ink'd. life on paper

Misson Call

2012-02-09T12:51:00.000-08:00

This post has been a long time coming...19 years! In the Mormon faith, boys at age 19 are expected to serve 2 year missions. They go through lots of 'training' to get ready for these 2 years. All through high school there are various activities to help them learn the gospel & be prepared to serve others. And then it intensifies post high school with weekly meetings to study & be sure that is where & what they want to do. Then they visit about 100 doctors to make sure they are physically capable to be called to almost anywhere in the world. After that they fill out their 'papers' with their parents & bishop. At around 18-and-a-half it is a common question for boys, 'Are your papers in yet?' 'Have you submitted your papers yet?' 'When can you submit your papers?' There is lots of talk about their 'papers!' The 'papers' are merely all their info from doctors, parents, bishops & the missionary himself...kind of like an application form.

Once they are filled out, then they are submitted. Which means they are sent to Salt Lake City, where church headquarters are. Each missionary will then receive a 'call' or assignment from our prophet, Thomas S. Monson.

Once they are submitted, it is a waiting game. Mailboxes are checked. Online statuses are double checked & fingernails are bitten. All in anticipation of this white envelope:

Kevin's call arrived on a Thursday & he was on a flight home from Provo that night. We waited around ALL day on Friday so we could all be there Friday night when he opened it. There was a lot of speculation about where he might go...

I looked online to gather my 'best' guess as to where he might land...did you know my family is a bit competitive? Yes...it even spreads to things like this! Anyway, I had no idea how many missions there actually were...The Congo, Thailand, Ukraine, Figi, Ghana, Armenia, Singapore, Italy, Korea, Marshall Islands...the list went on & on. Some I found intriguing & others left me nervous! Mongolia! Mozambique! Madagascar! I didn't even know where half these places were. We had a good idea he would probably go foreign {meaning out of the States} because of the amount of postage on his white envelope. Kevin & his {1million} friends leaving on missions soon have noticed that the foreign calls typically have more postage on them because they are heavier with paperwork. So for instance, some of his 'state side' friends' postage was about $.60 while his other friends going foreign were about $.80. His postage? $.90. I told him he was probably going to be the first missionary on the moon. {Did you know Newt Gingrich has a colony there?!?}

So we all made our best guesses. Scot choose Scotland. I picked Thailand. Scoobs chose Mexico & we chose California for The Lady...I guess they have a lot of missions in California, so she had good odds!

And then it was time to open...he reads through the intro...we are all holding our breaths...and he keeps reading...stumbling over some words & finally gets to it...'you have been called to serve the people of Samara Russia.'

I will admit I was nervous & excited for him all at the same time. I first thought, at least it is a developed country. Scot didn't have running water some of the time on his mission...I figure, he's okay in Russia on that count, right? But geez...how cold is it there? Needless to say we were on google about 1 mili second later. Turns out the average temp is 42 degrees. yeesh.

And then I kind of felt like throwing up. I can't believe it's here & he will be halfway around the world this summer. He won't be beaching it or spending the 4th of July around the pool with us. He will be in Russia, which is where he needs to be, but it is always bittersweet. I know it will be an amazing experience for him with a lot of growth, but that doesn't happen without some harrowing days in there & my heart aches for him in advance for those days. My little Scoobs is already missing him & he hasn't left yet!

But even though my selfish self is really sad {I love having Kevin around}! I am so very excited for him to fall in love with the people in Russia & have those experiences. He is prepared beyond measure to go & serve & exudes goodness. They are so lucky to have him. I can't wait to hear all about it in his letters & I'm grateful for his example to Scoobs. He always surprises me with his maturity & discipline & for that I am most grateful.

Oh...and my mom, sister & I all showed up in the same thing. Funny part is, I saw my mom earlier that day & we both had on something else. Great minds think alike.

Orzo with Parmesan & Basil

2012-02-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I made this for dinner.

I have about 1 million things pinned on pinterest & am now sorting my way through some of them...you will probably only hear about the winners.

And I'm happy to report, this one will stick around.

It is an orzo dish & is perfect for those nights when you have soccer practice,

church meetings & about 1 million other things going on, but still want something

warm & home cooked.

Go here for the recipe.

Back in Season

2012-02-07T07:38:00.000-08:00

Scoobs started another soccer season a couple weeks back & I am back in my comfort zone of soccer mom. Some games he is a bump on a log, like last week when my mom, dad & brother came...taking his turn in goal {which he loves} & being silly with his friends. And other weeks he's on fire, like this week, when it was just me, Scot & the Lady in attendance. I love watching his interpretation of the game, it is almost like I can read the marque of thoughts going through his head...calculating where he should be & when. He has one little buddy on the team that he's played with before & when they get the chance to play together, they will actually pass the ball down the field.

