Right Now

"Childhood is the most beautiful of all life's seasons."

--Author Unknown

In the Studio: Lately

Just popping in with a few little goodies on their way to new homes this week.

 

Favor tags for a colorful Las Vegas wedding.

Clean and simple. I love the font she chose.

Business Cards--the real thing comes with her info in place of that blurry spot. :)

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Did you know I now offer short run business cards? 

And in related news--I have access to a professional printer...so now all your wildest paper-related dreams can be reality.

 This bride told me the color inspiration for her wedding was a peacock feather. Love the color combination.

And some cute little product tags I made for a friend. 

Oh, Erin...btw, I hope you know when I told you I'd bring these up over the weekend I actually meant Tuesday. :)

Next in line: A huge ad banner, and a jewelry rehab project. Except, I'll actually be spending my day tending to a little boy with the stomach flu. We were up all night doing the yucky stuff, and lots of laundry. Cold and flu season has NOT been kind to me this year. Hope you're out enjoying the sunshine. I'll be admiring it from indoors today. 

xo

Birds' Nest Sugar Cookies

 

The kids and I have been looking for some fun new things to do since we've been stuck indoors with all the rain we've been having. We're all ready for spring. So in anticipation of sunnier days; and to celebrate "our bird" finishing her nest, we made some little bird nest sugar cookies. It's a quick, easy activity perfect for a rainy day or a weekend at home.

 

Here's what you'll need:

Sugar cookies. Here's my favorite recipe, or just buy some if you're in the mood for a short cut.

Frosting. I use vanilla buttercream

Fondant Icing. Wilton has a pre-made block of it you can buy at craft stores.

Food Coloring

Corn starch

Mini Robin's Egg candies

Any other embellishments you might want: coconut flakes, edible Easter grass, pretzel sticks

1.Make the cookies and frost them as usual.

2. Dye the fondant with a drop or two of food coloring. Twist, squish and pull the fondant (like play-doh) until the color is incorporated. (My 5-year-old especially likes this part). If it gets too sticky, work in a bit of cornstarch to dry it up a bit.

3. After the fondant is the color you want, pinch off a bit and roll it between your palms like you're making a play-doh snake. (Did anybody catch the Aquabats reference here?)

4. Keep rolling until it's the desired size. 

5. Make a circle shape out of the fondant on top of the cookie. Keep adding circle on top of circle until your nest is just the right size. (No need to make it perfect...the little ends sticking out will look like twigs).

6. Add the eggs to the center of the nest.

7. Add some "roughage" to your nest...pretzel sticks will look like twigs, coconut flakes, or edible Easter grass work great, too. 

Enjoy! Hope you had a wonderful weekend.

Happy Friday, friends. So glad to be at the weekend. Our week has been soggy and pretty exhausting, if you ask me. Not to mention I'm actually starting to get tired of my rain boots. Never thought I'd say that. Here's a quick happy list to kick off your weekend.

This book makes me happy.
 {And for those of you who are worried, everything IS going to be ok.} 

A clean kitchen makes me happy.
And an occasional splurge on a new product gives me the motivation I need to keep it clean. Know what I mean?
Maybe a little too much Dr. Seuss at bedtime, eh?

Rugged storage bins make me happy.
{Keeping the house clean for a couple hours while the kids are in bed makes me really happy}

Beautiful terrariums make me happy.
Definitely check out the gorgeous work at Sea & Asters.

Lightweight spring scarves make me happy.

Gold + Turquoise together make me happy

More reasons I'm happy this week:

• We're off to the Space & Science Center with friends this morning. Science + Friends = Best Day Ever
• The new grocery store down the street just opened. Now making a "quick trip" to the store is a reality again.
• Collaborations are in the works for some fun holiday projects this year. (Yes, it's March, and I'm talking about Christmas!)
• Pinterest makes me happy every day. Organization + Inspiration = Pure Bliss. Check out my pins here to see what inspires me right now.

Why are you happy today?

In the works

Just thought you'd like a sneak peek of what's been going on in my studio as of late:

The spring and summer wedding season is fast approaching, so I've been spending lots of time customizing favor tags. I really liked the font my client chose for these tags. It's pretty incredible all the different things you can do with a mere 1.25" circle. And I like them because they're mine & B's initials. :) 

I've also been really busy with business cards and logo design. All of my clients have been absolutely delightful to work with. I love my job!

Just a couple things in the works right this moment. A sweet little birth announcement (above) and a cheerful happy birthday card (below).

The birthday card actually started out as a birth announcement for my dear friend, Liz. So now I'm adjusting it a bit to turn it into a birthday card.

Also in the works: my first ever home and office supply collection (due out in May). File folders, note cards, note pads, recipe cards, push pins...lots of great stuff. Can't wait to show you!

All these (and more!) goodies will be debuting in my shop soon. I'll keep you posted.

Espadrille Flats

Before I had kids, I bought a gaggle of heels--pumps, wedges, platforms, you name it. I deemed them practical; even going so far as to claim I could "totally wear them after I had kids." Right. Tally one up on the "words I'll eat someday" list.

Fast forward a few years: Toddler headed toward the street. Preschooler stuck on the monkey bars. Dropped soccer ball rolling down the hill. At any given moment, I'm prepared to break into a sprint. Thus the need for flats. Definitely don't want to eat it while I'm chasing down a get-away shopping cart.

{navy,  yellow, green, red, black}

For all of the above reasons, and simply because they're cute, I'm loving this season's flat espadrilles. Nautical, sensible, chic and comfortable. What more could a mom want? Besides a nap.

