Barbara Caruso - Barbara Caruso Design

Wine Cork Escort Cards, Barbara Caruso Design - Wedding Paper Goods, CT, Connecticut

2011-12-11T18:01:00.001-08:00

Wow it’s been a while since I blogged! Woops, it’s catch up time. So what’s going on in the life of Barbara Caruso Design?!

Capri & Mike’s wedding was this past April and the wine cork escort cards came out gorgeous!

With a lot of time, glue and black ribbon, the end result was spectacular!!

The escort cards stated the names of the guests in a nice beautiful black script font and the table name was done in a deep red in the same script font. The unique scroll element was on the left side of the card. The paper was a metallic silver cardstock.

Take a look below.

If you have questions on anything or would like the same escort cards for your wedding, feel free to email me at Barbara at barbaracarusodesign.com.

Enjoy the photos!

Wine Cork Escort Cards - Barbara Caruso Designs

2011-03-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a sneak peak at what I have just started working on for Capri's last wedding details! She is getting married on April 16th, at the Society Room. Wine Cork Escort Cards! The wine corks are glued together with black ribbon tied around in a bow for the front. The pictures below are just some sneak peaks, the final design is not published until the escort cards are printed. For the time being I placed my business cards just to make sure spacing is correct and things are looking good. 150 escort cards will be made so I ordered around 300+ new wine corks from www.letsdowine.com which was just what I wanted and needed. The ribbon can be picked up at any craft store and any color can be used. Black was used to keep the within the color scheme of Capri's Wedding. White, Black and Red. The escort cards will also show this. I am also using super glue, not a hot glue gun, since that didn't work too wel when I tried it on a few testers. Anyways enough talk, here are the pictures! :) More to come once the final escort cards are printed and in place. :) Leave some comments if you'd like.

You can see other wedding materials that were designed for Capris wedding in previous blog posts and feel free to check my site out at www.barbaracarusodesign.com

Thanks for stopping by

Capri & Mike's Invitations - CT Wedding Designer!

2011-01-31T16:55:00.000-08:00

Capri came to me after she tried "do it yourself" invitations, and didn't have much luck. She asked me to design something classic and elegant and incorporate her and Mike's personalities. I added a touch of red in the invitation designs as we did with her other wedding materials.

Here are the basic images of her invitations, directions and accomodations, reception cards, and rsvp cards.

To see Capri's Testimonial visit www.barbaracarusodesign.com

For any marketing, graphic design and wedding needs, contact me at barbara@barbaracarusodesign.com

Thanks!

CT Bridal Expo 2011! - Barbara Caruso Designs & David Alan Catering

2011-01-16T16:03:00.000-08:00

Hi There!
What an awesome weekend at the CT Bridal Expo at the Expo Center in Hartford, CT.
This was my first time being at the Bridal Expo so I joined David Alan Catering who's been going for the last few years. It was a great two days of meeting new people and seeing what everyone has to offer. Great photographers, dj's, florists and of course Sandals was there. :)
Anyways, here are a few pictures from the day and remember to visit http://www.barbaracarusodesign.com/ for more wedding information and http://www.dahospitalitygroup.com/ for Full Service Catering, Bartending and More!

Announcing BarbaraCarusoDesign.com - CT Connecticut, Custom Wedding Designs- Invitations, Save the Dates and More!

2011-01-16T06:22:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011!I am honored and thrilled to announce the official launch of my website, www.BarbaraCarusoDesign.com -Specializing in Custom Wedding Designs.

Website features include:
- Designs from previous weddings such as; ceremony programs, cocktail inserts to accompany wedding invitations, donation favors, escort cards, save the dates, wine labels, table numbers, and more.
- My Original Photography
- My Blog featuring a story behind each piece I create for the weddings.
- Lastly, Preferred Vendors.

I hope you can take the time to visit www.barbaracarusodesign.com and view my work. If you should know anyone who is currently engaged, or in the midst of planning their wedding, please pass my website and contact information along. I am available to design/create, print, and assemble any items for engagements, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, and/or weddings.

Thank you and take care.
Barbara Caruso

www.BarbaraCarusoDesign.com

Capri & Mike's Wedding! Save the Dates, Wine Labels & Table Numbers - CT Wedding Designer

2011-01-02T12:30:00.001-08:00

Capri & Mike are an amazing couple. You can just see the love in their eyes when they look at eachother. I was honored when Capri asked me to do her Save the Dates, Wine Labels and Table Numbers for her April 2011 Wedding.