This last Saturday, he scored 5 goals & the other team was actually cheering against him. I could hear parent's yelling, 'stop him!' to their kids & I have to say it kind of made me smile...until they started grabbing his jersey & pushing him over. Really.

And I get that sometimes the goal-scoring kid is annoying...and maybe their parents are even more annoying? So on those goal scoring games, I struggle to balance how much I cheer for him. Sounds dumb, right? But it's not like I want to jump out of my chair & hoot & holler at every goal...that's obnoxious. But at the same time, the kid is 5 & he's playing hard & having fun, so why not be happy for him?

Anyway, I wasn't quite sure they were actually pushing him. He kept falling & I could tell he was ticked about it, but I was distracted with the Lady & thought maybe it was my crazy pregnant hormones. So I kept my mouth shut & let it play out. But then another dad on our team finally yelled, 'oh c'mon ref you GOTTA call that!' as Scoobs landed in a heap just feet from the goal. As the other team cheered that he 'fell.' I would probably fall too, if my jersey was grabbed. You should know that Scot is coaching on the field, so he can't actually yell at the ref...and that is usually my job when I'm not busy being pregnant. And so the game ended with a penalty kick, that Scoobs didn't even want to take because he was crying over being manhandled.

I admit at first, I was a little peeved. According to Scoobs, the kid was grabbing his jersey & in the process actually grabbed & pinched his back & that was what he was crying about. We have a little rule at our house that their is no crying on the soccer field & so when Scot reminded him to either play, or sit out, he composed himself, but by then the game was over. There was half a minute where I wanted to go have a word with the mom that was yelling so fiercely against him. Like really?

There have been games where Scoobs has been on the other end...getting his butt kicked. But my mom & I actually started cheering for the girl doing the butt kicking because she was playing awesome & that is fun. We were laughing at how good she was. Scoobs couldn't get anything past her & she completely shut him out...again & again & again. Frankly, I was glad she kicked his butt. It made him work a little harder & know what it felt like to lose. He still talks about her & laughs about how she kicked his butt.

Instead of sharing my two cents, I kept my mouth shut in regards to the other parents...but I did let Scoobs know that if that happens again, he has every right to stand up, look that kid in the face & tell him to knock it off...and then go score on him again.

{post edit}: You should know, that I really hesitated in posting this. I re-wrote it in a generic form, giving you a nondescript account of how I was grateful for him to have the opportunity to learn good life lessons via soccer...which is true. I'm glad he's had both experiences, I just prefer the 'real' account better than the 'generic' & figured you would too. So hopefully you find the humor...

Mother Goose Baby Shower Invites

2012-02-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

{Front}

{Back}

I did this invites earlier this Fall & have yet to get them on the blog or in the shop...but they are here now. We printed these on a fine art linen paper & I loved how they turned out.

In the shop I am offering the front as a digital file, where you do your own printing, but I also love the striped back & think it adds a ton to the design, so it is up for grabs that way too.

Doing Less of This & More of That.

2012-02-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

What's not to love, right?

I'm officially 2 months from having a new baby...and a part of me is a bit sad for this baby.

She's a lover.

And so, I'm soaking up these last weeks with her.

Try not to be jealous.

Framed Book Art

2012-02-02T22:03:00.000-08:00

I am a lover of books. I love to read & somehow hope to instill that in my kids. I want them to love a great book. And so...I tend to buy books, especially hardback children's books. And then I get them home & take off their beautiful book jackets because I certainly don't want them ruined! And then think...now what? What do I do with the book jackets? I can't bring myself to throw them away, but again, don't want them ruined...and so, I decided to frame them & hang them in the reading corner of their new playroom. Did I mention I managed to move every room in this house to accommodate this baby? Yeah more on that later...

First, I bought me some 8x10 frames at HomeGoods or Hobby Lobby...or somewhere, I can't remember now.

Then I pulled the glass out & used that as my template for where to cut on the book jackets. Traced.

Cut.

Framed & hung.

I love all 3 of these books because they actually have some significant meaning. The first, Dr. Suess' The Place You'll Go, was a gift my husband received when he graduated high school.

The second, The Ugly Duckling, was actually read to me at my wedding dinner -- and that was the actual book my sister bought to read from...and yes, my family is brutal.

And the third, well let's just say we love Olivia.

How to Print Better at Costco

2012-02-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

Whether you admit it or not, we all know that the cheapest, most bang for you buck place to print your photos & printables is Costco.

