It’s true. I have always been a dreamer and this new year is bringing so many things to life for me. Goals for my business, my life, and my future. I swear this is going to be a good year, I can feel it in my bones. My dreams and my passion keep me going. My mother has always said about me that, “She never let’s grass grow under her feet!” and nothing could be truer.

Being passionate about what I do and following my dream feels so good that it reminds me of being a kid. When the most unimaginable things seem to be possible if you just believe. This drawing I did in 9th grade reminded me of this.

This sketch was part of some in class assignment in my Art class. The thing is, we had to draw it upside down! When the assignment was given, I thought the outcome was just going to be an indistinguishable sketch. But, it’s a horse, running, just like the reference image was.

Are you a dreamer? What are you passionate about?
Dream it, then do it. It’s all possible if you try. -xx

It’s true. I have always been a dreamer and this new year is bringing so many things to life for me. Goals for my business, my life, and my future. I swear this is going to be a good year, I can feel it in my bones. My dreams and my passion keep me going. My mother has always said about me that, “She never let’s grass grow under her feet!” and nothing could be truer.

Being passionate about what I do and following my dream feels so good that it reminds me of being a kid. When the most unimaginable things seem to be possible if you just believe. This drawing I did in 9th grade reminded me of this.

This sketch was part of some in class assignment in my Art class. The thing is, we had to draw it upside down! When the assignment was given, I thought the outcome was just going to be an indistinguishable sketch. But, it’s a horse, running, just like the reference image was.

Are you a dreamer? What are you passionate about?
Dream it, then do it. It’s all possible if you try. -xx

Most people think holiday cards are something personal and use them as a tool to reach out to those they love and have often lost contact with throughout the year. Sad but true. I received some cards from people I didn’t even hear from the whole year! Well, as much as it is a hand reaching out, the ones that really stayed with me are the creative ones that actually came with some thought.

I plan on offering more holiday cards in 2010. I went all out on my holiday cards and I understand not everyone has the time to do that, but I will make the process easier by providing amazing cards for them to purchase.

With that, design companies tend to produce some really funny and snarky concepts for their holiday cards that truly mix up the standard old greeting card. I received this one from Elixir Design. The package started out with the staff’s fingerprints all in different colors.

This was followed by two carbon-copy forms that mocked standard resolution forms. This totally reminded me of my days at Knock Knock. Taking some standard recognizable image or template and adding some humor. This one does just that. The copies are to be dispersed like this:

WHITE- Declarant    GREEN-Mother    YELLOW-Primary    Witness    PINK-Witness    GOLD-Witness

Talk about being held to your word!

I like the note that states,
“I will not text while driving” has been removed as an option-as it is now no longer a resolution but a conviction, albeit a misdemeanor.”

Definitely for Californians, so it’s not meant for everyone, but I love it. Do you have any resolutions or changes for the new year? I don’t. I just want to stay happy, healthy, and positive. -xx

I had the pleasure of designing some custom Engagement Announcements for my friends Cristina & Ivan who recently got engaged. I couldn’t have been more thrilled and honored when they asked me to design their engagement announcements.

Ivan proposed to Cristina during a surprise visit to Paris, France. It was Cristina’s dream come true and was truly romantic!

For the design, we combined elements from my French Artisan and Past Tense: Ornate designs. Cristina chose an eggplant purple, dark red, and periwinkle as their wedding colors. The final design was a great balance that they both loved. We also finished them off with rounded corners.

The colors turned out beautifully! The rich eggplant purple looked amazing paired against the periwinkle designs.

Not only were these engagement announcements, some included the back printed with information to attend the intimate Engagement Party to be held in January. This was a great use of double-sided printing.

What do you think?

My newest obsession these days has been with sealing wax. It is such a delicate touch that is so rich with texture. It adds beauty to any stationery letter. While shipping my holiday cards, I wanted to play with this special touch. I have never used the wax sticks before and I have had an initial seal FOR-EVER. So I figured, what better time than now with my holiday cards! Here was some of my inspiration.

From Jonesdiwa

From Lucifer Dragon

Via Meaghan Thomas

Here are some pictures of my results.

What do you think? I can’t wait to explore more with two-color wax stamps!
I’m obsessed! -xx

This year is almost over and I couldn’t be more excited! 2009 has been a hard one and now finally a fresh start! I wanted to design my holiday cards to end on a beautiful note. I stuck with my burnt orange and green color palette and added a satin chocolate brown ribbon with a metallic brown backer card.

