Minted: Quickfire Children's Stationery Challenge

I've been so absorbed in custom projects over the past couple of months that I haven't had any time to devote to the latest Minted challenges. That, my friends, made me a very sad designer. Thankfully, I had some free time on my hands this weekend, and I was able to enter my first Minted challenge in a couple of months. The assignment? Children's stationery.

Here are my entries.

Washi Sorbet

I've recently developed a love affair with washi tape. I use it when I package orders from senojal designs, and it definitely inspired this sweet 'Washi Sorbet' stationery.

Vintage Holla

Every time I see this design, I snicker a little bit. I realize that it's not for everyone, but if you're up for a quirky and fun way to shout out to your friends, my Vintage Holla stationery is for you. What little guy forced into writing thank you notes wouldn't want to use such funky paper?

Preppy Little Note

If this design looks familiar to you, it's because it's reminiscent of my blog design, which translates very well into stationery. Preppy Little Note is a sweet and simple design that's perfect for penning a note to a friend or writing a thank you note.

Picnics and Pinwheels

And finally, Picnics and Pinwheels is a spin-off design from the little lady's impending birthday party, which you'll hear more about later. These notes feature picnic-inspired patterns and colors (hello red gingham) and are classic and modern all at the same time.

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If you have some free time this week, please rate my designs by clicking on the images above, then spend a few minutes rating some of the other designs you see {your votes won’t count if you only vote for me}. You’ll be blown away by the talent of my fellow designers.

Thanks for your support!

Until next time, grace and peace.

Raindrops on a Tin Roof

It's a rainy Labor Day around these parts. Tropical Storm Lee has dumped buckets and buckets of rain on us over the past 24 hours. It's wet. Which means that we've had a lazy holiday listening to the raindrops fall on our red tin roof.

No complaints from me. In honor of our rainy day, I thought I'd post a few snapshots from another rainy day. Last week we had a freak afternoon monsoon. It lasted about fifteen minutes, and after the deluge passed, I let Micah play in the drizzle that remained.

The twinkle in her eye ought to tell you how much fun she had splashing around. She's a mess, that one is. So lively. Always up for adventure. Full of wonderment and curiosity.

We had a visitor on the porch. After Micah caught sight of him, she spent the next 30 minutes saying bud, which, of course, means bug. I'm sure it was the funniest looking bug she'd ever seen.

Yesterday, I knelt down to hold her and saw the world through her eyes for just a moment. Things look different from the perspective of an almost two-year-old. She's given me a renewed sense of childlike wonder, something I didn't know I so desperately needed.

She's also taught this high-strung mama that it's OK to loosen up and play in the rain every now and then. Feet can be wiped and clothes can be dried. The memories created are more than worth a little bit of cleanup.

Seriously. What would my life be like without this moment?

I can't imagine.

Until next time, grace and peace.

Life Just Keeps Happening

I love this little girl. It's hard to believe that in just two weeks she'll be two years old. Every time I blink, it seems that more of her life has passed by.

I have been wrapped up in work and assignments over the past couple of months. The work is good, but I'm sad that I haven't spent enough time blowing bubbles and drawing on the driveway with my little lady.

We've done those things, but we haven't done them enough. Sometimes I feel like life is happening to me. Like I'm on the outside looking in. Like I'm not actually living it.

The key, I think, is to slow down enough to take it all in. Take pictures. Capture the moment. Draw and laugh and sing and blow bubbles. The work can wait.

She is my most important work. Sometimes I forget that, but don't worry, she has her own ways of reminding me.

I don't want to wake up 16 years from now and wonder if we played enough, laughed enough, and loved enough.

So I'm putting on the brakes and slowing down for a while. God gave me this one life. I'm going to live it.

Will you slow down and live it with me?

Until next time, grace and peace.