{been busy}

Sorry for my lack of bloggin lately. I have been really busy! Which is good...but unfortunalty other things have gone on the back burner! Thought I'd share one of the invite sets I did for a client. Their colors are Black, Grey and Silver. Which is very different from what seems to be the norm this year, Pink, Pink and Pink.
It's nice to work with people that know exactly what they want and are not really concerned about their budget. Helps that they are older, have been together for 14 years. First time I have worded an invitation which included their children's names. I designed this invitation after another invite of mine that they liked. (i blurred out their names if you can tell) I really dont think about the price of the invite until after it is designed and then add up all the products and cost. This one came out to $7.00 each. Wow! I was a bit surprised by that. Reasonable in some markets, however not really in this local market. Needless to say I cut here and there and lowered the price a bit for them.
Enjoy...Im off to go design some where the colors are red, orange, yellow and pink. A "sunset" Theme. Should be fun!

Somebody Get this Girl a Clipy!

Mike said she has hippy hair in this picture. I look at this picture and am shocked at how much older she looks. (totally greiving over the fact she's almost a year).
I remember when I had Emery, my friend Stacy, who at the time had two kids a little older than mine (now she has a third), told me that when her kids hit 11 months she noticed a huge serge in learning and developing in them. That has been so true with all of my kids too! And Now that Piper is 11 months old I am noticing new things she's doing too. I wanted to share some of them.

Saying:
Dada
Mama
TyTy
Kitty
Something that sounds like Piper
Bye Bye
Yeah (as she claps her hands)
And clucking in swaheli (sp)
Doing;
Waving Bye Bye
Scooting around in circles on her bootie
Last night she went from her bootie to her knees (i missed it)
Signing "All Done"
Patting her Belly when you say "wheres Pipers belly"
Playing with things and not automatically eating them (this is nice with the amount of paper I usually have on my floor)
Starting to show some sassiness when she doesnt get her way. (however as the third child...she usually gets her way...we're in trouble)
Sqweels with delight everytime she sees the cats.
Giving her dolly kisses.
I might be editing this as I remember things, and when Mike reminds me of things.

{A New Pretty for Me}

Just had to share my new find. Yes, ribbon does grow on trees! Good thing, since it's my favorite. My ribbon has been stored in boxes, and it wasnt working for me. I love to see all my "stuff" out in the open when Im working...so I remember what I have to work with. Anyway, it's way big...takes up too much room on my desk...but hey, I can see all my ribbons and it inspires me!

How cool is this!

My sister and brother-in-law with Natasha Bedingfield. This was taken at a concert the went to with a bunch of performers. I stole the picture from a radio stations web-site...just had to show it off here.

{Top 5 Best Kisses of my Life}

Misty mentioned my Kiss book in her comments on my last post. So I thought I would share it with you all. A little something I made with the Daisy Bucket Kit. All of the papers are their own design (exciting stuff happening with Daisy Bucket Designs)

Gross...

That's all I have to say for this "news" article I just read...now seriously...is there anything LESS important in this world to have to deal with. Man how shallow can we get! These are probably two highly intellegent women that, because they happened to wear the same dress, have to have their "people" make statments to defend it. So ridiculous. I must be in a "mood" to be blogging about this.
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Reese's Dress Debacle!

January 19, 2006

'Walk the Line' winner REESE WITHERSPOON learned some stunning news at Monday's Golden Globes® event, and we're not talking about her exciting win for Best Actress!

Turns out her vintage, couture CHANEL dress was actually a re-run, and the exact same frock worn by KIRSTEN DUNST back in 2003 to some Golden Globes after-parties.

Despite the mishap, Reese and Chanel have "double air-kissed" and made up, and reps for Reese released this statement to the Insider's MARC MALKIN this morning: "Although it was disappointing that the dress had already been worn, Reese looked beautiful and the bigger deal is Reese won the Golden Globe for her work in 'Walk the Line.' I still love Chanel, my clients still love Chanel, and we are still working with them."