I kind of have a love/hate relationship with Costco Photo Printing.

I love to hate it and...

I hate to love it.

Sometimes, it is just what makes the most sense, so even I, will on occasion skip my fancy dancy labs & head to Costco. So here is the trick to actually getting a somewhat decent photo &/or printable artwork printed from there...

STEP ONE:

For the life of me, I cannot figure why their default photo finish is set to glossy. Once you have your photos placed in your shopping cart, switch the finish to lustre! Or curse yourself & Costo's defaults when you pick up your fingerprinty glossy prints. yuck.

STEP TWO:

This is a little tricky, because you will feel like you have already placed your order, but in fact, you can still make changes & this one is crucial to every designer & photographer. When reviewing your order you will see the above box...you might have to look for it. Click on the 'edit options' button because we want to turn the 'auto correct' OFF. I have printed prints with this on & ALL my colors are wonky...which drives me a bit batty. Typically they come back too red, if I haven't turned this off.

STEP THREE:

When you click on the 'edit options' button in Step Two, you will be lead to this page, click that little box to turn off auto-correct, click continue & then thank me when you pick up your prints.

And that's it.

Here's to better prints from Costco!

Customized Children's Artwork

2012-01-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

More inspiration from Pottery Barn Kids. Love that place & when I saw these cute custom art pieces hanging on their catalog walls...my design brain jumped right on board.

I'm sure I'll be adding more & more of these as times permits, but the idea is the artwork is customized with your child's name & either birthday or year of birth. All pieces are sized 11x14.

Makes for some fun artwork if you ask me.

You can find them here.

You may or may not have noticed, I am not offering nearly as many digital files anymore in my shop. As a rule of thumb, custom pieces, like the ones shown here, will be offered in digital form. Other pieces that do not require customization, will typically no longer be offered in digital form...like these ones.

Give Me Your Best...

2012-01-30T07:36:00.000-08:00

Potty training techniques.

Really I am desperately in need. You see, I have this little Lady who, as you well know, likes to give me a run for my money. Just when I think I've got her figured out, she kicks & flails herself into a new phase.

Her current phase? Wetting her pants...among other things. She has been 'potty trained' for 9 months with the exception of naps & bedtime. And yet now, 10 weeks before a new baby, she is so very NOT potty trained. Her wetting & other things got so bad, she is now back in a diaper, which I know was probably my worst mistake, but she was having so many accidents & in places she could not be having accidents, that I finally just gave up.

kill me. I am trying to shore up my patience into giving it another go, but let me remind you...she's a fiesty one. And I'm so very tired of battling her potty woes.

So...whatcha got?!? Something? Please? I'm begging.

Happy Birthday to Scoobs.

2012-01-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

So glad he's mine. He keeps me on my toes & cracks me up every.single.day. Love every moment with him...even when he's telling me, 'this is the worst day ever!'

I've always said he is 4 going on 14 -- he gets my sarcasm & can dish it right back, so everyday holds an abundance of witty comments. Try not to be jealous. He loves to keep up with the 'big' kids & does pretty well at it. He can laugh at himself & will probably laugh at you too. He is happy & his giggles are a common sound around these parts.

Something I love most about him right now is how he takes care of his sister. He is good at teaching her the ropes & loves to build tents with her. I love hearing them carry on in their new room together. He unbuckles her car seat for her & re-tucks her into bed at night when she gets out. He also teases her, chases her & hits her when she gets out of line...you know, just like every older brother should. I love seeing their relationship unfold. He will get after her & then she will retaliate & he will stop look her dead in the eyes & say, 'that didn't hurt' with a little smirk on his face. It makes me laugh every time, because remember, I was always the little sister too.

He knows how to have fun & I'm glad I'm the one who gets to have fun with him.

xoxo. Scoobs. We love you.

Friday Favorite: Sticky Popcorn

2012-01-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

I've had 2 different people call/text for this recipe & I have a bowl of it currently sitting on my counter, so I figure it qualifies as a favorite, right?

First. Pop your popcorn. I pop about 3 mixing bowls worth in an air popper, you could probably use microwave, but not sure.

Then mix this ingredients on the stove:

1 1/2 C. Sugar

1 1/4 C. Karo Syrup

2 sticks butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

You want to let this melt & boil for about 2-3 minutes.

DO NOT OVER COOK THIS.

If it overcooks it will harden on the popcorn & be no bueno.

Once it has boiled, pour over popcorn until evenly coated.

Then pace yourself. You will want to eat all 3 bowls in one sitting.

