we're headed out for the long weekend.

am wishing you and yours a happy memorial day. it's always a good weekend for reminiscing about childhood memories. i'll be with cousins and sisters and parents, which means my grandparents will likely be smiling down on us. wishing you waving flags and family picnics with potato salad and watermelon slices. i am craving meier's fried chicken; a drumstick is most definitely on my to-eat list.

if you're coming to the CBC conference in salt lake city, i hope you'll say hello. i'll be the only blogger without a camera. if you're lucky, my mom might be by my side. i'll introduce you two.

susan, destri and i are speaking together on a panel titled blogging zen. i'd be lying if i said i wasn't one bit nervous. am trying to keep the butterflies in their cage and reach my own state of zen. hopefully i can just be myself and say something useful. more details to come. (i'll just have to paint a picture with words.)

xo.

p.s. thank you for the fantastic details and recommendations about a good camera. i appreciate your input so much. my darling friend let me try out her rebel the other day which was so helpful. this is exactly why blogging is so awesome. happy weekend.

going on a camera hunt

suddenly last weekend, my camera died. yes, my dear old camera is kaput. its soul is still in there, but it's been acting funny. (a little like old yeller. please raise your hand if you watched old yeller too many times to count while you were in elementary school. why did the school board think that movie was a good choice? why not parent trap or calamity jane? i blame that movie for my fears and suspicions of big dogs.) i am still hoping my camera will take another gasp. sure, it's an oldie and i complained about its painfully slow shutter speed every time i took a picture, but still i loved that trusty sony sidekick. remember all our good times together?! oh i am sad. and i'm sure there will be a thousand amazing photo ops while i wait for a new camera to join the team.

after the mourning period, i'll muster up the courage to wrap my head around the task of finding a new camera. i want to research just the right one to place in my palm and in front of my little one's face, to take on roadtrips and cloud hunts, for birthday parties and quiet mornings. so i ask of you, please steer me in the right direction. the canon rebel xsi and the canon G10 and G11 have been highly recommended for my type of shooting. (and when i say my type of shooting, i mean completely non-professional. just a wannabe.) thoughts? do tell, what kind of camera do you use?

my one big requirement, it must go click, click, click.
snapping rapid pictures takes my breath away.

images from tumbler.com

cucumber limeade, as promised

i love limeade. i always have. when the days suddenly turned hot, my mom used to pick me up from school and we'd go get lime squeezes together. ever since last year, when my sister-in-law introduced me to this recipe, i've been adding a twist of cucumber to every glass. it is my favorite, favorite. when i'm feeling lazy, i'll lie on the sofa and demand an ice cold sprite over cut up cukes. that's the shortcut method. dan is very good at whipping it up on the double. still, you must mix up a jug of this simple sweet limeade for your next shindig.

i happily pour pitchers of the elixir at all our parties. the floating limes and cucumbers look like a very cute couple. (be forewarned, you have to be careful with the amount of cucumber slices, as they can over-power the drink. not that i am one to get carried away or anything.) let me just say, you'll love this refreshingly cool drink on a hot summer day. stir in some ice cubes and sip from a bendy straw. add a paper umbrella for an extra lavish limeade. if you're uber fancy, like my parents, you already have a set of glasses chilling in the freezer. memorial day weekend, here we come.

Sarah's Cucumber Limeade

2 Liter Diet 7-Up (i like the strong stuff, i go straight for the un-diet Sprite)
12 oz. can frozen limeade (thawed, but still cold)
12 oz. can of cold water
Juice of 1 lime
Half of 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
2 extra limes, cut into rounds

stir liquids together in large pitcher. add cucumbers & lime slices. take a taste test. add more of something if it needs it. chill until the party begins & pour.

note. if you're serving this for a large gathering, be sure to have extra ingredients on hand. i seem to always send dan out, last minute, for more sprite.

p.s. tomorrow i'll be asking for your advice, so prepare to speak up. believe me, i have a word doc all set up in hopes for good answers. and no, it has nothing to do with the upcoming blog conference. however if you have advice on the topic blogging zen: balancing real life vs. online life, i'd love to hear that too.

three paragraphs

three things tonight.

