giveaway: pom love

are you gushing yet? these pretty poms are bursting with flavor, color and pure fun. i just love them. kirsten is the owner of pomlove, an etsy shop filled with these ethereal beauties. browse closely, each pom has it's own look and texture. such unique designs. i really want to fill my whole house with them and host a pom party in their honor.

pomlove is offering one m.writes reader a pom kit of their choosing! place a comment to enter to win. comments are open until saturday / may 2 / midnight / mountain time. a random winner will be announced after the weekend. good luck pomlovers.

and since she's so nice... this weekend only, kirsten's kits will be on sale from the original $30 price to $26, just for you. enter code m.writes sale at payment and she'll send a refund for your discount.

{ a big thank you & happy birthday to kirsten }

paper, envelopes & handwriting

recently i've received some great questions that i thought i ought to post. i'll be stockpiling these babies in a new category (see my new sidebar feature button, everything you've ever wanted to know about me and then some).

FAQs.

Q. What type of paper do you use for stationery & invitations?

A. for invitations, i like printing on a variety of stock, yet i always am happy with thick paper. i love Classic Crest. 80lb solar white is a favorite. for finer stock, we prefer printing on Hammermill brand for the pages in our books. velum is super fun to print on too. and it's easy to run through my hp laserjet printer at home. i believe in having loads of envelopes on hand. i order envelopes from xpedx or actionenvelope.com. square envelopes used to be my fetish, now i adore the petite 4 bar size.

Q. I love your handwriting. Is it available in a font?

A. big, fat thank you. to set the record straight; yes, it is my own handwriting. and no, i didn't learn how to write from anywhere specific... it just evolved. in high school i used to write itty bitty. all my notes were in columns. that was my ee cummings phase. and then i went to all caps like every architect i know. later it became all curly and hippie free with lowercase and caps all mixed in like one big happy family. most days it is on the border of sloppy sweet and illegible. (note to self. scan in notes from middle school to college. make a timeline of m.writes, in the literal sense.) i did take a calligraphy class a couple years ago, which i loved. i realized the art form has too many rules i couldn't help but break. discipline and cursive and holding my pen just so are not my strong suit. i kept tracing letters but couldn't resist flinging my pen here and there and everywhere. i felt too boxed in. still, the ink, the fancy pens and all the practice is fun. real calligraphers amaze me.

and no, i don't plan on creating a font from my writing anytime soon. now that we're on the subject of handwriting, i might as well hop on my soapbox. i must tell you how IMPORTANT i think it is to write your own words. don't get me wrong, as you can see, i love a good cute squirrly font. i mean, geez, coming across a great font is euphoria. dafont.com has plenty of free and fabulous fonts to download. and yes, i agree wholeheartedly, there are times when hiring someone with pretty print is totally necessary. but letter writers, journalers, and scrapbookers, please, pretty please, jot it out in your own writing. you may say, no way. no how. i can't. my handwriting is chicken scratch. hideous. ugg.

before you roll your eyes and erase me from your life, let me tell you why i am a firm believer in writing it down. handwriting is your signature. it's yours. even if it is chicken scratch, it's your chicken scratch. embrace your chicken scratch. own it, love it, work it. if all your posterity ever sees are the cutesy fonts, rub-ons, stickers and typed up sentences, i fear they will miss out on the great joys of recognizing your script. my treasures are letters from my mom, postcards from my pop, cards from my whitney, and post-its from my man. believe it or not, your unique handwriting on an envelope is probably an instant smile for a long lost penpal. go big. write it up. someone loves that writing. if you don't have hours to practice your penmanship, try this. practice your cursive, bubble letters, and graffiti funky flair on the brown bag lunch you give jimmy every day. enough brown bags and you'll be an artiste.

xo. love mart

p.s. to you write clubbers, i promise something good is coming down the pipe. maybe next week. to you crafters, on may day i will be posting a tutorial. perfect for a quick mother's day gift. oh and of course thursday is another fun frothy frilly floaty giveaway. and i have a special feature coming in may. if i can just get my head wrapped around it. tune in. can't wait. spring is sinking in and i couldn't be happier. thanks for being friendly. and keep the questions coming.

