From Me, With Love

NEW WEBSITE!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 06:34:00 +0000

We have moved to www.brendabirddesigns.com!

YUM: Spinach, Tomato & Pepper Orzo with Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000

I get a Bountiful Basket almost every week. I absolutely love it. Even though I don't like to cook, I do love to eat. My spinach and red peppers were looking a little lonely and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with them. I didn't want to make my usual and magically a friend on Facebook posted an awesome picture of this orzo dish. (Thanks Marti!)I tweaked the recipe a bit....only because my cherry tomatoes were looking a little glum, too. And because I am too lazy to follow a recipe all the way through. The chicken was my own creation- but it is so simple I bet someone else has come up with it already. Not to brag, but we were all silent at dinner....everyone scarfed this baby up. Yes, even Ollie who NEVER EATS ANYTHING! If you want to knock the socks off your taste buds, then make this tasty lick.

**Pardon my lack of measuring, I just try and get the food out to the ravenous beasts before all hell breaks loose

Spinach, Tomato & Pepper Orzo
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups of orzo pasta
1TBSP of coconut oil
1/2 TBSP (about) minced garlic
1/3 of medium yellow onion, chopped
5-7 mini sweet peppers, chopped
1 3/4 cherry tomatoes
A handful of fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Heat water to a boil and add the bouillon cubes. Cook pasta in that water- just like pasta.
While orzo is cooking, heat coconut oil in pan on medium heat.
Add minced garlic and stir until lightly browned.
Add onion and cook until translucent.
Add the red peppers, tomatoes and cover pan for about 4 minutes.
Drain the pasta and add it to the pan mixture.
Add spinach last and cover for about 2 minutes (that way the veggies don't lose too many nutrients while cooking)
Add the Parmesan cheese and stir.
Eat like you've never eaten before.

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken
3 frozen chicken breasts
1 cup of water
1 bouillon cube
2 TBSP Italian Dressing Mix Pack

Place frozen chicken in slow cooker and add water with bouillon.
Add the Italian Dressing Mix.
Cook on low for 5 hours.
Eat and go back for seconds, again.

Our Valentine's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000

I know I know. Valentine's Day is over- but you guys should know by now I take forever to post stuff....next week will be Christmas photos :)

I designed several Valentine's Day cards so Ashton could have some cool options- little did I know that he would change his mind a gazillion times. Seriously- this kid is nuts. I reeeeallly tried to convince him to do the dinosaur ones, but he thought the bugs were cooler. YUCK. They seriously gave me the heebedy jeebedies. In any case, I gave in and I had to just close my eyes and touch as little as possible while tying them to the cards. Ashton did a great job with the hole punch....and playing with the bugs. He also wanted to make necklaces for his teachers (and his BFF) so he beaded these all by himself! How sweet is my baby?

For my love, I designed this card (freebie!) because we like being more silly than romantic. You guys, my husband seriously loves maps. Funny story: (and slightly embarrassing) One time we went out to eat at some restaurant with some friends. Lorin had to use the bathroom- right as we were leaving, of course- and we waited FOREVER. Like 20 minutes. I totally knew he had gotten distracted by something. When he came out we all gave him a hard time and he was like "what?" like it was no big deal. Turns out there was a vintage map in the bathroom and he just stared at it and followed all the roads to see where they led and where the lakes were and blah blah blah. Sooo, now you all know how much I love my husband- as much as he loves maps.

OK.....almost done. For their Babba, we made this hand print set that didn't quite turn out like I imagined in my over-thinking brain. I thought the paint would be more distinguishable between each handprint....but alas, trying to force down the most defiant toddlers hand and an infant who wouldn't release her death grip made for this weak-sauce hand print of the 3 grand-kids in the shape of a heart. You see it, right?? Perhaps it would work better if we had pink paint or something. Oh well, it is the thought that counts right? Always next year.

