Tonight In The Studio

I am just loving taking pics with my iPod Touch! The filters and effects are so fun to play with.

 A very productive evenings in the studio. Lots of beautiful invitations going out in the mail tomorrow! I love it when everyone is quiet and I have time to just get down to business. Now I just need to stop ignoring my taxes and put some of my energy into that little task....

Golden Autumn Leaves Invitation Design

 

One of the best things I ever did was to join an online group consisting entirely of stationery business owners. Working from home by myself can be very isolating at times {E doesn't have any appreciation for fine papers except to try and eat them} and the inspiration and support I receive from the wonderful community on Let's Talk Stationery is priceless.

In fact I think that whatever your passion or profession is it is a good idea to see if there is an online forum dedicated to that particular activity. It is amazing to me what kind of forums there are out there on the world wide web- my husband belongs to one that is specifically for owners of his particular make and model of car. Yes, he is a geek- probably why we are perfect for each other :-)

Anyway, I digress - recently a fellow member of LTS suggested a monthly design challenge where we are given certain perameters to design around and at the end of the month everyone posts photos of their creations. I love that kind of thing so I was super excited to complete our first challenge- like three weeks ago. I am a little bit of an overachiever if you haven't guessed that yet.

 

This months design challenge was to use leaves and the color gold. Fall being in full swing for the month of October there was tons of inspiration all around me. I happened to have some beautiful bronze metallic cardstock from Envelopments laying around and I decided to give it an organic feel with a kraft paper envelope. Some super shiny vellum became an envelope liner and a simple illustration of delicately layered fall leaves completed my vision.

I am pretty excited with how it all turned out and can't wait for next months challenge! Oh, and in case you are wondering, this design will definitely be making it's way into my Signature collection soon.

An Apple Orchard Afternoon

One of my greatest pleasures in being a wedding stationer is helping my friends and family realize their vision for a perfect wedding. So when my younger sister became engaged earlier this year I couldn't wait to get started on all of her wedding stationery (and any other wedding details she was kind enough to seek my advice on)!

 

This past weekend while she and her fiancé (and my adorable niece Lucy) were visiting for Eli's birthday party, we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and take their engagement photos. I consider myself an amateur photographer, even though many have encouraged me to pursue it as a source of income. There are so many wonderful professional photogs out there that I can't imagine throwing myself in with them, but it is nice to be able to take some decent photos without having to spend a lot of money.

My sister used to dream of having her wedding in an apple orchard, but in the end they decided on an ocean side affair with a lobster theme (can't wait to share all of the details as they unfold!). But I thought that the apple orchard idea could still work for their engagement photos, so off we went in search of one. Of course all you have to do is spit in Vermont and you will hit an apple orchard so we didn't have to go far. The first place we went to check out was a family run orchard that my husband and I had gone to many years ago in our early years of dating. The couple that own the orchard had long given up offering their apples to the public, but they were more than willing to allow us to take some photos amongst their overgrown trees.

 

I made 'Mr,' and 'Future Mrs.' signs for them to hold for some of the shots and the sun was gorgeous through the leaves. Many of the trees were practically falling over with all of their fruit and despite Lucy's protesting we managed to get some nice shots.

 

After I was done taking their photos my sister was kind enough to take some shots of us, too :-)

Pin Of The Week

Crayon Art As-Seen-On Whatever

Have you heard of Pinterest yet? It is the latest internet bookmarking craze going on right now. I seriously can't get enough of it and I have been seeing some other blogs doing a weekly cap of their favorite pins and never one to pass up a fad I decided I need to jump on this bandwagon before it passes me by.

So enter the new Truly Noted Pin Of The Week series. I dont think I "pin" enough to do a whole round-up of items, but one super awesome thing I pinned sounds just right for me (don't want to go overboard- and it is so easy to do). This week I decided on this super colorful and bright crayon artwork idea which I totally love and hope to recreate at some point in the future (maybe when E is old enough to appreciate it and join in on the fun).

That is what is so great about Pinterest- you can catalog all of the cool inspirations and how-to's you run across on the internetz and hang on to them in one place- categorized however you like even. And other people can see your pins and if they like them they can re-pin them to their own boards and thus the virus is formed. I have to say it is a little ego-boost when I get those little emails saying so-and-so has re-pinned my pin. It reaffirms that maybe I really do have good taste!

Not on Pinterest yet? Send me a note for an invite to join!

St. Patty's Day Coasters

Well, despite my printer's best efforts I am happy to be able to bring you Truly Noted's first free download! I have wanted to start offering fun free downloads for a while so look for more in the future.

Being Irish St. Patrick's Day has always been a holiday that made me feel special. Having red hair, blue eyes and freckles, people tend to gravitate to me with comments and good cheer all day long. And since green is my favorite color I am just a shoe-in!

