...ga-ga for shoes this season

I'm loving the ruffly shoes this season! Gorgeous! Two of these shoes are from my favorite shoe shop, Piperlime. The other two are from Payless. Who knew Payless had cute shoes???

top left (piperlime)
top right (payless)
bottom left (piperlime)
bottom right (payless)

...quotes and autumn

I have a bit of an obsession with quotes. I have collected them my whole life; putting them in journals or writing them in scrapbooks. I love rereading the inspiring words of others.

I learned to bookbind last month and made a quote book for my first project. I decided to make it entirely in black and white...so that the book is about the words and not the design of the paper. I love quotes in white ink. (Speaking of white pens. THIS pen by American Crafts in White Pastel is my new favorite! It doesn't clog up and is more opaque than other white gel pens. Thank you, Alisha-the-scrapbooking-guru, for introducing me!)
Book-binding is so fun! It is more difficult than I thought it would be, but well worth the effort. And...the possibilities are endless. I have so many book ideas floating around in my head. This bookbinding method, called coptic, it totally sturdy and lovely. I love that you can see the binding. Think of all the fun color combinations!

And...a little off topic. I LOVE Utah at this time of year. I love the colors and the smell in the air. I love that we don't have to mow the lawn as often...and I even love the crazy weather. (eg: Today, we will have a high in the mid-80's. Tomorrow's high is supposed to be in the low-50's. Crazy, but kind of exciting at the same time...)

...sundays

why i love sunday:
01. uplifting church meetings
02. my one non-working day
03. sunday walks + drives
04. cute husband gets to spend more than an hour at home.
05. family movie day (a.k.a. lounge around in our comfies and watch a disney while cuddling day.)
06. watching my kids adore/maul their daddy who they miss.

...clever recycling

If you didn't know already, I work for Northridge Media as the graphic designer of their CARDS magazine. I love seeing all the beautiful creations people make each month. The creativity inspires and amazes me! I think we have the best submitters in the scrapbooking industry. Really!

I also help manage the CARDS blog. Last week, Paige (a member of our editorial staff) issued a challenge on our blog. She wanted people to create cards using leftover scrapbook packaging. I was thrilled to see the results of the challenge today. Oh my...such creative people!

If you are interested in getting in on the next challenge, check it out HERE! Happy Scrapping!

...24 weeks

After recieving a lecture from my mother about not documenting past pregnancies...i promised myself that I would take a weekly photo with #3. I am failing miserably. I shy away every time a camera pops out...or offer to be the photographer for the day so I can hide behind the lens. It is hard to feel beautiful when I am sporting a mammoth torso.

I feel so blessed every time my little one wiggles, kicks, and dances in my tummy. Everyday, I place my hand on my stomach to feel the merengue dance that begins at noon. At night, I lie in bed awake feeling him shake and shimmy inside. I'm guessing we have an acrobat on our hands. It makes me smile.

16 more weeks to go...

...photography tip

DISCLAIMER: By sharing this "tip" with you, I am by no means making the claim that I am a fabulous photographer. :) Just a wanna-be.

This tip may not be revolutionary, but it works wonders for my little Sue. My daughter is the queen of fake smiles. (I think that comes from having a mom who pulls out the camera a little too often...) If you tell her to "smile" at the camera...this is usually what you will get:
Uh....not totally cute. Not natural. This is the "Mom! Seriously??? Another picture???" face. Maybe it is just my kids, but natural smiles aren't exactly easy to capture...

So, to get the smile that I love from my little cutie, here is what I do:

Step 1: Tell child to make her silliest or scariest face at the camera. Start shooting like crazy...child will love it.

Step 2: Keep shooting until child is just giggling and laughing...then shoot that natural smile that you love.
Step 3: Delete 100 unwanted silly/crazy pictures on your SD card. (Maybe keep a couple for use as blackmail when child is a teenager.)

Do you have some good tips on photographing kids? I would love to hear them!

...a conversation overheard

My mother is on her way to the Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City with one of her best friends. (I was tempted to jump in my mother's bag and stowaway, but decided my XL belly wouldn't fit. But, I'll be dreaming of watching the fabulous performances...) When Elaine, my mother's friend, came to pick her up, I overheard a conversation between Elaine and my daughter that made me smile:

4-year-old-cutie: I am going to have a Halloween party with all my friends! My mom told me I could!
Elaine: Oh, wow! That sounds fun!
4-year-old-cutie: Yeah. It is going to be fun. We are going to eat cupcakes and cookies.
Elaine: See, that is why I love your family. Every event is centered around what food will be served.
4-year-old-cutie: Yep. We really like good food.

It is true. We love food. I'm glad people like us for it.

And speaking of Halloween Party planning...look at these awesome ideas from Martha Stewart:

Hanging Vellum Halloween Lanterns
Pumpkin Lanterns
Message in a Bottle Invitations
Jack-o'-lantern Tarts

And while you are at it...check out these darling & sorta-spooky printable note-cards: (I can totally imagine these turning in to some fabulous invites...)

