simply be . . .

"There is time in which to be,

simply be,

that time in which God

quietly tells us who we are

and who he wants 

us to be.

It is then that 

God takes our 

emptiness

and fills it

with what he wants."

Madeleine L'Engle

the loveables :: 'caps' off to pencils

I use to work for a non-profit arts organization with a daily grind that included countless appointments and meetings that were scheduled and re-scheduled and then scheduled and re-scheduled all over again. Addicted to ink, I quickly learned that I had to create a new habit of using pencils in order to keep my daily planner looking sleek and organized. Unfortunately I was never able 

(nor did I have the time of day)  to look for stylish pencils. 

Noelle started back to school last week and has been told she can't use mechanical pencils in some of her classes. After lugging around town gathering up all of her school supplies, I was not only inspired to begin a new love affair with pencils, but  I was on a mission to find something stylish . . . beyond the classic yellow #2 pencils.  

So in love with these bamboo patterned pencils from iomoi! 

I don't think I will mind filling up my calendar as long as I 

have one of these in my hand. What a statement!

iomoi has a ton of rich colors to choose from but I kept going back to this 

incredible color of gray! Although dark, it still captures a clean and crisp look.

This pencil holder from see jane work screams style!  

What's a pretty pencil without a gorgeous pencil holder?!

. . . and these pencil holders will look fabulous on Noelle's desk.  

These colors from seejanework.com are so modern 

and would probably inspire Noelle to do her math homework. 

What can I say? This box of pencils are far from the typical 

box of yellow #2 pencils. Very girly with unexpected whimsy make 

these Lilly Pulitzer pencils worth buying . . . so lovely!

If I were back in an office job I would definitely want these pencils 

the russell+hazel website to be placed front and center on my desk. 

They have such a sleek look with crystals that grace the tops for an added surprise. 

If I'm not mistaken, the glass holder comes with them . . . 

As soon as I can get my hands on some of these pencils I will be putting the caps back on my pens and setting them aside to make room for my new love affair . . .

remodeling :: inspiration

I'm obsessed with all things decor right now and am anxiously awaiting to decorate our humble abode! Although we won't decorate until the remodeling is completely finished, my inspiration boards keep me going and continue to work their temporary magic . . .

One look is as good as a cup of coffee for me. . .

it makes me OH SO HAPPY!

lost art

My mother always influenced me with her handwritten notes. Whether it was a simple note she was sending to a friend or some biblical words of encouragement, I grew up treasuring those little handwritten somethings that always gave me comfort when I least expected it. Now, even as an adult, I cherish those days when in the massive pile of bills, magazines and junk mail I'm lucky enough to pull out a thoughtful handwritten gesture addressed to me. With the daily grind becoming so saturated with technology we have forgotten how great it is to be so personal. 

Here is some inspiration to pass along . . .

These books by Margaret Shepherd make me want to hand write notes to everyone in my contacts. It's scary to think that the rising generation think of handwritten notes as a lost art but maybe these books will encourage a new phase of comfort with the pen. 

Now . . . on to finding that perfectly modern stationery . . .  

You can check her out at www.margaretshepherd.com

remodeling :: bathroom remodel

Before and After pictures of our upstairs bathrooms . . . enjoy!

MASTER  BATH BEFORE

This vanity space was probably a good idea but we took it 

out to make room for a private toilet room.

AFTER

AFTER

BEFORE

Everything was so compacted on one side of the room . . . 

not sure how the morning routines worked in this space . . .

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

BEFORE

AFTER

I'm pretty sure the Delta body sprays are the first thing that 

put us over budget, but definitely worth it.

AFTER

AFTER

KIDS/HALLWAY BATHROOM AFTER

AFTER

AFTER

By taking out one of the small hallway linen closets, 

we were able to make room for a private toilet room in their bathroom too! 

BEFORE

Weren't the fish just gorgeous in our "under the sea" bathroom? 

Needless to say, Noelle wasn't too keen on the idea . . .

