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happy memorial day....

Monday, May 31


mini lemon cheesecakes adapted from this recipe...


happy memorial day...
i hope you enjoyed the day with family and friends...

my heart-felt thank you to all of those who've made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom...

{lemonade & sunshine party} preparations part I

Friday, May 28


the lemonade & sunshine party preparations are officially underway.
i emailed the invites yesterday.
party is scheduled for saturday, june 12th.
so...
let me share with you what i've been collecting!!
but let's make a game out of it...
because things are not always what they seem. *wink*
besides...this is where all of the magic starts...

do you see what i see?


look closely...


don't focus so much on the packaging...

close your eyes to the actual product inside...


are you seeing it yet?


have you figured it out?


how about a tee-tiny hint?

do you know what i'm up to?
i can tell you i'll be busy this weekend...
doing "stuff"...*wink*
maybe you should look forward to a "before & after" post on monday *hint...hint*


hoping you all have a happy holiday weekend...
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!

{THIRSTY THURSDAY} milk bottles

Thursday, May 27

"THIRSTY THURSDAY" - defined as a day to share something...ANYTHING... that makes my mouth water, quenches my creative tastebuds or satisfies my thirst for inspiration.

if you follow my facebook fan page then you know i've been on the hunt for milk bottles.
(all in hopes to incorporate them into the upcoming lemonade & sunshine party...)

"well butter my butt and call me a biscuit!" (said with 100% southern charm)...
would you look at the lovelies i've stumbled upon from stanpacnet.com


how adorable!

and THIS size! yes! THIS size and shape is perfect!!!

my creative taste buds are salivating ALL. OVER. the place.
but wait.
(i'm reeling myself back in and wiping the drool from the corners of my mouth).
huge sigh!
seriously....
i CANNOT pay $150 bucks for 24 of these little gems.
besides...i only REALLY need about 6...maybe...??
as cute as they are i just CANNOT!

but all is not lost.
thanks to some creative resources i stumbled upon this week...
i can TOTALLY make THESE work instead...


picture souce: celebrations at home

chris, from celebrations at home posted this information on how she transformed these 9.5oz. bottles into the perfect milk bottle.

let's see...
4 bottles for around $5?
plus a little elbow grease in removing the label and spray painting the cap?
pouring the product down the drain since i don't drink it?
hmmmmm???? (pretending to hesitate as if i'm unsure)...
definitely worth it!

so long my favorite little 1/2 pint bottle from stanpacnet.com posted above...
ours was a love affair short lived...*sniffle*
i'm telling you upfront...
i only want you for your bottle...*wink*

Keeping It Real
I bought a couple of different products yesterday - strictly for the potential of the packaging.
I'll share them with you tomorrow...
Oh the visions I have in my head for this lemonade & sunshine party! LOVE it!

343 update - it's DAY 3 and I'm right on track! 9 miles under my belt...54 miles to go! (*high fiveing* all of you)...

and....
Ella's back to being 100%.
the fever from Sunday night was short-lived and we've been having a great week together!

343 challenge

Tuesday, May 25

go HERE for daily updates & inspiration!





it's time.
i'm at that point in my life (again)...
i need a challenge.
i need something to:
push me...
strengthen me...
inspire me...
and frankly...
i need a personal focus.

we've all heard it before.
as women, we tend to put everyone else's needs ahead of our own.
and i believe strongly in the adage that you HAVE to take care of yourself first in order to better take care of those around you.

so...
i've come up with the "three for three" challenge.
it's a personal fitness challenge i've set for myself...
a small fitness challenge to help "jump start" my ultimate fitness goals.
(and those goals...in a nutshell...are to get me in the best shape of my life).

so what is the THREE for THREE challenge?
THREE miles everyday for THREE weeks.
THREE for THREE...
no matter what...
rain, shine, sickness, busy day, tired, irritable, no time...
whatever the hurdle...
there are NO EXCUSES!
i will walk three miles everyday. (& maybe jog a little too).
EVERYDAY...
for THREE weeks...
21 days.
63 miles.
period.

starting right. now.
who's with me?