As a side note, this recipe comes from my aunt who put hers over trail mix, which I love as well. Her trail mix did not include the salt in the sauce recipe & was poured over:

4 C. Cheerios {Honey Nut}

1 box Rice Chex cereal

1/2 package pretzel sticks

Cashews {however many you want}

I really like it over that too, but am mostly too lazy for all that, so I just pop popcorn.

Introducing: Children's Artwork

2012-01-26T05:00:00.000-08:00

Preparing for baby #3 has meant moving the play room & moving Scoobs into a room with The Lady. Which involved way more than I wanted to do, but gave me the ideal set up for my nursery & so...we did it.

I think this is the first time I've actually had a nursery pretty much how I want it. Okay, if money were no concern, of course I'd go completely over-the-top, but is that ever really the case? And even saying that, I'm not sure I'd do much more. I love all the pieces in his nursery & most of them have some sort of meaning & so it feels good to be in there, which is the goal, right?

Already having a boy & a girl, I basically had all the pieces I needed, but things needed tweaking here & there. One thing I wanted was some things for the wall. I wasn't really sure what I even wanted, so I of course, opened up Pottery Barn Kids & Land of Nod.

And then these were born:

I'm actually only using one in the nursery, but they are all up in the shop.

This Thing Called Mothering.

2012-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I want to pull my hair out at the things that go on in my house, my car, my day, my life. Sometimes I cannot believe I am the mom in Walgreen's saying, 'don't touch that.' 'please stay with me.' 'no, we aren't buying that today.' 'please put that back.' 'excuse me. no hitting.' For the entire time I am there. By the end of the day, I am usually tired of listening to myself.

The Lady was sick on Sunday & Monday. The throw ups. So there have been messes. And tonight, dinner included straws with bubbles, burps, tag around the table, tipping over chairs & of course, hitting. Because what would dinner be without those things? Lunchtime included a table for 3 outside on the patio & was complete with more tag, water guns spraying mid-bite & you guessed it, hitting.

Sometimes I actually try to referee these goings on. You know try to keep things civil & mannerly like. Tonight? I just sat & ate my own dinner & let what would be be. As I sat, I tried to list the things I had accomplished today. Sometimes I do that. As chaos ensues, I just pretend to be somewhere else...tonight I was thinking about 'The List.' You know that mental one you tally? The only thing I could think that was on my 'list of things to do' & got accomplished today was 4 windows got washed. That was it.

I kept thinking, I had to have done something more today than just get 4 windows washed. What else? But that was it. Nothing else on my list got checked off.

So what took up our whole day? To be honest, I'm not really sure today, or most days. But we do have blankets littering the family room from tents that have been played in all day. We made it to school & to the school field trip at the fire station. We also managed naps for myself & the Lady. We made it to Target to get supplies for an upcoming birthday. The dishes in the dishwasher are clean. Soccer practice was attended & the park was visited. A birthday gift was delivered & the shower also got a bit of a clean...that is, if you call spraying out some soap & giving your kids sponges while they bathe cleaning the shower.

As I continued to sit amidst the dinner table chaos, I decided maybe my list needs to change. Maybe instead of things like washing 4 windows, it should include more tents, more straws with bubbles & tag...even around the dinner table. Because those? I could check those off every day. And while they might not be the most mannerly in Walgreens, the Lady did take it upon herself to clear her own dishes without being asked tonight & then got all the place mats put away too. And Scoobs? He begs every night to meet me in my bed to read Superfudge & snuggle.

{the glasses? better than these, right?}

I'm adding those to my list & checking them off. No one cares about clean windows anyway.

Spring Planting

2012-01-24T07:54:00.000-08:00

{Scoobs & I are reading Super Fudge...and they catch worms to sell to a neighbor. He thinks he's in business!}

I know in the rest of the world it is winter. Here in the desert though, it feels a lot more like spring. At the start of my nesting phase was this little project, that I drummed up on & whim & an 80 degree Saturday. Flower planting. You should know my mother & grandmother are expert flower planters. Me? Not so much. Scot rolls his eyes whenever thoughts turn to flower planting. But eye rolling aside, I am starting to figure out the ins & outs of flowers at my house. Growing up, we lived on the 'sunny' or north side of the street. My house now, sits on the 'shady' side, or south side of the street, which I have learned can really make a difference in your flowers.

So I have one area, that screams for beautiful flowers. It leads right up to my front door & is perfectly contained for a flower garden. Problem #1: It receives a couple hours of very harsh afternoon sun in the summer & just about zero sun in the winter...which is our prime flower season. Problem #2: Above this little plot my roof line converges as such to produce massive run-off when it rains. Pleting & pounding any poor unsuspecting flower into submission. I've looked into gutters to protect this one little spot...the price tag? $900. Um, no thanks. And so, I've killed plenty of flowers in this little plot.

