emily ann

Introducing...

2012-02-07T14:11:00.000-08:00

Baby Charlotte!

My friend, Sheley, just had her first baby. I had a bunch of cute props and a new lens to try out - I just needed a model!

Her mom is a realtor - how perfect is that?

It was so much fun to play! But I learned that I'd rather be a photo stylist than a photographer. There is so much to learn and so much equipment to buy if I wanted to take this seriously. I think I'll stick with willing friends and an occasional afternoon of "dress-up."

Tilt - by Heidi Schreifels

2012-01-30T14:01:00.000-08:00

Can I tell you how awesome my friend Heidi is? Not to mention uber creative and talented? Her new exhibit 'Tilt' is being featured at Gary Manuel Salon - open now!

She took these pictures of vintage (50's and 60's) pinball machines in Las Vegas... with her phone. She then had them printed on canvas - some are embellished with glitter and epoxy/resin.

I covet this girl - with her glitter red lips!

love this shot.

there she is!

This is the featured peice - hanging in the front window.

Love all of these minis...can you see the thick shiny resin? So esthetically pleasing!

These will be exhibited all month long... I hope she gets the exposure, credit, and sales she deserves!

Gary Manuel salon here.
Schreifels Photos here.
And thanks to Sha-Sha for the use of your installation pix!

The Obligatory Snowday Pictures

2012-01-19T15:22:00.000-08:00

NSCC Coop Preschools - A Logo!

2012-01-18T17:27:00.000-08:00

I made this quick little logo for North Seattle Community College Cooperative Preschools (Opal's preschool program). If you're a mom in the Seattle area - you should check out this awesome preschool option!
More info here and here.

Pink!

2011-11-11T13:41:00.000-08:00

During the Sisters Sale - Auntie Chris and I snuck out for a bit to take a look at her new shop: Pink - in downtown Spokane. Holy cute-overload!

She took me on a tour and pointed out lots of cool things - but to be honest I don't remember much because I couldn't focus on just one thing! I had a major case of "shiny object syndrome"...

Pink is owned by a collection of 4 women: Auntie Chris Lynch, Celeste Shaw (Chaps & Cake), Lana Neuman and Erica Parish (Deja Neu). They sell everything from reclaimed, repurposed, and some new items.

table made from a bowling lane

light fixture

And in the old vault is a gallery featuring Chris's paintings and original drawings. Sadly, I think I accidentally deleted some of the pictures I took in here - this was the only one on my camera. : ( Such a cool look against the rustic cement walls.

If you are in or around the Spokane area you need to pay them a visit!
Pink
154 S. Madison
Spokane, WA

Tell them Chris' favorite neice sent you!

Halloween Fun

2011-11-10T16:00:00.000-08:00

Here is Oliver's class - all ready for their costume parade through the school.

Oliver, Caroline, Charlie, Opal

I'm bummed I didn't get Opal in her "daytime" Ballerina costume. The cupcake was much warmer for trick or treating...

Trick or Treat!

And a few of the adults: Auntie Sha Sha and Uncle Jeff as Northwest Profiles: #56 Socks and Sandals girl, and #15 Recumbent Bike Commuter. I thought these were hilarious!

And Tom as Mr. Miyagi

Pretty close I think!

Sisters Sale

2011-11-10T13:17:00.000-08:00

I got to visit the Sisters Sale - put on by my super-fun Aunties. This is Auntie Chris's "new" old garage station - a great venue for their sales!

I just loved this bench!

I'm kicking myself for not bringing that round turquoise table home...

Aunt Carrie's brilliant invention: portable bars made from ironing boards (obvs.)

And here are my purchases:

A certain brother of mine may or may not be getting this for his birthday...

How awesome is this turquoise typewriter? I actually scored 2 of them!

And tomorrow I'll be posting pics of Aunt Christine's new shop: Pink!

Apple Picking!

2011-10-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

We had some wholesome family fun a few weekends ago with a trip to Jones Creek Farms to pick some apples.

It was a crisp fall day - I love the mountains in the background.

Complete with a rousing game of "Red Rover."

Brevon, Oliver, and Caroline.

Family pic!

And the cutest kissing scene... what a gentleman to take off his cap. I love watching Opal's facial expression - then she goes right back to eating her apple.

Here's my favorite - with a CoffeeShop action - Sunkissed.

More Photo-ops!

2011-09-30T10:12:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying these last few days of "summer" with trips to the park. I am committed to doing A LOT of practicing with my camera...

Fresh from the barber... and after a blue sucker.

His new monkey bar skillz.

Glamor shots.

Yes, I realize how disgusting and unsanitary this is... but it was too cute to stop.

Dance moves.

What I love most about these pictures is not that they're perfect - but that they capture all that makes up these two right now... playful, fun, Oliver being a boy, Opal being "Opal", and all of those crazy facial expressions Oliver makes!

School Days

2011-09-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here posting the first day of school pictures on my FIRST morning off while both kids are at school! Oliver started school (5 mornings a week) a few weeks ago and is loving it. Opal will be going 2 mornings a week at a co-op where I go with her one day and she goes by herself the other.