KEEPING IT REAL
i actually walked 3 miles last night and that's when i conjured up this whole challenge idea!
BUT...i'm not counting last night's walk because i hadn't posted the challenge.
it's selfish...really. i NEED the accountability from you guys! *wink*
so...em & i laced up our shoes at 5:45a.m. and we were out the door by 6a.m. this morning.
what a great way to start the day...right?
honestly...afterwards, i was completely tired and wanted to take a nap by 9a.m.
(i'm thinking it was because it started to rain/drizzle and that weather makes me sleepy).
i'm not THAT much of a wimp. and i DIDN'T take that nap i was longing for either.
i made good use of my time and blogged instead...*wink*

cake anyone?

Monday, May 24

a couple of months ago, i was approached by a customer who wanted a custom invitation.
it was for a 1st birthday invitation for her daugher named scout...(so cute).
she wanted it to match a birthday bib she purchased.
the bib came from a shoppe on etsy called modern frills...
an adorable shop where you can find birthday shirts & bibs...
personalized tees...
monogrammed totes...
and they even do custom designs!!
here's a picture of the birthday cake design i was asked to match...


(picture source: modern frills)


cute...right?
so here's the cake design we came up with for her invitation...
(if you're a fan on my facebook fan page then you've seen this before)...
turned out pretty amazing...
didn't it?
well...
before you get all excited about me making this available in my shoppe...
i've got some BAD news...
this particular cake design will NOT be available for purchase.
why?
because it's a design that really belongs to modern frills...
and i REALLY try to give credit where credit is due and follow all of the unspoken AND spoken graphic design rules...
it's seriously a BIG deal to us graphic designers...

the GOOD news?
unbeknownst to me...
my dear friend kim from the tomkat studio and modern frills had/have been working together for some time now to create matching invites for the adorable items over at modern frills.
is that a crazy coincidence? (not really...i'll explain in a minute).
so if you're looking for matching invites...
they WILL be available at some point!
and i can't wait to see their sure-to-be adorable invites when they are completed.
i'll be sure to let you know when they become available because after all...
who DOESN'T want matching invites and birthday outfits for their special event!?

so here's how the "coincidence" happened...
with kim crazy-busy...
(and who wouldn't be with 4,800+ fans on her facebook fan page)??? *wink*
she referred one of her customers to me who was requesting a "custom b/day cake logo".
i worked up the design and shared with kim the final proof...
(after all, it was a design come-to-life due to a referral she'd sent me).
as you might have guessed...both kim and i were totally surprised when she immediately recognized the design to be something similar to the modern frills collection. crazy!

so...
adjustments were in order.
i was in LOVE with the cake design but needed to make it my own.
after all...what's the use of designing things i can't offer to you in my shoppe! *wink*
well...
i got out my digital flour, sugar & eggs...
i heated up the graphic arts oven...
did a little recipe tweaking...
and voila...
a collection of some cakes i baked up over the weekend...



after some tweaking & redesigning the shape & tiers of the original cake...
i've now got something i CAN offer in my shoppe...
just.
for.
you...
cake anyone?
*wink*


what do you think?
and the fact that you can "custom order" the cake in any color scheme???
now THAT'S a WONDERFUL bonus. *double wink*

hey...
here's an idea...
for a "sweet sixteen" birthday...
you could always add one of these to the top...


cute?
i definitely think so.
let me know what your favorite color scheme is.
(either out of the ones pictured or one you'd like to see added)...

hope you all had a nice weekend.
i was able to finish painting three more walls in the dining/kitchen.
i've still got one main wall to finish in the dining...
and then it's time to move into the kitchen, hall, pantry and 1/2 bath.
and did i tell you i want to repaint the foyer?
yep.
i think it needs to be darker.
the entire house is being transformed by "antique white"...
not necessarily what i had planned...
it's just kind of turning out that way.
i've got a color called "sisal" that may end up being the replacement in the foyer...
i need to share pictures...don't i?!
but it's progress.
and that's exactly what i needed this weekend!
hugs to everyone...
here's to a progress-filled week for us all!