i want to play with paper. am hoping i'll someday have the patience and the spare time to get out all that bookbinding paste and coptic binding thread. somedays i wish i was still enrolled in a bookbinding class. am glad i created at least one cool thing while i was in there; a hardback journal that dan still writes in. let me just advise, if you're enrolled in something like a letterpress or bookbinding class, make something classic and awesome. you won't regret it. someday when we have a house with empty walls and extra money for custom framing, i plan on framing a few art school projects/pieces. i love custom artwork, it makes a place feel homey. my feeling is, when the kids' report cards aren't worthy of framing, go to the artwork.

parties don't have to be fussed over. we had a few older ladies over for dessert tonight. i baked a layered chocolate cake and let it cool while we were at church. when the 8" round cakes came out of the oven, they were all puffed up like rounded domes. i thought two would sandwich together cutely to make an adorable giant whoopie pie. still, i went the traditional route, sliced the tops off and slathered the layers with frosting and sprinkles. it was a fun, last minute, laid back event. and it was all dan's idea. i threw on a tablecloth, tossed the clean laundry on my bed, closed the bedroom door and enjoyed our company. after the guests left, dan tucked benji in and i started in on the dishes. i couldn't help but think of my mom and mother-in-law and the countless times they've wiped their counters clean. so many parties, so many dishes, so many crumbs, so many nights of scrubbing and wiping and sweeping. after hosting and baking and smiling and table setting and linen pressing. am grateful they taught me the joy of a tidy kitchen on a monday morning.

i am absolutely excited for june. i have a few big plans up my sleeve. most of which have to do with being unplugged for awhile. i think it is the endless laundry list of projects i want to tackle. am feeling antsy to do something creative and productive like paint a room or perhaps clean out my closet. all the kids around here get out of school this friday. am feeling their anticipation and want to schedule in some summer to do's, find a sno-cone shack, and get a pass for the local zoo.


images by artist julia stotz.

cheers + thanks

dan and i clinking cheers with sparkling apple cider.

thanks for all the niceness about our vacation snapshots.
here are the answers to your questions.

my dress (sadly no longer available) and ruffly swimsuit are from Boden.
the yellow flower in my hair is from j crew. i love it.
anne picked it out, shockingly it matched my dress perfectly.
my plaid shorts and benji's striped tie are from H&M.
benji's beach sandals are from Target.
my toenails, pamplona purple by O.P.I.
and yes, we really do love our Bob running stroller.

i always love q+a sessions. send yours to marta@martawrites.com.
p.s. don't miss the mini diary up for grabs over on mary's blog.

peter & ashley tie the knot

peter, the oldest nephew on dan's side of the family got married last week in the gorgeous newport beach lds temple. (happy one week, peter + ashley!) the couple's nuptials became our perfect excuse for the whole californian vacay. we were lucky to be apart of their big day.

after a whole week of playing (and a late night boyz bachelor party with a bonfire on the beach), the wedding day arrived and we got down to business. the day began with a walk on the beach, bagels and smoothies and a hot curling iron. my niece, anne has the prettiest thickest head of hair you've ever seen. very different than the seaweed-like strands i get to work with day in and day out. i kept marathon curling and saying, anne you have so much hair. (which is a good thing, am hoping my girls have thick braids like hers.) i was nominated to be her stylist. two hours and a can of hairspray later we managed to create luscious waves. being his only sibling–she has been the girl in the groom's life up until now–anne looked like a rockstar. as did the whole wedding party.

the wedding ceremony was beautiful. everyone gathered for family pictures on the temple grounds afterwards. it was a dreamy day for a wedding. the bride and groom are really a perfect match; the type of couple that look a bit like brother and sister. i always take this as a good sign. i loved ashley's pink bouquet of peonies + roses and her animal print high heels tucked 'neath her long gown. we couldn't be happier for the newlyweds, even their endless smooching was cute.

my handsome boys. hello, new screensaver.

let the party begin. the reception was unbelievable. tiffany blue and pretty pinks filled the ballroom. blooms everywhere. a jazzy live band played classic wedding tunes.

the couple entered with a grandiose first dance. the dinner, divine. such a fun affair. throughout the week, dan's family would ask if this was going on the blog. yep, definitely blogworthy. dan gave an awesome speech. his tie and the bridesmaid dresses matched the tablecloths and menus perfectly. talk about color coordination. i was pleased that the tiny tie i packed for benji matched too. love it when fate happens. everyone wore smiles the whole day through. we danced the night away in typical d&m fashion.

i even met a sweet blog reader, carly, who made my day by introducing herself. she was wearing a polka dot dress and yellow heels. i could tell we'd be friends in real life. which is why i suddenly gave her a hug after we met. (i must admit, i am known for random acts of hugging. like the awkward moment when i hugged my old boss at christmastime. it became the joke of the office for months. they are probably still talking about it. sometimes i just can't help myself.)