Valentine's/Galentine's Day Freebie for FB fans!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 21:52:00 +0000

Are you my fan on FB?? If so, click on "goodies" and download this sweet card (in 2 colorways) to give to your spouse, kids (I think they will TRULY understand how much you love them if you fill in the blank with "Spiderman" or "Strawberry Shortcake")parents or your crush. Feel free to share the love! Click here to go to my FB page.

My Winter Must Haves

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Winter in Utah is soooo sooooo looooong! Like painfully and depressingly long. I remember it snowed on Lorin and my graduation day....April 24th! And it also snowed that Halloween. So, here are some of my winter must haves to make my (and my kids') winter bearable.
1. For chapped lips with a pretty tint (get the scrub, too!) 2. To keep us warm and toasty similar 3. To remind me of my heritage (and the best hot chocolate we have ever had 4. To keep my cheeks nice, rosey and pretty 5. I know I am naturally tan but this makes me feel a little tanner and reminds me of my summer "glow" 6. To keep us moisturized (my kids have really sensitive skin) or you can use this- (I use it to cook, too!) 7. To help with the dryness of this state 8. To keep us entertained and in shape....and to laugh at each other's moves

Yummies: Salad Savoy Chips (kinda like kale)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:00:00 +0000

I have a child that eats everything (sweet baby hah), a child that eats mostly everything and a child that eats nothing. I have a minor freak out at least 3 times a week that my middle child is going to starve. After about 2 weeks of making him green smoothies (which he loves!), I just wanted him to eat something NOT blended. My friend told me about these kale chips she makes her boys and they love them. This past week I got salad savoy, which looks like kale, so I gave it a go. All I had to say was "chips" and they dug their chubby little hands right in. I really don't give my kids junk so they

saw this as a sweet treat! Muahah- silly children. I actually loved them. I couldn't stop munching. And better yet, the kids ate them. Point for me.

Most kale-ish chips have the same recipe so I remembered one that I saw somewhere on the internet. And it is so easy that any kiddies can help. I had mine pour the oil and stir. I put them in and took them out of the oven because I am a safe mom- and my child is 4.

Salad Savoy Chips:
1. Wash leaves and tear stems.
2. Once leaves are dry, put in a bowl and mix in about 1 tbsp. of olive oil and sprinkle salt. I used sea salt.
3. Preheat oven to 350.
4. Line cookie sheet with tin foil and spread leaves so that they form a cup.
5. Bake for about 16 minutes. I took them out at 15 minutes but should have kept them in longer as I like crispier chips.
6. Eat and eat as many as you can before you have to share! Just kidding.....this snack was for the kids....

DIY: Valentine Ribbon Bunting Garland & A Revelation

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:00:00 +0000

I love crafts. I haven't crafted in quite a while because whenever I tried, a little child would wake up or need me or just mess it up. So...I stopped. My house has been looking a little bare since Christmas was put away, so I decided I should make a little something. THEN I realized that I should just involve my kids in the crafts I make. I can get my creativeness out whilst playing with and teaching the little ones. Why oh why hadn't I thought of this before? I mean we've made crafts before but they've all been kind of kitschy and childish. Of course, I still want to make those sorts of projects because little kids can only do so much, but I want them more involved in my forte. Does that make sense to anyone else? Anyway, by the time I gathered my supplies and set up, my youngest 2 were out. Just me and Ashton were left to take on the easiest project ever.....and it was free. You guys can try and tackle it:

Cut some string. Cut some ribbon. Tie them on in whatever random order you choose. Hang up. And voila.

Yummm. I love the different textures!

Look at this face!! He is so proud- as am I! He did this one on his own!

I organized them for those of you with OCD.

For more detailed instructions, here ya go:
1. Cut string to your desired length. I cut about 9 ft.
2. Cut enough ribbon to spread out through string (I cut 37 total using 7 different materials: ribbon and fabric about 4" long). I spaced them out about 1.5".
3. Tie them on- a single knot will do. At this point I taught Ashton how to tie so if you are doing this project solo it should take you about a million years faster....but you won't get that proud grin from your lovely (and stubborn) little one!
4. Hang wherever you please.

