halloween theme birthday party

what a fun theme for a birthday party, yes? my niece and nephews love costumes. costumes and cake? sheesh. it would be like christmas.

nautical theme invitations

i am pretty nuts over the nautical theme. i don't know if it's all the kitchy, outdoor weddings i've been reading about in martha stewart lately or if it was my girlfriend's jaw droppingly gorgeous wedding in lake geneva. either way, i am sold.

pantone colors for fall

according to pantone.com, these are the "it" colors for fall. just so you know. i'll be taking them all into consideration when designing for the holidays. i am assuming black is just a given?

{from pantone.com fall 2010 color report}

50th birthday party invitation

i'd say 50 years is worth celebrating, that's for sure. and how sweet it is for this couple to put this much time and effort into a party in honor of their buddy's 50 years? true friends right there.

handlettering wedding invitations

how gorgeous is this calligraphy? what a sophisticated and unique alternative to fonts and typsetting. and the white ink engraved on charcoal paper? wow. lovely.

{from martha stewart weddings fall 2010}

this weekend

...my parents are here...

...i wish i was here....

...i am actually here (which, by the way, is a good place to be).

one of my favorite families

as they welcome sweet little william, here is a photo of the three A family boys used on his announcement. good looking kiddos, don't you think?

have you seen madewell?

it is worth checking out. it's a sister store to jcrew and full of some cool separates and accessories. i will take two of the sequin jackets. yum. browse if you have a chance http://www.madewell.com/.

MCF

so i have new gal in my life. i'll refer to her as MCF. MCF is helping me to organize, stay on task and catalog all of my freebird ideas. one of those tasks is this blog. she will be making sure i keep this puppy updated. i'm sure you'll be seeing more of her great influence as we head into the holiday season.

thanks MCF. you have been more helpful than you know.

new stamp designs

i am always searching for new stamp designs to complete the look of the envelope. bills, thank you notes, invitations...it doesn't matter. i want to avoid the standard forever bell, if possible. i love when a stamp adds a pop of color or a suprise design element. here are a few new ones i stumbed across...

there are 10 stamps hidden on this sheet...so cool!

dennis the menance was an automatic read for me on sundays

actual artwork on a stamp