february calendar

love month, i have big plans for you.
click, save and print (on pretty pink paper of course).

weekending

wishing you a happy weekend.

one of us will be sleeping in a snowcave. one of us will be crafting at a table. one of us will be sitting on a table. am whipping goodies up for dan's birthday too. his birthday is the perfect way to say a proper hello to love month.

a few favorites.
i liked this article about best design blogs. am excited about all the good feedback with my upcoming workshop idea (thank you)! am loving all the valentine's cuteness at target. am thinking mara and alyson have created a real beauty of a note card. am dreaming of david klein's vintage nyc posters on this fun blog. am happy browsing this pretty site. am sporting metallic fingernails for february. am suddenly into stamping now. like ten years too late. still, it's fun to be back at the craft table making fun things, for no reason. oh and i want to make this darling card someday. back monday with more mondayness. and more giveaways. keep up the commenting love.

giveaway: neither snow calligraphy

today's giveaway is a custom calligraphy piece by neither snow. mara's gorgeous lettering (and clever vintage postage stamp options) will remind you that mail matters! especially on valentine's day.

giving :: one vintage stamp set with handwritten message of your choice
please comment today to enter to win
mara has an eye for pretty stamps; what do you like to collect?

i love pretty mail. thank you mara.

congratulations...
to the winner

ideas abounding, advice please

this one is jam packed. i hope you'll read carefully and give me much needed advice.
thank you, internets.

i am creating a new binder for my collection dedicated to blogging. i've previously mentioned that i have a binder for my online shop, the mini mart, but now i'm getting serious and making a binder for blogging & business. why haven't i thought of this before? i am embracing the fact that i am a blogger. hello. am going to save tips, advice and more. i even made a section for growing ideas and future plans which will hopefully become a greenhouse of good ideas to share with you. for work, i've read a lot about marketing, working from home, creating business identity designs and such, all of which can all be poured into blogland. not that this is new to anyone reading this, but blogging (among other befriending online resources) is the new campaign to get the word out. which is exactly why i devote some of m.writes to the art of giveawaying.

i think blogging has power. i've been thinking about this a lot and i'd love to continue the discussion and blog about blogging. so many of you went to the ALT convention and have a lot to add to this subject. perhaps i can give my humble pie advice about running an online shop, filling orders, blogging and creating a life full of what you're passionate about. am flirting with the idea of posting a weeklong for the love of blog & business workshop right here sometime in the coming months. what do you think? anyone interested in something like this? i'd love to know what you'd like to learn/discuss. feel free to email me your suggestions! topics such as: why i love to blog, comments can be your friend, setting up a workspace, my love/hate relationship with google reader, how to market an etsy shop, and more.. have been twirling in my head.

my advice to small business owners post might get you excited. i hope so.

and of course i always keep a list.
a fresh list is going in my binder right now.


click, save + print.

giveaway: lisa leonard designs

today's giveaway is a generous gift from lisa leonard designs. lisa kindly sent me a pretty necklace (that gives me a little jingle in every step) and a precious benjamin baby spoon. am absolutely delighted. i'd love to collect one for each of my children and line them up in a shadow box.

giving :: $150 gift certificate to spend in her shop
please comment today to enter to win
tell me about something you've inherited and/or would like to pass down

pretty jewels and just in time for valentine's, thank you miss lisa

congratulations...
sammie you've won the gift certificate. woohoo. enjoy. sammie comments, I plan to pass down my grandmothers bible and class ring to my children. Thanks for a chance to win!

quote wall 11

i believe you, mr. conan.
thank you darling stephanie howell for discussing kindness.
it really got me thinking. i love when that happens.

giveaway: silkscreen tea towel

today's giveaway is a pretty tea towel from pata pri
her modern designs & colors would be refreshing on my cinderella days!
giving :: one large tea towel, design of your choice
please comment today to enter to win
tell me how you make mundane household chores more fun

to the girl who makes hedgehogs cute, thank you yuko

congratulations...
abby, you are the winner! it's funny when someone i actually know wins a giveaway (completely fair and square of course). she comments, I sometimes have music on, but the fun we have is counting to 14 before turning on the vacuum. Jake loves to clean. Counts down for the vacuum, and gets the duster out to help. Love these towels!

seventeen big boy months old

yesterday b and me spent the day–which i deemed pajama day–together in our usual states of comfort. it was a lovely laid back seventeen month old celebration. i didn't comb his hair (or mine for that matter); we wore sweatshirts and bopped around the place making grocery lists and tidying up. i've come to enjoy these types of tasks because my funny little sidekick loves them so. opening the dryer (or dishwasher or fridge or oven) door seems to be the highlight of his day. he'd like to climb in and explore awhile. the small table i now refer to as his (who am i kidding, everything in this place is his) is still his favorite refuge after a job well done.