SO big!

Oliver and Caroline

Opal loves being a big girl and having her own "Teacher Janice." I was a little worried about how she would act when I left her this morning but she came over, gave me a kiss, said "bye" and ran off. So I guess that's how it's gonna be. Almost makes me want to have another. Almost.

Lines, Lines

2011-09-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

Everywhere there's lines!

Here is more from our "lines" project...

Bowling alley

Golden Gardens

Photography Class - Gas Works Park

2011-09-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

My friend Chantelle hosted a photography class for a few of us gals with DSLR's this summer. Our 2nd class took place at Gas Works Park - they were in the process of painting the entire indoor structure all of these super fun colors. Our subject was "lines". (Get ready for photo overload)!

hi Molly!

No, this is not Opal... just some random little girl who happened to be in the perfect "spot."

I have a lot more practicing to do but it sure is fun!

1000 More Greetings

2011-08-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

I was asked to submit some designs for 1000 More Greetings about a year ago. I never heard any more about it - until I googled myself the other day (come on - you know you do it) to find out the book is printed and includes 4 card designs by yours truly.

From their own words: "The follow-up to 1,000 Greetings, 1,000 More Greetings highlights a diverse cross section of current trends in graphic design."
It's a great book full of fun designs and lots of inspiration. Another great resource book to add to my shelf! I'm excited to be included!

You can purchase the book (or see more "inside pages") here.

Bedroom Refresh!

2011-08-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

Tom took the kids camping last weekend so I had the whole (glorious) weekend to myself. First on my agenda was a bedroom-refresh. It had been keeping me awake at night - dreaming of all of the cute ideas I have seen on Pinterest lately - recreated in my room. Here we have the dramatic before and after photos:

Before: I had been going for a "Paris" theme several years ago.

After:

The only thing new I bought for the room was the yellow pillow shams and ruffle pillow (from Marshall's). Everything else was estate sale finds that I had either in my "to sell" pile or in other spots in the house. Don't you just love those little dolls? The empty frames I spray painted white and added different flowers made from this tutorial from scraps I had on hand.
I still have plans on adding some new blinds and perhaps a homemade ruffle curtain!

Summer Reading List

2011-07-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

I have fond memories of going to our little library in town every summer and joining the summer reading program. Keeping track of the books (and pages) read, picking out new books, and probably getting a sticker or two along the way. I still love going to the library! I let the kids choose whatever books they want but here is a book I picked out recently ... and love.

So cute! It's about a little girl named Ruby and her bird-friend, Bubbles. I just love the illustrations and sweet story!

There's only so many baseball and soccer and Where's Waldo books I can read... I have to entertain myself too!

Big Girl Haircut

2011-07-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

I heart her.

Kids are funny

2011-06-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

Opal was wide awake early Saturday morning and came into our bed. There was a lot of shreiking and giggling and tickling going on. We heard Oliver get up and go out to the living room. About 20 minutes later he came and slipped this under our door. I needed a little "decoding". He says "Mom, it says I can't sleep! Be quiet!"
Is that not the cutest thing you've ever seen/heard? This is going in his baby book for sure!

New Designs!

2011-06-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

I added some new designs to the shop! Wish I had added this one sooner for teacher gifts:

All cards can be found in the shop!

Father's Day FREE Printable Card!

2011-06-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

I made this card in honor of my dad who loved donuts. If you haven't had time to buy a father's day card yet - here you go! Just click to download a free pdf printable file. Just print on your favorite cardstock paper.
Will print 2 cards on an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper.

Grab the card here.

2011-06-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Emily. And I'm addicted to Pinterest.

As if I needed one more time sucker on my hands. I could spend a whole day on this site! If you haven't heard of Pinterest - you need to jump on the band wagon! Taken directly from their website:

"Think of Pinterest as a virtual pinboard — a place where you can create collections of things you love and "follow" collections created by people with great taste.

People use Pinterest to collect and share all sorts of things -- wedding inspiration, favorite T-shirts, DJ equipment. You name it, people are pinning it."

And it's ADDICTING! I used to save images to a folder on my computer and have to manually label where each image came from - although because this was time consuming I didn't always do it. Thus, forgetting where I originally saw it! On Pinterest all of that is automatically saved for you. For example, I "pinned" a picture for a yummy looking recipe and it automatically saves the source/website for me to refer back to when I actually want to make it!
It is a great business tool, inspiration spot, and most of all a place to see lots of cool stuff! This takes my inspiration binders to a whole new level!

Pinterest is currently still brand new. Right now you have to request an invite to join. Within a few days/week you will receive your confirmation to create an account. Then you install a little "Pin It" button on your task bar and everytime you're perusing the interwebs and you see something you like - hit "pin it", choose your board, add a label if you wish, and voila! It's done! You can "repin" or "like" other people's pins till the cows come home...thus filling up your boards very quickly! (See: addiction). And of course, there are links to post your pin to Facebook and Twitter.

Go on over and take a look-see! Or follow me here!