buy your mama a mini diary

if you'd like to get or give a mini diary in time for mother's day, please place your order before friday, may 1st. for your convenience, a gift tag will come with each diary sold between now and then.

i'll be happy to handwrite the mini tag on your behalf, if you'd like. in the notes to seller at checkout include the to & from info and your mini message. the classic to the best mom in the world, happy mother's day, or a big i love you, mom! always work.

oh and sisters, grandmas, aunts, friends and teachers like them too.

p.s. to say thank you for all the recent feel good feedback, sweet emails, great comments and well wishes for my brother, i'm hosting a mini cinni speedy giveaway today. am going to choose one of your comments before bedtime tonight and send a li'l box of cinnamon bears to a random winner. although i really wish i could send one to all of you. come to think of it, i'd also like to build the world a home and furnish it with love.

update: kk and s. schuller you both won a box of bears. congrats! please email me your info and cinni bears are in the mail.

baby shower details

am happy to say, last week's party was smashing. we had a ball showering emily with itty bitty clothes, sharing new mama wisdom and eating yummy shower type food, including hilary's fabulous homemade cupcakes. they were almost too pretty to eat.

i had a lot of fun planning and prepping for this shindig. it's nice to have a good excuse for spring cleaning the apartment. and it's extra nice when the whole guest list shows up (and doesn't mind squeezing in). it's good to host parties, even if you're worried no one will show or that everyone will be on a diet. mingling is good. break out of your shell and break out the limeade. my sister-in-law taught me a fabulous party trick: add cucumber slices to your 7-up or limeadey drink. it's so refreshing. it's dreamy goodness. i'm pouring myself a glass right now.

we played a fun candy bar mommyhood matching game. i finally designed it and printed it up for future generations. i printed a few extra sets along with the simple rules. it's a great game to break the ice and is perfect for a big group too. (there are 30 memory cards, each card features a word having to do with motherhood or pregnancy. every match-up gets a coordinating prize.) i'd like to think it's a clever and original game to play at a baby shower.

my favorite part was at end of the night when guests loaded up plates of food to tote home to their hungry husbands. awesome. i guess dan is not the only husband who requests girlie food leftovers.

sun through the slats

happy monday morning.

goodbye weekend. saturday was awesome. it was family day. i did yoga, then dan went biking. we met in the middle and ran errands together, one of my favorite things to do with dan. and benji too. dan makes running errands like going to a carnival. donating clothes to the local D.I. has never been so fun. we get ice cream between stopping at the post office and buying bread at the bakery. then we take a break to stroll in the sunny park. we headed downtown and saw the geese at the river bend. it was picture perfect. all we needed was a big red balloon tied to benji's wrist. i stayed up late writing my li'l speech for our sunday meeting. finally, at midnight it all congealed. then we woke up sunday to snowfall. i'm serious. it was a snowstorm unfit for the pretty spring dress i planned on wearing. oh well. back to the black skirt i've been wearing for months now. luckily all went well despite the lame weather.

today the sun is up, my boy is babbling and chewing a board book.

one pb & jelly sandwich packed, one shirt ironed, one bed made, and one big kiss goodbye to dan. cheers to a nice morning that hopefully leads to a very productive day. onto unloading the dishwasher and making a grocery list. today is a cat stevens listening type day.

the giveaway winner of the pretty birdie apron is lisa. congrats to you! hope you love wearing it. please email me your shipping info soon. another spectacularly fun giveaway is marked for this thursday. am so happy, they just keep rolling in.

if i'm real productive, photos of the baby shower will post later today.

now go and have a good day. xo.

good news on the homefront

book your trip now to the d+m ranch.
here are two fabulous things to look forward to,
happening right here in river city.
i can barely contain my excitement.

01. the best salad in the world has landed. the well beloved utah mexican restaurant, cafe rio, now has a new location. yup. that's right. right down the street from me. wahoo! a taste of home. seriously, we are all super excited. i'm throwing a mini parade in it's honor.

