Dolce Design :: The Dish

TMI MEETS DIY

2012-02-16T22:14:00.000-08:00

About two years ago I had a client hire me to create a no-sew DIY fabric invitation that she, her sister, and mom could assemble. It wasn't about skimping on the wedding budget... these aren't the cheapest of materials... it was more about the experience and the quality time working together.

The plan was to create a tutorial and spend an hour with them to get their assembly going smoothy. But these gals were so fun! I spent the whole afternoon with them and understood why she wanted to go the DIY route.

Elena wanted to recreate the silk mounted invitation, much like my table number below.

This is the tutorial I put together for her. The tools needed are:
>>> stiff book board or chip board
>>> fabric of your choice (we used Dupioni silk, thinner fabrics will work best)
>>> card stock
>>> permanent double stick tape or adhesive.

For any stationery DIY I recommend an ATG gun. I also recommend having all your materials cut to size prior to assembly.
For these, the chip/book board was 5 x 7. The card stock was 4.75 x 6.75. The fabric was cut roughly 6 x 8 (you want at least and inch or so overhang). You can get somewhere around 24 squares per yard of fabric, but buy at least a yard more than you think you will need!

I apologize for my skinny, knobby fingers. They have been referred to as "twigs." But they're mine and there's nothing I can do about their creepiness.

01. Begin with your chip/book board.
02. Cover all four edges of one side of your chipboard with your adhesive.
03-04. Working from the middle tack down your fabric. Pulling gently and smoothing wrinkles as you go.
06-05. Wrapping like a present, create envelope corners and tack down the last two sides.
07. This is the front side which is now complete and should be smooth.
08. Cover all four edges of one side of your card stock with adhesive working as closely to the outer edges as possible.
09. Tack down to the back side of your fabric covered chip board. The card stock should be slightly smaller leaving a teeny clean fabric border.
(This should also be smooth... if you cheap out and use text weight paper your fabric folds will show through, so, let's not do that.)
10. You have a finished piece ready for mounting your invitation to!

You can see how Elena's gorgeous hard work paid off here.

HAPPY VALENTINES!

2012-02-14T11:10:00.000-08:00

However you celebrate, I hope you have a great day!

LOVELY LAP TOP

2012-02-13T12:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just don't know how badly you ~~want~~ need something until you realize it exists.

More so than in years past I find myself hauling my laptop everywhere. Maybe because having two of three girls in school I find myself more "on the go." School, gymnastics, ballet, and riding lessons. These things were not in my working schedule two years ago.

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I have been wrapping my laptop in a diaper changing pad and shoving it into my seven year old diaper bag...

Then I spied these Alesya Bags. Wow. So pretty and well organized! It's a lap top bag that makes sense and can double as a purse (instead of my diaper bag making it's sad attempt at carrying my laptop). It is my luck they are currently sold out. But I am coveting this kelly green one and you bet your buns I'll be checking continually for it to restock.

TMI THURSDAY* | TRUE LOVE

2012-02-09T12:17:00.000-08:00

With Valentines fast approaching and the fact that I get to work with so many great couples who have decided nothing would make them happier than gettin’ hitched to their person... I thought I’d tell the story of one of the ways I knew my husband was “the one.” If you know me in real life, you have heard this story before. Probably several times. Because really, who has this stuff happen to them? Me.

Preface: I am terrified of birds.

My husband and I were in the very early stages of dating... about two or three months in. It was one of the first sunny spring days in the WA. And if you have lived here for any length of time you know these days are to be celebrated. I got all dolled up to go to the gym, because this was in college and I was making a special stop before the gym... to say hi to my boyfriend studying at Starbucks. I went in and gave him a brief hello, and we made plans to catch up later. I left feeling super hot with a little skip in my step and got into my car. Leroy.

original source

What? You don’t name your vehicles? Well, I don’t either. At least, not anymore. But Leroy was special. It was the nicest car I had ever owned at that point in my life. He had one owner prior to me and this dude (his name was actually Leroy) babied this car. I mean the owner’s manual was filled out for heaven’s sakes! Who does THAT?

I rolled down the driver and passenger window along with the full sun roof, cranked up the tunes and starting singing my heart out en route to the gym.

THUMP!

Uh. Dude? What was that? I turned the music off and slowed down. I looked in my rear view mirror. Did I just hit something? (I am literally two blocks away from the Starbucks I just left.) I get a knot in my stomach. No, something hit ME. I look up at my open sunroof and try not to panic. My eyes go over to my large purse sitting open in my passenger seat. I start to laugh. Because the thoughts in my head are ridiculous. But I peer over to look inside my bag. There it is, lying next to my wallet. A lifeless bird.

That little sucker flew into my windshield, barrel rolled over my car, falling in through my sunroof, landing IN. MY. PURSE. I started laughing harder. How can this...? What are the odds?

Wait.

Maybe it’s not dead. Perhaps it will come to and start flapping around my car in a panic at any moment. I started to cry. I called my boyfriend. I was only a block away at this point since I had turned around after the THUMP. He can help. But he didn’t answer. I dialed again frantically. Laughing and crying like a hysterical lady I pulled back into the Starbucks parking lot. He sees me and thankfully comes outside.

“What’s going on?!” He gives me a wild look (and rightfully so).

“I’m sorry. I can’t... (laughing and crying, trying to breathe) I just can’t... but there's a bird. In my purse. I think it’s dead.”

Now he looks at me like I have totally lost my marbles. I can't even begin to pull myself together enough to explain this bizarre scenario to him. He opens the passenger door and looks inside. He lifts the little sparrow out by one of it’s legs. As if surprised by his find and the fact that I'm not just full-on crazy he says “Oh yeah. It’s dead.” And flings it across the parking lot.

original source

Oh. Did I fail to mention it was a sparrow until now? Yes. An itty bitty sparrow had sent this grown woman into a crying, laughing hysteria. My boyfriend gave me a hug while I apologized profusely for being a freak and he sent me back on my way to the gym. So, there you have it: If your person can deal with your freakiness and do the things for you that you can’t bring yourself to do. I'd say you’ve got it pretty dang good :)

*I thought a fun way to spice up the old blog would be a new little section affectionately known as TMI Thursday. No topic will be off limits. Anything you want to know about me, design, the wedding industry, parenting... I will spill all. If you have topics you would like to see, leave ‘em in the comments. Until then, I get to be the boss (yay! haha).

