design. wash. rinse. repeat.

new BasicGrey!

CHA Winter is finally underway in Anaheim! All the top companies in the crafting industry will be unveiling their new products for retailers, which means that as of today you can check out the BasicGrey website to see all of their fresh new goodies coming to a store near you! As always the BG lines are phenomenal, and i feel so lucky to get to work with such an amazing company. The line I worked on this time around is titled Porcelain, and my inspiration was heavy on the vintage... lace, birdcages, roses, brocades, and um, yes, my collection of porcelain tea cups of course! But i wanted to execute the look in a new way, so i ditched the computer and went back to my roots, cracking open the watercolors and a few paintbrushes. i love the unique organic effect that watercolor brings to the line, but making the watercolor work together with the patterns was a serious labor of love, so my fingers are crossed that everyone will enjoy the final result. either way, i feel lucky to have a job that lets me express my creativity so freely. 

What do you think of this new line, or any of the new BG offerings for that matter? drop me a note, i'd love to hear your thoughts, and on Feb 6th i'll pick one lucky RANDOM WINNER to receive a bit of BasicGrey Porcelain products! 

Flights have gotten so cheap that i've decided last minute to fly out to the show! Can't wait to hug my pcL girls, my PaperCrafts peeps, and of course the lovelies from BasicGrey. And the best part is T and the girls will be coming later in the week to join me for some quality time at the happiest place on earth (aka Disneyland!), AND we get to see my brother and his cute family who recently moved to San Diego. pray for sunny days!

so ready for this

Tonight marks the Season 2 debut of one of our favorite TV shows ever: Flight of the Conchords! It's been on hiatus for over a year, and both T and i have eagerly anticipated it's return to HBO. The show is about two kooky kiwis, Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, who make up New Zealand's "4th most popular folk parody duo". They've moved to New York in hopes of hitting it big, but have yet to achieve much more than the undying devotion of one OBSESSED fan (played by the super fantastic Kristen Schaal).The deadpan dialog and inspired musical numbers are priceless. If you haven't seen them before you can find loads of hilarious clips on YouTube (one of my personal favorites is "Hiphopapotamus vs. Rhymenoceros"), plus you can watch the entire 1st episode of Season 2 on the HBO website!

But what cracks me up even more is how much my husband T vaguely resembles Jemaine in both appearance and extremely laid back attitude. Random strangers stop us on a regular basis to ask if we've seen the show, because they can't believe how similar they look. And if that wasn't enough, when our 3 year old saw a bit of an episode on TV she turned and asked "why is papa on TV?" 

so, what do you think? The top 3 photos in the below montage are Jemaine, and the 5 below are of T. (since T doesn't see the resembles i'm sure he will be absolutely thrilled to see this post! ha ha).

glisten

As the new year begins I've found myself reflecting on 2008, and one of the things that struck me was how blessed I've been to increasingly become part of such a vibrant community of paper crafting women. admittedly life often feels like overwhelming chaos as I juggle work projects, clients, and motherhood, and i tend to lose sight of the joy that all of these relationships bring me. But this year i'm determined to take more time to appreciate each of these inspiring friends and clients and all that they do to enrich my life. Three such friends created thoughtful handmade gifts that touched me so deeply i feel compelled to share them. 

With firsthand knowledge of my weakness for cupcakes, bling, and all things pink, Lori set about creating the most precious birthday "cupcake" i've ever seen. I cannot imagine the hours that went into creating each and every perfect detail. words, and even photos, cannot do it justice. And as if the creation itself wasn't darling enough, it actually opens to reveal a keepsake box! 

You could say Natalie and I bonded over bookbinding. At one point in life i dreamed of being a full time bookbinder, so when i met Natalie and discovered that she actually teaches bookbinding classes at BYU i was beyond impressed (and a little bit jealous!). Natalie is in demand (her talents extend far beyond bookbinding!), she's got a full time job with pcLayers on top of her teaching schedule, freelance work, 3+ blogs, and expecting her first child in just two months, so the mere fact that she went to so much effort and thought to create something special makes me weepy just to consider. In creating the sweet little notebook pictured below she even used patterned papers that were designed by me. could she be any more thoughtful? amazing.

Last, but not least, my dear friend Becky (a fellow tennis nut!) created this stunning "glisten" banner. The handwork and details that she put into the design are incredible, and again i cannot fathom the time and effort this must have taken. I adore seeing it and found it the perfect home in my entryway. Becky made "glisten" become the theme for the entire holiday season, and i'm so reluctant to say goodbye that if you stop by my house you'll see that her gorgeous creation is still gracing my entry!

i am awestruck by the thoughtfulness of each of these gifts. These creative genius's inspire me to want to be a better artist, friend, mother, and wife. i hope i can rise to the challenge this year. Below is a little gift of my own creation, a freebie digital Quick Page! actual size is 8x8, and features the word "glisten" of course! enjoy, and happy new year. xoxo.

sugar high

had to celebrate the fantastic end to a perfect season. go utes!! T was lucky enough to go to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, so i missed getting to watch with him, but LK and i cheered loudly! sweet victory!