...big earrings

I have a thing for big, chunky earrings. I am a fairly conservative dresser, so i like to step up the ensemble by pairing my bourgeois top with a flashy necklace or jumbo earrings. I especially love to wear huge earrings when my hair is tied back...to make them look exceptionally large.

I just bought this darling pair at a newly found etsy shop. (Oh, how I love to shop on etsy! It is a weakness...) Check out the darling shop. It has some other fabulous items as well!!

...a google reader tip

Like many of you, I use google reader to keep track of all the blogs I read. I was speaking with a friend yesterday about Marta's post. We chatted about how we read blogs and how often we leave comments. Both of us agreed that commenting was important and visiting the posts in their actual "home" makes reading blogs much more fun.

"But...who has time for that??" I asked. I subscribe to 100+ blogs. There is no way that I have time to click over to all of their blogsites. I do try to comment on as many as possible, but getting to their site takes a lot of time when you are reading that many.

That is when my brilliant friend, Jess, introduced me to the Google Reader NEXT button! It is a fantastic little "goodie" offered by google reader! It takes you from new blog post to new blog post...in their home! You can comment with ease, enjoy the personality of the writer's headquarters, and get a change of scenery with every click. Reading blogs just became that much more exciting for me! (Plus...you know all those blogs with partial feed in google reader? I never subscribed to them cause it drove me crazy to only see a few lines. BUT...now I see the whole post! Not a problem!! I love it!)

Here is a little step-by-step on how to add it to your own toolbar, and kick your blog-reading enjoyment up a notch:

ADDING THE GOOGLE READER NEXT BUTTON: (Easy, Easy!)

1. Login to Google Reader. Click on the "Settings" link in the upper right-hand corner.

2. Click on the "Goodies" tab.

3. Under the section "Put Reader in a bookmark," find where it says "Next >>." Click and Drag that "Next>>" to your bookmarks bar.

4. It will look like the example above...

5. Click on the "Next>>" button in your bookmarks toolbar to surf around all the updated blogs you subscribe to, and enjoy your easy & exciting reading experience!

...knitting lesson

images via purlbee

My mom is in town. She is an amazing knitter/sewer, and I decided to take advantage of her knowledge while I can. Today, she is going to teach me to knit. I am a little nervous. The perfectionist in me thinks this might be hard...and that I might not be good. (I am thinking back to sixth grade. I signed up to crochet a leprosy bandage for a service project. I could NOT get the sides to go straight. Every other 6th grader could...but mine was hideous. My mom had to talk me into turning it in when I was done because I was so mad/embarrassed about it, telling me that the wavy-bandage would still work. I was even a perfectionist at age 9. But...it tramatized me enough that I haven't tried knitting or crocheting since.)

We are going to do a little yarn shopping right now to make THIS awesome baby blanket. I am thinking there will be some apple green in it. I am obsessed with apple green...

I'll show you the results when I am done...I promise. Even if it is ugly.

...i still design

I haven't been as good about posting my recent designs on here because, well...I am just too busy to think about it. But, I AM still designing. Above, I have posted about 30 of the blog designs I have done in the last couple months. It certainly isn't all of them, but you get the idea. Maybe next week I'll make another crazy collage of the print work I have done...but who knows. :) I've had a fun month designing logos, wedding invitations, baby announcements, etc.

I am trying to slow down a little (hence the closed shop) while I catch up on my waiting list, but expect some fun new things in the next month!

...german pancakes

One thing that marks fall for me is an oven-baked breakfast. Coffee cakes, muffins, frittatas. Yum! One of our favorite dishes is German Pancakes. (I don't know if they really are German or not. Do any of you Germany-dwellers or Germany-travelers know?) They are extremely easy and super delish. My kids love them...and so do we adults.

GERMAN PANCAKES
6 eggs
1 c milk
1 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter

Set oven to 400 degrees. Place butter into 9x13 in. baking dish, and place in oven during the preheating process.
Blend eggs, milk, flour and salt until well incorporated and smooth. Pour over melted butter in baking dish.
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

Serve with powdered sugar & fresh fruit or syrup. Devour.

...escaping reality for a weekend

Life is hectic. The to-dos pile, the work stacks and the pressure thickens. On days like that, which seem to be more and more common these days, I dream of my parent's little cabin in the Uintahs. I love that little house. I have been going there since I was a wee one. It is an escape. When I am there, I forget about the crazy life and schedule awaiting me in the city. It is just me and nature. The clean air is refreshing; the company inviting; the views invigorating. A visit there leaves me rejouvinated; ready to face the bulging to-do list that awaits me.

My parents are in town this week and rounded up their rowdy crew for a family reunion at my favorite little retreat. J and I were both in need of a lazy getaway, so we were so excited as we headed out on our 1.5-hour road trip to the cute little house. The views were spectacular! I couldn't keep myself from snapping shots of the beautiful colors and views as we approached our destination. It was a little chilly and the leaves were just beginning to change; I could feel fall approaching.

We spent the weekend building tree houses, fishing behing the little house, playing on the tree swing, exploring meadows, reading, laughing, playing games and eating really good food. It was beautiful...every part of the trip.

