6.30.2011

fouth of july and a fabulous friday freebie!

Happy early fourth of July! (I just had to share this picture of the boys last year in the Fourth of July parade! Too cute!) The boys and I are packin' it up and hittin' the road this weekend for some good 'ol fashioned family fun time! I don't know about you, but when it comes to packing for a big trip, I'm usually always the one in charge of getting everything together and get super anxious thinking that we're going to forget something! And in my house, since we have twins, if I forget one thing, we end up having to buy double when we arrive, which can be VERY expensive! So, I freak out and end up making about 10 different lists of things to pack; things to bring for myself, a list for the boys, a list for Kit, and scribbles of ideas that pop into my head last minute on post it notes. And then, after all that, I end up sticking them everywhere but where I can remember to find them! But this time, I finally got it together! I should have done this years ago, but last night I typed up a colorful, organized, simple list of the things we always pack for trips, printed it out on a big (hard to miss) sheet of paper and stuck it to the fridge! It looked like this:


Since many of you guys are probably heading out of town for this holiday weekend as well, I thought I'd share my list with you for a less stressed attempt at packing for the family! Just fill in the quantity for each item and scratch it off when it's packed! Tip: I print two of these lists for each trip, one for the way there, and one for the way back! This list prints on a regular 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper, so just click on the link below and press print! Have a happy and safe holiday everyone!

P.S. You can find this freebie and other goodies at Today's Creative Blog!

6.18.2011

My Father the Hero

Remember that movie? It was one of those flicks that my sister and I would would rent weekend after weekend for Friday night slumber parties with our friends. Why we didn't just buy it, I'll never know!

If you're having a preteen girl slumber party this father's day weekend, I highly recommend this movie! It was one of Katherine Heigl's first, and no matter how many times I've seen it, she and Gerard Depardieu always manage to give me a giggle and leave me with a little tear at the end!

This father's day, my dad will be in Connecticut, celebrating my cousin's graduation. I'll be sad not to see him on his special day, but yesterday I was able to give him a little going away/father's day gift for the trip: Katie Couric's book, The Best Advice I Ever Got. I really love that book, especially Suze Orman's anecdote! It's a great read for a flight and perfect gift for the person who has always given me the best advice!

If I weren't such a procrastinator, I would have loved to get him some of the goodies I saw pop up on Etsy! Here are some of my faves!


1. Words to Live by Signs | 2. Poster Pop | 3. LAS Pottery | 4. Branded | 5. Cutie Hats | 6. Lenny Mud


6.16.2011

Woo hoo hoo! My first review!

Yay! I've just received my first review from Rachel, owner of custom hemp treasures and custom knit treasures! I just had to share it with you guys! I printed a custom "home is where the heart is" poster for her this week and you can check out her review and pics of how she hangs it on her blog! Also, please check out her shops! I am LOVING her hand-knit striped scarf, and hopefully will be receiving a burnt orange and white one from Kit for my birthday this year! (Honey, if you're reading this, **Hint Hint, Wink Wink**! Here's a link to make it SUPER easy for you!) Thanks again Rachel! You are the best!

6.13.2011

ENGAGED!

No, not me! My little sister, Tracy, is getting married! She called me up from her Vegas vacation this weekend, midway through her 24th birthday celebration, and screamed in my ear, "I'M ENGAGED!" In my head it played a little bit like this:


LOVE that movie! Especially the scene where she screams, "I'm getting married! Aaah!"

I am so happy and excited for her! And even though she hasn't asked me yet, I've already started thinking about designs for her wedding invitation! Actually, 6 years ago, as I was planning my wedding, my graphic design career began when I decided to design my own wedding invitations! Back then, it was less common, more expensive and much more difficult to find the fancy boxed/foldover/pocket wedding invitations with satin ribbon that are still popular today. So, I drew the idea I had in my head on a piece of paper, handed it to my dad, and he designed and constructed the navy pocket folders that held my invitation, rsvp card + envelope, map with directions, etc. I designed the actual wording, font, and style of the cards and together, my mom and I threaded each satin ribbon through every handcrafted invite! They were absolutely breathtaking and one of the best designs I am still so proud of today!

Classic, simple, elegant, and timeless - all words I use to describe my wedding invitation, and great descriptions of these beautiful invites that I am totally inspired by as I think about the design for my sister's wedding!





I guess love is in the air as this wedding season approaches, because I was actually just recently asked to design a custom bridal shower invitation for a fan of my "home is where the heart is" moving postcards. She asked me to use the same style as the postcards to design an invite for her sister's party and here is what I came up with! I think they look fantastic! They actually just came off of the press today and I'll be mailing them out tomorrow! I can't wait to hear what they think!



6.08.2011

A Modern Twist on Traditional Silhouettes

Silhouettes seem to be popping up everywhere right now! And these aren't your mama's silhouettes! They are are fresh, modern takes on the traditional silhouettes that once graced our dining room walls! From baby onesies, to handcrafted metal necklaces, to larger than life wall decals, these silhouettes sport the likes of celebrities, hometowns, and (my favorite) our families! Here are some goodies I've seen pop up on Etsy!



I am truly inspired by these modern twists on traditional silhouettes! Here are a few examples of posters I've just added to the shop today! With clean, modern lines, these posters bring a bright pop of color and are great illustrations of each kid's unique and spunky personality!

6.07.2011

Handcrafted Love

I am LOVING these super cute headbands, hairclips and crowns found at Lizzie, Izzie + James! What I love best is how they promote their vibrant, handcrafted accessories with pics of absolutely adorable kiddos sporting their goods! I could definitely see Jack and Logan wearing the #1 crowns at their next birthday party! I love a good one-of-a-kind bday hat! Here are some photos of items that are too good not to share and a link to my DIY tutorial if you're up to making your own birthday baby's hat this year!

Click for Tutorial

6.06.2011

Austin

Wow! What an great vacation!  Kit, the boys and I have just returned from our week long stay in Austin (our second home). We had such a great time, antique shopping, playing at the Children's Museum, eating at our favorite hangouts and even singing along to a showing of "Grease" at the Alamo Drafthouse! I thought I'd share a few photos we took along the way, starting with my favorite family photo in front of the UT tower and fountain. Hook 'em!