Hand Lettering: If the Shoe Fits

There are so many good sales during the holidays! I keep finding the most PERFECT gifts..... for me. Drat only being able to buy for others.... but one pretty pair of shoes is ok right? They're on sale, so it doesn't really count as buying something for myself. I needed $50 more to get free shipping anyway. There are just so many ways we can validate purchases during the holidays! Love it.

Custom Designed Photo Postcard Save the Dates

These Save the Dates just went out in the mail and I couldn't be happier with how they came out! Andrea, the Bride was great fun to work with. She and her fiancé, Gerard, had taken some really lovely engagement photos and she wanted to use one of them on her Save the Dates. She had looked at some of the bigger websites, but none of the templates were quite right, either not what she wanted, or wouldn't work with the photo she wanted to use. That's where I came in!
We worked together to figure out the look she wanted. We decided on a nice matte finish with rounded edges for the paper. As for the design, I designed their logo by hand, sometimes an existing font just doesn't translate for a logo. For the address sticker, I laid it out to work as a round address sticker to tie in with their wedding logo. It came out with the right balance of formal and fun, perfect as the first impression of their big day!

Gift Guide: Furry Friends

Do our dogs know it's Christmas? Probably not, but they do know something's up when a big ol' tree is in the house and they aren't allowed to pee on it! We have two dogs and we spend way more money on them than we like to admit, but come on! Those faces! These are some of the things I'm thinking of buying our pups for Christmas, along with lots of treats and bones!

Dog Paw Dog Bowl: I am obsessed with this dog bowl! 1.) it's elevated which is great when our dog Truman splashes water all over the floor as he drinks (elevated means it'll evaporate instead of making water rings on my wood floors). 1.) It's amazingly cute!
Rope Leash: Love these pretty rope leashes from Fab!
Doggie Duvet: We swear by Molly Mutt! Instead of buying a standard doggie bed which usually run from $50 to $300, we buy these "Duvets" it's great because they are basically just the outer shell and you can stuff them with old close or stuffing from an old destroyed dog bed! An extra plus, they come in GREAT patterns and colors at a great price!
Tie Dye Collar: Love this collar with the gold accents, we bought a similar one a while ago for Lincoln and he looks so sharp!
Doggie Drink Fountain- Our dog Lincoln will whine at the bathtub and then jump in when you turn on the water, thats how much he LOVES to drink strait from the tap. This would be a wonderful doggie gift!

DIY Cheese Labels

I used to be a SUPER picky eater, so it is only as an adult that have I come to appreciate a good cheese plate spread. When hosting Thanksgiving, I knew I wanted to make an awesome cheese plate appetizer (mostly so I could justify eating cheese and sausage with honey and fig jam for dinner every day the following week). One of the parts of an awesome cheese spread are cheese labels, so people aren't constantly asking what everything is. I decided to DIY it, it was an hour project and came out great! These make a great DIY gift for the holidays too!

Supplies:

1. White Fimo
2. Fondant roller (really anything to roll out the Fimo, but I like the fondant rollers because they come with these rings to make sure that it's rolled a consistent thickness)
3. Thin Paintbrush
4. Brass Paint
5. Exacto Blade

Process:

1. Roll out the Fimo, I rolled mine to about 3-4mm thick 
2. Cut out the shape as shown, don't worry about making them all the same, I think the irregularities are actually what make them so charming
3. Lay out all the tags on a cookie sheet and follow the instructions for cooking on the Fimo. Cook in the oven until they are hard. Take out and allow to cool.
4. Using the paintbrush and brass paint, write out the names of various cheeses, I did the following: Chèvre, Brie, Morbier, Fontina, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gouda, Cheddar, and Blue Cheese. With all these you should be able to cover almost any cheese option! 
5. Paint the edges of the Label, closing the rectangle at the bottom, don't paint the part that will stick in the cheese! 

Let them dry and either wrap them up as a gift, or use them the next time you host a party!

Gift Guide for Newlyweds

We all have some newlyweds to buy for! For the holidays or perhaps for an upcoming wedding! These are some great and thoughtful options.

Mr. & Mrs. Cutting Board: Because all newlyweds should receive at least ONE "Mr. and Mrs." (or Mr. & Mr. or Mrs. and Mrs. because this shop is awesome has those too!) and this one is so darn cute!
Love By Numbers: I custom design these, they're sold in my shop, all the dates, colors and wording are customizable, as is the city map in the background!
His & Hers Glasses: These are cute and simple little glasses by Kate Spade, so cute!
Anniversary Wine Box: This is an adorable little box that you can fill with wines for the couple to drink  on their anniversaries and then keep to store things that are special to them.
New Home Coordinates: This is an adorable customizable piece of art, with the latitude and longitude of their new home together!

Hand Lettering: Everything You Can Imagine is Real

 I love this quote. As a designer, it's a great reminder that if you can imagine it, you can make it happen.   After a week of gift ideas, I'm imagining a perfect holiday season! Bring it on December! I love Christmas, getting so see family and having lots of close friends in the area for the holidays is one of my favorite things!

Gift Guide: The Meat Lover

Though for most people these would probably be the perfect gifts for the men in their lives, but I have to say, I would be all over the monthly meat box!

1. Meat Shredders: These shredders are the perfect gift for the man who is all about making his own pulled pork! Delish!
2. Praise the Lard Print: Some art for the meat lovers! These are the greatest series photos!
3. Personalize Meat Brand: For the griller, a personlized brand so no one can mistake who cooked their steak to perfection!
4. Dehydrator: So no scrap of meat will ever go to waste! A dehydrator will make the perfect jerky, dried fruits and more!
5. Meat Smoker: The perfect add on to a grill so they can smoke their meat to perfection!
6. Monthly Meat Box: For the person who has everything, get them a gift that lasts all year! A monthly delivery of an assortment of delicious meat!