02. this news is almost too good to be true. i hope you're sitting down for this. you see, not many bands or singer/songwriters make it to this town on their nationwide tour. but that's all about to change. i'm pleased to announce, two of the finest music icons are stopping in this summer. june 6th to be exact. MC Hammer & Vanilla Ice together, for an unstoppable night of amazing rap. i hope i can find a babysitter.

eight months

my babe is already 8 months old. i can hardly believe this sunshine boy is growing so fast. ooh i love those cheeks. he is in such a fun stage. he is learning to sit, wanting to crawl, learning to wave, reaching for toys, chewing toys, trying new foods and teething. he does the sweetest expressions these days. it's all in his eyebrows. among my favorites is this big benji bear grin, especially with his li'l chomper teeth.

i've enjoyed shooting mini movies of him and his new tricks. recently i caught him discovering his shadow. benji squealed, pleased as punch. he sat there, just smiling at it.

i look at him and know what living the good life feels like.

b bear loves
sitting up
(with minimal face plants)
being at the big kids table
(big kids meaning me and dan)
unfolding clean laundry
smiling for the camera
yoga (happy baby is his latest pose)
taking his bib off
playing in his baby tub
(with or without water)
giving hugs around the neck
jabbering and giggling
intently studying the noisy vacuum
(or the hairdryer, the blender...)
zooming like an airplane
rollicking games of peekaboo
reading goodnight moon
jumping on mama's lap

quote wall 05

this is one of my favorite quotes. i tracked it down while preparing for a talk i'm planning to give in church this sunday. i originally read it in 2005, the month we were deciding to move to california for dan to begin law school. he was receiving letters from law schools across the country and we began wondering where our lives would lead. i remember doubting if i could leave home and be a brave little soldier in the big wide world. reading this quote made me feel stronger.

earlier this week, my brother was biking to work in the morning and was badly hurt in a hit and run accident. i was distraught hearing the news about him. he is so important to me. as is his darling (and expecting) wife, anna. fortunately he is doing well and will be strong once again. his condition is improving daily. i am amazed at his stamina, strength and spirit. when bad news arrives, my world suddenly seems to tumble down. time stops and my heart does too, this is the moment i remember, once again, what really truly is important in life.

giveaway: reyart apron

Reya is a self-taught artist living in the Netherlands. her handiwork is beautiful. her designs and minimal approach to art reminds me of nature; pure and simple. reya creates fabulous aprons, perfect to wear while making art or baking pie or shaking out the rugs. i love the magpie linocut, printed with navy blue fabric paint. this would be the kind of gift i would want to keep for myself. i know lots of ladies who would leap for such a pretty and industrious apron.

whether you plan to give it to yourself or someone else, place a comment to enter to win. comments are open until saturday / april 25 / midnight / mountain time. a random winner will be announced after the weekend.

thank you, reya.
be sure to visit her etsy shop & flickr to see more pretty things.

happy earth day

am excitedly prepping for a party i'm hosting tonight. i'll undoubtedly give you all the baby shower details and let you know how fitting 20+ guests in my apartment worked out. for now i am running to the home depot sale. seed packets are buy one, get one free today. if that's not a fabulous earth day / baby shower party favor, i don't know what is.

and if you haven't seen the trailer for the new DisneyNature documentary: Earth, you must take a look. baby animals melt my heart. i can't wait to see it.

go planet earth.

i bake bread.

i've started baking bread. and each week the loaves get better, look prettier and taste tastier. except for the fluke of a week when both loaves sunk. they had flat tops. like my brother's, when he turned nine. the loaves were still tasty, despite their non-curvaceous appearance. go figure.

i found a simple white bread recipe buried deep in my recipe binder. i wish i knew where the recipe came from. someone typed it up all pretty for me. i liked it right away because it has very specific directions and it calls for very normal ingredients like all-purpose flour. yay for all-purpose. the only tricky part for a newbie like me is the yeast. i've found if you just sprinkle it in with a half cup of warm water, a tablespoon of sugar (and a wink and a prayer), it usually works out.

