a drop of golden sun

This web site has moved!

2011-08-16T19:15:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! I've finally made the switch from blogger to wordpress! Come on over and check me out at my new stomping grounds, www.adropofgoldensun.com!

Let's Go Camping!

2011-06-02T04:53:00.000-07:00

Look who was featured in an Etsy treasury today!

I am dying to try some of those Smore's Ganache Cookies, from tookies.

I think I "need" that Hand Printed Organic Cotton Flour Sack Towel.

I want one of my camping friends to have a baby so that I can buy it those Organic Duo of Onesies.

And wouldn't you just love to get a whiff of the Campfire Perfume Oil?

Client love

2011-05-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

I may not have "sponsors" but I do have some pretty fabulous design clients that I'd love to share with you! In no particular order, here are a handful of clients that I've had the pleasure of doing business with recently.

www.2jackaroo.com
For fabulous nursing covers, exquisite burp cloths (coming soon), breastfeeding pillows & more!

web site coming soon

Faced by the loss of their baby Aiden, Natasha has made it her mission to provide hope to families suffering the loss of a baby.

web site coming soon

Looking for a kick-butt one on one personal pilates class? Barbara can show you all you need to know!

www.bellyelan.com

Only the BEST maternity store in the Southeast!

www.changeofspacecharlotte.com

The dynamic duo, Katie & Sue, will whip your space back into shape faster than you can say "go"!

www.greeniam.org

For a healthier lifestyle, home and beyond, Penny is your one stop shop for valuable information & lots of green goodies!

www.photographybyjamielea.com

Sure, there are lots of local photographers to choose from... But I have yet to find one as talented, personable and as FUN as Jamie!

www.wholefoods4you.com

Faced with dietary needs that just aren't being met by your pantry or fridge? Get to know Nicole, and she'll show you a whole new way of approaching your healthy lifestyle!

Teacher, teacher!

2011-05-10T05:15:00.000-07:00

Get your Teacher Gift orders in early & minimize your end of year stress!

During the month of May, please take 15% off ALL orders, using the code TEACHER15.

Visit me on papernstitch this month!

2011-05-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

Lots of great handmade goodness going on over at the curated galleries of papernstitch this month! I am so excited to be a part of it again & to offer clients a 15% discount with code pns15. * Please note, I am on vacation until May 9th, so will reopen shop on the 10th!

Here are just a few things I am coveting from the papernstitch galleries...

What do you have your eye on?

Feeling so VERY Martha...

2011-04-28T14:23:00.000-07:00

The night before Easter, it dawned on me that I had forgotten one very important element of a successful Easter Brunch; fresh flowers! So imagine how proud I was of myself, when I whipped up this little beauty... My new blue ball mason jars, mixed with roses from the backyard.

It's so nice when the resourceful side of my brain works!

Hope you all had a lovely, fresh-flower filled Easter as well!

work & life & something for free!

2011-02-17T08:13:00.000-08:00

Good morning readers, all loyal 10 of you! Just a quick note to let you know that I have not forgotten about this little old blog of mine. Actually, I think about it every day. I want to write, I really do. But work and life and other little things keep getting in the way. And now it seems I am a poet too!

I have lots of stuff going on in/around other parts of the web these days.

I've been working on web sites, logos, brand development, photo shoot arrangements, custom stationery requests & several fun giveaways!

I've also been focusing a lot more time and energy on my other professional responsibilities, All About Baby Charlotte, which is coming up in 10 short days, and ELAN Card, my other incredible venture. Lots of great things in store for both All About Baby and ELAN Card. Very excited!

The house has been keeping me busy, as I re-do this room & re-do that. Craigslist buying AND selling. Lots of it. Interested in some new furnishings? I could probably help you. We're getting a boatload of new (to us) furniture this weekend between the load that my family is bringing down from NY tomorrow and the new IKEA sofa that we're getting on Saturday.

My kids. Of course life is never simple with three little boys who always seem to be coming and going. Harrison is battling a cold, his first "bad" cold. Speaking of Harrison, today marks the 1 yr anniversary of his surgery and week-long stay in the hospital. Crazy how time flies, right?

So all that to say, I haven't had time to focus on blogging. Wish it wasn't so... I hope to be back on track next week!

In the meantime, how about a freebie? Here's my Springtime Soiree note card, non personalized, for your printing pleasure! Just grab some nice card stock from your nearest office or craft store & print as many as you'd like!

little splurges

2011-02-04T08:48:00.000-08:00

Although I am completely submerged in the world of handmade, etsy & blogging on a daily basis, I rarely make purchases for myself... I have a bad habit of always trying to create things I want, before I spend money on it.

I've finally started saying no. No to myself, no to others. I cannot do it all, and I've decided that I need to start treating myself once in a while, on just some little things... If not for anything but my sanity's sake.

So here's a few things that I've recently purchased, for none other than myself!

I just bought this this morning, from another local etsy artist. Can not WAIT to get it!

I haven't had a wall calendar like this in years, and my beat up dry erase calendar had seen better days. So I picked up this little beauty for half price at our local Paper Source store the other day!

I purchased one of these adorable petal pushers a while back from The Pleated Poppy, but I love it so much, I'm about to get another one, as soon as the shop is restocked!

Now, it's YOUR turn! What little splurge have you treated yourself to lately?

You can link to your own blog post or post a comment below.

it's party time!

2011-02-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

A fabulous giveaway is going on over at Macaroni Kid South Charlotte this week & next!

It's for a $100 birthday party (or baby shower) prize pack, from a drop of golden sun design studio! Awesome, right?

The winner gets all of the following:

24 party invitations

24 thank you notes

60 small round sticker labels

(can be used as return address labels, goodie bag stickers, anything else you wish to customize!!!)

12 circle cupcake picks

ALL made to match your party theme! Winner gets to choose from any of my existing illustrations as the basis for the party theme & I will create the entire custom package from scratch!

Here are some parties I've done...

Colin's 6th Birthday : Camouflage Army Party

Harrison's 1st Birthday : Elephant Parade Party

Ryan's 4th Birthday : Lighthouse Party

Some other parties lacking photos of the whole shebang, but here's an idea.

Airplane Party

Baby Shower Made to Match Nursery!

Tanya's Bumblebee Baby Shower

See, I can turn any design into a celebration!

Please email me if you've got something in mind. I always love custom requests as well.

who inspires me?

2011-01-27T09:43:00.000-08:00

Well, I just unexpectedly received a wonderful comment/shout out from my dearest (sort of) ex writing partner, Dana, at BabyElan {daily}. Thank you so much Dana! You are truly an inspiration & I will never understand how you manage to do it all, no matter how well I know you!

Isn't she cute with that little bitty baby belly?

I've thought about this a lot recently, about who inspires me. Not in my "real" world, but in my virtual world; fellow small business owners, online magazines, bloggers, indie designers... While Dana wrote a beautiful piece about who/what/where she gets her inspiration, mine is a bit smaller.

I add to my Google Reader list daily. Lots of random stuff attracts my attention, so I subscribe for the RSS feed... Do I read each and every one daily? I would love to, if only I had the time. I don't. So on a typical day, these are my "must" reads (the rest can wait for a lazy Saturday morning):

Lisa Leonard Designs Blog - not only is her jewelry absolutely fabulous and unique, but her character is so charming & somehow relaxing. She surrounds herself with love & finds (and shares with us) beauty in the most unexpected places... And I adore her What I Wore Wednesday posts - she has the best style!

The Pleated Poppy Blog - It is through Lisa, that I found Lindsey. Lindsey is a do it all mama icon! From homeschooling & getting crafty with her kids, to running a thriving business, to maintaining a spectacular & stylish home, I wish that I could achieve half of what she does in one day. Although, I loved reading her post & seeing her photos where she clearly illustrates that despite what her readers believe, she does not do it all!

Young House Love - Oh where to begin? The adorable young couple behind this blog, John & Sherri, never cease to amaze me (along with a bazillion other fans across the virtual land)! Their home is their business. They write about their love of turning a house into a home & if you like their style, you will love their blog!

oh my! handmade goodness - This inspirational blog is a must read for any small indie business just starting out. With tips and advice culminated from artists & business owners world-wide, anyone trying to make it on his/her own will likely find something special here. I've received so much practical advice from my daily reads of oh my! handmade & I reference past posts on a very regular basis!

