Inside Look: Inspiration

{Inspiration}

I recently added an inspiration board to my office. I tend to accumulate pieces that I love (pictures from magazines, quotes, photographs, napkins... you name it and I probably have a well designed version of that thing glued in my sketchbook) and I needed a place that was in view (i.e. once it goes in my sketchbook I may forget about how lovely that certain little piece of inspiration is...) to display all these wonderful finds as I am working on new designs.

I picked up a cork board on clearance, tacked ribbon onto the top and hung it on the back of my office door. There is not a whole lot of wall space in my office and when I am working the door is shut, so the back of the door was a great solution.

The idea is that this board will serve as inspiration for new designs that I am working on. Once those new designs are complete the inspiration will go live in the sketchbook, making room for new inspiration (however, the pictures of my sweet boys will stay... forever. ;)). The board cannot become a clutter catch-all without purpose... I am not an artist who works well with clutter. I need clean lines and clean spaces. So, hold me to it... if you see that board getting out of control, make me clean it out!

Currently Inspired by:
+ A Candy Party
+ The most adorable postcard ever (this one may stay forever too)
+ Bright Colors
+ These chairs from Anthropologie (the color, the lines, everything!)
+ Sweet & Thoughtful Packaging

{Sneak Peek Inspiration}
The below photograph is serving as inspiration for a new line of designs/product that I am working on.
Any guesses at what it might be?

Do you have an inspiration board? What is inspiring you right now?

Weekend Wardrobe: Loungewear

{Women's Retreat}

My weekend entailed hours of in-depth biblical study, intense conversation, and no sleep due to an amazing and unbelievable women's retreat. Our church brought in two ladies (from the first Aletheia Church in Virginia) who are pursuing hard after God. I love these ladies so much, they are such great examples and it was incredible being able to spend so much quality time with them. They led us in a powerful study of pride versus humility; it was beautiful and so very challenging.

... and like any sleepover there was not a great amount of sleep that actually occurred. So, not only did I wear something similar to the below ensemble for the retreat... I am wearing something similar even now on what was a very early Monday morning.

+ p.j. pants, tank, & hoodie by gap

+ super soft, chenille blanket by restoration hardware
(and everyone needs a blanky for a sleepover right?)

Winners!

AND THE WINNERS ARE...
(from random.org)

The winners were chosen at random but both of their answers were pretty much correct. At the actual restaurant there was a sign adjacent to the one pictured that spelled it out:

"Too many drinks? See a hostess for a ride home."
However, we all agreed that hostess was not super clear... so I'll take the above answers as pretty much dead on.
. . .
Molly & M.J. - please send your mailing address and your choice of notecard set (see choices here)
my way so I can get your prize on its way to you!

Inside Look: Weddings, Showers, & Babies

{Mess of an Office}

I need a better system. I currently do all my finishing/assembly work on the floor. ugh. I am open for suggestions. Remember, my desk is tiny.

Picture description from left to right:
1. Drew's toy garage that he pretends is a pirate ship. Apparently he thought the semi-truck hanging out the door was treasure because it looks as though he tried to bury it.
2. Fishing line?
3. Scraps from one the wedding projects below. If you buy handmade you are supporting less waste. I try to get as much out of one piece of paper as humanly possible. Ask my Bible study girls what they write their prayer requests on each week... haha.
4. (top left) NECESSARY tools of the trade: 2" circle punch, scissors, double-sided adhesive (this stuff saved my life when I realized its existence), 1/4" hole punch, a heavy duty rotary cutter and on the far right you see my double puncher
5. The wedding placecards on the assembly line
6. And more scraps.

{Pretty Wedding Compliments}

Table Numbers & Place Cards
The place cards will be used with straws! Isn't that an adorable idea?
The bride came up with that one, so ingenius.

{Bridal Shower Accessories}
I tried my hand at this tutorial. I made one large one and two small ones. I LOVE them.
(and secretly want to hang them in my house.)

{Sweet Baby Announcement}

I love this very sweet and so dear-to-us family and was beyond happy to work on their baby announcements.
What a joy!

. . .

What are you working on? Any DIY projects keeping you busy?

Stay tuned, my little winner from here (*it's not too late to take a guess!) will be announced tomorrow!

Weekend Wardrobe: New Blog Feature

Welcome to a new blog feature: Weekend Wardrobe.

