The Creative Place

Shop sale this weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:51:00 +0000

Been wanting to stock up on some new (or old?! vintage?) paper goodies? Take advantage of a sale this weekend in the shop - 30% off of your order. Happy Memorial Day weekend and THANK YOU to all those who serve and have served!

a happy, happy birthday to my oldest son

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:49:00 +0000

My sweet oldest son turns 6 today :) We started off the day with pancakes, juice, and cupcakes ready to go to school. My hubby and I blew up 70 (yes, seventy) balloons last night and put them in the hall and kitchen to surprise him when he came downstairs this morning. It was SO fun :) He loved it. We have a fun day and weekend planned :) So excited to celebrate this kid :)

Lots and lots (and lots) of balloons :)

Happy Birthday Jimmy! We love you so, so much.

What a blessing you are :)

paper scrapping

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I have a ton of paper scraps all over the place in my workspace. Leftovers from other projects that are still perfectly usable, just not big enough for journal pages, etc. I've been working on a few Everyday journals. And the covers. Oh, the covers (which I've said before), are the hardest part ;) Well. I had been thinking about how I could use up all of these scraps in my scrapbox(es)..... How could I incorporate them into the cover? How about a collage?! Yes! :) So I started with a 4"x6" base piece of paper and started stacking scraps (and some doilies and tags ;)) on top. Sewed them on there and voila! Some fun new journals covers. Now to punch holes and add them to the journals. Yay for using up scraps :)

a wedding book

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to create another wedding book for a sweet bride and groom :) They are using this book as a scrapbook from their special day - their wedding was full of lots of yellow, colors, and skeleton keys! Looking through their wedding pictures, I loved how they incorporated the skeleton keys into their welcome bags for guests (gorgeous yummy-looking cookies in the shape of keys!), wedding favors, and other details from the day. I knew I needed to incorporate a key into the book and was glad to have found this antique key to use on the front :)

I also found some paper that had skeleton keys all over it :) So I used that with a bunch of other colorful papers for the inside pages. I left all of the pages blank, but included lined and blank white pages for them to put where needed in the book as they are filling it up. I'm super happy with how it turned out and am excited they will be documenting their wedding with lots of pictures and lots of journaling :)

Thank you Jen and Rick for letting me create a wedding book

to help document your special day :)

color inspiration: teal and seafoam

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Two of my fave colors right now are teal and seafoam. So I went on a color hunt around my workspace and found these lovelies. I recently purchased the fabric and thread to start a quilt (multicolored, not just teal and seafoam ;)), the paper is for some baby journals and other journals, the washi is part of my stash, the ink pad is a fave, and some of the other bits and pieces I received awhile ago in a teal goody bag from an etsy seller :)

Another way I know that seafoam is a fave right now? I just had a pedicure and yes, I had them painted in a seafoam color. Not the norm for me (I'm more of a dark pink/red type ;)), but I love it :)

working on

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0000

I'm currently working on a few different projects here and there - including a custom wedding book, some new shop items (!!!), and decorating my baby girl's nursery (yes, it's taken me awhile ;)). I made this fun garland of new and vintage papers over the course of several days and can't wait to hang it up in her room :)

It was super easy to make - I recently purchased a pennant flag punch, so I used that (I debated using the flag punch or the circle punch... the flag punch won :)) to punch a bunch of flags out of various papers and then strung them together using a 1/16" hole punch, a needle, and baker's twine. I love the mix of new and vintage papers :)

a new storage caddy

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I have a bunch of bits and pieces that are always moving around my workspace and don't really have a specific storage place. My daddy (who has made 95% of our furniture in our home - such a blessing!) whipped me up a cute little storage caddy for all of those bits and pieces. I was inspired by this one I found via pinterest, so I went to work designing one to look similar. I came up with a design, sent it to my daddy and he and my mama delivered it to me last week :)

I (quickly) filled it up :) It's nice to be able to see all of the bits and pieces at once. And to have them contained in one space :) The caddy sits nicely on a shelf under a new cutting table (that my dad also created) and can be pulled out and set on my craft table when needed.

Interested in making your own? This was the design my daddy went off of to build it. Feel free to use it as a guide to make your own! :)

DIY: Spring Decor and Projects Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Happy Monday :) And Happy Spring! A round-up of some lovely DIY projects - perfect to celebrate Spring and Easter! I love, love, love, the beautiful colors that come with springtime - and these projects all shout "SPRING!" :)

1. Fabric Scrap Banner by iheartnaptime
2. Jellybean Napkin Rings by Delish
3. Letter Wall by The Love Nerds
4. Bunny Banner by Pieces of Me
5. Bunny Candy Pouch by Mermag
6. Decoupage Bunny by Little Birdie Secrets
7. Easter Flag by Heather Cameron
8. Yarn and Twig Dandelions via apartment therapy
9. Glitter Vases by The Sweetest Occasion
10. Grocery Bag Easter Basket by ellinee

*all images are from their respective sites

and the paper packs go to...