Design Mom - Another mom that tops my idol list, Gabrielle Blair of Design Mom. Though she's been blogging for years, it was really just this year that I "got into" reading her daily blog posts & other feature articles. She writes about everything from mid-century modern interior design to creating homemade Christmas presents with her kids to what it's like to pack up a family of 6 (yes, SIX) kids & move to France!

Others that are a close second to my top 5:

Yes, I love home & design blogs... with a little frugality in the mix. What blogs do you read? Are there any that you think I might love? Do share.

wittle friends

2011-01-26T11:58:00.000-08:00

Getting into the car after preschool today...

Alex : My wittle teeny tiny friend needs a nap.

Me : Who is your little teeny tiny friend?

Alex : He's in my shoe. And when he is done taking a nap, he is going to eat wunch. And after that, my wittle teeny tiny friend is going to pway in the pwayroom.

Me : What is your teeny tiny friend's name?

Alex : His name is Orangey, because he is orange.

Pulling up his shoe & taking him out to show me.

Alex : Mommy, will you take a picture of Orangey?

Walking into the house

Alex : Orangey is going to take his nap now, in the shoe basket.

tasty tuesday : no recipe required!

2011-01-25T09:25:00.000-08:00

So I don't know if I'll EVER have a "typical" week here; seems like life is always getting in the way of my need for routine! This week's distraction for the norm, Mike is out of town for work. So with no husband around to regulate meal time, what's a girl to do?

I'll tell you what, it's a free for all around here this week. No menu, no shopping list, just taking each day/night in stride (with three kiddos by my side) & hoping for the best.

To be completely honest, I didn't know what was on last night's menu until, oh, about 5:45. The kids had run out to play with the neighbors & I decided to take a break from work and figure out something for the 4 of us to eat.

Nothing like a little of this and a little of that to make a delicious meal, albeit a little low on the protein... Yes, I gave them each a handful of pecans to supplement.

I think I'll call it Wacky Mac...

I know I said no recipe, but because I am weird like that, I thought I'd make a little recipe card for you to download... Click on image below, to view the printable file.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/47542620

Eat. Gone. Delish.

Then we ended the evening with a little spelling homework. After successfully practicing his first 5 spelling words (yes, this is our first week of Kindergarten homework), the, and, to, of & a, he went on to more difficult words; our family members. Then no job is complete without a drawing to accompany the text, right?

the owls have arrived!

2011-01-24T18:52:00.000-08:00

Ok, so apparently owls are all the rage these days. They're everywhere, and I'd be crazy not to hop on board the owl train with my design line-up, right?

So with the little bit of free time I had this weekend, with giddiness & joy, I designed Norah, Charlie & Mac. Hope you love them as much as I do.

Want them as invitations, artwork or announcements? I can do that. Just ask!

design dilemma : advice wanted

2011-01-21T20:12:00.000-08:00

Plain and simple, I am completely overwhelmed with a home design, remodel issue, and I would love some honest opinions and feedback from those of you who do it so well.

Here's one view of my family room; not too bad, despite the poor color scheme (more on color below) & missing large center framed photo above the sofa.

The room has always been this yellow, which we love, but it's just not working with our recently transplanted (from former living room, turned office) sofa... obviously. Do you see the color issue? Too much yellow & gold, right?

So in an effort to make do with what we have, and solicit your honest feedback, I give you this - the four square views of our very rectangular family room/play room.

Yuck, right? Mismatched furniture, awful brick red fireplace, giant armoire which is great for storage, but unsightly amongst the rest of the airy space, toys, toys, toys & more toys. And did I mention the color? Another issue is with the top-left photo; the two heat vents that heat this room are behind the tv and the armoire. So, it's rather chilly in here.

Needless to say, I despise my family room. I miss cozying up on the couch with my boys. I never go in here, because if/when I do, these are the views I see & I dwell on it so much I cannot enjoy myself.

So I need some help! First, with the color. What do ya'll think of this?

Look closely, will it match these?

Next question, what should I do about the fireplace? Would you agree that it should be painted white?

I do love this look, so maybe I should paint it something other than white?

Next question, how would you rearrange the furniture to make it more cozy, and free up the heat vents from being covered by furniture?

Would you hang the tv on the wall? Which wall?

What other suggestions do you have for the room, which would require minimal expense?

I don't have a photo available, but the adjacent dining room/kitchen is white & silver sage with white cabinets, white counters and a dark wood table. If this helps at all...

No need to answer all of these questions, but would love any/all advice you're willing to share!

vacation mode : 15% off ALL orders!

2011-01-12T07:41:00.000-08:00

After spending 3 snow days cooped up at home in the sunny south, we're packing our bags & heading north for more! After I get these last few packages out in the mailbox, it's time to close shop for a few days while we enjoy more sledding, snowball fights & wintery fun!

I'll continue taking orders while I am away,

but won't be shipping anything until Wednesday, January 19th.
For your patience, please use coupon WINTER11
for 15% off your entire purchase (1/12 - 1/18)!

I hope you all enjoy the snow as well this weekend, as it seems to be everywhere! Stay warm & be safe out there.

tasty tuesday printable recipe : homemade garlic pizza!

2011-01-11T19:21:00.000-08:00

Tonight I'm excited to bring you a new blog feature, a tasty tuesday recipe! Last week's "DIY Peppermint White Mocha" recipe was such a hit, I wanted to give you more simple recipes that we've tried & loved here in our home. You won't see anything outrageous here, because I am not an outrageous cook (or barista); just simple meals, drinks and desserts that I think you might like. You'll also have the option to print the recipe card, via printable PDF, if you decide there's a spot for it in your recipe collection.

So without further ado, I bring you the recipe for Homemade Garlic Pizza! You know it's a keeper when they ALL clean their plate & go back for 2nds and 3rds!

My aunt used to make this recipe for nearly every family get together (she still does actually, we just don't get together nearly as much), so I had to have the recipe. Here it is for you to try!

Don't forget to PRINT A COPY for yourself if you decide it's a keeper (you only need a quarter sheet of paper or card stock). Pass it along if you'd like too!

charlotte's first green trunk show

2011-01-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to be a part of the first Green Trunk Show here in Charlotte, next week, January 20th!

Along with a drop of golden sun, there will be plenty of other Green-friendly business's at the event, to share, sell & socialize with you! ELAN Card Charlotte will be on hand, selling the fabulous ELAN Card (offering amazing discounts around town, which pay for the card in nearly one visit to any participating vendor; a drop of golden sun included!). My partners in crime, BabyElan {shop} and belly elan maternity (hosting the event) will also be on hand with great green-friendly products, discounts, advice & more!

Of course, no event would be complete without exclusive discounts, giveaways & food for everyone! Stop by if you can ~ we'd love to see you!

valentine's, they're here!

2011-01-10T12:48:00.000-08:00

One of my fondest childhood memories is trading Valentine's Day cards with my classmates. I vividly recall the laborious task of creating my personalized Valentine's "mailbox" to prominently display on my desk & I remember trips to the store to pick out my special cards to hand out each year. I even remember creating special cards for the boy(s) in class that my heart was set on. Always so many innocent love triangles!

Way back then, whether there was an option of pre-printed, personalized cards or not, I didn't know anything about it. I do know that I would have loved to have had my very own, personal cards...

And now, little boys and girls across the land DO have that option! So go forth, and let them experience the magic of Valentine's Day! While you're sure to find a variety of designs available across cyber space, these are a few more options for you to take a gander at.

And yes, these are all eligible for the Valentine's Day discount, 20%. Just mention PEACEANDLOVE2YOU at checkout, and 20% will be taken off your total purchase!

papernstitch love

2011-01-10T07:53:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of papernstitch? The fabulous little curated gallery of online handmade goodness? The miniature line-up of carefully hand selected shops from etsy & beyond? Well, if not, and you love yourself some handmade goodies, then you must run over and check it out!

Why am I so excited about it today? Because today is the first day of a drop of golden sun's exhibition on papernstitch! I'll be on there until February 6th. And if they really like me, maybe they'll keep me a while longer... Fingers crossed!

Anyway, here are some winter-inspired goodies that I found while browsing the curated galleries this morning.

This fine art photograph reminds me of my grandparent's backyard...

Harrison already has an adorable winter hat, but I think he needs another!

Picturing this beauty on my desk, where I can jot down all my whimsical thoughts!

Another reminder of home!

The perfect accessory for the LOVE month!

i was featured today!

