rhymeswithfun

revealed!

2012-02-02T13:27:00.000+01:00

we nicknamed the baby "bebo" and kept referring to them as "he" by accident, and lo and behold we were right the whole time! the other crazy part is i had a dream when we were still living in our temporary apartment and in the dream i turned to my mom and SUPER casually said "fyi, it's a boy, so think aqua and white stripes" and then walked away just as casually. AHHH!!!

145 days left to go...we can't wait to meet you, sweet little boy!!!

write more

2012-02-02T12:42:00.000+01:00

while living far away from family and friends, we are lucky that technology keeps us so connected. with skype and facebook--it's *almost* like we never left. however, one of my resolutions this year is to actually use my extensive stash of stationery and cards and WRITE, WRITE, WRITE to my cute pen pal giulietta, my swiss cousins, and my email pen pal maeve (who i have traded extensive chaptered novels with weekly, thanks friend :)

found via pinterest see more on etsy: marykatemcdevitt

a swiss FOOD christmas

2012-02-01T11:16:00.000+01:00

part II of our wonderful weekend in switzerland. there are SOOO many food pictures, i might need to do a part III...! are you drooling yet???

1: clementines, christmas cookies and warm apple tart
2: fresh baked warm, cheesy, gooey, flaky ramequin from the outdoor market
3: homemade fois gras with fleur de sel
4: christmas dinner course styled by my cute aunt
5: the main christmas dinner course(s) by more cute aunts and my grandma
6: chocolate lava cake with raspberry sauce by my cousin khuê (i helped ;)

a swiss christmas

2012-01-13T18:17:00.000+01:00

i can hardly believe it's already the middle of january, i feel like christmas was just last week. since our weekend with my european family was so fantastic, i've split my favorite iphone photos into two groups...stay tuned for part II!

1: la grande-duchesse de gérolstein operetta at the opéra de lausanne

2: the [VERY hilly] rolex learning center at école polytechnique fédérale de lausanne

3: mandatory jumping picture

4: a beautiful sunny day in downtown lausanne
5: my cousin khuê helped us knit wool and the gang trophy headbands

6: my adorable grandma when we surprised her with the baby news! (she later told me she thought i gave her a framed picture of a landscape, HA)

happy new year!

2011-12-31T23:30:00.000+01:00

once we announced our baby news, a friend asked me if I could add more life-changing events to this year. we've had amazing fireworks shows outside our window all evening and will be skyping with our families early in the morning to re-celebrate midnight in the US...as there is only thirty minutes left of 2011, i'm keeping my fingers crossed we have a peaceful, non-eventful remainder to the year ;)

i have a lot of really fun plans for 2012 (a contest or two???) and i'm looking forward to what the new year will bring. thank you all for your support and love, wishing you a fabulous new year! cheers!!!

SURPRISE!!!

2011-12-30T19:35:00.000+01:00

goodbye november, hello new apartment!

2011-11-30T17:45:00.001+01:00

today we moved into our new apartment and we are SO excited! it's a simple, modern and open layout with huge floor to ceiling windows and a beautiful deck. the view is fantastic (around the corner you can see downtown copenhagen in the distance), we are near lots of open space for milo and only 3 miles from the beach.

it feels really settling to have our things out of storage and i can't wait to decorate and organize. chris' work friends have already given us tips for finding vintage scandinavian furniture...YES!

happy turkey day!

2011-11-24T18:01:00.001+01:00

it has been an eventful year. i had ups and downs and boring normalcy for sure. you always learn from hardships and they only make you stronger. on the flip side, when life gives you something to smile about then be happy and treat yourself (i do--often with sweets). i have so much to be thankful for this year, and feel REALLY lucky to be me.

i miss you US family and friends but skype and facebook (and email, blogs and twitter) keep us as close as you can be while across an ocean...happy thanksgiving to those on the other side of the atlantic!!!

baking for one

2011-11-14T14:20:00.001+01:00

yesterday i made this recipe of chocolate chip cookies (with chris' help--stirring cookies by hand is a workout!) which was perfect since it only made 16 cookies. as the only dairy/egg eater in this household, it is dangerous to make regular amounts of baked goods since i would have no problem eating 100% of the entire batch...seriously.

when i was on pinterest, what did i find but a cake recipe for one! it's small and adorable and baked in a tin can! PLUS, it's chocolate and peanut butter...YUM. i cannot wait to try this out, how cute would it be to throw a party with a variety of mini cakes on the table???

thanks picky palate and happy 4th birthday to you! :)

and we're back

2011-11-08T11:26:00.000+01:00

when we got back to denmark, it felt strangely like home...it's interesting that although life here is sooo different than what we've been used to our entire lives, we are starting to finally feel like we are a part of this new life now.

milo has settled into city living pretty easily and like a cat, loves people watching from our window. i'm so glad to have him here since i am home a lot during the day and it's nice to have snuggly company :)

design*sponge craft + book party

2011-10-13T02:23:00.000+02:00

i was lucky to craft with the lovely grace (and amy!) of design*sponge at anthropologie for her book tour, and it was SO MUCH FUN!!! we created custom wooden wax seals using wooden dowels and woodburning tools. I had never used a woodburning pen before and let me just say, it is NOT like drawing with a pen. AT ALL. as a project that used materials i wasn't familiar with, it ended up being pretty easy and i was super excited with how my little milo turned out!

i also sat at the same table as erin, laura, kara and jen from red stamp--the cutest bunch! they have the best app for sending really fun and well-designed cards through your iphone or ipad! check it out here.

the even MORE exciting part of my evening was hanging out with bff dana all night!!! and dinner with mike tv at convention grill too, YUM.

(doesn't my chevron attempt look like charlie brown's shirt???)

poor milo...

2011-10-12T18:33:00.000+02:00

i am back stateside and i don't know who missed me more, my family and friends...or MILO. he jumped all over me at insane heights and was SOOO excited it was like he won the bacon lottery! once he got over the excitement i was just another person to play with. good thing he wears himself out or i'd never get anything done.

we're bringing him back with us to copenhagen next week, so think good thoughts for him while he's on his long journey overseas!!!

present&correct

2011-10-03T01:10:00.000+02:00

have you heard of present&correct before? they stock the most wonderful things--it makes you wish it was always back to school time! their shop contains items they've designed themselves, things they love from other designers and vintage items from all over europe. make sure to peruse the whole site because their photography styling is really fun. (their blog is a visual treat too! check it out here.)

bon anniversaire!

