April 15, 2012

jet setter.

so remember the last time i posted and apologized because i had been in houston? well since that time, i've spent twenty more days there! no, you read that right; it's not a typo -- two-zero. 20!!! in the past seventeen days i've only slept in my own bed three times. sometimes i feel like my head is spinning round and round and round!




Source: etsy.com via Rhiannon on Pinterest




i'm getting a much later start on this post than i had hoped, so i'll just give you an idea of what's been happening over the past month. more pictures to come later.


  • travel, travel, and more travel

  • the etsy shop has taken off -- thank you to all my new clients who have found me via this outlet. i never thought i would love being on etsy so much.

  • learning how to balance work in corporate america, while pursuing what i love so much

  • daydreams of san francisco visits -- i haven't been in almost a year! i'm used to going at least once every six months, minimum.

  • monster truck birthday party invitations

  • did i mention i've been traveling a lot

  • "colorful" party invitations -- think rainbow party (as in a rainbow of colors), but no rainbows, clouds, pots of gold or leprauchans

  • tweet one birthday customized with a picture of the birthday girl

  • wedding invitations with "mad lib" response cards! (darling!)

  • client's nautical theme shower featured

  • oh! and who would have known my yellow submarine invitation would be so popular -- jenny, i'm sure you would have called that one!

  • and oh so many more things that i haven't even begun to list here

thanks for sticking by me even when my life is topsy-turvy. in the midst of it all, i know i am one truly blessed girl!


here's to a great week my darlings!

March 4, 2012

so many ideas. so little time.

i have so many ideas and so little time! the past two weeks i've spent three days and two nights working in houston for my other job. it has been a crazy time trying to fill orders in the evenings, design on the weekends, and take care of everything i have to take care of at my other job.

i am sooooooo incredibly (incredibly!) grateful for the orders coming in from all over the place. i have so many fantastic ideas swirling around my brain, but there truly just aren't enough hours in the day, if i plan to eat and sleep, i mean. =)

i promise new inspiration will come your way soon!! and a big THANK YOU for keeping me inspired!

xoxo

March 3, 2012

treasury list: feels like easter is drawing near.

notably noted was featured on another treasury list this week! i get so excited -- it's completely flattering to think that of all the items available on etsy, someone would choose something designed by little ol' me. i am so grateful to my followers and clients.

the item terry from moonlight55 selected is one of my favorite note cards. they were originally designed to match the nursery of a sweet little girl named eloise -- the patterns created closely mimicked her crib bedding, while the yellow polka dots and white font mimicked a framed "e" wall hanging -- but i think they're fun for girls of all ages.

'Feels Like Easter Is Drawing Near' by moonlight55


Many team members of HandmadeSuccess are represented here.
























Wristlet zipper pouch in Yel...


$9.50

Crocheted Cupcake Applique E...


$6.00

Artisan Lampwork Earrings. P...


$15.00

Sweet Pink Childs Easter or ...


$24.99

Sleep Mask on Etsy -Wedding ...


$23.00

SALE - Crazy Lace Necklace b...


$40.00

The Roxanne Shawl wrap winte...


$86.00

3 Tier Organic Ducky Diaper ...


$74.99

Yellow Winter Mittens- Warm...


$40.00

Fuscia Pink...15mm.... Pom P...


$2.25

Old School Bright Yellow cot...


$12.99

Wedding Ring Bearer Pillow &...


$64.99

Pink Flamingo Button Crochet...


$8.50

Eloise Note Cards -- Custom ...


$18.00

Pop


$10.00

Full Pink & Fuscia Two Toned...


$25.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

March 2, 2012

happy friday!

i.am.wiped.out. all this traveling is wearing this paper-loving, party-planning lady out. i flew back to oklahoma last night and got back home a little before 9:00 p.m. i have lots to catch up on, so for now ...