These designs turned out beautifully! Being my own client wasn’t that hard at all!

Check for your in the post in the next few days! -xx

I couldn’t wait to share these gorgeous Plumeria wedding Save the Dates I designed for Beverly & Tim. They will be getting married on a boat and wanted a design that connected to the ocean and water, but not necessarily the boat. We went through many rounds of revisions, but I think this final design is GORGEOUS! My favorite part is the colors which help the plumerias POP.

The beautiful Plumeria flowers create a gorgeous custom touch to these Save the Dates. Finished with rounded corners and flat printed. The fresh color palette of green, chocolate brown and white plumeria flowers with a deep purple center go together beautifully!

NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA

I have busy around the studio these days, and I really didn’t know what to expect this holiday season. I wanted to share with you some of the things I have been working on.

You might remember these from a post I did in September for reprints for Susan Steel at Fibers & Floors. These cards are so gorgeous and ornate that no changes were made. Susan just needed an order for more! Wonderful!

Then my friend Sabrina from Cynically Delicious needed some custom rubber stamps and custom 1″ round buttons for the holiday craft fairs she was going to be in this month. Bazaar Bizarre and the Renegade Holiday Sale, you should check her out if you are in the San Francisco area! I love her Red Velvet cupcakes and the Green Tea cupcakes couldn’t be any more perfect. We did a set of I LOVE BUTTER, GORDITA, and FATTY. Mmmm. I DO love butter.

So many more projects in the works! I will be posting some custom Plumeria Save the Dates and custom Engagement Invitations this week!

This holiday season has inspired me so much with all the festivities going on around me, the crisp cold air, warm clothes and decorations. Some of my must have favorite elements of the season can evoke just the right feelings for you too. For the savvy socialites throwing holiday parties, here is a drink sure to keep your guest warm and chatty.

Holiday Glogg
12 oz. SKYY vodka
1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine
1.5 tbsp. mulling spices
1 tsp. fresh orange zest
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. blanched almonds
4 tbsp. raisins

Wrap mulling spices in cheesecloth. In a large saucepan, combine the wine, SKYY vodka (or any top shelf Vodka; No one want’s a holiday headache!), cheesecloth with mulling spices, orange zest, and sugar. Allow to very lightly simmer over medium heat for at least 30 minutes (do not boil). Discard the mulling spices. Drop a few raisins and almonds at the bottom of each mug and top with the hot liquid.

Any outfit can be instantly festive with the perfect red lipstick. Finding the right shade is KEY! I highly recommend going to your favorite make-up counter and asking for help. They will match you with the perfect shade for your skin tone and you will be thankful you did!

For your holiday centerpiece, I totally recommend getting crafty! A Thanksgiving party I attended had the centerpieces with flowers and cranberries in the water vase (vs. stones) and thyme thrown in for variety! Such a great solution for color! (Yay Suzanne!) But, one plant I feel get’s overlooked too often are succulents. They can be gorgeous additions to any centerpiece and I am seeing them pop up in all sorts of weddings and events!

This fabulous arrangement is done by Francoise Weeks who creates one-of-a-kind floral design for weddings and events in Northwest Oregon, Portland Metro area, Southwest Washington and Vancouver. What a wonderful arrangement!

What makes your holidays chic?

Today is all about the rain. Rain in Southern California throws everyone off. Everyone forgets how to drive, that they should be careful and above all dress appropriately. You don’t have to be miserable in the rain, just prepared!

I am still amazed at all the people that won’t let go of the flip-flops even in a storm. It’s amazing! I can’t imagine how freezing they must be! So I did some research and found some amazing rain boots. I am a huge fan of boots to begin with and I think it is only appropriate to have rain boots on hand, for the  2 or 3 days of rain we get in LA.

These boots by Hunter adds color to any outfit and with a standard black coat, these would be perfect. These are a basic rain boot for any beginner.

Hunter Boots: Hunter Original Gloss Rain Boots $115

If you want to opt for a heel, these boots by DKNY would be perfect. These have a 4″ heel and are not the standard shiny rubber like the basic Hunter boots above. While still being water-resistant, these boots step it up, literally!

DKNY: Bop Rubberized Boots $135

These are by far my favorite. The contrast in fabrics make these boots way more interesting and I just love the colors. The accent zipper on the back couldn’t be any cooler. So, since Christmas is just around the corner, I want to add these to my list!

Tory Burch Reagan Quilted Nylon Boots $550

Are you ready for the rain?