Making Memories Monday
By char | April 26, 2010
How has an entire month gone by since I last posted? Oh yeah, it’s for sure because I’m notoriously bad about keeping up with blogs, even though I have the best of intentions. (No comments from the family/peanut gallery, please!)
But, thanks to Jennifer over at Adventures in McQuill-land, I’m posting again finally. You see, Jennifer has started a new blog carnival revolving around Memories and Mondays. (Making Memories Monday – cute, huh?) And if there is anything that will get me talking (or blogging), it’s the concept of preserving or making memories.
Last night, Allan (hubby) and I were talking about our little Allan’s birthday, which is coming up in two short days. (He will be five on Wednesday, and he’s VERY. EXCITED. about it). It hardly seems possible that five years have gone by since his very dramatic entrance into the world.
I had serious blood pressure issues during his pregnancy, which basically developed into pre-eclampsia, bringing him here to us a bit earlier than planned. In many ways, his birth was NOT a fun experience for me OR for his Daddy, and we always shudder a little bit as when we talk about those days. It’s a weird feeling – complete joy mixed with relief mixed with terror. That pretty much sums up the experience.
Anyway… the point of my post today is not about that experience, but rather to share about the Birthday Memories we made as a family this year. “Birthday season” for our family starts on March 1st with Samuel, then continues on March 22 with Martha, April 8th for Daddy, and then finally lil Allan gets his turn on April 28th. (It’s a LONG couple of weeks between Daddy’s and lil Allan’s party, because he is SO READY for HIS turn).
This year, the kids all had very specific plans for their birthday parties. Samuel’s was at our local Natural History Museum, and centered all around their new King Tut exhibit (one of his obsessions). Martha wanted a princess party (OF COURSE), and originally stated specifically Snow White, but she was happy to “settle” for ALL the Disney Princesses when Mommy forgot to order the Snow White “stuff” online and couldn’t find any in the local stores. And lil Allan… well, he’s had some time to change his mind twice three times.
By accident, I started a new birthday shopping “tradition” that I plan to keep up every year. It’s a simple thing really, but quite honestly, I think the simple ideas are usually the best. Each child got to go on a specific shopping trip with me to purchase all the supplies for their party. Tableclothes, cups, plates, napkins, candles… they got to go TO the party shop (and Walmart) and pick those things out. One-on-one time with Mom (FABULOUS), mixed with a shopping experience ALL ABOUT them and their birthday. Can’t beat that!
It was actually a really good idea that Samuel went with me, because I was kind of stumped about what to get to decorate for his party. I mean, it’s not like the party stores have an abundance of King Tut party theme supplies. I stood in the aisle at Party City and said, “um… what color tablecloth/napkins/plates should we get? Brown?” And Samuel replied, “MOM, we need to get YELLOW… for GOLD. You know, like King Tut’s sarcophagus. (DUH was implied)” Duh, indeed!
Martha’s trip was a ton of fun for BOTH of us… I’m not sure who squealed more at all the PRETTY. PINK. PRINCESS. STUFF. (Ok, it was probably me).
And finally, this last weekend, lil Allan and I went for HIS shopping trip, with the intention of getting Batman supplies (his second choice after the Incredible Hulk supplies were disappointing to him). We arrived at the store, and found NO Batman stuff. BUT, they DID have “How To Train Your Dragon” supplies, and that was the end of Batman. We then headed over to the toy aisle, so he could give me a few “present” ideas, and that’s when I discovered that five is that MAGIC age when pretty much ANYTHING in the toy aisle will work just fine. Or maybe that’s just my cute kid who likes it all…
Anyway, birthday party supply shopping – it’s our new tradition. And I’ll be excited to go through it all again NEXT year.
Topics: My Family | 3 Comments »
Just had to share…
By char | March 25, 2010
My daughter makes a LOVELY, BEAUTIFUL Snow White… doesn’t she?
Her party was so, so fun… and I’m still recovering!
Topics: My Family | No Comments »
Graduation Announcements
By char | March 24, 2010
It’s getting to be that time again – time for graduations and parties and celebrations!
I have several graduation announcement/invitation samples in my Delight Design shop, and these are my two favorites:
Don’t forget, I can CUSTOM design around your image, including your school colors!
Topics: Announcements/Invites | No Comments »
Fun Invite Samples
By char | March 23, 2010
A few days ago I posted a few digital scrapbook “book” templates that I made with Heritage Makers software. Today I have a couple of cute 5×7 invitation templates I designed.
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I have two boys and one girl, and I’m not sure WHICH design I like better!
