...blog designing away

Busy, busy busy designing. I just turned in my monthly magazine...5 days late. Personal problems have put my life...especially work life...a little behind. But, I am madly trying to catch up and get my life back on track.

I just loaded a bunch of recent designs to my portfolio. You can see them all HERE.

Here are a couple of my favorites:
Natalie, from Oven Love, didn't really have anything in mind when she asked me to design her blog. She let me do what I wanted, which is always exciting but scary for a designer. :) I knew that I wanted to have a vintage-looking oven in the header, so I searched for inspiration and found it in a children's play kitchen which I now want to buy for my daughter! ha! Check it out:
Luckily, Natalie loved the first draft!!

A Chica Bakes was a fun site to design as well. We went through one round of edits to get it just the way she wanted. I think it turned out pretty cute! The whip-creamy frosting I drew makes me hungry for sweets.

...they grow WAY too fast

I was looking back at pictures of my son on Memorial Day last year. How I miss those chunky legs and cheeks! He couldn't walk quite yet and he wasn't talking. He was constantly happy and content. Where did this year go? How did it pass by without me noticing? It makes me want to cry.

...memorial day

My flowers are budding!!

Memorial Day is my 2nd favorite holiday. (My 1st favorite is the 4th of July.)

Why, you ask, would Memorial Day be my favorite holiday?? To me, it means warm weather is here. It USUALLY means I can finally turn the heat off. It means I can finish planting my garden and sleep outside on my new lounge chair. It means I can eat hamburgers from our grill.

On Memorial Day, we visit grandparent's, great-grandparents and great-great grandparents graves and place flowers. We tell stories about them. We sometimes cry because we miss them, but mostly we laugh and smile at the memories.

I love holidays that don't include presents. Holidays that a centered around family and food. Memorial day is a holiday that my husband gets off work...and he works almost as much as I do. (But at an office away from home, so it is oh-so-sad!) I relish in this time with the whole family. I think a family bike ride is in order.

I may be away for the weekend. My parents are flying in from Hawaii for the blessing of my sweet new niece, Lei! I can't wait for this non-stop family time!

...8's tag

I almost accomplished everything on my to do list. (See below...) Except, I did stray from it for a few hours and took my kids to the zoo. And, I actually packed a healthy lunch which we ate sitting 10 feet from the zebras. It was thrilling.

But, in the process of regaining my unproductive day goal, I am going to do a tag post. First, because they are fun and easy. Second, because I liked reading marta's answers and wanted to play along.

It would thrill me to read your responses if you wish to do this on your blog!


8 things i look forward to:
01. owning a 2nd car
02. summer foods: grilled corn & juicy watermelon
03. buying our first home
04. finishing my garden
05. catching up on my design jobs
06. CS4
07. memorial day breakfast in the canyon with my parents
08. summer bike rides and family camp outs

8 things i did yesterday:
01. read aloud 4 chapters of "tale of despereaux"
02. made butternut squash ravioli
03. fed the neighbor's horses some hay
04. designed 3 blogs and 2 logos
05. went on a bug hunt
06. pulled weeds
07. kissed husband goodbye 4 times (stay home! geeze-louise!)
08. played shoots and ladders

8 things i wish i could do:
01. sew clothing
02. understand the science of baking
03. cuddle my kids all day
04. chop my hair and not cry
05. hire a house cleaner
06. go on a cruise
07. add a few hours to the day
08. find time for a nap

8 shows i watch:
01. house
02. lost
03. the office
04.
05.
06.
07.
08. um...thats all. really. and I watch them on hulu. i don't watch tv. not because i don't want to, either. i just work too much and the tv is in another room.

8 posts i've starred recently in google reader:
01. some days it's target
02. modish loves: baboush
03. crea baby shoes diy kit
04. braised chicken
05. lisa rupp
06. fugzer
07. meal planning
08. menu of the week

...just being realistic

tomorrow's to do list:

01. hit snooze
02. hit snooze again
03. shower for too long; use all hot water before husband gets a turn
04. feel bad about hot water; apologize to husband who rolls his eyes because I did it again
05. forget to floss
06. stare at computer
07. eat breakfast when I realize no design inspiration comes this early in the morning
08. forget to charge dying cell phone
09. waste some time watching snl on hulu
10. panic from wasted day
11. chase naked boy who has discovered how to strip and pee on furniture
12. make not-so-healthy lunch for kids
13. feel guilty about the not-so-healthy lunch and give kids an apple
14. skip yoga
15. stare at computer
16. get sucked unto watching a classic flick
17. pick up scriptures
18. start dozing during first verse...but forge on for a few more
19. leave makeup on
20. sleep and dream of more productive days

...i've been nominated...seriously

You can vote for Your Favorite Mommy Blogger starting now! Go here.