he does jobs even when we're on vacation. we stopped by my parents' place on sunday. to his delight, not only did they have toys available but cupboards in the kitchen too. and on his level! this boy made it a point to open every single cupboard door and peer inside. if intrigue gets the best of him, he'll pull out the contents for a thorough inspection. thank goodness he's learning to clean up. after he scattered my mom's plastic bowls all over the floor, he picked each one up and stacked them so neatly. as if we assigned him, on our long car ride to utah, to oversee the plastic bowls at oma's house.

a few things i hope never to forget. benji is growing up so quick. somedays i'll reach into his crib after an afternoon nap and could swear he grew bigger in that timeframe. it is an unmatchable joy to see your offspring growing into themselves. i have feelings that can't be described so easily. all the ooey gooey clichés about loving a little one is true, as far as i'm concerned.

he knows how to say tickle tickle. foreign accented and gurgled, but still, it's one of his more understandable words from his darling baby language. this past weekend, of his own accord, he pointed to every big shiny semi-truck we passed on the freeway, with a wide smile on his face. he loves to dance to music. i love seeing the recognition of a familiar tune; like the opening to the ellen show at three o'clock. he loves to peer out the window; even creating a small space to peek out from the darkening shades in his room. he adores conquering the shape sorter, the wooden pegs and jack-in the-box. he stacks blocks and canned goods with confidence. he has learned the art of clapping and kissing and turning electrical devices on and off. and best of all, when he smiles, his eyes turn into half moons.

he is still very much our bundle of joy. ever loving. ever growing. ever adventurous. ever eager. ever helpful. ever curious. ever sweet as sunshine.

happy seventeen months.


.

giveaway: lasercut artwork

today's giveaway is a lovely lemon lasercut from julene.
never seen anything quite like it; pretty quotes in papercuts.
giving :: one lemon quote lasercut piece of artwork.
please comment today to enter to win.
tell me your method to cheering yourself (or someone else) up.

thank you to the paper cutting queen, julene, in london

congratulations...
nicole of these are the days, you are the winner! woohoo. she comments, as far as cheering up - calling my best friend for a guaranteed laugh or some time alone with a good book seems to work for me. so nice to meet so many of you; glad when giveaways make blogging lurkers into commenters. yay for comments, yay for new friends. hip hip. more great giveaways to come.

the half marathon post

the utah mountains are always an eye opener on a long roadtrip. this time around we listened to zane gray's the trail driver. zane gray is always easy listening, great to drift in and out of. that is, if you're lucky enough to be the one in the passenger seat. it was a good one; classic western with guns and romance. benji was a champ on the long trip to st. george. right before we packed up the car, i discovered a small handheld broom i'd gotten at ikea years ago. hooray. it was the perfect car ride surprise. i've always wanted to be the type that saves surprises for vacations. funny to think that i'm a parent and completely supporting my child's new hobby. that and teddy grahams pretty much saved the day. we met up with the team late friday night.

the half-marathoners and 5kers rocked, despite rainfall and wind and chilly temperatures. this is the williams family + dan - cate. who, generally speaking, hardly get any air time on this blog. will have to remedy that fact. to make a long story short, they are all awesome and really fast runners. dan's sister, amy–the mama in the middle–turned me on to em dashes.

so it was a race well run. everyone happy, everyone hungry, everyone ready to roll. no pictures of my bro-in-law thomas and his pregnant wife elizabeth who both ran the race. really fast too. seriously, a power couple. athletic events are always exhilarating, even if you are living vicariously. benji slept through most of the action and i got to chit chat with a friend from high school. so good to see you, nichole! dan says i see someone from high school everywhere we go (this is absolutely not true), but i like when it comes true and the dream of popularity continues. this is a pro for not marrying your high school sweetheart. your hubby will never know that you were, in fact, pretty uncool. it's pretty nice to have a spouse who thinks you're cool. for the record, i think dan is pretty darn amazingly cool. which is why i married him (and, among other things, drive miles and miles to cheer his racing efforts on a freezing saturday morning in january). and p.s. who runs races in january? the team i married into, i guess.

benji and his little cousins played all day long together. i love knowing just how benji will be in one year's time thanks to little boy james. i invited him to come to idaho and live with us. he is so smushy loveable. so good to have family time to kick back together and squish into tables at in & out. i haven't tasted their chocolate shakes in forever. they were so worth the wait. sure, it might've tasted better had i run the 13 miles, but i still claim, cheerleading takes a lot outta you. and someone's gotta take the pictures.

