XL Sponsor Feature: Ever So Lovely

This month LCH is happy to have Brandi of Ever So Lovely as our Extra Large Featured sponsor! Brandi took some time out of her and her husband's hunt for a new home to talk to us about what's going on in her neck of the woods! Everyone, meet Brandi!

Hi Brandi! Little Chief Honeybee is so excited to have you as our XL sponsor for May! Do you mind telling us about your endeavor with Ever So Lovely? Sure! Hello all! I am the founder of Ever So Lovely, a lovely little design studio in North Carolina and I offer Graphic Design services to small businesses. I also have a line of illustrations, scarves and vintage jewelry that I create as well.  What inspired you to delve into the world of design and illustration?  I have always loved art since I was a little girl and I was never too far away from a box of crayons or markers. After years of art classes and illustration I went to Meredith College where I majored in Graphic Design and I've been working in the industry now for thirteen years. After doing the corporate thing for a while I decided to launch Ever So Lovely as a design studio for small businesses. It was originally an art and design blog, which I've had since 2009 and creating the other aspect of my business.  Are you formally trained or are you more of a self-taught kinda gal? I am formally trained in Design, Illustration and Photography but I also dabble in oil painting, textile design and fiber art. You offer a wide array of services through Ever So Lovely. How do you keep up with your project tasks? Are you a really organized person? (And if so, mind giving me some lessons?!) That's a good question! Being a design studio I do offer a wide array of services and I have a great calendar to keep up with everything from printing dates, proofing, client meetings and other things I have going on.  Sometimes it can be tough if deadlines get pushed up but I keep everything in line and have a lot of reminders in my calendar :) What is a typical day like for you in terms of ESL?  There really isn't a typical day for ESL. Every day varies which is great! Some days are spent interviewing artists for the blog, researching new projects, brainstorming for a new design and making lots of coffee! Coffee is essential to my day. I'm usually working from early morning till in the evening. Recently I've been designing a logo for a lovely Farm out in Arizona that I'm really excited to work with. When I have downtime I'm working on my new line of botanical illustrations.  Do you ever collaborate with other designers and artists or do you prefer to be a one-woman-team? I haven't collaborated in a very long time but I like being a one-woman-team. What do you see on the horizon for ESL and your personal career path? 1 year? 5 years? Etc I'm really excited about the future of Ever So Lovely! The past two years have been great and there are so many things I have planned for this year and next. Since we are moving into a new home soon I'm excited to redecorate my studio to accent my brand. I also want to offer apparel designs featuring some of my illlustrations. I also want to keep working with businesses to assist in their design needs for their companies. In five years move into a brick and mortar studio where I work with clients and have a gallery in the front to showcase emerging artists from around the world.  If you could bestow any type of advice on our little honeybees, what would you say? Stay true to yourself. And with everything you create, be original. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ SITE - FACEBOOK - TWITTER Many thanks to Brandi for sharing her story with us! What do you think, honeybees? How about a big round of applause for the gal behind ESL?  As many of you know, I'm "technically" graduating college today (finally... after being done for 6 months!). I'll be spending the day with my family in my hometown (as it's also my Mom's birthday! Happy Birthday, Mama!) so I'll be back tomorrow! xo