If I get at least 10 votes, I'll count that as a win. I know I don't stand a chance against nienie and cjane. ;)

*By the way, I think you should vote for singing cicada. She has made some pretty awesome promises if she wins like "I will post a picture of myself in a sports bra" and "I will get pregnant this year." Ha! I am making no such promises...but remember that you can vote for 3 people. So...vote for her AND me. ;)

...an awesome giveaway

Did you know I write/edit/design for another blog? It is true.

I am a graphic designer for Northridge Media, the publisher of Cards, Scrapbook Trends, Simply Handmade, Bead Trends and an Idea Book Series. They are awesome magazines for all of you scrapbookers/crafters out there.

Anyway...on our Cards blog, we just posted as AWESOME giveaway for a Fiskars Upper Crest Punch! Head on over and enter. And...while you are at it...subscribe to the blog! We have some exciting things planned and have GREAT ideas posted often.
Check out our other blogs:
CARDS
Scrapbook Trends
Bead Trends
Simply Handmade

...the real me

Someone at church yesterday asked me "How do you do it all??" I had to laugh and responded with, "Why don't you come by my house today and I'll show you that I don't..."

I think we often only show our best selves on our blogs, so I decided today I'd show you the REAL me.

I work. A lot. Too much, in fact. I am trying desperately to cut back. But, in the meantime, I have to realize that I am not super woman. I can't do it all. I want to spend my free time with my kids and husband, so often housework gets pushed to the wayside. (My clean-freak mom would be horrified.)

This laundry has been sitting in my room since Friday last week. Sad, I know.
Some nights, I just stick the dishes in soapy water and call it good.
Most days I look like this:
aka:
More:
1. I ate and fed my kids sugar cereal for breakfast.
2. I only went to the gym twice last week.
3. My toe nail polish was put on a month ago, is half way chipped off and I STILL wear open toed shoes. (I know, i know...)
4. I have really dry skin around my hair line and it sometimes makes me look like I have dandruff. (I don't, i swear...but it still looks gross...)
5. My kids sometimes wear their PJ's all day.
6. I wash my sheets about every 6 weeks. (I know...it even grosses me out.)

Well...that's enough humiliation for one day.

...stuffed turkey meat loaf

I am not big on Sunday-dinner type meals. Meatloaf, roasts, steaks...they aren't normally my cup of tea. (Which is sad because they are my husband's favorite foods...) I LOVE this recipe, though, and hope you will too!

STUFFED TURKEY MEAT LOAF
*modified by me from Williams Sonoma's recipe

1.5 tsp canola oil
6 slices white bread (crusts removed, torn small pieces)
1/2 c skim milk
2 lbs ground turkey
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp italian seasoning
salt & pepper
1 egg white

for the stuffing:
2 lbs frozen spinach
1 tbsp olive oil
3 green onions (green tops only, chopped)
1 egg white
pepper
1/3 c freshly grated Romano cheese
1/2 c toasted pine nuts

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil. (Make sure the foil hangs over the edge an inch or two...) Spray foil with cooking spray.

In a bowl, mash the bread with the milk until milk is fully absorbed. Squeeze bread to eliminate excess milk. In another bowl, combine turkey, mustard, oregano, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add the soaked bread and egg white and mix until creamy, 2-3 minutes. Spread in prepared pan to make an even later. Cover the pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 3 hours.
To make stuffing, cook the spinach according to the package and squeeze our excess moisture. Place spinach and green onion in frying pan and cook over medium-high heat until spinach is dry and fluffy. (About 5 minutes...) Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Add egg and season generously with pepper.

Spread spinach stuffing evenly over turkey, leaving a 1-inch border of the turkey. Add toasted pine nuts on top.
Sprinkle cheese evenly over stuffing and pine nuts.
Lifting the foil along the long side facing you, roll up the meat and stuffing like a jelly roll, pushing it forward a bit at a time and lifting the foil away, until a long log has formed. Pat the log gently to compact it. Brush with the remaining 1 tsp canola oil and center it on the pan.
Cook loaf for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Let rest for 15 minutes. Cut meat into 8-10 slices and serve over spicy tomato sauce. (aka best tomato sauce EVER.)