Deep down inside I am a tshirt and jeans (ripped up, faded, and worn to be exact) kind-of girl. However, I do love fashion or rather, I love experimenting with fashion. I say, you be the trendsetter. So, this new little blog feature will give you some insight into my weekend and my weekend wardrobe. The weekends are my one opportunity to actually feel somewhat fashionable as most days are spent (like right at this very moment) with a simple tshirt/tank and jeans/shorts on.

This past weekend my husband and I were invited to a dinner party that was an interest meeting of sorts for a ministry that a couple in our church are involved with. The ensemble below is very close (not exact) to what I wore for our fancy little outing.

A classic black dress (mine was from Target awhile ago) accented with yellow pumps (thanks Johanna), a yellow bag (from my mom via Charlotte Russe awhile ago), black dangly earrings and an armful of bangles.

What did you do this weekend? Did you get all dressed up? Or did you have more fun sporting the tshirt and jeans?

+ Accordian Dress by J.CREW
+ Earrings & Bangles by Forever 21
+ Yellow Clutch by Jennifer Ladd
+ Yellow Peep Toe Pumps by Nine West

Restaurant Review: Taco Boy & Giveaway!

{photo courtesy of Taco Boy}

After the race we went to Taco Boy. Apparently you don't order the tacos there, just the nachos.
And they were to die for. Really.
I wish I had a picture of them, they would make you drool.
Instead here is a picture of us ladies with our matching Cooper River Bridge Run tshirts.
Aren't we cute? ha.

This restaurant was super cute and the interior design, like that of Wet Hen,
was thought out and carried their branding beyond just a sign on the door.
The vibe was eclectic and rustic, with no shortage of visual interest.
Below are a few photos from inside the restaurant.

I love the collection of multi-colored pendent lights.

So, the graphic designer in me thought this was hilarious.
Take a stab at guessing what it is supposed to read and you will be entered to win a set of notecards.

Restaurant Review: Fat Hen

{photos courtesy of Fat Hen}

If you are ever in Charleston you have to find Fat Hen and go there. For sure. It was amazing.
The menu offers authentic French Lowcountry cuisine. The environment is wonderful and it is decorated absolutely adorable (of course I would notice that and take pictures of their super creative wall art!). I could go on and on about the details because every little thing was thought out and purposeful; the branding was perfect and all those details just brought it all together. For example, the drinking glasses were mason jars and the wall art was collections of cooking utensils like whisks or measuring spoons. (The photos are not exactly amazing but they give you an idea....)

{On the Menu for the Evening}
We started with Escargot (yes, very fancy indeed) served with garlic butter and grilled bread. We also tried the Fried Green Tomatoes with goat cheese, pepper relish and tomato jam.
For the main dish I ordered the Shrimp & Grits. My mouth is watering now...

. . .
Below is a recipe for you to try! Let me know how it turns out.

{SHRIMP & GRITS}
recipe from here

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled, halved lengthwise, and deveined if you wish
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt or more to taste
• 1 1/2 cups stone-ground grits, not instant or quick-cooking
• 6 thick slices bacon, chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup (about 1/4 pound) grated medium to sharp Cheddar cheese
• Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce

Preparation:

Combine the shrimp with the lemon juice and a couple of generous splashes of hot pepper sauce. Let sit while you begin the grits and gravy.

Make the grits in a large heavy saucepan, first bringing 6 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of the salt to a boil. Whisk in the grits a few handfuls at a time. (They will bubble up initially.) When you have added all the grits, reduce the heat to a very low simmer and cook over low heat for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally at first and more frequently toward the end.

While the grits simmer, get the gravy under way. Fry the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until brown but still limp. Stir in the onion, green pepper, and garlic and continue cooking until the onion and pepper are limp, about 5 minutes. Add the scallions, sprinkle the flour over the mixture, and continue sauteing for 5 minutes longer. Stir in the stock and remaining salt and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat while you finish the grits.

When the grits are thick and creamy, stir in as much of the butter as you wish, followed by the cheese. Add a splash of hot pepper sauce and additional salt if you like. Cover the grits while you finish the gravy.

Return the gravy to medium heat and stir in the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are opaque throughout, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately, mounding the grits in large shallow bowls or on plates and covering them with shrimp and gravy.

. . .

{The Ladies}
Me + Jessi + Brooke + Andy + Christina + Stephanie + Elizabeth
= Super Cute & Super Fun