certainly never dull— a perfect fit for our style!!
Delivering the wow factor is something that I believe in and our team achieves in every project we undertake.
No matter if it is design, re-design, marketing, or developing, it will be set to surpass expectations regardless of your budget!
So comfy!
Check out our chairs at Swallowtailflats Apartments at OldTown, a jolt of yellow adds an instant burst of sunshine, a happy hue, in one of our pocket parks!
Sitting at Mrs. Vee’s Park
Contact us today for fun ways to incorporate these amazing pieces today in your space!
Love,
Featured: #SouthernLiving #Homewoodneighborhood #Habitation #ScottsAntiqueMall #PolarT #GrandBohemianHotel #SwallowtailFlats #OldTown #SouthernLivingInspiredCommunities #BetsyIllges
If you know me, you know I love Lilly. She is my ultimate favorite. She is a hero of mine. Vanity Fair magazine published an article in 2011 (click here to read) that inspired me to share my passion for children and good old fun like Lilly Pulitzer. I read this article about 20 times and I enjoyed it more and more every time, so I decided to do all the things she liked in two days; yard sale, lemonade stands, parties, and all things Lilly and Palm Beach.
This fun-filled 2 day summer fête started at our house. I wanted the girls to have a Lilly Pulitzer experience. I love to decorate for the decades— probably because I’m a 70’s baby!! Before they all arrived, I made them a huge welcome sign made out of sea shells that I had used as decoration at my wedding. (I’ll tell you about our wedding surprise one day soon!) I wanted this to be extra special and fun!! I laid out all the Lilly Pulitzer catalogues from years of collecting and all my Lilly clothes, and the girls got to wear whatever they wanted to begin the first day of Lilly Camp!
Once we were all dolled up, we set up the lemonade stand, and the girls worked it in shifts (just like Lilly would’ve done). We also sold Lilly Pulitzer animal crackers, fresh picked Zinnias, home baked goodies, and handed out smiles!!
The lemonade stand!
Fresh picked zinnias
These two days were full of super fun activities. Day 1 consisted of playing loud music, dancing with hula hoops, playing games with a bunch of colorful balls that were set as decoration, a shaving cream fight, a hat-making party, and water activities. We ended day 1 of Lilly Camp with an awesome pool party with bright colorful tiki umbrellas all around the pool, tropical decorations, inflatable flamingo ballons (that I still have blown up to this date!!!), and water balloons. We had so much fun!! These are the things you can only dream of doing as a kid!!
I love my flamingo balloons! So many years of so much fun!!
Saturday morning was day 2 of Lilly camp and we went yard saling! This was one of Lilly’s favorite activities! All the girls wore gorgeous Lilly Pulitzer shift dresses.
Yardsale shopping!
We sought out cool finds, colorful vintage nick knacks, and whatever else we could find that caught our eye and sparked interest! After the yard sales, we visited numerous Saturday morning events in Columbus, GA sharing the story of Lilly Pulitzer.
Visiting the market at The Landings
Later that afternoon, we had a tea party and everyone wore the hat that we decorated from the day before. For this party, I invited “Miss Manners”, who taught the girls how southern girls should behave! She talked to them about etiquette, good manners, being kind, being polite and all things southern! It was so much fun!! Miss Manners also dressed up and acted crazy to prove her point, teach the girls, and continue with the belly laughs we had going all weekend long!
Miss Manners showing the girls how to set the table
After the tea party, I planned to share with the girls my love and admiration for Lilly Pulitzer. After all, she was a fascinating fashion icon. I pulled out my Lilly collection to show and explain to them how you can always find the word Lilly in every pattern. We talked about fashion, design, colors, and they all got to pick and say which one was their favorite piece and why!