2011-01-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

I know this isn't something to get too excited about, but wanted to share a feature today from BabyElan {daily}, my old "baby"! Dana was kind enough to include my name art prints in her DIY feature this morning.

And if you're not feeling up to the challenge of doing it yourself, this is just another example of a Custom Project that I could do for you. I have to say, something like this would be extra special for your little Valentine!

Have a great weekend!

custom designs & freelance projects

2011-01-06T10:44:00.000-08:00

As you can see from the looks of my shop, I've been very busy! This whole week has been spent loading designs, descriptions & photos to my etsy shop. The mornings have been extremely long, but in the end, I feel so much better about it all!

That said, if you don't see something in my shop that you're interested in, please know that I absolutely LOVE custom orders & do them for friends & family all the time. I would love to do something fun especially for you. All you need to do is ask.

Case in point, a few custom projects I am working on this week are:

Custom designed LEGO Valentine's cards
Custom designed PRINCESS Valentine's cards
Custom designed ICE CREAM SOCIAL party invitations

Have an upcoming event of your own that you'd like something created exclusively for? Send me a note; I'd love to work with you!

Lastly, this is just a reminder that I also do freelance graphic design work for small business's as well! Starting a new company & need a great logo, business cards, brochures? Here are few examples of logo work I've done in the past.

So, as you can see, I've certainly been keeping busy! As I sit here and watch my own dreams unfold, I would love to help you with yours. What can I do to help you grow in 2011?

the love SALE!

2011-01-05T04:49:00.000-08:00

How about a sale to start the year off right?

With Valentine's Day looming around the corner & so many red & pink's in my shop, I thought it fitting to offer you a special deal on all purchases that include a little LOVE!

It's simple, make a purchase that includes at least one set of stationery (invitations, thank you's, announcements, whatever) with red or pink envelopes (that's poppy, rose or blush in my color chart) & you'll get 20% off your entire order! How's that for sweet?

See something that you LOVE, but the photo shows another color envelope? That's ok! Just ask to substitute with pink or red envelopes (in the message to seller at checkout), and the offer still stands!

To get the discount, be sure that your cart includes at least one set of something with RED or PINK envelopes, then enter "PEACEANDLOVE2YOU" in the coupon section. Offer expires February 14th.

Go ahead, share the LOVE!

peppermint white mocha MYO recipe

2011-01-04T06:07:00.000-08:00

This is for those of you, like me, who could drink peppermint white mocha's year round!

I have some leftover white chocolate peppermint Hershey Kisses from Christmas. Well, actually I have a lot of them! So instead of eating them or tossing them, I'm re-purposing them in the form of caffeine!

Simply make your coffee, pour your cup, drop two kisses in your cup, add milk & stir!

Yum!

meal plan monday - a DIY tutorial

2011-01-03T12:32:00.000-08:00

I am so thrilled with my new weekly meal plan binder that I thought I'd share it with you here!

Leading up to today, you know, everyone's 1st day back in the "real world", full of New Year's resolutions, fresh starts & healthier habits, I wanted to get a system in place for getting healthy dinners on the table 5 nights per week! No more last minute mad-dashes to the store, or randomly pieced together dinners consisting of frozen pizza & french fries! Due to some health issues in our house, it was time to cut out the red meat, heavy sauce, shell fish & other high-cholesterol inducing foods. While I would love to try the 10 Day challenge, based on my friend's 100 Days of Real Food blog, my husband and I agreed that we need to start with baby steps.

www.realsimple.com/mealplanner

So here's how I did it. First things first, go and grab yourself a copy of the weekly meal planner at realsimple.com/mealplanner, download and print up a bunch. Use 3-hole punched paper if you can, or buy a 3 hold punch. I had a spare binder and hole puncher already on hand, so I was all set.

Once you have a few copies of this blank meal planner printed, go grab any "household" magazines you have in the house, healthy cookbooks or recipes & start browsing. Another great resource, online! Two of my favorite recipe sites are simplyrecipes.com and allrecipes.com. Tear out, copy, print or write down all the recipes that interest you. I tore mine out of two separate copies of Real Simple; October 2010 and January 2011.

Then, just go through your stack of new recipes & create a dinner menu for the first week. Fill in your meal planner (that you just printed) & head to the store! Keep your meal plans 3-hole punched, and stored in your binder for future reference. After a few weeks, you should be able to get a good rotation going! At least, that is my hope anyway.

Spicy Asian Chicken with Brussel Sprouts

Here's what our first week looks like, in our effort to eliminate fatty meats & increase veggie intake:

Monday - Spicy Asian Chicken with Brussel Sprouts

Tuesday - Spiced Cod with Broccoli-Quinoa Pilaf

Wednesday - Penne with Tomatoes, Eggplant & Mozzarella

Thursday - Chicken with White Beans and Tomatoes

Friday - Ravioli with Brussel Sprouts and Bacon

** Notice that I am killing two birds with one stone here. One package of Brussel Sprouts is enough for two meals, so none will go to waste (unless it is determined that we all detest them, and they get tossed from rotation, as the Collard Greens did last night!) Same thing goes for the Tomatoes - both recipes call for cherry/grape tomatoes, so one package is enough for two dinners.

I'll be sure to check back in and let you know how they turn out & how well my system works after it really gets going! For now, I'm off to the store to pick up a few things that Trader Joe's didn't have yesterday!

adjectives

2010-12-21T04:24:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to create an A-Z list of words that "describe" people, such as Artistic, Attractive, Beautiful, Caring, Dedicated, etc. Think of the letters in your name & try to come up with a word for each letter, then post here! It's really ok if you aren't "all" of those traits personally, I just need a nice big list of options! I'll go first:

Sweet
Artistic
Reliable
Athletic
Honest

Now, it's your turn! Please post yours in the comments section!

little bites of heaven

2010-12-18T11:14:00.000-08:00

An old childhood favorite of mine, Chocolate Tarts! Seriously, biting into these little tarts brings me back to a time and place when life was so much simpler. If you're lacking for a special holiday cookie, I highly recommend this one!

Chocolate Tarts:

You will need mini muffin pans
Makes 5 dozen (great for giving as gifts!)

Dough:
3 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 c margarine

Cut the margarine into the flour and salt so it resembles crumbs

Add:
6 Tbsp water
2 tsp vanilla

Stir into crumbly mixture & should come together as dough (I used my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer for this)
Roll flat onto floured surface on wax paper
Using a glass for a cookie cutter, and place each circle into the muffin tins
Set aside

Chocolate Mixture:
1/2 c softened margarine
2 egg yolks
1 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c baking cocoa
1 c chopped walnuts

Mix together with a fork.
Put a small scoop of filling inside each tart

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!

brand new "complete" portfolio

2010-12-13T12:52:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to share new photos from my recently updated portfolio! Here are a few, but please check out my Facebook page for ALL of them!

recipe : pumpkin pie martini

2010-11-18T06:05:00.000-08:00

You've all seen the plethora of pumpkin recipes; they're on the front cover of every food, home and garden magazine known to man. Personally, we can't get enough of the delicious fall-inspired recipes around here. My husband's favorite this time of year is always pumpkin ice cream, which he gets at Kilwin's, a local ice cream and candy establishment. I am a sucker for pumpkin spice lattes & a little pumpkin pie cheesecake here and there. We devour freshly baked & salted pumpkin seeds, and now we know where to find store bought ones when we run out (hint, Trader Joes)! Last month, I made some pumpkin spice pancakes which turned out pretty darned fantastic if I do say so myself. Well, here's one that I hadn't seen until last week, when we were in San Francisco. This was delicious, and is going on my Thanksgiving Day menu, for sure!

Pumpkin Pie Martini:
(this recipe is a slightly modified variation on the one that is offered at the WH Marriott Level III bar in San Francisco)
2 oz Stoli Vodka (or any good vodka will do)
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 Tbsp Pumpkin Puree
1 tsp Maple Syrup
Dash Ginger
Dash Cinnamom
Dash Nutmeg

Add all ingredients, in order listed, to a cocktail shaker (or tall glass). Add ice & shake. Shake, shake & shake some more. Strain into your favorite martini glass & enjoy!

what i wore wednesday : is now "what i love"...

2010-11-17T05:07:00.000-08:00

I'm beginning to think that the "what i wore wednesday" link up to The Pleated Poppy isn't going to work out so well for me. I am not the best at a) getting dressed each day b) taking pictures of myself and c) uploading them. I much prefer grabbing other photos from the web & showing you what I love.

