Carousel Horse Race

This Carousel Horse Race by Improv Everywhere made me smile.  Dylan would be beside himself if this happened to him!



via Color Me Katie

Elf donuts

Are you kidding me?

These elf-sized donuts made me laugh.  You won't believe how easy they are, either!  

Happy Monday!  May your day be Merry + Bright!

Spotted on Ohdeedoh

Paul's work in Standard Magazine

My talented husband's artwork and home objects are featured in the new issue of Standard magazine.  The starburst headboard he made even made the cover!

Many thanks to Standard's Editorial Director, Kelly LaPlante.

Congratulations, Paul!  We love you and are so proud of you!

Clients from Hell

The website Clients from Hell has me cracking up.  In my work, I sometimes feel like it's a constant battle of good design vs. horrible, terrible, no good, very bad, awful design.  The effort to push creative, great design can be exhausting and frustrating.  But, as I read through the hilarious scenarios on Clients from Hell, I feel comfort in knowing I'm not alone in the war on suck-y design + ridiculous clients.

A few of my favorite quotes...

"Could you please send me a different file— one that is not a… what’s it called…jpg? I spent the last two hours trying to copy the text from this thing, and it is driving me crazy!"

Party-mania

Sorry for being MIA ever since Thanksgiving.  After waking up from my deep food coma, I've been running around like a mad woman preparing for Dylan's birthday party this weekend.  AH!  I'm really excited.  Last year we just had a 'little' family + close friends get together, but this year I actually got my act together and invited Dylan's entire class.  I can't wait to see how much fun he will have with his friends!

Plus, what could be more fun than an art party?  Here is a shot of the invitation I made for the party.  I had meant to order them off of minted., but ran out of time so I just did it myself.  I can't wait to share the rest of the party with you!

So, hang with me and forgive my sporadic posts.  I'm hoping to get a little holiday gift guide up this week, but don't hold it against me if it takes me until next week.  In the meantime, there are TONS of fun holiday ideas out there right now.  Check out my favorites!

Design Mom's great finds for the men in your life.  (Plus tons more!)

DIY pom-pom garland.  I just love pom-poms, don't you?

Pintrest gift guides!  I just joined pintrest and I'm pretty much obsessed.

Oh Joy! gift guides just started.  Check out the first two posts here and here.

The sweetest Advent Calendar ideas.

A yummy 10-minute meal for those crazy holiday evenings after those crazy holiday days.

There is lots out there to share.  I'll be sure to post some more link love when I can!  For now, I hope this made up for my absence.

xoxo!
steph

happy weekend

{image via the cherry blossom girl}

Lovelies,  I am always ready for the weekend, but after this week, I am especially happy.  It was one of those weeks where you demand the universe tell you, 'what is going on!' and I am glad to bid it adieu.

What will you be up to this weekend?  We have a f.u.l.l. schedule which includes shopping for a new car and franticly preparing for Dylan's birthday party.  I am really excited about my little man's 3rd birthday festivities, but didn't realize that I would only have one weekend to plan it when I set the party date for December 4th.  Whoops!  Darn December birthdays...there really isn't an easy way of doing one.  But, I can't wait to share the party details with you!

Some link love...

It's my sister, Katie's, birthday today.  She was going to amputate a patient's leg on her birthday, but that got cancelled.  So she did fat injections to the buttocks of another patient instead.  WOW. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE!  You are truly a special duck.

If you think the feathery purse above is gorgeous...wait until you see the wedding.  Oui! Oui!

Beautiful polaroids.

Oh, wouldn't it be amazing to spend a day here.  I don't know if I'd ever leave.

A pretty Thanksgiving paper-chain. Free template download + instructions!

More pretty Thanksgiving decor!

This is my kind of library.

The pesky coat closet organization solved.  At least, it's something to think about doing.

Speaking of coat closets...check out this glam entry way.

How to properly warm up.

The perfect striped shirt. 

A gorgeous calendar.

xo,
steph

blue lily photography

I recently snagged a very cool thing.: a time slot with Wendy + Tyler of Blue Lily Photography!  This adorable, fun, crazy couple sets up photo sessions in cities around the world, and they are coming to Austin in May. The location is a horse ranch and I am so excited!  I can't wait to meet the creative force behind these beautiful photographs and see the photos they take of our little family!  See more photo goodness, here.

xo,

steph

Maira Kalman + inspiration

{image by maira kalman via inspiration boards}

Maira Kalman is an amazing, amazing illustrator, writer and creative.  This morning I read something she said in an interview:

"I do everything I do because I love to do it, even when I worry or am confused or slightly in despair. Those feelings usually pass. And then the next day is there.  
Always a good thing. The next day."

