The Design Process

This is for those in my family who really still aren’t sure what it is I do.
(For those of you not in the family, and might truly not know -I’m a graphic/web designer.)

J. found this and I have to say it is spot on. Exactly what my day looks like when I’m “working,” and so funny, too.

Little bit of coffee, little bit more…too much snack food and still wondering why you haven’t updated your blogs! (So get to it, I need some inspiration here, people.) And I especially like #15 – “waiting for feedback”…with the wee martini glasses.

Hee.

Crafty Tuesday

I have been spending all of my free time in my craft room for the past two weeks.

Not that I have any crafts to show today…but I ask you to behold the awesome-ness that is my new and improved scrap/craft area. Clean, organized, ready and waiting.

Everything in a place

It is a Type A’s dream, let me tell you.

A few months ago, we bought a more practical and useful desk, so my scrap cubes got condensed over into the corner and they have been languishing over there, ever so unhappily with my infrequent visits. Then I went in search of some ribbon to make a collar for a stuffed animal and realized – the amount of ribbon I have is…riDICuLOUS!

So, I broke down and bought the clip-it-up ribbon organizer. I figured there was no way I was going to get the time, supplies and gumption together all at the same time in order to fashion some sort of ribbon holder, so I spent the money, and just look at it there on the wall!

Ribbon! Ribbon! Ribbon!

And once I had organized all the ribbon, it started a snowball effect. Now I had an empty drawer and an empty box, so I started organizing the other drawers and pretty soon…every brad, every piece of paper, every embellishment had a new home.

And I started finding little trays, jars, and cans and re-purposing them. The tall can here is from my mocha powder, and the shorter, fatter one used to have Zingerman’s macaroons in it. (Mmmm…Zingerman’s. Macaroons.) I just covered them with some pretty paper and now I have some cool new storage tins.

New holders

I am on a roll. If I were a closet or a drawer in my house, I would be a little scared right now – or maybe excited, I’m not sure which! One thing is for sure, it makes me so anxious to get in there and create something. Now!

It IS a Small World

Okay, so while I was writing the contest post, I figured that Miss GoLightly would figure it out – where we spent Valentine’s day – the moment she saw the photo. She and her little Harrison may get to visit the “Happiest place on Earth” even more than we do! (Thanks again for the help, Uncle Jeff!)

But, a lot of you knew where we were, and GL just happened to be a little quicker on the draw, so I gotta give it to her! (And one of these days we are going to get to actually meet up there, GL!)

So yes, we did spend the day at Disneyland. It was very, very fun. Em and Ad got to go on It’s a Small World for the first time (they had been on it before, but were just too little to remember it – or had slept through it!), and I think it is definitely Addie’s favorite. Of course, it didn’t hurt that when they just renovated it, they put in some of her favorite characters like Cinderella and…

A new addition to Small World

Oh, yes. It is, to Addie’s pure delight, Ariel.

Don’t worry Small World purists – they did a wonderful job adding the new characters. It is truly well done, and doesn’t distract from the charming, retro feel of the ride, in the least. I’m not quite sure how they do it, but they did do it, yet again. It doesn’t matter how many times I visit, I still get giddy, and just…happy being there. It is so easy to just let all of your “adultness” go, and just be an awestruck kid.

Arriving via monorail

Anyhow, on to the fun. We are working on riding every ride, so we tried to fit in ones we had never been on before. Of course we had to do some of the favorites again. There are some like Pirates and Space Mountain that we have to do every single time we go.

Last time we were there we realized that Addie was actually tall enough to ride the Matterhorn and she really wanted to try it. She liked the rollercoaster part, but when we got off she kept saying, “I just don’t like that scary monster (abominable snowman) part!”

waiting to get on the Matterhorn

But she wanted to go again this time, so we did. She still doesn’t like the “monster” part, but I think it has been added to the list of “must dos” when we return again.

It is the little rides that sometimes make the biggest hits, though. We did the Rocketships in Tomorrowland, which admittedly, we had never waited to do with the girls, and J. and I never did on our own. They are fun…

Driving the rocket

…especially if you can figure out how to get them to “fly,” right Em & Daddy?

Trying to figure out the rockets...

All in all, it was a perfect Valentine’s day.

The castle at dusk

Shorter still…

Yes, Emmy’s hair is even shorter than the last post.

Yesterday morning when I was brushing her hair, I realized that the stylist did a kind of crappy job on the back of her hair, it was so uneven. So afterschool I took her back and our regular girl was there. She took one look at Em’s hair and said, “What on Earth did she do? I will definitely even it out, but I’m going to have to take a little more off – is that ok?”

Another inch later…

Yep, it is shorter!

…and here we are. Her headband is sliding down a little, but it really does look so cute! I’ve been calling her my “little pixie” all day. I really do like being able to see her pretty little face and I think the cut definitely makes her face not seem so long, or old! She looks like a cute, little (almost!) six year old, now.

V-day card from Mommy and Daddy

She is looking at her Valentine from J. and I. We had homework last week! Her teacher sent home a red heart that we were to decorate for our k-gartener. We were supposed to put three positive adjectives (yes, they did have to actually say “positive”) that describe them and then secretly slip the valentines back into the classroom.

They opened them during their party today and then they all wore them out the door at pick-up time. They were so very proud of them.

We chose smart and caring for Em, both of them were very easy. Then we waivered a bit. J. had suggested brave, but we decided adventurous instead. She wants to try things and is curious, but not necessarily brave yet. I think she was pretty pleased of her adjectives – and they definitely do suit her.

Special Friend Day ~ Theme Thursday

They announced at Addie’s school last week that they were having a Special Friend Day today. Everyone got to bring a special person to spend the day with them at school.

So I asked her who she wanted to bring.

At first she said:
A: “Mommy!
M: “Ok! I would love to come.” (And I would! How fun to get to see what goes on there and to get play at her sweet school all morning!)

And then she said:
A: Mommy and Daddy!
M: “Well,  I think it says you can only bring one. But we can ask Daddy and maybe if he doesn’t have any meetings he can go.”

So we did. And he didn’t. And it was decided that he would be her special friend today. She has been looking forward to it all week and was telling Em’s friends and the Moms yesterday that “my Daddy is coming to school with me today!”

I’m so excited that they get to spend some special time together just the two of them. And I made him promise to take pictures of everything and I just sent them on their way…

special friend day

So I’m off to go enjoy some special yoga class time by myself.

Make sure to stop over to Stacy’s today to see more special moments!

Hair Today…Gone Today.

Yep. We went to the Kiddie Kuts today. Emma wore me down. But believe me, I tried everything to dissuade her.

I even pulled out the…”But ballerinas have to have their hair long so that they can wear their hair in buns!” move. It was not deterring her. After much agonizing (mine) and pleading (hers) we trekked over to get her haircut “Short. Like Mommy’s.”

The last photo of “the hair.”

The before pic

Loping the pigtails off.

Off go the pigtails

“Oh, Em! What did you do?”

Em, what did you do?

She has already claimed that the pigtails are going to be her items for Share Day tomorrow. (Ew.)

Guess what I'm taking for share day tomorrow?

And she has stopped to “fluff” her new ‘do in every mirror, all evening long.

She loves it.

Hair in the mirror

And you know what? I do, too.

I love it.