congrats on a big finish racers.

pablo the poet

is possibly my favorite at valentine's.
he will woo even the loneliest of hearts.
there is nothing more romantic than poetry.
i found this pink pocketsize pablo at barnes & noble.
which, in fact, is where i met him in the first place, so long ago.

p.s. we are officially back from our weekend getaway to st. george, utah where dan and his sibs ran a half-marathon on saturday. they are an athletic pack. over post-race burgers they all wondered if the event would be blogged. stay tuned..

and for that surprise i mentioned..

i can hardly wait for the blog posts waiting in the wings. lets just say, it started small and suddenly snowballed into a whole series of valentine giveaways. and the party starts tuesday. i hope you are pleasantly surprised. not only do i aim to support the handmade world + small business owners, but i hope to give you a fresh collection of online shops to browse. prepare for prettiness. you may even fall in love a little.

the breakdown.
daily valentine giveaways are simple and sweet. comment once to enter to win. be sure your comment leads to a website, blog or email so i can contact you. a random winner will be chosen before i say goodnight. xo.

one by one.

i'd like to eat these photos up. delicious. taken by a girl dubbed pixie. i've recently stumbled upon her blog, which is to be adored. peonies + polaroids. i really like getting lost in her photos. one by one. especially this one and this.

a few things.
i have some surprises up my sleeve for next week and the week after that..
i am feeling like this month is passing us by with a short wave & a smooch.
i bought this lightweight hoodie at target (fyi) circa 2008.
i am staying up late for pushing daisies season two.
i am stumbling over my words for julia's vacation; euro eye candy.
i should write a book on how-to pack for spontaneous roadtrips.
i recently subscribed to these three blogs.
i am procrastinating project :: bulletin board makeover.
i am fired up for march, sista weekend 2010 is already in the works.
i am loving weekly menu planners nowadays, via giverslog.
i am dying over these sweet sweets (and featured weddings too).
i love how meryl streep wore a large belt over a classic black dress with red lips at the golden globes. come to find out, chris march–of project runway alum–designed her look.
how cool is that.


i'll be posting holly golightly as we are setting out for adventure.

lunch bunch in salt lake city

for you fortunates who are headed to salt lake city for the altitude design summit– sure to be the best design blog conference of the year–i wish you a safe trip! nole from oh so beautiful paper is headed there too and emailed with my favorite type of inquiry; good spots to meet friends for lunch. (what i might lovingly refer to as lunch bunch.) a most important detail when vacationing. since i spent a few years working in the heart of downtown, i have definite favorites and was delighted to divulge. here's my list, narrowed down to favorite favorites and nearness to the conference's venue, the grand america hotel.

Salt Lake City Eateries : best of the best

The Boston Deli : Located in the basement of the Boston Building at 9 Exchange Place, downtown Salt Lake City | this place has seriously good food. they serve the best and biggest cobb salad you've ever had. such a fun place to go; my co-workers ate here every afternoon one summer (before brownbagging it got the better of 'em). don't forget a giant rice krispie treat to share. many-a hot topics were discussed in this basement lunch hot spot.

The Judge Cafe & Grill : 8 East Broadway (300 South) | an amazing restaurant filled with charm and friendly service. delicious soups, salads and sandwiches; breakfast too. you very well might bump into my dad, he works in this beautifully restored building and eats there almost everyday. do not forget their huge triple chocolate brownies. to die for.

Barbacoa : 280 South Main Street | delicious Mexican meals made to order. fresh and delicious.

The Robin's Nest : 311 S. Main St. | a crowded tiny shop for sandwiches. their lemony orzo pasta side and the gobbler sandwich is my favorite. you can't go wrong with this cute place.

Royal Eatery : 379 S Main St. | completely low-key, laid back and fun. perfect for fries and a shake. i've been known to leave that place toting grilled cheese samiches and a boxfull of creamy shakes. in the busy working world, shake bunch is a necessity.

Toasters : 30 E. 300 South and 151 W. 200 South| love this sandwich shop with its hip vibe and cute booths and delicious lunchy food. seriously a fun, busy atmosphere.