2011-09-30T16:33:00.003+02:00

it's my wonderful mother's birthday today and i wish i could be there in person to celebrate with her! though we're far apart she makes time in her busy schedule to email and skype regularly which i'm so grateful for. i am heading home soon and can't wait to spend time with her and treat her to loads of birthday treats :) HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

[image via pinterest with no original source linked]

home sweet [temporary furnished] home

2011-09-27T12:48:00.001+02:00

we're living in a temporary apt, and it's been...different. you've seen how great our neighborhood is and the apartment itself is nice with hardwood floors, lots of windows and natural light. the downside is it's less than 650 square feet and filled with 95% NOT our things. the apartment has a kitchen, bathroom, 2 bedrooms, and a dining/living room. it's mostly furnished by ikea (which is fine) but on skype my cousin pointed out "it's so...WHITE." we are getting milo soon, so we'll see how long that lasts! (just kidding, management)

fun fact: in reality there are only 13 plastic plants, not a million

paper bicycle daily pattern: triangle

2011-09-25T23:32:00.001+02:00

i drew "fashion flags" (as they called it at paper bicycle) for the triangle theme and amped up my love of color for this happy banner pattern!

iva jean rain cape

2011-09-14T22:29:00.000+02:00

after living here for over a month now, my biggest tip would be "carry an umbrella AT ALL TIMES." the weather is incredibly unpredictable with showers hitting you out of the blue (literally) on and off throughout the day. i once went into a grocery store for less than 15 minutes and upon exiting had to run home through pouring rain.

we are planning on getting bikes this week (YAY) and how great would it be to have a rain cape like this one to protect you from the elements??? it has so many practical features (TONS of cinching) and looks super cute on too! perfect to wear riding your bike and walking around in this cool fall weather.

good luck to iva jean (and sweet amelia presents :) on daily candy's start small go big--i put in loads of votes for you...fingers crossed!

beaches

2011-09-12T22:32:00.000+02:00

i was going through photos (do you notice they multiply the longer you take to organize them?) and found these fun beach ones i took during our west coast trip this summer. since my old roomie and i went on a fantastic trip to santa cruz during college and she currently lives in california (one of my favorite states!) this post is dedicated to her...
happy birthday michie, love ya!

girl, put your records on

2011-09-12T14:57:00.001+02:00

LOOK AT THIS AMAZING WEDDING INVITATION!!! not only is the design just fantastic and fun, but the invitation ITSELF folds up and allows you to play the included record that contains a song written and sung by the bride and groom. SO CUTE! check out the designer's blog link below for the full story and details about their process.

[seen via pinterest, green wedding shoes, and kelli anderson's blog--the SWEET designer behind this amazing piece of work!]

copenhagen design week

2011-09-09T15:37:00.000+02:00

we braved the storms and went to various exhibits during copenhagen design week, with this year's theme being "think human." the egg-crate-esque coffin was actually one of the more interesting things i saw. it was a completely different aesthetic than a traditional oak coffin which got me wondering--why aren't there more modern coffin options? will the options be different when WE [knock on wood] pass away? (especially since the egg crate material is biodegradable) i luckily don't know much about the coffin industry, but it was definitely interesting to think about.

i bought this AMAZING notebook from about:blank and i love it! it's an A6 sized notebook that opened flat becomes an A5 size layout, the pages are nice and thick with faint grid lines that aren't visible when photocopying/scanning, and when you tear one page out it doesn't make another page fall out...genius! i love when details are so well thought out. [image from their website]

pinspiration: yarn + nails

2011-09-08T13:02:00.000+02:00

remember those projects we did when we were kids at summer camps--with nails and wood and yarn winding? this reminded me of that, but in a grown-up and fun sort of way. i'm pretty sure i want this in my future house...how easy (and inexpensive) it would be to update with new phrases and colors whenever you wanted to!

this post is named "pinspiration" in honor of SOMEONE, who has a disappointingly low appreciation of portmanteaus. you're welcome.

[image found on pinterest and simply grove, a great interiors blog]

paper bicycle daily pattern: snakes

2011-09-06T20:24:00.000+02:00

for paper bicycle's snake theme, i found my cozy fall color palette on pinterest (find me here http://pinterest.com/rhymeswithfun) and made the snakes triangularly wide AKA they are well-fed and friendly. they just want to lie flat and veg out in their pretty colors. (or in the squiggly patterned snake's case--imitate the snake shoe horn at IKEA ;)

tivoli gardens

2011-09-05T18:28:00.000+02:00

we spent the day at tivoli (an amusement park here in copenhagen) and it was so fun! they have beautiful gardens, concerts and shows, carnival games, crazy rides (we're waiting for visitors...swings spinning at 260ft in the air scare me) and tons of food. we saw a few shows and concerts, ate at a delicious buffet for dinner (chris was SO happy) and decided we are definitely going to join an archery club someday.

[last two photos taken by chris]

house hunting

2011-09-01T14:01:00.000+02:00

today chris and i are going house hunting, as we would like to be out of our temporary apartment by the end of october. we know our next place would ideally have a yard for milo to frolic in...what are the chances our view out the window will be as beautiful as this?!

