Thursday, April 7, 2011

Little Man Shower Invites...

i made some invitations for this shower
put on by my friends Lindsey and Joy. they did an amazing job!

here are the invites i made
ok, time to do an argyle, pinstripe, polka-dot & houndstooth sigh... *sigh*
Lindsey and Joy gave me the theme and color specs and left the rest up to me!
i had so much fun!

btw, i am so thrilled for Kate - she is getting her boy after 3 girls.
how sweet!

in honor of Kate i am giving a 20% discount in my shop for the month of april!
code: aprilbowties

xoxo,

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

what i love wednesday linky party {No. 11}!!

i LOVE handmade!!!!
here are just a few of my faves:
love, love, love, lovety love :)

ok, 1. blue corduroy's girls vintage swing coat - so darling.
2. eclectic whatnot's "oooh snap" camera strap {she seriously reads my mind}
3. the pleated poppy's new iPad case - beautiful.
4. allora handmade's plum rosettes - sweet and sophisticated.
5. cookie & curly's terrific birds - sew amazing.

the font is dialtone, pretty sweeeeet :)
ok now i want to see what you love!!

lollipops




Tuesday, April 5, 2011

the art of handmade

some things are harder to do than they look - ie; ever watch a gymnast make a quadruple back handspring flip thingy look super easy, or an olympic skiier make mogles look easy (and fun)? in both instances i would break my neck and end up in a body cast.

our work is something we had to learn. it doesn’t just happen with a wiggle of the nose, though i wish my house would be cleaned that way like Samantha’s was. it takes time, learning, and mostly time. time being a wife, mother, teacher, means my time and yours are precious. using it wisely is the pot at the end of the rainbow.

remember not to squander the gifts, skills, talents and abilities God gives you to share with the world.

appreciate truly handmade goods and their artist
isn’t it a beautiful thing that the artist has designed, created, and lovingly made her goods through her hands?

be original; copy cats are hurting the very community in which they so want to be a part of. once you become an artist you see this topic is guarded with passion and protection of the most precious kind... community love

love - which is greater and stronger than all things; over power, money, war - is love.
be original, be real, be loving, give - this is how my passion comes out and this is how i create.

Monday, April 4, 2011

what does God want?

wwjd?
i know, i know, i'm supposed to ask well, "what would Jesus do?"
this would answer my question - "what does God want?"
hmmm, so how do i "hear" His answer?
like all families we have some big decisions to make sometimes.
yesterday i was driving along minding my own business when God popped into my head
and said, "well aren't you going to ask me? you are trying to figure out what is best, but you haven't brought me in to guide you." "oh, yea, ok God, what would you like us to do?"
boom, there on the side of the freeway i have driven hundreds of times but have never noticed are
three beautiful huge crosses. beautiful. huge. how have i never seen these before? so it's like a sign right? i ask God a question and smack right in the middle of "do" and "?" is a picture. hmmm, ok. not really a sign, but i somehow feel like He really IS listening. 30 seconds later the words pour out of my children's mouths. this is what they want, this is the answer. is it God's guidance?

maybe there isn't really one right answer and as long as we do our best God is ok with it.
maybe He knows we can pull it off no matter what our decision is.
some decisions are so scary i wish there were some kind of road map for them or a "sign".

my ears are perked and listening.
how about you? are you "listening"?

Friday, April 1, 2011

Photography Friday: {Spring Flowers}

happy 1st of April! here's a springtime high res download for your desktop. you're welcome.
out for a little walk. fresh air and fresh flowers. sigh.




enjoy your weekend!
xoxo,

Thursday, March 31, 2011

how to make a printed font list


one of the coolest things i remember vividly was walking into a graphics design and print shop about 16 years ago. there was a piece of paper hanging on the wall with all the print shop's fonts, how they look typed and printed with the coordinating name.

at the tender age of 19 this was my mecca - paper as far as the eye could see and mac computers designing logos, business cards, signs and other printed materials.

but how to print out a list of your fonts from your computer not just their names but their style printed?

last week i scoured the internet and finally found it: font parade. download the free app, then print out your chosen fonts from your font book or all of your fonts! sorry pc peeps, this is a mac thang, though i'm sure there's a pc app out there too.

i chose to print out all of my fonts, stuck them to a clip board and ta-da!
today when i was designing a wedding card i wanted a sweet handwritten font i looked through my 40 page list - it was actually a lot faster than i thought it would be -about 1 minute! looking on the computer at all the fonts usually takes me 30 minutes to choose one!!! so this is a very valuable tool for me!


i hope you can take advantage.
what is one of your most valuable tools?
xoxo,

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

what i love wednesday linky party {No. 10}!!

wow our 10th what i love wednesday! yay!
i am really loving seeing all your loves! thank you for linking up!

here's what i love this week...

1. craft room by Heather Bailey *i die*

2. packaging *sigh* so sweet by luxecetera.

3. adorable little fabric paper dolls set by my friend Tiffanie of TrulySkrumptious.

4. melting over these handsome ties by the belle and the beau.
Mr. Boy is days away from 2 and i think he needs his portrait taken in one of these.

the numbers typography i used is cast iron download for free here!

can't wait to see what you love!
xoxo,


lollipops

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

the find

hello, happy tuesday lovelies!

i wanted to share my second find with you!

my first was the birdcage.

my second are these...
 $3 for the whole set, i love the cream color and the vintage look.

i have never been a big thrifter/yard saler - but i wanna be.

i have no idea where to go or how to do it, but i am starting to find my way.

right now i am pretty sure i am paying too much, but i think i will soon be knowledgeable of this learned skill - that some have as a lucrative profession. i just want to be able to decorate my home and the creative arcade with fun finds :) how about you? do you like second hand goods? finding vintage items for super cheap? are you good at it? how do you figure out where to go?

xoxo,

Monday, March 28, 2011

grow with me

i am looking for april sponsors to advertise here at lollipops neatly and affordably!
my rates are $20 or $15 per month with features and multi-month deals.
come grow with me :)


Friday, March 25, 2011

Photography Friday: {Spring Babies}

an outing to see the mama and baby horses.

muh girls ;)

yep, this is how we smile now. oh dear.
it appears my camera isn't cooperating either,
let me see...

oh yes, here we are two sweet baby boys.
one belongs to me :)
Brockman just loved petting this lil feller, so cute. 
this foal was so rambunctious, bold, and kind (just like my boy).

i love spring time. next week we will visit all the spring flowers :)

what do you enjoy in the springtime?
have a lovely weekend!
xoxo,
Sweet Shot Day