if you're interested, email me with i bake bread in the subject and i'll send you a pdf. of the recipe. soon enough you'll bake bread too. for those of you who knead bread, bake bread, slice bread and eat bread with your eyes closed, i'd love to hear your tips on bread making.

a perfect pair

dan's grandparents are perhaps the sweetest people i have ever met. i could write a whole chapter book about how much i admire them. i feel so blessed to have another set of grandparents who have adopted me as one of their own.

grandpa dick and grandma bernice are both in their nineties. they are as happy and energetic as young lovebirds. everyone who knows them, loves them. she is still making homemade freezer jam, weeding her garden, hosting dinners, writing correspondence, remembering birthdays, and getting her hair done on a weekly basis. he is still mowing his lawn, golfing on weekends and volunteering at the local hospital. they are so sweet with benji and love to see him whenever we come to town. i love watching them interact with dan and laugh at his jokes and keep right up with his sense of humor.

this sunny sunday we were invited over for one of their delicious meals. we spent time in their yard and benji enjoyed sitting on lawn for the first time. i can't imagine any better place than theirs to experience the warm sun and green grass of a perfect spring day. grandma always squeezes my hand and gives me a genuine compliment each time we say our goodbyes. this time it was, you truly are so lovely marta. it is a joy seeing you and dan so happy with this baby. i love her personality. it is refreshingly free of judgment, pride or selfishness and full of kindness, sincerity and love. the two of them make me want to be a better person.

win-a-monster

hello again. we're just back from our road trip. am unpacking and uploading and stretching these li'l leggies. lots of good things this weekend. i survived the race. we saw lots of family members. the sun shone the whole time. benj got his third tooth! my mom and i browsed the fancy new nordstrom and it's fancy new cafe. (i highly recommend the bread pudding.) we even had a mini family photoshoot with ginnie in a pretty field of trees. a very productive weekend.

am happy to announce the giveaway winner from last week. janet, congrats! a little one you love will receive a rachelli monster tee of your choice! please email me your shipping info and choice of design. for the rest of you, not to fret, another good giveaway is coming up thursday.

a big shout out to dan's brother, tom and his wife, elizabeth. they are both running the BOSTON MARATHON tomorrow. wahooo. good luck & have fun.

reality writeathon

writing prompts | week 07.
to live is to learn. you take the good, you take the bad...

according to my own extensive hollywood research, it seems, everyone and their dog is writing a memoir these days. from michael j. fox, mary tyler moore, marie osmond and kristen chenoweth to the dude who hosts dancing with the stars, along with miley, tori spelling and her estranged mother, candy. wow. talk about a reality readathon.

believably the market for reality is rising. we live it, we watch it, and now, apparently, we want to read it. this week, i want to write it. i started with a review of my 09 resolutions. here are some more ideas of learning from the life you lead.

01. what was one of the best decisions you ever made?
and one of the worst?

02. what are your strengths?
what are your weaknesses?

03. what types of modern technology have made your life better?
in what way has it made it worse?

tomorrow, way too early in the morning, my sisters and i are running a little race. for me, it's another attempt to make a weakness a strength. now, back to building the best 5k jam mix ever. here i go. be strong.

write your life out.

giveaway: rachelli tees

another adorable giveaway today. hip hip.

rachel contacted me about her cute online shop, rachelli. being one who collects unique tees for my li'l one, i was delighted with her designs. up close, i was smitten and impressed with the high quality handiwork. the monsters collection is my favorite. rachelli tees would enthuse any mama who may be bored of teddy bears and moonbeams. these tees are original and fun for your tiny tot to wear.

rachel is kindly offering one m.writes reader their choice of tee from her new monsters collection. comment on this post to enter to win. comments are open until saturday / april 18 / midnight / mountain time. good luck. a random winner will be announced after the weekend.

but wait, there's more. rachelli is offering an online coupon! she'll take 35% discount off your entire order until 5/15/09 when you enter the coupon code: monster35 at checkout.

so generous of you. thank you, rachel.

p.s. benji loves his new buddy, seymour. he started singing suddenly seymour at the top of his lungs the moment he saw it. or maybe that was just me. thanks for the fun surprise. something about that lollipop makes this tee irresistible!

