Here they are...

Bride-to-be {joyfully} received her wedding shower invitation last week, so I decided it was ok for me to post some pictures of them now. You were all so sweet about the measly envelopes, that I couldn't wait for you to see the little beauties themselves. So, here they are, the invitations I promised to share. :)



{Oh my favorite part...the stitching on the pocket} :)





For the pocket, we used a sorbet shimmer card-stock by the Paper Factory. The invitation insert was a burnt orange shimmer card-stock also by the Paper Factory. The fish-bowl was created with a thin watery looking paper and the cute little gold-fish was made from a bright orange textured paper by the Paper Factory. This was one of my favorite designs yet and I am really looking forward to some more fun custom invitations. :)

Mom & Friend?

I love branches. I love birds. I love jewelry. I am girl. I think this would be a perfect gift for a friend that's a girl and also a mom. It's so understated; not like those gargantuan jewelry trees or jewelry boxes that take over an entire table-top. This is just perfect; so dainty and yet so practical, and only $30 at RedEnvelope.

Make believe.

I definitely already used this shag chair in another board, but I just had to use it again because of its brilliance. I am pretending this is what my house looks like right now. :) Streamlined modern yellow couch; grassy shag chair with a lime green side-table; fresh yellow orchids; and a looot of yellow shoes. Unfortunately, the only thing that somewhat resembles my house is all those school books. :) That's ok, I love dream-land. HAPPY FRIDAY and I am glad to say it is STILL Happy Spring around here.

How do you wrap?

Do you care as much about the outside as what's on the inside? I am a bit reluctant to say that I typically care as much about the outside as I do about the gift on the inside. :) Perhaps this is due to my small obsession with setting the tone and creating delightful first impressions? Maybe it is my creative instinct? Or maybe it is just my plain 'ol self who likes to smile at the silliest of things. Either way, it's fun to present extra special presents; especially when they are for extra special people. {Like your nephew} :)

Our {favorite} nephew turned 5 years old back in February. 5 seems like a big birthday doesn't it? So we wanted to make it extra special for him.

First thought: buy him 5 presents.
Second thought: Wrap it in 5 boxes.
Third thought: For present 1, buy him 1 item. For present 2, buy him 2 items. For present 3, buy him 3 items. For present 4, buy him 4 items. For present 5, buy him 5 items. See the pattern? ;-)
Fourth thought: Buy wooden numbers and paint each of them in a different color to go on top of the coordinating gift.

Ethan had fun with his silly little set of gifts... I think his favorite was #5 {5 McDonald's bucks} :)

And it begins...

TOP SECRET: I am really excited about this little project that's been in the works for a couple of weeks now. It is finally done and now it's just countdown time until the shower! Of course I can't show you the invites yet as that would spoil it for the bride, but you will see them soon enough. Eeeek, I am just giddy with excitement! Can't wait. :)

Think inside the box

...and outside of the pot. Here is a fun twist on the 'potted' flowers idea for Mother's day. Doesn't it just {scream} feminine? I am absolutely in love with the bamboo box let alone the five oh-so-dainty lily of the valley bulbs. Lily of the Valley is the ultimate wedding flower because of it's petite daintiness and femininity. Because of that, I think it is also a perfect MOM flower. If the bamboo box isn't enough, it also comes with a hot-pink lid tied with a hot-pink grosgrain ribbon. Sweet and Scrumptious. Only problem, RedEnvelope is temporarily out of stock. Maybe I can find my own bamboo box?

Flowers in pots

Is mom not a writer? How about a year of seeds instead? This darling little set, also from RedEnvelope, contains seeds for petunias, marigolds, pansies, lobelia, alyssum, zinnias, impatiens, baby’s breath, dianthus, cosmos, poppies and sweet peas plus it includes planting instructions for each seed variety. On top of all that it comes with 12 adorable 3" colorful pots! I don't know many mom's that don't love flowers. This way, mom not only enjoys them for a couple days but depending on how green her thumb is, she can enjoy them for quite a while. There is no better time to give mom something she can nurture, take care of, and watch grow. After all, isn't that what moms do best?


