it's in the cards.

movin' on up.

2012-08-14T09:40:00.002-07:00

I have been wanting to create a more simple blog link for quite a while, and I finally did it! This blogspot page has been a fantastic starting point for me, but you can now find me at www.inthecardsblog.com.
Please visit my new site-- there are plenty of cards coming soon.

"beside the white chickens"

2012-07-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

Back in May (yes, I know, I am so behind!), Derek celebrated his 26th Birthday. We all went to Uneeda Burger and then finished off the night with a delicious chocolate cake at 1312.
Derek is off to grad school in the fall to study something he is truly passionate about -- poetry. We all know how much he loves it, because poems seem to sneak out of him at the most unexpected times :)
One of his well-known favorites is "The Red Wheelbarrow"by William Carlos Williams. I wanted to somehow integrate this into a card, and...voila!

Before I made it, Matt and I did a little side research to make sure the poem didn't have a well-hidden morbid background. All seemed to be okay. Happy Birthday, Derek!

shake it out

2012-07-09T15:36:00.002-07:00

We just finished up another season with the Seattle Ladies Choir, and I couldn't be more thankful to be a part of that group. The concerts came together so beautifully, and I really was proud of the work that we did. It was even more exciting to get to know some of the ladies in the group- what an inspiring collection of women! I am looking forward to spending more time with them in the future and for the start of our next season in late August :)
I made these little thank-you cards for all of the ladies to thank the executive members for all of their hard work.

pa rum pa pum pum

2012-07-03T10:49:00.001-07:00

A while back, Matt and I went to celebrate Anne's birthday at her new house with a bunch of friends. It was a particularly exciting party, because a close friend of everybody- Danya, flew in for the occasion. I love watching people get surprised! It was a great party with a fun theme. Anne & Patrice held the party in the theme of the show "Chopped", and everybody had to bring certain dishes including ingredients such as: bacon, cheese puffs, sweet potatoes, and/or beer. Matt and I made an IPA sweet potato mash that I won't lie- was pretty delish.

I asked Matt what to draw on Anne's card, and he told me to sketch up a little drum. I did just that- and even used my new watercolor pencils and water brush (amazing).I don't know if I've ever received a better reaction than I got from both Anne and Patrice. :)

Happy Birthday, Anne!

long time no see...

2012-07-03T10:38:00.002-07:00

Okay, okay. I know- it's been months since I've blogged. Many exciting things have happened in the last few months, but I will catch up on them with the few cards I did create.

A quick synopsis of life since April: I got a new job, which I flew into at full speed (I've already been on two work trips! Denver and San Fran!). Our office got teeny tiny in size, which tripled the amount of work we each have. Birthdays galore took place, I flew home for a day for my brother's high school graduation, flew back in time to work a huge event. Matt and I began and completed the exciting feat of an apartment search. We went camping, too! I performed in another epic concert series with the Seattle Ladies Choir. ... You get the picture.

But, I did have a chance to make a few cards. They are coming right up!

hey, that's me!

2012-04-05T10:32:00.005-07:00

This blog got a mention in the Career & Employment Services blog from Puget Sound. Had to share a link! Click here to have a look :)

we miss you, amy!

2012-04-02T16:42:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite things to do (besides making cards) is singing. Luckily enough, I get to sing once a week with a fabulous bunch of girls in the Seattle Ladies Choir. We sing loads of fun songs and it is a great time.

Sadly, our leader, Amy, had to move on from the choir as she was presented with an exciting job opportunity. Other choir leaders asked me to make a card for her, which I was honored to do. I had to add some pink "flair" to the card-- I hope she likes it!

giving thanks

2012-03-21T16:26:00.000-07:00

I celebrated my 25th birthday earlier this month, and it was a blast! I had a couple of friends come into town, had a huge party, and a fun dinner with friends on my actual birthday. I am a lucky lady. Many people sent flowers (I had 5 beautiful bouquets by the end of the week!), gifts, and warm wishes.

Of course, thank you cards had to be made. I love this bunting theme that I keep seeing on the internet, and I thought it would be a perfect thank-you card. I plan to make many more. Stay tuned, I am thinking about selling them!

It's in...the paintings!

2012-03-21T11:53:00.001-07:00

Okay, so this technically isn't a card. But! I just finished this little project for Sarah & Phrai, and it felt so good to paint again. They are having a baby in June, and I really wanted to paint something for the nursery. We all have a love for elephants, so that became the theme. It was so fun being free with the color and adding some sparkle as well. :)

Close-up:

1 year.

2012-03-15T20:19:00.001-07:00

Matt and I celebrated 1 year together over the weekend. We had a really fun day- we made breakfast, walked around beautiful downtown Seattle, and had a delicious dinner at Tilth. It was so great to reminisce about the past year and to think about all of the fun times ahead. I gave him this little card with lyrics from a favorite song. Happy anniversary!

Valentine

2012-02-14T11:13:00.000-08:00

I was pretty excited to make this card, I won't lie. It's not often that I get to be as cheesy as I want to be.
Matt and I are always playing Scrabble, so I thought it would be fun to do a little something with Scrabble tiles. I ended up going with a really sketchy design, which turned out to be fun.
Happy Valentine's Day to all my loved ones- near and far!

belated wishes

2012-01-18T08:43:00.000-08:00

Sarah had her golden birthday over the holiday break! We didn't have the chance to celebrate with her on the day of her birthday, but we did a little birthday lunch at the end of a long work week. This is going to be such an exciting year for Sarah and her husband--I'm so happy for them! Happy Birthday!

winter birthday wishes

2012-01-18T08:33:00.000-08:00

Pooja celebrated her birthday this year with a few friends at The Yard, a great little bar in Seattle. It was so fun to catch up with her-- we had both been to India this fall, so it was fun to share stories and experiences. I made her this little candle card for the occasion! Happy Birthday, Pooja!

have a holly, jolly christmas

2012-01-18T08:25:00.000-08:00

I can't believe the Christmas season has already come and gone! It seems like it was just summertime.