Capri wanted something different for her Save the Dates. I loved working on these save the dates and seeing how happy Capri was with the end result.

The table numbers/names for Capri & Mike's Wedding are named after cities they traveled to in Italy together. Italy is where Mike proposed to Capri. Take a look at a few here...

The wine labels were designed around the colors black, red and white. They are very simple and elegant. Capri and Mike made their own wine and bottled it as well. This is what will be the favor at their wedding for their guests.

Feel free to visit my website if you would like to see more of my work or contact me for questions...

Orange Lillies...Sign of Summertime..

2010-07-01T16:34:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love orange lillies... here are some photos taken recently...enjoy :)

Here are some with one of my favorite rings... :)

Fall and Winter 2009

2010-02-01T16:29:00.000-08:00

Playing around with the camera and taking some fun shots... or what i think is fun to take photos of... most of these are right in my yard.. hope you enjoy them as much as I did taking them..

Mini Flower Adventures...

2010-01-30T18:52:00.000-08:00

Some days I go for random drives, and I'll spot some really great and different looking flowers...
here are a few photos from the summer time... enjoy :)

Birthday Trip to NYC..

2010-01-30T18:18:00.000-08:00

My boy M and I went to NYC on friday October 30th, 2009.
We enjoyed the beautiful city, walking around and stopped in at the wax museum and did some shopping of course :)
Here are a few photos from that day...

Here are a few from halloween night, aka my birthday :)

Jill & Chris - Wedding Goods - October 2009

2010-01-30T18:03:00.000-08:00

Jill and Chris we're married in October 2009. I designed the Ceremony Programs and paper favors which were donation cards letting each guest know that a donation was made on their behalf to the American Cancer Society.
I designed the programs and donation cards with the colors Jill requested. These colors matched her inviations.
I added a thin brown ribbon to the programs and used the same ribbon for the donation cards with a cute charm that said "thank you"... I took these photos before I dropped off all the programs and donation cards to Jill.

Congrats Jill & Chris on getting married. :)

Thanks again for letting me be part of your special day. :)

energy vampires

2009-09-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

Current mood: enlightened
Category: Blogging

just a little something i'd like to share with the rest of the world... article by..Dr. Judith Orloff.

read and enjoy...

By Dr. Judith Orloff
(Oprah.com) -- Some people bring unexpected lightness and comfort to your life. They crackle with energy, practically electrify you with their presence. And then there are those who leave you feeling stressed out. Or guilty. Or exhausted down to your very last molecule.
I call them energy vampires, and obnoxious or meek, they come in all forms. The sob sister, for one, always considers herself the victim. The world is always against her, and she'll recount every horrible thing that has happened to her, wallowing in every perceived slight.
The charmer is a constant talker or joke-teller who has to be the center of attention.
The blamer, on the other hand, doles out endless servings of guilt.
And then there's the drama queen, the co-worker who claims she almost died from a high fever or the neighbor who lives in extremes of emotion -- life is unbelievably good or horrifically bad.
No matter which type of energy vampire you're dealing with, you're allowed to walk away. Many of us find this really hard to do. We're afraid of being thought of as impolite; we don't want to offend people. But there are plenty of ways to remove yourself from a killing conversation. When leaving isn't an option, you can still maintain your energy level by making a few minor adjustments.
Recognize the signs
One of the first things to do is to recognize when you're being drained, and that begins with tuning in to your physical reactions. Is there a tightening in your chest when a certain person enters the conversation? Do you feel tired when you hang up the phone after speaking with someone? Does your head ache, or do you feel what I call "slimed" when another guest at a cocktail party starts talking to you?
The moment you feel zapped -- or hemmed in, or stressed out -- I recommend taking a breath. Breathing is a wonderful way to center yourself. Just follow the breath and tell yourself that you know what's happening and you can deal with it. It's important to remember our individual power. I know from working with patients that we can lose it easily. The minute somebody comes in who's bossy or blaming, we feel diminished and tense up. If we can focus on the breath, or on an image of a striking sunset or a view from a mountaintop, the tension will drift away.
Use your energy
You can also use some of your own subtle energy to counter the effects of an energy vampire. Visualize a protective white light around you: an energy shield. You can still hear the person who's yelling at you or blaming you or pushing herself into your sphere, but she won't cut into you so viscerally anymore. You've created a buffer zone, where her negative influences can dissipate.
Set boundaries
Setting boundaries is another way of protecting yourself; you draw a line saying, for instance, "This is what I can do for you, and this is what I can't." You don't have to convince the vampire of the rightness of your stance. Getting defensive simply adds to the negative charge of the encounter. You want to remain neutral. When someone starts pushing your buttons, and you start sizzling inside, you've got to make the decision not to react.
Step back
I also suggest you step back and think about what type of people aggravate you, because I believe that one law of energy is that we attract what we haven't yet worked out in ourselves. If I'm a very angry person, I'll find myself surrounded by angry people.
By paying attention to the people who seem so draining, you might discover something you need to address. It has been my experience that once you've worked through a particular issue, you're no longer worn out by that kind of energy vampire. And the vampires, robbed of a source, move on to more easily drainable audiences.

