A Simply Jessica Marie Family Crest, Made Complete

Way back in 2020, I fell head over heels in love with Simply Jessica Marie’s exquisite watercolor crests. For our 18th anniversary that May, I asked Honey if I could have one made just for our family – a timeless piece that would capture all the little details that make us, well, us. He agreed (thrilled to cross “gift” off his list, I’m sure!) and I got to work with Jessica right after the New Year.

Most of Jessica’s clients are brides dreaming up wedding crests, but I wanted ours to be a forever piece … a snapshot of who we are and what we love, all wrapped up in her beautiful, delicate style. From our first consult call, I knew we were in good hands. I’d already spent countless hours swooning over her Instagram and crest bar, so I came prepared with a list of icons and meaningful touches.

Working together, we used many of Jessica’s existing elements and added custom pieces that made it truly ours: a portrait of sweet Elsa Belle, our front door with its cross hanger and ferns, and little details like monograms for John and Whit, angel wings for Matthew, and nods to our love for travel, Georgia, our faith, and our country.

Jessica kept me in the loop with sketches and drafts, and when the finished crest arrived right on time for our anniversary on May 18, it was every bit as special as I’d dreamed. I chose the white floral crest in sky blue and navy with a double letter vintage monogram and “Est. 2002”, a sweet reminder of when it all began.

For icons, moving counterclockwise from the top left, we included:

• An airplane for our love of travel
• A cross for our Catholic faith
• A hidden Mickey tucked into pink peonies
• A marsh bird for our coastal heart
• Our front door, custom painted
• Elsa Belle, perfectly captured with her bow
• A gold pennant flag for Georgia Tech
• John and Whit’s monograms, with angel wings for Matthew
• A peach for Georgia
• An American flag for our love of the USA

When Elsa’s portrait arrived, I immediately ordered a print — she looked too precious not to display!

Fast forward a few sweet years and, of course, our family grew by four feet with the arrival of precious little Anna Dasher. I just couldn’t stand to have our tiniest family member missing from our crest, so back to Jessica I went. She worked her magic again, painting Anna Dasher to match Elsa’s style and adding her right into our family crest. Now it feels perfect and complete in every way.

I framed and displayed our crest, Elsa and Anna together in my workspace, and seeing them there makes me smile every single day. The colors, the details, and the meaning behind every icon are such happy reminders of all that makes our family ours.

Here you can see how I framed and displayed my crest and art! I am so in love with it here in my work space.

The gold bamboo frames are found here (affililate links):
8×10″ with UV Glass | 16×20″ with UV Glass

One of my favorite parts is that Jessica provides high-res files along with the art prints, so you can sprinkle your crest on just about anything your heart desires. She has a lovely range of products on her website, but I’ve also used my own printing company to make notepads, notebooks, mugs, stickers, and even a little “day care” tote for Elsa … and now Anna too, of course.

If you’ve ever thought about creating a family crest, wedding crest, or just a meaningful keepsake, I can’t recommend Simply Jessica Marie enough. She’s a joy to work with and her talent speaks for itself. Tell her I sent you – not because there’s anything in it for me, but because I love to see small businesses and artists shine in the spaces they make so special. (she is on maternity leave right now, but get on her list!)

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