More Vintage Finds

2011-06-03T17:01:00.000-07:00

You know how I love Vintage Fisher Price...and I've been waiting for the day when I'd stumble across one of these! I had one when I was little... l.o.v.e!

Now I'm on the hunt for the matching coins. It's been a big hit with the kiddos already!

And this gem! We'll see who learns to play a polka first... Auntie Sha-Sha or Oliver!

And the following items I'll be listing in our Fritzi store soon!

Vintage Noah's Ark Crewel Wall Hanging

And some fun Pastel Sets!

Let's Play!

2011-06-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

Along with all of my turquoise wonders, I also aquired a stack of vintage games.

Game On!

Turquoise Heaven

2011-06-01T16:26:00.000-07:00

My first estate sale of the summer season was a winner! I thought I died and went to turquoise heaven! Eunice Simpson was a real classy lady...

My first finds were this pair of turquoise suitcases. A traincase and small suitcase. Great condition. Cleaned up very nicely (with the Magic Eraser & and some 409!)!

She had her card inside: "Eunice Simpson - Freelance Artist"

I just love our grandma's generation. Looks like somebody built her a little shelf so her toiletry tray could perch nicely inside. Instead of scrapping something and buying new, they fixed stuff!

And next: A Lady Schick Portable Hair Dryer. Mint condition!

What, you ask, am I going to do with it? Display it in my turquoise bathroom of course!

And finally, some fans. Cute?

I'll be sharing more of my finds throughout the week!

Special Order!

2011-05-26T12:58:00.000-07:00

I forgot about these cute packaging supplies I did for a photographer a while back. We just "get" each other - you know with the use of the word "cute" and all...

Cute thank you cards

She has a lot of kid clients - these are the address labels for their fun packages - complete with coloring pages... of themselves!

Stickers for the packages.

And return address labels.

Cute, no?

Tractor Parade!

2011-05-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

Nothing says "Fun on the farm" like a tractor parade! My dad belonged to The Lewis-Clark Antique Power Club and they wanted to have a memorial tractor parade in honor of him. It was so sweet.

Oliver and Tom

We were the only spectators - sitting atop the big windy hill. Was fun to see all the guys come out with their toys...just as dadd-io would've liked!

Hawaii 5-O!

2011-05-20T17:19:00.000-07:00

We surprised Opal with a trip to The Big Island for her 2nd Birthday! Ha! I kid.

Auntie ShaSha and Uncle Joss (Jeff) planned a spur-of-the-moment trip and invited us along! They probably didn't think we would take them up on it... we showed them!

So pretty!

Kayak trip to a great snorkeling spot (and Captain Cook's Memorial).

Thank goodness S&J went out and about to get pics of the other side of the island too!

Oliver taking his own pic.

On parts of the island it would be like this...

And a few miles down the road like this...

Our most fun of the trip - Dolphin Quest! It was only a 10 minute "meet the dolphins" (sorry no snoe-shoeing this time) but it was still fun to get up close and touch them!

Sorry, didn't spend the $20/pic so downloaded these off their site... ; (

Thanks Auntie Liz and Uncle Trung for the surprise!

Hang loose!

Snorkeling!

Kayaking!

Chillin in the ocean.

What fun! And so good to kick off summer with a killer tan!

Two!

2011-04-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

Somebody is 2 today!

We had a fun outting to the Aquarium with the aunties. It was too much to handle!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

Our little Poindexter

and our little librarian

Refresh!

2011-04-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

How does more than a month go by in the blink of an eye? So busy busy busy around here. Have I told you I have 2 other jobs besides stay-at-home-mom and this little design business? Both real estate related and both from home but unfortunately they have both been sucking up my precious quiet-time afternoons as of late.

However, I have added some new items to the shop:

Oh, and Fritzi's is back! We participated in our 2nd Fritzi's Sale a few weeks ago. I guess make that 3 extra jobs. No wonder I'm always tired. ; ) All new designs can be found in the shop!

Ta-Da!

2011-03-15T21:09:00.000-07:00

The kitchen is finally done! I've been waiting for a somewhat sunny morning to take pictures (since the kitchen gets morning sun) but I finally realized I might be waiting until July for that. So here's the best I could do. Let me take you on a tour of the new kitchen!

This is entering from the dining room. My little baking center is in the left corner. I love how I could (theoretically) watch the kids frolick outside while I do some baking. Now doesn't that sound wholesome?

LOVE the new farmhouse sink. And spray nozel, And built-in dishwasher. Before I had a portable dishwasher that had to be hooked up to the sink. Which meant no using the sink for 2 hours while it ran... such luxuries! (Oh, and it looks like I need to stock up on some wine! We're not huge wine drinkers - but Ikea only sells one 9" cabinet. And that's it...)

Isn't that little shelf with cake stands the cutest?

Yummy marmoleum floor. The kids love rolling around on it. Hmmm.?

Aqua glass tile backsplash. It took a lot of work to make it look random!

And the pantry. Oh! the pantry!

With pull-out shelves!

And in honor of all things kitchen - I'm having a sale! 20% off all kitchen related items in the shop. Just enter coupon code "Kitchen" at check out!

