Head Over Heels

Howdy! How are you? Things around here are going superb. I just finished up and entered 8 new wedding designs for the latest wedding challenge on Minted:

SECRET GARDEN


PICTURE PERFECT PAIR


PERCHANCE


POCKET WATCH


TWO BY THE SEA


ESTABLISHED


DAPPER


ENCHANTED FOREST


This challenge has some truly gorgeous and original designs in the mix, so if you have some time over the next week, hop on over and vote!

Over the next couple of weeks, I'm planning to share some insights into what inspired my new holiday cards. Italian mountainside, anyone? Yes. Please. Stay tuned! And in the meantime, is there anything you guys have been wanting to know? Burning questions? About my designs, of course. I wouldn't be much help when it comes to Calculus or Astronomy. Or figuring out who was off-sides. But I do happen to know a bit about diapers, Legos, and how to throw a spiral, so questions about those subjects are admissible, too. I'm out for now!

Trick-or-Treat in Paper

I love this Made by Joel Halloween project! So clever and cute. I'm definitely going to try and make one of these with my boys. I think they'll love it too. And probably add some "interesting" characters to the mix. Check out the full tutorial with download here.

Florida

If this doesn't scream "Old Florida" [what with the golf clubs, fishing poles, palm tree and old window], then I don't know what does. Last weekend, I took a little jaunt with some friends to Micanopy, my favorite close-by getaway. I picked up some vintage Pyrex dishes with little Amish people on them, too [my too kind and generous friend actually secretly paid for them for me for my birthday while I was checking out some old matchbooks].





They go nicely with my 1960s countertops, no? Countertops that I don't think I could ever bring myself to replace. Even with my soft spot for marble. You just can't buy gold flecked ones anymore!

International Goodies Swap

After I wrote this post on the DIY printed masking tape, Sophie-Charlotte at French Home Made contacted me about a swap she's been putting together. You can read all about it right here, but essentially, each American participant is paired with a French Participant and you exchange supplies/paper/DIY items from your part of the world. Neat, eh? I thought so. It took me right back to the happy pen pal days of elementary school. Here's what I sent off today:



Can't wait to see what lands in my own mailbox!

The Trendys

It was a happy mail day a couple weeks ago when I found out my design The Perfect Match was a top ten finalist for The Trendys awards!



The news is happy, yes, but the thing I liked most about the package was that it was sent all the way from Hong Kong. How great are those stamps?



Thanks, Natasha, for sending this my way!

Labels.

From the ones Anthropologie fancies.

M's 2nd Birthday Party

We had a small get together to celebrate M's birthday two weekends ago. Since she's our only child who hasn't lived in a big city, I decided to have a city party for her. We built a little city house complete with graffiti on the side walls.





For the favors, I found these little taxis in the clearance section of Target after last Easter. They are kind of what started the whole theme. And no party table is complete without a pair of stuffed nunchucks.



For the invitations, I wanted something distinctly Boston since that's where we had lived, so M took over the famous Citgo sign with her sweet smiling face.



We had brunch and a donut cake that she wasn't so happy about at first.



And she was still super serious while we were opening presents...



...until she opened up a dress. Her first outfit was tossed to the side, and with the new dress came a liking of donuts. Happy times are here again!



And by the end of the party, she was down to her diaper cover.



Which I guess is how most good parties should end, right?!

PS: See those blue chairs? That look a little worse for wear? They are now on their way to Atlanta to be recovered -- I cannot wait!!

Downtown

We hit downtown last Friday...



...for a friend's art show...



...that was amazing. I'll give you one guess who designed that poster. About halfway through the night, I started envying Reggie's shoes...



...I chose style over comfort, and was regretting it.



So much so that I was sitting down on the ground. The gross downtown pavement. I don't even want to think about what has been there. But I was desperate.

Bonus of the night: when the Hares joined the buskers and rocked out:



Quite the distinguished buskers, I might add, with their little oriental rug.

DIY Printed Masking Tape

Remember how I fawned over Anthropologie's printed masking tape? Last week, I came across this clever tutorial for a DIY version!



Haven't tried it yet because I'm too tape obsessed with my Japanese Masking tape, but it looks pretty simple. Would be a great way to personalize holiday gift wrapping this year!

[A l'ombre du marronnier on French Homemade via Poppytalk]

Country Road

I love these photos from Country Road. The settings, clothes, photography -- everything goes together so darn well.



Two boys and a girl -- you can probably guess why I was drawn to these two:



These last ones would be great ideas for party photo booth sets or yearly/monthly photos:



If I had had the foresight way back when it would have been really cool to use one little chair for yearly pictures of all three of them growing up. Ah well!

[Images from Country Road via Little & Brave; see the 10 years of Country Road Kids photo retrospective here]

Two and Two Threes

Can you figure out that riddle? Two years ago today, on my own birthday, our sweet girl was born. It was truly the best birthday present ever, and I don't think I'll ever get a surprise that amazing again in my lifetime.



This little nugget brings buckets full of joie de vivre into our home. She's always up to something, the first of the bunch to get that mischievous glint in her eye and then the first to laugh about what she's accomplished. And this is saying a lot for a girl with two older brothers. She's also the first to climb up onto the sofa with her entourage of stuffys, pat the spot next to her and say "Sit ear" ["sit here"]. When she gets a new dress, she immediately starts to take off the one she's wearing to put on the new one. Same goes for shoes. She blows kisses when we say goodnight, and follows it up with a wave and a "See ewel-ater" [which is toddler-ese for "see you later"].



Happy birthday, sweet girl.

More Good Cheer

Oh my goodness. It's all I can think to say. Minted announced the Sending Good Cheer Special Award winners last Friday, and Classic Merry won Customer Favorite:



and A New Stocking won Best Cross Category:



There are so many gorgeous designs from so many talented designers in Minted's 2011 Holiday Collection that I feel completely honored. It's exciting to see all of them hit the cyber shelves!

THE RESULTS ARE IN!

Minted just announced [and launched] their new 2011 holiday designs yesterday, and I could not have been more thrilled to see two of my designs place in the top ten [5th: Classic Merry and 7th: A New Stocking]. With such a stellar group of designers, it was truly an honor.



Congratulations to all the winners!

[You can find all b.wise papers for Minted designs right here]

Paper Motion

Like paper? Check out Paper Motion over on Bhldn. It's super fun.

Send Love, Send Cheer, Send b.wise!

Announcing NEW 2011 Holiday designs!! Be excited. I am.

I'm especially excited because you can now get Japanese Masking Tape with your cards! That's neat, right? I love this tape, and could pretty much use up my entire stock. It's the perfect sealing touch to your holiday card.

On top of that, color printing is now included with all card orders! Because really the backer is just as important. Mix and match styles, too.




And that's not all folks! For the next month, you can get 25 additional cards with your order of 75 or more.* Need 100 cards? Order only 75. And get 25 more FREE. It's just that simple. Now go grab your camera, get that perfect -- or better yet, perfectly imperfect -- photo and let's put together the best holiday card ever!

*THE DETAILS: place your holiday card order before October 19th, and receive an additional 25 cards on the house. **PLEASE NOTE: the additional 25 will not appear in your cart, but will automatically be added to each custom card order of 75 or more placed before Oct. 19th, 2011. Final quantity will be confirmed when your proof is sent. Offer applies only to custom holiday card orders of 75 or more and cannot be redeemed for cash value. Questions? Give me a shout!