Work, work, work…& something funny.

April 15, 2009 by carina 4 Comments

So I’m sure you also feel this way many times: too many things, so little time! There are SO many things I want to do creatively, with my family, for myself…but I need just one more hour in my day (you know you can relate with me on this one)! There is the daily grind of regular life, there are things that must be done, and there’s, well, work. And all of it is necessary. So carving out a piece of time in your life that is complete devoted to some kind of creative effort or ME time is difficult. I see this especially for moms (when’s the last time you got some ME time, mommies?). Last night, I had a bit of ME time by going out with my girlfriend, Jen (aka: the projectgirl). Did I mention that she is getting married? Yep. She is. And I’m guessing she has been too busy to even mention it on her blog. Currently, she is staying at my house as we make final preparations this week for the big day. Last night we went out for pedicures and a little late night dinner. VERY indulgent and something I can be okay with as Ms. Jen lives in San Francisco and I’m always so happy when she is in town! So with a week’s worth of wedding stuff in front me (I am currently fancied-up for our bridal luncheon today at the Lion House) and Two Peas products to make, My Minds Eye submissions barking at me, my daytime job (yes, I still have one of these), and well, I have been sketching out new designs for this website (lol…good timing, I know!), things start to get a tiny-bit busy. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining! I think this is what life is all about! And most of it is SO fun (I love everything I do!)! I guess this post is sort of a reminder for me to enjoy the process—something I am terrible at doing. I’m sort of an end result person (a prognosis attained from the doctorate I’m sure). So I hope if things are crazy for you, you take a moment to smell the roses and enjoy your process!

And, because I love you so much, here’s something for you all to enjoy. Josh was sent this little goodie from a friend on facebook and I CANNOT resist posting it here! I mean, it IS design related. Please, please, I urge you to watch to the VERY END! Business card anyone?

Your Business Card is Crap!

Wait, wait….This is THE most impressive business card I have ever seen. It’s MINE…hahaha! That is such a great line! And where in the world can I get this guy’s business card?

Bella Bella Layout

April 13, 2009 by carina 4 Comments

Last week, something possessed me to take a second away from digital scrapbooking and to actually scrapbook the traditional way. I used my Bella Bella line from My Minds Eye.

It’s nice to get off the computer sometimes and really get down and dirty! I think there is something about really feeling the paper in your hands ( I love paper…sheets and sheets of it all over my home just because I like the stuff!). I do think traditional scrapbooking is harder for me because I’m always wishing for a control-Z (I actually wish there was a control-z for a lot of regular things in life!). But once I got use to the idea of planning the layout ahead and being okay with the home spun nature of it all (aka, my glops of glue!), I was good!

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Beautiful Bedrooms

April 8, 2009 by carina 1 Comment

I’ve been dreaming of a beautiful bedroom these days. With my office in the bedroom and with my girls using it as their hang out room, it is currently stuffed to capacity. However, I found these 4 bedrooms on HouseBeautiful’s website to inspire me to help make my room a little prettier…

Florescent pink pillows…who knew they could be so stunning?

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This one is probably my favorite. Soft, sweet, and bright. And SO comfy. Don’t you just want to climb into that bed, snuggle in, and read a book?

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The chandelier on this one is TO DIE FOR. Yum, yum!

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I’m attracted to the colors on this one! I think that blue is in my living room…

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Easter Inspiration

April 6, 2009 by carina 1 Comment

I’m back from a bit of a hiatus from my blog. I’ve had a number of things barking at me these last couple of weeks and I’ve devoted myself to being a little more careful about what I choose to spend my time doing. I actually was sitting in on a seminar a few weeks ago that asked us to rate the top 5 things in our lives (things we like to do, wanted to spend more of our time on, etc.). We were then asked to take that list and compare it to what we ACTUALLY do with our day. This simple task is an eye opener. I found myself acknowledging that I didn’t want to spend my life living the way I was now (so busy and stressed out) and not doing the things that I LOVE. Life’s too short right? My number one thing I wanted to do more of was spend a little more quality time with my little family—especially my girls. They’ve always been my number one priority, but I decided to MAKE sure that if I am doing something other than being with them, that it is completely worth it (that’s one way to justify not getting around to the laundry, heehee). Other top things for me? Designing, of course. I am COMPLETELY passionate about it. Surprisingly enough, cooking came up high on my list too. I completely forget how much I enjoy cooking as I spend more nights quickly try to get dinner together at night without a thought to how fun the process is. So you may see a bit more cooking on this site as I flex my creative muscles and make myself spend more time on things I love doing!