New Shoes!

2011-03-10T14:13:00.000-08:00

I've been doing some window (online) shopping for some new shoes for Opal. Thoughts?

Why are they all so dang cute?

1. Livie and Luca Port Red

2. Morgan and Milo Sparkle Floral

3. Morgan and Milo Woodstock Mary Janes

4. Morgan and Milo Ginger Floral Mary Janes

A New Scrapbook Kit

2011-02-18T16:29:00.000-08:00

I have a new *sweet* kit over at 9th & Bloom today!

It's on sale through tomorrow (30% off)!

page by Lisa

page by Wendy

Go here to purchase the kit or here to see all the great new designs available today! There are several new designers debuting at 9&Bloom this week!

It's Coming Along!

2011-02-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

The kitchen is getting closer! Isn't it so bright and cheerful? Most everything is done - now we're waiting (2 WEEKS!) for the counters, sink, backsplash, and final touches. I purposely took bad pictures because I want the final pics to WOW you!

The pretty new Marmoleum flooring (eternity) is hiding under that brown paper and piece of vinyl (for protection).. I was really going back and forth between marmoleum and hardwoods. I almost switched at the last minute to hardwoods because we ended up going down to the sub-floor thus allowing for the depth of hardwoods. I'm so glad I didn't - I LOVE how they turned out! Can't wait to show you... and the yummy tile for the backsplash!

P.S. pics taken with my new wide angle lens from Photojojo! (Thanks girls, I finally spent my GC!)

Opal Apples!

2011-02-17T16:26:00.000-08:00

Look what we found at the Grocery Store! Opal Apples!

And I must say, they are dee-licious! We have a new favorite around here!

Happiness Is...

2011-02-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

A package from Boden!

Kitchen Progress

2011-02-08T17:39:00.000-08:00

It's getting closer! The cabinets are being assembled and hung.

It was kind of slow-going this weekend. Most of it spent drywalling and waiting for the drywall to dry before they could sand/paint. Do you like the blue I picked for the east wall? Look familiar? Eee... too close?

But it will look so cute with some aqua tiles I have in mind for the backsplash. These are the cabinets we are going with:

Hopefully the cabinet installation will be finished tomorrow so flooring can go in. Then counters, appliance hook-up and phew! I can start cooking up a storm!

Solitude

2011-02-04T18:18:00.000-08:00

4 days. 3 nights. By. My. Self. Tom took the kids to Colton for a long weekend to celebrate Vietnamese New Year and the Super Bowl. I stayed behind to supervise the kitchen remodel and have some much needed uninterrupted work time!
I spent nearly 5 hours on the computer today - I kept hearing phantom Opal cries and I would start to get up - then remember! She's not here!
I miss them terribly and have already called twice but am super excited to check off some items from my to-do list as well as r&r!
To Do:
- Create some sample wedding invitations for the shop.
- Finish up some designs/new products and update the shop
- Print/Pack/Ship a few orders
- Finish a painting that has been sitting for 2 years
- Pick out paint/tile for the kitchen. eeek! help!
- go visit my new cousin - baby kennedy!
- complete a few special orders

But what am I doing right now? Sitting on the couch. A quick break to watch Ellen turned into a 3 hour lounge fest. I'm also netflixing Bugs Bunny. We were watching it last weekend with Oliver and there is the cutest scene with the cutest illustrations. I'm freeze-framing and doing some idea sketching!

cute, no?

Kitchen Remodel - Progress

2011-02-02T09:02:00.000-08:00

Here's the not-so-pretty demo pictures.

Today: electrical work, framing of the new exterior wall/door, and stove venting. This is the fastest/cleanest construction crew ever! When they left yesterday at 5:30 everything was cleaned up and organized outside. They always leave everything so neat and tidy!

Kitchen Remodel - Before

2011-02-01T13:36:00.000-08:00

Here's the (embarrassing) before-pictures of our kitchen in all of it's 70's glory!

And the awesome floor (which is nearly identical to the floor I grew up with). Not gonna lie, I asked the flooring people if there were any retro pattern floor options out there. Sadly, no there isn't. AND I'm not the first person to ask!

They are demo-ing as I type. As of noon today everything is torn out. We are extending the kitchen a bit (pushing back the exterior door) so that the kitchen is a complete rectangle. It's a beautiful sunny (but cold) day - and perfect for a new start!

A Greeting Card Gift Set

2011-01-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

I don't know how many people have told me to do this. Well, I finally got around to it. Here are 12 cards covering several different occasions - so you're always sure to have a card when you need it! This set also makes a great gift!

Set includes 4 Birthday, 2 Thank You, 2 Baby Congratulations, 1 Hello, 1 Anniversary, 1 Sympathy, and 1 Blank. You can find the set here!

Vintage Valentines!

2011-01-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

I scored a box of vintage valentine cards last year. They are all so cute!

(although some highly inappropriate)

I scanned and iron-on transferred them to these cute little muslin bags.

Won't these make the cutest little valentine treat bags?

These you can find in the Fritzi's Shop!

Special Order!