To me, a good quote is like those yummy Flintstone vitamins I took when I was little:  I can never have enough.  

If you haven't already read Maira's book, The Principles of Uncertainty, you should.  It's just a fun book to own.  And keep out on your coffee table to thumb through and then realize you just spent an hour thumbing through it.  Dylan loves her children's books, too.  We have this one and this one.  Whenever I pick up her books I think: "I want to be her friend," and then, "I wish I was good at drawing."  And, really, I am a terrible drawer.  It has happened, on multiple occasions, that I have drawn a requested 'thing' for Dylan and he simply looks at me in confusion.  It's as if he is 32-years-old and thinking, "Mom, what the hell is that?  Because I asked for a monkey."

Sigh.

xo,

steph

gifted

{image via creature comforts}

Have you seen the new Gifted Magazine yet?  It made my holiday heart flutter!  Gift guides, free templates and wrapping ideas, oh my!

xo,
steph

hello again.

{image via nectar + light}

Sometimes a little break is good for the soul.  And sometimes you don't realize it until after you've neglected said somethings for a week.  Just like I did to my sad little blog.  But, I am back.  Hello.  Although I wish I could say I return to you all well-rested after hours of divine pampering.  And confess {brag} that I now have a terrifically clean house and an entire week of gourmet meals prepared.  I'm guessing you would know I was lying and you'd probably also guess that I spent the entire weekend working on Dylan's Halloween costume and that my house is still covered in feathers and felt remnants and I have a crick in my neck from slouching in front of the sewing machine.

You know me so well.

A few questions:

1. Has anyone else broken three (or more!!) iPhones?  Or is it just me?

2.  Have you gotten your mums yet?

3. Ok, so this isn't a question, but I can't resist.  

I shamelessly present to you, the cutest monster costume. Ever.  {Tail and Hat to follow}

4. Can someone please buy me this fabric? 

{image via design*sponge}

5.  Have you visited P is for Party yet?  My friend, Christi, just unveiled her new blog design and it is fabuloso!  Congrats Christi!

{image via P is for Party via Kiki La Ru}

Hope you are having a wonderful day, even if it is a Monday and you have a cracked cell phone.  Did you know that those screen protectors keep the glass shards out of the side of your face?  At least, mine has so far.  

It's my mom's birthday today.  Happy, happy birthday Mom. I love you and am so thankful for you!

xo,

steph

p.s. I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow like this.  What do you think?  

Socialnomics...

My co-worker just got back from a business trip to Vegas.  (I know there are lots of business trips to Vegas, but I still think that sounds like an oxymoron).  Anyway, he attended a seminar on the impact of social media and sent me a link to this youtube video this morning.  Watch it.  I think it's amazing.  Can you believe "Socialnomics" is actually a term now?  If it is anything remotely close to the world of economics I will fail miserably at understanding it.

xo,

steph

Keep your head up high

I saw this stop-motion video on Designmom via SwissMiss and it made me happy.  Can you imagine actually creating this?  The makers shot 60,000 pictures and developed 9,600 prints.  Seriously.

Sometimes I have an overwhelming appreciation for the value of expressed creativity.  Doesn't it feel good to watch such inspiration unfold before your eyes?  Watching this video reminded me that there is so much life out there.   This was a much needed reminder because a few days ago our house was broken into and we were robbed.  I have a lot of thoughts about this: I feel angry and kind of scared.  I feel violated.  I feel thankful that nothing was vandalized.  I feel confused.  I also feel like I could moonlight as a detective--I can't stop looking for clues and I'm pretty sure the officer could have gotten a good fingerprint.  I mean CSI does it.

I digress.  Mostly, I feel sad. Sad that our home was violated.  Sad that we lost our computer and that I hadn't backed it up since January so all of our photos from this year are gone.  Sad that my beloved camera is gone.  Sad that people feel compelled to steal.  I have thought about the thieves that came into our home many times since Tuesday afternoon.  And, usually after cursing their behavior, I can't help but grieve for the life they lead.  The song in the video is I and Love and You by Avett Brother's. Edit: Sorry, this is totally wrong.  The song in the video is actually Johannes Stankowski (Werle & Stankowski).  You can download a free ringtone and MP3 here!  Check out the Avett Bros, too!

One of the lyrics is:

"Take it easy, keep your head up high.
No need for sorrow and despair.
Just keep on movin', it's such a
wondrous world out there."

I love that I can choose to see my world as wondrous.  I didn't always think it worked that way, but it does: It's a choice.  And I guess that's what makes me so sad for the people who robbed us: they are more broken than I know.  I hope one day they choose to see how big and bright and good this world can be.

xo,
steph