favorite details: lemonade with pink bendy straws, favors of hand-dipped ice cream with custom toppings, floating pink peonies and tiny steak burger appetizers (the groom's pick, of course). a lovely night to remember. like cinderella, the fairy tale was over before i could blink. the next day we hesitantly packed up and headed to the airport.

benji smiled for the camera before falling asleep in daddy's lap where he remained for the duration of our flight. i ordered my favorite airplane drink, a gingerale, and wrote a few notes in my traveling moleskine notebook and readied myself for landing. back into real life. lucky for me, my small sidekick goes where i go.

the whole wedding day, i watched the beaming couple and their newlywed bliss and was reminded of the phrase, all you need is love. of course, pedicures are nice and so are airplane rides and the beach and paper source and h&m and fancy restaurant food. but when it comes down to it, the best parts in life are all wrapped up in love.

thanks for tuning in to my vacation slideshow. see you next week wherein i'll be sharing my favorite limeade recipe and gearing up for speaking at CBC, my first ever blog conference. am wondering what advice to give and more importantly, what i should wear.

just beachy.

mornings at laguna beach. benj woke up earlier than the rest of our condo crew, so i took him on a little beach adventure. who doesn't want to play on the swings at seven a.m. right on the ocean!? it was so peaceful and beautiful, we did it two days in a row. he was in heaven. we collected pretty seashells for his little utah cousins.

on a tangent. have i mentioned yet how good california smells? does it always smell like blooming flowers? i wondered if it was freesia or lilacs. everywhere you look, there are blooming bushes of sweet scent. i couldn't put my finger on it, but it reminded me of dan's law school days and biking around town. sadly i don't remember waking up every morning and saying, oh man it smells so good when we lived there. instead i was too busy complaining about having a real job and bringing home the bacon. my first big graphic design job was difficult for me and i was hardly qualified. yet now i see it was the job which brought about a hundred more jobs. it taught me that i loved designing. it was the job that was the key to learning everything i know. funny how we cannot see the answers when we are in the thick of the forests. we can barely even enjoy the dew and the blooming nature. i must remember this next time i am stuck in a tough spot. surely we come out stronger than before. these days i am so thankful i had the experience of having a real 9-5 job. it was so good for me. i think back on it so often and realize how much i grew from having to stretch myself in the professional world. now, i thank my lucky stars i get to work from home with my knotted hair and bowl of cookie crisp and breaks for blogging. this suits me perfectly. it is good to know both sides of the business life coin. (and yes, i still give dan a hard time when i learn he got to go out for lunch, on business. oh, the perks of a real job.)

now, back to the beach.

here we are kickin' up some fun at huntington beach with the family. these snapshots say it all. dan and i look so careful to introduce benj to the sand and surf. he soon got the hang of burying his own feet, tossing it and tasting it. all that sunshine and sand made this happy boy so sleepy. gone are my glamour days of bringing a book or even remembering to take off my cover-up. still, the good company (the wedding party was there to catch some rays), some chilled capri suns, my boy in his sunhat and dan's fruit salad made the day perfectly picturesque.

speaking of picnics on the beach, we spotted this cute salad bowl (with built-in ice pack) at crate & barrel. am wishing i'd splurged and made space in my suitcase for it. super cute.

next up.. the big wedding day.

the zoo and sirius radio

we decided to visit the san diego zoo as our big outing; saving the disney parks for another trip. we headed out early and decided to stay until we had to drive back to get dan to the angels baseball game. it seemed like a long drive from newport beach, but luckily we scored a rental car with sirius satellite radio, which may have been the best surprise of the whole trip. getting a purple polish pedicure, a $14 french toast meal from plums and listening to sirius were the luxury events of the week. i flipped through the stations feeling like annie discovering new rooms in daddy warbucks' mansion. i knew every word to every song of that 90s station, i'll have you know. dan liked the npr and the led zeppelin stations. i couldn't choose a favorite, i was too busy flipping. a kid in a candy store. you see, i was totally the girl who stayed in her bedroom every saturday morning to press record on her boom box while listening to casey kasem's top ten. i wonder where all those mix tapes went? yep, that and saved by the bell pretty much sums up my adolescence.