Here are the first ones to bite the dust.

And here she is this winter. In her barren glory.

On this particular day & Home Depot trip, I wasn't even going to tackle planting anything here. I had yet to devise a plan & so I was just going to leave it dirty & lackluster. But of course, when I am actually at Home Depot, something shiny catches my eye & ends up coming home with me. This time, it was bulbs. yes. Bulbs. I don't think my mom has ever even planted blubs, but I thought, what the heck, they are marked for shade. So I came home with bulbs for 2 different varieties of Lily of the Valley. I wish you could have seen Scot & I looking at these things trying to figure out which way was up. I'm still not sure I've planted one variety correctly. But the other?

Is growing. And I couldn't be more happy. I've actually surprised myself with this whole process, as this planting has actually required some patience & effort without the encouragement of one green thing for weeks. Not something I am known for.

The second area I planted was in my backyard, which receives an abundance of winter sun...it just required me moving mounds of gravel. No big whup when your 7 months pregnant and longing for a work out.

Here she is, all prepped & ready to be planted.

For this area, I planted a variety of different sun-loving seeds. My mom had done this last season & the flowers were amazing. This plot sits right outside my kitchen table window & so I thought the height would be fun & the flowers can actually be cut & put into vases. And so Scoobs & I prepped & prepped & then planted.

Only to come out the next day to a huge water leak. And by huge I mean I was literally shoveling water out of my freshly planted plot, that I had just shoveled gravel from for 2 days.

I may of wanted to curl up in my bed & cry. Instead, I headed for the Depot & got the part I needed for free & fixed the dang thing. And yes, there was some serious eye rolling going on from the spousal unit.

And then I waited. And watered. And hoped I had disturbed my seeds too much with my sprinkler fix. Then I checked with my mom to see how long before something would pop up. She was not very encouraging with her raised eyebrows & response of, 'oh, it took a long time.'

crap.

Until I was watering on Sunday & saw these little guys.

Eye rolling husband pointed out that they were probably weeds. I tell you, some times his support of such projects can be under-whelming.

But I knew better. Because see? These leaves are a little different & I planted three different seeds.

So weeds? I think not. thankyouverymuch.

I can't hardly wait to see what these babies drum up.

More pictures to come.

Happy Spring. er. I mean winter?

Heavy...with Child & Cute Kids.

2012-01-22T21:05:00.000-08:00

Suddenly I am feeling the weight of this baby. My 'nesting' days seemed to have past & my energy levels have dwindled, fading between barely there & non-existent. My ability to sleep has vanished & yet I am always tired. I can't catch my breath & while I can still wear my fabulous maternity pants, the desire to actually get dressed is getting smaller & smaller each day. I counted last night to see how many weeks left. I have not kept track of how far along I've been this whole pregnancy. People ask & I usually reply, 'I don't know...about...and then make my best guess.' My neighbor a couple houses down, is due 2 weeks after me & she is a religious week-keeper-tracker, so I've depended on her to keep me up to date when I really can't pin it down...even remotely close! Technically, I have 12 weeks left, but with a scheduled C-Section at least one week early, I have only 11 weeks left to be heavy with child.

I know they will go by fast, but the hospital is starting to look more & more enticing. I finally feel like I know what I am doing the third time around. And so while I continue to get heavier with child, I do less & less & my kids roam the neighborhood more & more.

Some favorite pics from the week:

These 4 are the plasma car posse.

Do you have a plasma car? If not, you need to get one. Both my kids cruise on it.

Scoobs & The Lady & their cousin at the park. I wish I could say this picture is as rosy as it appears, but in actuality, Scoobs was bringing me, 'the babies' because they were 'bugging' him & his friends. I kind of love that he walked them hand in hand clear across the park to deposit them with me. They might have been bugging, but he's a good brother, right?

And this girl. She has been sick as a dog today, but this week she's been scrounging around the hood like this...post nap hair ragamuffin...because, you know, I am too heavy with child to do it. The red shoes? They were my nieces from 10 years ago. I loved them when she wore them & the Lady dug them out of her stash this week & lo & behold, they fit. perfecto. raggy hair & all.

Oh & do you love that we can wear shorts in January? I do.

A Simple Thank You.

2012-01-20T07:04:00.000-08:00

{I have no idea where the source of this picture is...Pinterest. But I love it.}

What is it about a 'thank you' that makes any job or situation tolerable? For me, it is the simple recognition of a job well done or completed that always makes me feel worthwhile & appreciated. Some of my favorite cards that I've received are ones of thanks. They are usually unexpected & always make me feel like a million bucks...whether deserved or not!