Cucina Deli : 1026 2nd Ave, between Q and R streets, just north of South Temple | off the beaten path; but a true favorite of mine. i always make a stop at this charming deli. i completely adore their striped ravioli. a perfect place for a chatty group.

for a fancy dinner..
Takashi : 18 W Market St. | best sushi in town
Cucina Toscana : 307 West Pierpont Avenue | incredible Italian food to dream about
Bambara : 202 South Main St. | fancy schmancy, moody and romantic
Market Street Grill : 48 West Market Street | out of this world clam chowder
Cafe Terigo : 424 Main Street, Park City | another favorite for Italian; the pear salad is perfect

for root beer and pizza...
Davanza's : 690 Park Ave, Park City, Utah | the perfect pizza joint. a welcome relaxed atmosphere. while working as a concierge at a deer valley hotel, dan let all of his guests in on this little secret; a locals (and family) favorite.
The Pie : 1320 E. 200 South | hands-down the best college hang out, graffiti walls and all. dan loves their famed mountain of meat pizza and on tap root beer.

bon appétit

vintage image from my dad–the historian's achives.

bicycles for the bride

i have been lucky to design fun things for fun people as of late.
will be playing show n' tell more often.

here are the newest babies back from the print shop. two sided, rounded edged bicycle bridal shower flats; custom designed invites for a pretty little lady in california. i applaud her fresh take on a themed bridal shower! not to mention how she whipped up a sweet little ditty for the backside.



a twist on the double sided christmas cards theme
am still in love with the rounded edge

clever clipboards in the kitchen

was delighted to discover this post over on the creative mama by jessica (who has a gorgeous blog herself). she created a neat + tidy, deliciously darling, list happy space in her kitchen (with the pretty painted walls), inspired by mini modge podge clipboards!! double awesome.

my organizing expert did advise me–one who loses sight of anything out of sight–to take important papers vertical. therefore this hanging clipboard idea is completely inspiring. jessica, thank you for the shout out. right back at ya. so nice to meet you.


image by photographer jessica.

darcy miller :: my hero

at the bookshop the other day, i picked up the february issue of ms living, perused it quickly and purchased it solely for the pretty flowers and in depth article about making white bread and adding new ingredients to whip it into something new. like rye. have i yet mentioned how much i love rye bread?! i do. the real deal rye, with caraway seeds. i could go on and on about my love affair with rye. am completely excited to find me some caraway seeds and bake a loaf; my kind of rye is hard to come by.

needless to say, i was already happy with martha. can you ever go wrong? really, truly? blogland particularly, as a whole, let me say, we are all such suckers for martha. i totally buy into everything she does (or in truth, has her people do, promote, create, etc). it wasn't until later that i came across an article that had me at hello. even moreso than the rye believe it or not.


enter darcy miller. you may know her as the editorial director of ms weddings; however she is much more than that. she is a mom too. and an artistic and talented one at that. the article features her fabulous gallery show, family. with the help of andy and kate spade, her scrapboxes (shadow boxes of memorabilia), family photo albums, and sweet unmistakeable illustrations were hung on display in new york city.

and of course, the gallery opening was a party to be dreamt about; accordion invitations, darling favor boxes, mini apple pies, on the spot portraits, and more. what i absolutely love about it (besides everything about it) is how darcy has turned her talents toward motherhood and family and life and celebrating the moments. she artistically displays them in a way that is completely inspiring.

a theme we can relate to: families, birthday parties, babies, birth certificates, magical memories and silly snapshots. and a lot of love. she creating a big fancy occasion around collecting memories and living (what i would call) the good life. however glorious the event, the message was simple, celebrate family. what a concept.


read more about the event :: darcymillerdesigns.com

a page to save in the archives; spilling inspiration. thank you, darcy. am a fan.

weekend bliss

this is me on saturday. you can see how happy i am. dan let me sleep in for no good reason. a rare treat! i got up, exercised, and puttered around. we played, tidied up, had a read-a-thon and went on our classic costco date. snack bar dinner with their hand dipped ice cream included. i am beginning to see the romance of stocking up on toilet paper, detergent and meatballs in bulk. benji bops along and we stroll the aisles. i love that i love going anywhere with these two.


benji climbs up and down on this table all day long. a part of me is proud of him for all that he's learning, another part of me is saying that discipline will have to begin sooner than later. but i just love how he peeks through the blinds, watching cars go by. saturday, dan went on a run and benj and i made movies. am trying to document him every now and then to keep track of his budding brilliance. saturday he unloaded the dryer all by himself, so happy i caught it on film. my tiny favorite friend.

on another note. the heartstrings kit orders will ship out today. thank you for visiting my shop. there are only three kits left, if any of you would still like one. the kits are now sold out. if you're desperate, please email me and i'll try to scramble one together. i'd hate for anyone to be left without some hanging hearts.


