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?

Best Project Ever

Hello, my dears!  How are you doing today?  Is the sun shining where you are?  I've opened all the windows in our house and am enjoying the softly warmed breezes floating through the rooms.  After a long rainy season it's like learning the joy of just breathing all over again.

My loves, I have to apologize for leaving you for so long.  It's been a bit of a struggle for me to get everything done of late because I've been busy working on the best type of project.  Care to have a peek?

Yes, there's another little one on its way to our home!  Which means I've been spending alot of time the last few weeks doing absolutely nothing but growing this little bean.  It's worth every bit but definitely sucked me dry of all my energy.  Luckily, we've turned the corner into the second trimester and I'm feeling much more like myself again.  I'll keep you updated with little peeks as we go along.  The new baby is due to make its debut on December 3rd.

Are any of you out there December babies?  How did you feel about having a birthday in the midst of all the holiday merry-making? 

Damask Wedding Invitations

Hello, my dears.  How are you doing today?  I hope the sun is shining where you are.  Rays of light are peeking through the clouds here so I'm taking advantage of it while it lasts, shooting photos of some of the projects I've been working on lately.  Today's project is one I'm particularly excited about because it's my first of it's kind: wedding invitations!

My cousin, Dani, asked if I would be able to design something for her and her fiance, John's wedding.  I was thrilled with the chance and got right to work.  She wanted something that was elegant and traditional with clean lines.  She was also drawn to damask patterns.  She told me that her wedding flowers are calla lilies so I decided to design a damask pattern around a single lily.  The pattern was then printed across the bottom of the invitation.

They were so much fun to design but the best thing is that Dani was really happy with the way they turned out.  Nothing could make me happier than that.  

I'm currently looking to build my portfolio with more wedding invitations and would be happy to offer a deal to the next two or three people I design invitations for.  If you know someone who is getting married and think they might like my style, be sure to point them this way by sending my an email at lilyjanestationery at gmail dot com.

What I'm Working On

WORK:  This week I had the pleasure of designing a baby shower invitation for a good friend whose sister (who I am also friends with) is having a little boy!  Have I told you yet how much fun I have doing custom designs?  It's for a casual, informal get together so I wanted the invitation to reflect that: fun and laid-back.  If you like this design, I have good news: I'm working on more varieties of it right now and they'll be in the shop very soon.

THE HOMEFRONT:  Craig took a little business trip out east this week (so we feel for you, everyone who is buried in snow!) and came back with presents.  He bought me this seed organizer from my favorite shop, The Daytrip Society.  Which means this weekend is the start of planning my summer garden!  Has anyone else started buying seeds yet?  What are you planning on planting?

SOON TO BE:  As I mentioned earlier today, I have some Valentine's tricks up my sleeve.  Specifically something for the little ones.  Keep an eye out...it's coming next week!