March 1, 2012

thursday inspiration.

happy march! i was so busy yesterday i failed to even acknowledge february 29th! so sad to think i missed that opportunity. not that it's a big deal, by any means. i just hate being reminded that we sometimes rush too quickly through life. these past two weeks have definitely been a blur for me.

i promised you a bit of inspiration, so i thought i would share this image {i know, i know - not the clearest pic} from better homes and gardens. i have been obsessed with these oversized ballons since i received the march 2012 issue earlier in february. i really wanted to have them at my mom's spring time birthday, but i procrastinated {and kind of forgot} to order them.




balloons were so popular when i was a child. now i rarely see balloon bouquets. sometimes it just seems like balloons have become incredibly cheesy and done in poor taste. i love, love, love these balloons, though. between you and me? i hope balloons continue to make a come-back. when done well, they're so cheerful and bring a smile to your face.




if you haven't already, check out the "you say it's your ..." article for fun party inspiration on page 24 of the better homes and gardens, march 2012 issue. i think you'll love some of the details as much as i do!








"fluffy cake, champagne toasts, giddy snapshots, and a personalized soundtrack. what's not to love about a go-all-out celebration?"





February 29, 2012

the great state of texas.

howdy, ya'll ... well that just feels weird, even in print.





i'm in houston again this week. i arrived yesterday morning, and i'll be here until thursday evening. i would be lying if i said i'm full of energy at this moment. weeks like this week and last week, though, make me so thanksful for technology. even if i'm in a completely different state, eight and a half hours away from my home office, i can still connect and keep in touch with all my incredible clients.

i know i get kind of sappy when it comes to you, my clients, but you have no idea just how grateful i am for you. you allow me to make my dream a reality every single day, and for that i will be forever appreciative.

i'll be back tomorrow with more ideas and inspiration. for now, other duties call.

cheers!

February 28, 2012

the one i laugh with, live for, dream with.

right now i'm working with a super fun bride. she's so laid back and has such a great attitude. most brides are a lot of fun to work with -- everyone is giddy with excitement and ready to start their lives with that "great" love. of course, we do run into bridezillas from time to time, but lindsay is definitely not one of those brides.

she and her special man are getting married in an old farmhouse in delware. for their save-the-dates, they wanted something that fit the color scheme of their wedding. they didn't want the same the date to perfectly coordinate with the wedding invitation and also didn't want anything too fussy.

we created a postcard that fits right in with the farmhouse wedding and also incorporates the rich slate the happy couple will use throughout their wedding.

i really like the front (it's a quote picked out by the bride), but i think my absolute favorite it is the back. i just love everything about it. typically you would also see the return address running along vertical line, but i've masked it for the blog.

i love working with creative individuals -- keeps my life interesting and inspired! =)

cheers!

February 27, 2012

a {southern} spring time birthday.

apologies for being away so much last week. i had to travel to houston on a business trip for my other job. what started as an overnight trip turned into two nights away from home. i left my house at 5 in the morning on monday ... and didn't return until well after 8 in the evening on wednesday night. the rest of the week was filled with catching up on orders/emails to notably noted clients and doctors appointments.

while last week was pretty crazy, the weekend prior was fabulous! we were celebrating a very special lady in my life -- my mother. my family lives about thirty to forty-five minutes away in muskogee. i don't get to see them as often as i would like, but i'm grateful that we're as closely located to one another as we are -- it could definitely be worse.

on friday night my little sister drove to tulsa to help me prepare everything for the saturday afternoon late-lunch family party we had planned. i realized after everyone left that i never got a picture of the table setting (sad face!) but my mom loved everything. we all had a blast just spending the day together.

below are just a few details from our day:


not the best shot, but who doesn't love hydrangeas? there's something so romantic about them, and they can brighten my mood in an instance.



so many of my ideas for the party came from pinterest. we didn't have a "theme" other than a bright, springy, laid-back, family function. my mom's only request? "lots of yummy, fattening food." enter southern comfort food.