FAB | FEB

2012-02-04T21:05:00.001-08:00

A little ombré desktop loving.

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local love triangle

2012-01-30T17:09:00.000-08:00

My youngest daughter caught a bit of a flu bug so we were pretty low key today. In between crackers, water, snuggles, naps, and other icky details that I'll spare you, I spent the afternoon responding to emails and browsing Pinterest. We all have DIY or "To Make" or "To Create" boards don't we? And I don't know about you, but if it isn't a recipe, chances are I haven't gotten around to all those great creations. But I took advantage of a very quiet day to replicate
one of my pins...

What do you think? I'm going to hang it above our bed which is slowly accumulating lovey-dovey, heart themed artwork.

featured!

2012-01-25T15:17:00.000-08:00

The Elizabeth Anne Designs blog featured a wedding I loved being a part of,
with none other than the Bellingham dream team:Steven Moore Designs and Michéle M. Waite.

click click for the full post :)

wall dolls

2012-01-17T10:19:00.000-08:00

This silly little love of mine is about to turn four...

As you can tell she is a goof, she loves to play and is a girly girl. Anything that involves dolls, props or dress up are winning toys.
So when I spied these "paper" doll wall decals by Mae I instantly fell in love and I know she will too. So cute.

Vanessa + Lee tie the knot

2012-01-13T17:09:00.000-08:00

Vanessa and Lee met in Paris and infused that element of their romance into their wedding as much as possible. We created an Art Nouveau themed invitation suite for them and carried that through to the rest of their wedding stationery as their guest sipped champagne and munched macarons at the gorgeous dome room in the Arctic Club Hotel.

Top two photos by Taylor Swedberg Photography, event designed by Steven Moore Designs.

insta

2012-01-03T11:15:00.000-08:00

So... I'm thinking I should change those last two links up top there to just encompass all social media. Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram... I love them all!

Pinterest has been especially awesome to see what my clients are crushing on and being such a visual girl Instagram has become a total source of social media addiction. Scrolling through photos of friends, clients, colleagues and other designers and artists I admire is a pretty sweet way to kill time... like when I'm sitting in parking lot waiting for the girlies to get out of school! If you aren't on Instagram there is a pretty neat-o online version called Instagrid.

my instagrid

twenty twelve

2012-01-01T16:25:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year's Eve. And whether you are big on resolutions or not, fresh starts are always, always good things.
So... let's do this.

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the great 80

2011-12-13T12:57:00.000-08:00

These are custom wine labels for an 80th birthday fête. Five labels for five aptly named blends, each with a photo of the man of honor.

I hope I'm drinking wine with friends and family at 80 ;)

wallpaperie

2011-12-01T11:18:00.001-08:00

This month everyone needs a little glitter in their lives ;)

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Avra + Seamus tie the knot

2011-11-28T11:52:00.000-08:00

Seamus, the awesome groom, had a clear vision when it came to the stationery and designed the couple's invitations himself. When it came time for the wedding day paper suite I was honored to take over the task, keeping the style exactly in-line with what Seamus had created.

Often times the wedding day stationery can't be done much more than a couple weeks before the wedding. Guest are still RSVPing (even though you specified for them to reply much earlier) menus are still being finalized, and your officiant is still ironing out the perfect ceremony for you. There are many details still left to attend to. And the most important one is often forgotten: enjoy it! Enjoy your dear friends and family that have helped you on this journey and enjoy just being a bride or groom!

I LOVE taking over designs my clients have created. I can understand wanting to DIY for either cost savings or to have just exactly what you envision or both. After all that is how this graphic designer turned stationer seven years ago! But if you want to take the time right before your wedding to tie up allllll those other loose ends and simply be a bride or groom, you can trust that I will pick up exactly where you left off and be true to your design and style.

Photos by Taylor Swedberg Photography, event designed by Steven Moore Designs at the lovely SODO Park.

hey turkeys

2011-11-01T20:48:00.001-07:00

Remember when I used to post a rad new desktop each month for you to enjoy? Yeah, I think it's been a long enough hiatus. Let do this.

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Julie + Randy tie the knot

2011-10-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

Long ago I told you a teeny bit about Julie and her family when we unveiled their "teaser" announcement. She was the second of two sisters whom I had the extreme pleasure of working with. Every meeting was like hanging out with old friends... it helps that our husbands happened to go to high school together! haha

We carried the nautical theme through Julie and Randy's year plus engagement and found ways to keep it fresh along the way.

They got married at the lovely Hotel Bellwether with all the design and floral curated by the talented Steve Moore. Event photography by Taylor Swedberg.

about town

2011-09-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

These are my girls. This is also a pretty good example of what I'm working with everyday... they totally don't get it from me.

OK-maybe a little.

From left to right: Keira, Nyla and Kennedy

shout out: natalie + casey

2011-09-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

I know. I. Know. I have been a terrible blogger...

With instant media, twitter, facebook and blogging it's easy to get caught up in an effort to be "heard" and show your clients and colleagues that you are busy, loving work and doing wonderful things.

I have been busy.

I have been loving work.

I have been doing wonderful things.

But finding the time to blog has not been meshed into the "to-do" list.

Then there is the personal vs. professional.

What to write? What to disclose?

I'm a very private person. And 2011 has been a big changing year for me.

I lost my grandmother in February in a tragic accident. My grandfather, whom I felt extremely close to, followed her. Exactly four weeks later. Wednesday, February 16 and Wednesday, March 16.

Shortly after that my youngest daughter was diagnosed with chronic condition that we must manage with medication everyday.