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Thank you all so much for playing along for the giveaway from SaturdayAMVintage's new shop! :) Chosen by random.org, the winners are: Dream-make-share, Lisa Spiegel, and Diane Willams. I will contact you soon for shipping info :)

Be sure to check out Xenia's blog for a coupon code for 20% off your purchase!

paper packs: a giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Happy Friday :) And Happy First Day of March :)

If you've been reading my blog or following me on other social media for some time, you know how much I love paper. And you probably have noticed how much I love the paper packs from Xenia's shop, saturdayAMvintage. Well. Xenia recently announced on her blog that, while she has had several great years on etsy, she is opening up a shop all her own - TODAY! Be sure to visit her new shop - saturdayAMvintage and look around at tons of gorgeous vintage goodies. I'm sure you'll find something you can't live without! To celebrate her new shop opening, she is giving away three of her new color themed paper packs :) Three readers will win a small paper pack in their choice of color - SO fun :) International entries welcome.

To enter:

+ Simply leave a comment. Please be sure to leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you if you are the winner.

+ For extra chances to win: Blog, FB or tweet about the giveaway (with a link to the giveaway). Leave a separate comment for each way you spread the word (leave one comment if you blog about it, leave another comment if you FB about it, leave yet another comment if you tweet about it :)).

Giveaway will run through next Wednesday, March 6. I will announce a winner sometime during the day that Wednesday :) And if you just can't wait to hopefully win, stop by her blog for a fabulous coupon code good for 20% off of your entire order! Have a fabulous weekend :)

Thank you, Xenia! Congratulations on your new shop! So exciting :)

food: mini donut muffins

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:00:00 +0000

One of my sweet friends made these the other day and raved about them - so I wanted to make some :) Donuts? Muffins? Cinnamon and sugar? All in one recipe!? Yes, please :) They are nothing short of amazing. A quick little sweet snack or dish for a brunch :)

Mini Donut Muffins - adapted slightly from allrecipes.com

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. baking powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

Topping:

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease mini muffin pans (24 muffins).

Combine sugar, butter, and nutmeg. Mix well. Add flour, baking powder and milk, and stir to combine. Fill each muffin cup about half full. Batter will be somewhat dough-y. I used a tablespoon to fill each cup.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until beginning to brown. While muffins are baking, combine the 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a small bowl. Dip baked muffins in butter and coat completely, then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Makes 24 mini muffins. Enjoy!

And P.S. Thank you all so much for the sweetness about my project published in the Let's Make Cards! magazine here and on FB and Instagram. Seriously, ya'll made my day :) Thank you :)

published.

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:30:00 +0000

Yay! My tutorial link for the Woven Paper Journal Covers was recently published in a super fun magazine, Let's Make Cards - a magazine based in the UK. The section included a bunch of fun ideas for cardmaking and beyond. I am honored to have my woven paper cover shared among so many gorgeous tutorial links. Thank you so much, Let's Make Cards! :)

New in Shop: Garden Party and Lovely Days Journals

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:00:00 +0000

The new journals from the giveaway are now in my shop :)

Lovely Days - a lovely assortment of colors - lavender, aquamarine, and vintage pages. Thanks Andrea!

And Garden Party - green, red, yellow, coral and brown. Thanks Jean!

around here.

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Fun and full week around here :) We started off the week by celebrating our sweet Joshua's 2nd birthday. A sweet and quiet evening with my sis and bro-in-law - BBQ, baked mac n' cheese, green beans, watermelon, and cupcakes. Presents and lots of fun :) + SaturdayAMVintage is retiring the scrap paper packs, so I grabbed one last one. Always a fun paper fix for this paper-holic. + Been making lots of salads and sourdough bread. A friend gave me some sourdough starter and it is our new fave bread. + Finally finishing the two journals from the giveaway (thank you SO much for your patience journal winners!), listing the others in my shop this weekend, and exploring new paper combos for some more new ones. + We had a fun Valentine's Day, complete with donuts for breakfast with our little ones, and a quiet "steaks and a movie couch date" with my love last night. I also captured some fun pictures of my babies in their V-Day attire. As many of you know, trying to get three little ones to smile at the same time can be ~~impossible~~ interesting. Needless to say, I was grateful to have snapped a few gems - and am loving the ones with Joshua wearing his blue clip-on tie ;) + Finally found Amy Tangerine's newly released wood-mounted stamps. They are fabulous! + A sweet gift from a fellow blogger sent me a gorgeous Home Sweet Home print as a thank you for posting on her blog last year :) Thanks Amy! + I spent the rest of my birthday "fun money" on this fabulous little machine - the Silhouette Portrait. It is amazing. AMAZING. Still getting to know it and how it works. But I'm super impressed. SUPER impressed :)

valentine.