sierra and i made personal pot pies for everyone as the main dish. i knew they would take a little bit to fully bake, and since we were already having a late lunch, i didn't want everyone sitting around feeling hungry all afternoon. appetizers on display include: personal mac & cheese cups, cream filled strawberries, caprese salad skewers, and white-chocolate stuffed raspberries.








you wouldn't believe how delicious these raspberries were!! and so simple! seriously, so good! even my super-picky fiance was eating them by the handfuls.




i don't have a picture, but following appetizers, we had a yummy corn and cheese chowder (picture below from the pioneer woman):





we didn't do the bread bowls, but it was still oh-so-good. i left the bacon out of mine, but imagine that lots of people would enjoy it with the bacon still included. this recipe makes a huge batch, so i was able to enjoy the leftovers all week long (and even sent some home with my parents and aunt).



finally, the main course:




as i mentioned before, sierra and i created personal pot pies for everyone. not only were they in their own ramekins, but the pies also had the first letter of each person's name marking the top of them (with "m" for "mom" and "d" for "dad"). sierra made my mom's extra special by adding hearts to the top of hers as well.



i know i baked this so i shouldn't be bragging, but oh.my.goodness. these were so delicious! i saw my aunt again this past weekend, and she was telling others that it was the best pot pie she had ever had! i was flattered (and secretly agreed). i played with the recipe myself, subsituting a few things i knew wouldn't be crowd pleasers and using rotisserie chicken instead of chicken breasts.






it was hard to choose sides for the pot pies because they were stuffed to the gills with veggies, but the freshly steamed asparagus and green beans were hits as well. again so simple, but so delish.



we were so stuffed we had to wait a bit before digging into dessert, so we did one of my favorite things -- we just sat around visiting. my brother, his wife, their baby, my parents, my sister, one of my mom's sisters (brenda), and travis and i sat around chatting, watching basketball, and enjoying my sweet little nephew.



now, you know i can't have a special occassion without a cake by seana hon. she didn't disappoint. sierra found cheerful, zany candles that went perfectly with our spring paisley/floral print cake -- vanilla on the top and chocolate on the bottom. it was the perfect size, too! 4" & 6" ... not too much, and not too little ... and all so delicious.




happy birthday, mom! we love you so much!!

February 26, 2012

February 25, 2012

party inspiration: the lorax.

i love the parties that spring up with the release of new movies -- especially movies of old classics, like the beloved dr. seuss. i mean, who doesn't like dr. seuss, right? i've not seen the movie {and maybe it's not even out yet} but i'm loving the party ideas that are springing up for the lorax.

i haven't created an invitation yet, but i did create a fun inspiration board. (i told you, ideas are already popping up everywhere!) the first thing i saw that really inspired me to create the board were the truffula trees made from martha stewart's poms. so simple and such a great fit for "the lorax." just remember to make your poms pointed instead of rounded.



i also love the cake ball truffula trees. i found them on pinterst where they were featured by ediblecrafts.craftgossip.com but are actually by bakerella.

i love the idea of cotton candy at a lorax party, so i went on the hunt for a great picture of cotton candy. i came across something even better -- cotton candy cupcakes on pinterest. the colors and whimsy of the cupcake just scream dr. seuss.

i can't wait to design an invitation / party suite to go along with this inspiration board. i want to hear your ideas -- have you hosted a dr. seuss party before?

February 17, 2012

willow house.

i got so used to sharing my favorites during fourteen days of love, that when i ran across this new site, i just had to share with you.

earlier this week a friend introduced me to willow house. have you seen their catalog?? swoon!
for you pinners out there, i could pin just about every single thing they carry. and i love how they style their photos in the catalog. if you haven't looked into it, check it out. pronto.

my friend is hosting an online catalog party so i'm trying to pick out the things i just can't live without (since i should probably refrain from ordering everything). here are just a few of my favorites.


















empire flare vase (so gorgeous!)


so let me know, what are a few of your favorites? i really want to know! you can helo me make my decision.