the pursuit of happyness...

2009-09-29T18:17:00.000-07:00

the pursuit of happyness...

Current mood: contemplative

Category: Life

...is it possible to love something and be so passionate about it, yet hate it at the same time? if it is, then that's where i'm at right now-- definitelykinda like i'm stuck between a rock and hard place. sometimes i really wonder why i think so much- i dont know; nor do i know why i concentrate too much about one thing....i'm going to be completely honest here, i always told myself that i would continue to dance, becuase i loved it, it's just who i am, it's my passion,and an underlying reason because it was something that people always said I couldn't do- i couldn't do forever, or i shouldnt do.That always pushed me, keep on going, gave me a reason to fight, dance harder, expand my dance background, and to make myself happy- there were people who told me i should just stop if it was stressing me too much, or just stop if it was too much in generali also had people tell me to keep strong and do what makes me happy; i love dancing; i love the rush of performing and competing, learning new moves, experimenting, feeling that music, the beats, the creativity, the pure joy and just going crazypart of me feels like i'll be dissapointing myself if i stop, because i think for a little while, i just need to turn the focus back on me and what i really want to domaybe i'll just take a little break; re evaluate the circumstances and what else is available to me; the hard placesometimes even getting other people's opinioins and advice help, but this time i really dont know what to do-part of me feels like i'm just growing out of it, that and maybe just getting tired of trying so hard and getting nothing in return, it's not that i expect a lot, or really much of anything, it's just the fact that if i work my ass off and i love what im doing, at somepoint maybe some positive feedback would be nice,the occassional you rock or you're awesome; or some ounce of appreciation-- now i dont need my head to get all big, but once in a while a nice little compliment would be nice; does that make sense? i'd like to have the opportunity to be creative and not be held back- or shot downi guess i'm just overwhelmed and underappreciated which makes me feel like shit all together!no one wants to be unappreciated- or not told that they are appreciated- my point i guess is to just always make sure you tell people you appreciate them and what they do for you, no matter what it isactions speak louder than words, and the little things count the most!
what i want is to make up my mind and figure out what i want to do/ what i should do!
maybe i need to just stop for a lil while and figure out if i really want to continue on dancing, in turn i'll realize if it truly does make me happy and i can still dance when i feel like it! who knows what the future holds but it's time to make me happy- and that is that!

the pursuit of happyness

flowers for the sunshine kids..

2009-08-29T18:28:00.000-07:00

Flowers for the sunshine kids..
One of my co-workers has a beautiful garden. She brought in her absolutely amazing dahlias so we can all make a small vase for our desks and donate money to our company charity,
The Sunshine Kids.
Our company supports this charity because it's a charity giving kids with cancer the opportunity to live their life like normal kids would. Sending them on trips to disney land, or even going tubing down a river. Enjoying themselves and taking part in the fun every kid should be allowed to take part in.
These kids are simply amazing, fighting everyday, winning the battle against cancer.
Any little part we can help in making their simple wishes come true is something that makes us all feel better. We were all kids once, playing in the pool, swimming at the beach, building sand castles, playing sports, being active, laughing, smiling, singing, playing dodgeball, kickball, 4-square. Trips to museums or water parks, and even aquariams. The sunshine kids deserve to live their life like everyone else was given the opportunity to and enjoy it.
I hope you can enjoy these flowers as much as we all do as we look at them and smile, knowing every little bit we do, helps them continue smiling.

:)

Sunday Funday: Rock Cats Game: Photography

2009-08-13T17:51:00.000-07:00

Sunday Funday with my 3 favorite boys... cenzo, sal and manny(not pictured)...