What are your top 5 things? What do you care about the most? I really believe that we have the ability to DESIGN our lives…which is a task in and of itself. How would you design your life if you could? I have some ideas about how I am changing my life to be a little less busy and more dynamic and engaging! I am always seeking after beauty in my life and that is one of the things I hope to bring to anyone who reads this blog. I hope that creativity is an integral part of your life too.

Which brings me to what I originally planned on posting about today: Easter inspiration. This is such a wonderful holiday—for decorations, family, and reflection. Hopefully, you get a chance this week to think about your life and what you need and don’t need in it! And while you are pondering these very big questions, lol, here is some eye candy to make you happy and feel inspired for this holiday!

This is Bossy Feltworks etsy shop. What a little darling chicky, huh?

This one’s from SoMommySew. These birdies and colors are divine?

This one is from madepersonal and is so charming.

If you want something to tandalize your eyes and your tummy, you should read this post over from the kitchn. It’a an assortment of very pretty little cookies you can find at different locations. These are too sweet and are true eye candy:

Those ladybugs are KILLING me…and little umbrellas? So sweet! Hope this all makes you as happy as it does me! More holiday stuff all this week…because, well, how can I help it? Happy Easter, Passover, or whatever you choose to celebrate this season. The main thing is that you celebrate!

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Easter Birdie Nests—Kid Edible Project

March 26, 2009 by carina 4 Comments

We made these edible easter nests that Siri is obsessed with it. I guarantee they’ll be a hit with your kids too! Plus they are easy!

Add a peep birdie for extra sweetness!

All you need is:

Chow Mein Crunch Noodles

Chocolate Chips (We like milk—it’s naughtier)

Shredded Sweetened Coconut (optional…I like it, the kids don’t)

jelly bean eggs or whopper eggs

Peeps chicks

Heat up a pan and melt the chocolate chips. Add the chow mein noodles and mix gently. I usually heap half into spoonfuls on a plate or tray and then mix the coconut in for the rest. Let your kids add the eggs and peeps. Easy Peasy!

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Nunchuck skills, bow hunting skills, glue gun skills…

March 25, 2009 by carina 1 Comment

Last night before the girls went to sleep, I pulled out some of my extra “bits and ends” and decided to make the girls a couple of clips. Siri just got a haircut (which has been FANTASTIC!), but means I need more clips for her to pull her hair from her face.

I bought alligator clips and just made a couple because I decided that Siri’s hair is too thick for these tiny ones I bought. I’ll be off to the store today to buy bigger ones so we can make more! (Siri was REALLY into it). First thing this morning, she asked to wear the clip we made.

All I did was lay down some thin ribbon on the clip and hot glue the two crochet flowers to the clip. We also glued two tiny pink gems in the centers of the flowers. Easy! And Siri is happy to boot! Glue gun skills…gotta love them!

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Photoshop Tutorial: Silhouettes

March 22, 2009 by carina 8 Comments

My first Photoshop tutorial! It is created using a fabulous program called Jing. This photoshop tutorial was created in a swf file , so hopefully you will be able to watch it…you may need to download the latest version of Flash to watch it. I sort of zoom through the tutorial because I only had 5 minutes to show everything (the limit on jing).

Here’s the project: creating a family silhouette art piece for your living room. I show you how to create this silhouette in photoshop and then take it into Illustrator for clean up. I’d suggest the tutorial for intermediate users, but if you are a beginner, it wouldn’t hurt you to watch it! You can pause it as you work on your own.

I created my first silhouette of Siri when she was 2 years old. I thought it was a great way to document the subtle changes in my little girl. I have the screenprint of that piece in my living room. I love silhouettes and my original idea was to hang individual tiny portraits of each member of the family. However, do you know how HARD it is to find a decent oval frame? So I decided to go with the square frame and put all of us (my husband, Josh, myself, and two daughters) into one piece. Inexpensive art, always a plus!

Want to watch a larger version of this video? Click here.

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Easter Projects

March 22, 2009 by carina 2 Comments

Easter is fast approaching and I haven’t even begun to think about Easter projects for me girls. Our favorite is the peeps chicks in chocolate nests with jelly been eggs. Siri was just asking to do those the other day.

You should also check out the Easter Projects on Martha Stewart’s website. Look how cute these spring chicks are!

There’s also a slew of Easter decoration pictures. I am more motivated to get a few things together this week!

If you doing anything fun for Easter, post here!

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March of Tools: The Wacom Tablet and Card Scan Reader

March 18, 2009 by carina

In honor of March of the Tools, I decided to feature two of my favorite tools: My Wacom Tablet and Scan Card Reader. My Wacom Tablet I’ve had for a out 2 years now and love. Last May, however, when we moved from Minnesota to Utah, my Wacom pen was lost. I had placed it in my mother-in-law’s carry on bag and it somehow got lost in the mix. So I’ve been without a Wacom pen for most of this last year. Last week I couldn’t stand it anymore (mouse drawing is NOT that fun) and I ordered a new pen. I told Josh I ordered a new pen and he said, “Well, you know what’s going to happen now don’t you? You’re going to find your other pen!” I thought he was silly because I had already torn apart the whole house looking for it.