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:00:00 +0000

I say this each year. But each year my heart continues to grow fuller :) Celebrating my love and my loved ones today. And as always, I love to celebrate them everyday, but it is fun to have a special day set aside ;) Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours. Give them an extra hug today, tell them you love them, and be thankful for those you love :)

a wedding book: bright and happy

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I recently had the privilege to create another wedding book for a lovely couple in France. Their colors are bright and beautiful and it was fun working all of the colors into the book :) I was torn on the cover idea, so I created two ;) This way, the couple can choose which they prefer - washi tape or a cute little paper pinwheel :)

Thank you Maud and Damien for letting me create your wedding book for your special day! :)

a happy birthday to my sweet joshua.

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Two years ago today, I was very pregnant and went in to the doctor for a routine non-stress test (I was having blood pressure issues). The NST looked great - baby looked great, and I was only a little over a week away from my due date. But my blood pressure was still really high. I was already scheduled for an induction for the following week. My doctor came in to talk with me and really felt like we should go ahead and induce (and I am not one to speed things along, but after talking with her, agreed). Completely caught off guard, I called my hubby (who was driving around in the parking lot with our then 3 year old waiting for me) and told him they were getting ready to wheel me over to the hospital next door (!?!!). Our hospital is in Raleigh, a 1/2 hour from our home. Thankful that my God has a plan, my in-laws were on the way into town from Virginia and met us at the hospital and took Jimmy back to our home. My hospital bag was already in the car thanks to my awesome hubby. 9 or so hours later, and a relatively "easy" labor and delivery, our sweet Joshua was born. Happy, healthy, and big :) 9 lbs and 3 oz. to be exact ;)

Happy Birthday my precious boy. I love you so much my little buddy. My little buddy who loves his "brohdee" (brother) and "behbee" (baby) so, so much. Who loves to snuggle, but also loves to roughhouse. Who loves food and will eat just about anything I serve. Who loves kitchen utenstils, cars, trucks, playing with shoes, putting on his backpack like his older brother, and loves handing guests their keys and phones when they visit. What a blessing and gift from the Lord. Happy Birthday my Joshua :)

make.

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 14:00:00 +0000

A couple weeks ago I finally decided that my word for this year is make. I went back and forth for awhile, trying to decide whether make or plan related more to my thoughts and ideas and goals for 2013.

I made a list for each with ideas and concepts about the two words. Make had stuck out to me a lot and finally, I just decided that was the word.

Making is part of who I am (a part of who we all are!) - I especially like to make things with (no surprise ;)) paper. Food. Fabric. And part of my goals for this year include making some different things. But more than just those tangible things, I want to focus on making goals. Making a plan for my blog and shop. Making meal plans. Making time. Making do. Making choices.

I felt like this word encompassed both the creative side of me and the more practical side of life that I want to better employ this year (and always!).

So, I started to make a few little things to explore using the word on paper and to go in my One Little Word binder. I am loving it. I love thinking about new ways to create with the word on paper. I love having it at the forefront of my mind thus far, and trying to be more self-disciplined with the practical side of life. Welcome, make. So excited for this year :)

hello, february. let's make a plan.

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 10:00:00 +0000

After an impromptu couple week hiatus, I have returned :) As many of you know and can relate, life is busy :) But I have missed this space and being here (If you keep up with my instagram and facebook, you can usually find me there, even when I'm not here blogging everyday :)). I have been mulling over several projects and ideas, as well as finishing up some custom book orders and these two journals.

I am excitedly working through Ali Edwards' One Little Word class and will share the start of that here soon. After much debate in my mind, I decided to focus on the word "make" for this year. January flew by. The post-holiday season, gather myself together, get back into a routine month. So February, let's make a plan. Let's plan out the next couple days. The next couple weeks. The next couple months. A plan of small and big goals for the blog and shop, a plan of small and big goals for our family, and a plan of small and big goals for me personally. Let's go :)

food: easy guacamole

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I love, love, love guacamole. Love it. Strangely, I've never made my own, I've always purchased it ready made. Until yesterday :) My friend made some the other day and I decided to try making some myself. It turned out fabulous. Fabulous! So fresh and yummy.

Easy Guacamole - adapted slightly from allrecipes.com
3 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/2 small tomato, seeded and chopped
1/4-1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice from one lime
Salt and pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse about 10-20 times (depending on how chunky or smooth you like your guacamole :)).