I knew I needed to shift my focus. I had to reduce my involvement with certain professional endeavors and just be present to my wonderful 2011 clients, family and close friends.

This allowed me to better serve my clients, spend more time with my gorgeous family and play a most honorable role for two very dear friends.

Casey and my husband have known each other since high school and Natalie and I hit it off the moment we met. Their wedding was truly a labor of love. Natalie and her mom scouted or created all the decor. Casey was put to work building and assembling. And I was able to produce these pretty babies:

Thank you so much Casey and Natalie for your friendship and trust. I wish you many happy years together! Please visit Natalie's blog to read about how she pulled this lovely event together with just friends, family and a whole lotta love.

wallpaperie

2011-05-03T13:22:00.001-07:00

No calendar this month folks. I was feeling minimalistic and bright. And also in need of some daily affirmation, aren't we all sometimes? haha Here's to a very busy (and hopefully sunny + bright) May. I hope you like it.

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A look back

2011-04-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

This is my husband's cousin. She's a high school senior and my daughters adore her. Is it any wonder why? She is super cute and so much fun. I had the privilege of taking some senior photos for her in the fall after her studio session with a local company bombed. The other day she asked if I could get some wallet sizes printed for her graduation announcements! That went sooo fast.

Makeup done by the fab Sarah Rorvig!

Parisian Inspired Save the Date

2011-04-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

Vanessa and Lee met in Paris and wanted their Save the Date to embody elegance, art nouveau, and them of course! Which is why used a sweet little timeline of their romance.

wallpaperie

2011-04-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

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Or if you are feeling brighter, check out April-one year ago.

Featured!

2011-03-07T08:26:00.000-08:00

XO to the glamorous Junebug for a stellar write up on Sarah and Andrew's wedding!

"The wedding invitations were designed by Dolce Design to highlight the vineyard theme in an utterly modern and creative way. They featured a wine stain graphic with beautiful script, sexy marbled paper and a custom wax seal. So brilliant!"

Thank you Junebug!

wallpaperie

2011-03-01T10:23:00.000-08:00

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Chalkboards: On the next level

2011-02-25T13:48:00.000-08:00

The chalkboard is still a major wedding accessory. And by now most people even have one in their home somewhere too. I have a small vintage one in the kitchen used for jotting down reminders, things I continue to forget at the grocery store, love notes for the girlies or meaningful quotes.

I came across the work of Dana Tanamachi and was inspired to spruce up my board. Her work is flawless!

While there is truth to this Irish Proverb that laughter and a good sleep are cure-alls, it's no coincidence that it sits in between the wine and the espresso machine :)

shower the people you love

2011-02-09T23:51:00.000-08:00

Grey, yellow and pink invitations for a mod his + hers baby shower. The invitations were wrapped in a dreamy vellum that was machine stitched with pink thread and secured with sweet little owl tags.

wallpaperie

2011-02-01T06:06:00.000-08:00

February's desktop featuring Pantone's color of the year: honeysuckle. Also, if you haven't seen the Tumblr site To My Wife today is a perfect day to get sidetracked over there after you beautify your desktop. It's incredibly candid and sweet.

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Are Your Edges Fancy?

2011-01-24T21:46:00.001-08:00

Save the Date orders are flying out of here and I couldn't be happier. Edge painting gained momentum last season and for twenty eleven this is the most in demand trend. I love the little punch it adds... no naked edges around here!

Leaving the Studio

2011-01-14T16:14:00.000-08:00

This is the last hurrah for one of my dear friends wedding. Sarah and Andrew were married at the drop dead gorgeous Lancaster Estate and these (long awaited) Thank You Notes are on their way out. You can check out their fête that Michéle M. Waite captured beautifully on her blog A huge congratulations to Sarah and Andrew. I wish you the best. It's truly inspiring to see two friends marry who are so deserving of each other and happiness. And a thank you for waiting patiently through the holidays ;)

The last four photos credited to Michéle whom I can not thank enough for being there to always capture phenomenal shots of my work.

wallpaperie

2011-01-09T19:56:00.001-08:00

Sweet. Simple. Maybe my favorite to date.

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thank you

2011-01-06T00:04:00.000-08:00

...for bearing with my hiatus during the month of December. I hope you like the new cleaner look around here... I know change can be scary and I hate to turn people off but, um, I go nuts without change.

Don't worry though, I'll be back to posting with my regular scheduled program of pretty stationery and I will keep on keepin' on with the monthly desktops as I have received a lot of great feedback! January's is a few days past due but I promise it will be up before Monday :) Thanks all for the support and Happy Twenty Eleven to you!

(I figure I can't post without eye candy, so here's my youngest daughter and her glorious curls.)

Shut the front door!

2010-12-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's December first. I have created these little desktops for a whole year... I hope everyone's holiday season is off to a great start. I am looking forward to re-vamping my blog and website a little bit and I have loads of real weddings to post :) So blogging may be sporadic for a little while longer but I promise good things to come.

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drumroll....

2010-11-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

It's time for the official recap of October 28th's Get Hitched Give Hope! Our goal of raising $50,000 for Stage IV breast cancer patients has been shattered as donations continue to roll in. We are currently at $64K raised!!

You can get the full details from the event and learn how to be involved next year on the Get Hitched Give Hope blog. We all can not thank you enough!! The brides, grooms, friends, moms and wedding industry peeps that came out to support this amazing event for an important cause. And major shout out to La Vie Photography who did a superb job capturing the evening and our silly, energetic, passionate event team!

wallpaperie

2010-11-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh November! I'm still coming down off the high that was Get Hitched Give Hope (photos tomorrow!!)

But now that we are all done licking our pink yogurt lids in support of October and Breast Cancer Awareness it's time to start donning and grooming your 'staches in support of Movember to focus on the men we love and "change the face of men's health."

It's also my birthday soon! So this month's desktop has some typeface 'staches featuring fonts that start with the letter B for yours truly ;)

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DARLING DIPTYCHS } soft

2010-10-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

Darling Diptychs... remember these? hahaha yes, Mo and I are both at fault it's been a crazy October for both of us!