So last night, my mother-in-law drops by and upon seeing my new pen sitting at my desk, tells Josh (I wasn’t there), “I just found one of those at my house! I meant to bring it by.” I couldn’t BELIEVE it! Serendipitous?

So I am so happy I have my old pen and can send back the new one (which I have had for a total of 1 and 1/2 days and was a small chunk of change).

My Card Scan Reader is another tool I can’t live without! Did you know that using your regular USB to hook up your camera to your computer is suppose to be hard on your camera? So our IT guy at work gave me this. It works for 5 kinds of cards and Josh and I use it for both the point and shoot camera and my Canon Rebel. It’s SO fast and pretty inexpensive! And hey, if it extends the life of my cameras, then it is DEFINITELY worth it!

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Easy Cake Decorator

March 14, 2009 by carina 1 Comment

As part of Heather Bailey’s March of Tools, I am trying to remember tools in my life that I can’t live without…especially when I recently use them. While I spend most of my “tool time” with my computer and other technical gadgets (and will be posting more and tutorials on them soon;), I decided to throw this wrench in the works. My first gadget for the March of tools is my dumbed-down cake decorator. I decided to feature it because I have been using it a lot lately (a lot for me anyway!). Siri, Flissa, and I made cupcakes today for an early St. Patrick’s Day.

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I like the idea of using multiple tips, but truthfully, if I’m making cupcakes for preschool or a birthday, I’m probably going to use the same three tips that I know how to use. This little instrument makes life pretty easy with clean up AND decorating. I believe I got it from Michael’s about 6 years ago. I’ve been using it ever since!

So there it is! My first featured tool. Not very clever, but a great tool nonetheless! (Plus the first one I’ve had time to take a photograph of.)

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Adding Color to My Life and Another Frame Project

March 11, 2009 by carina 7 Comments

As many of you know, I live in rental that we aren’t suppose to paint. So a lot of my tricks to decorating are things that are “movable.” Well, last week I got the okay to paint the living room and kitchen! What a dream! I’m not done accessorizing and I’ve pulled everything down from the walls. I have a million little projects to work on for this home and I’ll be sure to post them here!

Okay, so here’s the before:

So this is my kitchen. Very big, I know.

My Living Room…there was a pony parade going on!

Here are the colors I chose:

I actually tried out the taupe and knew it was just right…but the tiffany was a little dark for my taste. My finally color ended up being the shade lighter than this color, which wasn’t exactly right, but will do for now. It needs just a hint of green.

This is the shade darker…glad I tried it before buying the gallon! And the final results! TA DA! Ummm, I love color! It changes the entire space…notice I haven’t changed a lot else (I DID pick up the ponies, but they’ll be back!:)

Darling little bird and number balls found at Thai Pan Trading! $2 for the bird and $1.50 for the balls!

I once saw this on a show…the kids books stayed in the room on a tray. Heaven knows that our kid books are ALWAYS in this room, so it seemed right to sort of “organize” them by putting them on a tray.

I only painted the bottom half of the kitchen taupe. High contrast heaven!

I’ve already have a dozen more projects for all these rooms. I have curtains…but I’m not sure if we are going to be able to hang them in here because of the plaster in the wall…it makes it hard to drill!

MY FRAME PROJECT—Painting the frame, take 2

Okay, back to the living room…notice that great focal point frame (and nothing else on the wall? hehee…)? I found that at Home Goods on clearance and painted it. ‘Painted it’ is an understatement because I actually worked on it THREE times because I could get the color right. I thought I wanted it to be white. It didn’t work. I mean, NOT AT ALL. It looked terrible (By the way, that frame WILL get hung…just haven’t gotten round to it yet). Then, I decided to be bold and paint it red.Also a bad idea…but not as bad as the white. The THIRD time I painted it brown, but left some of the red peeping through (just a tiny bit). It was exactly what I needed. I want it to be a focal point and it had to compete with the curtains.

Here’s how the frame started out. Gold, ugh, not for me. I love how ornate it is though!

Here’s the white phase, which leads very nicely into the red and brown phases.

While the red phase looks COMPLETELY scary here, I’m glad I did it because it acts as an undertone for the brown and gives it dimension. It’s not FLAT.

The final un-hung frame. I’ve been a busy gir1. I’m about to fall asleep writing this! I’m off to bed early tonight! And remember to check tomorrow! I have an interview with Holly Jones and a great giveaway from her super darling store My Cute Stamps!