Keeping It Real
Ella developed a fever yesterday so we're back to battling sickness around here.
"C'mon man..."!!
Keeping my head up though. This is STILL going to be a GREAT week.
(even if I have to "pretend" my way through it....*wink*)

happy birthday claracakes...

Friday, May 21

photo source: hello naomi

she's beautiful...
smart...
independent...
funny...
has crazy-mad organizational skills...
a little goofy at times...
musically inclined...
self-motivated...
a reader...(currently collecting the warriors book series).
LOVES everything to do with music...
her favorite color right now is carribbean blue...
her favorite song is "all i do is win" (ludacris, rick ross, t-pain & snoop dogg)
asks if she can drive the car in the neighborhood every chance she gets...
has high expectations for herself...(and others...especially her mother...*wink*)

i'd say she's well on her way to what i call "superstardom"
hApPy BiRtHdAY CLaRaCakEs!!!
i love you!

Keeping It Real
Thank you "hello naomi" for letting me use your beautiful photo as a "pretend" birthday dessert table in honor of Clara's birthday today. Hopefully the party we're having for her in June will turn out equally as lovely!

{THIRSTY THURSDAY} a beach cottage

Thursday, May 20

"THIRSTY THURSDAY" - defined as a day to share something...ANYTHING... that makes my mouth water, quenches my creative tastebuds or satisfies my thirst for inspiration.



ahhhh....
an immediate sense of peace and calm came over me when i stumbled upon this image.
i'm in total LOVE with this.
the white curtains.
the white fluffy, comfy unmade bed.
the white iron scroll work on the bed.
the perfect lighting coming in through the window.
the simple display of flowers to the side.
and my absolute favorite?
the white suitcases.
GET OUT!
i NEED some of those.
actually...i need my bedroom to look and feel just. like. this.

i KNEW last week this would be my "thirsty thursday" post.
one of my fave bloggers, sharnel of sharnel dollar designs, had posted this on her blog.
and it was love at first site.
AND...
as all good bloggers do...
she sited the source and i quickly went searching to see if there was more.
and guess what?
there was DEFINITELY MORE....
images like this...

gives a whole new meaning to "beach chair" doesn't it? *wink*
i LOVE everything about this picture.
the lighting.
the water.
the random placement of a vintage chair and wildflowers.
but i especially love that she didn't care what anyone else thought about her loading it into her car and carrying it on to the beach.
why?
because that's something i would do. *grin*

i'm happy to share with you her flickr photostream...
AND...
AND...
here's a "how-to" video she created relating to painting things white...*wink*

i hope these beautiful images quench your thirst...
make your mouth water...
OR get your creative taste buds salivating.
my inspiration thermometer has sky-rocketed!
and thank you sharnel for leading me to her!

hugs!

officially available...

Wednesday, May 19


i know...
i've been saying "soon" for some time now in regards to making these available in my shoppe.
so now it's "official" - as of moments ago, each of these are now available for purchase! *wink*

you can go directly to each individual invite/announcement using these links...

i hope you all are having a wonderful wednesday.
hugs to you all!

KEEPING IT REAL
hoping to share some "sensitive" news with you soon...
for now...I CAN tell you my world has been a roller coaster ride of emotions over the past three weeks...(& I'm not talking about the exhilarating roller coaster ride either...it's been the ride that leaves you with that awful nauseous feeling afterwards)...*wink*

{inspiration board} lemonade & sunshine

Friday, May 14

with the invitation finished...



i'm now gathering my thoughts about the elements for the upcoming "lemonade & sunshine" birthday party...



i can tell you this.
it's going to be simple.
& it's going to be relaxed.

