I’ve found myself in the midst of a a couple of clients with a couple of little kiddos. Recently I designed a birth announcement for Lauren & Pete’s new identical twin boys. This was followed up with a birthday party invitation for soon-to-be one year old girls. I customized these with sketches based on some of the characteristics of these families. Kraft envelopes & custom mailing labels round out these projects. I am so happy with how they turned out. Celebrate X2!

I’ve been reading the amazing book “The Happiness Project”. It is such an eye-opener, a refreshing take on a simple-sounding goal. The author, Gretchen Rubin discussed the idea of having something to collect. She says: “For that matter, having a collection of any sort is a very popular way to have a mission. You get the little zap of satisfaction whenever you find another piece of blue sea glass on the beach or another out-of-print book by Charlotte Yonge. Or you collect experiences, like attending a game in every Major League Baseball stadium or running in as many marathons as possible.”

I love that idea. It got me thinking about my home & my family. Do you have a collection? Do any of your family members collect things or experiences int his way? One of my daughters’ first & middle initials are “A”, she was guided into a collection of this letter by my sister-in-law , who collects all things “M”. I love this. As a designer I am drawn to typography, color & shape. Here is a recent photo of Abigail’s “A” wall. Her siblings and friends often think of this collection at gift-giving times. I think it will be with her for a long time!

… don’t forget your mom. My mother is fantastic. She really is my guidebook to motherhood. Also, I admire & respect her as a businesswoman and entrepreneur. She can be a difficult person to buy a gift for, though. Clothes, she has lots… Books, she is constantly reading and we pass recommendations back and forth all the time, flowers, she has a gorgeous garden full…. But I know this prayer is a favorite of hers so I have painted a little piece for her to hang up in her house or her office. Hope you all enjoy it. Have a wonderful Mother’s Day, too!

I took this photo on our recent trip to New Hampshire. I just wanted to spread the Earth Day love today. I hope you have a gorgeous day today, lie on the grass & enjoy our world!

**Also, please check out the Push the Envelope Giveaway my friend Jenny is hosting on her incredible blog, Little Green Notebook.

http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2010/04/give-away-from-push-envelope.html

Spring is absolutely my favorite season. There is so much beauty popping up out of the ground and from the trees everyday. It is the optimist of the seasons. When I saw all that was bloom in my yard I took out my camera and started snapping, daffodils and crocuses, and a flowering tree who is nameless to me. The growth inspired  me to break out the paint. I haven’t painted (unless it was work related) in ages. I am so happy to be back at it this week. What is growing in your yard or on your street this week? I would love to hear!

I was pleasantly surprised yesterday while doing a little trolling around at Tuesday Morning. I came upon these amazing Pantone Mugs… in 3 shades of my favorite color! I snatched them up. They make me happy. I filled up PMS 388 C this morning and got to explain the world of printing to my 9 year old this morning. It reminded me of my first job out of design school, I can still smell the ink now.

… then it is GREAT for Push the Envelope! We were mentioned in the “What to Buy This Month” section of Simply Her magazine, an English language lifestyle magazine for women, published in Singapore. The copy arrived in the mail yesterday & we’ve already received inquiries from potential customers there. Take a look:

My design work has seen the combination of these colors a lot lately. I am not sure why…. but I love it! My retaliation to a surprisingly snowy winter? Maybe. The outdoors has been white & gray for weeks. I know it isn’t time for yellow daffodils yet, so I have found happiness in this little group. Here are some other examples of this awesome power trio. What colors are you seeing everywhere in your world?

custom wrapping paper

I have to listen to music when I work. I have lots of design/work-related playlists on my computer, a wide range of music. Sometimes I need some New Wave pop of the 80’s other times it is quiet violin, just depends on my workload & mood. This week I have got something new, thanks to Angels and Airwaves free download. Their new album, LOVE, is available to download for free. Try it out & let me know what you think. It is moody, melodic, I like it…

http://modlife.com/angelsandairwaves

I was driving to D.C. on Sunday night in the rain. I thought about complaining about it, slow traffic, flood watch, no umbrella, but then I took a second and looked through my windshield at the rain. The way the lights shined & sparkled in the rain was a stunning site. I looked in my purse to see if I had my camera… nope. It just took a second to stop myself from being negative and really see the beauty in the night. I tried to find some images online that captured what I saw that night. here are some.

http://ethnamp.posterous.com/?tag=night

http://www.betterphoto.com/uploads/processed/0804/0801220556121rain_agai_t.jpg