August 30, 2011
Hi friends! just wanted to give you a heads up that I am giving away a $35 store credit over at Smile and Wave today! So if you’ve been eyeing one of my new animal pillows, now’s your chance!
August 29, 2011
I remember over 2 years ago, when I was 1st dreaming up Gingiber, the scariest step for me was ordering business cards! Ordering my cards meant that I was a real business, and perhaps my hobby would soon turn into a tangible, profitable online shop.
One of my 1st business cards, though cute, had no real direction. It said “Gingiber” with my etsy shop address and no mention of what it was that “Gingiber” actually was! Over the past 2 years, I have gleaned the advice of many of my online artist friends, adding more pertinent information.
I recently ordered new cards to get me through the holidays, and thought it would be fun to make the fronts of the cards like little mini prints. So now I have “Quilted Fox” business cards and “Calico Cat” business cards, and both say “Gingiber Nursery Decor” below the artwork. On the back, my name is featured prominently, along with my e-mail address, twitter handle, and shop and blog urls. I also have a little coupon code as an incentive for return customers!
I feel like having a clean, informative business cards is like putting my best business face forward! Do any of you feel that way too in your small businesses? What advice do you have for business basics?
August 28, 2011
Hello! I’ve not had a chance to blog all weekend. My daughter has had the chicken pox (and yes, to preemptively answer the question, she has been immunized, but has only had the 1st of 2 shots). I’ve spent the better portion of the past 5 days tending to her needs. I have been so thankful to spend so much one on one time with her!
This morning, I had the sudden urge to act on one of those Martha Stewart Madeleine Cookie recipes I posted about earlier in the week. I decided to tackle the basic Madeleine recipe, but had to modify it a bit, given the ingredients I had on hand.
The recipe called for honey already, so I just increased the amount of honey. Then I substituted vanilla extract for some almond extract I had in the fridge. I was out of brown sugar, so granulated sugar all the way! Sprinkled with some powdered sugar, it was the perfect Sunday morning indulgence 🙂
What about you? Have you been cooking anything yummy recently? Do you find yourself often improvising in the kitchen?
August 25, 2011
At 27 weeks, I feel bigger (not necessarily better) than ever. The baby is kicking at all hours, which is comforting, but also a wee bit uncomfortable! I find myself staring at my belly while at work, putting headphones on my bump so that the little girl can listen to my Pandora Station. The feet are starting to swell, and I can no longer button my pre-pregnancy jeans, but that is to be expected 🙂
Next week I will be in the 3rd trimester! The final stretch. I find myself daydreaming more frequently about holding 2 little girls in my arms. I wonder about what life will be like? How will Nathan and I handle the late night feedings again? Will this new baby have blonde hair, like Violet? Or will she get Nathan’s curls? Will her nose turn up like Violet’s? Will she have my eyes?
Fantasizing about how much life will change within the next 3 months is possibly my favorite thing to do 🙂 And I feel so blessed.
August 24, 2011
I’ve been home today with a sick little kid. Aside from lots of cuddling and cartoons, I finally got a chance to sit down and skim some of my magazines that have accumulated on the dining room table.
Let me tell you that the September issue of Martha Stewart Living is FANTASTIC! I won’t give you a play by play of the entire issue, but I have several pages earmarked to go back and read when I have more time.
For instance, just look at this feature on madeleine cookies!!! Nathan got me my own madeleine cookie pan a few months back, so I am quite ready to jump in and try some of the variations listed in this article.
Don’t maple madeleines just sound perfect for the fall? Or how about spice madeleines with icing?
Oh the possibilities 🙂
Here are a few little snippets of the girls’ shared room!
I still have a ton to do, but before I give a full room tour, I wanted you share with you some of the happy things happening in their room! Violet really seems to like the changes so far 🙂
August 22, 2011
August 20, 2011
August 18, 2011
I really really LOVE pillows. Just ask my husband. When we got married, he inherited a plethora of pillows, most of which I have either donated or given away during the past 5 years of our marriage.
But recently, I’ve been bitten by the pillow bug (that sounds too much like bed bugs…. eek)! I want to add some fresh pillow covers to the mix, and I am totally digging the pillow in this post 🙂
How about you? Are you a pillow fiend?
Stacie
August 17, 2011
The below post is a guest post written by Susie of Design Shuffle! Enjoy 🙂
Hand painted wallpaper is one of our favorite things. We adore the colors and patterns and little imperfections that show the work of the artist and maker. We’ve pulled together a collection of hand painted wallpapers for your decorating ideas file. We’ve included both commercial hand painted papers that you can buy on the roll, vintage and antique wall papers, as well as incredible hand painted wallpaper murals. Now we just have to decide which room to wallpaper. Maybe the laundry room? See the one below!
Modern and hip hand painted wallpapers from Nama Rococo are definitely some of our favorites. Nama Rococo is more artist studio than factory and their wallpapers can even be framed like paintings.
Love the floral hand painted wallpaper by Gracie Wallpapers in this laundry room. It is so lovely it could almost make us love doing the laundry. Almost.
This Indian inspired hand painted wallpaper was spotted in Elle Decor. It is by De Gournay and looks like hand painted wallpaper from the 19th century. Talk about fantastic bathroom design ideas! Love the colorful elephant!
Adore this hand painted De Gournay wallpaper in a modern dining room. It feels so fresh and feminine—and it really works with the mid-century modern furniture.
This antique wallpaper from Zuber dates to circa 1800! Antique wallpapers are expensive but just a few panels make a huge impact and perfect for any living room design.
Inspired by a curtain from Ballard Design, Emily of Jones Design Company hand painted her walls in a wallpaper pattern. Love the simple lattice pattern. She has a DIY tutorial on her blog. Amazing!
This is a handpainted Welsh mural done in limewash on plaster. Incredible! It looks like a Bloomsbury design.
When we saw this on Design Sponge a few months ago, our jaws dropped. Far more than hand painted wallpapers, the hand painted murals from Red Start Murals of Austin are works of art.
This post comes courtesy of Design Shuffle, where you can find top tier interior designs from around the world – from New York interior designers, Los Angeles interior designers, and more, check out the latest at Design Shuffle.