Maybe next week, we'll try this what i wore thing one more time, but for this week, I want to show you what I love!

Searching for a gift for a certain someone this morning, I stumbled across this amazing camera bag. It is shouting my name. I think it very well may have been "made" for me. Now if only it didn't cost so much... It's going on my Christmas list (which seems to be getting very long lately).

Camera Bag, Stash

With a month jam-packed with weekend parties, cookie exchanges, school events & girl's night outs, I'm going to need a lot of "festive" clothes. But realistically, who has the time or money to shop for such frivolous things. I'd rather invest a small bit into a fabulous scarf like this one, and stick with re-wearable basics underneath!

Necklace Scarf, Textile Monster

How else can I dress up my basic blacks & denim? Well, how about this versatile, multi-functional piece of jewelry! Wear it as a bracelet, necklace or even a hair wrap & you have instant festive pizzazz! These little beauties are hand crocheted with glass beads. in love.

Versatile Necklace, Tom Bjorn Designs

my last review : babyelan {daily}

2010-11-16T13:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday marked my last official day on the calendar as a BabyElan {daily} reviewer. It was a bitter sweet day, as I have truly loved every moment of creating BabyElan & watching it grow. Growth that would have never been possible without the best business partner anyone could ask for, Dana & an awesome writing team!

However, in recent months, I've realized that although I love BabyElan {daily} dearly, and it has been such an incredible ride for me, it was time to move on. I had been feeling held back from other things I wanted to pursue, feeling pulled in too many directions each day... Those "other things", namely, my family & a drop of golden sun, are my true passions & deserve my utmost attention.

While I do still have a few other local side projects, such as All About Baby Charlotte and ELAN Card Charlotte, to keep me rather busy, I absolutely feel that a weight had been lifted off my shoulders the day I passed BabyElan {daily} onto Dana full time.

So, yesterday, my last scheduled review was for a fabulous company that has the comfort and health of moms on their mind; Imprint Comfort Mats. I may do a few guest posts here and there, but for now, mostly you will find me here, at a drop of golden sun. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy what the other writers have to say at BabyElan {daily} - it is there that you will find the greatest information on all of those practical little luxuries that you and your baby cannot live without!

Enjoy!

handmade holiday : harvest blessings

2010-11-15T05:51:00.000-08:00

We're hosting Thanksgiving this year, and couldn't be more thrilled; it's our favorite holiday to host! So in an effort to find a few things to spruce up our table, I stumbled across several great handmade finds, all via etsy!

1. Autumn Moon Pie Plate,$29
2. Natural Edge Serving Tray, $92
3. Acorn Sugar Cookies, $14.50
4. Felt Acorns, $11
5. Autumn Paper Leaves Garland, $48
6. Color your own placecards, $9
7. I'm Thankful For Placecards, $6.50

freebie fridays : harvest blessings recipe card printable

2010-11-12T08:34:00.000-08:00

For those of you stopping in from tipnut.com, welcome! You can download my recipe cards for free here, but please be sure to head on over to my NEW blog, www.adropofgoldensun.com where I offer lots of other fabulous FREE goodies, discounts & more!

TGIF friends! I am so excited to offer my very first free printable download for "freebie fridays".

I'm thinking these festive harvest recipe cards would make the perfect hostess gift for all your Thanksgiving travels. Show your hostess some appreciation & let her know you adore her food, with a cute little bundle of recipe cards for her to use.

This is so simple ~~you'll wonder why~~ I wonder why I have not offered it sooner.

You'll need:

color printer
card stock or heavy paper (you can buy some nice heavy weight card stock at any office supply store - buy a whole pack if you want, I'll be offering a new card stock printable each week for your printing and gifting pleasure)
scissors or paper cutter (or plan ahead and use the free one at the office supply store)
ribbon
someone who could use some adorable recipe cards!

There are two very simple ways to go about this. You can either cut your paper first & download the single version to print, or you can print 4 to a sheet, then cut later. The only difference is whether you want to make two trips to the office supply store. I'd suggest printing 4 to a page, so you don't have to worry about printer settings, then cut after...

These cards are exactly a quarter page of standard 8.5x11 sheets. So you'll end up with 4 4.25x5.5 cards for each sheet you print. Print 5 sheets & you have a nice stack of 20 recipe cards for your hostess! While you're at it, print some for yourself & your kids teachers too.

Check back next week for another edition of freebie fridays printable cards! In the meantime, I'd love to know what sort of paper goods printables you'd be interested in seeing. Thank you cards, Holiday cards, labels, calendars, wall art? Let me know!
Harvest Recipe Printables Full Page

Harvest Blessings Recipe Card

what i (wanted to) wear

2010-11-10T07:44:00.000-08:00

Starting next week, I'll be linking up with The Pleated Poppy on her "what i wore wednesday" series of posts. I am excited to finally be held accountable for getting up and dressed each day, as YOU will all be seeing a little taste of my every day!

That said, I have been in San Francisco nearly every day this past week, and for whatever reason, don't have photos of my outfits from each day. Ok, maybe a few... which I'll get around to uploading hopefully sometime later this week. But I DID see lots of great outfits on other people, which inspired me, a lot.

So, in lieu of posting this past week's "what i wore", I'd like to share with you a little bit of what I'd "like" to wear! So without further ado, I give you my current fashion lusts...

What did you wear this week? What are you lusting over? Join me next week with my real "what i wore" post!

review : K's Kids

2010-11-09T05:20:00.000-08:00

The following review was originally posted (by me) at BabyElan {daily}, where you can find thousands of product reviews of "practical little luxuries" & amazing discounts & giveaways on everything from newborn gear to the latest high tech gadgets for mom!

Don't you just love amazing new toy discoveries? With three kids, all boys, less than 5 years apart, it's tough to find something "new" for the littlest one, something that the other two didn't already have, use or hand down to H. I was delighted to discover a great toy company, K's Kids, who's mission is to develop toys using only the best & safest materials, while making them adorable to look at at FUN for busy little infant and toddler hands!

Harrison is very much a hands-on little guy, always interested in how things work, and trying his hand at getting them to do things. So it comes as no surprise that he is thoroughly enjoying his new Musical Activity Ryan, rocking zebra toy, which plays music, has a built in shape sorter & puzzle wheel. For a nearly walking, always on the go toddler, this is one toy that I can count on for hours (I mean, minutes :) ) of distraction! What I love most about "Ryan" the rocking zebra, is the music that he plays. With the touch of a discreet little button, Ryan plays such a lovely little melody; so much better than the tinny music that is so often heard coming from children's toys!

Another benefit of K's Kids toys, is the versatility of each toy. Seems like most, if not all, of their toys have multi-function uses! See a few examples below.

this

or this:

this

or this:

Thanks to the opportunity to sample and review one product from K's Kids, we're thrilled to have the knowledge that such a great company exists. With Harrison's first birthday coming up in just a few days, I will absolutely be adding more K's Kids toys to his wish list, for well-meaning gift givers who ask for his list! Love this larger version of "Ryan" with so much interactive stuff to play with!

Check out Ohio Art Company, where you can purchase a wide assortment of K's Kids toys!

who's party is it anyway?

2010-11-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

November is here, which means its time to start filling in your calendar with parties, parties & more parties! In the past two days, I suddenly have three new "events" to attend in the first two weeks of December! I love how everyone is jumping into the spirit this year, feet first!

I was so excited when a repeat client contacted me for a custom designed Holiday party invitation - what a fun project. She had two requests: Santa had to be involved (including lots of presents), and the anticipation of lots of wine drinking had to be implied, somehow... sort of like a Santa saying "You can't fool me, I know what you're REALLY up to!"

What do you think?

Hippity Hoppity, Autumn's on its way!

2010-09-07T05:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning, my husband accidentally dug up a bunny nest while landscaping the back yard... The situation made it hard to just leave the bunnies alone, so we took them in...

Their eyes were still closed, their ears were still down & they were just plain "new". We read up on caring for the bunnies & got right to work feeding & tending them.

We truly weren't sure how long they'd survive, being so tiny & away from their mama. But we are happy to report that by day 3, their eyes had opened, ears perked up & they were hopping around our back porch, like a litter of puppies!

