Back to School

Waking up at 6:30 this morning to make a special breakfast for the first day back to preschool was a pretty great way to start the day.  The house was quiet, the day full of potential.  And what better breakfast to have than a batch of homemade doughnuts with a side of blackberries?  I don't think any 4 year old could have wished for more (not to mention me because, of course, I had to help him eat them).  

As a back-to-school gift for his teacher we set aside some of the rainbow-sprinkled doughnut holes. Tossing them into a striped paper bag and adding a tag, we were good to go.  Oh, but not until after the obligatory picture on the front steps.

Seriously, friends: I have the cutest kid.  If it's back-to-school time at your house, too, I hope the year holds fabulous things for you.  And plenty of doughnuts.

Illustrated: Garden Pickings

I'd like to start sharing more of my illustrations with you here on the blog.  So, I'm starting up a new project: a weekly illustration to be shared with you on Fridays of something from my week.  This week was the first week that our garden really started to produce things.  After last year's "learning garden" it's so nice to be able to have a little harvest.  I'm really loving gardening; it's so rewarding.  There were a few peppers ready to be picked, a couple of fat cucumbers (not illustrated) and one lonely radish.  The radishes had a hard time in my garden for some reason...

Most everything we planted are things we're familiar with, so we'll be sure to eat it all.  But there are a few new varieties.  My dears, have you ever heard of a giant marconi pepper?  I don't believe I've ever had one before and I'm curious what to do with it.  Any suggestions?  

Have a lovely weekend!  I hope it's full of little, fun surprises.

What I'm Working on: The New Site

I have exciting news to share today: Lily Jane Stationery has a brand new website.  For some time I've been wanting to create a clean, beautiful site to house my shop.  I had to learn some coding but with a little bit of time, a whole lot of google and a trip to the library, it's all come together so nicely.  Hop on over and have a look.  While you're there, it's the perfect time to sign up for the mailing list yet, if you haven't already.  A new issue will be mailed out soon with sneak previews of fall products and an exclusive discount code.

BABY UPDATE: IT'S A...

Hello, my dears!  I hope you've had a lovely week.  I've been busy working on a web redesign that I'll be sharing with you next week.  I'm so excited to share it with you all.  But I also have one bit of other news before I run off for the weekend, regarding my little bean.  First, it's not quite a tiny bean anymore but is growing by leaps and bounds and a very accomplished (and strong!) kicker.  Second, it's a boy!

We're very excited to have another little boy running around our house.  Brady can't wait for him to hurry up and grow so they can play together.  He's already requested that I "make the baby bigger and take it out so we can play with it, just for a little bit."  We have a few names we're thinking about but haven't been able to agree on one just yet so I was wondering...do you have any suggestions for us?  What names for a baby boy do you love?

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  See you back here on Monday.

What I'm Working On: New Business Cards

Recently, I set about designing business cards for myself.  I wanted them to represent everything that is Lily Jane: illustration, color, and slightly whimsical design.  The finished product turned out just as I was hoping and I'm happy to share them with you today.

I simplified the Lily Jane monogram, colored it white and set it against a patterned background of botanical illustrations.  The opposite side has a mustard yellow background, my logo and all of the contact information.  They're really lovely and I'm so happy to have them close at hand and ready to go.

DIY Gift: Homemade Ice Cream

Here's a simple and easy DIY idea for a summery gift everyone is bound to love: homemade ice cream in a jar.  All you need are some supplies that are probably already in your cupboard: a mason jar, a small square of fabric, some ribbon or twine, a tag, and a freshly mixed batch of your favorite ice cream.

Make the ice cream according to the directions and then pour the soft-serve-staged goodness into a clean, empty mason jar.  Put the jar in the freezer for 2-3 hours to allow the ice cream to ripen, or freeze completely.  When you're in need of a gift you can pull it out, place a square of fabric between the lid and the ring, and finish it off with the twine and a tag.  Or, you can always just grab a spoon and help yourself...

Here are some amazing ice cream recipes:

• Strawberry Ice Cream (as pictured above)


• Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream


• Mixed Berries Sorbet


• Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream


• Mango Ginger Frozen Yogurt

What are your favorite frozen treats to make for summer?  

 

What I'm Working On

Hello, my dears!  This week has been a busy one and I'm excited to share with you one of the things I've been working on.  I've introduced a new product to the shop: party kits!  They're full of everything you'll need to put a lovely party together - invitations, goodie bags, bunting, cupcake flags and thank you cards -all packaged together in a kraft box.

There are currently four themes: circus, water, shower and woodland.  I'm kind of in love with that little elephant up there.  

Which one is your favorite?  What theme would you like to see in the future?