[image found on pinterest]

great minds = twice the flowers

2011-08-31T23:52:00.000+02:00

i was walking around our neighborhood recently and picked up some beautiful dahlias to fill our $7 water bottles (courtesy of tivoli--more on that later) and cute mini succulents...unbeknownst to me, chris was ALSO out buying flowers, so when i got home these colorful gerbera daisies were waiting for me! great minds! now our kitchen has a happy little corner and i can't wait to add more plants to our collection. (thanks mom for adopting all the plants we had to leave behind :)

paper bicycle daily pattern: winter

2011-08-26T19:47:00.001+02:00

i had so much fun designing this atari-inspired knitted print for the winter theme on paper bicycle this week!

if you remember my fair isle monster hat it's actually pretty easy to knit your own designs into simple knitting projects. (sadly, there is no easy way to shorten the amount of hours it takes to FINISH said knitting project though...)

you've got mail

2011-08-26T13:24:00.004+02:00

i'm on the home stretch of all our thank you cards and had to post a picture--i love how they turned out! i bought solid red cards and envelopes for a fun pop of [danish] color and chris had the smart and simple idea to use white tape to create the flag design. GENIUS!

ps. i LOVE receiving mail too...pen pals, anyone? *wink*

that's what friends [and family!] are for

2011-08-22T23:52:00.001+02:00

the flipside to the excitement of moving to another country is how much you end up missing family, friends and everything familiar. it's been really hard being so far away from everyone but luckily i have wonderful people in my life who send me nice long email replies, chat with me on skype and thoughtfully send me packages of things i miss like double stuf oreos and my slippers. for my favorite people i've been making colorful friendship bracelets and will be sending them in the mail soon...hope they love their little gift and think of me when they wear them :)

my inspiration and tutorial link came from this post on [dandee] showcasing her fun craft camp invitation. i LOVE the original parent trap and her invitation is just adorable!

pops of neon

2011-08-18T16:38:00.001+02:00

it's been very gray lately here with on and off showers, so it brightened my day to see this post by a creative mint so wonderfully styled with happy pops of neon. i love my japanese patterned washi tape and try to use it on everything. (what a great idea to use it to mark an event over multiple days on a calendar...and hers is hand-drawn too, LOVE)

make sure to visit the blog a creative mint to see more inspiring photos. (you can even sort by color if you like :)

happy [august] day!

2011-08-16T13:31:00.000+02:00

there are so many wonderful people in my life born in the month of august (including my cute cousin trân and my lovely aunt tata quân!) but wanting to wish a happiest of birthdays to my dad today! you deserve a fabulous milestone of a birthday and i hope milo bothers you just a LITTLE bit less to play since it's your special day ;) i miss you and love you so much!!!

[image from pinterest ...i figured it was a manly cupcake]

paper bicycle daily pattern: abstract

2011-08-15T00:24:00.004+02:00

it has been surprisingly difficult to find cute stationery here in copenhagen--my recent notebook quest was actually solved by finding a muji section at a department store in malmö. (yes, i do own A LOT of cute blank notebooks but sadly they are currently in the ship container sailing the seven seas)

for one of paper bicycle's daily pattern this week (topic: abstract) i did a pattern in fun colorways i wish i could find on a notebook...if only i had my screenprinting supplies (again, sailing the ocean blue) or knew where a printer was around here, my dreams could come true.

malmö, sweden

2011-08-14T22:25:00.009+02:00

last weekend we went to malmö, sweden for a little day trip since it's only a short train ride away. it was such a beautiful and clean city, and everyone was really friendly! the prices are slightly lower than denmark so we were able to pick up a few things for the apartment and do research for future shopping. we had nice sunny weather towards the end of the day and enjoyed a lovely dinner outside.

BONUS...we even saw chris' twin (fifth photo ;)

remember these?

2011-08-05T18:55:00.004+02:00

this drawing posted on the kate spade blog is so cute! filed under #thingswelove...i totally agree, the juice was definitely the best part.

around the block

2011-08-04T13:48:00.008+02:00

photo 1: view out our kitchen window of the buildings across our courtyards

photo 2: we can hear church bells from this church often

photo 3: cafes with outdoor seating on østerbrogade

photo 4: pedestrians, bikers and cars co-exist in copenhagen with separated paths ;)

photo 5: street view of our apartment building

photo 6: view of cute buildings lined up on østerbrogade

photo 7: DOESN'T THIS LOOK LIKE A MUSTACHE???

we are really lucky because we never visited our temporary apartment before moving here, but the neighborhood is fantastic! there are a lot of restaurants and cafes with outdoor seating and you can always see people walking and biking around. we are near multiple grocery stores and fresh produce stands so you can walk around the block to get food as you need, instead of stocking up and having things go bad.

the apartment is located in the østerbro district which is just north of downtown. we are 1 block off the main road østerbrogade where there are more restaurants, stores, movie theaters, and where you can easily catch a bus to get downtown or out to the suburbs.

i love all of the old danish buildings because they are usually only 4-5 stories tall and all lined up neatly in a row. they are often all different colors and look really cheerful and happy.

WE LIVE IN COPENHAGEN!!!!!

2011-08-03T12:38:00.006+02:00

it still feels strange to admit we are here to stay...it sort of feels like we're just on vacation, but with more of our things than usual. i was REALLY sad to leave our family, friends and milo (insert lots of crying) and starting getting super nervous to move. however, with a cup half full, optimistic attitude, maybe we are really adaptable people and we'll just adjust super easily! it isn't at all frustrating we cannot find ziplock bags anywhere...! JUST KIDDING, i am actually super excited for our new adventures!

we flew in on a cloudy weekend, but luckily it never really rained. we went on an unexpected expedition to find pre-paid cell phones because there was construction at a train stop we needed to get to. after we switched trains multiple times (ok, we might have accidentally gone the wrong direction a couple times) waited for buses that never came or were full, we FINALLY made it to the "mall" to find out they closed already! so we went home and had delicious homemade spaghetti sauce (a la chris) with gigantic mushrooms, fresh bread, and relaxed like everyone does in the evenings here. it's actually really nice most places close by 6pm...it forces you to take it easy and hang out with loved ones once you get home from work. what an idea! ;)

happy august

2011-08-01T23:24:00.004+02:00

though it might feel like this year is just flying by, summer is not over yet! despite the crazy heat, put on a cute summer dress and make sure to get out there and enjoy some sun and ice cream (or sorbet ;)

i collaborated last year with my friends sarah, maeve and kara on a 2011 calendar which was so much fun! we are slowly being separated (literally...i left, and now maeve has moved to new york) so it'll be even more fun to work on future projects together now that we don't get to see each other every day.

miss you lovely ladies, xo!!!

the party invitation

2011-07-19T16:33:00.007+02:00

our wonderful friends allison and mike & dana threw us a FABULOUS going away party this past weekend, complete with instant-sweat-inducing weather courtesy of mn ;) pictures to come but wanted to post the ADORABLE invitation allison created!!! i asked her to design a fun poster that we can hang on the wall at our new place as a souvenir of our last big get-together, and she did not disappoint (she did the OPPOSITE of disappoint it's so cute!). there's a map of denmark, fun fonts, cute bikes, herring, and even a little milo...all in my favorite red & aqua colors!