Sharing and talking about Lilly
Lilly Camp ended with a bang!! We had a real fashion show!! This just wasn’t a regular fashion show, we jumped all in!! We set the runway, created space for attendees, decorated the tables using live goldfish as centerpieces and made it look amazing! Our theme was Palm Beach. We were having some very special guests: their mothers!! When they showed up, the girls got to pick whatever they wanted from my Lilly clothes and dressed their moms! It was hilarious and so much fun!! I think to myself that to this day, whatever the children selected back in the summer of 2011, is probably very similar in style to what they would really wear today! Crazy to think they were all so little!! Time flies when you are having fun!
Our table decorations
Liza at the fashion show!
Lilly Pulitzer was big on parties and party favors, so I teamed up with #SouthernLiving guru Carmen Johnston to put together the most awesome favors. They were gorgeous buckets from her own business, #NectarandCompany, and they included gloves, plants, shovels, seeds and everything the girls would need to start their very own garden!!
The awesome buckets by Nectar and Honey!
Lilly Camp was such a success that a good friend of mine, Helen Brooks, wrote a note about me and Lilly Camp on her blog! She is an artist and writer who layers bible verses and bursts of color creating the most amazing mixed media pieces to share with people what God has done in her life. She has her own website, Milk and Honey Collective, which is growing. Also, she just partnered up with a company out of Charleston, South Carolina that has a similar mission in putting scripture on the walls of people’s homes. The Charleston company was formerly called Naptime Diaries. Now, she and her partners are re-launching the business under a new name, “Amen Paper Company”. You can follow them on Instagram or go to their website and stay on track with the newest and latest! So proud of her!
Click through the Lilly Camp gallery!
I want to finish this by leaving y’all with a favorite word of mine; vivre!
Vivre is about a life well-lived, on trend but never trendy, relevant and inspiring and exquisitely crafted. It’s about modern sensibility and celebrating everyday moments.
All these thoughts really remind me of the thoughts behind Lilly Pulitzer, the Kate Spade brand and the Bando Brand; life filled with memories, love, friends and fun.
So for now, vivre!
Love,
Featured: #VanityFair #LillyPulitzer #NectarandCompany #SouthernLiving #MilkandHoney #AmenPaperCompany #vivre #KateSpade #Bando
Who doesn’t love cupcakes? I know I do!
So much so, that I stalked the people at Gigi’s Cupcakes in Auburn for several years on my quest to bring them to Columbus, GA, because we didn’t have a cupcake store! Who can be sad while eating a cupcake!?
Source: https://gigiscupcakesusa.com
Photo by: Nathan Leduc
I would drive to their store in Auburn, AL every few months and made sure to leave my business card there after every visit, until finally one day they called me and the rest is history!
Source: https://gigiscupcakesusa.com
Photo by: Nathan Leduc
Of course we hit it off immediately because we share the love for pink! We developed a great relationship and later on our team assisted them opening up a new store at The Landings in Columbus, which made my dream come true. We then got to have lots of fun with Gigi’s while we planned their grand opening and ribbon cutting at The Landings! Let us plan your Grand Opening or Ground Breaking event! Click here for more details about our services!
On Saturday, September 10th the Woodruff Property Management team got the privilege of hearing Gigi Butler, founder of Gigi’s Cupcakes speak at the Georgia Apartment Association conference. We learned so many fun facts about Gigi, and one of them is that she was in the TV show, Undercover Boss!! If you want to know more about the show and how she started her business click on this video! It’s an awesome story!
I took this picture of her with my phone!! I’d love to add some pink, glitter, & fluff to her wardrobe!! I’m thinking this super cute necklace by Lisi Lerch! It’s the Gigi’s shade of pink and just a little touch to her black guest speaker suit!
P.S. Have you seen their new birthday box? Check it out at https://gigiscupcakesusa.com
Photo by: Nathan Leduc
Photo by: Nathan Leduc
Love,
Featured: #TheLandings #PatrickCooper #JenniferCooper #MegBryant #LisiLerch #GrowLandscaping #CathyHorne #WoodruffDevelopment #TimeEquitiesInc #DenyseSigns #DavidKaplan #LillyPulitzer #NathanLeduc #CMHArchitects #JonathanYoung #Quercus