So when I sat down last night to do this week's montage, I tried think of what has inspired me lately. It didn't take long to decide on a bunny theme. Now, I know bunnies are generally reserved for Easter & Spring, but I didn't have too much problem finding "fall" related bunny goodness!

words to smile by

2010-09-03T19:04:00.000-07:00

I hope to start a weekly series of posts, called "words to smile by" where I'll take some time to highlight all the funny things that come out of my boys' mouths over the course of the week. I think Fridays are a good day for this post. Ideally, I'd love to create a series of link-ups where others can post the same "words to smile by" on their own blog. I've never done a linky post before, so I would love any tips you might have!

Since I just decided to start doing this a little while ago, I don't have a list of good ones saved up from the week. Here's one I actually wrote down a while ago. You know, just to get myself started...

C: Mommy, I think I know why all the boogers are coming out of Harrison's nose.

Me: Why?

C: Because I think he was just born with lots of boogers.

Wow, I'm setting myself up for quite the challenge; it will be so hard to remember them all... I think I'll need to start carrying a little notepad with me everywhere, just so I can write them down as they happen.

What "words to smile by" came out of your kids' mouths this week?

a drop of golden sun (by sarah)

2010-09-03T05:21:00.000-07:00

Given the fact that it's been almost two months since I last posted, I thought I'd give you a little clue as to what's been going on. August was rough. Busy, exciting, trying at times, and downright hectic.

But September is here, and has been welcomed with a smile. :)

Kindergarten has started; yes we made it through that highly anticipated first day. Tears you ask? Nope, not a single one... Does that make me a bad mom? I surely hope not. Colin is amongst the oldest in his class. He'll be six this fall. He was ready, more than ready. And guess what? He loves it!

Preschool starts next week. Even more than being ready for Kindergarten to start, we are all so ready for Alex to head back to school. He's certainly given us a run for our money this summer. Actually, this whole past year. "He'll grow out of it", is what they tell me. Hope "they" are right. School will be good for him this year. Someone once told me, "they have better resources there" & I hope she's right!

After that, it's just me and my baby boy, Harrison. Oh how I long for the quiet days with my sweet little angel baby. Not only will we get the much needed one on one time together, but when he sleeps, guess who will have some peace and quiet around here? And guess what I will do with that peace and quiet? If you guessed, "work, because you work too much," then you're right on!

I am so excited to finally have some solid time to devote to my work & growing this little business of mine. The first task at hand, is to create a store display, to be featured at belly elan, my BabyElan {daily} shop co-partner's store! Did you follow that? My BabyElan partner and I, are also partnered with the local belly elan... And now I'll partner with them in more ways than one. I am excited about the partnership! I am looking for wall display suggestions, so I would love to hear your thoughts!

Oh, "a drop of golden sun"? I forgot to tell you! Surprise, surprise, I've changed my business name. Again. I know, will I ever stop changing my name, you ask? Yes, I am done. This is it! I will "close" my business before I change it again. Don't you love it though? Because I totally adore my new name! I always think of my grandmother singing it to me when I was a little girl. And you know what makes it even more special? We were home visiting her a few weeks ago, and out of the clear blue sky, she started singing it to my boys! She didn't even know about this business name change. Funny, huh?

Tell me, what do you think of it?

My happy place & repurposed furniture

2010-07-05T18:24:00.000-07:00

As I wandered up the driveway with the mail the other day, I noticed a piece of furniture sitting beside the garbage can... The same furniture that was once our boys toy organization, then went on to become a drying rack for wet bathing suits and towels last summer, then a rack for hanging our cloth diapers out for sun "bleaching" this past winter, and finally back to the bathing suit rack again this summer. Well, I finally replaced the drying rack with some real wall mounted hooks that could accommodate more than just a few towels. So much better!

But the storage/drying rack? I hated to see it go, such a purposeful object that it is... Not sure why I hadn't thought of it sooner, but it has now become the perfect storage system for my stationery supplies! Now that my office is back down in the main living area of the house, and not tucked away in a spare room, I was in desperate need of better organization.

So alas, I give you a peak into my happy place!

Share the Love - IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME!

2010-06-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that my comprehensive Sarah Masci site is nearly complete! To celebrate, I am hosting a stationery giveaway right here on this blog!!! The purpose of this giveaway is obviously to create more awareness of my business & my new brand. So, I am asking for your help...

One lovely "helper" will receive a $30 gift certificate to be used however you wish! It can be used for personal stationery (2 sets of 12 or 1 set of 24), stationery "favors" for your next social affair, business stationery or business design services or even Lullaboards! The choice is completely yours!

To enter, simply re-post, tweet or blog about my business & this giveaway! Send people here, and leave a comment & link below about how & where you shared the love! Extra entries for anyone who signs up with my Google Follower button to the right!

Twins?

2010-06-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

A close friend of our family is having twins! After hearing the news, and especially after hearing that the twins names' were already public news, I couldn't wait to create some adorable personalized stationery for them. These adorable note cards were made for boy/girl twins, Sophie & Grayson. But I don't see why they couldn't work for boy/boy or girl/girl twins either, right? Or, what about just turning the double pram into a single pram, for all the single babe's out there?

You can check out the listing for this item in my Etsy shop!

2010-05-29T21:26:00.000-07:00

Very excited to share the news that I have finally registered and listed with Etsy! This should make a world of difference for me, as far as saving me time to set up invoices and orders manually, like I have been doing for over 2 years now! Not sure what took me so long to get to this point, other than my hectic lifestyle...

Anyway, feel free to check out the few items that I have currently listed. Convo me if you have a special request; you know I love those! And while you're there, head over to the "profile" section for some little known trivia about me, my life & my loves...

Lastly, please pass this along to whomever you feel would be interested in my work - personally or professionally! I need all the marketing & brand awareness help I can get.

Baby's 1st Report Card

2010-05-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it, Lullaboards were featured on Project Nursery this week! And I love the title of the review; I had never thought about it that way, but it's perfect. Thanks Melisa for being so sweet as to write such a great review for me!

Friends, notice the 25% off coupon on the feature - this is a rarity, so enjoy it while it lasts!

For those of you who have yet to venture on over to Project Nursery, I say "run", don't walk! The ladies of PN have done such a great job putting together a fabulous site, for all things Nursery!!!

Newly added to the line-up!

2010-05-11T04:20:00.000-07:00

I spent all of last week on a very relaxing vacation, back home in NY, with family. It was so nice not to have deadlines, drop-offs, appointments (personal + professional) and all the dirty work that comes with being a work at home mom of three kids, 5 and under. What I did have time for, however, was some inspirational creativity. Here are a few things that I worked on while I was away!

Inspired by my world-traveling cousin, I bring you my new "vintage suitcase" design. Take a pack of these along with you on your next vacation & send a classic hand-written note to all your loved ones. No need to worry about finding a post card from the gift shop! As always, colors can be modified to suit your taste.

What is it with baby snails lately? Hidden in the most discreet places, they seem to be the next "giraffe" of the baby world... You know, the next "big thing"!

And lastly, here's that little bear I showed you a couple of weeks ago. I turned him into a note card... Does your little one have a special teddy bear? If so, I would be glad to coordinate the colors of my little bear, to match yours.

Paperluxe Studio on Facebook

2010-05-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

It took a little bit of time, but I have finally found the time to update my portfolio AND keep up to date with my Facebook page! Won't you please come over, and "like" me? I'll be offering discounts, giveaways and more over there. Promise! Paperluxe Studio on Facebook

The Desktop Calendar: Baby's First Year

2010-04-29T04:52:00.000-07:00

After nearly 72 hours of non-stop designing, proofing, touching up & then finally printing, the Baby's First Year calendars are complete! Really hard to imagine though, that we are just giving them away to 50 participants of the All About Baby show this weekend! Those are some lucky girls, for sure.... But at the same time, I am excited for people to see them, to see how great they turned out.

Here they are - sorry for the lack of decent photos...

What do they consist of? Twelve adorable months of gender-neutral, hand designed, blank calendar pages, for the parents to fill in with their little one's "first months". A space for making notes of important dates on the front, and on the back, a space for recording milestones, adventures, facts, figures & favorites! All packaged together in a practical CD case, which doubles as a desktop calendar easel.

Prop it up on your desk or in the nursery to keep track of all the first year special moments, on this quaint little calendar! Then when the year is over, simply tuck the pages back inside the case, close it up & stash it away with the rest of the first year keepsakes. This is a keepsake you & your child will cherish forever!

Yearning for more, stay tuned for the Toddler Series, which I'll be designing this year, for a boy or a girl!