in a complete blissful state. i like when i get to curl up and think about nothing. dan said i looked cute after yoga and took my picture. which made me really happy to have a guy like him. i felt completely and utterly inspired with an article i read (more to come) and enjoyed drinking orange juice and feeling like a leaf. (dan's sister, mary says if you drink orange juice first thing in the morning, you get to feel like a leaf. as if it were going into every vein or something like that. anyway, it's just a cute thing we say now.)

i love loafing around in a clean house and forcing myself to stay away from multi-tasking at my desk. there is a time and a place. am really trying to make the most of my downtime and think about the thing in front of me. i am not saying wandering into daydreams is out of the question; but wandering into worry is. just because i work from home should not mean i need to think about work twenty-four/seven. am attempting to find balance. to be fully present while at work, and fully present when i'm just kickin' it. however my best best best ideas come to me while i'm either a.) showering or b.) driving. i'm still okay with that. i'll take good ideas whenever/wherever they come. for the record, there is always an open door policy to good ideas.


and saturday night, i cleaned my studio. having your home office right smack in your home (ie. living room) has its ups and downs. since i cannot close the door to my office / art studio, it ought to remain in a tidy state. because everyone sees it. and if it's messy, i'm a mess. and piles start to reproduce. and, as an added bonus, if anything is hanging off the edge just a tad, my little boy finds it and thinks it's his. the calculator is his favorite wannabe cell phone. and his face–when it began raining punch hole confetti the other day–was priceless.

this library book was my inspiration: Organizing For Your Brain Type. (could've easily been titled Five Love Languages for the Organizer's Soul.) am so glad i actually flipped it open for a look see (yet another reason to make time to loaf around–library books actually get opened!). since it's all about your own brain type, it feels like you have a personal expert right there with you. and you don't even have to read the whole book, just skim to the right chapter after assessing your brain. it's a friendly book that completely bends the rules to who you are. like an organizing expert who totally gets you. it was so spot-on, i had to call my mom and read it to her over the phone.

with the help of my organizing expert, i streamlined completely. leaving on hand only the essentials i use everyday. it was helpful that i started this project at eleven pm. meaning i had to become resourceful without spending money on any wham bam fancy organizing organizers. my expert talked me through it. she read my mind. she gave me a personality quiz (she had me pegged!) and then cajoled me into this project; all the while rewarding and validating my efforts. she understood my problematic thinking–out of sight, out of mind–and offered new ways to sort files. i fastened two manila envelopes to the wall (first slicing off the tops) for easy access to my mailing labels and daily orders. genius. she also recommended that i have an aesthetic space which has everything i need right at my fingertips. next step, a giant bulletin board overhaul.

more to come, as per usual.
happy martin luther king, jr. day.

resolutions mmx

the list. as in the unedited version. i've been mulling over this for awhile now; slow cooking my resolutions before finalizing an actual list, like last year. finally i just wrote them all down in random order as quick as i could. i wanted to capture what my true self had to say before i could edit and revise and recalculate and refinance. thankfully, the words rolled out like scrolls of pickled ginger. i looked it over and decided it was just right. loosey goosey writing and all.
ready set go.

here is the breakdown of my two thousand ten to do's.

i will be alive in life
to be alive is to be passionate. to take advantage of the life i lead. to enjoy every inch of it while in this season of life. to be present in the moments. to adore my life in the here and now.

i will flex my muscles and share my talents
to do things that take work. to not quit when the going gets tough. to push myself and pull myself. to weave out the tapestry that is my potential. to find the best in myself and to inspire the best in others.

i will learn to sew and be unafraid of failure
to try new things. to be undaunted and courageous. to make short-term goals and ask for assistance along the way. to learn things from the wise. to start projects and to finish them. to celebrate progress, be it small as a stitch.

i will become the me i want to be
to find, make, and carve out time to reflect. to learn from and be good to those around me. to make sense of life's lessons. to spend less time stuck in the thick of thin things. to make weaknesses stronger. to jot it all down.

i will read more, sing more, bubble bathe more and write more
to stop and breathe. to relax and appreciate. to exercise and eat good foods. to take care of my body. to have fun and laugh. to peel potatoes and take roadtrips. to reminisce and wonder. to tie baby shoes and to zip jackets up and to smooch each others cheeks. to slow down enough to treasure it. to document the details of the day.

i will schedule life and be open to the inevitable changes
to allow life to follow its path and plan accordingly. to grab ahold of the reins and let it take me where it needs to go. to stop thinking that i'm the boss of my life. to be okay about that. to be open to change and the opportunities that lie within it. to let adventure happen and take photos out the window.

i will do better at being kind
it is nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice.
there are no great men who are not also kind men.

i will have ice cream at least once a month or more
to indulge in small simple happinesses often.