Breakfast with Santa

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Does anyone absolutely LOVE Christmastime? We love everything about Christmastime and try to do something fun everyday with our family. One of our favorite traditions is Breakfast with Santa. We've been to several Breakfast with Santas- even when Ashton was a few months old. This is our 6th one and was our favorite by far! We went to the Gardens at Dry Creek in Lehi. We were welcomed into this quaint reception area. It was so pretty- like a winter wonderland. They had a really nice buffet (the french toast was AMAZING!) and you didn't have to stand in a long line! They called each table by name and while you waited you could color and make a little Santa craft. Our whole family (8 adults, 2 children and 4 lap babies) was able to sit at one table! There was also a North Pole room where Santa was sitting waiting for the kiddos to tell him what they would like for Christmas. They called each table up at a time and we were able to decorate cookies and get our face painted while we waited. The North Pole was just like what the North Pole would be like: white, cozy and chilly. Santa was the real deal. The kids were so happy and most were ok with Mr. Claus- no major meltdowns. Ashton was all business- he gave him a picture he drew and told him all the things he wanted. He was very specific. Oliver was very stoic, only uttering a few words but no crying. And Adelle was just a perfect little princess. She had been getting a little separation anxiety lately but she was just perfect. I seriously loved this place. We felt welcome and not just one of the crowd and our kids had such a wonderful time. We will for sure be back next year!

Blessings in Disguise

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000

As most of you know, we (Lorin) has gone back to school to get his MBA. That means a lot of changes for us- the biggest one being financial. Every little dollar counts. The transactions were pretty small but were occurring every month. I thought Lorin was doing it and he thought I was. When we finally decided to talk about how we shouldn't continue those anymore, we realized neither of us was actually doing it! So when we looked back on past statements and saw some unauthorized transactions that had been happening for over a year, we called right away to get it cleared. In fact, 2 other people in my neighborhood had the same thing happen to them with the same company! We felt surprisingly calm and the company was very helpful. In the end, we were to get back about $400. $400!! Can you believe that? I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason. It was like a forced savings- and now we are able to pay for our plane tickets back East.

I would like to share a few other blessings in disguise:
- My beloved Subaru's transmission died. We were able to trade it in for a car that had room to grow in. A few weeks later we found out that I was pregnant with sweet baby A (surprise!) so we really needed the room! There was no way we could fit 3 car seats in that car.
- My first car's, a cute little Honda, transmission also died.....we were able to trade that for a car with 4 wheel drive. My husband has a 40 minute commute each way and with the snow it makes it a safer commute. And I don't have to worry as much with him driving so much.
- In our church we pay tithes. Well, in January we "overpaid" for some reason. Well after reviewing our tithes with our Bishop we realized we did back then which means we are all caught up this year. There was no way we could have paid what we supposedly "owed"- not now at least.
- As we were reviewing our budget for Christmas gifts this year (my heart hurt for my kids) we got an email. We were able to collect our rewards for our bank card. It was just a few dollars short of what we had set the kids' budget.
- I went to 2 boutiques. I spent days preparing. I sold 0, ZERO, zilch of my products. I did sell a bottle of water. Needless to say, I was ready to quit pretty much everything. I was a bit dramatic. After talking to my rational husband, we made some decisions. Boutiques are not my thing. I can't do them. I met a lot of wonderful people and I enjoy that aspect. But for all that work and no reward it is just not plausible. I don't have the time. So after feeling like a failure, I realized I do OK online and will just focus on that.
- We applied for a loan to help us through grad school since Lorin is not working. For some reason they still think we are making what Lorin made last year. We only have enough money for the next few months. Because of that extra money we are getting from the bank we are able to save more this month. At first I thought having such a frugal husband was hard, but it has come in pretty handy! I don't know how the rest will play out but that's ok. I think it will be fine.
-My last one is very personal and probably very controversial. I will be as vague as I can :) I was working hard at achieving something when something else happened. I was not ready for that to happen. I had a very hard time with it. It was something that would affect all of us, not just me. After a few weeks I learned to accept it and now I know that it was supposed to happen at that time. I could not be happier.