LEFT} MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

Mine is the comforter to my bed which I wish I was still in. Last night was a late one, after a string of late night preparing for Get Hitched Give Hope. But I am SO happy to say that it totally paid off. We raised a show stopping $53K last night for the Making Memories Foundation! I want to thank everyone who came out and donated so generously as well as the fabulous vendors who contributed their items and services. I'll recap the event better as photos become available!

get your party shoes

2010-10-25T04:51:00.000-07:00

I've been a horrible blogger, yes it's true. But (huge sigh of relief and gratitude) I have been a little designing goddess for my favorite charity Get Hitched Give Hope. The printed program is on the presses right now and we have unveiled our super snazzy, very green, e-program... SO check it out!! Flip through pages upon pages of amazing silent and live auction items. Get familiar with the industries top vendors (pssst, click on their ads to go right to their websites... or if you a coveting an auction item you can also click on the vendor who is donating it!!) Slick, huh?

And if you don't have your tickets, or party shoes, now is the time! It's THIS Thursday! See you there!

wallpaperie

2010-10-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

Today I tweeted, "The busy-ness factor: october > august. I need to kick some tush today." So SO true. And I sort of did. I felt like I needed to do more but I met my goals. With my car leaving me stranded in the FedEx parking lot and all...

Sorry I'm six days late on this month's desktop! I included a calender this month... do you prefer the desktops with calendars or without?

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DARLING DIPTYCHS } Little Treasures

2010-10-01T09:33:00.001-07:00

LEFT} MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

2010-09-28T14:46:00.000-07:00

I have had my photographer hat on a lot more lately. I have a stationery suite for an upcoming "Celebration of Life" party and a super exciting commercial design project looming... it's been a bit crazy, it's been really, really busy and I am loving the diversity. I feel ever so much creativity with several different styles of projects going.

Here's some sweetness from the latest photo shoot. A baby, seven weeks new. Seems fitting for the growth I think is 'bout to happen :)

DARLING DIPTYCHS } facedowns

2010-09-24T16:01:00.001-07:00

TOP } MO and to the BOTTOM } MOI

Inspired by Facedowns and I Love Facedowns (the latter's front woman is friend and photographer Barbie Hull who happens to be one of the amazing people behind the creation of Get Hitched Give Hope as well!)

This was really silly and fun and I had three little participants MORE than willing to be my facedown muses. And it's well worth the click over to Mo's site to get the scoop on the super cool octo wall.

DARLING DIPTYCHS } blue

2010-09-17T11:05:00.001-07:00

LEFT } MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

DARLING DIPTYCHS } childhood

2010-09-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

LEFT } MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

This project has made me so much better about bringing my camera with me. In the car I looked back while we were waiting for big sister to come out of school and this perfect little moment was happening. A fresh pack of stickers (and where better to place them?) plus a pretty green balloon floating in the third row seat makes for one happy two year old.

FURNITURE RESCUE ASSOCIATION

2010-09-03T11:01:00.001-07:00

Some people take in stray cats. I take in stray chairs. It's a terrible habit really. Some day I fear that chairs will take over our 1800 SF condo driving out my husband and children... and one day I'll die all alone with hundreds of chairs surrounding me. Okay, so perhaps that's way dramatic but you get the idea. I kid you not that I can count 12 chairs in our main living area plus an ottoman and that's not counting the sofa and soft seating.

BUT! I saw this chair for $4.00-FOUR! and well, this little orange guy called to me. So, here's Friday's diptych of a different sorts. I love my new little chair, he has a fine place among the others.

Happy weekend! We are off to go check out the class list and meet the new teacher... holy moly me oh my I can't believe I'm gonna have a first grader.

wallpaperie

2010-09-01T12:40:00.001-07:00

lyric by Green Day
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Monday Sillies

2010-08-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

This is not a serious post, so if you came on this fine Monday looking for strictly wedding goodies or perhaps a Sweet Little Weekend edition chalk full of stationery today is not the day. Again. Even with three weddings last weekend I, once more, failed to photograph things before they were out the door.

What I did do was escape Saturday afternoon to Honey Salon for a breather and some major pampering. And y'all I have never, not ever, been one to brag about my ability to be hip and trendy ('cause I'm totally not) or my hair because, trust me, it's not that special. But something amazing happened... I stumbled into the salon on Saturday and super eloquently asked for "Some highlights... but mostly at the ends... 'cause I have three daughters and no time for my hair. Which means major high maintenance grow out is a no-no. Also, I'm still growing it long. So, can you just make the highlights look natural? Sorta beachy?"

And it was my dumb luck that Tara (my fantastic hair artist who seriously rocks it) was thrilled and was all, "You totally want balayage!" And then she took my hair and made it supermodel hair. See?

(Note: see what I mean about not serious? My girls are in the bathtub to the left and I'm in a blue tank with a bra strap exposed. But you are supposed to be looking at my hairs.)

Balayage as Tara taught me has been around for some time in Europe and the word "balayage" is French for "sweep". The highlights are swept (painted) on free-form with the intensity towards the bottom leaving no obvious root so it looks natural and beachy and grow-out is nil, so you can go longer between colorings. It's a more expensive process and is a two person job (Tara had a rock star assistant) but it's SO worth it. Here's a more sultry person showing off a more dramatic version...

Honey is the only salon in Bellingham that does it-see what I mean about my dumb luck? Apparently, it's totally on trend watch and I can see why. I had to share and give a major shout out to Tara and the team at Honey ;)

DARLING DIPTYCHS } numbers

2010-08-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

LEFT} MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

This week Mo and I tried to give ourselves a break and pick a specific topic of something we could find around the house... but it looks like we both stumbled upon some numbers out and about anyway! This pole is on a street corner downtown near Icing on the Cake (which is where the girlies and I were going on a much needed 20 minute break-YUM!) I also must confess that I snapped this with my phone, because it feels like cheating. But, alas, I walked by it and couldn't miss the opportunity for this week! Also, so corny, but I have a "Circa 1963" action that I processed the photo with... totally cheesy, totally fitting.

