cali summers

a quote by Kellie Elmore, Magic in the Backyard:

"I love how summer just wraps it's arms around you like a warm blanky."

although the weather doesn't feel like the end of summer, kids starting school and labor day soon approaching, i know summer is coming to a close.  

i've been fortunate enough this summer to spend many of my days at the beach with my partners in crime, tee (the boyfriend) and april (my best girlfriend).  whether it be a full day or just a couple of hours, our beach days have been filled with refreshing dips in the ocean, yummy lee's sandwiches, while relaxing and basking in the sun.

just this past weekend, i was able to watch the sunset over the pacific while my toes were being washed over by the extremely warm ocean water.  i couldn't help but feel... blessed!  cali summer blessed!

i mean, seriously, how ridiculously amazing is this sunset???

hermosa beach, ca

this song is a few years old, but i think it's the theme song to my summer of 2012...

enjoy, and try to soak in as much summer as you can before we "fall" back!

silhouette keepsakes

back in 2007, i created a silhouette of my cousin ben to use on his cowboy themed birthday invitations for his 2nd birthday.

as a gift, i took the silhouette and turned it into a little framed keepsake, which since, has been on display in his bedroom.

fast forward to 2012, ben now has a little brother, zac, who recently turned 2.  so of course, it's only fair that i created a silhouette keepsake for zac in celebration of his 2nd birthday.

super bright & super cute

i've really been diggin' bright hot hues lately.  i feel like just a little pop of color brings so much more fun into my days.  my favorite purchase as of late is my nike free sneakers that happen to match my favorite summer nail polish (china glaze in flip flop fantasy).  

super bright and super cute, just the way i like it!

simplewear - 5 pack set

i'm lovin' this baby blue/celery green simplewear 5 pack set i just customized today for an etsy customer.

if you want to customize a set of your own, go to simplewear.etsy.com, or just contact me directly. you can browse through my etsy shop for current designs or view this pdf for a complete selection of over 50 available designs.  don't forget, all designs are fully customizable, so if you have a color preference or want to add a name to a design, just let me know!

his & her vow cards

i had a recent request via Etsy for some his & her vow cards. i thought this was such a simple, yet great idea, i wanted to share with you all. 

the idea is to have his & her vows written on each card for the wedding ceremony and afterward, they would be ready for framing as a special keepsake. what a great item to have on display in the home, so the couple can be reminded from time to time, of what each has promised to the other.

i like that the bride-to-be requested such a simple, yet sophisticated design.

i think i've found a new item i eventually would like to add to my Etsy shop.  :)

i ♥ mamaw & papaw (coming soon...)

i've received so many orders for the "i heart grandma & grandpa (coming soon...)" onesie lately and a few times i've been asked to customize this design with their own version of "grandma & grandpa" or even a few "aunt & uncle" requests, which makes for a special way of announcing your pregnancy to the ENTIRE family!

here is a special one i created recently that is on it's way to surprising a set of parents of their son's new journey into fatherhood.  matthew is currently in afghanistan, so he'll be skyping with his parents as they open this special package.  i can't wait to hear and see their reaction when they open this package.  with luck, i'm hoping matthew is able to get a screenshot of his mother's face as he's promised to share her reaction with me.  

just thinking about it brings tears of joy to my eyes.

custom fill-in invitations

want customized invitations but not quite sure of the details to the party?  

no problem!  all little invites can be turned into a custom fill-in invitation.  so when you figure out the details, you can fill them in on your own.  

here is a look on how our little honey bee invitation got turned into a fill-in invitation...

if you're interested in ordering invitations for your next special event, feel free to email me for more details.

new silhouPETte packaging

back in december of last year, i helped silhouPETte, with their jewelry packaging design.  they recently did a re-order and added a gold foil imprint of their logo to the outside of the kraft gift boxes.  here's a look into the finished product...

stay up-to-date with sihouPETte by visiting their website or follow them on facebook!