Chill for a half hour. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy! :)

Lovely Days and Garden Party: Journal Winners!

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 15:36:00 +0000

Ya'll are awesome. Thank you SO much for your input and ideas for new journals. SO much :) I LOVED each and every one of them and will definitely be putting more together per your suggestions in the near future. Two journals that really stuck out to me were "Lovely Days" and "Garden Party". So thanks and congrats to Jean and Andrea! I will be emailing you soon. Here are a few sneak peaks at some idea boards for the new journals. Thanks everyone - so, so much. I really appreciate you all :)

Lovely Days - Lavender, aquamarine, and vintage book pages

Garden Party - Green, yellow, red, coral, and brown

My apologies for the delay in posting the winners - mild sickness entered our home late last week but all is well now :)

currently: my desk

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 19:25:00 +0000

I do like to try (keyword: try) and keep my workspace (somewhat) tidy. But sometimes it just gets a little out of control. Like it is currently. A lovely assortment of magazines (that have yet to be read ;)), washi tape, two new journals I was listing in the shop, a paper pack from here, a baby monitor (my little ones are asleep :)), Lemon Cream lotion, my notebook, some Studio Calico goodies, my OLW binder, a mini colander (what?!) and breadbasket (?!), a UPS return label receipt, a book on colors for my little girl, and a bill for a toll road in NC that we didn't have enough change for ;) *Disclaimer: I did move my camera off of the top of those books (ahem). Other than that, this is what my desk looks like at the moment.

See? It's not always this clean ;)

shop update!

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 15:02:00 +0000

Happy Thursday :) I am loving all of the color and name suggestions! Thank you so much for your input! :) A winner will be announced tomorrow :)

New in the shop today: I Love You Journal Kits, Paper Hearts, Embellishment Kits and Mixed Paper Journals. Have a great day :)

sneak peaks: new journals and a giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Working on two new journals right now: an I Love You journal and a color-schemed Mixed Paper journal :) These will be available in the shop later this week.

GIVEAWAY: I'm currently planning different color schemes for new journals. Any color schemes you'd like to see or suggest? :) Leave a comment on this post for a color scheme idea and a name for your color scheme! For example: pinks and yellows and vintage book pages could be named "Strawberry Lemonade". If I choose that one, I will create and send you one of those new journals. The journal will be 4"x6" and 15-20 pages. It will be ready to ship 7-10 days after comments close. Please keep names of color schemes appropriate and uplifting :)

One comment per person. If color schemes are suggested multiple times, I will use random.org to pick a winner of that color scheme. International entries welcome. Please leave your email address in the comment. Comments will close on Friday, January 11 and I will announce a winner that evening :)

**Please note: I will be looking at suggestions and names and possibly using them for future journals for sale in my shop, even if it is not the color scheme I choose as a winner for this giveaway. I will put credit in the listing for the name of the color scheme, since I didn't come up with it :)

food: best sandwich bread

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Place) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I have a few great recipes for dinner bread that I use a lot, but have never found one that is the right consistency for actual sandwich bread. While these other recipes are great for going with a meal, they are not the best for making sandwiches. Well. I tried this new recipe this past weekend and it is p.e.r.f.e.c.t. for making sandwiches! (Or for using with a meal) - the bread is light and fluffy with a soft crust. The best part is, the recipe makes two loaves at one time - I used one loaf to eat with a couple meals and one to use with sandwiches. Perfect.

Best Sandwich Bread - adapted from allrecipes.com

2 cups very warm water

1/3 cup white sugar

1-1/2 Tbsp. active dry yeast

1-1/2 tsp. salt (I use kosher salt)

1/4 canola oil

5 to 5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon flour into measuring cup and level off, or use a sifter)

1 Tbsp. salted butter

In a large mixing bowl, combine water, sugar and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes to proof (yeast will dissolve and look fluffy and foamy). Stir salt and oil into yeast mixture. Stir in one cup of flour at a time, mixing well. Once a soft dough (kind of sticky!) forms, turn onto a floured surface and knead well, about 3-5 minutes (dough will become elastic). Place kneaded dough into a well-oiled large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place about 1-1.5 hours.

Punch dough down, and turn onto a floured surface again. Knead for 1-2 minutes and form into two loaves. Place each loaf into a well-oiled 9"x5" loaf pan. Cover each with plastic wrap and let rise again 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake loaves 30 minutes or until golden brown on top and loaves sound hollow when tapped. Spread butter on top of each loaf (I usually just hold the butter with a paper towel and gently rub it all over the loaf :)). Enjoy!

Dough has risen, getting ready to punch down and knead.

Form into two loaves.

Voila! Yummy, light, and fluffy sandwich bread.