Lovely Botanical Images

Flowers inspire me, they make me happy. Here are some flickr fave's to share with you... hope they make you happy too!

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Pretty Package Exchange...... Oh the fun!!

If you are anywhere near as enamored with gorgeous papers, ribbons and labels as I am, this package exchange is just the thing to make your day! I just signed up for this on "Oh, hello friend", and you should too!


The lovely package exchange is a swap of lovely things with an emphasis on ... packaging! It is for anyone who appreciates a good package: both receiving and sending them.

Ideas: item ideas you can include in your lovely package: photograph prints, notebooks, pencils, stickers, stationery, pretty packaging supplies, pouches/wallets, eco-goods, stuffies, candles, coasters, pins, jewelry, scarves, bags, soaps, vintage goods, mix tapes. buy from etsy or local!


Dates: Sign ups will remain open until Monday, July 27 so you have a few days left to sign up and tell a friend! Partners will be assigned Tuesday, July 28 and you will have about 2 and a half weeks to send your package! Please plan to have your package sent by August 14.

Head over to the package exchange post on "Oh hello friend" blog for all the details and sign-up form! Have fun!!

Etsy spotlight: Modern Pop Alphabet and Number Prints

Modern Pop

... featuring fun and gender-nuetral prints for children and adults alike. I don't usually prefer gender-nuetral type art, clothing, etc... but I think Ms. Beshara pulls it off beautifully! Of course, what really steals my heart is a healthy dose of thoughtful typography.

In her own words, "MODERNPOP is a line of modern art prints and paper goods with a pop art twist for children and grownups."

Guest book "Signing Page"

Here is a recent wedding signing page... my favorite custom made guest book! I haven't been posting ALL of these, because a too much of a good thing can be - well, too much.



I especially like the final result on this one because of the colors the bride chose and the sweet peony. The paper is Canson Mi-Teintes art paper, paint is watercolor, and the calligraphy is done in watercolor mixed with gum arabic and one of my favorite nibs, the Principal EF.


And least I forget to mention... I recently acquired the long-anticipated digital SLR camera I've been coveting! I'll be working on my photography techniques but comparatively speaking, these pictures look so much better than the last "signing page" pictures, don't they?

Have a great day lovely friends!

Thomas Paul Inspiration

I fell in love with Thomas Paul designs the first time I laid eyes on the gorgeous lovebird rug!

Since then, Anthropologie began offering the similar "Dawn Song" rug in my current fave color, light-aqua-ish-blue.

Since neither of these beauties is on the budget at this time, I opted for a yard of this fabric, found at Calico Corners. This was a super fun, easy and budget-friendly project!! I picked up a cute, but love-needy chair on craigslist, sanded lightly, painted it white, (about 10 coats) and finished of with spray polyurethane. It really is worth it to be patient and wait for the paint to dry in-between coats. I cut the fabric to size and stapled it tightly around the edges.


Voila! My Thomas Paul fix for under $50! Plus with more than half a yard of fabric left over, I can still make a throw pillow, fabric flag garland, dinner napkins, or.....?

Magenta+Navy

Minna Designs has some of the most lovely wedding invitations I have ever seen! Minna is a sweetheart to work with and incredibly talented.




I love the navy and magenta color scheme she used to design these wedding invitations. I used copperplate calligraphy in magenta to match for the envelope addressing. (Somehow, writing in pink is SO much more enjoyable than black or brown!)


And I just have to mention the colored edges... if you are planning on a thick invitation that can show this off, you should definitely consider this effect!

I heart swirly logos...

I recently had the pleasure of working with the lovely Anna Lassiter, owner of the Charleston boutique, "Eden Boheme" on logo design. As described, E.B. is "A new ultra fabulous Charleston boutique selling furniture, clothing, and accessories all custom made or hand picked!"

Here is a link to the article on Eden Boheme's blog about the design. Thanks Anna!!

And she's back....

Hello dear friends! Thanks to those of you who took the time to email me and wondered "what happened". I have had a ton going on with an out-of-state move and lots of changes, but we should be back on track now for some regular posts!

Image courtesy of boopsiedaisy's flickr photosteam