Little Moments

I often catch myself rushing from task to task without taking time to enjoy the little significant moments in my life. When my children are grown and I reflect on my life, these are the moments I will cherish. Insignificant will be the laundry I did, the floors I scrubbed, and the dishes I washed. I will think fondly of the giggles, the hugs, the general mischief and the happiness these little people share with me every single day. I am one lucky lady.

P.S. On a related note, I ran across this quote on Lay Baby Lay a bit ago. Check it out, it's a good one.
(Good news, it's downloadable so you can print one of your own!)

Recipe Card Download

How 'bout we start the week off with a little free printable? This is an outtake from a project I've been working on recently. It didn't make the final cut, but I really, really like it. I especially love having all the ingredients listed on the front...makes shopping and planning that much easier.
Oh, and if you're new around here, Welcome! Thought you might like a link to my other printables. Enjoy!

Go here to download:
Yellow & Green
Purple & Blue

Oh, and if you're printing with an inkjet, you might want to consider some recipe card sleeves, so your ink won't run if you're prone to spills. :)

Hope you had a great weekend!

Happy Friday

Happy Friday, Folks. The sky is dreary and overcast this morning so a happy list of bright, fun things is in order, I think.

Spotty straws make me happy.

This shower curtain makes me happy.

Bright table settings make me happy. In fact, this whole website makes me happy.

This DIY wall-hanging makes me happy.

This scent makes me happy.

This belt makes me happy.

A couple more reasons to be happy:

• The best news of the week: my sister is expecting her first child. They found out yesterday it's a girl! Charlotte will soon have a little cousin to play with. Hooray!
• Reconnecting with an old friend. Thanks for finding me K. I've missed you!
• A rain-filled weekend means lots of puddle-splashing is on the schedule.

How about you? What made you happy this week?

Money Cakes

My grandma used to make a money cake every year on my birthday. I decided St. Paddy's Day was the perfect time to reinstate the tradition. After all, those sneaky little leprechauns like shiny golden coins, no? Here's the gist of the money cake tradition: Grandma would scrub up all her special coins (silver dollars, fifty cent pieces, etc.), wrap them in wax paper and bake them into a birthday cake. The birthday kid chooses his/her piece of cake first; whatever they find in their slice of cake is theirs to keep.

My version is a tiny bit different. Cupcakes. Each baked with a shiny gold dollar inside; and topped off with a chocolate gold coin as a hint at what's inside. We'll devour a few ourselves and deliver others to our friends. If you're not totally grossed out by the thought of baking money into a cake, here's a quick how-to:

1. Gather up the goods: Coins (I asked for new gold dollars, so I wouldn't have to wonder where they've been), cake mix, wax paper, sprinkles, chocolate coins and frosting (I'm a frosting snob: I don't do store-bought. Sorry. That's just how I roll. So check out my vanilla buttercream recipe if you need a good one).

2. Scrub those coins. I simply use hot, soapy water and a scrub brush. But if it makes you feel better, run those puppies through the dishwasher, boil them or whatever you have to do. Just don't tell me if baking money is hazardous to your health...I'll cover my ears and shout "lalalalala" till you're done.

3. Cut squares of waxed paper (approx. 3" x 3"). Wrap each coin individually in wax paper. Set aside.

4. Mix up the cake batter. 

5. Fill the muffin tins half-full of batter, and place a little coin packet on each. Put the remaining batter on top of the coins. 

6. Bake the cupcakes according to package directions. 

7. Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack. 

8. Frost when completely cooled.

9. Decorate as desired.

10. Eat. Enjoy the surprise on their faces when they find the treasure hidden inside their dessert.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Lucky Clovers

As a child, I spent many a day looking for lucky four-leaf clovers. OK, you got me--I still do it as an adult. If you're not in the mood to comb through a field of clover, here are a few good luck charms sure to make any old leprechaun green with envy. Who doesn't need a little good luck now and then?

top: necklace, ring

middle: earrings

bottom: cut-out necklace, embossed necklace

top: ring, charm

bottom: necklace, necklace

365 favorites

Sorry for my absence this morning. I'm sick, sick, sick. I'll be spending the day in my pj's neglecting everyone as much as they'll allow. In the meantime, check out some of these great photos from my friends over at 365 project:

P.S. Click on the individual photos to go to their albums. They're all fantastic.

Colour Lovin'

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When I'm stuck on a project and need a little inspiration, my first stop is Colourlovers. Have you checked it out, yet? It's so much fun to make palettes of your own and browse through other people's creations. It's a sure-fire rut buster. 

Take a look at some of my new favorite combinations:

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A little girl's birthday party, perhaps? 

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Wouldn't this make a cute preppy striped diaper bag? 

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How about a spa-inspired bathroom remodel?

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Instead of going the route of matching shirts for your next family photo, swing by and choose a palette for inspiration.

Hope you had a great weekend!

P.S. Happy Birthday, R. I hope your day is filled with love and lots of great cake. Your birthday cookie sampler is in the mail. :)

Happy Friday

Here's a few things that are making me happy this week:

Cute business cards make me happy

This quote makes me happy

This idea makes me happy

Knotted Floor Cushions make me happy

Charley Harper Board Books make me happy

The new Kate Spade video makes me happy

A few other reasons to be happy:

• Gemfaire is here this weekend. I'll be popping in and out all weekend.
• I had a major breakthrough on a project that's been in the works for a while. So excited!
• T-Ball season officially begins on Saturday. Go Rockies!
• Mama bird has decided our lamp is a great place for her babies again this spring. She just started building her nest this week. Can't wait to see those baby birds.

Have a great weekend. What do you have on the agenda?