Archive for the ‘Personalized Gifts’ Category
You know the teaser I showed you a week or so ago? I wanted to show you how the final cards turned out. . .
I did a Valentine for each of the boys to include with whatever “commercial” Valentine they selected. Skyler went with Bakugan and Jackson selected safari animals (since they came with little tattoos). These were double-sided and I printed one on pearl card stock and one on smooth with a gloss finish (per Skyler’s request). It’s pretty bad when my 6 year old knows what card stock finish he’d like! Hahaha.
What do you think? I thought they were hilarious!! I love the facial expressions they are making. I also included slinkies (just plastic ones from Target) and a pink tootsie pop suckers with a mustache cut out. I got the idea from Blonde Invitations and Stationary and here are the instructions I followed. I thought it was the perfect gift to tie in the theme of the card. I used a different mustache shape, but this will give you a visual. I’m too lazy to take another photo!
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While I’m still on the Valentine’s Day topic. . . we always get the boys a Valentine. Usually it’s not candy! We normally get them a book, or a little toy that they’ve been asking about, etc. This year Skyler wanted a box of Jelly Belly Jellybeans (his cousin Georgia won the “pickle” prize at Christmas and got a big box of them). So, I was thinking it would be kind of fun to make my own box of Jelly Belly candy. Thankfully, Costco has a coupon out right now and it worked out perfect, as long as you don’t mind sorting them out. It doesn’t take that long, I promise. I bought new boxes, I had a million white mini cupcake liners, and the Jelly Belly Kirkland Signature Jellybeans from Costco and I was ready to go! I also threw in some tissue paper in the bottom of the box just to add color, but you could add in scrapbook paper, etc. I created a label (of course) and tied some twine around them (shocking, I know). I think they make a cute, inexpensive gift. Here’s how they turned out.
Just a quick note. . . I used less than half of the container of Jelly Belly Jellybeans for 3 boxes. So, I’m guessing you could get 6+ boxes (depending on the size you choose) out of one container. That’s awesome!!!
You could also use other candy too. Here is one that I created with M & M’s and Peanut Butter M & M’s. Yummy! The possibilities are endless. Also, these don’t just have to be for Valentine’s Day! You could make these candy boxes for any holiday or as a special quick gift!!!
I hope you all had a wonderful, super SWEET Valentine’s Day!!! Wishing you all the love this year!
Sugar Mama
***** Resources
White Candy Boxes: Decorette Shop Labels: Modern Moments Designs Jelly Belly’s: Costco Shop Sweet Lulu: Twine by Devine Twine
***UPDATE. This Giveaway is over, but check back soon for some more FREE stuff!! The winner who was randomly selected is. . .
Comments #4– Jennifer T, who said, “I already like you, thanks to my good friend Courtney Jade sharing you with me. ” Congratulations Jennifer T!” ***
I’d like to first start off by welcoming any one who has just joined my blog. (Don’t worry, you haven’t missed out on too much! You can check out all of my previous entries under my “Archives.” It will be ONE year in May since I started blogging!) Secondly, I’d like to thank the wonderful and amazingly talented girls at Hostess {with the Mostess} and the TomKat Studio for featuring my recent work. The response has been amazing! I couldn’t have asked for more! Thank you Jenn, Kim, and Toni for being so kind to me, it means the world to me!! Lastly, I’d like to thank my LOYAL followers for supporting me, referring your friends to me, and for all the wonderful support you’ve given me, even before I had a blog to share with the world. I truly have gained some amazing friends through this process and I couldn’t feel more blessed.
**I also made a few quick updates to my blog. I made it easier for you to find me on facebook. Please go to facebook and “LIKE” me {because you know I like you}. I’m feeling sad only having 100+ friends. You can also check me out on twitter, I’m making a conscious effort to tweet more. You can NOW also subscribe to my RSS feed really easy!!! **
So. . . now that all the mushy stuff is out of the way, I’d like to share with you something I designed recently! As many of your know, my brother-in-law, Ryan (check out You Look Nice Today Photography and tell him I sent you!) is a professional photographer. We are lucky to have him take our family photos several times a year. I always have a ton of shots that I display in a large photo arrangement on my wall, but I’m never sure what else to do with them.
I’ve been drooling over these mini Accordion Photo Books for months now (who am I kidding, at the rate it takes me, it could be years. So much to design, so little time! Oh, the story of my life. Yours too?). I finally designed one and can I just say that I LOVE it!!! Yes, I LOVE it. I keep it in my purse and every time I look at it, it makes me smile.
I created a calendar out of mine, but I am planning on designing ones with all photos. What a better way to display some of your most cherished photos. The good news is, they are pocket size and fit nicely in your purse. The cover and back have a magnet in them to keep them closed too. How cool is that? They also make great gifts for mothers, mother-in-laws, etc.