Recently, I owed some {a lot} of people some thanks. Thanks for thinking of me. Thanks for your help. Thanks. And so, I did what I normally do. Spend an excessive amount of time thinking about it & then putting it on paper & thinking of you. And so, here they are. My new thank you cards.

Up and ready in the shop. Printed double-sided on Fine Art Linen paper & paired with Kraft paper envelopes. I think they turned out pretty cute!

Custom Wedding Invites

2012-01-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

Remember that post about hell week? Sorry dad...bad word choice {again}, but really, that week always about does me in. Remember I mentioned a wedding thrown into the holiday madness? Well this was it. And I was most delighted with the way they turned out.

I always have mild {to extreme} anxiety when printing a large wedding suite. The second I hit that button to 'send to print' I want to crawl under my desk & cry until they are actually in my hands. It is like handing someone your baby, except its not actually on any level near your own child, but the toil & sweat that went into that creation sometimes looks cuter than your actual child, who has taught himself to burp & likes to moon you at inopportune times. Anyway, it feels kind of like handing over your baby and then hoping they handle it just right & get all the cuts, folds & colors done to perfection, like you've drummed up in your head.

I'm not gonna lie, the copper color on this scared me half to death. What if it came back orange? eek. Happy Halloween...and oh, by the way, we're getting married. Yeah...that's what I was scared about.

BUT happy to report, it came back perfectly copper.

phew. And I have to say, I feel in love with it & all the added touches.

This invitation measures 5"x7" and is an ornate tri-fold printed on pearl paper. The exterior was copper, and instead of a belly band the mother of the bride searched far & wide for the perfect lace to wrap the invite in. Then we tied & tagged. I am in love with the lace.

When opened guests were invited to the occasion & given all the details, including a stunning picture of the happy couple.

We did a lot of different typefaces & colors creating a beautiful layers of text. We went back & forth on so many things getting each detail just right & finally just started sharing our pinboards...come to find out, we had both pinned a lot of the same invites! A picture is worth a thousand words & once we had done that, it was like magic. Everything just fell right into place.

The backside of the invite showed the couple on a motorcycle. Come to find out, it was the groom's friend's motorcycle that they borrowed for the shoot because he had sold his very same motorcycle to buy a ring. I love the sentiment & hope he gets a new motorcycle soon!

The inserts measure 4"x6" and give the guests all the extra details. Again, we did a lot of different typefaces & colors to carry the design throughout.

And while I was scared to death of printing the copper, I'm so very glad we did.

They were mailed in a navy envelope that was pearl as well & we stamped these in gold with a calligraphy stamp as well for the return address.

Custom Wedding Invites

2012-01-18T05:00:00.001-08:00

This wedding seems like it took place ages ago, but in reality it was just this past fall. I did this wedding when I was in the haze of morning sickness {read all day sickness} & other than my kids it was the only thing on my radar at the time. As in, I didn't care if one thing got accomplished so long as my kids were alive & these invites were done right.

Thankfully, we all survived! Onto the festivities!

Jessica, the bride, is another girl I used to babysit. I can't believe I'm old enough to say that {or to have almost 3 kids under my belt}. But, alas, here I am. I love both her & her mom -- they are some of my favorite people & I have to say, doing their wedding invite was such a treat. Pam, the mother-of-the bride would crack me up at every turn & it really made those 'sick' days somewhat enjoyable!

And now for more pics...

So you can better visualize, the invitation measures 8.5"x.5.5"or a half sheet of paper. We had a belly band holding together all the pages of the invitation, which we then tied with ribbon & a tag that was date stamped. The first page simply had their names.

Once you removed the belly band, each page was separate. We stacked them with the announcement on top, then the directions {see below} and then the page with their picture. Instead of putting tissue paper over the picture, like the old school invites, we used a round gold doily. The invite was mailed in a pearl chocolate brown envelope {shown behind}. Instead of printing the return address we had a calligraphy stamp made {see previous post} & stamped the back of each envelope in gold ink.

I basically loved everything about it!

To see her bridal shower invitation, go here.