resolution update

i am good at writing lists. wish lists are among my best. but re-reading my resolution list is not my strong suit. today i looked it straight in the face.

it all came about this morning after baking another loaf of bread. after major bread blunders, i've finally gotten the hang of it. i think. knock on wood. so i swiped up the flour and wiped down the kitchen aid and patted myself on the back. you may snicker, but baking bread has been a big fear of mine for sometime. mainly because i hate to fail, and dough has a mind of it's own. and bread is so fickle. a pinch too much salt and it's over. i know, i know, i'm a sissy. a pretty ironic fear for someone who worked morning and evening shifts at a great harvest bread store throughout high school and beyond. my true love made many appearances in that bakery. sparks flew. oh such happy days. i love their bread. and as it turns out, i am a big bread nazi. i guess that makes me a major bread snob. am getting carried away.. more about my bread journey in next week's tutorial, i now bake bread, the edible kind.

all this to say, one resolution down, a lot more to go.

benjamin bunny & friends

Easter weekend was full of fun. so much fun, i hardly took any photos of benji or our guests. we had a relaxed day. pancakes, church, a sunday drive, afternoon naps, lots of chit chat and best of all, a visit from my parents.

that morning, we exchanged small baskets of goodies. dan had planted a few surprises for me and i hid benji's first easter basket (colorful stacking cups, gerber green beans and a pack of plug covers never looked so good). he loved the shiny plastic eggs and green grass. both of which are likely toxic. both of which were quickly removed from the Easter morning scene. he happily sat and smiled at all the excitement and celebration. for a traditional treat, i baked my grandma june's famous carrot cake recipe. (Easter isn't Easter without delivering plates of carrot cake coconut nest cupcakes with whopper eggs to neighbors.)

opa always calls my li'l one benjamin bunny, so it was a happy surprise when my parents gave benji this dear beatrix potter book. it is a treasure.

bit of a break

the 'rents are in town.
the sun is shining.
the birds are singing.
the flowers blooming.
the projects are piling.
the parks are tempting.
the windows are rolled down.
the fridge is stocked.

am taking a few days off.
to catch up.
to enjoy life.
to play.
to work.
to bake.
to exercise.
i won't be gone
too long.



image unknown.

these go to eleven

We stayed up way too late watching movies and Marta turned in, so you're stuck with me. She asked me to announce the winner of this week's giveaway. Erin is the lucky random individual who will be receiving a print of her choosing from JJ. Congratulations. (Please send Marta your information.)

With access to this Bully Pulpit, I planned to write an insightful, thought provoking post about some of the issues that concern me. But, sadly, we stayed up way too late watching movies and I'm turning in. So you'll just have to look forward to Marta's next post and this Thursday's giveaway.

happy easter

i hope your day is filled with happiness and togetherness, giddy hunts and delightful discoveries, molded chocolates and jelly beans and plastic eggs, laughter and good food and pretty linens.

most of all, i hope to keep a special feeling of peace this easter for the One who brought peace on earth. this message about Christ is a beautiful portrayal of the hope and peace and joy He offers.

wishing you & yours a good day.

interview + giveaway

hannah from sherbet blossom was nice enough to feature me in an interview! her blog is full of great recipes and happy designs. i had a ball answering her thoughtful questions. thanks again, hannah.

p.s. i'll be giving away a mini diary over there too. enter to win.

simple silhouette how to

silhouettes of your babe can be made in seconds. here's how i did it.

i've been wanting a sweet silhouette of benji for months now. nothing is more precious than a profile. so i decided to give it a go, making up the steps as i went along. the one rule i set for myself was: aim for speed not perfection. it worked out nicely. i made two different sizes, one for frame and one for future baby scrapbook.

i took the photos after bath time and whipped the whole project together while benji napped the next morning. seriously simple. seriously fun. and since i've been told the easter bunny has a strict budget this year (cheap equals crafty resourcefulness) it will make a nice homemade from the heart easter gift for papa dan.


if only my hair could be so voluminous.


