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farewell dm designs & hello....

Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is with great pleasure that I officially announce the retirement of dm designs... and proudly introduce the company's new identity as limefish studio! 

I am thrilled to be moving forward with all limefish branding from here on out. All the great projects, custom artwork, and inspiration will remain the same.... the name has just been refreshed to better reflect the overall style and long-term goals of the company.

limefish studio is a creative independent business that thrives on artistic versatility

and specializes in creating custom artwork for clients. 

This decision may confuse some of you, but rest assured, I have given it much careful consideration. In fact, the brainstorming of limefish studio began well over a year ago! Sadly, dm designs was created slightly more out of convenience than out of a passion for the branding. I believe the original logo development was something I worked on during college, and then as my independent art sales began to rise, my sales in boutiques began, and the desire for a blog arose, I realized I needed a brand. The look and feel of dm designs changed slightly over time and I became increasingly more pleased with how things were coming together, but I honestly never loved it. I was so busy working on projects for clients however, that I could not find the time for myself. It was easier to continue as it was. Also, over time, I battled with the actual word "designs" because my portfolio and services were rapidly epanding and the word seemed restricting. I tried to make adjustments by adding other tag words along the bottom, but truthfully was bothered by the clutter. I disliked the feeling of being half of what I really wanted to be.

Also, I began thinking about a lot of my ultimate goals for the future. I wanted to have my artwork featured in boutiques, and I've happily achieved that. Now, at some point down the road (even if it's 30 years from now) I want to have my own storefront. Ideally, it would be a boutique and studio, where I can not only take custom orders and sell current artwork, but can also have my own studio space or even a shared studio space to offer art lessons and classes. Big dreams, I know! :) But.... with all that said, the more I thought about it, the more I knew that it would never be called dm something.... It would definitely be limefish. 

I needed a name that was more whimsical and memorable. While I won't share the full details of my personal attachment to the name, I definitely think limefish reflects the fun nature of the artwork I create. It's slightly random, I know, but so am I. It has the childlike qualities that reflect the nurseries I paint, the baby shower gifts I do, and my new role as an art teacher. I feel it also has the clean sophisticated lines and subtle interest that I utilize in the graphic design work. Overall, I believe it's more catchy (... like a fish, haha, forgive the cheesiness, I've been staring at a computer too much lately).

Like I said, I've been stewing over this for quite some time, but the mountain of legwork behind switching everything over was certainly daunting. What finally gave me the giant push? Well, I've been wanting my own website (yes, a real site in addition to this lovely blog I love so much).  I started searching.... and searching.... and searching.  And, believe it or not, every single (dot)com combination I could think of that was close to dm designs, dani marie, dani marie designs, dani marie, etc. were all taken. THEN - the worst part - I googled those words as well.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . all new businesses should be aware of this! . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 

I truly wish I had done this search a long time ago before ever moving forward with dm designs. Silly, silly me for not. A few weeks ago, when I googled those combination of words above, I discovered that there were several companies with similar names and another actual dm designs in California. Yea, it's annoying, and I could have let it slide.... but, the worst part - this company had ridiculously terrible reviews written about it. Everything from being lazy to bad designs to a client taking them to court! YIKES. Then, to make matters worse, I looked at google images. It was exciting to see a lot of my artwork pop up immediately. It was NOT exciting to see an insane amount of naked women pop up! What the!?!?!  I was shocked and beyond frustrated. I did not want my company being associated with any of that nonsense. THIS was the big push forward I needed.

I made a list (a very long list) of all the things I needed to do including buying limefishstudio.com! :) YAY! Be on the lookout for me new website soon! There were a zillion other places I had to think about too.... including this blog, facebok, etsy, twitter, pinterest, and so on. Almost all sites are wonderful in the fact that I can simply update my name and photo.

Facebook, unfortunately, is the only case where you cannot change the actual name of your page (that option is only available if fewer than 100 people like your page) So..... I have to completely start over from scratch, but it's worth it. And I'm hoping all your current 800+ lovely fans of dm designs will make the transition with me and head over to LIKE limefish studio.... right? pretty please?

Be sure to stay connected with all the new and exciting changes!

Show & Tell: International Children's Festival Painting

I am so pleased to be donating another painting for this year's International Children's Festival. 

For those of you in the Hampton, VA area, please consider attending this great event on Saturday, April 21, 2012! 

Check out their facebook page, here, for more details.

Sneak Peek: More Clues - Any Guesses?

Here are two more little clues for you about the big changes ahead for dm designs. 

Any guesses? 

Sneak Peek: Big Changes Ahead

I'm finally ready to tell you that there are VERY big changes ahead for this company.

This is your first little sneak peek clue.