THANK YOU soul mate, i love it!

great stripes!

2011-07-14T06:01:00.006+02:00

it is definitely the season for stripes and anne m cramer has designed SUPER FUN striped skirts (with pockets!) for her spring collection and i saw now there is a great striped top for fall too. she lives in minneapolis and was recently featured in matchbook magazine (a GREAT read) with pictures of her super cute house and family's collection of chucks :) my favorite part of the article describes her style "...as if Kate Spade met Alice in Wonderland and started making clothes." um...LOVE!

(to read more, see pages 116-125 of the july issue)

happy day!

2011-07-02T16:56:00.006+02:00

wishing the happiest of birthdays to bff dana and chris' fun mom nancy!!! hoping dana has a fantastic weekend home in cincy with her family and nancy has a fantastic weekend at home hosting a million people at their lakeside house...wisconsin here we come :D

ps. i designed this striped hat! beautifully styled picture found on pinterest

paper bicycle daily pattern: minneapolis

2011-07-02T01:26:00.006+02:00

my extremely talented friends at paper bicycle manage to squeeze time amongst their busy days of designing for MORE designing...it's amazing what they do in a day! they started a really fun daily pattern project and post their versions of selected themes every day to their cute blog.

i joined in this past week for the minneapolis theme as a tribute to my favorite twin cities desserts! when we were recently visiting copenhagen i ordered a chocolate shake and it cost TEN DOLLARS, yikes. no wonder europeans are so skinny...

we're moving...LITERALLY

2011-07-01T22:42:00.005+02:00

for all you friends that haven't heard yet, chris has gotten himself a shiny new job in COPENHAGEN...as in DENMARK! we are so excited to start a new adventure and to be soon living in europe. we are entering such unfamiliar grounds that it makes me a little [ok, A LOT] nervous...but i know that means it will be a really great life experience for us :)

(all posts related to our adventures will have the label "copenbloggin" for easy searching!)

spoonflower :: ice cream

2011-05-15T19:03:00.006+02:00

last week's spoonflower contest was ice cream so OF COURSE i wanted to submit a cute pattern! i gave all my ice cream friends accessories (including one with feather flair to match me) and put them on a simple stripe background. it was fun to do since i always love to give inanimate objects personalities.

my friend allison always has amazing artwork with great details and patterned backgrounds PLUS she also loves working on creative projects outside of work so i have to thank her for the extra motivation! she also has a super cute submission under thislittlepiggy so feel free to vote for us :)

new cupcakes

2011-05-15T17:47:00.005+02:00

i recently made some cupcakes that happily went over really well (probably because they contain over 5 sticks of butter...!) for the dirt topping i crushed teddy grahams instead of oreos thinking that i'd get all chocolate and no cream. i didn't realize how bad i'd feel crushing tons of smiling bears though...next time i'll probably just use oreos ;)

printerette press

2011-05-15T06:56:00.005+02:00

my talented friend catherine left the corporate world not long ago to run her letterpress and design studio printerette press full time, and i couldn't be more proud of her!!! she is a fun and sweet person and amazing at designing beautiful stationery...i am so glad she is using her many skills to do what she loves. she knows i also have a great love for letterpress and has been helping me get reacquainted with running a printing press which has been so fun. (i took a class at the minnesota center for book arts last year which was fantastic) PLUS, she also worked with me on a top secret project which i will post about later :)

she is currently at the national stationery show in NYC at booth #1467 (which from the photo she posted looks super cute and amazing!) stop by and visit her if you're around and give her a big hug for me!

[photos from printerette]

testing testing

2011-02-05T06:14:00.004+01:00

HOLY SMOKES.

i'm finally testing out some blog headers...pinch yourselves, you're not dreaming. it's funny how much difference the slight saturation in a color or the width of a stripe can make. i always love red & aqua but we'll see what ends up sticking.

have a great weekend!

happy belated thanksgiving!

2010-12-01T06:31:00.004+01:00

hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving with family and friends, getting a lot to eat, and having time to relax! we went to wisconsin for the weekend where i spent time knitting and reading while indoors, and enjoying pleasant strolling weather while outdoors. i took this shot of lake du bay from the car...it looked the same as it would in summer, just frozen in time.

ps. if you still have turkey left over, i've invented the turkey scramble and it's delicious. mix eggs, shredded turkey, mashed potatoes, and cheese in a frying pan, then enjoy!

spoonflower results

2010-12-01T06:03:00.003+01:00

the kawaii theme for spoonflower was SO FUN to draw, it was really nice to find out i ended up getting 11th place out of 160 entries!!! a huge thanks to allison, chris and 385 mystery friends out there for the votes--it was such a neat surprise! :)

spoonflower

2010-09-28T06:21:00.005+02:00

if you haven't heard of spoonflower yet, it's a fantastic website where you can upload YOUR OWN DESIGNS and have custom printed fabric made. how fun is that??? my friend maeve motivated me to finally start an account, so you can find me under rhymeswithfun (you can even vote for me in this week's kawaii contest). although our house is cute fabric overload, i feel like buying your own prints would be too fun to miss out on!

poor blog...

2010-06-28T06:16:00.004+02:00

i can't believe how i've neglected you dear blog, i feel like time has just flown by! here is what's been going on since february in a nutshell, more details and pics to [belatedly] follow:

1. chris and i went to copenhangen and london with a mini stop in helsingborg, sweden too! it was all UH-MAY-ZING. (i'm surprised we even came back ;)

2. chris turned 30 so besides joining him in europe, i threw him a photo scavenger hunt/photo reenactment birthday party, followed by dinner at brasa and drinks & games at chatterbox.

3. i also turned 30 so chris, dana, and lauren (with help from mike and hieu) threw me a HUGE loft party complete with a red&aqua theme, puppy movies & rockband projected on a screen, frost your own cupcakes, italian food, a paparazzi wall, and...the EASTER BUNNY.