you can skip this photoshop step if you'd like. for speedier results simply print out your photo on copy paper and attach to black cardstock for snipping & silhouetting.




because it's the who not the what that matters in life.
happy easter weekend.

giveaway: the love shop

hello thursday.
i'm excited about this one.
giveaways, here we go.

thursday is the new big giveaway day. it's my favorite day of the week. woohoo. the love shop is full of inspirational prints and large format posters. the designs are modern, crisp, clean and straight to the point, featuring fantastic fonts. the prints are beautiful. i could hang one in every room of my house.

jj is offering one m.writes reader an 8x10 print (with free shipping from Australia). the winner can choose her favourite print. comment on this post to enter to win. you'll want to act fast, comments are open until saturday / april 11 / midnight / mountain time. a random winner will be announced sunday. happy 8x10 browsing.

thank you jj.

done and done

designing fun things as of late.

here are two new designs
i recently sent to the printshop.
oh how i love to get things done.
i start feeling like mary poppins.

you've got questions. i've got answers.

Q. Do we have to officially join your Writing Group?
A. nope. there is nothing official about it. no business suits required, just paperwork. and when i say paperwork i mean grabbing a pen, a notebook and a brain. and go. be loose. be free. have fun.

Q. Is there a place where we clubbers can post our writings?
A. no, not yet. but that is such a good idea. i definitely want to know who among you is out there writing up a storm and following along with these prompts. if you want me to find you, link back to a recent write post and i'll seek you out. or make it easy on me and email me direct and tell me you're in the club. i like featuring your posts about writing. i gain much inspiration from you and i think others do to.

word to the wise. i've noticed a whole bunch of clubbers are copying and pasting the write club prompts right into their own blog posts. i have no problem with that IF (and that's a big if) you are sure to give credit where it's due and a link back to the place you copied it from. we writers have to keep our writing honest. please treat words kindly. the posts i write are like my li'l niños. no kidnapping please.

Q. Are you still doing giveaways?
A. although i am picky about the products i plug, i am always happy to support small business owners and artisans. email me if you have a fabulous product to offer. i love a good giveaway.

Q. What kind of mascara do you use?
A. my loyalty to benefit bad gal lash has waned. i have a new favorite. lash blast by cover girl. it's cheap. it's flake free. and it's readily available at target. the happiest place on earth.

and more...
Q. I'm in dire need of an online portfolio, who does your web hosting?
A. the best web guys in the world, aspen digital. of course i am bias because pete's my brother and jim is my friend. but really truly they know it all when it comes to websites. with a fantastic eye for design and passion for programming, there is no doubt they are the best in the business.


burning question? send it my way.

note to self: dream big

thank you for the big response to the spring 09 edition of mini diaries. am so glad i made extras, they'll be in stock for awhile. i enjoyed reading your comments from last week's giveaway. inspiration abounds. before i announce the big winner, i just have to say a heartfelt thank you.

after delivering my load to the post office today, i felt so lucky. i get to make and sell stuff. i get to play on the computer and design things and bind pretty li'l notebooks in my spare time. it may seem small to some, but i am a big believer in keeping a diary. i love that so many of you are too. thank you for your orders. thank you for your readership. thank you for your feedback. thank you for feeding my soul with nice comments and emails.

for some time now i've thought it would be neat to have a stationery shop or write li'l books or paint massive murals or do something, anything, with the words dear diary. now i realize that dream has come about. in a small yet big-to-me way. without me forcing it or really realizing it. which makes me happy. this is exactly why i am a big believer in letting your ideas simmer until they become a part of you. let your ideas breathe. let them loose. even if you're not ready to tell anyone your big bad bold ideas. let them brew in your mind. my method is to let my ideas sit and bubble inside my mind. they mingle there and cultivate and play baseball. the good ideas seem to stick. they are home runs waiting to happen. the lame ideas float away, usually with the morning sun. all my great ideas come after dark or in the shower. it's strange but true. these ideas roam around my head. sometimes they are lazy and just sit. and stew. other times they scurry the streets like busy new yorkers.