I’ll have these available in my shop shortly with all the details. They come in sets of three so get one for yourself and share the rest. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
xoxo,
Jessica
PS- Since I have had so much support lately, I feel like I should “pay it forward” and give back. Give and you shall receive, right? I am giving away a set of 3 of these mini accordion calendars to ONE random follower.
1)To enter to win, leave a comment on my blog and tell me what you do with all of your beautiful photos.
2)For an extra entry, go to facebook and “like” me and come back and leave a comment on my blog (Do you already “like” me? That’s nice of you, just tell me by leaving a comment saying we were already friends.)
BONUS ENTRY- Facebook or Tweet about me in your status bar and then come back and tell me that you were so kind to spread the word about me! All entries must be received by 11:59 PM (PST) on FRIDAY, January 14th, 2011. Good Luck!
You can say it. I’m crazy! Say it again if it makes you feel better, I’m crazy! I’m starting a new business {again}! This time though, I am not alone. My sisters Jamie and Kellie are going to be helping me. We are going to be working together to create custom screen printed items from party favor bags to t-shirts and everything in between. Aren’t you excited? I know I am!
We are just in the very beginning stages of our business, but first things first. Every business needs a good name, right? Once I came up with the idea, we had a name not more than 12 hours later. We went round and round with names. Nothing really good though. We wanted something unique and memeroable. I love names that stick in your head like Spoonflower and Potterybarn. They are both two common objects, but that you would not typically associate with one another.
Then, the name just came to us. I was sitting on the couch nursing Emerson and he stopped nursing. He was a bit loopy and happy looking. Jamie said, “Look, he’s love drunk.” She had meant “milk drunk,” but love drunk came out. I said, “That’s it! Love drunk designs.” We texted Kellie and she liked it too. Business name, check. What’s next. . . you guessed it! A logo!
Any successful business starts with good branding, right? You know how I am always harping about that. I think it’s true though! Whenever I do logo designs I always design three totally different concepts. I sketched these out on paper. I can’t draw at all either! Someday, I will show you my sketches! Thankfully, I am a little better with the computer. Here are the three sketches I came up with.
I know they are all in black and white. That was done purposely! Every logo should also look good in black and white. Which one is your favorite? Why? What colors would you use? I thought it would be fun to share this process with you.
Sincerely,
The Craziest Mom on the Block!
All of our weekends are jammed packed with soccer games, watching the DUCKS play football, cleaning, and birthday parties or baby showers. It seems like we have at least one a weekend!! This schedule keeps us very busy!! This weekend, one of my dear friends, Emily had a baby shower!!! She has been a friend of mine since the sixth grade! I know, that was like forever ago, right? She has been kind enough to throw me several showers over the years!!! I wanted to repay the favor by throwing her a baby shower. Her Mom and sister took dibs, but they were kind enough to let me help out!!!
I designed several baby shower invitations, but we finally settled on the first one. These will both be available in my Etsy shop soon.
Which one do you like the best?
In addition to designing the invites, Emily’s Mom Cindi, asked me to make the cupcakes. She wanted them to be the centerpiece for the food table. Of course, I said yes! I LOVE cupcakes! Sticking with the onesie theme, I baked chocolate and banana (my favorite kind) cupcakes. Then I took fondant, rolled it out, and cut a ton of mini onesies. After I had cut all the onesies, I hand stamped “it’s a girl” on each of them. How do they look?
Cindi and Emily’s sister, Kim, did an amazing job decorating for the shower. The food was even more amazing.
Emily and her husband Andy are expecting a baby girl. With their gene pool, she’s bound to be the most adorable thing in the whole world! I wanted to get Emily some special gifts, but I needed some inspiration! I went to my favorite place for inspiration, the craft store. Oh, how my mind can go crazy with ideas there. It’s not really the best place for my pocket book either. However, I always try to find personalized gifts on a budget. I was super excited when I came across these darling footstools. I used my 40% off coupon, purchased some fabric that matched little Mackenzie’s nursery, and we were in business. Here are some before and after photos.
Here is how the stool looked when it was finished. Okay, so I forgot to take pictures of it, but you get the idea from these, right?
My Mom and I went in on the gift. I also personalized a picture frame from Target, the cute bucket tub, also from Target, and a onesie (guess what? The onesie was also from Target!). Can you tell I shop at Target a lot? I whipped up a blanket. Okay, let’s just say I am not a quick, nor very good, seamstress. This blanket was a bit embarrassing, but I threw it in anyways! Sorry Emily! Let Mackenzie throw up on it! Hahaha!
I want to wish Emily and Andy luck in their new adventure into parenthood. It will be the best time of your lives! You two are going to be great parents to miss Mackenzie. I can’t wait to meet her and hold her in my arms. {Sigh} I long for another little baby. . . someday. . . maybe.