Blue, green and yellow

It may have been a red, white and blue weekend everywhere else but around these parts it was all blue and green with a little yellow and brown thrown in. Baby shower creating was in high gear as favors were made, decorations created and other little surprises prepared.

Things were going so well that I decided why not handcraft invites for another shower later in July? My actual responsibility for this office/work shower was to send an Evite to all the folks. I was told Evite was a step above the usual invitation process for such events and, while I think Evite is great, it just didn’t feel exactly right. The options didn’t match the ideas in my head.

While at Paper Source doing a bit of hunting and gathering for shower #1, I got a vee-shon for shower #2 invites and decided I just had to make them. Just had to. And so I did.

I didn’t quite realize there were 53 people on the invitation list! Luckily, I had enough paper. But barely enough table and counter space! Each invite was hand-stamped and then a bit of glue painted on the stroller handle and wheels for a sparkle of blue glitter.

The little glassine envelopes (love, love glassine!)  hold information about the baby registries and option to contribute to a group gift. I like having that info separate so it doesn’t detract from the invitation itself. Plus the recipients get a little package to open.

All bundled up and ready for FedEx. By the time I was done, I was having doubts about the design, the execution. It was no doubt the result of staring at 50+ of the same thing for a couple days straight. Now that they’re out of my hands, I love them again. And would definitely make my own invitations again!

Daily giggle

“There is unexpected beauty hidden everywhere in this world — one just has to be open to seeing it. Remember that the next time you sneeze on your monitor.” — Nathan Walton

Happy jelly bean hunting

The egg-dying, feast preparing and decorating festivities have begun! I received advanced notice that the Easter Bunny is preparing a treasure hunt with clues (written at the 1st-grade reading level of course … mom isn’t allowed to help) that K will have to solve to find her Easter Basket.

Then we’ll be celebrating with the auntie, grandma and grandpa with a taco fiesta dinner. I ask you, what says Easter better than tacos and Negra Modelo? Exactly.

From here to there

In the garden …

On my desk …

So far, March is more lamb than lion.

An impromptu coffee break

A friend stopping by to borrow a suitcase was all the reason I needed to have a little party. Warm scones, fruit salad and lively conversation were the perfect ingredients for a half-hour of fun on a sunny Friday. Happy weekend.

Queen of Hearts

Morning …

Noon …

And night …

And before all that …

There were the fun couple days devoted to making Valentine’s for friends … cards from K, felt fortune cookies from me. I forgot (gasp) to photograph them before packing and shipping but fortunately Kristy sent me a shot of Valentine’s morning for her girls. The cards are her design (she’s an amazing designer) as is the breakfast (but I want some, it looks so good!). The little felt fortune cookies were stuffed with fortune, stickers and chocolates.

There’s still time for Valentine’s fun. Send an e-card! I’m headed over to www.hoopsandyoyo.com for more Valentine’s giggles now!

Double number, divisible by 2

How perfect is this card? It delights me as I celebrate another birthday. So too do all the calls, IMs, notes and packages that I’ve been so lucky to receive. I’m a big fan of birthdays. Big. Fan.

When I was little, I loved that I shared my birthday with Abraham Lincoln. Back in the day, that meant a school holiday, which I co-opted to be my own personal holiday. Valentine’s Day became part of the celebration too, so I was never sad if I didn’t have a sweetheart. All the hearts and flowers were just a part of my birthday week. Oh yes, a week. I am a firm believer that one day is not sufficient to celebrate birthdays. The longer the celebration can stretch out, the better.

Not only do I love my birthday, I’m prone to broadcasting it. When I was in college, I used to remind my friends how many shopping days were left. Kinda surprising they didn’t just ignore the day.

And even though I’m of an age where most people ignore their birthday, I’m still talking about it. For the past few days, I found a way to mention that I’m having an “old lady” birthday in nearly every meeting I attend. Hard to break habits cultivated over decades.

Yes, the number makes me a cringe a little but I wouldn’t trade places with a younger me. I like that I get more sparkly as I get more wrinkles and gray hair. That I have enough life experience to know how not to sweat the small stuff (most of the time). That risks are worth taking. That challenging times ultimately give way to smooth sailing. That you can never be too generous. And that it’s never too late to try something new.

That’s what I know at the start of this double number, divisible by 2 year. What more will I know this time next year? I can’t wait to find out.

Wrap happy

Good packaging makes me giddy so I guess it’s no wonder that I love to wrap presents. Love, love, love it.

This year, I’m using white butcher paper from Ikea … the kind that comes in a big role and is used most often for kid art. I love using “non-wrap” for wrap … and you can’t beat the price. The crisp white is adorned with brown ric-rac + the fabric yo-yos make a few weeks ago. Red tissue paper + letterpress tags complete the look. It’s endless fun deciding how to put it all together.

Equally fun is receiving packages that have been creatively packaged. Like this one from a client:

I almost didn’t want to open it! But open I did to find a stunning set of letterpress cards. Am I lucky or what?

Off to wrap … back soon!

Me & the button tree

One of the things I love most about blogland is the wealth of creativity and tips — everything from easy ways to miter corners to packaging ideas. I find myself endlessly inspired and antsy to try new projects. And so begins the tale of how I found myself making a button tree. Yes, a tree made of buttons.

It began innocently enough. The supply list was temptingly short: tree-shaped styrofoam, buttons, pins. Check. I decided to alter the idea from the get-go by spray-painting the styrofoam silver. I figured it would be ever so much better to have silver sparkles peaking out through any small gaps. Excellent.

Then I set to work. Ah, very relaxing. Until this point:

At this point, you need to tap your inner engineer to solve many a spatial problem. What started as a speedy quick, relaxing project turned into a painstakingly intense challenge. I wondered, how many pins can one small styrofoam cone take? Turns out, hundreds.

I was not about to give up but I told anyone who would listen that I would not be making a forest of these anytime soon.

Pinning the last button in place was indeed a happy moment.

The finished product is rather pleasing (and not blury in real life!). And the silver spray-paint was a brilliant touch, I must say. This little cutie is going off to a friend who loves pink. And you know, I just might make a few more. Success has transformed my momentum into a desire to repeat (last sentence courtesy of Sage)!

Multi. Task.

Here I sit, cutting out strips of fabrics for 20 first-graders to fashion into scarves for snowmen while thinking through how to turn a standard sales presentation into a hip advertorial. Bits and pieces of other projects — both craft and client — hover nearby.

In a season of multi-tasking, this is the biggest week of all. The run-up to Christmas when time speeds up and you hear folks on the street express surprise that the big day is right around the corner. Gasp! Gulp! The adrenaline kicks in and the temptation to rush, rush, rush is strong.

These are the times that I’m happy there’s Plan B. I like Plan B. Plan B is understanding. Plan B knows that not all plans can be As and is very kind in helping the planner embrace the B. Beautiful things can come when Plan A gives way to B.

Take, for example, the snappy client gifts I planned this year, which required various parts (I know some of you read this blog so I have to be vague!). One part, ordered weeks ago, never arrived. Customer service wouldn’t return calls. I had no choice but to come up with Plan B … as it was I’d left shipping to the last possible moment. With a little helper by my side, Plan B was executed over the weekend; boxes shipped today. Just 30 minutes after returning from FedEx, guess what arrived? Yup, the missing part for Plan A. But you know what, I like Plan B even better.

So I’ve decided not to rush or worry. I’ll go to Plan B (or C or D … heck, I can go all the way to Z if need be) and enjoy this festive week. And maybe, just maybe, time will slow down a little.