The year of seeds is $75 and right now at RedEnvelope, shipping is free with a $75 purchase. But if you are looking for a cheaper idea, have no fear, check out IKEAs amazingly inexpensive stoneware. These happy little pots will cost you a mere .99 apiece and they are even cuter in person (I have a bright yellow one). :) Going this route, allows you to buy moms favorite flower seeds or even her favorite herbs! This could make it even more personal and fun picking out the seeds. :)

Words of Wisdom

Can we pleeease not do cheesy jewelry or flowers that will die in two days? How about we do something a little more personal and a little more lasting. It's Mother's Day (in 3 weeks) and to me, it seems like the one holiday that you never quite know what to buy. Instead of wasting money on some little trinket this year, why not buy mom a more personal gift, like this beautiful set of Thai silk journals found at RedEnvelope? There are 12 to be exact and they are exquisite. The cutest part? The set is called a year of journals. I know several people that would love these (I am one of them). I mean, what girl doesn't love a good journal? (Or is it just my girlfriends and I?) The price is a bit steep though (originally $98, now $74). If you like the idea and aren't wanting to spend an arm and a leg for journals, then head to your nearest Borders or Worldmarket where they have unique journals and won't burn a hole through your wallet. You're looking at spending around 10 bucks. Not too shabby.

Spring flowers bring...

BABY SHOWERS! Since happening upon that last set of shower pics, I found yet another shower I did several years ago that was really fun. This shower was for a real good friend and her first little babe (now she has 2). It was a sweet intimate shower in the spring, because as we know, spring flowers most often times bring many baby showers. :)

One thing I wish I had pictures of was the 'make your own frappuccino' bar. Since the bride and I met while working in a coffee shop, I found it only appropriate to have a coffee bar at her baby shower. Not only did the mom-to-be love it, so did all the guests! From toffee bits; to brownie crumbles; vanilla syrup to caramel sauce; it was a very happy frappuccino bar indeed! And who says these things have to be reserved just for weddings? Not I. Delicious 'treat' bars, whether coffee, candy, or ice cream, should be enjoyed at any and every event. Let's be honest, they make us smile.

One of my favorite little touches from this shower is the silhouette pictured above. This is the actual silhouette of mom-to-be, which also acted as the design on the invitation. It was a fun little treat taking SIDE-WAYS pictures of mom-to-be when she had no clue what it was for. I was real glad she was a good sport about it because I think they came out adorable. :)



Obviously baby's name is Ella. :) We, my partner in crime (aka MOM) and I, had a lot of fun designing ella's name out of craft wire and blossoms. Mom-to-be liked them so much that she even decided to hang them in the nursery. :)

Mom-to-be and I. I believe Ella was born very-soon after the shower but I can't quite remember. Happy baby showers! It seems like babies are all around right now!

It's all in the packaging.

I have been waiting oh-so-patiently for a couple months now for my birch tubes from small stump. I think I have been a very good girl waiting and waiting (although I was dying wanting to have them! They are SO cute :) Well, I was thrilled last night when husband walked in the door with a box... YAY! The birch tubes are here. I opened up the package and let me just tell you, what I found was a package of JOY and happy. I think I was now more excited about the packaging than the birch tubes. I heart you small stump.

Lost & Found

I was really excited to come across these baby shower pictures this weekend because I didn't really know if they even existed. I had just been saying last week that I was sad I didn't have any pictures from this shower. Well I am sad no more, because now I have some! (They are not the best, but at least they can remind me of what I did, right?) This was a baby shower a friend and I threw 3 years ago for our friend Erin. Pink, green, and chocolate brown seem to be consistently popular for baby showers (and wedding showers), so I thought I would share these with you all. Hope you enjoy! :)

A memory board to hold cards of 'blessings' for baby to come and also some cute pics of mom as a baby :)








Mom-to-be opening presents :)

My dear, dear friend made these delicious Martha Stewart fresh fruit layer cakes for the shower. (The recipe was similar to this only it wasn't lemon.)

Ok, this is probably the best baby shower game on the planet. The girls laughed SO hard during this game. Here's how it works: Two people hold a faux clothesline while each girl takes a turn acting as "mom." This means "mom" has to hang baby clothes on the clothesline with clothespins, while holding a real baby, and holding a phone up to the ear. Each person is given a minute and whoever hangs the most baby outfits wins! (If an outfit is hung without a clothespin, it doesn't count). It is so easy; all you need is: 1 clothesline (rope or twine), a bucket of clothespins, 1 laundry basket of baby clothes, 1 phone, and 1 baby (if a real baby isn't possible, use a doll :)

The game tag.

I’ve been tagged by Ami (aka Elizabeth) from Elizabeth Anne Designs! So, now it is my turn to share 6 random things about myself. Here are the rules of this little game:

1. link back to the person who tagged you.
2. post these rules on your blog.
3. share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. tag six people at the end of your entry.
5. let the tagged people know by leaving a comment on their blogs

Alrighty, let's get to it!