the trip to the zoo was better than i had imagined. it was a perfect place for our little monkey to roam around and then stroll while taking an afternoon nap. the weather was awesome and the animals are incredible. i love how visitors can get so up-close and personal to each exhibit. the baby giraffe, baby camel and the new little panda were too cute for words. who doesn't swoon over baby animals?! i found it hilarious to see this hippo smashed up against the glass, sleeping between it and another hippo. no body issues here. what a life.


next up.. the beach.

california, knows how to party

a glimpse at our first few vacation days in california.

benji's first airplane ride. he was pretty happy with our undivided attention. we were lucky enough to score an extra seat and he was thrilled with a few little surprises. his favorite game was playing open and shut with the window cover (i'm sure our airline neighbors loved it too). all in all, it went much more smoothly than i had imagined. thanks for all your tips.

a drive by shot of laguna beach. driving down the pacific coast highway is a favorite activity.

thanks to your suggestions, we took benji and his cousins to the pretend city museum in irvine. (if you go an hour before closing, you get in at half price!) it was a perfect place to burn some energy after our arrival.

after settling in, we hurried over to balboa island to meet one of my longtime clients and friends, susan. i designed her identity package & logo when she first opened her online jewelry shop, thepassionatecollector.com five years ago. she recently opened her own store on balboa island! i was so excited to see it in person. it is a super cute shop; filled to the brim with fun accessories and stylish jewelry. i was happy to surprise her with a spontaneous pop in.

the weekend crowds at huntington beach. this was our beach when we lived in southern california; where we spent our saturdays and met the famed skateboarding bulldog. we were anxious to head back for a glimpse of the good ol' days. a fabulous place to spot surfers.

dan has been dreaming of hitting shin sen gumi since our last visit. we introduced his sister and my niece to this authentic japanese ramen shop. they were brave to give it a go. you get tons of noodles and lots of slurping with each giant bowl. the gyoza (potstickers) are excellent too. be prepared to use your chopsticks. not a fork in sight.

swimming with my beautiful neices at the hotel. i love hanging with these girls, they are like the little sisters i never had. they are also known as benji's biggest fans and my on-call babysitters.

coming up... digging up some fun at the beach and meeting a tiger face to face.

home sweet home

we've landed and have settled ourselves into real life. the little one is ready to be back to his routine of easy mac and sleeping in his own room. i, however, could've stayed forever. will be updating le blog with dozens of california shots soon. hope you'll indulge me. what's a blog for if not documenting the family vacay? it was as dreamy as dreamy gets. benji's first airplane ride, a day at the beach, a big fancy wedding, lots of family bonding, a trip to the zoo, dan's favorite ramen shop and more. first i must unpack, nap and grocery shop.

p.s. you know i have a thing for clouds. the formations we flew over were my favorite ever on this airplane ride. totally worth the three minutes of turbulence.

four steps to breaking up with bloglines

if you read blogs through a reader (and you really should), you must jump on the google reader bandwagon. many of you have inquired why i prefer google reader so much. its features seem to tickle my fancy; i love 'starring' and 'liking' the posts that are my favorites and even emailing a post to a friend who i know would dig it. i could go on and on, but really you need to try it for yourself. however you probably don't want to switch readers after all your hard work of subscribing to so many blogs' rss feeds. you don't want to start from scratch. good news; you don't have to. really, it's super easy to export the feeds you have now have into a better, badder reader. i promise, you won't regret it. i'll walk you through it. please don't let the amount of words on this post frighten you, it's just me running away with myself. the basic four patented steps are quick and easy to apply. you'll see results in only minutes.

okay so i admit to being biased. think of me as that best friend who desperately wants you to dump your lame boyfriend and go out with google. sure he's trendy and popular, sure he's a bit geeky. but believe me, i made the switch and believe google reader is above and beyond better than bloglines. once you switch, be sure you subscribe to martawrites if you haven't already. this way we can stay in touch.

you ready to give it a try? for those of you with issues about commitment, don't worry. you can follow these four steps and still keep your bloglines reader in tact. he won't go anywhere. just think of it as your free 30 day trial. but i doubt you'll ever miss him once you have google by your side.


buh bye, bloglines. now bookmark your new reader and say hello to a whole new world. feel free to leave your satisfied customer reports, raves and reviews about google reader in the comment section. and spread the word. see you on the sunny side, in a week or so.

a stretched out long goodbye.

