perspective

Shots from a recent Vermont trip

Sorry to have abandoned my blog for over a week now. My youngest (16 months) was sick with a contagious skin infection. It's amazing how quickly you change over to complete mommy mode when your child is sick. I spent days changing dressings, giving antibiotics, comforting, washing every sheet, piece of clothing, and towel in the house in hot water, and washing everyone's hands over and over again. Thank God she is fine and responding nicely to antibiotics. And luckily, the rest of us didn't catch the infection. My heart goes out to parents of children with long-term illnesses. I can't imagine the strength that it takes to constantly have to give medical care and always carry the heavy burden of worrying about your child's health.

I promise to be back to actively posting, I've missed it! : )

two new things to love

Today, two creative ventures are brightening my morning. The first is Twelve Chairs, a new Boston shop that showcases gorgeous, sustainable products for the home. And the best part, I can walk there from my office. Yay!

Twelve Chairs at 319 A Street Boston, MA

The second thing is Srpuce Upholstery's new t.v. pilot found via Design Sponge. It is a fun, hip, look into the world of finding something old and turning it into something wonderful. I love the combination of design with physical labor. So fun!

Spruce Upholstery, Austin Texas

great fall ideas from papersource

have you seen this Paper Sources's fall projects for this year? I think the leaf wreath is already sold out but the mum one is still available. I love that they are showcasing the pink side of fall colors. Have you made any paper decorations for Fall or Halloween? Please send me a picture and I'll feature it here!

Fall Leaf Wreath Kit from Paper Source

Mums Wreath Kit from Paper Source

Large Die Cut Fall Leaves from Paper Source

Gourd Place Card Kit by Paper Source

sweedish design

I came upon this great Sweedish shop, Stilleben Shop on the wonderful blog Red House Design.

fall fashion

I just returned from a relaxing weekend in Vermont. Although they have had a lot of rain, the colors are still so vibrant and beautiful. I am longing for a wardrobe to match the warmth and coziness of cool nights by a fire with a cup of warm cider.

Alice in Autumn Sweatercoat, Reminiscing Coat, Genevieve Cowel, Field Nap Necklace, Cinnamon and cloves dress.

the winner of the wedding invitation is...

I used random.org to pick a number and it spit out 4. So congratulations to Jackie P. who said:

"I hope my wedding will be the most meaningful expression of mine and my fiance's love for each other and our families and friends, peppered with a few hijinx, lots of laughter and a packed dance floor!"

I look forward to working with you on your wedding invitations!

Thank you to everyone for entering. I really enjoyed reading your creative and thoughtful comments. 

tea towels + wedding invitation giveaway

Happy Friday! It's not to late to enter the wedding invitation giveaway. I will be picking a winner tonight at 9 p.m. (est). 

Here are some lovely screenprinted tea towels from Etsy. I love collecting tea towels. It's so fun to change the feeling of a kitchen by changing out the towels. Don't you think?

1. sarahkusa

2. MichelleBrusegaard
3. greenolivetextiles
4. wonderthunder
5. sweetnaturedesigns
6. MichelleBrusegaard

wedding invitation giveaway!

The wedding invitation giveaway is back!

Getting married? I LOVE creating wedding invitations. It is an amazing creative challenge to help a couple bring their ideas for their wedding to life. Today, I am giving away a custom wedding invitation design package. I will work with you to create your dream wedding invitation. It will include designs for the invitation, the envelope, an rsvp card and envelope, directions and any other information that you would like included.

I will work with a printer (including letterpress, if you desire) to create the finished product. You will be responsible for the printing and paper costs (we will work with your budget to determine the best method of printing).

To enter, leave a comment telling me one sentence that sums up what your perfect wedding would be. One winner will be drawn at random this Friday.

hipstamatic

Sorry I've been away for a few days. As often happens, September has brought with it a much more hectic pace. I am under a huge deadline right now but I have lots of ideas cooking for the blog, including a complete makeover. 