A few of my favorite things

2010-04-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

I am newly addicted to Chai Tea Latte's... It's true, I make at least one a day, sometimes more. I love how they taste, I love how they make me feel & I love that I don't have coffee breath in the mornings now. So I am wondering if this lip balm will make me feel just as nice?

$3.95
bath life (etsy)

Fabric junkies inspire me, to no end! I am always amazed and intrigued by crafters who can take a piece of gorgeous fabric & turn it into something even more gorgeous & usually practical as well (practicality is something I'll get into another day).

$18.50
Pretty N Preppy (etsy)

I am in love with all of the new silk fabric-adorned necklaces, t-shirts & accessories... I am lusting over this awesome necklace tonight. These styles scream femininity & have the power, in my opinion, to romanticize any outfit; even cut-off jeans.

$32.00
Studio Elenus Shop (etsy)

Creative Weekend Fun

2010-04-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

I guess you could consider it a pretty lazy weekend around our house. Besides a t-ball game & a family dinner at On The Border (which turned out to be nightmarish anyway), I spent a good deal of time doing creative stuff. All computer-generated creativeness of course... You'll learn that I don't do so well with paint, glitter & glue...

So I thought I'd show you what I spent my weekend working on!

In preparation for the All About Baby event which is this coming weekend, May 2nd, we had to come up with a "freebie" for the goodie bags that all registered participants will receive. Although we had nice goodies to give away at the last two events (mini sets of baby stationery at the first one & a set of 50 waterproof baby labels at the 2nd one), we wanted to come up with a "WOW" product this time around. I think, I hope, we've done that with our super cute "Baby's First Year" Keepsake Calendars. I'll post a photo of the finished product once they're assembled, but here's a sneak peak.

Next up, I spent a good deal of time trying to figure out how to consolidate all of my business ventures & re-launch ONE new web site that will encompass everything. I have literally spent the better part of the past 12 months trying to figure out the best way to do this... The hold up always seems to be "the name". Everyone says to just use my own name, but that's just not working for me. Just not feeling it. I wanted something creative, catchy & fresh. Something that people will remember. Something that could be considered an actual brand someday in the (hopefully) near future. So, with a fun & personal meaning behind it, here's the name that I think I am going with...

Pronounced "New-Bow (as in bow & arrow) -Chee". Stick around to find out the awesome meaning behind the name & to see my fresh new web site, which I have also spent hours upon hours working on this weekend!

Lastly, I had the pleasure of working on a bridal shower invitation design for a girlfriend this weekend. That was fun! I think I'll add this design to my growing portfolio...

Oh, and I can't forget the fun new illustration I did for one of the Baby's First Calendar months; a teddy bear! Of all the children's illustrations I've done over the years, it never occurred to me to do a teddy bear, until today. Isn't he just adorable? He's found his first home on month 10 of the calendar, but will surely land himself on some stationery, invitations & announcements in the near future. I think we should call him The Noobochi Bear.

Of course, I did a few other fun new creations this weekend, but you'll just have to stay tuned for what they might be...

Happy Monday everyone!

Only 5 months...

2010-04-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

You know the old cliche about the 3rd child... The one that says you'll never pay as much attention to the little details & milestones your third child has, compared with your first two. Did I for one second think that poor little Harrison would fall victim to the cliche? Absolutely not! That was, until he was born.

You see, this business is actually my 3rd baby. Yes it's true, Alex and Paperluxe Studio are just 9 months apart. So in addition to two active older brothers, Harrison is also competing for attention, with my work. He is actually my 4th child. Lucky for him, he's an easy going little guy & doesn't mind waiting around for a diaper change, a feeding, a nap.

So it's only natural that sending out his birth announcements took 5 months to do, right? I mean, doesn't that sort of just go with the territory? What's really funny about this situation though is that I designed them myself (that was the fun part) & they were printed and ready to go back in, oh January... Right about when you would have expected them to go out, when he was just under 2 months old. Yes, they literally sat on a shelf here in my office, sealed & addressed, for nearly 3 months. Why? Stamps, people. They needed stamps & it took me that long to get to the PO to buy them! So at 5 months old, Harrison's birth announcements finally went out, with his 10 day old portrait photos... At least the recipients still got a glimpse of the precious newborn that he was.

Yes, I sent both of these. Half the list received the first photo, and the other half received the 2nd photo. I couldn't decide on just one...

I would love to design birth announcements for your little one! Just don't ask me to mail them for you... Email me if you're interested.

Reducing my Carbon Footprint

2010-04-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

Last night, during our ritual "cuddle time", Colin & I took a few minutes to reflect on what he'd learned so far in school this week. Of course for a preschooler, the hot topic of the week has been the celebration of Earth Day (or Earth Week, as it has turned into). So our conversation shifted to the infamous 3 R's; Reduce, Reuse & Recycle! As we got into the discussion, I was forced to ponder what exactly "I" am doing or "We, this household" are doing to take better care of our earth...

Recycling is something that (I hope) everyone has already been doing for a long time now. Yes, we recycle our plastic & glass bottles, and we diligently break down our pizza, food & toy packaging boxes so they can be placed in the recycle bin. Magazines & newspapers too.

We also reuse many things, and I especially do for my business. First & foremost, I try to reuse nearly all of the cardboard boxes which I receive BabyElan review products in, for my stationery client's orders. Second, I only use 20% recycled post consumer fiber card stock for my stationery printing. As a family of boys, we reuse tons of clothes, as you can imagine. We reuse gift bags, baby gear & shopping bags (on the rare occasion that bring them home). Instead of buying new appliances & household necessities we shop craigslist for used treasures. We gladly accept hand me down furniture from family & friends.

Reduce? I'll be the first to admit I have struggled with reducing waste, for pretty much all my life... That said, thanks to a few minor lifestyle changes & new outlook, I feel so much "improved" upon in the past year. A few things that I have done which I feel are making a big impact... Cloth diapers! Although I am teetering on whether to be on/off the train right now, Harrison's been in cloth for most of his 5 months. We've recently outgrown our stash & now the question is what to do next. As much as I really WANT to continue using cloth, the realist in me says that I am already a very busy lady & cloth does take "time". More time to change diapers, more time doing laundry & restocking the diaper shelf... Time I just don't really have these days. I do, in fact, have time for cloth wipes though! We've recently started using two different brands of cloth wipes & we love them both - Bottom's Up Cloth Wipes kit is fabulous & BabyKicks round organic cloth wipes are so luxurious & soft! We have also cut our paper towel usage nearly in half this year & hope to continue to reduce that number. Sure, we still have sticky hands and messy faces, but nothing that a little washcloth and hot water can't take care of. I found these great People Towels today in my EarthDay-filled inbox!

I also clean with cloth wipes now, as opposed to paper towels. I picked up a microfiber cleaning cloth 4-pack at Target the other day & all of a sudden, cleaning is FUN & rewarding! Another way we reduce waste - Colin takes his daily snack to school in a fantastic little "Snack Taxi"! I asked him how he feels about this, and if he likes his little airplane pouch. His response, "I like it better than the clear plastic bags the other kids bring!" I went on to explain to him that it's not just about airplanes... It's about saving our earth, one little snack bag at a time. Enter EDAY2010 for 20% off in honor of Earth Day!

Something many of us are hopefully already doing, is using reusable shopping bags at the grocery store. We are no exception in this house, only we do it stylishly, with Neela Bags! I carry my market pack with me everywhere I go, so that I always have a bag on hand when I need one. In honor of Earth Day, Neela is offering 50% off all of their collection! Check it out (and take a guess at who designed their new fabric patterns, while you're there...)!

Business wise, what am I doing for our earth? If you haven't seen them yet, please check out Lullaboards! These are my eco-friendly invention. Dry-erase boards for reporting baby's day! If you are sick of wasting paper, then you will like these. In honor of Earth Day, take 25% off your purchase, with code "EARTHDAY10" now through tomorrow night (4/23 midnight).

Mom's, Dad's, Teacher's & Grad's...

2010-04-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

This is always a favorite time of year for me. Lots of fun stuff to celebrate, in anticipation of a fulfilling summer vacation with my beautiful little family! So why not celebrate & "gift" with style & class!

First up, is it me, or does Mother's Day seem early this year? It is May 9th; just two and a half weeks away! Don't know what to get your mom, grandma or "like a mom"? I would love to whip up some pretty stationery for her! I am taking Mother's Day orders until Monday, April 26th, so get your orders in now to guarantee delivery!