ENJOY!

SPICY TOMATO SAUCE
by Williams Sonoma

1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 c. finely chopped yellow onion
1 clove garlic, minced
28 oz. can whole tomatoes & juice
28 oz. can chopped tomatoes & juice
2 c tomato sauce

Stir together spices. Set aside.
Warm olive oil in deep pan. Add onion and saute until they begin to soften. Stir in garlic.
Add tomatoes. Break apart whole tomatoes. Stir in spice mixture. Raise heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer at least 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and use immediately, or let cool, cover, and refridgerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!! Sorry I didn't get a picture of the final result. It was gobbled up.

...answers to your questions

I realize that I have had my FAQ section in my navigation bar for a good 6 months and have never answered any of your questions. I am sorry! Today is the day, though. I am finally adding the list of questions I have been compiling! I don't have time to answer them all today, so I will add them little by little. Also, feel free to ask away. Anything you want to know about me is free reign.

I am going to start with my most frequently asked questions. A couple of these questions are asked weekly, so I hope this will help some of you who are wondering!

Q: How did you get into graphic design? Did you study it in college?
A: Actually, I didn't study it in college, but I did take some computer marketing classes that introduced me to the programs. I have always been a computer nerd. ALWAYS. I love computers and I understand them, so graphic design came a little naturally to me.

I actually graduated with a in Bachelor's Degree in Social Health Marketing and was a health counselor for 2 years before getting into my current profession. (I love health. It is my second passion...)

My neighbor was a fabulous graphic designer and I always admired her work. She helped me learn the programs and most of my current "style" can be attributed to her. I was very fortunate to have such a wonderful mentor. As soon as I learned enough to be an asset to the company she worked for, she offered me a graphic design job at the magazine she art directs. My career grew from there. I was lucky!

Q: I am interested in becoming a graphic designer. How would you recommend I begin?
A: There is always room for more graphic designers! The world is turning electronic, so there is a high demand for talent! Adobe is an important medium for graphic designers. No matter what kind of design you want to do, you will need to become familiar with Photoshop, Indesign and Illustrator, and then become an expert at at least one of them.

You need to build your portfolio before anyone will hire you on for a good amount of money. I started by doing free/cheap work. I worked for a couple non-profit organizations designing websites, logos, handouts and fliers. I advertised on craigslist.com and got quite a few jobs that way. After you build a good-sized portfolio, you can start charging more money for your freelance work or start working for a larger company.

Q: What kind of camera do you use?
A: I use a Canon Rebel XSi with a 85mm f/1.8lens and a 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II lens. It is a great little camera and I love my lenses. Especially the 85mm!

Q: You look too young to have 2 kids. How old are you and how long have you been married??
A: I think it is funny how often I get this question. (At least once a month...) About 4 months after my oldest was born, I went on vacation with my parents to California. We had at least 4 people ask my mom how old "her" baby was. They thought I was her teenage daughter and that E was HER new baby.

I DO look young, but I actually am fairly young. I married J when I was only 19 (7 years ago), had my first baby at 22 and C was born when I was 24. So...yes, I am young, but I am as happy as can be. No regrets. I married the sweetest guy in the world. Everyday of my life is the happiest day of my life.

You have a question? Please comment or email me.

...tablet mouse

I have been having wrist/thumb problems lately, so for Mother's Day my hubby bought me a Wacom tablet mouse. (They are supposed to help with the wrist problems because it is just like writing with a pen. Plus, a lot of graphic designers have and love them...) It just arrived in the mail an hour ago and I am trying to work with it. I CANNOT figure it out!! HELP! Any tablet mouse advise?

It is taking me 3x's as long to do everything. I hope it gets easier...

UPDATE: I am getting a hang of it and LOVING it! My wrist doesn't hurt at all!!

...comic sans

Do I have an excuse for not posting for the past 4 days? Does a busy graphic design schedule count? I have been designing non-stop and am in desperate need of a design break. But...I can't stop thinking about it. When I am not working, I am planning my next design in my head. When I am on a bike ride with my kids, I am seeing shapes that would be great in my next project. When I dream, I am color correcting the trees. (Seriously...I color correct in all of my dreams...)

And...so this post is about typography...an important design element. (My mind just can't stop thinking about design. It is driving me crazy!) My friend sent me an interesting email about the creator of Comic Sans today: a font that is the bane of graphic designers. (Well...that and Papyrus...)