4. i started and completed a super fun pottery throwing class through the minneapolis community ed program with melissa and leah. i successfully mis-dated one of my pieces the year "2100."

5. i took a textile center class with melissa (thanks again, friend!) her cute mom and elisa at the textile center on dyeing wool felt with kool-aid and hand sewing woodland creatures. i made an eye-patch-wearing embroidered pirate bunny.

6. i have been working...A LOT. and it sadly makes me really tired.

7. to offset the pain of working, i have been trying to eat better (for me ;) and get exercise, so after losing 2 pounds already, i am starting to feel pretty great!

8. i've discovered this cuteoverload baby sloth post and it makes me SOOOOO HAPPY!!! when you watch the video my absolute FAVORITE part is when they show this lil guy above for the 2nd time. AHHH, SO FREAKIN' CUTE!!!

wishing a very good night to everyone and sweet dreams!

ps. did you think that i had posted a picture of an actual baby sloth in my own yard as my blog update? i just figured this would be cuter than stock clipart of a jagged highlighted alarm clock symbolizing time passing by and my lack of posts as of late ;P

pps. if you are still reading this, i truly thank you and would like to extend a virtual high five in your general direction. way to stick it out, this is a lot of writing--even for me.

skål & cheers

2010-02-07T20:22:00.007+01:00

chris and i are lucky to be spending ten amazing days in copenhagen and london, so watch for fun posts when i get back!

(we brought meerkat milo too...the real one wouldn't fare well on a european adventure ;)

tea shirts

2010-02-01T07:15:00.003+01:00

my cute and talented friend becca (who is MOVING TO TEXAS, sad) recommended i check out a blog called lovely package and it IS lovely, and i LOVE it! this was one of my favorite products featured--who wouldn't want mini tee-shirt shaped tea bags hanging around their kitchen??? or hanging in their cube at work??? super adorable.

(becca also generously gave me her namesake for ordering coffee at starbucks, so i can avoid the awkwardness of "van," "von," or [you can only laugh] "vune." she is so sweet...i will miss that fun girl!!!

tea party baby shower

2010-01-27T05:14:00.005+01:00

i've been friends with lauren and lisa for over 3 years now, so it was only natural for us to celebrate the first pregnancy between us in a big way! lauren and i threw the CUTEST tea party baby shower for lisa that you could imagine (if i do say so myself) i designed the invitations and put a hidden "lisa b" on the tea pot for fun. we had everyone wear pearls and fancy hats and had the most amazing spread of delicious apps and cupcakes. (i baked 65 cupcakes--the most i've ever done in one night) lauren had the sweetest idea of having all the guests bring baby vivienne a tea cup as a keepsake memento and seeing them all together was just adorable. the extremely talented amber was generous enough to take beautiful pictures for us, thank you! :)

vivi is due in 20 days, and i cannot WAIT to meet her!

1. summer 2006 2. shower invitation 3. tea pot close-up 4. lauren and i hosting (photo: amber) 5. becca and kara looking cute (photo: amber) 6. clockwise from top left: tea making station, tea cup collection, lauren's sweet fruit tartlets, vegan/gluten-free chocolate cupcakes, vanilla/cream cheese frosting cupcakes (photo: amber)

lights

2010-01-22T04:49:00.006+01:00

look what calvin gets to look at above his tank. the lamp shines fun heart-shaped projections on the wall!

ps. calvin is my cute turtle, he turns 10 this year :)

love is in the air

2010-01-20T03:37:00.003+01:00

i cannot believe how fast january is flying by, it's already february in less than 2 weeks! i need to get started my valentine's day cards, yikes.

(see more cute letterpressed cards at egg press :)

coquelicotsalon

2010-01-12T06:02:00.005+01:00

i LOVE hand warmers/wrist warmers/fingerless gloves (melissa knows!) and how cute are these embellished fingerless gloves by coquelicotsalon--i love them! the bow and buttons make them so fancy. and how fun are the polar bear fingerless gloves, i can't even believe it. (the kitty charm is INSANELY cute too, look at that lil winking eye ;)

found via housemartin--a REALLY cute blog

change something.

2010-01-07T06:10:00.004+01:00

i saw this linked on the bedlam of beefy and i just loved the simplicity of it. my parents always told me if i didn't like the way something was, then do something about it. i think it's still so motivating, even if i'm just being reminded of things i already know :)

happy new year.

2010-01-05T05:32:00.005+01:00

i made a list of 30 resolutions for 2010 and i was all set to share them, but i think i might hold for now so i can keep them to myself. it was a very eventful and busy (but FUN) year so i am really looking forward to relaxing weekends (as they can be with milo!) and time for chris and i to put some order to the chaos that is our home.

as every new year comes, i'm optimistic i'll be a better person and do better things. i always think "this year is the one!" that i'll be able to catch up on all the things i wanted to do the year before and find the time to do the new things i've thought up since then.

so cheers to a new year, whatever it may bring!

[a beautiful night :: top of the rock NYC :: sept 2009]

happy holidays

2009-12-28T18:52:00.009+01:00

we were lucky to have a beautiful white christmas and to be able to spend the holidays with both sides of our families. hope that everyone had a wonderful christmas as well!

nib necklaces

2009-12-23T06:34:00.003+01:00

i have finished my christmas shopping and all my presents are wrapped and under the tree, yay! i didn't need to get anyone jewelry, but if i did i'd buy some of erica weiner's fountain pen nib necklaces--how fun are they??? i've been looking for a calligraphy class to take, but i'd probably save a lot of money if i just bought one of her necklaces and practiced with that...or at least i'd look that much cuter in class, ha.

seen on the daily candy girls' gift guide

ducks in a row

2009-12-05T01:39:00.008+01:00

if you thought notcot (one of my most favorite blogs in the world) was only for seeing the de-packaging (i love/hoard great packaging) of eye-catching fun product, you were wrong. just like last year, she has fun contest after fun contest during the holiday season!

i've already registered for the ninja of the month club and baggu giveaway and it's only the beginning of december. even if i don't win, it's been really great reading the designers' stories behind all their work. and that new baggu duck bag is freakin' cute and looks super useful. so...maybe santa could wrap 8 presents for me, one in each color bag! or maybe he could wrap 7 bags inside 1 bag! ok, even no present in 1 bag would be greatly appreciated. thanks santa! (or lady luck of the draw :)

robin's egg blue

2009-12-01T05:28:00.005+01:00

oh, i was also busy last month buying this lovely gift for myself. the second i saw it in the san francisco store window i fell in love, and now [after a kate spade sale] it's finally mine...yippee!