Dear Santa+ Freebie

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000

If you are behind the ball, like me, here is a little treat for you! I made these for my littles to fill out. Daddy wrote out what the kiddies said. Ashton was very specific while Ollie was a little quieter. I added the last line because I think it is important to think about others. Ashton really thinks Ollie needs clothes- maybe because Ollie never wears pants! Now we know exactly what our kids want and Santa will now know, too! Feel free to print these out for your kids.

Download Here

Days are long....years are short

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:30:00 +0000

I had a friend request a custom print for Christmas. I wanted to make something simple as the message is pretty powerful. As I was working on it, it made me think about how many times I long for naptime and then bedtime. I've wished the days away and now I cannot believe that my little baby is 4! Where did the time go. So, go and kiss those owies, hold that sticky hand and smile at the crumbs all over the floor. I know I will want them back once they are gone.

*This is in my shop! (With or without the itty bitty footprints)

Treat for FB Fans

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 19:59:00 +0000

Go to my FB page, "like" and click on the "goodies" tab to receive 30% off your digital order until January 3, 2013! Go, go, GO!

Hello, Baby. Goodbye, Friends.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 14:00:00 +0000

The Hello: A friend of mine is having her first baby pretty soon. I saw this quote on Pinterest and thought it was so perfect. She likes elephants and used some in her nursery, so I incorporated both. I hope she and her new baby like it! Welcome Baby Stevens!

The Goodbye: Our dear friends are moving to Australia. Ashton loves their little girls and was so sad about them moving. He doesn't quite understand why they have to leave. To make the transition a little easier, I made some cards for them to write to us about their new adventures. They could be like pen pals! Good luck to the Tupou family on their new adventures! We will miss you and your crazy humor. You guys are one of the most wonderful, generous and hilarious people ever.

Namesake

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 14:00:00 +0000

As the spouse of a BYU MBA student, we get to do a lot of cool things. One is participate with the National Advisory Council (NAC). They had a luncheon last Friday that included a wonderful speaker, Virginia Pearce. She is the daughter of our late Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley. I will go into what she spoke of in a later post, but just the fact that I was in the same "room" (we were outside) as her was incredible. I really loved President Hinckley. I felt like he understood and loved the youth of the church...back when I was a youth! He made such an impact on my life that I named my firstborn son after him: Ashton Hinckley.
It is funny how things come together. For school, Ashton had to find out why he was named what he was. I told him about President Hinckley and how much Daddy and I loved him, even though we never met him. We told him he was a wonderful and spiritual man. He was funny, silly and so in love with his wife, Marjorie. He was well spoken and respectful of others, especially those in the media. Ashton enjoyed hearing about this and was able to share what he could remember about the man he was named after. The next day, to my surprise, I met President Hinckley's daughter. As cheesy as it may sound, I told her that I admired her father and named our son after him. She was grateful and gracious showing the slight sorrow of a daughter who missed her dad. She signed my book and took a picture with me. She is the closest I will have ever gotten to President Hinckley. It just goes to show that you can leave a great legacy. It is just a great a privilege to meet a child/grandaughter/etc. of a greatly loved person.
I think it is important to have something to live up to- to not taint your namesake- to make them proud and be proud of your origins.

Mine isn't that cool- my parents named me after an actress they liked.....if you know me, I am extremely shy in public- so there goes that namesake!
Who are you guys named after?

Manly Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Happy October! I cannot believe it is fall already! School has already started and the nights are getting chillier. I love love love sweater season!

