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Emilia!
We were in China over Christmas and New Years and have now been home for a week. We're all still adjusting and getting to know each other, but Emilia is one teeny tiny beautiful little person with a giant and lively personality and we're falling more in love with her each day.
I'm still trying to figure out my work schedule (going from zero to 18 month old over night is crazy!), but please feel free to email (my email address is on the sidebar) me if you're interested in having any of the work you've seen here personalized...or if you need anything else done.
...for the time being.
My dear friend Bates is having her baby boy in late February, so a couple of us are throwing her an elegant, evening baby shower in January.
I know I keep using the tear off post card format...but that's because it's just working so darn well. So until I come up with something else, this is what I'm sticking with!
We were matched with our baby girl in mid-September and when it came to putting a room together for her, I knew I wanted to do something fun and special. And in my mind "fun" and "special" meant wallpapering one wall. Well...we ran into a couple of issues when it came to finding the exact wallpaper we wanted (too expensive, too cutesy, not available, etc), so at the urging of my dear husband...I designed my own pattern and set about making my own paperless wallpaper (as seen in this book)...
Step one: Choose the perfect color scheme (I like Behr paint from Home Depot).
For all of the walls (except the focal wall), I used "Fresh Day" in semi-gloss, and for the focal wall I used "Vintage Linen" in flat. The other colors, in the order below: "Retro Avocado", "Solar Fusion", "Spring Stream", "Dragon Fly", and "California Dreaming". Not pictured but used, is the brown: Ralph Lauren's "Crosby". These colors make me ridiculously happy.
Step 2: Create stencils:
I made two of each thing I needed: the tree shapes, the trunks, the bird (right and left facing) and the squirrel (right and left facing). I used .005mm Mylar sheets, cut down to 8.5" x 11". I traced the shapes onto the mylar, applied some adhesive, then cut them out with an exacto knife.
Step 3: tape off the wall.
I used a laser level that sticks on the wall to get the straight lines. And...I admit that I completely lucked out on the spacing. The shapes I created were just the right size that I was able to get a full 12 rows up without cutting the tops or bottoms off of the design. Total fluke. I didn't do any maths or anything.
Step 4...should read: "Apply stencil to wall and using a stencil brush, quickly and efficiently stencil shapes onto the wall for a perfect crisp image."
Ha.
Step 4 instead is...throw all of your preconceived ideas of how you're going to do this and how long it's going to take out the window.
That's right. I forgot one crucial thing in my planning...our walls are really textured. And stencils don't work on really textured walls. I found this out when I did the first set of tree shapes and the paint...bled...everywhere. Not neat and tidy and crisp at all. And being the insane perfectionist that I tend to be, I knew I couldn't continue with it unless I committed myself to making it the best I possibly could.
This is where you all are going to think me a bit crazy.
So...Step 4: Commit to painting each tree shape, each trunk, each squirrel and bird...by hand. Yup. I did. I still used my stencil, but only as an outline. I outlined the shapes in pencil on the wall, then proceeded to paint by hand, which leads to...
Step 5: Choose your tools.
These are the 5 tools I used to paint the entire wall. A number 3 round brush, a number 4 round brush, a number 8 round brush, a flat brush...and a pencil.
The final result:
So. How long did it take me all told? Well...I worked a solid 7 days...10 to 12 hours a day. But you know what? I really do think it was worth it. I enjoyed doing it. And I'm really happy that I committed to doing it as best as I could.
Of course, this does mean that we can never move. And that Emilia will have to live with us the rest of her life.
Totally worth it.
Saturday was the celebration/baby shower for Sumiko's second little girl...due in January. I wish I had more photos, but I was having some trouble with the lighting. My husband (who is an amazing photographer) I am not!
The decor and the food spread all worked beautifully together and so accurately captured the heart and spirit of our dear Sumiko...
Beth hosted and provided gorgeous vintage linens - cloth napkins and table clothes! She also was able to bring out her fine china to complete the look, and provided loads of yummy finger foods!
Rita did yet another amazing job of cooking up a storm...she even made homemade strawberry jam as favors!
A huge thanks to Beth, Rita, Sherise, and Wendy for making this celebration possible! It was a success!
(We're so glad Wendy was able to make it! One day before her own little man made his appearance! Congrats Chung family!!!)
A group of my closest girl friends got together to throw a baby shower for me...Wendy created these adorable invites:
And Saturday was the shower! It was so amazing and so completely perfect. More details here. More photos here.
In my group of friends here, there are 4 babies arriving within a 4 month time period...which means loads of baby showers and more fun to be had designing invites. This one is for Sumiko, to celebrate her second baby girl.
Shower photos to follow soon!
Early in 2008, my husband and I began the long process to adopt a baby girl from China. It's been a very long, very painful (at times) process, but about 4 weeks ago, we were matched with the most gorgeous 15 month old baby girl, Jiang Qin Qin. We're going to name her Emilia.
We're really hoping that everything from here on out (still have loads of paperwork and different approvals to go through) goes very smoothly and quickly and that we're able to travel by January.
Which means I have a TON of stuff to do in the next few months.
Let the wild rumpus start! 
I'm currently working on getting my main portfolio site redesigned (simple, easy to navigate) and sort of coming up with a whole new business plan and direction for freelance, custom stationary/invites, etc. And one part of that plan was to FINALLY design and get business cards printed...which I did! So good for me!
I feel all official and businessy now that I have actual cards.
:: I've been looking for the perfect old typewriter for some time, and finally found it in this beautiful little turquoise and red one from the 1950's. It's so sweet and in great condition...I just need to get a new ribbon for it and it'll be ready to go!
:: The globe is actually something from my childhood that I thought I had lost. I took it with me when I moved out of my parents house and went to college. Then it made the trek to California with me. I do believe I "lost" it sometime around 2001, when we got married. I was very excited to find it recently on the top shelf in my in-laws living room! It's now back home with me where it belongs.