am off on spring break. i'm headed to california with my boys, my in-laws, a dress for a fancy wedding, a satchel of airplane surprises (including a mini metal slinky which i hope gets through security), some sandals and sunscreen. we are headed west to the sandy beaches and blue waves, to fish tacos and corner donut shops, to meeting up with ol' friends and some serious family bonding. am feeling plum lucky to have a chance to get away for awhile and do nothing but play. i am dying to see the documentary babies and dan is crossing his fingers for iron man. and yes, the san diego zoo is on the itinerary too. being me, it's all typed up and in a folder next to the wedding invite and our plane tickets and rental car receipt. am planning to loosely follow our to-do list and eat at all the places we still talk about. no, i am not one to weigh myself before and after vacations. or any other time for that matter.

i will be back with photographs galore and likely more freckles on my face. and will also come back to regularly blogging (whatever that means) now that the giveaways have successfully ended. it's always bitter sweet, because so many of you come out of the woodwork to say hello when giveaways go live and then when i go back to discussing random daily thoughts, most of you disappear from the comment section and my ego shrinks and i feel like i'm musing to myself again. which isn't so bad, i suppose. anyway, thanks for being you and thanks for reading. don't feel obligated to comment now that i said that. this is a no-obligation blog. which is why i'm taking off for a week without a pang of guilt.

please note. with one exception, the mini mart shop is closed for spring break. i still have stuff in stock so you can still buy something. but please be aware, if you place an order, your package will not go out until june 5th. which might be a fun, long lost surprise in the mail for your future self. however, if you want immediate action and a bit of reading material, brush up on the topic of blogging + business. you can still buy the workbook now (it being the one exception). the workbook will instantly download to your computer after your purchase. due to popular demand, it's always available. pretty awesome. okay, i think that covers it.

take a dip into my card catalogue if you miss me.
here is a neat and tidy list of some favorite posts.



vintage image of me at the getty museum circa 2005.
when i was tan and wore pigtail knots every saturday.

p.s. if you're still paying attention, i have a bonus post scheduled for tomorrow. it's a tutorial written especially for those of you still addicted to your bloglines reader. am going to attempt to sway you with four simple steps.

mother

happy mother's day.

image via flickr

piece of my heart

oh how i marvel that i am a mama. lately i have been thinking about all the little moments that have added up to equal my motherhood experience thus far. all the days that turn into weeks and months and then suddenly my babe is sitting here eating a slice of quiche with a fork. so big. i look back and hope each day has been full of love and cuddles and laughter and singing. i hope i am building good memories day by day, like a tall tower of blocks.

i often say here on this blog that i want to be a better person, a better blogger, a better business girl. but most of all, i want to be the best homemaker i can be. i want to create a home wherein my children will have childhoods built on love and comfort and warmth and happiness and simple wholesome adventures. i want there to be forts made out of blankets in the basement that they beg to keep up all week long and artwork in frames going down the staircase and family movie nights and lessons on being a good sport and sharing with siblings and respecting your elders and always telling the truth.

i want my home to be a house of learning. i want to teach my kids about their grandparents and all the amazing things that have gone before. how my mom and dad fell in love in salzburg, had a whirlwind love story and later took all seven children to live in england for a year and continued teaching us about adventure and following your heart. or what life was like before cell phones and the internet; what we did before we had google. for the record, i would go to my dad, who was usually reading a book propped open on his desk or the kitchen table. and he would always help me with my questions. i never doubted his answers. i hope i am smart enough to help my kids with homework. i hope i have enough energy to stay up for them when they come home from high school dances, like my mom did. those were some of the best chats. and started my love for cups of hot chocolate at midnight.

i must say, babies are bliss. having a child has brought a new joy that i once heard about but didn't know until he came along. it's as though benji nuzzled up to my heart and added a new piece while he was baking in there for nine months. i am so thankful he was born into our family. he is healthy and happy and completely giddy about the simple things. like discovering my yardstick ruler in the craft closet. or trying on his new velcro sandals. or running around without a shirt. or little rituals before nap. ring around the roses is on repeat around here; he loves holding both my hands, smiling and waiting for me to sing the tune until we all fall down. i know this little boy is on loan from heaven, he is almost too good to be true. am grateful to know that i am entrusted with his care. what an amazing responsibility, gift and opportunity motherhood is. i couldn't ask for a better gift this mother's day.




"Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments." - M. Russell Ballard

i love this article which honors the work of young mothers everywhere. every time i lift something, bend over or twist around to pick up a toy, i smile a little remembering this article. enjoy reminiscing about your childhood, your children or the beautiful mothers and grandmothers in your life this special weekend.

giveaway: allora handmade earrings

the last giveaway of the series is by li'l miss rosebud-wrapping jessica of allora handmade. jessica has only just begun creating these blooming beauties and has already found big success in her small business of crafting accessories by hand. her goodies are now selling in boutiques and flying off the shelves. a darling product like hers speaks for itself!

giving :: a pair of pretty earrings, your choice of color listed here


please comment today to enter to win.
tell me your favorite thing to make by hand (or from scratch).
you only have until tonight to enter.

congratulations to... ampersandity who commented, these are so pretty! fave thing to make by hand... anything that requires handlettering :]

thank you jess! please visit her blog + shop.

giveaway: handmade journals

today's giveaway is from a gal in germany, katie, creator of Gadanke
giving :: a $30 gift certificate to her online shop

please comment today to enter to win.
tell me a piece of advise you'd like to pass on.
you only have until tonight to enter.

a bit of a bio :: Gadanke is a handmade book shop of writing prompt journals, minibooks, and love letters. I want to help people create the type of journal that they'll be inspired to write and later, treasure. Materials I use include Italian patterned papers, 100% recycled German papers, pockets, and tags. My husband and I live abroad in a 480 square foot apartment in Berlin, Germany. Celebrate your story! That's our motto - in the shop and in life.

thank you katie! please visit her blog + shop.

congratulations to... tara who commented, As a stay-at-home mom that is constantly cleaning, and re-cleaning, my advise is: do something everyday that can't be undone. i.e. call a friend, read a story to a child, write in your journal. I obviously need help with the writing in journal part, or I wouldn't desperately be wanting these cute journals.

p.s. thank you everyone for joining in on the giveaway series. i am super pleased and am delighted in your comments. i am skipping town soon, but i have one more giveaway scheduled and more mother's day posts in the works for the weekend. and a big tutorial set up for tuesday. tune in..

performing photoshop surgery

you may think all i do is plan giveaways and work on the blog, surf the web and feed the little tiger i live with. well that's mostly true. however, i do have a real job of designing. it's deadline time again and i am busy working with my dad on the layout of his latest book. it's a history of a man who was a farmer, a writer, a postmaster, a business man and a cattle rancher. a renaissance man of his time. the family (luckily) has loads of photographs for us. they have all been lovingly pasted down and written upon. it is fun to scan vintage scrapbooks and see how different families record their histories. it's pretty awesome to join forces with their interesting handiwork and adopt new technology to make the historic photos look their best. here's one example.


click image for a closer look.

p.s. if you're a photoshop fan, you'll really smile when you see this.

giveaway: le papier studio necklace

today's giveaway is from vana (famous for silhouettes), founder of le papier studio

giving :: one oval antique silver pendant listed here

please comment today to enter to win.
tell me how you're celebrating cinco de mayo.
it's today, hope you didn't forget!
you only have until tonight to enter.

congratulations to... kim who commented, We made guacamole dip and had a few friends over. sounds like super fun. for the record, i had a limeaid and a burrito and went to zumba class. if that's not a party, i don't know what is. congrats to you, kim! please email me with your preference about your prized necklace. hooray!



a bit of a bio :: Vana Chupp, designer and founder of Le Papier Studio, launched her dream job; a small women-owned business that expresses creativity and inspiration, all the while giving her time to fulfill her most important job; being a mom.

Professionally trained as an architect, Vana has always been artistically inspired by the sweet and simple moments in life. These special moments, especially those shared with family, are what shapes her personalized illustration style and design sensibility. Vana’s charming and intimate custom silhouettes will capture your heart and symbolize your treasured memories for years to come.

Le Papier Studio specializes in illustrating unique custom silhouettes. We work with you to design and illustrate the people, pets, and special moments in your life using your photographs. In addition to our custom silhouette process, we have several lines of charming existing graphic illustrations and silhouettes to choose from. From invitation and stationery sets to birthday gifts and valentine ideas, Le Papier Studio would love the opportunity to transform the apples of your eye into artistic heirlooms.

thank you vana. please visit her blog + shop.

*BONUS: vana is offering a promo code for all of you! enter LPS10OFF for $10 off orders of $50 or more. offer expires May 10, 2010.

mini diary for mom

today is the last day to order a mini diary or a bunch for your mom and sisters for mother's day. thank you for your orders thus far, i love putting them together and taping them up with happy tape and sending them off into the big wide world.