I really enjoyed making cards for the holidays last year and definitely wanted to do it again. I decided to stick with a simple look and a lyric from a Christmas song. This year, I went with a sprig of holly and a line from 'Have a Holly Jolly Christmas'. I was happy with how they turned out!

the 25th milestone

2011-12-23T19:07:00.000-08:00

Lydia turned 25 a few weeks ago! It's funny- 25 seems like such a significant milestone for all of us. I think Lyd is going to have one hell of a wonderful year. We kicked it off by having a great holiday adventure to Tacoma's Zoolights. It was so fun to celebrate her and the season together :)

mama's birthday

2011-12-23T18:59:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is always right around my Mom's birthday-- it is great, because all 4 of us kids get to be home and celebrate with her. This year, I brought Matt and we all had a ton of fun.
I had seen this elephant graphic embroidered on a baby's shirt in India when I was there in November. I had to take a picture and use it for a card. This seemed like the perfect occasion! :)
Happy Birthday, Mom!

birthday bird

2011-12-12T21:48:00.000-08:00

My friend and coworker Rainier had a birthday while I was away in India. We have a long standing joke about birds, so I knew the subject of his card had to be a bird. I thought this royal one was quite fitting. It was fun to leave the card behind at work so that he could receive it on the big day :)

Happy Birthday, Rainier! Seize the day!

6.

2011-09-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

A little card for Matt. :)

Detail:

mile-high thank yous.

2011-09-13T22:25:00.000-07:00

Last month, Matt and I went on a weekend trip to Colorado to visit his family. In the two days that I was there, we visited and explored Denver, Vail, and Boulder. I had so much fun wandering around and could not get over the Colorado scenery. I've decided that I will need a luxury vacation home in Vail one day ;)
Matt's parents and his brother & brother's girlfriend were all wonderful. I had a great time getting to know them all and seeing their stomping grounds! We spent a large portion of the weekend laughing, which was great.
I had to send over some thank-yous for the great trip. Here they are!

For Matt's parents:

For Beau & Kirsten:

Thanks again for the wonderful trip!

windy city thank yous

2011-08-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, I went to Chicago for a business conference. It was pretty exciting to go all on my own and to attend the sessions during the day and explore the city in the evening. Chicago holds a special place in my heart -- as it was my first home! It was so exciting to be back in the city.
While I was there, I was lucky enough to meet up with a few family friends/friends of my own. Everybody was so nice to alter their work weeks and busy lives to make time to grab dinner or explore the city with me. I had to send thank yous!

All three:

For the Koppula Family:

For the Rupani Family:

For Kristina

Thanks for such an excellent stay, everybody! I'll be back soon!

until we say hello again!

2011-08-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

In general, I am not a fan of goodbyes. I'd much prefer it if all of my loved ones stayed in the same area so that I could see them whenever I please. :) But of course, sometimes goodbyes have to happen.
Nora's headed off to Alabama to spend a the next year or so teaching in a new state and living near her boyfriend, Payton. Though it's a goodbye in some ways, it's not TOO bad, because they've promised that they'll return to the PNW very soon.
I'm really excited to hear all about Nora's new adventures down south, and am certain that we'll stay in touch! I can't wait for you guys to move back! Payton, take care of our girl!

I made this fun card for Nora and gave it to her at her going-away party that we had in Eatonville. We all had such a great time hanging out by the bonfire and camping! Can't wait until we all do it again.

happy birthday, matt!

2011-08-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

Matt's 26th birthday is coming up in the next week! Unfortunately, I will be out of town and won't be able to celebrate with him on the actual day. There had to be a celebration, so I took him out for some surprise birthday festivities just a bit before the big day. We had such a great time!
I made Matt this card because he absolutely loves biking. I had seen a similar concept online, and thought I'd try it out with a birthday message. I was planning on erasing all of the pencil lines, but ended up really liking the sketchy feel of it. I hope he liked it!

Happy Birthday :)

cheers!

2011-08-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

Derek just finished up his last week at his old job, and we all couldn't be more excited for him. He will definitely soon be doing bigger & better things. You deserve the best, Derek! Cheers!
We all signed this card for Derek during one of our weekly family dinners :)

welcome back

2011-08-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

Our Office Assistant Sharron took an exciting trip last month to Guatemala to spend time with her son. She had never done such an on-a-whim trip, and was really anxious and thrilled to be going. We all signed this card to welcome her back to the office. :)

birds & britney

2011-07-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, the most fun nights are those that you didn't plan. A couple of weeks ago, my coworker Sarah told me that a couple of friends had bailed on an upcoming Nicki Minaj & Britney Spears concert, and asked me if I wanted to go. Obviously, I said 1000% yes, and got to ask Callie to come along! When we got there, we got bumped up to the floor section, and ended up sitting next to people who paid $400 for their seats! It was SUCH a blast, and a night I will remember for a long time.
I had to thank Sarah & her husband Ephraim for their generosity, so I made them this card and gave it to them with a bottle of wine. Can't wait until our next adventure together!

Detail:

As for the peacock, I got the idea from a panting I saw on Pinterest, a blog-sharing website that I have recently become obsessed with. I definitely recommend it!