1. My sweet husband proposed to me on the ever-beautiful Great Wall of China. When he got down on his knee I was mad because I thought he was lying and pulling some cruel joke; then I realized he was serious. The feelings were indescribable and that day changed my whole life.

2. I have watched Teminator 2 (and many other Arnold movies) at least 20 times at my own free will. He was my first crush...started when I was about 3 years old. Please do not harass me or ask me why. (I think I may still have my life size cut out of Mr. Freeze).

3. My family (and close friends) have called me 'bug' since I was born. Many of them still do. (Side note: My sister was nick-named Care-Bear before the "Care-Bears" were invented. Thus, I still call her 'bear' to this day. I am sure people are perplexed when we are out in public calling each other 'bug' & 'bear.')

4. In the 4th grade, my mom helped me write a rap to perform in front of the entire school for class elections. I was in 4th grade and I was running for Vice President of the entire school. What was I thinking? Anyway, I took the stage and then completely freaked out. (It was a combination of stage fright and all those big 6th grade bullies sitting out there). It was quite possibly one of my most embarrassing moments in life. I stood before the entire school, a wee-little 4th grader, and whispered on the microphone, "Mom, come up here. Mom, come here." (She was an aide at the school and was at the ceremony.) To my shock, she walked out of the gymnasium and left me all alone on the stage. She knew that if I could see her and if she didn't walk out, I would not get the guts to do it. How do moms always know?! Sure enough, she walked out, and I did the rap. And guess what? I was Vice President in the 4th grade.

5. When I was young I had a big-huge crush on J.T.T. (Jonathan Taylor Thomas). I even had a poster of him on my wall. Who would have known that I would find and marry my own J.T.T.?! And to top it off, his middle name is even Taylor.

6. I could eat Japanese food several days a week. I dream of the day that I have my very own Japanese kitchen and range.

6 & 1/2. Until I got married I never had a sweet-tooth. Now I eat dessert almost every night. (And no, I am not pregnant.)

Now I tag...

Zann Starbuck at Womb for Rent
Aron at Runner's Rambles
Erin Davis at Studio 317
Breanne Schaap at Schaap Studios
Kathy Miller
Crystal Dodson at Behold Photography

A story.

Ok, disregard my "caught-off guard, didn't know husband had the camera" look, and check out the scenery. Doesn't it look like Lord of the Rings could be filmed here? It's un-real. I was pretending all day that we were in New Zealand (or some other exotic place) and we lived in a beautiful hillside hut with lots of green grass and pretty flowers. Oh, how it made my heart happy to dream of living in some beautiful far-off land. Then we got on the freeway and I remembered we were not in New Zealand after all, then I cried. Bah. The end.

Custom Invitations

I am a firm believer that personal invitations set the tone to an event in an amazingly unique way. (I am not saying that personal invitations never go WRONG, because oh, they do). But so often, people are amazed and overwhelmed by the personal touch it brings when pictures and unique touches are included. That brings me to this post.

A friend (and reader of the blaaahg) asked if I would do a post with pictures of our wedding invitations. She said and I quote, "Because I seriously think they were the most amazing ones [invitations] I have ever seen!" I thought, "Well that's nice and that would be fun!"

So, it comes with good timing after showcasing my business cards, because here is another magnificent project designed by photographer & designer, Erin at Studio 317. Let me be honest, these pictures do our invitations no justice. They were scrumptious; printed on a heavy linen paper. Oh, I love texture :) A snow-covered tree that sprawled across the invitation set the perfect tone for our winter wonderland wedding. All photos used on our stationary were from our super fun engagement session up in the beautiful Redwood's with Erin.

There were 4 separate pieces to our invitations:
#1 - The invitation itself
#2 - The RSVP postcard (I loved making the RSVP card personal. I am tired of the boring "Ms. Barry Will or Will Not Attend" SPICE IT UP! Make the statements reflect your wedding! Get creative!)
#3 - Our story card: 'How two lives become one' (This card was a fun way of telling our guests all about our story; from how met, to dating, the proposal, and our hopes for the wedding. Guests seemed to love it. In fact, many told us about tears shed while reading it.)
#4 - Directions & Accommodations


#1 - Front

#1 - Inside


#1 - Back


#2 - Front


#2 - Back


#3 - Front


#3 - Back


#4 - Front


#4 - Back