But being Irish also means most people peg me as a big beer drinker, and while I do enjoy a tasty micro-brew now and then I tend to be a wine-o and skip the hops and barley for the most part. Whether you are drinking green beer or root beer this St. Patrick's Day, make sure to place a festive coaster beneath your glass!

I have created four coasters, each with a different Irish 'blessing' on them. All you have to do is download the free art file, print on some cardstock, and then cut out with your choice of tool. I used a circle cutter and I tried scissors as well. The circle cutter was definitely better at making a smoother circle, but the scissors might be easier for those not familiar with the circle cutter. You could also use a craft knife or x-acto knife.

Whatever way you cut it, I hope you enjoy my first free download!

Get Paid to Honeymoon

Yeah, that sounds pretty awesome, doesn't it??? Well if you agree then you might want to check out how to win the best job in the world. Apparently Runaway Bride and Groom (an Irish travel agency) is looking for a couple to send all over the world to test out hot honeymoon destinations. Yeah, that's right, you would get paid to lay around on a sun soaked beach and sip exotic cocktails in your honeymoon villa with ocean views.

All you have to do to enter is tell them why you think Ireland is the perfect destination for your wedding- easy peasy! If I wasn't about to have a baby in five months I would totally be applying for this job! But since I probably wouldn't fit their criteria for an ideal candidate, I am letting you know so maybe you can win it! (and I can live vicariously though you, okay?)

Welcome 2010

Ah! A new year! A clean slate! I love starting off fresh and I hope that this year is going to be full of changes- all good- and getting stuff done. Here are some of the things I have lined up so far in my New Year To Do List:

1. Revamp the Truly Noted website, including new design and adding the ability to buy invitations and goodies right off my site! (this is my number one goal this year).

2. Get a new design for the Truly Noted blog- I am looking at designs by Rainy Day Templates. Particularly this one!

3. A super secret surprise that is blowing my mind right now, and I can't wait to share with everyone!

4. Get a hold on keeping tabs on my business expenses and what-not. This is something I struggle with A LOT. I just want to do the fun part of owning a business, not keep track of sales and consumables!

5. This is a biggie. I want to be able to drop down to part-time at my 'real job' by the end of the year and focus on Truly Noted being more of an income and less of a hobby. Which might have a little something to do with #3! ;-)

So that's it- my very ambitious to-do list. Here's to 2010 and all of the great things that are in store for us.

Oh, and by the way, check out the cool free Twitter backgrounds by illustrator Nate Williams! Which reminds me, I might have to add 'Twitter more often than once a month' to my to-do list...

We Interrupt This Lack Of Blogging To Bring You

Ridiculously adorable gingerbread houses perched on hot chocolate mugs! I mean seriously, I need to make these right. now. Except my Christmas craftiness is just about out and with the big day only four days away what is a girl to do?



I guess I will just have to file these away for next year and hope I remember in time. So many projects! I just might have to start around Halloween to really get it all done...

'A tiny gingerbread house made to perch on your mug' brought to you by Not Martha

100 Posts! And A Special Offer

Today marks my 100 post! I can't believe I made it! There were times I wondered if I could really keep up blogging on a regular basis (and still times where I find it hard to fit it in). But I have really made it, and it feels so good.

I hope there will be lots more, and my goal is to do more than 100 posts next year! Keeping my fingers crossed I will have more time in the New Year to devote to Truly Noted and blogging.


In the meantime, head over to Before The Big Day for some special deals (including one from little ol' me!).

Awesome Give-Away!

If you are not already familiar with the blog This Little Life of Mine by the wonderful Talia, then you should definitely head over there right now! Especially since she is hosting a great give-away with goodies from some of my favorite fellow bloggers and Etsyians!


I am especially drooling over this adorable wallet from Your Wishcake that I have to bookmark on Etsy so that even if I don't win (fingers crossed though!) I can get one anyway :-) But this is just the tip of the iceburg for this give-away. There is a total of NINE items up for grab, including a bonus $10 Starbucks Gift Card. Yum- I can taste a tall skinny mocha with almond syrup shot right now.

I Heart Thursday

This past weekend I went to visit my grandmother in Plattsburgh, NY and was lucky enough to make it over to Target! I haven't had a chance to go over there since it opened a few months ago. That and I hate the idea of spending $22 to go over on the ferry and back just to go shopping. Now that I have been there, though, I might change my mind!

It was awesome and I got lots of great stuff, including a case of this Izze Fortified Sparkling Juice. I got the Sparkling Pomegranate and it is all I want to drink now. Not only is it super tasty, but apparently it's good for you too! It doesn't have any added sugar and contains pure fruit juice. I think my case of 8 is not going to last me very long.