SWL } the wedding edition

2010-08-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a loooooong time since I have done this little feature and sometimes the lightbulb goes on... this would be a great way to feature the event stationery portion of what I do... and that little lightbulb should have gone off oh, I don't know... three months ago! (shakes head) But here is lots of chalkboard love for Mary + Mugs who got hitched yesterday.

Clockwise from top left: large chalkboard menu featuring their double "M" monogram. Cute little fortunes for the toss bouquet. (one large broke into six individual bouquets each with a sweet little message.) Small chalkboard with their table names and a fun large cork board for the seating sign covered in burlap for some yummy rustic texture.

DARLING DIPTYCHS } sleep

2010-08-20T09:31:00.001-07:00

LEFT} MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

Ah, thank you Darling Diptychs for making me not a total loser of a blogger. I can't say it enough, August is busy. But like I said last night at the GHGH launch party I am happy and very thankful to be busy. Speaking of GHGH, tickets are on sale now! And yours truly was on the blog this week. I had a ball last night and this year's event will be bigger and better than ever.

DARLING DIPTYCHS } calm

2010-08-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

LEFT} MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

This was an interesting topic to tackle smack in the middle of the busiest wedding month! Also, we had a big celebration Wednesday evening at the brand new Giuseppe's Italian Restaurant that my husband built! It's beautiful in there, if you are in the Bellingham area or just passing through and would like a waterfront dinner it's a great new space. I took a few photos Wednesday and will give you a peek soon. It would be a great rehearsal dinner space!

Peek-a-boo

2010-08-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

I took this last night of my new nephew. He was just a few minutes shy of 24 hours old. He's quite handsome and I am beyond thrilled.

DARLING DIPTYCHS } growth

2010-08-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

LEFT} MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

I drive by this unbelievable huge tree overgrown with ivy on most days. Many times I have thought about stopping to take pictures of the girls underneath it and this weeks diptych was a perfect excuse to get it done. To plan. To remember the camera along with the forty million other things ;)

TRIPTYCH

2010-08-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

From the day we saw the pants.

wallpaperie

2010-08-01T09:49:00.001-07:00

In celebration of gelato and county fairs everywhere... click on your resolution size to download and enjoy!
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DARLING DIPTYCHS } strange

2010-07-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

LEFT} MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

I had to dash out downtown yesterday to go to my salon* and pick up some shampoo and conditioner. Nyla decided she wanted to walk around a bit which I was thrilled about. She wanted to look in the window of the bridal shop and we navigated through alleys stopping in for an americano for mom and stopping once more for doughnuts for the girls. Taking a short cut through the alleys we came upon someone's pants neatly folded over a building meter. Probably not the strangest thing to find in an alley but my girls were shocked, "Who left their pants?! I would never leave my pants outside!" Ah, the sweet minds of six and four year olds.

*This salon is exploding with talent. Hair skills, my friends. If you need anything, especially for a special event in the area-this place is it.

small INTERRUPTION

2010-07-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

I have two more invitation suites to post but I realized in all the wedding ~~madness~~ goodness I never did post a single photo of the oldest girlies from their dance recital. This one is my favorite.

VOL. 03

2010-07-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

Another boxed beauty... this one is similar to Erika and Derek's invitation with a color twist and a bit of inspiration from our Seattle Met featured invite. I hope everyone is enjoying our much overdue sunshine!

DARLING DIPTYCHS } pleasure

2010-07-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

LEFT} MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

Sooooo tricky... but that is what Mrs. Lady and Light and I decided; the abstract topics are fun + challenging. I went heavy with the photoshop this week but I think it goes well with my interpretation of the subject. It was also pretty interesting to touch up my own face as if it were going in a magazine. Almost no freckles, no flaws, smooth skin and plump lips. I also took some bokeh inspiration... though I don't have a snazzy filter, I just created a photoshop brush.

VOL. 02

2010-07-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

This was also the sneak peek of last week's Darling Diptychs These were a labor of love but so fun and because the bride is one of my best friends and I got the play by play as she was "bombarded" with texts, emails and facebook comments. My favorites was that her grandma "took her invitation to dinner at her old folks home to show it off." How sweet!

The reverse of the invitation was the woven paper with such great texture.

These were made with real orchids! They are preserved so they won't wilt or die but they are super delicate and there was definitely a bit of a learning process to work with these little beauties.

Their unique double initials grace the sleeve of the reply postcard...

and a surprise quote is featured on the inside bottom of the box!

VOL. 01

2010-07-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

Busy Bee = Bad Blogstress... this is one of my five part series to share what in the world I have been up to. First, the lovely Mary and Megan aka "Mugs."

Mugs drew the lovely little pair of shoes. We used them on the Save the Dates and incorporated them into the "seal" at the top of the invitation.

The map was so fun! It's my second custom map this season and I love that we included a few illustrations for special landmarks and traveling instructions with little notes.

DARLING DIPTYCHS } texture

2010-07-16T09:40:00.001-07:00

LEFT} MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

My texture is some yummy paper that serves also as a sneak peek into some totally awesome wedding invitations I wrapped up this week for a dear friend of mine. They were so fun because 1. She's one of my besties 2. She wanted something CRAZY, unique and untraditional 3. They are gettin' hitched in Costa Rica! I can't wait to show you the full version... but actual folks are still getting theirs and we can't be spoiling anyone's surprise!

ASGARI PHOTOGRAPHY

2010-07-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

One of my grooms this year is also a photographer we spent some time collaborating on his logo in between meetings for their beautiful invitations. He has unveiled it some time ago and it finally time I do to!

Tony is a genuinely a great guy and you will feel that in a matter of minutes with him. His early photography stems from a lot of travel experience and these two girls below are hands down my favorite... the one on the right looks just smitten. Congratulations on your marriage and official photography venture Tony!

View more of Tony's work {here} including his most recent photos during his trip to the UK. So pretty... I love the photo of the countryside.