(and yes, it matches my kitchenaid stand mixer)

HELLO.

2009-12-01T04:06:00.003+01:00

image from {this is glamorous}

it's been a busy time since i last wrote...we had 2 BIG weddings (congrats dana + mike! yay steph + court!), i dislocated my kneecap (my hyper-mobility means no surgery needed, but no driving or snowboarding for awhile either...boo), finished steph + court's thank you cards, then designed notecards [and screenprinted onesies with dana] for finch's holiday time boutique (come stop by this weekend!). and in between all that, chris and i have been slooooooowly trying to purge our house. PHEW.

you may think that i have been too busy to share my (obviously amazing) stories with the world but i have been tweeting away, so if you miss me lots you can always see what i'm up to. in the likely event that you don't want to go to twitter (it's ok, most people don't) i promise to post again really soon.

xoxo.

thumbprints

2009-10-06T06:11:00.002+02:00

look at this insanely cute thumbprint set i found on patina's website! the squirrel has a mustache and the guy in the high-waisted green pants has no arms or torso! haha, it's so funny.

mike + dana

2009-09-29T06:56:00.004+02:00

a year ago i was looking at [pretty and sparkling!] diamonds with mike, then lara and i threw these cute kids an outdoor shower this summer...i can't believe that in less than 5 days mike and dana will be saying their i do's!

here's to 2 of my most favorite friends in the world...i love you and will see you at the wedding, YAY :)

big hug!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

flat cat

2009-09-29T06:03:00.005+02:00

i handmade this flat cat for a united way silent auction at work. i used the same chambray fabric as the sandbox theater benefit pup, then gave the kitty an orange wool kerchief and aqua embroidery. (because blue and orange combinations are so nice ;)

prize ribbons

2009-09-18T04:34:00.005+02:00

i LOOOOOVE ribbons and bows of all types, but lately i've been especially loving the ruffles and streaming tails of prize ribbons. it's just great that a little bit of ribbon can signify such a large amount of importance. these pictures are so fun, i kinda want one...

pic 1: small stump pic 2: small stump pic 3: full house pic 4: decor8

shakeit, shakeit, shakeit

2009-09-16T04:57:00.010+02:00

trend central had this great article on the comeback of polaroid and after the fun time i had in the lomography store, i completely hope that there is a resurgence of film. there is that wonderful element of the unknown...you could have an amazing picture, or an unfocused, off-centered, cropped picture that you still cherish.

i downloaded the lite version of shakeit to my [new] iphone [which i LOVE] and it lets you shake your phone to speed up "processing" and gives your photos tinted edges and white borders. (these are from my sleepover weekend with dana...we assembled 315 bundles of utensils, then stood around and admired her lovely rehearsal dinner dress)

we're back + i heart lomo

2009-09-14T05:59:00.006+02:00

our trip to new york was FANTASTIC so once we get all our pictures sorted out i will definitely pick my top ones to post for you! you wonder why we have SO MANY pictures to sort out? let me explain...

while in NYC, we randomly stumbled upon the lomography gallery store (the only one in the US!) and after browsing for ages, i bought myself a mini diana...it was just released weeks before, in red & aqua packaging, and was SO freakin' cute! as we walked central park, chris pointed out that counting our iphones, we now had 6 cameras between us. SIX! so that's why we have so many pictures to sort through :)

nyc, how i love thee

2009-09-01T04:46:00.005+02:00

we are headed to NYC this week with our new camera, so i'm hoping to have amazing pictures to post when we return. it will be an even better trip than last time because not only are we visiting both meredith and giulietta (YAY!) but we're going to the us open and the brooklyn flea too, fun!

have a great long weekend!

loop by the yard

2009-08-28T05:35:00.003+02:00

how fun is this??? reversible solid/pattern TYVEK! i don't even know what i would need to make out of this, but after reading about loop on ohdeedoh and the mio website i feel like i SHOULD want to make tons of stuff...then take advantage of the pre-paid envelope to send back my scraps to be recycled! maybe i will just have to start making waterproof stuffed friends...

anna ruby king

2009-08-28T04:22:00.003+02:00

i found a blog today called tizzalicious crafts and cuteness and i could just browse forever--she has such fun posts! (and a cute etsy store too) one of the posts featured designer anna ruby king and she has some of the CUTEST stationery and drawings. what a great illustration style, it's so precise and clean. she uses recycled materials and i love how her work is done on a variety of papers and often combined with fabric.

sandbox theatre benefit party

2009-08-20T02:57:00.008+02:00

sandbox theatre is hosting their 3rd annual benefit party thursday from 6:30pm-9:00pm, so if you're free tomorrow night you should definitely stop by! there will be food & drinks, mini performances, and a fantastic silent auction that includes donated items from amazing local artists like sarah wray and chris hajny. (this lovely chambray pup was handmade by yours truly ;)

missy + peter

2009-08-18T05:16:00.006+02:00

it has been a wedding preparation filled summer and the first big project was designing missy and peter's wedding invitations! i have known mis for nearly SIX YEARS and was beyond honored when she asked me to design her invitations. she had always said she wanted me to do them, but when it was time to design, mock-up, then actually assemble them--it made me so proud to take her lovely ideas and create the final designed product.

like the original plan, they ended up being cream, shades of pink and gray, printed on stardream shimmer cardstock. inside the outer-most envelope was a cream folder wrapped in a silver band. once the folder was opened, the invitation was found on the right side, and a pocket containing the RSVP card, map/directions card, and accommodations card was found on the left side. i think they turned out beautifully and am so glad to hear that mis and many of her guests think so too!

cheers to you classy lady...a little over a month til the big day!!! xoxo!