i will think outside the box
to be creative, original and decisive. to be fearless of what onlookers might think. to push the envelope and to find my own voice. to go with my gut and to give it a go. to stand up straight and be bolder than bold. to refine and redefine.

i will ponder and meditate daily
to pray and be close to what i believe. to be quiet enough to hear whisperings in my heart. to follow through with good intentions. to cultivate faith and strengthen the truths that lie within.

i will get out of my own way
to trust my instincts. to search out my creative side. to make good habits.

i will listen with love and empathy
to give a hug when needed. to listen rather than talk. to be selfless and thoughtful. to be there for someone else. i cannot always wholly understand, but i can always empathize and lend a helping hand.

i will stretch
in more ways than one


there they are. freshly decided. please tread lightly.

have a happy weekend. we're planning a little date night and a lazy saturday morning of whole wheat pancakes. benji has recently fallen in love with the broom. i never thought i'd be immaculately cleaning my broom for benji's convenience. and so it continues. benji and his broom may be slow dancing around the apartment all weekend long. will be uploading some itunes (thanks to you!) and am organizing my iphoto photos. do you name all of your photos? do you delete with reckless abandon? do you allow your children to play with lifesized brooms? tips welcome.

if i twittered

i would be tweeting...

• long live team conan.
• happy heart tights found here.
• just designed up a restaurant menu. am craving curry. or mango rice. or tandoori naan.
• benji handed me a pair of scissors today. yikes. no surface is secure anymore.
• dan is training for a half marathon and the playlist is of utmost importance. favorites? pump up tunes only, no feist or ingrid allowed.
• am über excited about the new season of project runway. best show ever.
• where did rachel zoe go? am not sure if i need her and her assistants back in my life however.
• hot pink valentine marshmallow peeps seem strange to me.
• chocolate covered cinnamon bears do not.
• do you have a fabulous vocab word for me?
• do you count talking on the phone with your sister productive or un-productive?
• when out in the jungles of china, does bear grylls' camera guy eat frogs and bats too? or does he have a stove and cup o' noodles?
• how could you not just adore this li'l dollface?!
• goodnight, sleep tight.

mini mart update

am not one to downplay valentine's day.
the heartstrings kit is now on sale in the shop!

begin again.

i received cute photos in my inbox last night (thank you, abby) from new year's day when we had a playdate with my nieces and enjoyed crockpot applesauce. i was reminded of their curly hair and their cute lively chatter. how good life is. how lucky i am to have family. and parents to chat with on the phone and a baby to waddle around un-doing. and a man who plays music in the mornings and irons his own shirts. how good it is that we're healthy and happy and employed and able to buy groceries. that we have made real nice friends. and can play wooden trains as a family. we can drive in a warm car and sleep in a warm bed. and make cookie dough on a whim. the list goes on. i made up a little inspiration board of recent things that make me happy. it kicked my slump out the window.

daily quotes from real simple. our growing bookshelf, all the books i want to read. bumble & bumble products. am completely hooked. pushing daisies. i love solving mysteries with chuck and ned. their love story makes me completely happy. creating a boatload of logos + bicycle stationery. happening upon vintage triangle bookplates that once belonged to my dad. robin egg blue and bright orange hues.

it's a new day. and i have hearts hanging. one month and one day.
thank you for being so awesome. may it continue.

goodbye slump. am powering through without you.

what's with today, today

thank you for the good words. you make me happy. and make blogging worthwhile. i have so many words on this subject, but none formally formatted, so i will continue on. however, i will note that an excellent idea came to me while showering yesterday. all my good ideas come in the shower. i hope it comes to fruition. i'll need your help with it. however my slump isn't helping. will postpone it until my act comes together.

with my slugisch slump in tow, i threw myself a pity party today. the clouds did their white glaze over the sunshine and blue skies. my hair was tied up in a knot while i folded laundry and watched pushing daisies. i love that show. it really is quite clever featuring cute as a button kristen chenoweth and darling anna friel, whose wardrobe channels zooey deschanel's. i know i'm very late in the game, but if you haven't seen it, it's very worth watching online or putting it in your queue. speaking of queue–the vocabulary word of the day–do you netflix? i don't, but wonder if i should. please advise.

i forced myself to get on with my life and stop being a drama queen about my blogging slump. so i made chocolate chip cookies. and shared cookie dough with benji. am in a rut, am baking my way out. and filed cute paper into piles. and cut out lots of hearts for february. and made my bed. and cleaned up all the pie tins and tupperware lids that got carried over to the coffee table. so i suppose a slump isn't so bad if it's productive. now onto my manicotti. first time's a charm, i hope.