DARLING DIPTYCHS } found

2010-07-09T09:21:00.001-07:00

LEFT} MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

Technically my "find" happened last week when I scored a brand new-still in it's box-1985 polaroid camera! But the camera and it's gloriously sepia toned black and white film arrived this week.

Have you heard about the Impossible Project? The Impossible Team "has been founded with the concrete aim to re-invent and re-start production of analog INTEGRAL FILM for vintage Polaroid cameras."

The Polaroid of my youngest daughter above was taken with the Impossible Project's silver shade. So much fun. My oldest (who got her own digital camera for Christmas) flipped out when she saw how the Polaroid camera worked. Love that girl.

canlis

2010-07-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

The photos by the lovely Michéle M. Waite from the private reception at the Canlis in May have been released! Her detail shots of the stationery I created for the event are breathtaking as always. The private penthouse in the Canlis has the yummiest light!

I love the reverse zebra print (maybe I'm biased?) but I really dig simple and elegant on the front with some fun and crazy on the back.

so many reasons...

2010-07-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

Why you should seriously just stop what you are doing and run out to grab the latest issue of Seattle Metropolitan Bride and Groom. Firstly, you should scope the the pretty lil ad I designed for this October's Get Hitched Give Hope, which will be here before you know it! Also, one of my couples Ben and China's made it in their real weddings feature!

DARLING DIPTYCHS } red

2010-07-02T06:10:00.000-07:00

LEFT} MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

wallpaperie

2010-07-01T09:07:00.001-07:00

Click on your resolution size to download July's desktop. Enjoy and everyone have a fun and safe fourth!
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bicicleta

2010-06-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

Now that my girls are getting old enough for cruising on their own wheels I am ready for some leisurely days of family bike rides... and perhaps some solo ones too. Urban Outfitters has a build your own bike shop... did you know about this?! I reeeaally want one, my design is the top but I do love a good orange/teal combo and the last one is so classic. It would be hard to decide without spending half a day playing on the UO website!

DARLING DIPTYCHS } up

2010-06-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

Two whole weeks without a post! I'm such a loser blogger, hahha. Mo went and left for the beautiful San Juan Islands last week so all my motivation for blogging was lost and we postponed our diptych project for a week. Also, I am up to my eyeballs in pretty paper. I really need to catch up on photographing my work and getting it here for you lovelies to see! I hope everyone has a good weekend! We have the big dance recital so I'm sure I will have to post some family cuteness on Monday :)

LEFT} MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

DARLING DIPTYCHS } deserted

2010-06-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

LEFT} MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

I know nearly every week of this project has been challenging, but this week was more so than the others. I drove out to the sticks to try and find some barren land... but I must have forgotten I live in WA. Oh, and that it has rained nearly every day for all of June. So my drive was more lush jungle rainforest than barren and deserted... so I went more with abandoned, which is the same thing. I checked (just now): de·sert·ed, de·sert·ing: 1. To leave empty or alone; abandon. My photograph is a small portion of Bellingham's old industrial waterfront.

Happy Friday and heres to some sun in our forecast for this weekend (finally) and to old friends, I have one coming to visit that I haven't seen in nearly five years!

tony and kate, fête

2010-06-10T08:53:00.000-07:00

Marrying in August, Kate and Tony have been a sheer joy to work with... they are full of adoration for each other and to use Kate's words "over the moon" in every aspect of their relationship and wedding planning. It's always such a blessing to have clients as gracious as these two. Tony is a photographer and on the low we have been in cahoots for his logo and small details of his blog which I am excited to share with you soon!

semiahmoo soirée

2010-06-08T10:12:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Semiahmoo Resort hosted an intimate bridal show and dinner with each of their available event rooms decked to the nines. I had the pleasure of teaming up with Steven Moore to provide the stationery items for his space, the sought after Pierside Tent. It was an eclectic romantic feel inspired by a Midsummer Night's Dream. Each place setting had an ornate menu printed on the finest parchment paper tied with luxurious one inch ribbon and topped with a golden fleur de lis seal, the table numbers were designed equally resting on gold table top easels among old sheet music, moss, single peonies in various vases candles and skeleton keys.

DARLING DIPTYCHS } movement

2010-06-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

LEFT} MO and to the RIGHT } MOI
We live right by a train so I had in my head a great idea for this week's diptych. Alas, my train photos didn't pan out. But we had dress rehearsal for June's dance recital yesterday and it turns out if you stick two girls in hot pink lamé you get all the movement you need. I hope everyone has a good weekend and for you locals... some stinkin' sunshine already!

wallpaperie

2010-06-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

June used to be the start of wedding season but May seems to get more popular every year as a wedding month, specifically memorial day weekend. I hope everyone enjoyed theirs and if you got hitched, congratulations! This month will be busy, busy... a show at the lovely Semiahmoo Resort, a special little girl who will graduate kindergarten and turn six! And two little girls in pink lamé tap dancing it up on stage, oh yes, there will be photos.

Click on your resolution size to download June's desktop.
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DARLING DIPTYCHS } night

2010-05-28T09:05:00.001-07:00

This weeks diptych was challenging but fun. I am a night person, most days I seem to get a burst of energy around eight o'clock right after all the girls are in bed! My photo was taken at 12:41 am. What about you? Do you favor the mornings or the evenings?

LEFT} MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

WEDDING SHOOTIES!

2010-05-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

Seriously folks, It really might not get any cute than this...

found via Ruffled, photography by Adam LeSage

NO FRILLS BEAUTY } the day of

2010-05-26T08:26:00.001-07:00

This is a small part of what last week looked like around here. If you recall this pretty little suite you'll notice this is the follow up. Including a seating sign, escort cards, menus, table numbers and a congratulations to Kathie and Paul!