I Heart Thursday

Now I have never been much of a baker or dessert cook. Sure I make the occasional cake or cookies (especially during the holidays) but aside from that I don't venture out of my comfort zone. I am more of a 'fly by the seat of my pants' cook that changes the recipe to suite my tastes, or what I have in the fridge that day so I rarely have the necessary ingredients to concoct a fancy dessert.



Well, let me tell you, I am ready to jump headlong into the world of Pumpkin Seed Mascarpone Mousse And Raspberry Tartelettes, Vanilla Tapioca and Milk Chocolate Lime Cremeux, and Snickerdoodle Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches and it's all because of Tartelette. I can't remember how I stumbled across this feast-for-the-eyes-and-stomach blog, but it got bookmarked mighty quick!

It is written by Helen, a French pasty chef living in South Carolina, who not only creates the most fantastical sugar confections you could imagine, but takes the most amazing pictures of them as well. She even sells some of her prints on Etsy! Even though most of her stuff looks far too difficult for my culinary skills, her 'you can do it!' attitude and great recipes make me feel like I just might be able to pull it off.



So the next time you are wondering what to make for dessert, definitely see what Helen has been whipping up over at Tartelette. I am planning on trying to attempt the cherry pit ice cream as soon as cherries are in season- yum!

images courtesy of Tartelette

I Heart Thursday

Currently I am totally obsessed with bento lunch boxes, and it is all the fault of Wendolonia, a super cute blog I stumbled onto a few weeks back. It is the blog of Wendy Copley who, among other crafty things, packs her son Wyatt's lunches in adorable Japanese bento boxes! She even cuts stuff into fun shapes and sticks them on cute skewers! I would totally love for someone to pack me a lunch like this.

So now I have totally decided that I must do this when I have children and they are going off to school. But I am a little bummed that it is going to be a few years, since I don't even have any children yet. And to make matters worse, Wendy just announced that one of the best online spots to score some bento supplies, Ichiban Kan, is shutting down! Do you think it would be wierd for me to buy a bunch of bento stuff for children I don't have yet for them to use when they finally go to school? Hmmm...I am seriously considering....

Tie One On

So I would love to take credit for this idea, but I did see it somewhere (can't remember where- I read far too many magazines) and I was immediately smitten with the idea. Instead of just tying on the usual ribbon for your Father's Day present to Dad, tie it on like a tie! I think it is adorable and much more 'manly' looking than a super girly bow.

At first I tried to find the magazine I had seen this in to get the directions, but in the end I just looked up how to tie a tie online. Here is a good step by step if you don't already know how. After it is all tied up you just snip the ends of the ribbon to form the point. Just fold the ribbon end in half and cut at an upward angle.

Best. Cake. Ever.

Yesterday a good friend of mine invited us over for a belated birthday dinner. He promised to make his signature Chicken Marsala and I promised to bring dessert. I never did have a real birthday cake so I decided to go all out. And of course it had to be chocolate, because for me, there really isn't any other kind of cake.

I went to one of my favorite food sites, Smitten Kitchen, and started researching. Eventually I decided on this recipe and, boy, am I ever glad I did.

Here are all of the ingredients ready to go- I even purchased 10" cake pans specifically to make it. Reconfiguring the recipe to fit my measly 8.5" round pans required math, and I don't do math. The extra few inches of cake were so worth it.

I used two different types of chocolate- a good quality semi-sweet bar and some Hersheys unsweetened coco powder. The recipe called for melting the semi-sweet chocolate with hot coffee, something I had never done before, but I have heard that coffee brings out the flavor of chocolate and makes it richer. Boy, were they right.


Unfortunately I was in such a rush towards the end that I didn't take the time to take pictures of the Seven Minute Frosting, or of the cake before we tore into it.

Sorry- I think I am lucky I managed to get a picture of it at all before it was decimated. Mmmmm I am drooling just looking at the picture. Definitely my new favorite cake recipe.

The Color Purple & Providence Performing Arts Center

This past weekend I had the pleasure of going to visit my Mom in Rhode Island. My Mom moved there a little over a year ago and it has been fun to have a new place to explore and get to know. Especially since she is very close to Providence and there is a ton of stuff there that we don't have up here in Vermont, or in the White Mountain region of New Hampshire which is where I grew up and my Mom previously resided.


One of the great things in Providence is the Performing Arts Center- a gorgeous restored old theatre originally built in the 1920's. We went to see Fiddler On The Roof there on Valentine's Day and it was amazing. The architecture of the theatre alone is entertaining and I had a hard time keeping my eyes off the walls and ceilings to watch the show. (Not to say the show wasn't amazing, because it was, and it was my first time seeing Fiddler.)