I took my little cousins to a rock cats game, and had a blast! pizza, french fries, fried dough! yummmyyy.. here are some pictures of the boys having fun :) enjoy

leaving the ball game! :)

and this one is from 4th of July, Cenzo's 7th birthday!

Orchids- Photography

2009-08-09T17:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun photos of my new orchid plant. I decided to play around and take some fun photo shots with different rings I have. Just practicing a little and testing out a few different things.. hope you enjoy them.
Thanks.

puppies..

2009-08-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

Puppies... what more do you need to know. There's something about the way a puppy looks at you and tilts their head and makes you smile.

Meet Sammy..

shadow..

and bruno..

enjoy the pictures.

Newport, RI part two...going back for more...

2009-08-07T18:56:00.000-07:00

Newport, RI trip number two of this year.
I really enjoy visiting this town over and over again. The view and the walking and atmosphere is so amazing. Here are a few more photos of newport...

Wedding Designs For Miss V...

2009-08-04T12:36:00.000-07:00

I truly love graphic design, from the simplest form to the most difficult form there is.
I have been taking up helping brides in the little things that they need for their wedding.
Giving them a friendly venue to go through. Here are some photos of the most recent work I did for a bride...Miss V. She needed cocktail inserts to go in with her invitations. I matched the colors of the ivory cardstock and the teal/turquoise back perfectly. She was pleased and it definitely made my day to see another bride happy. I will be working on a few more items with this bride, but will be doing a different color scheme. Check back in a few weeks to see what those will look like.. til then, enjoy these shots :)

pink gerber daisies...

2009-08-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

Pink gerber daisies to brighten up your day... enjoy :)

Yellow spotted Lillies-Photography

2009-08-04T05:34:00.000-07:00

I love lillies, and to be honest, I never saw lillies like this before.
These are so cool.. of course I took some photos and had to post them.. enjoy :)

Amy & Edwin's Wedding Designs: Graphic Design - CT Wedding

2009-07-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

Amy & Edwin's Wedding Materials...

Professional Website Work : Graphic Design -Web Development

2009-07-29T10:52:00.000-07:00

Most of my posts are of my photography... though i'm not a professional in photogrpahy i do have a passion for it, as with many other things. I am also passionate about websites, building, designing, content management, etc. I work for a real estate company in their marketing department. We have the challenge of always being creative, yet maintaining the integrity of our brand.

Featured below are some of my websites that I've created for our new homes & land development department.

I love to learn new things everyday and with building websites I know I can gain new knowledge as well as challenge myself and push my limits as a graphic deisnger and web developer.
Recently I've taken another online class to learn more intermdiate CSS & XHTML. I'm hoping to incorporate this newly gained knowledge in my new designs and web developments. I am always open for ideas and criticism. Feel free to also check out the websites below, by visiting the links under the pictures. Thanks!

http://www.owlridgewoodbury.prudentialct.com/

http://www.riverrun.prudentialct.com/

http://www.oakmeadowestates.prudentialct.com/

http://www.greenbrier.prudentialct.com/

http://www.fairfieldvillage.prudentialct.com/

www.prudentialct.com/subdivisions.asp

This page was designed and built to showcase each individual subdivision, by giving some sort of preview to our clients when they visit our site. With a photo and a description and the agent's contact information it's easy for clients to view it rather than one big laundry list.

random shots

2009-07-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

more fun with the camera... found this lil guy in my backyard..hanging on these flowers.

Newport RI, July 18, 2009

2009-07-24T11:46:00.001-07:00

Manny and I went to Newport this past weekend, since he's never been we just did alot of walking around and well I took lots of pictures.. here are most of my favorites.. hope you enjoy :)

I really like this one

wicked wednesday shots..

2009-07-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

After a rather wicked wednesday at work.. i decided to take a walk around the block..to clear my head and of course I took my camera with me...enjoy.

Amy & Edwins Wedding

2009-07-21T13:07:00.000-07:00

Amy & Edwin married at the Riverview, Simsbury CT
here are a few photos from that day..

I pledge allegiance..

2009-07-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

fireworks- 4th of july.

2009-07-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

bella flora..

2009-07-13T06:57:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy taking photos of flowers.. so here are my favorite shots..

To New Hampshire and beyond...

2009-07-07T13:09:00.001-07:00

ok...actually just to New Hampshire :)

I Took a ride up to Seabrook, New Hampshire...while up there, I stopped at Hampton Beach...

I haven't been here in years! Taking a walk by the beach I was able to see a sand scuplture contest.. check out the pics... of course there are a few others too..