Topics: Digital Scrapbooking | No Comments »
My baby is three…
By char | March 22, 2010
I’m not sure how it happened… or when… but my baby girl is turning three today. In the last few months she’s been evolving from toddler girl to BIG girl, and we are trying to keep up!
Over the weekend, we kept talking about lasts… “this is the last Saturday you’ll be a two year old”…. “this is the last time you’ll go to the Museum as a two year old”…. “this is the last time you’ll go to church as a two year old”. (Yes, her dad and I are slightly sentimental.)
Martha (age THREE) At the Museum, playing with the sand (her FAVORITE activity)
When I was a girl, I always expected that I’d have a girl FIRST… and then a boy… and be done. Life didn’t turn out that way. I adopted my first child (a boy), and because of health issues, I didn’t expect to have any more. But, God’s plans for me included THREE children, and I was able to have one more boy… and my baby girl.
Even though I talk (and write) a lot, I can’t ever put into words what this girl really means to me. (You know I’m going to try, right? Here goes!)
Martha Maysielen is my “mini-me”, an almost mirror-reflection of the me that was. She grins at me and it takes my breath away because she looks JUST LIKE the pictures of me at her age. (Except I think she is even cuter, especially when she has her hair in two pig-tails.)
Temperamentally, she is very much like me too. My mother used to say that from the time I came out of the womb I wanted to be bigger and older than I was. I would get frustrated, even as a baby, because I couldn’t do something I wanted to do. I always kind of laughed when mom said it… but then I met my Martha. Turns out… she’s exactly the same way. She threw screaming fits when she wanted to roll over but couldn’t. Crawling made her mad as could be, because she wasn’t running with her big brothers. Yes, she is my daughter, thru and thru.
Thankfully, she has a bit of her Daddy in her too. It’s an interesting mix… Mommy’s Type A personality with Daddy’s laid back, “what are clocks for again” personality. Unfortunately for Martha, she got stubborn-ness from BOTH of us, so we’ll be working on that trait over the next few several years.
I love that she is the youngest… and has two big brothers to look up to. She is just as comfortable with trucks and dinosaurs and tools as she is with baby dolls and stuffed animals. (She often “rocks” the trucks LIKE a baby.) She is tough and determined and not knocked down easily. And when she IS knocked down (she has two big brothers, after all), she gets right back up again. She is the easiest to re-direct of the three (so far), and is also the most exasperating.
I just love my sweet, tough, stubborn, fiesty, talkative, expressive, beautiful girl.
Can you tell?
A couple of weeks ago, I pulled a couple of scrapbooks out of a box that hadn’t been unpacked yet (you know, because we’ve only been in our house for almost 3 years now!!). One book was Samuel’s (his first 3 years) and the other was Allan’s (his first year). Martha looked around after we finished looking at them both and wondered aloud (and annoyed) where HER book was. OOPS! Mommy needs to finish it, sweetie! Every day since, she has asked me where HER book is. I think I have some digi-scrappin’ to do!
There are a few layouts done with her photos and story… I just checked, and I have most of her first year done, so I’m only about a year behind! I’m going to post a few of those “first year” layouts below, just for her. (She likes to see herself on my computer, and I’ll show her this post when she wakes up.)
(And maybe I’ll be in LESS trouble about the “book”, if she sees these.)
(Or not!)
Happy Birthday, Princess!
(And Mommy will get busy right away on all the second year layouts for your book… I promise!!)
Topics: Digital Scrapbooking, Featured | 1 Comment »
Sunday Shout-Out
By char | March 21, 2010
I can distinctly remember the first time I realized there was a “digital scrapbooking” industry. It was around 2004 or so, and I had already been a web designer for several years. At that time, I enjoyed my own form of digi- scrapping, mostly through personal websites – you know… a blog, before blogs were “cool”.
I was often frustrated with the limitations though. Quality graphics were hard to come by, and I could visualize what I wanted a website to look like, or a cute photo enhancement to look like, but creating that with “pixels” was time consuming and difficult (and often impossible – mostly because my imagination is better than my digital artistry skills!)
The day I found “digi kits” for sale was a happy, happy day. Finally there were other people just like me out there, trying to design, create, and SCRAPBOOK on their computers. I suddenly didn’t feel “weird” anymore for trying to do something others did with paper and glue.
In the last 5 or 6 years since I found OTHER digital scrapbookers, the industry has exploded beyond belief. And I have been very, very lucky to find my own little niche within that industry. I realized fairly quickly that I am not a digital KIT designer, but I’m rather a layout designer … a layout artist… a digital scrapbooker-for-hire. Or, if you want to keep it a little more simple for non-digi folks, I’m a graphic designer… using the designs of OTHER graphic designers to create something new.