luft balloons

2009-08-13T06:14:00.006+02:00

i have been on a long hiatus for the summer as it has been filled with wedding invitations and projects galore! i will be posting lots of fun pictures for you to see soon, promise. in the meantime, i found this great design website yatzer (via a stylesight email) that you should definitely peruse. i looked through an article on the lorraine mondial air balloon rally that took place in france and the pictures are just simply amazing, i LOVE them.

tokidoki

2009-07-21T03:49:00.005+02:00

i was fortunate enough to attend a designer speaker series featuring simone legno creator of the super fun brand tokidoki. it was neat to hear how he names all his characters and creates little stories and worlds for them to interact in. when asked where he does his work, he told us he usually draws at home and not at the office as "it gets too busy with emails, conference calls, sample reviews etc!" which got HUGE laughs from all of us. (sort of sad we knew exactly what he meant) he really loves what he does and i loved the whole presentation--PLUS he autographed my tokidoki purse too, yay!

yellow owl workshop

2009-07-16T04:31:00.004+02:00

i saw this FANTASTIC set of stamps on angry chicken and love that they come in this wooden box showing how the stamps would look layered to make a little scene...cute!!! i found so many great items on their website and the nice thing is everything is really affordable. they keep a fun blog too.

no one should have to live life without a tiny bathtub

2009-07-15T06:04:00.004+02:00

a surprise un-birthday present from my dear friend kara who is so thoughtful and cute! she knew i had mini tub envy, so had been scouring flea markets and thrift stores for me...and then delivered this ribbon-adorned, mini-carded, scalloped-edged loveliness! (blog title is quoted from her cute little card)

yay friend, you're the best!!! (wrong answer)

becca's knitted bike tube

2009-07-08T06:15:00.006+02:00

my cute friend becca and i bartered this trade awhile back, but as bikes are currently ruling the summer, i wanted to FINALLY post pictures. she commissioned me to knit her a bike tube for her matte black bike that she built, and i traded her for a 2709 designs bandana (this design is 1 of 2--the other 1 belonging to miss becca jane :) screenprinted with cute bunnies. after i finished knitting, i hand-sewed velcro to the bottom so that it was removable and washable. i added the little white bunny button as a surprise since i know how much she loves little bunnies!

(the fun jumper i'm wearing is a from their voltage line and bought at design collective. bonnie is an amazing seamstress so i love owning something she sewed up, hidden pocket and all!)

happy [early] birthday bff

2009-07-02T06:23:00.005+02:00

wishing you a birthday as fun-filled as you always make mine--here's to a great year to come! (maybe with an amazing wedding thrown in there too...i mean whatever, no big deal)

BIG HUG!!!!!!!

[please note: this picture is not from anyone's birthday--i just really like it]

elephants and banners

2009-06-20T01:37:00.004+02:00

i love baby elephants and these cards from chet and dot are sooo cute!!! i was designing banners at work recently and have decided they have to be one of the simplest, most cheerful things to hang up, so i love that she has one for her party. (more insanely cute items at their etsy store too!)

thank you so much for all the nice blog birthday comments (and chris' super nerdy one ;) wishing you all a fantastic weekend ahead!

milo's breakfast

2009-06-19T05:15:00.003+02:00

the other week, chris went downstairs to the sound of crunching and saw that he had left his cereal in milo's reach. OOPS. my favorite part is that the bag is super smushed down and in a perfectly round, snout-shaped opening. it's funnier to imagine that milo calmly used his front paws to carefully shape the bag opening, then poked his face right in.

oh, milo...

1 year old

2009-06-16T05:41:00.005+02:00

happy first birthday rhymeswithfun blog!!!

thank you everyone for reading and all of your support! leave a cute comment by the end of the week and i'll send you a fun surprise :)

shoes, shoes, shoes

2009-06-04T06:11:00.004+02:00

oh jcrew...i love how you have the same adorable shoe in both 3.5" heels or flats. if only i could afford either of these lovelies, i would be sooo happy...sigh.

pirate birds

2009-05-31T01:37:00.005+02:00

imagine how excited i was when i read kate sutton's blog update in my google reader and saw she had posted this tutorial! SO FREAKIN' CUTE!!! i love her birds in eyepatches and want to print out her fun illustrated instructions and hang them up because they're just too cute.

and we're back...

2009-05-27T06:06:00.005+02:00

i apologize for the extended hiatus, but we were without cable (tv OR internet!) for awhile...it was weird, one night i was sitting in the living room with no tv on, sewing a subversive cross stitch pattern (these are great), and complaining i didn't know what time it was since the cable box, and therefore its clock, were out. WOW.

(hope everyone had a great long weekend!)

katie did

2009-05-14T05:16:00.003+02:00

one of my favorite blogs to randomly peruse is katie did. it's like a pleasant surprise every time i check it because the mom who writes this blog makes the most WONDERFUL clothes for her daughters, i love everything! i can't even imagine how she balances making time for her family (they have a baby boy too) PLUS all the craftiness she does. i hope to someday make clothes this great for ME, everything is so cute. they're like jcrew and anthropologie and pure imagination rolled into 1 lovely garment. i am thinking i need to make myself a dress with a giant "vt" screenprinted on there...

(i found this blog through the purl beehive, where you can find even more great craft blogs showcased)

the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

2009-05-11T04:52:00.003+02:00

elisa sent me this tee that was featured on shirt.woot! last week. how freakin' cute are these guys??? i couldn't figure out why the website was so familiar 'til i saw the packaging chi gave me [still] sitting out and remembered the really cute/sad kiwi tee he got me for my birthday was from the same shirt.woot! anyone can submit designs for consideration so be sure to check back since they have fun new tees up every week.

cute friends on the news!!!

2009-05-08T06:21:00.006+02:00

becca and bonnie were featured in a news story this evening on wcco for their innovative 2709 line and how they are addressing the need for functional and stylish clothes for biking, YAY!!! (you can also see elisa reenact her commute and do a "magical" clothes change for work ;) meanwhile, on the wcco website amber was credited for her fabulous pictures, and shalisha and elisa look fabulous IN amber's pictures! cheers all around!!!

to see the clip, go to the link below and the video will be located in the upper right. (wcco will not let me embed the video, sad)

clothes women can wear to bike and to work

lotta linen

2009-05-07T07:01:00.004+02:00

how cute are these??? i love the color of linen, and these are even more eye-catching with that pop of bright white printed on them.

plus, i just love her cute round chickees.

ps. thanks vitamini!