DARLING DIPTYCHS } YELLOW

2010-05-21T15:50:00.001-07:00

I certainly didn't intend this new installment to be the only feature here on The Dish. In the last two weeks I have worked on several exciting collaborations (which are coming, I swear) wedding season is suddenly here... amazing how it sneaks up and kicks my tush every spring! And we are sick. Sick. Sick. Snotty noses. Fevers. Ear infections. Eye infections. The whole lot of us. Boo. BUT thankfully I have the lovely Mo to help me bring some sort of scheduled posting to these hectic times! This diptych makes me think of long hot summer road trips with a handsome driver, my feet on the dash, a book in my hand and the breeze blowing in through the windows on a long stretch of highway. Mmmm, that really sounds nice right now.

LEFT} MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

DARLING DIPTYCHS } BIRDS

2010-05-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

LEFT} MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

A PRIVATE RECEPTION

2010-05-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of working with the Canlis to create some exquisite invitations for a formal private marketing event they hosted last night which was a staged reception in their private penthouse dining area. It was to be very elegant with some modern patterns and textures mixed in so the invitations were shipped and/or hand delivered in zebra print sealed boxes which unveiled the gold gilded invitation tucked into a custom sewn dupioni silk sleeve wrapped with black ribbon and a pavé encrusted button. A gilded blank personal notecard was included for Heather from the Canlis to add a handwritten note to each guest... a great idea that would be such a sweet touch for a small wedding.

DARLING DIPTYCHS } BUBBLES

2010-05-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

Hoo-ah. (You know, like from Scent of a Woman?) My wonderful friend Mo of Lady and Light and I have teamed up to do a diptych each week! I hope you find this new addition to the blog as lovely as I do!

LEFT} MO and to the RIGHT } MOI

wallpaperie

2010-04-30T14:45:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is already May! I hope you like this month's minty freshness. Posting has been a bit sporadic but I have fun things in the works... May is going to be great, let's all start it off with a super weekend.

Click on your resolution size to download this May's desktop.
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GHGHtwentyten

2010-04-27T08:32:00.000-07:00

It was unveiled last week and if you missed it, well I'm here to properly inform you, stylishly late-like that the 2010 Get Hitched, Give Hope crew announced it's 3rd annual bridal giving event! Mark your calendars for October 28th, 2010 for an evening of lovely libations, amazing appetizers, live and silent auctions, and raffles galore! The Four Seasons is generously hosting this year's GHGH and the entire crew is thrilled!

So head over to www.gethitchedgivehope.com and get acquainted with the fresh new website, check out new blog articles, meet the volunteer team for this year, and browse the first wave of generous beloved vendors and sponsors. You can even follow along on Twitter, and Facebook.

We've set our sights high once again- let's raise $50,000 to grant wishes for breast cancer patients where the cure can't come soon enough, all while getting gorgeous goods for your wedding. See you there with your party shoes on!

BACK WITH A NEW LOVE

2010-04-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

I was standing in a Las Vegas Borders Bookstore with the HOW design annual ready to make my way to the check out when I rounded the corner and spotted just the top two and half inches of an uber clean women's fashion magazine I had never heard of. I slid it out of the back row to find this:

Lula Magazine

"Is this the prettiest magazine you've ever seen?!" I gushed to my husband's eye roll. "I changed my mind." I said casting that issue of HOW aside. Ooooohh and I don't regret it either.

Lula has no headlines and minimal traditional advertisements... in fact nothing about Lula fits the bill of a traditional women's fashion magazine. The editorials are super sleek with inspiring photography and typography, case in point the first photograph below of the mag's interview of Joanna Newsom. And below that, the section of what Lula Loves (which is something every magazine does but is usually a jumbled mess of a collage with cut out clothes and jewelry) but Lula has eight pages of gorgeous photography displaying what they are crushing on.

The last photo is one of the seven alternative covers. This issue was inspired and themed after Strawberry Shortcake (a love from my childhood) so they asked their favorite designers to recreate the original characters for their covers. That is Strawberry who was my first cover choice but I settled on Blueberry Muffin since Strawberry was unavailable and she's pretty sassy. The designers did an incredible job!

WEBBY REVEAL

2010-04-16T07:19:00.000-07:00

Please check out the my updated site! How fun to have this up 'n runnin right before I leave on vacation :) I'd love to hear what you think in the comments. Special thanks to my favorite photography ladies Laurel McConnell for my "about" photo and Michele M. Waite for most of the photos of my work. Posting will resume on Wednesday April 21 when I return. Viva Las Vegas and many thanks!

Dolce Design website

NO FRILLS BEAUTY

2010-04-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

The first design round had soft willow branches coming in off the edges but less is more, no? These were letterpressed on the creamiest off white paper. Rounded corners and small punches of elegant script make these clean + simple but nothing short of pretty.

SATURDAY RANDOM

2010-04-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

This is more for myself so I don't save this or bookmark it somewhere and never find again, which I have a horrible habit of doing about 40% of the time, especially on Saturdays :) I'm not a Gaga fan but if her existence is the culprit for amazing covers such as this, then amen.

spotted via A Desert Fete from fat possum records

TODAY IS YOUR DAY

2010-04-09T17:18:00.001-07:00

We are off to celebrate this little man's first birthday! Here are his postcard invitations along with the a couple of the planes from our shoot which we are reusing for decor. Happy Friday indeed.

PAPER AIRPLANE GARLAND

2010-04-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

Paper airplanes seem like one of those intuitive, totally uncomplicated things to make. So I conjured up this idea for our photo shoot and set out to fold dozens and dozens and dozens of planes. I grabbed my bone folder and sat down.... hmmm. I quickly realized I actually had NO idea how to make one and Googled "how to fold a paper airplane" which returned tons of results and different styles of planes. "That one looks badass!" My husband said over my shoulder. So I clicked on that one and sat cursing for 20 minutes because what kind of moron can't figure out how to fold a paper airplane? Me. I sat biting my lip until I realized the PDF I was looking at thanks to Google was from MIT, then I felt a little bit better about my lot in life and chose a different design. I made some minor adjustments to achieve a more "badass" look and they turned out great and went rather quickly.