In the meantime, have you seen this iPhone app?

It turns your iPhone into an instamatic camera for only $1.99. Now if I could only get my hands on an iPhone... I'm waiting for the rumored Verizon iPhone deal. : )

easiest, yummiest, homemade wheat bread

I set out this weekend to make bread for the first time without my breadmaker. After finding this simple Honey Wheat Bread recipe, I gave it a try and couldn't believe how easy it was. The recipe made two loaves and was so easy and so delicious! Even my kids went crazy for it. 

The recipe is from the foodnetwork.com site but it was pretty vague. I made a couple of adjustments based on comments people had left on the site. So here is how I made the bread. Enjoy!


Honey Wheat Bread (adapted from this recipe)
Ingredients 2 1/2 cups warm water
1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 stick softened butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
4 cups all purpose flour

Directions
Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Combine all ingredients including rest of water in Kitchenaid mixer bowl, knead for about seven minutes with bread hook or until dough is no longer wet but smooth. Remove mixer bowl from stand and place a dish towl or saran wrap over bowl. Let bread rise until doubled in size, punch down for about a minute on a floured surface and divide in half and shape into two loaves. Place each loaf in a greased (I used sunflower cooking spray) and floured 9 x 5 loaf pan. Let bread double in size again. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush top of loaves with an egg wash (whisk an egg with water). Sprinkle with extra rolled oats. Bake for about 30 minutes or until crusty and brown on top.

a sweet little gift idea

I made my own pizza dough for the first time the other day. The recipe, from New Basics Cookbook, (my go-to cookbook) made two crusts. Half way through making it I decided it would be fun to give my mom one of the doughs to try. So I grabbed a cute gift bag and wrote out the tomato pizza sauce recipe from the cookbook on the bag. The dough will keep for a month in the freezer so she wouldn't have to feel pressure to make it right away. Could be a fun hostess gift or even something for the holidays...

stylish growth chart

How cool is this? A giant piece of art that doubles as a measuring stick to chart your child's growth. Made by Studio 1 A.M. in Chicago.

lovely illustrations

I came across the work of children's book illustrator Renata Liwska while looking through Communication Arts Illustration Annual. Adorable!

time out

{three dimensions of time
by rima bueno- neenah paper contest entry}

When hurricane Earl was barreling towards Cape Cod on Thursday, my husband and I made the tough decision to continue with our plans to fly to Chicago for one of my best friend's weddings. Thursday was a day of checking and rechecking the weather, over and over again, looking for a sign that Earl wasn't going to be that bad. I swear, I lost half a day's work trying to make a decision. You see, our house is right on the water and my parents' house is only a mile or so inland. I wasn't worried too much about the house because there wouldn't be anything we could do about it, but I was very conflicted about leaving my young children. Sure they would be with their grandparents, who they adore. But, I still felt weird about leaving them in a hurricane. We decided to batten down the hatches just in case and wait for the nightly news to make a decision. Our sailboat had to be moved and tied down, the porch furniture had to be put away, the umbrella came down, plants came inside, and our grill was now in our living room. By the time the six o'clock news came on, it finally became clear that more than likely, Earl would not pack as big a punch as feared. We rushed around packing for the wedding, and for the kids, and finally fell into bed. 

On Friday morning we left for the airport at 6:30 a.m. drained, and exhausted after the stress of the work week and the added stress of hurricane uncertainty and preparation. When we arrived in Chicago, instead of our planned sightseeing, we climbed into the queen size bed and promptly fell asleep for two hours. 


I learned a valuable lesson this weekend. From now on, I am going to try to face decisions head on. I have a tendency to hem and haw. To look at problems from all angles, even inventing some as I go along. I poll everyone I know, often calling my mom three or four times to go over the same issue. I am always so mentally drained after a big decision. If I had just decided to stick with the plan or to wait until the latest newscast possible before stressing out, I would have had a lot more energy to enjoy the wedding. 

