I am a creative genius.

Yesterday, I had one of those experiences where everything in your mind comes together and you realize that in that moment in time, you are a creative genius. Some people experience it directing or choreographing a show, when all of a sudden, it just works. Or you're a cook and you've been missing that little taste that makes your dish perfect. You add it, taste it, and you know you've got a winner.

That happened to me yesterday. Standing in the aisle of AC Moore, looking at beautiful swatches of scrapbooking paper, I found the element to tie it all together. I am a creative genius.

For the past couple months I have been trying to figure out how to package my invitations within the envelope in a way that I imagine people pulling them out and gasping at the sweet beauty. "But Shannon," you say, "it's just paper." Yes, it is paper, but it's so much more! It's literally the first impression that the wedding guests will have of the kind of day it will be. It sets the tone, the formality, and gives a glimpse into the couple's romance, if done well enough.

Words that I have used to describe the feel for our wedding have been rustic winter romance. I never considered incorporating blue and silver and snowflakes into my decor (not that there's anything wrong with those things), because that's not the feeling I want accompanying our day. When I picture our day, I picture our families and friends coming together, cozying up on the dance floor while a soft snow falls outside. Cheerful chatter and laughter while cocktails or cocoa are sipped by the roaring fireplace at the tavern. The flicker of light from the hurricane globes, accented by the evergreen wreaths speckled with pepperberries. Everything I picture is warm and joyful. Blue and silver don't do that for me.

So yesterday, I became a true dork/creative genius, because I found the perfect paper to work into my invitations to pull all the elements together. The color, the season, the design...I can't wait to share pictures. I hope my vision comes to life as I imagine it! I am still in the process of cutting and assembling. It will probably take this whole week to finish, as I am cutting each by hand. It is tiring, but when I think about my grandmother, or a friend I haven't seen in forever, opening that envelope and sliding out the bundle of paper, I can't help but smile.

It just works.