Custom Wedding Invitations

2012-01-17T05:00:00.001-08:00

I was so excited to get the call for Regan's wedding. There is nothing better than working on an invite for someone you know & love. Regan grew up next door to me, so I remember her best as a little girl with ponytails & bows. The bows eventually went away, but the ponytails stayed...as she went back & forth from school to soccer practice. Soccer is & was her life...junior high, high school, college, she's playing. I loved flipping through all her engagement pictures because she is so incredibly beautiful & photogenic. Shot after shot, I was stunned. I was used to seeing her in her soccer gear & there she was all grown up & getting married. Her husband plays baseball for the same college & I hear the calendaring for their wedding was a bit of a nightmare due to game & practice schedules between the two of them. They managed to find days that worked & I was so glad to be part of the festivities. Congrats Regan!

And onto the invitations:

Regan was easy to please - She liked clean lines & a modern layout, so we layered our typefaces & added some script to keep it feminine, but still simple.

love the gray & orange!

These were 5x7 & printed on Fine Art Linen paper.

To see her bridal shower invitation, go here.

Wedding Week.

2012-01-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

I have determined this week to be wedding week. Just today, I received phone calls regarding spring weddings & the thought occurred to me...'it's time.' Time for all those spring weddings to get kicked into high gear & finalize all those planning details.

So here is to wedding week!

We'll start with the envelopes. I have an affection for a darling envelope. I don't think the envelope should be an afterthought. Instead it should be carefully crafted, with every detail thought out & executed to perfection. It is the very first thing a guest will see regarding your wedding, so it should make a statement.

First, think of the size of your invitation. This Christmas my cards were 'tea length' or long & skinny. I could have mailed them in a plain ol' white envelope. They would have looked like a bill you receive in your mailbox on a daily basis, minus the clear plastic part showing your address through! Instead of that, do a colored envelope. In this case, I used an envelope I had fallen in love with & used on my cousin's wedding. It is colored, but also the opening flap is flipped to the side:

Just a simple change that makes all the difference in the envelope.

Next up. The return address. Have you invested in a stamp of your address yet? If not, please do! They are so great & make addressing almost fun. I've had my stamp a couple years & am actually ready to get a new one, but I use it all.the.time. It dresses up even a plain ol' white envelope when you ink it in gold, silver, red - you name it.

When I did mine, I had it custom made, but with etsy, it is so much easier now. I've ordered several from here for a couple of different weddings. I always end up choosing this style:

but she's added a few new ones, that I might have to look at for myself!

This is a great way to save some money on invitations as well. Instead of paying to have the return address printed on your envelope, use a stamp. And then you can use it again & again...that & it's cuter. Both times I've done this on weddings we were stamping on pearl paper & we used a permanent gold ink -- divine.

Right now, I am obsessed with the wrap around label. Obsessed. And even better...IT IS SO EASY! I'm also obsessed with Kraft paper...combine that with a wrap around label & I'm a happy girl.

Again, these were for my Christmas cards, but the design could be altered for a wedding. The great thing about doing the wrap around label is it gives you the ease of the label {typing addresses as opposed to writing them} without the eyesore! I think a white label with black type smacked on the outside of a beautiful wedding invitation is a shame. This is just as easy & socially acceptable in my opinion. My mom wishes this was around when I got married...instead she was hand addressing 500 invites because I wouldn't let her do labels! Thanks mom!

These are the labels I used & my favorite thing about them is that there was no 'dead space' between the labels, so it made it really easy for me to design & print. I've even emailed label layouts on them & had it work.

More ideas on my pinterest board...yes, I have an entire board dedicated to just the envelope. Call me crazy, but I love it.

Just for Laughs.

2012-01-13T05:00:00.001-08:00

It's Friday & I suppose you could use a laugh. So, have one at my expense. If you follow me on Instagram {btw, are you on Instagram? You should be...find me at amygregory} you've already laughed your guts out.

Instagram is giving a topic-a-day for a photo-a-day. Tuesday's topic: Blast from the Past. At first, I thought hmm, and then I thought...should I? Should I really put this picture out there? um, yes. It is way too funny not to put out there. So here I am. 6th Grade:

eat your heart out

You should know the pictures on either end {5th & 7th grade} are much better & that I was actually Student Body President this year...who? who? Who voted for me? Not sure with this get up. My husband likes the button covers the very best. And I am happy to point out that denim shirts are making a comeback. I can only hope Teva's with socks also make a comeback & then I will be in 6th grade heaven!

My sister read The Ugly Duckling at my wedding dinner...pretty sure this picture served as inspiration! yeesh!

So the story. The story behind this edited & digitized 6th grade photo is one worth sharing. And so I do for your Friday enjoyment.

My mom found herself cleaning some back, neglected closet & happened upon the actual glasses in this photo. I remember getting these glasses...it was when 'wire rimmed' was all the rave & I was delighted to update my spectacle situation. My previous ones, had Lucy from Peanuts on the side. They were cute...when I was 5, but I was verging on teenager here! Although, I do remember, wire rimmed was a close call for me because, yep, you guessed it, my lenses were borderline too thick. Oh the shame. Luckily they figured a way to make it work. phew.