2011-01-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

Just finished this custom design for birthday wrapping paper! Commissioned by one of my best customers. This was fun to work on and reminded me that I love creating patterns and want to do more! Think spoonflower fabric and scrapbook paper!

Finger Painting!

2011-01-18T18:02:00.000-08:00

We had some Christmas presents just begging to be used. First up: some cute aprons from Auntie Sarah:

And finger paints from Auntie Allie!

We went from this:

afraid of getting dirty

To this:

a little smudge.

To this:

Bath time!

Rainbow Treasury

2011-01-17T21:47:00.000-08:00

'Rainbow Brite' by emilyanndesigns

I've always had a love of rainbows. Just ask my sister who has proof that I wore the same rainbow shirt for most of 1986.

Limited Edition Reproduction... michelemaule $20.00	40% Off Winter Sale Beach Um... alicebgardens $7.20
La Patisserie 8 x 10 dearmachine $20.00	Buttons slgdesigns $25.00
Tropical - 6 Kitty Egg Upcyc... kittybblove $18.00	Rainbow Style Keyboard Vinyl... betatime $14.99
Little People Rainbow World ... MamaMayI $25.00	October Skies-rainbow colors... bomobob $40.00
Sunshine Blossoming Flower C... rubypress $10.00	Sunshine Spectrum gardengnomeart... $11.00
Rainbow Printable Party Coll... BirdCraftsShop $20.00	Wee Toadstool Spool (tm) Set... weewaldorf $39.95
five Tiny Nesting Hearts dbabcock $20.00	6 Rainbow Acorns astashtoys $12.00
Vintage Rainbow Plaid Peter ... stephaniebracc... $28.00	Large Wooden Rainbow Stacker... Imaginationkid... $25.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

This Seattle weather is driving me to drink. So instead of picking up a bottle I decided to do something that would make me happy: look at some pretty pictures. "What do I love?" I says to myself.. Rainbows. Rainbows and sunshine. And the 1980's. Yeah Buddy!

Friday Flickr Faves

2011-01-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

1. 2nd Saturdayz in Seattle January 2011, 2. doll, 3. miniature-sewing-machine, 4. fisher-price-mini-bus, 5. fisher-price-camper, 6. red gingham dress, 7. fisher price tv, 8. fisher price farmer, 9. fisher-price radio, 10. thrifted ohio art toy tv, 11. embroidered button display hoop, 12. My creative space

Just trying out this new (to me) mosaic maker using my current Flickr Faves! So fun!

Kitchen Remodel

2011-01-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

We are getting ready to do a kitchen remodel. This is an image that has been in my Inspiration Binder for a while now. I just love the colors, the crisp white cupboards, the retro appliances. I'll be posting some more inspiration along with our before (i'm scared to show you), during, and after pictures as we go!

image source Coastal Living

Etsy Taste Test

2011-01-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this cool new Etsy Tool? Called Etsy Taste Test, you pick 6 or so items and Etsy finds hundreds, thousands of items that suit your taste! It's so much fun. You can do it again and again and get different results every time. If only I had hours to spend playing...

Go ahead! Give it a try - it just takes a minute!

Happy Window Shopping!

Gifts From Grandma

2011-01-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Foosball table for Oliver - thanks grandma ; )

Pretty pink polka dot chair for Opal

And pink retro kitchen for Pearl!

We Miss You Mangini's!

2011-01-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

Our good friends, the Mangini's, moved to California last week. :( We are sad to see them go but excited for their new adventures (and to come visit!)
P.S. Sorry my son has your daughter in a headlock.

Last Christmas Post I Promise!

2011-01-08T08:11:00.000-08:00

I forgot about this custom christmas card I did back in November. Isn't it the cutest? They own "White Oak Farm" and have everything you see here - including a mini donkey!

More sledding!

2011-01-07T08:53:00.000-08:00

Alas, no AFV on this one.

Sledding!

2011-01-07T08:45:00.000-08:00

There was *just* enough snow to make for a great little sledding run at Grandma Mary's over Christmas. Made for some wholesome family fun!

Tom pulling the kids up for their first run!

Opal and Molly.

A ride with daddy!

Shannon on Dad's old sled. It didn't go very fast. ; (

Grandma and Opal and those *!@# mittens!

I was mad that Tom coerced me into doing this - but turns out I was having the time of my life.

One happy little boy.

One "not so sure" little girl.

We missed the blizzzard of '10 by one day heading home. Too bad! We could've been snowed in and sledding for days!

Christmas!

2010-12-06T09:26:00.000-08:00

We had fun decorating for Christmas this year!

Our handmade stockings: Oliver and Opal's hand-knit stockings from Auntie Sarah (SO cute!) And my stocking from Auntie Carrie from 1979. Yes, there are only 3 stockings... Tom doesn't have one (or at least one that he approves of). He really wants a Seahawks stocking. Someone tell him that just doesn't 'go' with my theme here...

little vintage elves

vintage wooden ornament tree

Mitten garland advent calendar from Aunt Carrie (24 mittens with a prize inside each one!)

Little wooden angels

My dad's version of the Nativity.