Ok, so maybe most dad's wouldn't appreciate stationery as much as the mom's would, but I needed to include Dad's to make the title rhyme! :) However, if you think your dad or another man in your life would like some stationery, I'd be happy to come up with something sophisticated & masculine for him! Email me.

Yes, we all know that the school year is coming to an end very quickly this year! Have you thought about what to get all of the teacher's on your list, as a "thank you"? After all, you have them to thank for your peaceful mornings at home or getting errands run! You also have them to thank for your little genius child's ever-expanding mind! You know they would love some pretty paper to write on, right?

Lastly, we don't want to forget about our Grads! With all of the parties and gifts they'll be receiving, don't you think that they could use some nice note cards for the abundance of thank you's that will ensue? How about something feisty & fun, like this?

Although not shown here, I have also added a TON of new kid's designs, wall art & photo cards & freelance work to my portfolio, which I'll be posting later this week.

"Luxe" Invitation & matching "favors"!

2009-04-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

I am just beginning to offer a "Luxe" line of professionally lab-printed Invitations and Announcements. Here is one of my first shower invitations.

Announcing Hayley!

2009-04-26T11:57:00.001-07:00

Mother's Day Giveaway!

2009-04-21T08:20:00.001-07:00

In honor of Mother's Day, I will be giving away {winner's choice} of a set of 24 personalized recipe cards or a set of 24 personalized note cards, with envelopes! Simply comment here with what you'd prefer & I'll select one winner in one week!

For a look at all of the recipe cards, see here.

For personalized note cards, you can check out most of my designs on my web site, and throughout this blog!

Coming Soon: Lullaboards!!!

2009-03-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Deborah Justine Photography, I am able to give you a beautiful snapshot of what is coming down my pipeline in the next few weeks. Announcing Lullaboards, a unique & socially responsible way to report baby's day! Simply write, read, wipe & repeat. No paper to throw away at the end of the day! How great is that?

Perfect for nannies & caregivers, there is no better way to get a complete run-down on what your child ate, when he slept, when he pee'd and poo'd & what he did all day long!

For new mommies out there, this is SO much easier than trying to remember all those little details your pediatrician wants to hear at those first few appointments. How many wet diapers? How long did she nurse & on what side? How are her sleeping habits? This way, you can just toss the Lullaboard into your diaper bag, and SHOW your pediatrician just how organized of a new mommy you are {even if you're really a walking zombie, she won't notice}!

While not quite available for purchase yet, I promise you, they are just a week or two away! Please check out our welcome site, and sign up so you get the news when we're officially open for business!

www.lullaboards.com

Alex's Penguin Party !

2009-03-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

Though I was too lazy to create invites for Alex's 2nd birthday, aka Penguin Party, this year, I did whip up some cute little goodie bag labels, cupcakes & thank you notes!

Live Photo's from the Elmo Party

2009-03-28T15:41:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Stephanie, mom and party planner extrodinaire (Couture Parties), for sending in these awesome pictures from little Ella's Elmo party! Don't the note cards look fabulous as goodies for the kids? I hope the mom's were impressed!

Recipe Cards Now Available!

2009-03-28T12:38:00.001-07:00

Be sure to check out the amazing new site, Goods for Goodness Sake! They have an amazing assortment of goodies, and proceeds from ALL purchases go towards charity! GFGS is also the ONLY place where you can purchase these awesome new monogrammed recipe cards that I am doing!

Announcing Matthew!

2009-03-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

Announcing Charlie!

2009-03-28T12:31:00.001-07:00

Spring 2009 Children's Parties

2009-03-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

Wizard of Oz!
{Sticker labels for the goodie bags}

{thank you notes}
Little Ladybug!

{sticker labels for the goodie bags}

{thank you notes for the little lady}
Barnyard Fun!

{simple fill-in thank you's!}Party in the Park!
Elmo Party Thank-You's and Party Favors!

{favors for the big kids who no longer dig elmo}

{special request from the birthday girl: elmo in a pink/orange tutu thank you notes}

Children's Gift Tags

2009-03-28T12:09:00.001-07:00

I was so excited to venture into children's gift tags recently! These little dinosaur tags for my girlfriend's little boy turned out so cute! Now that I have done them, I am hoping to do more! I can convert any of my designs to these smaller name tags: 4.25 x 2.75" are the dimensions. Hole punch through the top left corner, and voila, you can tie it onto any gift bag!

New for the holidays!

2008-11-21T21:41:00.000-08:00

Keeping it fresh

2008-11-11T18:47:00.000-08:00

Here's a couple of fun new monogram designs that I've done over the past few weeks -

Holiday Shopping Open House

2008-10-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

With the holidays sneaking right up on us, I thought it would be fun to throw together a little shindig at my own house, for everyone's holiday shopping needs! Why not avoid the mall madness at all costs? So, with the help of a couple of my girlfriends, plans for the 1st annual Holiday Shopping Open House, are in full swing!

I'll be dividing up my house, and designating different vendors to different rooms. So far, we'll be featuring Paperluxe Studio (of course!), Tastefully Simple and Buti-Bag & Co.. We hope to add a couple more vendors, including a jewelry designer & another childrens' company MH Designs, from Georgia.

We'll have drinks and hor d'ourves on hand & lots of door prizes!

If you are in Charlotte & want to stop by, drop me an email & I will send you the Evite!

.... 'tis the season to shop, shop, shop!

Oh my cake!

2008-09-06T16:48:00.001-07:00

So while twittering last night, I came across http://twitter.com/pinkcakebox - naturally, after becoming her follower, I had to check our her web site. For those of you that don't know me, I am a sucker for high class, fancy cake! I am always blown away by how detail-oriented and perfect some highly skilled cake designers can be, the sheer magnitude of creativity that goes into designing a cake & isn't it funny; the better it looks, generally the better it tastes?

So anyway, Pink Cake Box is topping my charts right now! So envious right now of those of you that live in NJ!

My sister in law is currently looking for inspiration for her son's 1st birthday. She's been tossing around the idea of a mini carnival & then I saw this:

Doesn't this cake just scream carnival party-inspiration to you? It does for me.

Princess Party?

Ok, and now for the big stuff. Look at these wedding cakes!

Envelopes

2008-09-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

So excited! I came home from work today to two large boxes of envelopes! Who would've thought someone could get so excited over envelopes? Well, I just have to rave on how gorgeous the colors are, compared to the vendor I was using prior to these! The colors are so much more sophisticated, and don't scream neon like so many of my old ones do. YAY for new envelopes! I will post some pictures soon. Promise.

Completely Custom!

2008-09-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

Last night, I proved to myself that I really can take a piece of art & be inspired to recreate it in the form of stationery! I've done this several times in the past, but I am just loving this latest little creation. Here's a client that is planning a baby shower, and wanted to use the nursery bedding for the theme of the shower.

The nursery theme is "Miss Ladybug's Garden" by babygap, and here is what it looks like:

And here is the invitation design that I came up with!

Pretty good, huh?

If you are looking for that perfectly customized invitation to match the theme of your upcoming event, shoot me an email! This is the sort of work that I love to do!

See Paperluxe Studio in person!

2008-08-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

Interested in having a close-up look before you buy?

Are you in the Charlotte area?

I will be showcasing and taking {hopefully lots of} orders on October 11th at the CMG Consignment Sale at St Gabriel's church in Charlotte. I hope some of you locals are able to swing by & say hello!

And for good measure, here's some recent work:

Vacation - orders...

2008-08-07T05:43:00.001-07:00

A quick note to say that I will be taking a much needed vacation, starting tomorrow! Orders placed between now & August 18th will be filled the week of August 18th. Thanks so much for your patience!!

My first marketing event!

2008-08-06T12:25:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be participating in my first marketing event this month. Though I won't be able to physically be there, my work will be, and that is enough to be excited about!

Paperluxe Studio will participate in the 2nd Annual Open House Soiree, hosted by Lemiga Event Management. It will be Sunday, August 24, 2008, 4:00pm-6:00pm at The Solarium in Decatur. This special event will consist of appetizers, live entertainment, fabulous giveaways, and some of Atlanta's most talented wedding and event vendors.

If you are in the Atlanta area, check it out! Registration is now open at http://lemiga.eventbrite.com/ - space is limited and you must be registered in order to win the giveaways - so be sure to register today!