So my mom finds the glasses in this closet last month & what does she do with them? She holds them out for me so I could keep them. For what? I was not sure. In fact, I balked when she gave them to me & she chided me...just like old times. Didn't I know they were a keepsake?!? Um. no.

So I brought them home & they sat on my desk. They sat & they sat until White Elephant Christmas parties started coming up. Husband would rather spend nothing on White Elephants, I'm usually good with any amount so long as it produces a good laugh. So we were going back & forth what to bring. We had had the best gift last year & could not think of one thing to top it. Until he thought of the spectacles. And then it donned on me...the picture, the specs...a shadow box...perhaps a signature to go with it...Perfect. Until we told my mom & she again balked at our lack of respect for this treasured keepsake. Again, I am usually good with any amount, so long as it produces a good laugh & this 'keepsake' was something I was happy to part with.

But again, my mom won {are you seeing a pattern here?} and I didn't give them as a white elephant. Okay it was my mom & my hesitation in framing this picture...it's a tad embarrassing {yet...here I am}.

So my specs continued to sit. My digitized pic looked back at my from my desktop. And then it hit me.

If she was so attached to this keepsake then she should have them. And so I printed that digitized picture & lovingly encased it in a shadow box along with those treasured spectacles. Forever together...and off my freaking desk.

You should know I picked up some new glasses this week & after trying on every.single.pair. & having nothing fit {I made my mom come with me} I upped my status from wire rimmed to a Juicy Couture pair that I found...in the kids section. I'm not sure why I ever try to leave the kids section anymore...even my face is the size of a 12-year-old's!

Happy Friday. Hope you didn't pee your pants from laughing so hard. Actually, I take that back...I hope you did pee your pants!

Nesting & Such

2012-01-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

I am in the full fledge nesting stage of my pregnancy. How do I know? I am bone tired at the end of each day because I think I should tackle project after stupid project.

That being said, I love it.

If there are ANY perks to being pregnant {you know, besides the resulting baby} nesting is one of them. With a very firm deadline looming over your head where you know life is going to get turned upside down & inside out, along with your hormones, you think, yes! yes! I should get that room painted, those picture frames dusted, those flowers planted {even if it means moving rock & re-routing sprinklers, dang it!} & then there is my pinterest board. Surely I should tackle some of those items as well! And so I do.

And then, at night when I am physically exhausted from all those excursions {today is the first day I have literally felt the weight of carrying this baby...and I may have walked my fist waddle} I sit down to my computer & think of even more fun projects that I should accomplish, you know, before the baby.

That is my slogan...'better get it done...before the baby!'

It is like a death sentence...hurry up, get it done, only 3 months left!!! My sister-in-law, who has 5 girls lamented she actually is due for a nesting phase. While she is done having kids, should she have continued, she'd be about due for another baby & the resulting nesting phase, upon which your house just shines, projects get dreamed up & completed just like that.

And since, I am all about looking on the bright side of things these days, nesting is a definite bright side of pregnancy. Even better, my husband doesn't dare argue with me about all my stupid projects because I am a hormonal mess!

Happy Nesting.

Printable Valentine Tags

2012-01-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

Up in the shoppe today -- Printable Valentine Tags.

Good for you.

Good for your kids.

Good all around.

In the shoppe they are formatted to print 6 to a page. Print. Cut. Done.

Sounds like a Happy Valentine's Day to me.

Valentine Print: My Personal Fave.

2012-01-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

Did you think that was the only print I had up my sleeve? Oh no...there's more. Lots more.

This one might be my favorite of the bunch, but I will let you decide.

And I've decided this one should be a 'follower freebie'

Meaning...become a follower, leave a comment with your email & I will send it to you, but you only have until midnight TONIGHT. I can't handle people leaving comments for days on end...too much upkeep. So pass the word, become a follower & don't forget I need your email.

The above is sized 8x10. Perfect for tabletops & gifts.

Next up? Tags. Maybe for you, maybe for your kids. We'll see what I fancy.

Be My Valentine.

2012-01-09T05:00:00.001-08:00

Happy Monday.

Getting ready for Valentine's Day. I know. I'm early, but remember how behind I was at Christmas??? Yes. I do. And as I enter this third tri-mester I can feel the fat, awkward & tired phase coming. So why not be ahead of myself a bit?!?

The above is a 5x7 printable file, great for frames or cards...you choose.

First 3 get it free -- otherwise, it's here.