Chanel also released the following to ET: "CHANEL apologizes for the oversight that Reese Witherspoon's dress was previously worn to a Golden Globes after party three years ago. We are honored that Reese chose to wear CHANEL and thought she looked beautiful. We congratulate her on her well-deserved win."

Watch tonight's ET for the latest Golden Globes gossip

Happy Birthday Baby Dylan!

Two years ago tonight, my friend Angela and I were sitting in her living room watching a movie. Her husband Darrin and Mike were at our house watching a movie. Strange I know, but I think it had something to do with us wanting to watch different movies, our kids at home sleeping and Angela wanting someone to stay close to home in case they got a call. Well, it was late and a message came through on Angela's Cell phone. She checked it and it was a message saying their Birth Mother was in the hospital about to deliver. It was a frantic few minutes of getting Darrin home from our house and getting things thrown in the car for their five hour drive.
At the same time my car got stuck in the couple of feet of snow blocking their driveway. Thankfully, I got it out of their way so they could leave. But Mike had to get our neighbor to come over and watch the kids while he came out and pulled me out of the snow.
But enought about me! This is about Dylan! What a blessing he is! Happy Birthday little man.

The Question Is?

Will she crawl by One Year?

We are just over a month till she is One! (cant believe that...breaks my heart) And she is finally showing signs of being interested in moving...but only if we put her on her belly. She never chooses that on her own. So we'll see. She's still a peanut. We had her weighed on Friday and she hasnt gained an ounce. Still holding out at 16.1. Oh to have that metabolism...(i joke, but we'll see what the doc has to say next month)

Another Side of Pips!

I get asked all the time if Piper is "always" happy and smiling. My answer is Yes. She really is always happy! Well, then I remembered last night as I took her out of her bath the one time she is consistantly Not happy; the time between when I take her towel off her and get her dressed in her P.J.s. She, with out fail, throws a fit. Last night's fit happened to be a bit longer since mommy insisted on taking photographic proof of her crankiness. But yes...for the majority of time...she is a Smiley Happy Baby!

Another Tag!

Okay...I've been tagged again. This time by Heather. So here I go!

FOUR JOBS YOU’VE HAD IN YOUR LIFE:

1. A Barista for my brother's Coffee Cart
2. A Bra and Panties Sales girl at Nordstrom (I actually loved this job)
3. A Conference and Meeting Planner for the WSCPA
4. A stay at home mom (most rewarding and hardest job ever)

FOUR MOVIES YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER:

1. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
2. Irving Berlin's White Christmas (with emery)
3. Girls Just Want to Have fun (havent seen it in years...but watched it every time I had friends over when I was 13.
4. Sound of Music


FOUR PLACES YOU HAVE LIVED:

1. Shoreline, Wa
2. Pullman, Wa (four years of school)
3. Las Vegas, Nevada
4. Eastern Oregon!


FOUR TV SHOWS YOU LOVE TO WATCH:

1. Survivor
2. Lost
3. Grey's Anatomy
4. The Amazing Race


FOUR PLACES YOU HAVE BEEN ON VACATION:

1. Hawaii
2. Europe (all over, back Packed with my girl Tracy)
3. Uganda (not really vacation...but awesome and would do it again in a heartbeat)
4. Santa Fe (with my Hubby, we loved it) (our next trip away will be New York!!)


FOUR WEBSITES YOU VISIT DAILY:

1. www.twopeasinabucket.com
2. www.thedaisybucket.com
3. http://aliedwards.typepad.com/
4. And a huge number of other blogs

FOUR OF YOUR FAVORITE FOODS:

1. French Fries
2. Ice Cream
3. My mom's Pot Roast
4. Snow On the Mountain (long story) But it's a nummy dish.

FOUR PLACES YOU WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:

1. I'll agree with Heather "Getting a massage."
2. In Italy eating nummy food and drinking fabulous wine.
3. In a pair of jeans 2 sizes smaller
4. I like where I am right now...Im a homebody...I like being in my little house.