AND...
everything i do for this "birthday" party
will easily translate into a "bridal" shower, "baby" shower or an afternoon with your bff's...
what do you think?

photo sources (from left to right):
{cupcakes} - mybakingaddiction
{flowers} - design sponge
{paper mobile} - design sponge
{lemonade packets} - thefavorstudio
{pink flower arrangement w/yellow ribbon} - pen n' paperflowers studio & design
{izze soda} - thenibble.com
{picnic table} - design sponge


KEEPING IT REAL
Do you remember the "rockstar" birthday party I was planning for Ema? And then she decided to wait until after we moved? And then she got sick? And then everyone else took a turn being sick? And now it's almost her sister's birthday? Well.....I could feel defeated. Instead, I've decided to combine both parties as a last ditch attempt to satisfy both girls and actually HAVE a party for either of them. Neither of them are thrilled to be sharing a party. But hey. They're lucky to be getting one at this point. Right?And I think they'll be okay? How about you? *wink*

{THIRSTY THURSDAY} boylan soda packaging

Thursday, May 13

welcome to the first official "THIRSTY THURSDAY"
defined as a day to share something that makes my mouth water or quenches my thirst.
(literally or figuratively)

it could be something to eat...
something to decorate with...
an idea i'm dying to try...
a "must have" item i've come across...
something i'm completely jealous over...
pretty much anything that invokes a sensation of desire...
or something that causes the inspiration thermometer to rise significantly.
ANYTHING that gets the creative taste buds salivating...



would you LOOK at this packaging?
love the colors.
love the vintage feel of it -
the fonts, the simplicity...
everything about it made me HAVE to buy it.
and i'm NOT a soda person. (i'm pretty boring actually...water is my choice of beverage).
BUT...
how could i resist?
the packaging quenched my creative thirst when i saw it in the store.
it was JUST the inspiration i needed to give life to THIS:



by drawing off of the colors in the boylan soda...
the vintage blue, orange with black accents
and then by adding a touch of brown...
this adorable little birthday invite was born.
i LOVE it.

and guess what?
now the soda is a MUST HAVE at the party...
who DOESN'T want adorable matching beverages to offer their guests...???

feelin' thirsty?



Keeping It Real
I've had this "thirsty thursday" concept in my mind for some time but with no real time to "execute" it.
I'm SO glad to get it started.
I have a feeling I'm going to LOVE "thirsty thursdays"...

lemonade & sunshine...

Wednesday, May 12

that's what's been on my mind for the past few months after coming across these:



i can't get the design concept of "LEMONADE & SUNSHINE" out of my head.
creating a party/invitation based off of the color combination of pink & yellow...
incorporating some cute elements with lemonade...
glass bottles filled with a powdered lemonade mix for favors...
using lemons as part of the decor...
soft pinks sprinkled everywhere...
a relaxed party theme inducing feelings of friendship, front porch swings, conversation, laughter and of course...SUNSHINE...
you might say i'm obsessing.
a little.

so...
i was excited to receive a package in the mail a few weeks ago from jessica kuszmaul.
jessica has an adorable etsy shoppe called earth cookie creations.
she also has another shoppe called scrapecochic loaded with "eco-friendly" goodies...
remember the contest i won 2nd place in a few months back?
well one of the prizes was some goodies from jessica's shoppe!
long story short...she allowed me to pick something from the shoppe.
well...with LEMONADE & SUNSHINE on my brain...
the natural choice for me to make was something in that color scheme...
(see...i was thinking ahead this time..."pre-planning" as j would call it). *wink*
so here is what i got in the mail...

mini pinwheel cupcake toppers

aren't they adorable?
i received 24 of these little gems and i can't wait to use them!

now...
for the invitation...

Keeping It Real
wow.
i have SO many fun things to load into my etsy shoppe.
not enough hours in the day...*wink*
oh...and watch for the first official "thirsty thursday" post tomorrow...

in bloom...

Monday, May 10

today i'd like to take you on a tour.
it's a brief little trip around the perimeter of our new house.
these are pictures i took the week ella was really sick.
we'd walk around for a few minutes each afternoon just to get her some fresh air.
so on one of those afternoon "fresh air" trips, i decided to bring the camera.
ella was in one arm...
my camera was in the other.
i think the pictures turned out pretty okay considering the circumstances...

so.
here's a short documentary of:
the good...
the bad...
and the ugly...*wink*

the good...
lots of things blooming/sprouting/growing around here...

these pink roses are on the right as you approach the front door


yellow roses to the left of the front door entry

and i'm lucky to have two rose bushes with one of my favorite shades of pink...