I just love that baby Jesus!

Vintage paper christmas centerpiece.

My small (but growing!) collection of mini glittery houses.

DYI Felt Trees that were SO fun to make!

Mantel of Vintage Christmas Books

It's time for a SALE!

2010-12-01T14:46:00.000-08:00

Black Friday and Cyber Monday came and went. I was too busy shopping to host my own sale... so here we go! Buy 2 items - get a 3rd item FREE! Here are the deets:
Purchase any 2 items from the shop. In 'message to seller' at check-out please indicate which item (of equal or lesser value of lowest price item) you would like for FREE.
Need some suggestions?
Hmmm... how about a calendar for your sweet friend?

Or some stickers for the girl who has everything?

Or a set of notecards?

These make great hostess gifts!

Happy Shopping!

Perpetual Birthday Calendar

2010-12-01T14:27:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm still talking 'calendars' over here. I have one more version for you! A Perpetual Birthday Calendar. It even comes with stickers - just for fun!

I've had a birthday calendar for a while now - and I love it! It is so handy - you can use it year after year and never forget those important days!
You can purchase the printed calendar in my shop here. Or you can purchase a downloadable pdf printable version here!

2011 Calendar!

2010-11-23T10:10:00.000-08:00

It's officially out! This year's calendar is all about 'Sweets & Treats'.

12 months of mouth-watering sugary treats.

Cakes

Jello

Pie. Chocolate. Tarts. S'mores. Candy. Ice Cream. Donuts. Cupcakes. Fruit. Cookies. Mmmmmm

And, in case you're interested, I have re-issued last year's calendar - by popular demand!

Here's to keeping my 2011 goal of being organized!

Etsy Front Page!

2010-11-17T10:58:00.000-08:00

My camera design made it to the Etsy front page this morning! Hooray!

Thanks Molly for the alert!

Process of a Logo

2010-11-08T06:59:00.000-08:00

I recently finished another logo design that I think turned out super cute! I thought I'd share the process!

1. First, client sent me a photo inspiration: a bar of soap. They liked the petals and colors.

2. Make a color board.

3. First draft: sent client 4 ideas.

4. After input from client on font and design: draft 2:

5. Final!

Blog Button:

And blog banner:

What is Rubyju you ask? A sweet duo in Australia that create the cutest dessert tables and candy buffets.
Thanks Rubyju for letting me design your logo!

Fun Forest!

2010-10-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

I can't even express into words how much I love how these pictures turned out! We went to the enchanted Fun Forest at Seattle Center one semi-dreary Sunday. When we got there I thought, "Why did I want to do this? This place is a lot dingier than I thought." But I never should've doubted Kevin's magic - the pictures turned out awesome. Brilliant colors and the exact kitschy feel I was hoping for!

quite possibly my favorite

no this one is

No, definitely this one!

For the record, Oliver rocked this game. He somehow kept advancing to new levels and winning! A quarter well spent!

Carnivale Film Strips by Kitschy Digitals

Mr. Roboto

2010-10-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Finally! A new digital scrapbooking kit! This one is a collab with Amy Wolff from The Lilypad (a different scrapbooking webstore). The Lilypad and Ninth & Bloom teamed up for Halloween to offer some cool new kits, prizes, and fun! Go check it out!

page by maaike

page by 4noisyboys

page by gone with the wind

You Will Die

2010-10-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

of cuteness overload. I did.

Photos by the AH. MAZE. ING. Kevin Wong. Tomorrow: the 2nd half of our photo shoot. Carnival style!

New Designs!

2010-10-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

I've been busy again with some special orders!

Dol or Korean 1st Birthday Party Invitations

Farm Birthday Party Invitations

Little Monkey Birthday Party Invitations

Nautical Baby Shower Invitations

These were all custom orders. Having a special occasion coming up? I'd love to help with some custom invitations!

King 5 Segment

2010-10-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to watch my products featured on King 5! It is the Oct. 19th segment. Thanks Seattle Moms Deal Finder!

Halloween Fun Freebie!

2010-10-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

I made these cute framed pictures for some Halloween decor and thought I'd share the love! Just for YOU! Download this free kit to make your own silly portraits! In this fun Halloween Kit you will get 3 frames and 3 masks. Just add your own picture!

You don't even need a frame!

Directions for downloading:
1. Click this link to download Halloween Fun Kit.
2. Click DOWNLOAD NOW
3. Save zipped folder to your computer
4. Extract all files.
5. Now you should be able to open all 6 files.

Directions for making a framed photo:
1. Using the program of your choice open a picture of your choice. (Photoshop, photoshop elements, before I had anything fancy I always used PowerPoint - super easy to use!)
2. Turn your picture to black and white
3. Open/insert the frame of your choice
4. Crop your photo to fit the frame
5. Open/insert the mask of your choice
6. Layer photo behind frame. Layer mask on top of photo.
7. Resize to your preference.
8. Print, color, cut!
Great projects for kids and the kid in you!

Too hard you say? You could always just print out the masks alone and add them to framed photos around the house - instantly put your house in the Halloween spirit!