Anyway, my husband is in the middle of applying for internships. He is getting his MBA from BYU and they sent a flyer home (haha I feel like I am his mom) for business cards. While they are professional looking....they look boring. I thought about asking him to let me design his cards, but I didn't have to because he asked me first! Let me tell you how wonderful it felt because I felt like he actually likes my work! He always tells me he does and is super supportive of my little business but for him to actually ask me proved he was a fan. So, I revised a business card I did for my homework while taking Nicole's Classes. I think they look professional but are bold and sure to stand out. At least, I hope. I ordered these from here and added the Spot UV coating- which is why it is glossy and is slightly embossed.

He is also sending thank you cards to his interviewers and asked me to make him some manly thank you notes. I wanted to incorporate his manliness as well as his passion for the outdoors. He previously had picked out this card. He decided it wasn't macho enough for him (I am making him sound chauvinistic- and he is not even at all!). I made some drafts of potential cards and this is what we came up with:

For those of you that know Lorin, he is obsessed with mountains. Any and all mountains. We have lived in Utah for almost 10 years and he still looks at the Wasatch mountains in awe every time we drive by them- which is everyday because they are huge and go along the highway...for forever....

What do you guys think?

Ashton's Reptile Birthday Party

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I cannot believe I have a 4 year old! My son is obsessed with creepy crawly things....there is no way we will ever have any of those in my house, so a birthday party filled with them will suffice. I thought it was a wonderful party- the kids had a great time and so did some of the adults! Jeremy, from Scales and Tails was amazing! He was so great with the kids and we were treated to a special surprise!

I made Ashton's snake invitation, along with his thank you cards, favors and bookplates. I really wanted to keep it simple this year...I tend to go a bit overboard for my kids' birthdays, but with a 2 month old and recovering from a c-section and yadda yadda yadda...I just wanted to take it easy. And it worked! Take a look:

Sorry for the pictures- just iPhone pics of the unfinished products. I need to remember to take pictures of the finished products. Like- I was going to post about the business cards I made my husband, Lorin, but I forgot to take pictures before he left for his conference! Next time!

Back from hibernation

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I am alive! I am a mother to 3 children- 4 and under. I am surviving...trying to get back to normal life with few hours of sleep.

I have been pretty busy...see? How could I not snuggle with this precious babe all day long?

Ashton started preschool- which he absolutely loves!!

Ollie and I hang out, play and nap, of course!

Little Miss Adelle and I like to go out from time to time- just the girls :)

Look at how big she has gotten! Just minutes old....

now 11 weeks old!!!

Trying to balance family, home and work is going to be a challenge. I always feel guilty if I work when my kids are awake, but I have to- even if it is just 1 hour. In order for my business to continue I have to put in work. Nights are difficult as well because I want to spend time with my husband and it is easier to clean the house without little hands destroying what you just completed. Anyway, after talking with my husband about the difficult balancing act I have to perform, we decided that it will be good for me to have my "me" time and "work" time. They can't be the same, even if I actually enjoy working. I have to be more focused in my work time and really dedicate time to produce new ideas and new product. I am, afterall, providing a small cushion for us to fall back on financially since he is in the BYU MBA program (aka poor students...again!).

So from now on, I will be more focused and will try to blog about 3 times a week with personal things, but mostly party ideas or client commissioned work.

Coming up...... husband commissioned work. Doing manly design work was a bit difficult for me because I like beautiful and colorful things. Stay tuned for the final product!

My boys

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 06:23:00 +0000

We will soon have a little girl in the family. I am used to all boys- I am the oldest to 4 brothers and raising 2 active kids. I seriously am very nervous about the new dynamic. Ashton was very active in the womb and that hasn't changed outside of it. Oliver was pretty mellow and has turned out to be pretty mellow outside the womb. Now this little babe is CRAZY. I have never seen my belly move in those positions. I am hoping she isn't as crazy as Ashton. I will say that even though my boys physically exhaust me every day, they bring me so much joy and appreciation. I love being their mother because I get to see every part of their personality. I love their crazy sides and especially love their sweet sides. I love this picture because it really shows how much they love each other.