on another note, i wonder if you've noticed my use of the em dash as of late. will have to ask amy, the PhD student in dan's family, if i'm even utilizing it correctly. after her convincing argument about using them–preceding my soliloquy of hatred against them–i decided to give them a go. as a resolution of sorts. and indeed, i find them not so lame afterall. they are quite useful. and fun. see. am turning over a new leaf. am branching out. am slumpifying my slump.

p.s. if you know where the title of this post comes from, you can enter to win. marta{at}martacards{dot}com

my dearies, whit and anneliese, you've won something valentiney - arriving soon to my shop. and the answer, for those of you still wondering. the quote is from a must-see movie from my teenage years. empire records. it has so many quotable lines.

-Yesterday you were normal and today you're like the Chinese guy from the Karate Kid. What's with you today?

- What's with today, today?

blah. blah. blog.

am bustling around the house today.

for once, i don't feel like blogging. understandably, this worries me. am needing a burst of inspiration. will be back when i have something to say. maybe joy behar will stir up some emotion.

*my quilting cousin abby made this adorable table topper for me. besides my boys, it's the cutest thing residing in my house right now. am hoping its bright colors pull me out of my slump.

*the beautiful LDS Temple Print is letterpressed by the incredible cameron moll.

benjamin soup

oh this boy. how he makes my heart so full and my smile so big. benji is learning new things everyday. recently it's dumping things into the round file. he methodically piles items in and out of openings of every kind. he is one little busy body, taking objects from room to room like such a businessman. this very morning the fridge was open for one mili-second, he slid in and grabbed the carton of orange juice and waddled it, with both hands and all his strength, over to the coffee table. like it needed to be there for some reason. dan and i had a good laugh before i kissed him goodbye and we both set out for our day of adventure. all the while the boy jibber jabbers as if he were explaining a powerpoint. my little love boat.

i go about doing–and as my sidekick–he goes about un-doing. while i load the dishwasher, he unloads the utensils. while i fill the clothes into the front loader, he is right there pulling socks out. he pushes chairs around, climbs up on them and–ever so steady–attempts to grab everything that was once out of reach. i chop vegetables and he bangs pots and pans, pulls at the pretty dishtowels and spreads toys around on the floor and then piles them into a big pot. benjamin soup is always on the menu.

i love that he knows our routine; he knows where the shoes are, where the puzzles are, where the diapers go, and how to put away the books. he knows he gets to wrestle when daddy comes through the door. he knows how to take a good nap and stab bananas with a fork. he is one bundle of energy and happiness and love. hanging out with him and watching him grow day by day is such a reward. i wouldn't give it up for anything. even if it means loading the dishwasher twice every time.

*my favorite photos are the blurry ones with wild happy action. they capture my life just right.

the story of my chocolate layer trifle

this was our new year's eve party toffee chocolate trifle. emails poured in regarding this whipped cream creation. thank you! yes, i was heavy-handed with the cool whip, but no one complained. this recipe has circled 'round my family so many times i hardly know who it belongs to. however i'll be giving you my cousin kelly's adaptation.

the trifle is something that needs a party for a proper debut. like an oscar de la renta dress; it deserves a special occasion. you can't just whip up a trifle for you and your husband and baby. well, you can. but i can't. i would eat the whole thing in one weekend. unlike cookies that seem to be innocently stolen before they can be counted, an almost-gone trifle dish is evidence waiting to happen. pounds gained, fingerprints on the glass, etc.


first you need a pretty trifle bowl and a lot of counter space. despite the muddy mess you'll make, a layered trifle is always worth the effort. especially when it takes hardly any effort at all. this is when mary–possibly my biggest blog fan–told me to start snapping photos. i like your step-by-step posts, she said with gusto. well, i like anyone who likes my posts. it's a win win.

spoon that glossy pudding in, sprinkle your toffee and smooth out your cool whip like it's a thick cloud of happiness. a pie expert once divulged that cool whip has staying power–will not wilt, melt, or soften as fast–therefore i completely justified not whipping the cream from scratch. martha was not invited to our party. and we were staying up til midnight. staying power is exactly what we needed, not something to be taken lightly. which is why i got carried away with the cool whip.


break up your skor bars with vigor. this step is important which is why i kept the blurry photo in. (plus, don't you just adore that stovetop and the brawny man behind the rolling pin!?) crush your skor bars with authority. i first gave them to the little kids for a crushing activity. however these skor bars needed a heavy-hand for extra thorough crushed bits. i told dan to pulverize these babies. he opted out of first putting them into ziplock baggies. he and ray thought leaving them in their wrappers was a clever idea instead. like dan says, there is a mommy way and then there is a daddy way...