When my Mom told me they were going to have The Color Purple showing at the end of May I insisted that we get tickets. Although I have never read the book (I really need to get on that!) the movie has been a favorite of mine for a long time. So as a combined Mothers Day and Birthday present to ourselves we went. My Mom managed to score some amazine seats too! Look how close we are to the stage!


I managed to sneak in a few photos. They don't really allow cameras into the theatre, but I made sure to only snap some shots between acts and before the play. Plus I didnt use my flash so I couldn't bother anyone or draw attention to myself. The image above is the curtain that hid the stage before the show and during intermission. It was made to look like an old piece of paper on which Celie (the main character) had written a letter to God. The play was awesome! So if you ever have a chance to go, I highly recommend it! (Even if you do end up crying a million times)

Etsy Blog Of The Month- May

I just joined a great Etsy team just for Etsy sellers with blogs (check out the button to the right!) and I am really excited to get started in all the fun they do! It's a great way to network to other Etsy sellers and find out about great shops I may have not found on my own. We do giveaways and have carnivals (still learning about what that is) and we feature one member every month on all our blogs.

So, even though it is a little late in the month, I bring to you the Etsy featured blogger for May: CREATEaTHOUGHT! Here is an excerpt from her profile;

"Everyday you are creating thoughts. Thoughts that are interesting and beautiful, profound and deep, silly and funny."

There are lots of amazing creative tools in the CREATEaTHOUGHT store, such as:

This upcycled journal (love the color!)...

I love this 'Imagine The Stars' ring...

And my favorite- this 'Someday you WILL be an astronaut.' Journal! I just love the images and the text on the cover. I could see this being a great gift for a young child just starting to write out their life goals and dreams.

I Heart Thursday (oops I guess Friday!)

So I have been slacking a bit on the I Heart Thursday- but it's ok, I have been busy, and this is just supposed to be fun anyway. As my favorite bumper sticker saying goes (for Ben & Jerry's ice cream, no less- yummm) 'If it's not fun why do it?'. I agree whole heartedly.



Anyway, back to what I heart today and, well, every Spring. More specifically, every May. Lilacs have always been sononomous with May, Memorial Day Weekend, and then my birthday which always seems to fall within Memorial Day weekend or close enough. I used to joke when I was a kid that the Memorial Day parades and dances were for my birthday. Of course, now I am well aware of the significance of Memorial Day and have grown out of such selfish thoughts.



But lilacs have always seemed like they were mine. I have always loved their light purple color, tiny little flowers all clustered together in masse, and the delicate perfume that leaks from them. You only have to pass within a few feet from a lilac bush to catch a sniff of it. They have always seemed to peak in bloom right around my birthday so many a birthday celebration table of mine has been decorated with them.

To me they are innocence and they whisper to me of a simpler time when I had not a care in the world, and my whole life in front of me. They are the beginning of Summer, the almost-end of school, and the start of the next year of my life.



I love that the house we own already had several large lilac bushes around it. Some are huge. Like this one. I spent yesterday afternoon cutting some to place all around my house and the smell is better than any potpourri, candle, or incense.



I hope that all of you have a great Memorial Day weekend and you take some time to stop and smell the lilacs.

Looking On The Bright Side

Have you heard about the Bright Side Project? If you haven't then you really need to check it out! It is the brain child of the authors of two of my favorite blogs LeBlahg and Pancakes and Frenchfries. They decided to do a daily giveaway for 28 days back in February - yes that is what I said 28 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS! And all of them were amazing. Even more amazing is that the response to their little project was so overwhelming that they decided to keep going. And they have been doing a daily giveaway every day since!

I particularly love how they execute their 'sunshine delivered daily' as they call it. Each month has a theme and to enter the givaway you have to answer a question. Sometimes thought-provoking, sometimes silly, and the questions are typically provided by the artist who donated that particular item.

Lest you think that the giveaways are probably not that great, since quantity usually means a loss of quality, let me assure you that they are not. They are actually some of the most beautiful and inspring giveaways I have seen (and I see a lot). Here is a peak at a couple that I entered this week (the theme this month is typography extravaganza :


I have been a fan of the Keep Calm Gallery for a while, and the 'Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining' print is one of my faves!


I had never heard of Maria DeMarco Illustration and Design before seeing this giveaway, but that is one of the great things about The Bright Side Project- even if you don't win you discover all these great shops and artists you didn't know about before!

So, seriously, go check it out!

Spring Has Sprung

It might have been around for a couple of weeks already. Technically it started a month and a half ago.


But we live in Vermont. And it takes a while for Spring to officially start here (and it doesn't last too long either).


And even when you think it is here for good, a snowstorm in April, or even May is not unheard of.


But I think its finally here to stay.

**psst- don't forget to enter my Etsy giveaway here!**