Final Voting Round

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 06:17:00 +0000

vote for me!

I would appreciate any help from you all! Please vote for your favorite designs- there are so many talented designers!

Failure

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 13:00:00 +0000

http://houhouhaha.fr/clement-goebels/citation2

This is something that I struggle with a lot. I am so afraid to fail that I am afraid to try. But, as I raise my children, I don't want them to fear things or else they will miss out on so much. Which is why I jumped into opening my own little design business and why I entered the Minted Design Challenge. Heck no, I am not nearly as talented as Jessica Hische or ever will be, but I think I can be on par with some designers out there on Etsy. Some of these Minted designers are incredible and I can't even compare myself to them. I know I still have A LOT to learn with technical skills, branching out and even trying some illustrations. I don't sell all that much on Etsy and everyday I ask myself- why? What am I doing wrong? I think people like my designs but why won't they buy? Am I not as good as the others? And then the whole self-doubt thing creeps into my head telling me to just quit. Am I a failure because I don't sell nearly as much as I would like? Am I a failure because I didn't even make it past the first round of voting on Minted? I seriously don't know.

I love designing and creating new things. I would love to do it everyday for 8 hrs if I could! But, I only have maybe 3 hours a day to give. My kids are young and need me. I take my business very seriously and put in 110% on every order. But the stress of being good enough is getting to me. Maybe it is good I am taking a break pretty soon to snuggle with my baby girl when she comes.

But, then I think about this quote and remember some comments I read that other designers made about receiving high and low ratings. Judging creativity is so subjective. What one person values is not what someone else may- like technical skill or colors used or simple and clean vs. artistic and whimsical. I can't let my sense of creativity be judged so much by others' opinions and deem myself a success or a failure by their standards. It is so easy to say- just insanely difficult to do. But, I will try because this is my passion. And, I want my children growing up knowing that their mother was not afraid to try and fail, try and fail, and try and maybe, just maybe- succeed.

**update: when I looked yesterday I didn't see my name on the 2nd round of voting designs. Turns out I was looking for my company name and not MY name. 1 of my designs did make it to the 2nd round! If you categorize the list by designers, I am on page 10 for those that want to vote. :) I was pretty surprised this morning when I got a notification someone liked my design since the 1st round of voting ended. Thank you for that tender mercy!

VOTE FOR ME!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 03:52:00 +0000

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

Click on the badge on the top right hand side of the page and cast your votes! When you vote you get a coupon code for your next purchase! And tell your friends, family, long lost roommates- ANYONE. Voting will most likely end tomorrow or Wednesday. BUT only vote if you actually like my designs :) I think I have 6 or so on there.

Or follow this link to see my other designs!

Ok, I am done. Now, GO!

Baby Adelle's Nursery....so far

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 13:00:00 +0000

I have gotten a late start with Baby #3. One reason is that we *MAY* be moving but it all depends on a yes or no from a certain school. And we won't know until July.....almost 2 weeks before baby comes. Talk about stressful!

Anyway, I finished the baby blanket yesterday and the curtains a week or so ago. I am procrastinating on other stuff because she may not have her own room. I feel so behind! I have some clothes and burp cloths but I don't feel ready for her to come yet! Although I am so miserable I want her out...now! :)

I got this at this shop. LOOVE monogram stuff. I will have her newborn pics taken in this.

I made these babies. I made some for a friend for her first baby and made some for Adelle, too. Spit up never looked so good.

These are her curtains. I bought the white panels at Target and just sewed on the pom poms.