Enjoy!

Watch Me on TV!

2010-10-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, not me, but my products! Tomorrow. King 5 News on Kong. 8:15am.
Seattle Moms Deal Finder has a regular segment airing every Tuesday morning featuring great Seattle deals. This week they're featuring my products and I'll be offering a special for all viewers!
Watch or see here tomorrow to take advantage of this great deal!

Thanks Seattle Moms Deal Finder!

Sweater Mittens!

2010-10-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

How fun are these little mittens all lined up looking for a home? The Auntie's have been busy making mittens and hats out of old sweaters. This was just a small sample of the mitten stash at their sale.

Here are a few tutorials I found online for making your own sweater mittens... happy crafting!
Five Green Acres
Craftster
One Pearl Button

Octoberfest!

2010-10-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

We love Red Barn Farms! Their annual Octoberfest is our favorite!

Kid Fun!

Tractor Rides!

Live Music!

Oh My!

Hay Bale Maze!

Jumping Castle!

Good old Farm Fun!

Pumpkin Patch!

AND it was a perfect sunny fall day. So fun!

Road Trip!

2010-10-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

We took a road trip to Colton last week for some Fall Festival Fun! Oliver decided to dress in style...

Opal was sad to see Pearl's dress up kit go...

Ready to go!

My Owl Barn Calendar

2010-10-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

Came across this super cute downloadable FREE calendar today on My Owl Barn.

You get to pick from 24 owl images and customize your own calendar! Such a fun idea!

I already made mine! I love having calendar's all over the place... I'm learning to be more organized!

Dress Up Kit

2010-10-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

It was a certain someone's birthday last month. Her Auntie's decided to put together a dress-up kit. I found this at a thrift store a while ago and thought it would be perfect!

I decoupaged it with some vintage paper doll outfits and her name.

And we filled it with all sorts-o-fun!

Pumpkins!

2010-10-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

We got a jump start on some Halloween fun by decorating some mini pumpkins. We passed them in the store and Oliver said "Look mommy, those pumpkins are so cute. Such cute pumpkins mommy." Well, how could I ignore that?

I love his expressions - that kid cracks me up.

One of the rare times Opal is nicely sitting in a chair rather than crawling on TOP of the table. Her feisty side is coming out!

Can you tell what some people are into around here? Those poor cute pumpkins...

New Books!

2010-09-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

Remember my post a few weeks ago about my dream library? A FREE $50 gift certificate was in my future from Amazon - and now I have three new books to add to my library!

Ad Boy by Warren Dotz

Print & Pattern by Bowie Style

Creative, Inc.

by Meg Mateo Ilasco & Joy Deangdeelert Cho

By far my favorite is Print & Pattern. I've been flagging the cute pages - and have already run out of flags!

A post for self satisfaction only

2010-09-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

In the past three weeks I have completed several small tasks that were piling up to be intimidating. I finally started chipping away at them and here's what I have accomplished:

1. Carve out desk/work space for Tom - reorganize my work area.
2. Clean out garage.
3. Sort/re-sort/vacuum pack stored baby/kid clothes. Man those those little onesies sure pile up! I managed to repack 10 storage bins into 6 by getting rid of a lot and using vacuum storage bags. Turns out white onesies are useless to store - they all had yellow stains on them!
4. Clean out closets. Get out fall sweaters and UGG boots (mmm..) and pack away summer clothes.
5. Hang some artwork.
6. Clean out garage.
7. List/sell some items on craigslist.
8. Clip pictures from magazines - reorganize my inspiration binders. I now have 5 verses 3!
9. Mend some pants/shirts/loose buttons.
10. Clean out garage.
11. Clean out kitchen cupboards.
12. Outside/Fall clean-up. Put away summer toys and furniture.
13. Clean out garage.

Turns out when you're cleaning out the house - stuff starts to pile up in the garage. Hence having to reorganize the garage several times. Anyone have some storage space I can use???

Oh Happy Day!

I highly recommend making an "Accomplished List" instead of a to-do list. It's much more satisfying!

Lullaby Moon

2010-09-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we attended Lullaby Moon at Gasworks Park. Lullaby Moon is a theatrical presentation celebrating the new moon, bedtime whimsy, and the world of dreams. All characters are dressed in these awesome, all-white costumes. My favorite were the owls.

And this 'boat bed' complete with pillow fighting.

It was a beautiful night - great views and fun times with good friends! Sadly there are rumors this was the last show due to lack of funding (it's free to the public!)

You can see more (i.e. better) pictures by visiting their website!

New Designs!

2010-09-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

We have elephants on the brain around here. Green ones.

Pink ones.

Blue ones.

And yellow ones too!

All new to the shop!

First Day of School

2010-09-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

Here's the big boy ready for his first day! And I guess Opal was eager for him to leave. I love Oliver's expression.

Sorry Opal, we have to take him to school.

sniff sniff.

My Dream Library!

2010-09-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

The author behind Print and Pattern has a new studio space that I covet! Just look at her collection of art and design books!

I've already started my "wish list" on Amazon. hint hint.