I don't blame you if you like Comic Sans. I remember liking it at one time in my life. I even remember USING it. (Sometimes I wish I could talk to my pre-graphic designer self and tell her what bad taste she has.)

Veer is one of my favorite font design companies. They have beautiful typefaces. (I LOVE Feel Script...) I just discovered THIS t-shirt. I love it and think I must have it. Veer says, "There’s no denying the pervasiveness of Comic Sans. How do you feel about it – deep down in your heart? Love it, love to hate it, or hate that you love it – this T-shirt conveys the mixed emotions Comic Sans evokes. Ventricles, valves, and veins rendered on a comfy gray American Apparel T-shirt. Get pumped about it!"

How do YOU feel about Comic Sans?

...last chance

Tomorrow is the LAST day to sign up for the Spring Swap!! Don't forget! (Everyone is welcome! You don't need to know me.)

Find out how HERE.

...thoughts on mother's day

I used to think that I would adore Mother’s Day when I became the “Mom.” I thought I would revel in the gifts, adore the breakfasts in bed, and love the day off of dish-duty. Once I became a mother, however, Mother’s Day took on new meaning. It is no longer about me. It is about my sweet kids.

I feel that Mother’s Day is celebrated wrong. I now find it odd that I receive gifts for being a mother when the greatest gifts I have ever received are my own children. I feel like it should be my children that I am celebrating on Mother’s Day...the people who gave me the gift of motherhood.

On Mother’s Day, I just want to spend the day loving my kids. I want to kiss them and cuddle them. I want them to know how much they mean to me. I want uninterrupted mommy time. I want to giggle with them, rock them while reading a book, lay outside with them looking at clouds, play games, and sing them to sleep.

My ideal Mother’s Day is a day separated from the rest of the world. A day for me to celebrate why I love being a mom.

So, please excuse me this weekend from posting. I am celebrating my kids.


PS...don’t forget to sign up for the SPRING SWAP!

...miracles

Remember Emily and KC? My sweet friends who were trying to adopt?

I cried this morning when I read Emily's blog post. It is a miracle! After SO many years of infertility, doctors telling them pregnancy was impossible and trying to adopt, they decided to try IVF one more time.

And guess what?

IT WORKED. (Really well, in fact. TRIPLETS!!)

I couldn't be more happy for them. It is truly the greatest miracle! Her blog post is really worth a read.

...it is almost here!

Are you ready? Well, I'm certainly not and Mother's Day is only days away! Still need some gift ideas? I have compiled a few in my last minute gift shopping:1. Brown Sustainable Shopping Bags ($27/set of 3)
2. Small 5" Pod EcoSphere ($65)
3. Bloom Stacking Rings ($88)
4. Stackable Birthstone Rings ($39)
5. Create-A-Cookbook Gift Certificate ($25)
6. Bamboo Bathtub Caddy ($44)
7. JOY dove tiny text bowl ($24)
8. Precut Brownie Pan Set ($20)
9. Olive Oil of the Month Club ($25/mo)

...focus

I have received many emails asking me why I am not accepting any new design orders right now. See those two cute kids in the picture above? THEY are my reason. They have needed me and I don't want to miss a moment of their growing up.

I am currently booked into July, and will be accepting new orders at the beginning of July.

So...my design shop is still open, I am just doing less to keep my focus on the two darlings.

...ribs

Even though I am not really a steak or ribs kind of girl, occasionally I feel like eating them. (Especially when the short ribs are on a major sale like they were last week!) It has been so nice outside, so J and I decided that we wanted to have a little barbecue in the backyard.

This is my all time favorite recipe for ribs. It is much better than using those cheap bottled bbq sauces in the store. Try it! You will love it.

Here is how you make them:
1. Cut 4-lbs of pork spare ribs into serving-size pieces and wrap them in a double layer of foil. Place them in a 350° oven for about 60-80 minutes. This will get it cooked most of the way and ready for the grill.
2. Next, you need to make the marinade. Measure about 2/3 cup Asian sweet chili sauce into a bowl. (Most of these measurements are approximations. I don't use measuring cups very often.)
3. Add 1/4 cup ketchup to the bowl.
4. Mix in 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce. The brand pictured above is my favorite.
5. Add 1/4-1/3 cup Soy Sauce to the mixture. (If you love the taste of Soy Sauce, use more. I usually stick closer to 1/4 c.)
6. Mix in 1 tsp. dry mustard and 2-4 cloves of crushed garlic. (If you like garlic like I do...use all 4!)
7. Add pepper to taste. I like a lot of pepper.
8. Place pork ribs in a plastic bag and pour marinade over them. Let sit in the fridge for 24 hours. (Or...at LEAST 6.)
9. Cook ribs on a grill for 30 minutes. (Flip them about every 5 minutes, basting with leftover marinade.) You can do this in the oven too, but it doesn't get that smoky grill taste that I LOVE.
10. ENJOY...and try not to get too messy.

