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becky kimball * soel * see jane blog * milkglass and honey *
elsa bags * armelle * freshly picked * cotton & curls
modern palm * annily green * fifth and hazel * sycamore street press
zupas * {collected} * gatehouse no.1 * heirloom restaurant group
mer mag * the Alison show * the house of Smith’s * Studio 5

 Choose from a skunk, deer, porcupine, fox, owl, and squirrel. print it out on tattoo paper, and enjoy!

Photos from freshly picked & the Alison Show

Download the file here- 2 pages of tattoos- first page of bigger sizes for bigger kids, and the second page of smaller options for smaller kiddos.

Head on over to Freshly Picked for the full tutorial. For more Valentine Projects, head over to the Alison Show.

Also- love the designs but don’t want to make tattoos? Check out my earlier post of these same designs, as valentine cards!

For personal use only, may not sell or distribute without permission.

I won’t share my birth here… it was beautiful, wonderful.. and just a holy experience for my husband and I. We are ecstatic that she is here, and our home will never be the same.

 For the most part, Maggie has loved her little sister.

Why don’t we post our reality very often online? On our blogs, facebook and twitter? Now don’t get me wrong, I adore all of the pretty things we can find on pinterest, twitter, facebook and design blogs. Let it be known, I LOVE PRETTY THINGS. I love finding inspiration and getting ideas on how to design, decorate my house, what to cook for dinner, etc.

However, I think that sometimes we forget to post about REALITY.

So here is to you- Reality. I think that there is a place for beautiful things, and there is a place for the beauty of reality.

Want to know what some of my reality is? Oh let me tell you…

I didn’t shower half of this week, or put on makeup. This is NOT an unusual week. My studiomate Alma can attest to how often I show up to work in my pjs, workout clothes… or looking frazzled.

I gained 20 pounds in one month this pregnancy. Yep. Not even kidding.

I haven’t worked out in 4-5 months. I haven’t had time, or the energy. (and if you know me, you will know that I worked out RELIGIOUSLY before this time.. so this is very strange) In fact, I am not really sure when the last time I worked out was…

I cooked dinner once this week   . . . and it wasn’t organic or pretty looking. And I may or may not have had fast food several times this week. Yum.

I live in small apartment…not a big house. But I adore it! Half of my apartment has nothing on the walls. Nothing. I have empty frames sitting on the floors, with good intentions of starting the decorating process… for THE PAST YEAR.

When I started my business, things were really hard. I didn’t sleep enough because I was always up working and worrying about how my family would survive. I wondered where my next client would come from, how I could keep working so hard and still juggle motherhood, being a good wife, friend, and business woman. I wish I could say that with hard work, these problems went away overnight. But really, sometimes things are still hard. I have learned that businesses grow organically with work, sweat, tears, and belief in yourself, and the support of others. Thankfully after years of hard work, I don’t worry as much about finances. However, I still struggle and worry about juggling motherhood and family responsibilities with my business. It’s hard. But I have learned to be grateful for hard days as well as the good… because they give me perspective, vision, and ultimately make me who I am.

And I have to say I have learned to love the craziness. I love my messy house, my laundry that hasn’t been done this week, the food that is going bad in my fridge, and the long lists of to do that never seem to get done . . .

So why am I saying all of this? I want you dear readers- to come here, and expect lovely things. But I hope that these lovely things will only inspire you in your own life. I hope that you will know that behind this is a real person, who is far from organized, on time, and just a little bit crazy.

But most of all, I hope that you will believe in yourself, and believe that we are all doing better than we think we are. 

So I give you a free download, a little print to print out, put on your fridge, and remind yourself how awesome you are. Embrace the beauty of your own reality- whatever your challenges may be.

So this year- I am setting 4 goals- in the categories of: mental, physical, personal, and spiritual. I made this little sheet (that is 5×7) to print out and put on my fridge so that I can see them often. So- I share this with you- feel free to download, print, write all over, and share with your friends and family:

And what are some of my goals? I will tell you- I have tried to make them simple, and measurable this year.

I want to read a book each month (instead of watching tv)

I want to exercise 3-4 times a week (ok… after the baby comes.. hehe)

I want to plan 2-3 outings or fun activities with my daughter each week that will be fun & memorable each week (like going to museums, or special crafts, etc)

I want to take 5-10 minutes to ponder each day (without any computer devices, music, etc.. in complete silence)

And now after being so serious, here is something that makes me laugh every time I watch. My daughter LOVES to dance, and here she is jamming to Robyn’s “call your girlfriend.” If you haven’t seen the video.. you have got to watch it.. Maggie is a fan!

Happy Friday!

Part of that reason is that I have been soo busy with a lot going on here. Here is just some tiny snapshots of what I have been up to…

1. I finished up this 8 month project and launched this new designed website for Goldberger Dolls. I will post about the before and after later, and show more..  but it is so exciting to have it up!

2. Designed and finished up a logo for Adam Webb. I love how it turned out!

3. Been working like a crazy person on Altitude Design Summit. I have been designing posters, agenda, updating the website, newsletters… I don’t know- but it has been crazy. And I can barely contain my excitement for the conference!

4. Been designing fliers, newsletters, and a website for Gatehouse No1. We are hoping their NEW website can launch soon, and it is exciting to see how it is progressing!

5. Designed the January theme for KSL studio 5.

Anyways, there is a little of what I have been up to… I have even more projects I would love to unveil- but they are all pretty secretive.. but hopefully in the next few weeks I can spill some more!

This time around, I was determined to do a better job capturing my pregnancy… So when I was about 5 1/2 months pregnant, I had Yan take these amazing photos… There were so many good ones, but I have tried to narrow down to my favorite. She was so fun to take pictures with- looking back now I can see my bump is TINY, but at the time, I did feel huge. But Yan has an amazing way with people, and just makes you feel so beautiful… it was one of the funnest shoots ever.

I can’t believe how tiny I was a few months ago…  let me assure you, I am MUCH much bigger now.. I am actually taking pictures today to document my hugeness!

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