Friday, April 27

a few of my favorite things - april

ok, seriously, let's just pretend i put these out earlier this month, m'kay?!

have y'all heard of birchbox? there's a serious waiting list, but once you're in, you can sign up to receive cool beauty stuff monthly. i've had it 2 months, and the nail polish alone makes it worth it!  |  exercise and i? we have a love/hate relationship. and, while i'd really like a gym membership, i'm puttin' the kinect to good use with this fitness "game". seeing yourself onscreen really puts it all in perspeck! sheesh!  |  i have tried and true perfume. coco for winter (RIP escada) and quelque fleurs for summer. but, bluebell is saying 'put me in, coach!' it.smells.fantastic!

we have a fair amount of partays 'round here and we just throw the recycle bins open for the aftermath. so, when i saw these pop-up bins, i had to have them. they're sold out right now, but fingers crossed they restock soon!  |  washi tape is colored and patterned masking tape that is way more fun than it's boring cousin. i love it and use it in all kinds of designs.

y'all. y'allllll. outlander. 'member that little-known vampire, edward? well, he's been replaced. i never thought it possible, but an 18th century scottish highlander has done it. ok, these books are rill long (like 800+ pgs). i'm midway thru the 2nd book, so i can't give verdict on all 7 (#8 comes out next year), but outlander? O.M.G...YES! everything you missed in twilight is there in BIG.bold.letters. thud...can someone turn on a fan?

i don't have a kindle, a nook, or an ipad. but i do have overdrive media console. i downloaded it to my trusty windows phone, linked up my library card, and can now read free, never overdue library books on my phone. and, let's be honest, when are we ever without our phones? plus, it's way lighter than an 800+ pg book. go. download. then, check out outlander. you're welcome.

Wednesday, April 25

where've i been?

it's been a while since i've tole you about the ol' personal life, so since i just returned from a 2 week working vacay, what better time than now to catch you up?

the sisters and i went to dallas to help the mamacita with the g-pa while his caretaker is out of the country. our stays overlapped a bit, and while it was lots of work, it was so fun to see everyone. we got our bridesmaid dresses for baby sister's weddin' picked out, celebrated mamacita's birfday with the hunger games, caught up with old friends, visited with all our fam in the area, and enjoyed the sunshine (when it decided to make an appearance).
we had lunch at whole foods, and sweet p put us to shame. she gives new meaning to the phrase 'eat your veggies'. what you see on her plate is tofu, broccoli, oranges, lentils, kiwi, garbanzo beans, and kale. seriously? would you eat that?? unbelievable.

middle sissy and i made a quick run through the mckinney flea market before the lightning came, and found our own beyonce. he sooo wanted to be mine, but no airline in the world would ok that carry-on.

to fulfill the second purpose of the trip (baby bro's baptism and sweet p's 3rd birfday party), we all had to settle in and drive 12 hours to iowa. ahem. it's a wonder i'm still standing, cuz that folks, is not for the faint of heart. middle sissy, you're my hero for doing it alone.

dude wakes up at the drop of a pin, and slept through his ENTIRE baptism. oil, water, everything! being a godparent rocks! dear old dad played godfather for mr man. can you even stand how adorbs that cheeky monkey is?

on the way to sweet p's monstah pahtee, we saw the american gothic house. can you see their faces on the roof? it's literally smack dab in the middle of a sub-division. so sad, really.

sweet p's been talking about her birfday for weeks, so you can imagine how excited she was. she tackle-style hugged her friends, happily sang happy birthday to herself, and COULD.NOT.WAIT for a cupcake. it was awesome!! (i'll be back soon to share all the goodies from her party.)

i kicked myself for not getting my garden in gear as i snipped spinach from the farmer's garden for spinach/mushroom enchiladas. i really don't know what my problem is. you plant it, it grows, you eat it. what is so hard? this year. THIS YEAR!

i'm back home now, and going thru my normal family withdrawals. i was welcomed home with misty rain, smooches aplenty from mr man, and the gingerbread house in full bloom. sadly, the magnolia has already shed her blooms. springtime in seattle is a beautiful thing!

i called it a working vacay, because we were there to help with pops, and i got about an order a day while i was gone. maybe if i wanna be busy, i need to leave town, and not have any of my materials with me! there's a thought!

what's been goin' on in your neck of the woods?

Friday, April 13

taking the plunge

'member this?
what'd you guess it was? were you thinking cannonball? maybe bride and groom? how about pool time? if you'd guessed any of those, you'd be on the right track, because it's all of the above, and it's from baby sister's save the date!

y'all, it might be the cutest dang thing evah. but, we can't take all the credit for the idea. while spending all day stopping by pinterest one day, i came across this (using this link cuz the photog's blog keeps redirecting.) on baby sister's 'someday' board

and, an idea was born! see, baby sister and her fiance both swam for the LSU tigers. so, seriously, how could they not do something similar? armed with dress and suit, all they needed was a pool and a photographer. well, lucky for them, our papacito just so happens to have a pool (in the perfect shade of blue) and one'a them fancy cameras that can take 4+ pics in like 2 seconds. (just a weensy important when water's involved!)

are y'all thinkin' 'quitcher yappin' and show us already!" ok, ok. here ya go...
was i right about cute? and, those pics couldn't have turned out better. these are first take, y'all! can you believe? let's take a closer look at those facial expressions.
pure giddiness right there, folks! kiddos are excited to be married! and, that cannonball picture might be pure perfection! i hope it gets framed!
now, if i'm being honest, there was a smoochy picture of the lovebirds that i reeeeealllly wanted baby sister to pick for the back, but alas, it's client's choice. we kept the back sweet and simple, leaving all the deets for their website. i love how it feels like a movie poster!

to ship them off, they got the wraparound treatment. i really don't know when i'll get tired of this label style.
see what one little idea can do? these maybe mighta been the easiest design i've ever done. i've said it before, and i'll say it again, good images make the best designs.

better give a shout out to the ol' man for takin' such fantastic pictures. (silly guy wanted credit on the save the date!)

Monday, April 9

up in lights

have i hit the big time? my designs up in lights? well, in hobbs america, it would seem so! after i did this logo and branding of stationary, business cards, and stickers, they moved locations, and put up a big fancy bright lights sign.
isn't it purdy?? love.it! but, not as much as i love what they put inside.
doesn't it look like stained glass? i thought it was, but she says it's just a hard plastic. whatever it is, it's FAN.TAS.TIC!

if you're in or around hobbs (nm) america, stop in to bloom & say hi

bloom
a merle norman studio and dare to be different
3420 n grimes street
hobbs, nm

do my 15 minutes of fame start now??

Monday, April 2

sounds of springtime

here's the ol' april playlist. i'm thinking about discontinuing the playlists, unless y'all have a big problemo with that. i love finding new music, but when things begin to feel like a chore, it's not as fun anymore. and, doing the playlist is starting to feel like a chore...

but, i always wanna know what i should be lisnin' to - so, tell me, tell me! now, on to the music.