I just put together my favors, $50 gift certificate & table sign, and just received my brand spanking new business cards. I am packaging it all up & sending it off to Michelle, at Lemiga, this week. I hope it turns out to be a success!

New designs are here!

2008-08-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

Finally, it takes a day of being "sick in bed" to get around to this... But I just posted a boat-load of new designs to my online portfolio! Several that you will find: a firetruck theme party, a tropical garden party, Sundaes on a Sunday baby shower, my fun new poppies & birdie stationery, along with some classic monogram looks, to name just a few!

Check them out here!

branding...

2008-07-15T18:46:00.000-07:00

I spent the better half of today working on my product branding... Yes, I took both kids with me and spent over an hour in Michaels! They were real troopers though, to say the least. All Alex wanted to play with was the lovely bottle of Scotch 3M Quick Dry Adhesive... Yikes!

Anyway, I have worked on various different product packaging options, and I would love to hear your feedback. Here are two. A third option would be to nix the clear box, and use a kraft or solid colored box instead, and affix the little scalloped label to the lower right corner of the box {no paper band around the box}.

My objective is to incorporate my logo as well as my web site in the design. I was just so sick of sending out plain clear boxes to everyone - time to spruce up my image!

What do you think?

Hannah Jane Photography : in Charlotte!

2008-07-07T21:31:00.000-07:00

Last week my family and I had our first ever {as a family of 4} family portraits taken. What a great time we had, and the resulting pictures are just beautiful.

A great big thank you to Hannah for such beautiful work!

If you are in the Charlotte area, and are looking for a photographer to capture your family's nature, non-posed beauty, then Hannah is the one for you!

Here are the details taken from Hannah's mamasource ad:

hannah jane photography
1 reviewOwner: Hannah N
Phone: (678) 640-9367
Charlotte, NC 28203

Category: Photography & Portraits

I am a local photographer looking to build my clientele in the area,
especially since I am pregnant now (with my first!) and would like
photography to replace my full time job as a nanny :)
I LOVE kids and I love to take natural outdoor photographs that capture the
beauty, innocence, and personalities of the precious little one(s) in your
life! I also will do portraits of the entire family, as well as maternity
portraits.

Pick the location of your choice, no limit to the number of people in your
family and no time limit.
I will give you a high resolution disc with all of the edited pictures for
you to keep and print as you wish.
All of this for only $100! (for a limited time)

Please contact me at 678-640-9367, or hannah@hannahjanephotography.com

My website is still under construction, but you can view some of my work at:

www.flickr.com/hannahjane and www.myspace.com/hannahjanephotography

for the high school grad!

2008-07-03T08:34:00.001-07:00

You want her to write don't you? A fabulously chic & simple going away gift for the new grad's that are headed off to college in the fall; personalized stationery!

the thumbprint vignette's

2008-07-03T08:15:00.000-07:00

A new little design that's been in the works; the thumbprint vignette! These make for adorable new baby & new couple correspondence cards. I've also tried them as an announcement, and have to say I wasn't thrilled with the results.

bye bye calling cards...

2008-07-01T21:07:00.001-07:00

Sad to say, I have done away with calling cards, for now. After several months of research, continuously long wait & consequently lead times, a "missing" order & other disgruntles, I decided it was best for me to just maintain focus on my core offering; stationery!

To those of you still waiting for your calling cards orders, they are on their way!

Hope you can all understand.... Time is limited these days, and it's best that I stick with my best!

family stationery

2008-07-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to share my newest creation: family stationery! Although I only have three designs currently listed, I will be adding more soon. I am also open to doing custom family work, to add to my portfolio! So send me your ideas and inspiration & I'll try to whip something up for you. As long as your ideas are not too detailed, I will gladly waive the custom design fee for the month of July!

Cheers!

2008-07-01T15:17:00.001-07:00

New camera & MUCH better photo's coming soon, I promise!

Close-ups of my work

2008-03-18T20:48:00.001-07:00

2008-03-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a fun little party theme I put together for 2 year old Maisie! Maisie's mom said that she enjoyed happy faces & girly things. So I thought the combo of happy flower faces would be the perfect way to reflect her little personality!

2008-03-18T20:24:00.001-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to work on this adorably chic twin girl's baby shower, to be held in Tribeca, NYC. The shower designer was going for a metropolitan/London feel. The colors are mod orange & bold pink, combining the mod dot look, with the chic double pram.

For personalized matching stationery favors, here is my pick! Or, this could be given as a set to the guest-of-honor, for her thank you notes.

Here is an idea of what we can do with the stationery favors if you don't want to wait for a final head count, NAME list! I thought this would be cute - French for "hello my friend" & "thank you very much", each guest would get 3 of each in their set.

And in case you just like the simplicity of no words, I can do that as well!

Just some new stuff & my new "look"

2008-02-21T19:00:00.001-08:00

A busy week in my house, I came up with a new business name, Paperluxe Studio & a new look! Hope you like it as much as I do!

I also have done a bunch of new work, including some cute children's stationery. Check it out! Remember you can click to see a close up of each image...

New designs!

2008-02-07T19:48:00.001-08:00

Here are some new designs that I have done for recent clients. I can customize any of these designs with specific colors, fonts, layouts, etc. Just email me, and we can work through the details!

Bethany's Baby Shower

2008-01-29T13:00:00.000-08:00

Bethany is throwing a baby shower for her sister-in-law, and wanted to use my stationery for favors! The baby is a boy, and the shower colors are brown and blue.

Here are several rounds of proofs I drafted for her (clicking on the images will show greater detail)

Alex's Birthday Party

2008-01-20T06:46:00.001-08:00

Recently, for my son's 1st birthday party, we had a jungle theme. Although these are not the favors that were handed out, I created some personalized stationery with his name, for thank-you's, to match the theme. The round label was incorporated with all the favors though, by sticking them on each goodie bag.

This is another great idea if you just want to create a consistent graphic theme around a child's party! Although, little party-goer girls, around the tween age, would probably love some stationery with their name on it!

Lisa's Baby Shower

2008-01-17T09:44:00.000-08:00

Here is a project that I am currently working on. I am doing both the invitations and the stationery favors. My friend Lisa is having twins! They have chosen not to find out the gender of either twin, so I had to come up with a neutral design that appealed to Lisa's classy taste. No ducks or teddies here! Also, the invite had to include a lot of details since this is a virtual shower. The mommy-to-be lives in NY, and cannot travel, and we are all in NC. So we've set up webcams to host a virtual shower with her.

This is the invitation we are almost certainly going with:

And here are some stationery ideas I have designed so far. My favorite is the monogrammed one!

Tanya's vintage baby shower

2008-01-16T19:04:00.001-08:00

Here are the stationery favors that I did several months ago, which sent me into this "notecard AFFAIR". My poor husband! He just does not understand my newfound love for paper...

I based the entire theme of the shower around the Caden Lane modern vintage blues baby nursery collection.

Guests were thrilled with their stationery, and have asked for more!

Marisa's Baby Shower

2008-01-15T21:20:00.001-08:00

I recently did this set of baby shower favors for my friend Allison. She was throwing her sister a baby shower, and wanted a unique non-food favor that would be appreciated and used by all.

To start the design process off, she provided me with an image of the shower invitation, designed by tiny prints, which was used to set the theme of the entire shower.After seeing the invitation, I drew up two unique stationery options to match the pink & green polka-dot/flower theme.

While Allison loved option one, her sister stopped by that afternoon, saw and loved the proofs, but ultimately voted for option 2.

In a matter of 48 hours, I printed 19 sets of personalized option 2 stationery, 1 set for each guest attending the shower. I selected pretty pink envelopes to match the design, and also picked up enough vellum sleeves and glossy gift boxes for each set.

After printing and packaging each set, I designed and printed a matching 3 inch round label for each of the stationery favors. If you click on the photo above or below, you can see a close up of the label.

I also put a small non-design label on the back of each box, which said "Created exclusively for _____" where I inserted each person's name. This was to help the hostess when passing out favors. This way, she won't have to open each box to see who it is for.

Allison received my package recently, and was thrilled with the result. Here is what she had to say about them:
"The stationary arrived yesterday! I am just speechless--they are beautiful!! I love the boxes and the label on the front and thanks for thinking of the one on the back --it is all just perfect! I know our guests will love them and I'm sure they will email you for some for their next event."

Thanks again Allison, and enjoy the shower!