2009-05-05T06:49:00.005+02:00

vitamini was super nice and linked to my blog awhile back since i had posted their mini cooper tote bag on the craft swap beta inspiration board, so i just wanted to say a belated thanks!!! sadly, it looks like their cute tote bags are gone, but their stationery and prints are freakin' cute too, so you should definitely check them out :)

craft swap beta: project tote bag pictures!

2009-05-05T05:50:00.006+02:00

made by maeve for dana. features matching covered buttons, pockets flaps, and patterned jersey lining.

made by dana for keegan. features hand embroidery, perfectly-placed interior pockets, and a sweet floral lining.

made by keegan for vân. features hand embellishment and embroidery, velvet ribbon trim, and vintage fabric lining.

made by vân for kara. features hand embroidery, water bottle and magazine pockets, and patterned dot lining.

made by kara for maeve. features hand seed-beading, hand embroidery, and a variety of different textured fabrics.

you probably didn't believe me when i said i was going to eventually post the tote bag pictures from craft swap beta...but surprise, here they are! (you just never know what will happen when you're friends with me ;)

everyone did an AMAZING job and it was fun to see how different everyone's fabric and embellishments were. the funny thing is that we had 2 distinct color stories going on unbknownst to each other: yellow and aqua. let it be known that these are 2 very important colors for spring 2009, so good job us for being so trendy.

to my cute friends, thanks again for being part of craft swap beta! xoxo.

food pictures

2009-04-28T05:11:00.006+02:00

i take pictures of food ALL THE TIME. (my cousin thy in switzerland once pointed out "did you ever notice everyone in our family takes pictures of food?") My secret dream job is to sit around and take pictures of food. well, i have learned there are actual jobs out there as food stylists and I'M GAME.

i found the blog pictures & pancakes (aka great & even better) through simply photo (same artist as simply breakfast) and i'm in love...i could look at food pictures all day. plus they have recipes posted too, what more could you ask for?

(photos above were taken by yours truly...are you hungry yet??? ;)

diamonds are a girl's best friend

2009-04-27T05:18:00.005+02:00

many congratulations to kara and zach!!! they got happily engaged on easter via a golden egg and a jeweled frog prince, and i could not be happier for one of my favorite blogger friends! she is such a talented jewelry designer (i wear my copper and herkimer diamond earrings nearly everyday, i love them THAT MUCH) you should check out her work and send her a big hug ;)

http://karaphillipsdesign.blogspot.com
http://kphillips.etsy.com
http://www.papernstitch.com/shop/a-paper-bag-of-pearls

i heart the west coast

2009-04-16T05:07:00.007+02:00

i apologize for the hiatus--we recently went on a nice [not quite] long [enough] vacation across california, then work got crazy [as usual] so NOW i'm finally back. i've narrowed this post down to my 10 favorite pictures from the whole trip. (the actual trip folder contains 1098 jpegs. this is not counting 4 rolls of film i don't have time to scan in...)
1. mandatory family pic (includes crying baby + 2 dogs) 2. road trip view on the way to lake tahoe 3. jumping pic (not sure why chris is twice as high as me?) 4. AMAZING random stop on the way to SF 5. downtown SF (credit: chris) 6. view from coit tower at sunset (credit: chris) 7. good luck dim sum in new chinatown 8. what pictures look like when you rely on timers and forget the tripod 9. collected beach stones in pacifica 10. this blog had a lovely vacation as well, thank you :)

busy, busy, busy

2009-03-27T04:38:00.005+01:00

do you ever have one of those weeks? i feel like i have been constantly moving all week long and have gotten so little sleep i nearly fell asleep TWICE today during meetings! blah. here are things i have started/accomplished this week though, which is pretty good for me:

got printed + hand cut missy's save the date cards
designed/printed/wrote birthday thank you cards
sketched + practiced embroidery for michelle's (now belated (big surprise)) baby present
made the 100th post thank you cards (see above)
knit part of becca's bike tube cover
screenprinted v.v. onesies
tried knitting baby booties
did loads of laundry and [mostly] packed for 11 days worth of travelling

it'll all be worth it when i am sleeping on the plane tomorrow...on my way to sunny california to visit jayson + michelle + baby!!!

lunchbox

2009-03-25T05:19:00.003+01:00

do you know how much i want one??? buy here image from here

dollhouse print

2009-03-25T05:01:00.004+01:00

small stump has designed a super cute dollhouse print for their shop in happy pink and green...i just love the woodgrain texture and hand-done feel to it. this looks like it would be perfect artwork for a great old animated movie.

(plus small stump's author has TWO blue heeler mixes! that get to frolic on the beach in/near SF! oh how milo would love to meet them ;)

100 thank yous!

2009-03-21T16:25:00.003+01:00

thank you to all my cute friends who left me such wonderful comments on my 100th post!!! many thanks for reading my blog and encouraging me to keep doing all my fun projects...it means the world!!!

i'll have your surprise delivered to you next week :)

2709 designs

2009-03-18T05:53:00.004+01:00

i'm lucky to be friends with some VERY talented girls who will soon be showcasing their super cute designs at voltage! (first ave, april 24th...get tickets ASAP) known as 2709 designs bonnie and becca have designed a fantastic line of clothes wearable from bike, to work, and back onto your bike! functional yet extremely on trend, i cannot WAIT to get a cute bunny adorned skirt and tee.

as becca's unofficial intern (aka...i just call myself that ;) i stopped over today to iron various parts and pin zippers on SWEET cycling gloves (i want a pair yet don't even need them) and take some fun pictures.

continue following their adventures at 2709designs.com

model pictures

2009-03-18T04:09:00.005+01:00

lausanne, switzerland

san francisco, california

davos, switzerland

my cute friend abby over at lovey dovey posted about this SUPER FUN application that i spent tons of time already trying out on every vacation picture i have. add this to poladroid and i'll never get anything done ;)

tilt-shift maker takes your existing digital pictures and creates a specific area of focus and blurs everything else...therefore making your pictures APPEAR like they are now miniature model worlds! FUN, right??? the best part is it's free on the website...so tilt-shift away!