PS. Don't feel out-of-the-loop....  I have only shared the full details with five people.

Yes, that's how top-secret it is ;)

New Colorful Abstract Art for Sale

The other night I caught my second wind sometime after midnight which resulted in three new paintings. This style is definitely a bit newer for me, but I love the whimsical abstract feel and the bright colors. Be on the lookout... I'm sure I'll be creating many more like this.

"Amongst the Butterflies" © dani marie 2012

"Beneath the Sea" © dani marie 2012

"Before the Rain" © dani marie 2012

I love creating custom paintings!
So if you or someone you know might be interested... please don't hesitate to contact me.

View a collection of my work on facebook:

 Or, go ahead and submit your ideas now through a project request form!

101 Valentine's Day Ideas

Valentine's Day is just around the corner! 

Are you ready? Still need inspiration?

Click here for 101 Valentine's Day ideas!

Wedding: First Look

This was originally posted on 05-13-11. 
However, lately I've been talking with several people about this topic again and wanted to share a handful of new photos and interesting article links. 
Please take a peak and let me know your thoughts!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Choices, choices, choices.

An amazing photographer friend, William Walker, first explained the concept of First Look to me and I thought it quite interesting.  Although it is not the traditional "walk down the aisle in front of all your guests" first glance, it is an incredibly powerful moment in different ways. The concept is that prior to the ceremony, while guests are settling, the couple has a few moments alone (with the photographer of course) to enjoy an intimate First Look together.  I really love the fact that those first special moments and your reactions seeing each other are caught on camera. You have the entire evening ahead filled with your closest friends and family... so why not take a minute for yourselves? 

As this lovely bride says,
"Looking back, I think it was one of the best decisions we had made. We had tons of fun, and we got to enjoy each other in such an intimate way. And at the ceremony, we were both so much more relaxed." ...read more

Another great thing about this concept is that since you are getting the majority of your couple portraits taken before the ceremony, your hair & makeup will be fresh, you'll spend less time taking post-ceremony taking pictures (you'll still take the family and bridal party shots), and you may be able enjoy a little bit of your cocktail party (if you're having one). If a traditional aisle first look happens, the couple typically misses the entire cocktail party (which is just plain silly) :)

Lauren, from Every Last Detail has a post on this very topic, weighing the pro's and con's. She says she strongly wishes someone had told her about this prior to her wedding. Now, she greatly regrets she didn't get the chance. 
"A First Look isn’t for everyone, and it’s not the “traditional” thing to do. But if photography is important to you, then you should seriously consider a First Look. Some of the absolute best wedding photos I have seen have been when the bride and groom have a First Look." ...read more 

The Knotty Bride shared their point of view - along with lots of great photos. And, be sure to check out all the reader comments too! One reader, Emily, says,

"Absolutely, first look all the way. We did one, and it was one of the most special parts of the day. It also relieved some of the stress/jitters, it was a moment of “oh yea, that’s why I’m doing this!” And the moments before the church door opened could be about what we were about to do and not about if he’d like my dress. The bad luck legend is totally a holdover from when people hadn’t always met their future spouses before the wedding and might freak out and run away." ...read more

OMG! What a creative and unique twist on the First Look! The setup is beautiful and the photographer, Ellie Marks Photography, captured their moment beautifully. Check out the rest of the photos on Done Brightly. 

And, lastly, check out what the guys have to say here in Jasmine Star Photography's Groom's Perspective article.

"Having the opportunity to see Ala during our "First Look" was one of the most special moments from our wedding. I personally like to think of it as two little kids sneaking downstairs on christmas eve to see how big the gifts are underneath the tree and then sneaking back upstairs before you get caught by your parents. And, this analogy is definitely our style. I was pleased at the opportunity to get to spend intimate time with my soon to be wife" - Steven. 

"Being able to share that moment with my fiancee, without 130 people watching was incredible. I truly believe that if we hadn't done our first look before the ceremony, we wouldn't have been able to get the photos we did. Also, it didn't change the feeling of watching my beautiful bride walk down the isle. Oh, it also alleviated me from being a crying mess" - Robert.   

And... I of course had to talk with our own wedding photographer, Ashely Bee, and hear her thoughts regarding the First Look. She said,

"We do our best to educate our brides of the benefits of doing a First Look: more time for photos while everyone is fresh, dedicated private moment for the bride and groom to see each other for the first time, less anxiety leading up to the ceremony, a relaxed and casual photoshoot following the ceremony during the sunset during the cocktail hour and just all around less time feeling rushed!" 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Choices, choices, choices. I know which way I'm swaying....  what about you?

What did you do? What will you do? What do you think are the PROS and CONS of a First Look?
I'd love to hear your thoughts!