Even though I have not been in school for years, September always feels like the beginning of a new year to me. What better time to work on reducing my stress, on making definitive choices and sticking with them, on trying not to second guess myself? I'm sure when the next dilemma pops up, I'll be back to my old ways, but I'm going to try to remember that things always work out, one way or another.

p.s. The clock image is from a cool contest that Neenah Paper is hosting. You can get a fun kit of parts from them to create your own clock using their paper. Check it out here.

sew mama sew serger giveaway!

FTWM of two seeks long-term, binding relationship. Must be patient, reliable, strong, forgiving, and tolerant of long periods of silence followed by intense bursts of activity. Prefer a night owl who enjoys a good last-minute project. A love of children's clothes, bags, skirts, dresses, halloween costumes, experiments in fabric, and all things craft is a big plus. I promise to love, care for, and cherish you, if you promise to help me tie up my loose ends. Huge pile of unfinished projects await. Let's make magic together!

Get over to Sew Mama Sew today to enter the giveaway of a new Husqvarna Viking s21 Serger!

what i'm liking

– Gaping at this whimsical artwork via design sponge
– Loving these fun illustrations and a great online journal of an illustration course in spain
– Wishing i knew about these adorable super 8 wedding videos when i got married
– Wanting this scarf at Anthropologie
– Happily anticipating taking this course through decor8

happy weekend!

a room of my own,sort of

Studio Wall display by Moline

I am turning the third bedroom in our house into a studio space. Up until now it has been an office/catch-all room with everything from a computer and printer to the ironing board housed there. The space only has three walls with the third being a railing that looks down the staircase to our living room below.

Studio by Three Red Apples

my crafty area by craftingmomof1

Sewing Studio by Eris Delphi

Mon Atelier by petits détails

more drawers by blessed little nest

The room will need to be functional as a design studio, a sewing room, and my husband's writing desk. I'm liking furniture that is functional but also old or refurbished. But I need plenty of modern storage solutions.

rincón by papersome

studio progress... by Three Red Apples

Home office by Chez Larsson

New desk by Chez Larsson

And now, the fun part, actually making this happen...

design behind the scenes

Design Army's Wonderland

HOW Magazine and Adobe asked three design studios to try the new Flash Catalyst to bring their print work to life. I love what Design Army did with their book for the Washington Ballet. I had seen the book through a Neenah paper promotion and it is breathtaking. They created a fun flash site that takes you behind the scenes on some of the photoshoots. It's amazing to see how they brought the lush fantasy photographs to life.

the perfect little purse

Madebyhank: roundy-bottomed tough ruffles
zipper purse in burnt orange and pale coral

Boden's Amalfi dress (now on clearance!)

I have a beautiful new dress from Boden that I am wearing to a wedding in Chicago over labor day weekend. I NEED to get this to go with it. So cute! Katie of Madebyhank has an awe-inspiring array of gorgeous designs in fantastic colors. 

back to school: e-courses

I am a huge fan of school. If I could have found a way to stay in school forever, I would have done it. Every year, as the air turns crisp I long for the feeling of returning to a campus. It is not to be for now, but, there are some amazing e-courses out there. Here is just a short list of art-related courses...

discovering Y.O.U. {art marketing e-course}
Your Courageous Life
Kelly Rae Robert's ebook, Flying Lessons
Mondo Beyondo
Unravelling
Between the Lines, Art Journaling
In the Fish Bowl: Life as an Artist

enamelware love

Happy friday!

upcycled treasures

Paper airplane-embroidery
hoop wall art by Montclair Made

September vintage tea towel bird, lavender
scented ornament by Montclair Made

Vintage greeting card gift tags by Montclair Made

Mini flag banner no. 3 by Montclair Made

Thanks to Etsy's daily handpicked items, I discovered Montclair Made. The shop features unique, clever, green items that are repurposed from materials like packaging, cardboard, and plastic shopping bags.