Sarah & Cam

Here they are! The first set of wedding invitations I designed for Sarah & Cam.

It's always a bit scary doing something you've never done before, but something quite amazing happens when you know you are trusted in the creation process - your "I can't"s turn into "I can (and I will)"s and the result is one that will not only amaze them, but you, too.

I packaged these invitations and thank you cards with black envelopes, two white markers and two white pencils, and a logo stamp. These were a delight to create and I am so pleased to finally be able to share them with you.

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To break. And let go.

I never know how to begin posts. Actually, I've never been good with beginnings - in general.
And endings.
I'm not good with those either.
I guess that's why I always had a hard time with goodbye's; letting go.

I never wanted for my heart to break. I never wanted to face anger. I never wanted to feel pain.
I don't think any of us do.
But sometimes, it is the best way to learn. With our questions. With our broken hearts.
It's a frightening place to be, when in the midst of pain, wounds and heaviness, and still you find the strength to say "How can I love?"
And yet there I was.
And here I am. In the most frightening of places.
Every second of every day. A choice.
To die to ourselves and let go, or to proclaim "I love you"s to the easiest of lovers. And say "But I just can't" to forgiving the very ones who reject and hurt us because let's be honest, who loves the ones who wound and break and abandon us these days anyway, right?

And with that, "Let go," He says.

It was as if in that very moment, everything made sense. It wasn't logical,
but it made sense. I could see You. In the most frightening place, I found You.
And it was peaceful. In the most painful place, I found peace.

People come and go. We fall in love. We break, we heal. We learn, we mess up.
We know everything, and in the end know nothing at all.
And perhaps the most beautiful stories grow out of a broken heart.

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Laurence Pilon | Gabriela Hansen

I recently had the great honor of creating two websites for two incredible artists.

Allow me to introduce you to the breath-taking work of Laurence Pilon.
Every piece she creates I find myself at a loss for words. It is as if the human heart and all of its delicate feelings and powerful movements are intertwined within every pencil line and brush stroke.

www.laurencepilon.com

The second website I completed is none other than my very own sister's, Gabriela Hansen.

I do not say this simply because we are related, but her work is truly brilliant. She captures beauty like no one else I have seen, and it was an honor to be able to design her website.

www.gabrielahansen.com

I hope you take the time to look through these two websites, you will not regret it, I assure you. It was such a joy to design these, and a special moment when they were completed. 

Oh the beauty of completion.

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2013

New years are always overwhelming.
Resolutions, need for change, doing better than the previous year, etc, etc. We always put a lot of pressure on our shoulders near the beginning, and often find reasons to be disappointed towards the end. And we do it all over again the next year.

Etc, etc.

But, 2013, there's something different about you.
Is it in the way you looked the world in the eyes and said, "It's not over yet."?
Is it in the way that darkness is at its darkest yet, but the light is getting brighter and brighter?
Is it in the way that I have decided to take all risks and become a full-time freelancer in music writing, creating, world adventures, life-breathing, life-living, and simply being?
Or can it be that you mark my 7th year in this city, something I have never lived through before, and in just a matter of days, I could very much become an official citizen of this beautiful home and native land? (Surprise! Surprise!)

I entered the new year with beautiful and important people in my life. My heart delights (and sometimes cries of joy) knowing that such community surrounds me and makes up a great part of who I am. I was even blessed with the visit of a Swiss friend I knew in school, and we hadn't seen each other since grade 9. With a piece of the past, we walked into a season of new hope, new dreams, and new memories. Life is so breath-taking sometimes (if you really allow it to be).

This is a season within a season. One of movement, of beautiful creations, one of risks and trials, but also of battles overcome, one of choosing what really matters over what is easy and comfortable, and one of learning to be over pressure and disappointments.

"At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. …Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer." 

Be brave this year.

All my love to you,
- m.

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have a holly jolly christmas

I can't believe Christmas is 20 days away.
But then again, I seem to repeat myself every year. Time is just a strange thing. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to ever get used to it. But nonetheless, I managed to design a Christmas card this year on time. It was originally created for Little Band of Characters, a lovely blog where my cards were featured for a giveaway. I had the great joy of sending one set of 6 cards out to Montreal, and in the process of advertising them, I've sold a few more sets as well.

I've grown to love creating illustrations by hand, and later scanning them. It brings such an organic touch to a very electronic process. And decided to bring the cozy and charming feel of wreaths into these cards, along with a fun greeting line from a Christmas classic we all know so well. Let's not forget the elegant gold touch in the envelopes, because really, what is a holiday season without gold and glitter?

At the moment, my Etsy shop is unavailable. I am freshening up my name/shop/website so I can launch something brand new and exciting in the new year. So, stay tuned! In the meantime, you can email me at info@melody-hansen.com for any requests, comments, or to say 'hello'.

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the curated house: from a client to a friend

It has already been over five months since I've met Sarah Walker. I remember it being an extremely hot day and, of course, the day I chose to walk. Forty minutes down a street to a local Starbucks, but well worth every second of it.
This was my first meeting with a client I did not know, and was under the pressure of being "professional", but wasn't too sure what that meant, exactly. So, I did what I knew best: be "Melody". I am learning that freelancing allows me to do just that - free to create and to be what and whom I desire. And if people are becoming drawn to what I have to offer, then I must be doing something right, ...right?
Months later and I am still no professional (and won't be for quite some time), but I am realizing something.
There is something quite beautiful that happens when two creatives meet, if you allow it to. On my first meeting with Sarah, our conversation quickly went from design to the beauty of simple things, music, life, dreams, purpose, people, and etc, etc. We were two people with ideas and dreams, longing to collaborate.
There is something so precious in a collaboration. Unlike those group projects we all dread in school (I wasn't the only one, I'm sure...), collaborating allows an idea to become two, four, or maybe even ten times more powerful, and the end result can be unbelievably brilliant.
Do not be afraid of this. When you find the right and suitable people to work with, something incredibly beautiful can grow from it. Sarah has now become a very dear friend of mine, and I cannot wait for the many more first meetings to come that will turn into wonderful partnerships.

I had the great honor of designing Sarah's blog The Curated House, along with her business cards (Thanks Moo for the lovely Luxe printing job).

And check out more about our first collaboration here and here.

Beautifully photographed by Gabriela Hansen

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summer's end.

A video of beauty, inspiration, and delight.

Created a few months back with dear friends, enjoy this visual sweetness as the summer comes to an end. I do hope you've enjoyed this season as much as I did. The greatest moments are spent with the people you love, and I can truly say this has been a season of beautiful moments. From a birthday picnic, to lovely visits in Montreal, to creating beautiful things with beautiful people, my heart is satisfied.

Featuring Sarah Walker, Gabriela Hansen, and myself for The Curated House, filmed and edited by Phil Lindsay, this is An Ode to the Summer Picnic.

A special thank you to Anthropologie for the inspiration, and for the products. You can also find the recipes to the picnic food on The Curated House.

Enjoy!

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