AFTER

birthday invites

Lucas's 2nd birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks so I'm rushing to get a birthday party together around our construction zone. It's probably going to be a small party since I'm still new in town and all of my close friends live elsewhere, but I can't resist making a big deal about it all. . .even though Lucas won't know the difference. Since we obviously won't be able to fit people in our temporary 'humble abode' we have no choice but to make it an outdoor pool party which will still be totally fun! It'll definitely give all of the kids something to do. 

I'm addicted to TinyPrints which has some fantastic invitations. These are the invites that I've narrowed down for my little monkey boy.

www.tinyprints.com

I love the owls on the limb. I can see myself getting carried away with the whimsical party hats!

www.tinyprints.com

This picture card is fantastic! My only problem is that I'm having to stay away from the picture cards because I have no good current pictures of Lucas. Maybe this card will inspire me this week to start snapping away!

www.tinyprints.com

This pool party invitation isn't necessarily my favorite one but it's definitely at the top of my list. Especially since we're forced to have a pool party because it's the easiest thing for us right now. And of course as an event planner I am already thinking about how to incorporate the stripes and polkadots into the party decor.

www.tinyprints.com

Who can resist the cuteness of this dragon and lion? Even though it has nothing to do with a pool party I am tempted to make it work just because I love the idea of the childish yet modern artwork. 

Not sure which one to pick yet but I have to make a decision within the next hour or so. . .to be continued.

budget birthday!

I had a lot of plans and a lot of great ideas that quickly became obsolete once we decided that 2009 has brought on more of ‘budget birthdays’ as opposed to ‘blowout birthdays’. So my big 2-year-old baby soiree turned into a small thing . . .not so much of a big event like I normally pursue.

After convincing myself that it’s Lucas’ party and he wouldn’t even remember, I finally began planning a party with budget in mind instead of atmosphere and design. Once my mind was set on budget, I surprised myself by what I pulled off. 

Using all things creative and with the help of some of my handmade birthday banners (from Lucas’ 1^st birthday party) we made a simple pool party feel a tad bit more extravagant even though “budget” was the main theme.

Afterward I laughed at myself because of my crazy undying need to entertain in style. After 3 years of being with my Filipino husband, I think I have finally realized what Eric has been telling me all along . . .Filipinos aren’t worried about the lavish designs and décor of stylish parties, they are more interested in spending quality time with close friends and family.

I am so proud of myself for putting together a party that was geared toward these special times with friends and family. This is one of the first parties that I’ve hosted that I haven’t been stressed out. Lucas had a blast and partied with the owls until 11pm while all of the other kids and parents continued to swim, eat and enjoy fellowship well past midnight. 

I pulled out Lucas's birthday banners that I had made for his 1st birthday. Fortunately you can find some great templates on marthastewart.com 

which is where I found the cool lettering that I used on my scrapbook paper. 

The lush paper flowers are also martha stewart. I had them left over from a previous party  but unfortunately are almost on their last leg. 

Although Noelle wouldn't get out of the pool, we managed to snap a quick pic with the birthday boy!

Noelle finally jumped out to take pic with the birthday boy and G-Mama and Pops! Obviously it wasn't a cocktail party, so not only were we wearing our poolside attire, but we battled southest texas humidity all day and night. 

I suggest a pool party for any toddler that needs to get some wiggles out. . .it worked great for our family and friends. . .especially for a 'budget birthday.'

Of course I couldn't just completely walk away from creative birthday decor, even if no one else cared, so I pulled out some supplies from our moving boxes and  implemented some homemade signage for table centerpieces. With my initial inspiration from tinyprints.com, I decided to make some birthday party owls that could "hoot" all night with the kids. I had all of the supplies so it only cost me $5 for laminating and could last for a few more parties if anyone wants them. . .

Although I take great pride in hosting parties and don’t think I will ever be able to cleanse myself of those creative juices, I am so thankful for the wonderful evening with friends, family and food!

Now, if I can only stay with the “budget” theme for Noelle’s 12^th birthday bash in a few weeks!