...the $50 gift certificate winner is:

JERI!

Congrats Jeri! Good thing you did some extra entries because it was the third one that won this for you! Email me with your contact info and I will get you your prize! Congrats.

As for the rest of you...don't forget to hurry over to Goldsmith Jewelers and get that free necklace before the coupon expires!!

...you are invited to SWAP!

I am SOOO happy to announce Sherbet Blossom's first ever SPRING SWAP! Everyone is invited! Tell your family and friends to participate! It is going to be so much fun! I am excited, and I hope you are too!

Here is how it works:

1. SIGN UP by Tuesday, May 12th! Email me at springswap@gmail.com with the following information:
-Name
-Mailing Address
-Website or Blog Address
-Anything you want your swap partner to know about you! (Your interests, favorite colors, hobbies...)
*The person you are swapping with will be chosen randomly. I will send you an email of your swap partner before May 14th so you can get started shopping/crafting/gathering his/her items!

2. Collect 4 or more of your favorite spring time items. (Maybe it's the book that you read on your porch while enjoying the spring air, a necklace you made with springtime colors, or seeds of your favorite flowers.) You don't need to spend a lot of money...you can make this as elaborate or simple as you want it to be. Just make sure that the things you send are items that you would be excited to receive yourself!

3. Mail your package by the end of this month, May 31st!

4. Take a picture of your package once you receive it. Upload your images to the Spring Swap Flicker account. More information will be in your confirmation email once you sign up.

Hope to hear from you soon!! Don't forget to recruit family and friends!

...my new motto

It seemed that everyone had a great life motto. Except me. I am still trying to get past the "Be Perfect" motto that I have focused on for most of my life.

I needed a new motto. One that I could hang in my office and look to on stressful days.

I contemplated:
"calm down."
"let it go"
"stop stressing"
"work harder"
"get with it"
"organize your dang craft closet!"

Hmmm....all too negative. I wanted it to be uplifting. To remind me of who I am working to be.

On Friday night, J and I watched the movie "Ghost Town." (Hilarious, by the way...) Towards the end of the movie, the socially-awkward and unpleasant main character has a quote pointed out to him: "A life not lived for others is a life not worth living." THAT is what I want my life to be about. At the end of our lives, it wont matter how much money we had, how big our house was, or how many pairs of designer shoes we owned. What will matter is who we have loved and how we loved them.

Other great life mottos from friends & family:
Hilary: "Find Joy."
Megan: "You must laugh every day."
Marta: "u be u. i'll be me."
Stephanie: "Life is too short to correct all ttypoes, real friends will understanfd."

...a red carpet event

The photographer just posted pictures of the Pandora event. It was such a fun night and I was so impressed by this small company...

Pictured above is me...on the red carpet. (There was a real red carpet for us...how cool is that??) Anyway...they told me to show my "sass." This is as sassy as it gets with me. (Closed mouth smile = sass. Right?) Also...my eyes are not normally that scary in real life. At least...I don't THINK they are.
Here is the whole group of bloggers.

The charms. Oh the charms. It was so hard to choose!

Me listening to the owner's son tell about the jewelry business. Very interesting and impressive! See that man standing next to me? He is the owner and absolutely the sweetest man you will ever meet.
And last but not least...the yummy food we ate. Thank you, Goldsmith Jewelers! It was such a fun night!

THE BLOGGERS:
http://keepingupwmom.wordpress.com/
http://sweetlifeinthevalley.com
http://www.nobiggie.net
http://www.inevergrewup.net
http://petitelefant.com
http://www.prayingforparker.com/
http://www.bethanycasey.blogspot.com/
http://www.whataboutmomblog.com/
http://thegildedpear.blogspot.com
http://singingcicada.blogspot.com/
http://www.mamablogga.com/
www.tlolsen.blogspot.com
http://kimsueellen.blogspot.com/
http://www.becausebabiesgrowup.com/
http://mommygossip.blogspot.com
http://therhouse.blogspot.com
www.sellpartyof.com
http://www.sayyestohoboken.com
http://www.crazibeautiful.com/
and me!