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My Frame Project in Utah Baby Guide!

March 8, 2009 by carina

Check out my frame project as published in Utah Baby Guide! I also submitted it to Apartment Therapy’s February Jumpstart Contest (it didn’t win, but it was still fun to submit).

Anyway, if you get chance, download the Utah Baby Guide

When It’s Beautiful, It’s Beautiful

March 2, 2009 by carina

There’s something about spring that makes me want to buy fresh flowers everyday! I don’t buy flowers very often, but sometimes I do give myself a treat and grab some flowers when I’m out grocery shopping. My favorite flowers are peonies (I’m actually starting a new line called Peony Place…look for it at 2Peas in a couple of weeks!) and Josh use to buy them in the spring for me in Minnesota in the Farmer’s Market on Nicollet Mall.

So here’s my “springtime” moment for you! Flowers from the deco files at Domino Magazine! I found flowers used beautifully in rooms and on their own! Enjoy!

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I am SO into this room…there’s something so homey, but COOL about it. You know what I mean? I just love the flowers…so casual but sophisticated!

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I’m in LOVE with this arrangement….and the room!

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My Disappointment | Domino Magazine Will No Longer Be Published

February 19, 2009 by carina 1 Comment

I was just on the Domino Magazine website and what do I find on the front page? That they will no longer creating this fabulous magazine. It’s right about now that I am SO glad I saved most of my issues (I told you they’d come in handy, husband!). I loved this magazine because it always showcased beautiful “stuff” with a sophisticated flair. My favorite thing about this magazine was that they told you where they bought everything and how much it costed. Do you know how invaluable that is? I don’t know how many time I’ve been reading a Martha Stewart or Dwell maggy and LOVE something but can’t find it on the web ANYWHERE! It’s maddening. So this is my sad farewell to Domino! You will be missed!

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Frame it! My Kids’ New Chalkboard for the Kitchen!

February 18, 2009 by carina 3 Comments

I must admit that domino magazine is the devil. First off, I wouldn’t have gotten the idea to start re-decorating my living room if I hadn’t actually taken a break from working to read the darn magazine. If I hadn’t started thinking about redecorating, I wouldn’t have come up with the idea for a chalkboard project. If I hadn’t come up with the idea for the chalkboard project, I wouldn’t have decided I need to do a few things to update my kitchen too. So here I am, redecorating away! This was my first finished project of the weekend! I’m glad I did it because the girls love it!

Cost (about) $35

Materials

Old Frame (bought at an antique store) ($10)

Large piece of white board ( 4′ x 8′) cut down to 24″ x 36″ ($13 from Lowes)

Staple gun, staples

Paint (2oz bottle of paint or enough to cover surface of the frame) ($3)

Paint Brush | Sponge brush

Roller

Paint Tray

Chalkboard Paint ($13)

Hanging Hardware

Hammer and nails (for hanging)

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I like to have my kids in the kitchen with me while I cook (they are usually running back and forth between me and the living room). I needed an art area that didn’t require me cleaning up the table so I came up with this framed chalkboard piece. I’m in a rental so I needed a pretty way to display the board (I couldn’t just paint the chalkboard onto the wall), plus, who doesn’t like a pop of color that looks like art?

1. If you bought an older frame or something that had artwork in it, you’ll need to pull out all the staples. My frame was bought from an antique shop for $10 and had a lot of old staples that needed to be pulled.

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2. Paint the frame the color of your choice (I went with a seafoam blue) with your paint 9I used acrylic) and sponge brush or paint brush. Let dry and cover with a second coat if needed.

3. Paint the chalkboard paint on the large piece of white board (mine was 24” x 36”). I covered it using the roller to get a smooth finish for the first coat. I let it dry for 24 hours and then rolled on a second coat. I touched up with a paintbrush.

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4. After the chalkboard area has dried I stapled the chalkboard piece to the frame using the staple gun.

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5. I added hanging hardware to the back (follow your hardware instructions) and hung on my kitchen wall.

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Here’s the finished product. And here’s my girls enjoying it! Yesterday Siri was helping me cook dinner and she would run between me and the stove (I’m taking the picture from the stove/sink area) and was writing down the instructions (coloring little pictures) on the chalkboard as we made dinner. It was SO cute! I especially liked here picture of the strawberry!

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Some of my helpful hints

The white board I bought was from Lowes and came in 4” x 8” sheets. I ended up with 2 other HUGE sheets that I just let the kids doodle on until I get around to framing them as well. From this $13 sheet you can basically get 3 great art areas.

I try to find frames at antique stores, thrift shops, and discounts stores like Home Goods and Tuesday Mornings because then I don’t feel bad about the price and painting it!

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