Wedding Art

I had so much fun working on these "Save the Date" postcards for the upcoming wedding of some friends! The photography they gave me to work with was absolutely beautiful and made my job a breeze! The invitations are next on the to do list! I am looking forward to working on them too.

Ten Years

My DH and I have been together 10 years today! Our junior prom/first date was ten years ago to the day! Little did we know where that little date would lead...marriage and now our little girl on the way! So thankful for him and God's plan for our lives!

He Is Risen!

He is risen indeed! We celebrated Easter with family, friends and this yummy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake! I found this recipe and feeling tempted to lick my computer screen decided I had to make it. It is probably the most sinful thing I have ever made and eaten. I don't usually think of food as being sinful, but when I tasted the peanut butter frosting after making it I felt a little guilty...but that didn't keep me from licking the beaters clean! The cake is chocolate with peanut butter frosting and a chocolate peanut butter glaze on top. Here are a few pictures of my go at this cake.

Fabric Parade

So I have been perusing fabric since we got pregnant, or if I am honest a little bit before, in search of the perfect patterns for our little one's room. Now that I know we are having a girl the choices seem to have gotten more difficult. There are so many to choose from and I am only planning on sewing 3 different pieces. I am going to have to get a little more creative and choose a more elaborate design if I want to fit all my choices in.

Here are some of my faves right now. I need to make some decisions if I am going to get all of this done for our little girl!

Baby Talk

My dear husband and I are having a Baby! A baby girl that is! We are elated and can't wait to meet our little bundle of joy. I love feeling her move around and can't wait till my DH can too! We have started another blog to document this pregnancy and the life of our growing family. This baby and all the cute gear has taken a front seat in my creative juices. I will be sure to share my progress as we go!

Here is a link- theloyds.blogspot.com

Tis the Season!

This Christmas was hopefully the first of many more ornament exchange parties. The party was at the beginning of December and kicked of the Christmas season for me. Everyone that attended created 14 ornaments to exchange for 14 different ornaments that others made by hand. It was fun to spend time with friends and everyone's ornaments were so creative! I can't wait to throw next years party. Here are some photos of the ornaments I created as well as some of the spread my mom and I put together to feed our guests; including cranberry upside-down cake (mmmm...) and the bags a made for everyone to keep their ornaments in. A fun time was had by all! Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!

My Latest

I haven't done a piece this large for quite a while. My aunt wrote lyrics to some beautiful hymns and I had the pleasure and honor of designing the packaging for the music. As I was sketching out ideas at the beginning, I had visions of scenes from Narnia. I kept thinking of the snow beginning to melt in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." Without having told anyone that, my aunt said it reminded her of Narnia when she looked at it! I was so thrilled to have successfully captured the feelings of hope communicated as the snow melts and Aslan's return draws nearer in those wonderful stories. It makes me feel so hopeful even now.

May we always have this same unwavering hope and excitement as we wait for our glorious Savior, Jesus Christ's return!

Changing Seasons

It is beginning to look like fall around here!! Leaves are a changin'! I have been waiting to make this recipe till just the right time. It is a lovely fall color don't you think? Coconut curry butternut squash soup found here. We just devoured this soup. It has so many great flavors all in one little bowl! You should try it. It just tasted so delicious in the midst of the changing Colorado leaves!

Happy Birthday to my dear, witty Friend!

Today is the birthday of a dear, witty friend of mine, Janell! She is my Onema!! She thinks of so many funny things to say all on her own! Happy, happy birthday Janell! I hope your day has been filled with laughter and peace as you set out on your new adventure!

If you haven't heard Janell is going to be famous one day, and she is already well on her way! She is a wonderfully talented writer that is going to be published! We are all so proud of her! I love you Onema and miss knowing you are in town! Congratulations and Happy Birthday!

The BIG, Red, Ripe Strawberry

Okay, well it may not be a BIG, red, ripe strawberry, but it was the largest that our strawberry plants have produced thus far... Needless to say, this has not been a high yield summer in terms of strawberries, but luckily our strawberry plant's success does not determine our happiness. Brady and I have enjoyed a wonderful summer of traveling and healing and growth.

Now, considering that it has been eight months since my last post, there is no way I can catch up on all of the posts I should have made. This being said, I am not going to attempt it. I can only say I am sorry for my neglect....till next time, Cheers!

Paper

I love paper...the touch and the feel of paper makes me so happy. My heart is warmed by the smell of paper, both new and old. I mean who doesn't love the smell of an old book?

Designers know the value of paper. It enhances any design so it is that much sweeter. My newest fascination with paper however, is its sculptural quality. Take a look at the paper sculptures below!

Happy New Year!!!

Will you say two-thousand-ten or twenty-ten??? That is the question. I prefer twenty-ten, or maybe just '10. I think it will be great to tell my grandkids stories that start with me sayin, "Back in '10..."

Well I brought in the new year with friends and family up in the Poudre Canyon of the Rocky Mountains in a cute little old cabin with no running water and enough electricity to turn on the lights, but not the furnace (because there wasn't one). We had a great time cooking in our down jackets, keeping the fires going and playing games. It was a great combination between camping and staying in a cabin. The cabin was built in the late 1800s and is made up of beautiful antiques and history. I loved looking through old scrapbooks and letters written over 100 years ago. I was so inspired! Here are some of my favorite nooks and crannies of the sweet little cabin.

It is the most wonderful...

I wish you a Merry Christmas! There are some things I do to try and slow things down and take it all in this time of year. I look forward to those moments when I get to sit down and wrap gifts. This year I went back to my childhood and cut out lots of little snowflakes for our gifts whilst creating a large mess around me. Here are some of my favorites this year.


I love this time of year and am so blessed to get to spend Christmas in the Colorful Colorado Mountains!! We look forward to this week all year long... and once it finally gets here we try with all our might to slow time down, but it always goes by all too quickly. This is my favorite way to start my morning up here.

Finally posting our Halloween costumes. Big Jelly Belly bags! I chose this year and Brady gets to choose our costumes next year... we will see what that brings.... STAY TUNED!!

Owning Up

It is about time I owned up to another love I have... W-H-A-L-E-S. It has been this way since I was just a little girl. It has been this way since the 4th grade. I have been collecting both realistic and abstract whale replicas since I was just a little girl. I just can't seem to get rid of them. What magnificent creatures they are!! I dream of going whale watching one day... my favorite whale is the Humpback whale because they are the sweetest.... Anyway, look at this beautiful woodcut print I just have to buy. Isn't it wonderful? Thank you Tugboat Press.

This One Is For You, Sister

To my dear sister, Calee. I am posting these beauties just for you, my favorite BRIDE-TO-BE. Breathtaking calligraphy by Betsey Dunlap.

Isn't It Lovely!

We did not register for any china when we got married, but I am think it would be fun to start collecting a set now! I am still trying to decide what pattern I would like to collect, but these might just be it!! I love the birds so very much!

Mi Familia

Every so often I enjoy opening up the drawer to the secretary at my parents house and looking through old family photos. I especially like to look at photographs of my grandparents when they were young. I find myself imagining and romanticizing of what it might have been like to live back then.
Looking at photos of them when they were around my age always feels mysterious. It is baffling to me that they were once my age and probably had similar hopes and fears for the future, but now all but one of them has gone to be with the Lord. Time goes by so fast, and before I know it one day (Lord willing) I too will be old with grandchildren who look at old photos of Brady and I wondering about these same things.