FOUR BLOGGERS YOU ARE TAGGING:

Sherry, Cassandra, Molly, Pete and Tracy (got to hear Pete's version)

Synchronized Swimmer

This is her new trick. No her nose doesn't look like that normally...She thinks she's really funny. Not sure who taught her this. Silly girl!

I think It Paid Off!

Whew...I just got back from the Show...and it was awesome!!! I got a great response! Better than I imagined. I came home with six Design Consultations booked for the next three weeks! And lots of prospects of more!! I'm trying not to get that overwhelmed feeling!
I do have to say first off I could not have done this successfully without the help of my close friend Cassandra!! She saved me. When we first got there I was so excited...to the point that I felt a little paralyzed. I couldn't figure out where to put things...how to design the back drop...all that stuff. Cassandra just stepped up and took over (she says she's bossy...but she's not...she just knows her stuff!!) It was awesome! She knew exactly where and how to display it all. I think it turned out cute. I will say that next year (and I so hope to do it next year) I will invest in a better backdrop or at least have my handy dandy husband make me a better one. I felt mine looked a little too home-made compared to everyone else...but hey, that's what you get with one week notice.
Here are some pictures...(Cassandra took better ones...but we'll see if she ever downloads them off her camera ;) Just kidding my friend!!!

Oh, and I was the only invitation designer there! They put me in the foyer right in the middle of an Amazing Cake girl and the Tux shop (very popular booth)

{a garden tea wedding set}

Here is the set of invitations that was inspired alone by the ribbon I pick-up yesterday. The picture of the beautiful couple is actually Mike's oldest nephew Chris and his fiance Ashley! Dont they make a pretty couple?
Anyway...im having a ball making samples...to bad my house is a mess and I have company coming to stay tonight...o'well, it will get clean somehow!
I plan on making a wedding favor of a bulb in a clear bag using this ribbon somehow...I thought that would be appropriate for a garden wedding. (oh and for all you scrapbookers out there...I used the new Basic Grey tool for the picture tabs)

Off to be productive!

{For Molly}

Okay Mols this is for you. Molly suggested the use of a button, cute pink and brown ribbon and brown printing on white cardstock...so here's my interpretation. A little more contemporary than I usually do, but I love the results!! (yes the names and places are all made up, and I had to have my friend Cassandra help me with the wording for an LDS ceremony...since Im not really familiar with those.)

Oh...and Molly is the one who designed my wedding invitations nearly 6 years ago. We're both hoping my company grows so big that she has to open a Seattle branch ;)

I also did a light teal and brown set with little tiny rhinestones. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures on Sunday of the whole set up. Can you tell I'm excited!!
Off to design a garden themed wedding! Fushia, Eggplant and Pear colors. All inspired by a yard of ribbon I picked up today.

Your Input Please...

Im soliciting some free advice. I'm getting ready to make up some new fresh samples for the Bridal Fair and thought I would ask you for ideas I may not have been thinking of. So if you were all young impressionable brides...what would you look for in Wedding Invitations? Colors, Styles, do-dads, etc.
I have some ideas, just thought I would put it out there. And hey if I use your idea, maybe I'll post it here and give you props...(how exciting I know ;).

Thanks!

{I'm Doing It}

Okay folks...I finally talked with the People from the Brides 2006 show today. They decided to cut me a deal I couldnt pass up. So I will be getting a slightly smaller booth (which is okay since i dont have much to set up) for a fraction of the price, right in the entryway!! Yeah. She said they like to give smaller business a break from time to time! Well that's me. Now you can all start praying that this is good for my business! Because 2005 was a slow year (good on part because of an extra baby to take care of)
I just wanted to update you all! Thank you to everyone who sent words of encouragement...now Im off to get ready...only 6 days!! (trying not to panic...deep breaths...)