I am in love with this blanket. I want it for my bed! I made it big- so it would fit her toddler bed, too. I made (aka my mom) Ashton and Oliver's blankets big, too, but not as big. They LOVE those minky blankets. This was my first time working with minky fabric and ric rac. Don't look too closely, though! I was so nervous but I read some tutorials and the key was PIN, PIN, PIN. Like every inch. And I used a stretch needle. Not sure if that is what made it easier. My mom does not like working with minky but now I found the trick!

Adelle will be in Oliver's old room, which we painted a sky blue for Ollie. I feel bad kicking him out of his room but I think Ollie and Ashton will like sharing a room. So, we are not going to repaint the room. I like that it will be blue and have lots of magenta/coral/orange. I like girly with some fun twists. I will spray paint her frames and iron standing shelf gold...for some elegance. We will see how it turns out- with a little less than 5 weeks to go! I also will design some prints for her- can't wait!

P.S. I got all the fabric and embellishments at fabric.com. I get almost everything from there. It is so nice because there is noooo way I am dragging my boys to a fabric store....it takes so long to look at fabric, find the perfect fabric, and then determine all the measurements for what you want. No way. I do everything online. I can't feel the fabric but I already kinda know what I am looking for beforehand.

Can't wait for this little beauty to come in!

Minted Design Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 13:00:00 +0000

I have decided to take a chance and enter the Minted Design Challenge. The deadline is this morning. I have been working the past few days (I know- I just found out about it this past weekend...) and I am happy with what I came up with. I used some older stuff I had and spruced it up, changed colors and fonts and some layouts. I know its a looong shot- with over 2000 submissions- but it is a good way to receive critiques and get to know other designers. Plus, I get to practice- A LOT. Even if I don't win, I have a head start on Christmas cards!

I don't know when voting starts, but when it does, will you vote for my designs if you like them?
Thanks!

In other news, I get about 3 hrs of sleep at night (thanks to baby and bladder) so I have been sleeping during the day when I can. It isn't enough but I hope you understand if I don't blog very much. But keep coming back and checking the shop. I really do appreciate your support!

Lego Birthday Party

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Lego Birthday Party by frommewithlovedesign on polyvore.com

5x7 Green and Blue Lego 3 Photo Invitation by frommewithlovedesign
$12 - etsy.com

My son is actually not into legos right now (thank goodness)! I only say that because I step on enough toys as it is. And my other son sucks on legos (the ones he has gotten his hands on). BUT, I know someday, the time will come that he will love legos and needs to have them all. However, I have friends whose kids LOVE legos.

Here are some party ideas for a LEGO themed party. I love them all! You can keep everything simple (or not- like me). I am a DIYer but I have been pregnant through 2 kid birthday parties and I hired some stuff out! Best plan ever! So for those that still want to be a little more involved, I have several party packages you can purchase along with a photo (or non-photo) invitation. All you do is assemble and voila!

There is something here for everyone- I would never in a meeelllion years attempt to make that gorgeous cake. Nope. But, I can make those cute cupcakes with the cute little lego men- in chocolate- yum. And while I am at it, make those crayon lego men. My friend did these as favors and my kids love coloring with them! Or for those with a sweet tooth, you can make those lego candies. You can find those molds here. And for the ambitious, you can even make those lego men cakepops.

Can we say "awesome?" I can't wait to throw one of my littles a lego party.....or can I? For those of you who have stepped on way too many pointy building pieces, here is your chance to make peace with them and devour a few lego man cake pops and color that little head off. And make your little child oh so very happy with his all time favorite toy for now.

**I hope these links work. If not, they are on polyvore.com. I want to give proper credit where it is due! I did see all of them on pinterest though.

Ashtonisms

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Lorin: "Ashton. Listen to your mother."
Ashton: Brows furrowed. Dead serious face. "My mother is dead. A monster ate her."
Lorin & Brenda: "Bahahahhahaha"

Maybe we should not have him watch movies where the Mom dies......aka all kids movies.