...i'll be back

I'm signing off for a little while.
My body and mind are requesting rest & relaxation.
I need a little family support, and they are in town so I better take advantage of the rarity.
I'll be back to regular posting shortly.

...on my mind

01. this pretty necklace that makes me excited for fancy, fall dates with my love...maybe to the symphony. (really, i love everything in that etsy shop...)
02. my neglected garden that i am scared to check on. i am sure there are some monster zucchinis out there.
03. my dying flowers that need to be plucked. (the one sad thing about fall is pulling out/pruning all my hard garden work.)
04. buying tickets to the fair. yes...it is a little creepy there, but i still love it.
05. the cleaning i need to finish this week before our house guests arrive.
06. my parents who live in hawaii who are in town for a visit.
07. their cabin in the uintahs that is calling my name. (see you this weekend, lovely cabin!)
08. peaches. peach jam. peach pie.
09. these shoes and these boots.
10. my wonderfully sweet husband who i miss seeing every evening. darn schooling that takes him away...
11. my sweet friend who is going through so many trials right now. loosing a baby and a diagnosis with cancer at such a young age. doesn't seem fair.
12. this talk.

Hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day...NOT laboring. I, on the other hand, will be working on my computer for the remainder of the day while my kiddos and husband are hiking. Sad. I can't wait to catch up on my pile of design orders!

...the love, luci dress winner

The winner is, Erica! Congrats! Email me with your contact info.
Thanks to all who entered! There will be more giveaways coming up soon, so stay tuned.

...some days are cookie days

Today was a cookie day. You've probably had this kind of day a few times. A day where you have so much on your to-do list, you know you couldn't possibly get it all done. On days like this, I just need to back away from my desk and take a breather.

On my breaks, I often pull out my favorite cookbook: Boo's Best. I do realize this blog is starting to look like a cooking blog...which it is NOT. But when I am pregnant my mind seems to revolve around food, much to the dismay of my bathroom scale.
I think we all have ancestors/relatives that we relate to more than others. Relatives that we seem to take after. Someone that shares your same interests, character traits or humor. My Grandma Boo is that relative for me. I wouldn't dare claim to have all of her wonderful traits, but I know I inherited several. She was a woman who had a passion for design; she always had the latest fashions in clothing and home decor: not your average grandma. She loved to laugh and she adored her husband. She was always serving other people and thought of herself last. She was the ultimate, glamorous hostess. (On one of her last days battling cancer, her good friend was coming over to offer a little service. She came in the door and found my grandmother, who could barely walk, making a treat for her. She was a gracious hostess to the end.)

I come from a family of cooks and Grandma Boo was the best. In fact, when she passed away, my mom couldn't think of a better way to memorialize her than to publish her recipes. I am sad to say this book is not available for purchase, but it SHOULD be!

This is an excerpt of the forward my mother wrote in the book:

It's been featured in the newspaper, the subject of grandchildren's essays, the cause of homesickness, and the victim of larceny - Mom's cooking. Opening Mom's recipe boxes was like stepping into her kitchen and meeting her friends. It was a glimpse at her life. It's obvious she was a woman who liked good things, who liked to entertain and who gained pleasure in service. Her recipe collection is heavy on the "Sweets" and light on the "Vegetables." I hope this book will help you be a better cook, but even more, I hope it will help you to be a little more like Mom - generous, compassionate and sociable.

My copy is full of food stains, kid scribbles and jotted notes. I love this book. I know that I am safe making ANYTHING in it. Everything is delicious and most recipes are accompanied by memories of my grandmother.

My daughter wanted to make chocolate chip cookies today to celebrate her uncle Jerry's birthday. (He lives in another state, so we'll just think of him while we eat them...) When I sent my daughter to fetch "the cookbook", she knew exactly which cookbook I meant.

Here is the recipe we made from my beloved book:

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 c. shortening
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
2 c. quick rolled oats
1 pkg. chocolate chips
3/4 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Cream together shortening and sugars. Add eggs. Add remaining ingredients in order and mix well. Bake at 350 degrees until done. (About 10-11 minutes.)

**We will NOT be sharing these cookies with neighbors as planned. My kids stuck their fingers in the dough one too many times.
***Yes, my kids ate raw cookie dough. But, what kind of childhood would it be without a little cookie dough??

...back to school and crafting

My daughter started school yesterday. She is in her second year of preschool and I can't believe it. I dread next year when she will start Kindergarten. That seems way too old. I can't get over the fact that she isn't 2 anymore. She was insisting on wearing her cowgirl boots with her new pink tutu, but I was able to talk her out of the tutu about 10 minutes before preschool started. (Thank heavens...)

But...the good thing that comes with this time of year is that I get a little more time for crafting. When she is at school and my little guy is napping, I can get some good sewing, jewelry making and paper crafting in. I have been perusing craft/diy blogs for ideas and inspiration and can't wait to satisfy my need for daily crafting.

Here are some I love to browse:
Angry Chicken
Craftig
Hostess with the Mostess
Not Martha
Oh Joy!
One Pretty Thing
Simply Handmade
The Crafts Dept.
The Pearl Bee
The Small Object

Do you know of any other good craft/diy sites? Please let me know! I am always looking for new places and more inspiration!