Farm Fun!

2010-09-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our trip to the farm! 2 moms + 4 kids = lots of fun!

Little peanut Charlie.

Cousin Pearl came down for a visit!

Beach babe:

These two had too much fun!

Both Oliver and Caroline were swimming on their own before the week was over! I'd call that a successful trip (despite the 8 hour drive home with 4 crabby kids)!

Harvest Bounty

2010-08-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's a little pitiful how excited we were about our summer harvest. We had a VERY small garden this year but I think rather successful. Next year I'm ready to tackle bigger and lots more variety!
Here are our (baby) carrots:

For a chicken stirfry!

Yumm!

Kitty

2010-08-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Oliver decided to do some freeform coloring today...on his face. He surprised me by standing an inch from my face and whispered "kitty". That kid.

Did you know kitties love to help make cookies?

Etsy Treasury!

2010-08-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

I curated my first Etsy Treasury! Entitled: The Boob Tube - featuring items all couch potatoes will love! Click on the image to view the treasury - and all of the tv themed goods!

New Scrapbooking Kit

2010-08-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's new release day at Ninth & Bloom! And here's a pretty little kit to make some pretty little pages! layout by Lauren Reid
layout by Sandra Edwards

layout by Crystal Bella

Summer?

2010-08-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hmmm... where has the summer gone and what have we been doing? Going here, going there. Like... evening beach trips:

And the Greenwood Seafair parade...

It was going swell (with no crying from Oliver because of scary clowns and pirates) until this guy pointed his gun and demanded all of his candy. Eeee...

We're off to the farm this week for a whole lotta swimming, combine rides, and HOT HOT HOT weather! Check back on Wednesday for a look at my new scrapbooking kit available at Ninth & Bloom!

May I Have Your Attention Please!

2010-08-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

I have some very exciting news of my latest venture: designing for digital scrapbooking! I'm so excited to be a part of Ninth & Bloom - a brand new Digital Scrapbooking website - with loads of talented designers/scrapbookers!

Digital Scrapbooking, if you aren't aware, is a huge market and has become very popular. Creating your own scrapbook pages solely on the computer makes it much easier to manipulate, experiment, and share with others. Some even print out their work to store in traditional scrapbooks or make hardbound books with various photo-book printing services.

Here are my two kits so far:

Cotton Candy Frames by Emily Ann Designs

Betty Baker Kit by Emily Ann Designs

Ninth & Bloom has a "Creative Team" where their "job" is to make layouts using the various kits and designs (how fun would that be???).

Here is the first layout using my "Betty Baker Kit" by the talented Jenn Barrette. It is so fun and satisfying to see your work put to use by someone else!

And finally, a pack of 'elements' added to a collaboration project especially for the Grand Opening . Each designer contributed several elements, papers, buttons, etc to make a HUGE kit - that will be FREE with a $10 purchase!
This has been a HUGE learning curve for me - to be honest I don't think I would've agreed to this had I know the time and challenge it would take to learn all of the technical aspects of getting a "kit" prepared, loaded, saved, shared, etc! BUT, I'm SO glad I did. I have at least 2 more kits in the works - just didn't make the deadline! Stay tuned - I will definitely be adding more!

Today is the Grand Opening of Ninth & Bloom and here is my page! So please visit, peruse all of the talent and cuteness, and if you make something out of my kits I would LOVE to see - so please share!

There are loads of fun things going on - visit the N&B blog to see all of the fun and games!

**UPDATE** There is a small glitch in viewing the site through Internet Explorer. If you have firefox - it works fine!

Giveaway Day!

2010-08-03T14:25:00.000-07:00

Today I'm hosting a giveaway on an ultracute blog: My Owl Barn.
My Owl Barn, as you might guess, is a blog dedicated to the owl craze - featuring cute owl products and art. Shivani, the creator behind My Owl Barn, contacted me through Etsy about doing a giveaway. I was so glad she did - I love her blog and seeing all of the owl cuteness in the world. Speaking of... have you seen this picture? How amazing is that? I think I'll work on that for my yard next summer. If you're visiting from My Owl Barn blog, welcome! Thanks for stopping by. I'd love to have you as a follower!

What We've Been Doing

2010-07-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

We've been doing swim lessons all week. One more week to go! Here is Oliver and his buddy Caroline.

Notice who is not getting in all the way.

Notice who is still not in all the way...

Tea Time!

2010-07-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

I found 3 (THREE!) bags of mini dishes/tea sets at the Thirft Store last week. Score!

I think these are my favorites.

Fun in the Sun!

2010-07-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend playing in the backyard. Kiddie pool - check. Sprinkler- check. Camera - check.

I used a new photoshop action - that I got for FREE from Coffee Shop Blog.

You can download several different photoshop and photoshop elements actions - all for free! They're so much fun to play around with - even for PS novices like myself.

The action used on all of these photographs is the CoffeeShop Sunkissed Action.

She has great tutorials and instructions on how to use her presets/actions. There are so many I want to try...if only I had the time!

And by-the-way...doesn't Opal look so cute in her little swim suit?