I could not… could NOT do what I do without the fabulous (and very generous) digital KIT designers. Over the next few weeks, I’d like to offer up a Sunday Shout-Out to some of my favorites. Now that I think about it, it might take a year (or two), since I’ll do it just once a week… and I have SO many favorites.
I’m going to start with Miki Ferkul aka Microferk Designs. She sells her designs at Scrapbook-Elements. I’m starting with her because I’m using one of her graphics in my header here on this blog… and because a great many of my current samples and designs, in both etsy shops, were created using her products.
I have always loved her designs and her style. The day she changed her TOU to allow for crafting/designing for hire, I literally did a dance in my house. (Really, I did… and I told her so too!) I have a rather large section of my external hard-drive filled with her kits and products. She has designed so many lovely kits… and she puts out something new nearly EVERY week. I would tell her to slow down a bit, so I can catch up with purchasing all her designs, but I love, LOVE to see her new stuff every week.
A few of her latest designs that you really need to see (and buy…and use!):
SEE! I told you she was amazing!
Thank you, Miki, for being inspiring… and encouraging and generous to digi-scrappers/artists like me.
Topics: Digital Scrapbooking, Sunday Shout Out | No Comments »
Digital Scrapbook Book Templates
By char | March 21, 2010
Over the next few weeks, I hope to add a variety of “portfolio” type items to this blog. Today’s post includes a few sample book templates I designed using the Heritage Makers software. These were all designed in both 8×8 book size and in 12×12 book size.
Doodle Whimsy:
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Christmas Album:
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Baby Girl Album:
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Baby Boy Album:
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If you are interested in custom digital scrapbook layouts or book design, please check out my Delight Design etsy shop, or send me a note!
Topics: Digital Scrapbooking | No Comments »
Custom Blog Design
By char | March 19, 2010
Spring is in the air… or at least here in Las Vegas it is! And with the fresh air, sunshine, and birds singing usually comes a desire to SPRING CLEAN! I’m guessing that’s why I’ve had several requests for new blog designs lately – it’s not just me who feels like it’s time for a change, a new look, an updated feel.
If you are in the mood for a makeover or custom design, I’d like to invite you to visit my etsy shop to place your order and get started! I have several great sample designs for you to check out, and I would love to help you get Spring started with a fresh look.
Here are a few screenshots of my samples:
And a recent design I did for Jennifer at Adventures in McQuill-land
My pricing is as follows:
- Blogger custom designs OR makeovers – $65
- Wordpress custom MAKEOVER (for existing blogs) - $99
- Wordpress custom design, set-up, and installation (if you are new to blogging/wordpress) – $150
- Custom blog headers – $14.95
You can visit my etsy shop to place your order or send me a note, OR just email me directly at char @ delight-designs.com (no spaces in actual email).
Topics: Blog Design | No Comments »
Etsy Banner Design
By char | March 18, 2010
I love, love, LOVE to design banners for etsy shops. I’ve had so much fun in the last year helping etsy shop owners get started or get a fresh look. You can see a variety of sample designs in MY etsy shop, and here are a few custom designs I’ve done in the last few months:
Does your esty shop need a new banner? Contact me through MY etsy shop today!
Topics: Etsy Banners | 1 Comment »
Welcome to Delight Designs
By char | March 16, 2010
Here at Delight Designs, I offer the following…
Custom Designed Layouts, Wall Art, Postcards, Birth Announcements, Invitations and more -I take your photos and add a few digital papers and elements to create a layout, card, or wall-art based on the theme or style you request. You can see samples of these types of items in my DelightDesign.etsy.com shop
Blog and Website Design - Before I was anything else, I was a website designer. I’ve been creating, designing, installing, and maintaining websites and blogs since 1997. You can see samples of blog designs in my DelightDesignBiz.etsy.com shop.
Etsy Banner and Avatar Design – Along with web/blog design, I also offer custom etsy banner and avatar design. You can see samples of these in my DelightDesignBiz.etsy.com shop as well.
Party favors, Candy Wrappers and Stickers – In 2000, I began selling candy wrappers at HeavenlyPromises.com. I have also began listing candy wrappers and party favors on etsy. The custom stickers are SO popular for baby showers, wedding showers and receptions, birthday parties and more! I offer custom designs for business use as well. You can see these types of products in…you guessed it…my DelightDesignBiz.etsy.com shop.
Topics: Featured | 1 Comment »