the crepe myrtles are starting to fill in/fill out...can't wait for the blooms...
(i hope they aren't purple...i just don't LOVE purple).


these little lovelies are blooming in the koi pond...


the pear tree is even producing some pears...


we've even got peaches going on around here...


and did i mention we've got two fig trees as well?
(what do i do with figs? fig pie?) *wink*


the bad...
random little nuiances...

a bike helmet left out on the pavement for several days...
an indication that children live in our house...*wink*


part of the yard that sat for over 2 weeks waiting for new sod...
i'm happy to report it's actually finished now...yea!!!
and did you notice the color of our house? it's what i call "pumpkin" - yuck!
this picture actually qualifies for both the "bad" AND the "ugly" categories...*wink*


the ugly....
these are the "not-so-pretty" eyesores located around the house...


a wheelbarrow full of weeds i pulled myself.
would you LOOK at the size of those thorns on the dead bougainvillea...OUCH!


huge aloe plants in a bad location...along the path to the front door...kind of weird?
they looked SO out of place...so prickly and random.
we dug these up and clara planted them in a pot in the back. much better.


this poor little bird bath...it won't hold water anymore.
we're looking for a replacement...
the picture actually makes it look prettier than it really is...
the "weathered" look adds great character though, doesn't it?


and finally....the koi pond.
this fell into the "ugly" category because we almost had this torn out during the sod replacement phase. the girls wanted to keep it and lucky for them...
after some coaxing from the neighbors and the landscaping company...j and i gave in to the pleadings.
now all i need to do is clean it, get the pump running again and figure out how to care for the thing. no. big. deal. right?
(clara actually rescued a goldfish she found in the murky water...it's now in her fish tank. crazy).


i hope you enjoyed the tour.
everyone please grab small children by the hand and exit safely to your right...
AFTER we've come to a complete stop.
(the sound of squeaky brakes and the the puff of air - like when a bus stops)...*wink*


Keeping It Real
Oh how I've MISSED blogging.
My life has not felt complete without it.
Weird?
I know.
Everyone in the house ended up getting sick...except for Clara. (lucky girl).
I feel as though I abandoned the blog for weeks as we all fought our way through it all.
I appreciate your patience and understanding.
And I hope you all had a WONDERFUL Mother's Day!
Can't wait to share the goodies I've been working on...
digital design projects...FUN. STUFF.

let the baking begin...

Monday, May 3

•• UPDATED...A NEW PAGE NOW EXISTS SPECIFICALLY FOR UPDATES ON THIS PROJECT - GO HERE... ••

gluten-free?
sugar-free?
vegan?

c'mon....
can you REALLY expect FANTASTIC results from recipes WITHOUT the ingredients we've been programmed to think our baked goods need?

i'm going to find out.
follow along with me as i bake my way through the babycakes nyc cookbook...
my family and i will be rating each recipe on a scale of 1-10 (10 being superior)

Sunday, May 2nd 2010
BANANA BREAD pg. 57:
(with the optional chocolate chips because they aren't REALLY an "option"...are they? *wink*)
here's my futile attempt at duplicating the food photography skills of cannelle et vanille
she would've made this look absolutely irresistable...

ranking: 9 (i'd give it a 10 but this is the very 1st recipe...*wink*)
level of difficulty? EASY
brief summary: this is DELICIOUS. no one would ever know it doesn't have sugar, gluten & is completely vegan! (i didn't even tell my kids).
what i'd do different next time: because i ended up having to bake it almost 20 minutes longer than the recipe called for i think i might have to fill the pan a little less than the recommended amount. the middle sunk down a little bit.

KEEPING IT REAL
I thought this weekend would be much "different" since the kids were finally all better.
Guess what?
It was my turn to fall prey to the "spring fever(s)"...minus the fever. (thank goodness)
The body aches, sinus congestion, watery eyes, chills, cough...none of it could keep me away from the ingredients that had been sitting out on the counter for two days...patiently awaiting their conglomeration.
So.
Point being....
If I can muster up fantastic results even while at the mercy of physical tyrants...
can you imagine what YOU could whip up?
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