1 :: Is half of a 8.5x11 sheet of paper... measuring 5.5x8.5
2 & 3 :: Fold in half and unfold
4 & 5 :: Using your center crease line as a guide fold the top corners down to the middle making triangles. Keep folded.
6 & 7 :: Fold again in the same fashion as above using the center line as a guide.
8 :: Fold upward using your original middle crease so you end up with the shape of figure number 9
10 & 11 :: Fold your wings down along the body of the plane
12 :: Fold the wing tips up because this is what makes them look tough... and the fly pretty good too!

I strung them on very in expensive white elastic banding, gluing down the center crease of the plane and even putting a staple in the center of each hidden under the fold of the wings for reinforcement. They would make great birthday party or nursery decor on a budget.

wallpaperie

2010-04-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

Mustard yellow golden as the sun, bicycles and flowers from the farmers markets... April is here my friends! Maybe it's the daffodils I have had for weeks or the lack of sleep but this pretty little silly desktop o' the month about wraps it up for me lately and I hope you enjoy it too.

Click on your resolution size to download this month's desktop.
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ELSEWHERE

2010-03-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

M.I.A.? Anything but... it's been busy around here with May and June brides to be. (See? Lots of invitations wrapped and ready to go, and I won't show you what the rest of the place looks like right now.) I do have a DIY in store for the paper airplane garland though so stay tuned!

A FIRST BIRTHDAY

2010-03-24T10:54:00.000-07:00

It's coming up! So we set out yesterday on a highly unprofessional shoot with Kennedy strapped to my back and Keira running amuck both behind and through shots. It was 1:00 and the sun kept popping out and blinding us so we just made do with the hour plus that we had and thankfully there are a few pretty good ones.

I NAMED HER BETTY

2010-03-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

Betty is my grandmother's name, it seemed fitting. This dresser was shoved under a table at the Goodwill with a price tag of $30. She's practical but elegant and petite. (My grandmother is tiny.) Here is how she looked when I found her.

Some sanding... which, sadly, claimed half a fingernail and some priming and painting later my nice husband and little brother-in-law moved her in for me last night. I hope she's with us for a long time.

I spray painted the existing handles black and although the photo doesn't do the color justice, it's a nice warm gray. What you also can't see is the bit of distressing. I sanded the edges lightly after everything was dry. I am so happy with how it turned out!

P.S. There are three giggly little girls on the couch behind there watching The Princess and the Frog which came out Tuesday... and it's really a cute movie.

NAUTICAL SOPHISTICATE

2010-03-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite families. They are loud, brutally honest and just a joy to work with. I get to laugh during every meeting we have. I worked with them two + years ago when their first daughter got married and now they have another wedding in their future! They are having a long engagement so we are sending out this teaser announcement.

I designed an anchor monogram which we printed on the card as well as having a custom wax seal made (above). The card is double sided with a gold paisley pattern (also above) and the envelope lined with nautical stripes (below). I can't wait to continue working with such great people on this lovely theme.

YUMMY CHANGES

2010-03-11T19:52:00.000-08:00

Even though the temperatures dropped it was time for some spring cleaning. I was up a to bloglift so sorry the posting for the week has been light... I'll hit you tomorrow with some tasty sneak peeks. ♥

A LOVE THAT NEVER DIES

2010-03-08T08:28:00.000-08:00

... such is my love for ruffles. Delicious dress by Jorge Terra. I hope everyone had a lovely weekend.

VINTAGE KICKS

2010-03-05T08:17:00.000-08:00

I had been on the lookout for a great pair of cowboy boots for over a year. It was taking so long because I didn't want to plunk down a lot of money, after all it's not like I was going to live in them...

or so I thought until my perfect beauties showed up in the mail from Old Baltimore Vintage. I slid my foot in them and emailed her right away, "The boots just arrived and they fit like they were made for me! What a score. Thank you." And I have worn them three times in the one week they have been mine.

WOWZERS ON THE RUCHE BLOG

2010-03-03T13:06:00.000-08:00

Are you familiar with Ruche? Gorgeous goods at prices that are a steal and a super cute blog to boot where most recently they spill their secrets of amazing photo shoots in DIY fashion

See? SO pretty! What are you still doing here, get on over there and see how the Ruche ladies do it!

*edited to add I see this is on Knack as well today... is it any wonder why? Props to these creative ladies.

wallpaperie

2010-03-01T13:27:00.000-08:00

It's that time again! Where in the world did February go? I know February meant lots of snow in other parts but for us in the PNdub it was so incredibly warm (and warm for us means 50º) that our cherry and apple blossoms bloomed, the magnolia tree my husband planted for me two years ago has visible buds waiting to open and our bumblebees are back. So instead of the obvious shamrock display for this month I hope you will enjoy my early spring cheer... insects and all.

Click on your resolution size to download this month's desktop and enjoy.
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REVAMP

2010-02-26T09:22:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite blogs, Brand New posted a really inspirational logo revamp recently. Sadly, many of the revamps usually found there are less than thrilling (in my opinion) but! speaking from experience I can say reworking an existing logo is challenging, really challenging. However, the logo designer Felix Sockwell just nailed this... and I enjoyed the original but can see the call for change and it's just lovely! You can read more about his approach over at Brand New.

I am almost ashamed to admit that Fashionista is not on one of my daily reads lists... I have been missing out and especially now with it being so pretty, I'm sure you'll be seeing it added to my sidebar.

CUPCAKE THURSDAY PHOTO CONTEST

2010-02-18T20:11:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite friends and photographers is having a contest! And even if you DON'T win you can still get cupcakes-can you believe it? Read about the details and how to enter on Laurel's blog {here}

It just so happened that we went to Katie's Cupcakes today with my new Canon in tow when I came home to check Facebook and saw Laurel's status update reminding everyone that there's one week left to enter her Cupcake Thursday Photo Contest.

What do you think? Should I enter one of these?

Bite # 1 makes a frosting moustache

Bite # 6 is getting significantly messier!

Bah! I don't even own Adobe Lightroom but if any of you enter I wanna know about it and see your shots!