36 Reasons: Posted 8-30-2010

There are more than 36 reasons why I love my husband but that's the number I stopped at since it was his 36th birthday after all. I thought it was a good sign that I could come up with more. :) 

I wanted to share this cute birthday garland idea because I saw how much joy it brought to both of us. This would also be a wonderful surprise for anniversaries or for kid's birthdays. I'm sure you could use the date in place of the age if necessary.  


I found the idea for this birthday garland on this wonderful blog Inchmark and added my own personal touch.  I hung the 36 notes starting from the doorway he entered, wrapped them around our kitchen, continued on to the rail of our deck, and had the final card placed on his birthday gift near where we'd be enjoying dinner. 

Each note had a reason why I loved him written on the inside.  When we took the notes down, they were placed in an envelope with 36 hearts printed on the front to match the notes. I hope this inspires you to show someone how much you love them!

Style A Day for Photoshop: Posted 8-27-2010

Luv a freebie? Check out Photoshop Style a Day to receive these great styles! Most are only available for free for the first 48 hours after release so sign-up for the emails. Photoshop styles are super easy to use, don't be scared. 

• Simply download the style file (personal use = freebie! commercial use = only $2.00)
• Open your photoshop creation and either select or make a type layer. The cool part it that your text can remain live. Great for revisions!
• Go to your styles palette (if hidden, go to windows > styles)
• Click the options bar under your styles palette and select load styles
• Once that new style is loaded (few seconds) you can select your text layer again and click the style you'd like to apply from the styles palette. And voila!

Don't forget to play around with different fonts and sizes to get the result you're looking for. Now go play!

Brown Cardboard

Clear Glass

Pink Bubblegum

Sketchbook Phobia is a Real Problem Posted 8-18-2010

Pretty sketchbooks scare me. Period. Same with bathtubs but we won't go there.

I have several sketchbooks sitting on a shelf that I haven't been able to get past the first page. Give me scrap paper, a napkin, a receipt - anything but a perfect-in-every-way sketchbook. Please... it's pure torture to make those first marks. It really is. 

So the even bigger dilemma is what to do with the scribbles of ideas strewn out all over my desk. Part of me wants them organized while the other part of me wants to add to the mess - keep scribbling - keep brainstorming! 

Then the reality of a having a messy desk hits again. So I'm blogging instead. 

Procrastination has never been a problem for me. :)

this guy has the right idea  photo via

Logo design - what it takes. Posted 8-11-2010

I saw this a year ago and just had to track it down again as I was mid logo development for a tech company. If you've ever wondered what really goes in to making a logo, then you need to watch this video. As a client, it's eye-opening. As a designer, it's peace of mind knowing that even the simplest of designs take research, time and multiple iterations. Simple may look easy, but that doesn't always mean it is.

via mattsoncreative

Country Couture - a West Virginia Wedding Posted 8-11-2010

Country couture - the two words my cousin used to describe her recent West Virginia wedding. What else would you call a wedding that involved a custom designed bridal gown embellished with ostrich feathers from head-to-toe, three lovely bridesmaids I might add, and a reception held at a place called Coonskin National Park. Country couture it was! And everyone had a blast!

Here's a glimpse of the lovely bride and the stationery I designed as my gift to the newlyweds. The floral motif that was used on the stationery and at the reception, was a wispy line illustration that complimented the feather accents. Her colors were plum and rich raspberry. She even found chocolates wrapped in the same accent colors that became sweet embellishments on all the tables.

{invitation and feathery thank you}

{the lovely bride}

I adore this office nook! Posted 7-13-10

Oh how I wish I could shut the doors on my office space like this one sometimes. But if my office looked like this, I would probably never close the doors! How refreshing is this little nook of a work space. So charming, so simple! I wonder if the hubby would think I was crazy if I packed up shop and moved to a spare bedroom closet....Mmn.....I'm a little tempted after seeing these pics. :)

photos via

It's been a while... Posted 6-9-2010

It's been way too long since my last post - guilty as charged. Since then, I've...

- Celebrated the big 29 with my closest girlfriends on a trip to Florida. My birthday was technically in February but we decided to take a trip to celebrate all of our birthdays this year - before we turn 30 (or before kids.) We had a wonderful time! 

- The hubby and I finally moved into our home! Technically we've been living in remodel mayhem for several months, but it feels so good to have all of our furniture out of storage. I've heard it can take months to settle in so I'm trying my hardest to squelch the perfectionist in me and just be patient. What's another few months of mayhem, right?

- Been staying busy with freelance work, mostly for a client that rhymes with shmerkins and is known for pancakes. :) They're a loyal client and a good group of people to work with! I feel blessed for being able to do what I do from home. Plus the flexibility definitely helped with all the moving projects we've tackled in the last two years.

- Surprised to see one of my Minted submissions for the Make a Wish Birthday Party Challenge on Design Mom! - it's #4. I submitted three designs last minute so I was very surprised to hear any of them got recognition. My other pottery party design received an editor's pick - yay!

- And lastly, as promised - SATC2! Saw it on opening night with two of my closest friends. The event entailed SATC look-a-like drag queens, cosmos, and a fashion show - how fun is that! We enjoyed the movie regardless of the reviews and that's all that really mattered. Here's a pic of us with Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda. lol

That's it for now!