MIDWEST MINUTE: crystal madrilejos

welcome to "midwest minute," virtual coffee klatch with folks who live in the midwest + happen to be artsy, crafty or culinary and just plain cool.

who: crystal madrilejos

what: graphic designer

where: medina, ohio

why: freelance graphic design (e.g., invitations, posters, logos + more) + party planning tips

Q: i was first introduced to you when your wedding was featured on design*sponge. i loved your tablescape ideas! what inspired you to come up with such fun, down-home, eco-chic designs? were they easy to make?

Thanks! Early on in our wedding planning, Andrew and I knew we didn't want flowers. Growing up in Ohio and living in NYC really made us both appreciate the beauty of nature. First because we were raised surrounded by it and second because we lived with such a lack of it in the city. So it all came pretty naturally to us. We ended going without flowers, except for my bouquet (e.g., white peonies cut from our yard and a couple of green silk peonies thrown into the mix).

Each centerpiece was unique and because of this we had to start compiling all of the elements pretty early on in our planning. First, all the containers were vintage white, green or clear glass. In total, we had almost 100 containers that we bought very inexpensively from thrift stores in our area. 

The plants were from various sources ranging from greenhouses to my parents' back yard. The great thing about these centerpieces was that we could do them ahead of time. So maybe a month before the wedding our families got together to have a planter-making day My sisters and I transplanted all of the plants into containers, while Andrew and my brother-in-laws foraged the woods for fallen trees to cut into log slices to use as raisers for the planters. 

Not only did they turn out looking great but they didn't harm the environment either all of the planters were either taken home by our family and friends or planted in my parents backyard after the wedding. All-in-all, they were a lot of work, but so worth it in the end.

Q: after studying at parsons and living in the big apple, how has living in the midwest influenced your sense of aesthetic or artistry?

Growing up in Ohio was absolutely essential in developing my sense of aesthetic. I'm not sure if it would have been as obvious to me if I hadn't lived in NYC for so long. Living in NYC made me really appreciate all of the great things that Ohio has to offer. I think the main way that the Midwest has influenced my creativity is in my love of old things; things from another time. If anything, living in the Midwest helped perfect my art of thrift store shopping!

Q: favorite place in the midwest + why?

Our backyard! Heck, anyone's backyard! You don't have those in the city.

Q: with weddings and summer soirees on the horizon, can you share a words of party planning wisdom with us?

Don't be afraid to be different. Not everything has to be done by the book and when it comes to your wedding, there are no rules!

fun facts:

crystal grew up in medina, ohio and moved to manhattan the summer she graduated from high school where she attended parsons school of design, graduating with a BFA in 2003. after her studies, she primarily focused on editorial design in NYC. she moved back to her hometown of medina last year.

while she works full-time at wise group in cleveland. in her free time, she dabbles in personal projects and keeps a blog for the design studio that she co-founded with her now hubby, "yes, have some." 

here are some of her fab-o crafts and freelance graphic designs - enjoy!

(wedding photo credits: lauren crews/crewscontrl + photo credits: crystal madrilejos)