Bello

Some more fantastic prints from Etsy's shop blancucha. Beautiful prints by Blanca Gómez, illustrator and designer living and working in Madrid. It's no surprise it is mostly sold out. I'll find a blank wall somewhere to put these when more become available.

Lost & Found

If you remember my massive search for the antique airplane prints, I have news. I found them! At PB Kids of all places! That was unexpected.

Sweet Ts

This adorable shirt for B from Honey Bee Tees arrived on Saturday. I LOVE it (as does he)! Am posting a couple more sweet ones below. And if you get a chance, check out their blog...I am inspired!

Take Two

I'm back. The art store I frequent because of it's proximity to my son's preschool was offering a calligraphy class by a GREAT teacher and I couldn't pass it up. I figured if I could tough out another six weeks of learning then at last I could include my own lettering in my work and even change my design style a bit.

The last class I took (which was a packed class of 2o or so people) felt like torture at times. I think it's because I didn't have kids and didn't appreciate the peace that comes with repeating 3 letters for 3 hours. It's totally different now. I love the quiet, the sound of the pen scratching the paper, and the fluid motion of the copperplate font. I find myself looking forward to it every week, and even finding time to practice when I can (though it's not often).

I sometimes wonder if there is anything quite as beautiful as the simplicity of the line? You can draw emotion with one little stroke. Something to think about.

Hopefully I'll get some more (and more refined) samples up here soon.

Falling Short

Scrolling down briefly through my blog made me realize that I truly am a terrible blogger. How some people are able to update their blogs even every week amazes me. So here is a little taste of one of the many things that has been occupying the places that blog ideas usually reside. I'll upload the whole invitation package when it is complete late summer. This is for The Arthritis Foundation's annual gala. They have been a great organization to work with on this!

Love is in the Air!

I have seen some pretty adorable Valentine's cards out there. It has been great reflecting on elementary school days of making my own mailbox out of one of mom's shoe boxes and pink construction paper—anticipating the cards I would receive the next day. Hoping for some secret admirer.

On one Valentine's—in the third grade—I did receive a mysterious valentine as I always hoped I would. In the tiny envelope was my unsigned valentine (I can't remember what it said-but I believe it was Batman) and a metal bracelet that had been painted purple. It clearly had once belonged to an older sister as the paint was almost entirely worn off and the clasp worked like it had seen some better days.

I must admit—I was a bit disappointed to receive some old used jewelery. It felt stolen. And the whole "secret admirer" thing was not quite as exciting as I thought it would be. It only left me wondering.

He never fessed up. But perhaps my reluctance to ever wear the bracelet sent it's own message and scared him off. But let's be honest, I was dreadfully frightened that some fifth grade girl would see it on my wrist and claim it as her own.

So if you are out there—and reading this—I'm sorry.

B's class was instructed not to exchange cards this year, but I had already printed them. So I snuck them into their school bags at the end of the day. It was his first official school Valentine's—and having been utterly consumed with feeding, changing K's diapers, and not sleeping—I needed to get some creative energy out. And if you are wondering—it most definitely encapsulates his little personality.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Shortcuts

Above by Inkorporated

With a now cramping hand from addressing invitations and thank you notes—and with birth announcements and Christmas cards around the corner (and more thank yous!)—I can't help but think of more efficient ways to correspond.

I have, in all honesty, been contemplating the return address rubber stamp. But having put little time into researching what was out there, I just assumed my only option was the self inking circular stamp that you see everywhere. Shuddering at the thought of placing something so generic on our family cards, I put it off. No offense to those who use them—they do serve a great purpose.

So all I had to do was spend about 10 minutes looking on Etsy to find these great stamps! Cramping hand no more!




Above images by Note Trunk