once you're done smoothing out all the trifle layers, its time for the big unveil. you can see how captivated dan and his brother were when my trifle stood on its red carpet for the paparazzi. just kidding. they didn't even know i was there with my oscar de la renta. however dan does seem to be looking on with approval of his finely smashed candy topping.


ladle the dessert into quaint cups for your guests. do not scare them with this mad woman stare. what can i say, i'm mad about trifle. next time you're taking my photo, please alert me to the fact that my photo face might scare small children.


dish it up for darlings like grandma bernice. the little kids adorned her with the festive top hat, which she happily wore all night long. mm. mm. enjoy.



Chocolate Brownie Toffee Trifle
1 pan of brownies, broken up into pieces
1 or 2 large boxes of chocolate pudding
1 large tub of cool whip
skor bar bits (6-8 candy bars will do)

bake the brownies and let them cool. make up the instant chocolate pudding, according to the directions on the box.

in a trifle bowl, layer the following: brownie pieces, pudding, skor bar, cool whip, pudding & top with candy bar topping. (my mom drizzles caramel sauce in the middle for an added bonus.) repeat layering until bowl is completely filled. refrigerate dessert for at least an hour.

*kelly notes: this dessert is so easy and versatile. instead of skor bars, i've used chopped peppermint candies or even the andes mint baking chips.

*the amount of ingredients you'll need is dependent on how big your bowl is. however if you have leftover ingredients, layer them into soda fountain glasses or ramekins. delicious. desquishious.

a classic duo

i am very much still in love with ruffles. and the colour yellow.
if you have loads of christmas cash, get the ensemble right here.

to-do list printable

click, save + print.

you asked for it. here's a project to-do list printable to print again and again in two thousand ten. am currently filling mine up with freelance projects. hooray for opportunities to work.

happy weekend everyone. make it a good one. perhaps this list will come in handy for designating saturday chores. in this house, we'll be having benji's buddy over to play, making trips to the storage garage, vacuuming out the car, baking something delisch, gathering valentiney paper, watching sleepless in seattle on tv and going to zumba class (my attempt to break out of the box). and pointing to our noses, benji's newest trick. oh and i want to write something worth reading. it's at the very end of my list because i am avoiding it like the plague.

up next week: the chocolate toffee trifle recipe, my resolution list, and then some.

craft closet clean-out sale

collecting buried treasures as i unload my craft closet.
vintage goodies now available at the mini mart.

hearts and string

am gearing up and stocking my shop with little goodies for valentine's day 2010. since i had lots of interest in my hanging hearts post last year, i thought a ready-made hanging hearts packet could possibly be something you might like to order for february. i would love to create a packet full of lovely paper, invisible string and instructions for your own crafting. of course you get in on the fun part; cutting out a handful of hearts. shoot me an email if you're interested in something like this and i'll begin pricing and collecting paperie. am thinking a black, white and pink motif would be charming...

my hanging heart window display of '09.

building a family scrapbook page by page

way back in 2002 someone in my family (am assuming our oldest and wisest sibling, gabi) came up with an idea to create a big family scrapbook. she is clever enough to make a daunting task seem easy. since my family lives across the states, all sorts of tactics have been created to keep in touch. this scrapbook page tradition is a favorite of mine. we do it every christmas season. it's so easy; just one step beyond sending the typical christmas card. i was a bit hesitant when i first heard of the idea but now that eight years have gone by, i am delighted with our memory book.

how it works. first of all (and most importantly) you need to convince your family members (or most of them) to be willing to contribute. after that's taken care of, you've got a family history book waiting in the wings. every sibling gets a binder for their little family (or future family). each christmas, every sibling is in charge of creating a scrapbook page (back and front) commemorating their own adventures and achievements within the year (babies born, mountains climbed, races run, a move into a new house, surfing lessons, family vacations, piano recitals, boy scout badges, etc.). it's a fun challenge to whittle our year into a double-sided page! i love seeing all the varied scrapbook styles collected into one book. no fuss or frills necessary, it's all about making a memory. there is no cutest page contest. one sister-in-law isn't crazy about scrapping, so she lets her 10 year-old daughter design their page. always a favorite.

then we each create eight color copies of our page (since there are seven of us kids and an extra for our parents) and slip it into plastic sleeves and mail them off to each other. without much work, we receive seven additional pages each year. it's a perfect method to keep track of all the important events in our lives. this is a simple way for benji to learn about his cousins and i get to see them grow just by flipping through the years–pages–in my book.


our family scrapbook page 2009