i am a big believer in dreaming big. and when i really want something, dreaming big is all about the repetition. like when i say i hope to write a book someday. that phrase is another mental post-it note saying marta, you're not getting any younger. when the time is right, you write that book. you write it and write it and re-write it until the monkeys come home. i urge you to start saying your dreams aloud. admit them. no matter how silly you think they may be. do not be afraid of your dreams. dream big or go home. for me, the more i say it, write it, think it, let it sit and stew, the closer it becomes a real plan and not just a faint hope that gets lost in the paperwork. it's there. it's in my mind. and if it roams in my mind long enough it usually works it's way into my heart. and then it's destined to happen.

i named my blog the dear diary stories because i hoped i would write somewhat of a diary of the details of my life in this blog. which thus makes up the story of me. the story i write. you see, these daily posts we weave tell the world who we are. as oscar wilde said, your days are your sonnets. the 24 hour period is a powerful one. so many subtle choices we make in one day. they all add up to what makes us who we are. it's fascinating to me. i often stop and the thought comes, is what i'm doing right now even worthwhile? does it matter in the long haul? is this the best i can do? am i being the best me i can be? sometimes i answer yes, more often, it's no, i can do way better. it takes serious discipline (for me anyway) to be my best self, to seek the best things, to take time for the things that really matter. sometimes i think i am better at bringing the best out of others than bringing it out of myself. must work on that.

nothing is worth more than this day. - goethe

in summary: dream big. live your days as your sonnets.

phew. now back to the giveaway. thanks to everyone for your comments and congrats to the winners, mj / katy / kimberly. a mini diary is coming your way.

writing prompts | week 06.
seize the day. that means today.

01. what accomplishments are you proud of? write about the times you put your best self into action.

02. make a list of your dreams. big ones and small ones. describe them in detail. line them up in the dugout, let them play ball.

03. your days are your sonnets. but are they really? are you living your dream or your nightmare? write down your daily routine. now write down your dream daily routine. how many items match up? are you being truly present in your daily life? are you simply going through the motions? list ways to create a more meaningful existence.

club business. i smiled when stumbling upon anne's diary of words and sketches. it inspires me to be more free when i write. now onto writing a club cheer.

handmade meets charming

the cute shop miniature rhino is having a grand re-opening today. i think their handmade items are oh so charming.


custom heart samplers.


itty bitty message in a bottle

this weekend

was pure goodness.
details to remember.

happy visitors. homemade bread, victory. grilled cheese on said bread. mmm. one hundred and two jpegs of the holy land. shopping & dining. movies & red vines. lots of benji love. binding & boxing up diaries. sunshine. and wind. clean sheets. limeaids with cucumber. lounging. asking my father-in-law (a very patient retired pediatrician) all my new mama questions. cooking in the kitchen with dan. listening to general conference together. benj doing high fives. playing hair stylist. she asked for an inch off. and i got a little scissor happy (see last photo). my mother-in-law is brave. and so nice. she sweetly replied, well this is just what i needed, a short new 'do for the summer!

thanks for coming.


{the d&m ranch. where we continue to offer high caloric treats and cold beverages with bendy straws. we recently added a bouncing smiley mascot to the staff. now offering baby high fives & free haircuts.}

spring diaries in bloom

hello big friday.
we've got good news to share.
a sporadic surprise giveaway, right here. right now.

the spring edition mini diaries are all dressed up and ready to go, earlier than scheduled. hip, hip hooray. if you already purchased an individual diary or 5 pack (thank you for your order), it will be shipped out priority mail on monday, april 6.

since i cannot contain my happiness for these pretty li'l babies all wrapped up and labeled, a mini giveaway is in order. make a comment on this post by sunday night to enter to win. give your comments some flair. tell me what inspires you. tell me a favorite easter tradition. tell me a good book you've read recently. write a haiku. whatever it is, i like a comment with guts. a random winner will be the recipient of a spring mini diary.

fyi. i made a few extra mini diaries which are now available in my shop and can ship out on monday, if you place your order today. which means, you might just sneak it into an easter basket next to the jelly beans.

happy weekend, everyone. make it count.