friday links and books.

a few books i've done recently...

sorry for the absence... life has been... busy. and hard sometimes too. not that i'm the only one with difficulties, but it just seems extra trying right now i guess.

it's really making me question a few things... in a good way. it's making me think about where i am right now and where i want to be in the future.

anyway. hopefully i'll be able to post more soon. i've got lots of things i'd like to show you. just doesn't seem i have enough energy to put those together for you. so lets go for something easy...

here are some links:

words of wisdom has a great article on sugar addiction. i think i need to reread that one.

i have quinoa and have only cooked it once... but mint's got a recipe that looks like a great lunch option...

say yes to hoboken shows us how to add pockets to skirts.

uglygreenchair posted about washing her face with oil. i've been trying it out for about three weeks and it's definitely helped. hoping this will be a long term solution...

type on cake? i'm there. thanks twirling betty.

jessicakes answers some questions about cake decorating.


lots of others, but they are mainly recipes and photography-related stuff. don't want to bore you... hope every has a good weekend!

pretty as a peacock.

this book is actually from a while back, just haven't gotten around to posting books lately! i really love this peacock paper... sadly my source sold out of it before i thought to buy more.



i tried to get the sheen of the metallic gold, but it's just hard to photograph. i've got a skinny, long swatch of it left that is too small to make a book with... i'm sure i'll just keep it in my stash for a few years before i know what to do with it.

...

i am trying to get my act together to post more - more books, more projects, more photography. believe it or not, i really do things outside of work - you just wouldn't know it looking here. i really just have a hard time figuring out content at the end of the day when all i really want to do is drink a glass of wine and spend some time with my husband and the pups.

i do have a few other thoughts though: as an avid reader of many types of blogs, it's discouraging to constantly see how much others can seemingly get done in a day. but on the other hand, some things that others post just don't seem worth it - it's stupid (to me) or random and it upsets me that i wasted my 20 seconds glancing at their post in my reader. that the only reason it was shared was so that they would have something to post that day. and that's not the kind of content that i want on my blog. i'd like people to really look at my projects, read my thoughts and study my photographs. i want my content to be interesting. and i think that's why i've posted so sparsley lately. i am a perfectionist at heart and sometimes have a hard time making decisions, even on silly things like blog posts.

thanks for letting me rant. i think a week-long vacation to anywhere other than lubbock (or the near vicinity) would cure me.

May books.

i wanted to upload a few books that i just finished up monday. the first was this bright orange and pink number. i'd love to see how they decorated with those colors!

this red book was fun too. i made it so that the tag could be changed out. why? they wanted something specific that my printer can't do very well. this way, if they feel up to it, they can change it out at a later time to what they want exactly.

blue & yellow.

it must be wedding season! i have been very busy with books these past few months. i really love this square one... and the colors are so fresh and bright.

yellow and gray is another favorite color combination of mine. i don't know many brides would would choose to use yellow on her wedding day, but i think it makes a lovely book.

wishing you a happy wednesday! i can't believe the week is already halfway gone...

the red album.

this is not the typical book i normally make, but i enjoyed it just the same. in fact, maybe more so. my co-worker has a little boy who is about to turn 1. what better way to celebrate life than to keep all your memories safe in a pretty package?

in the end, we moved the tag to the inside so it would be more protected. i was very pleased with the end product... though not perfect it was still fun to make and will be a treasured gift for years to come.

i've got more images to post, just not enough time to edit, it seems!

more april books!

apparently april is a busy month for brides. here are a few books that just went out!

blue + gray.

i thought i would post a few books that went off in the mail yesterday. i was asked if i could create a 7"x7" book that would still hold photobooth photos. of course! and guess what? i love this size, shape, everything (dare i say a new favorite?). and this blue and orange is such a fun combination that you just don't see every day.

another cute book! the couple is hanging tons of colorful umbrellas for decoration, and i think this sweet design will really tie into their big day.

hope everyone is having a wonderful week! i've got a few more april books, so i'll be sure to post those as well.

the red book.

i know i don't post book photos very often, but that's usually because i'm in a rush to get them to fedex and on their way! i just happened to have a few at the office and thought it might be fun to photograph them with a (mostly) white background. wow, what a difference it makes.

i love these because you can see more of the flocked texture of the paper. it looks awesome in real life, but it's hard to convey that in a photo.

mellow yellow.

i wasn't sure what to think of this color combination when the order first came in. i'm cool with yellow and gray - it's the light blue that threw me off.

but as i started cutting ribbon and paper for the cover, the more i knew this was a winning combination. i absolutely adore how this book turned out, and i hope the couple does too. i would love to see the photos from this wedding and how these colors were incorporated.

i feel like my composition in my photographs is getting better... but at the same time it seems like my technical skills are getting worse (how does that happen?). i can usually fix/adjust most of my mistakes in photoshop... but the point is to not have to do that. but, as with most of life, you take one step forward and two (or more) steps back. i understand i need to be patient and practice more.

october books

a few october books went off in the mail yesterday. i really took them to fedex, but i think mail is easier to say and basically means the same thing.

this was the last of my olive flocked paper... it's so pretty. i just love flocked paper.

i just ordered this red a few weeks back. it is lovely in person, although i'm usually not a red person. not sure why, it's just never been a favorite over the years.

i was trying a few things out with the photos. i'm loving the shots from right above. you can see the whole book and nothing is skewed out of perspective. i guess i always thought that setup was too simple... but i'm learning that most of the time, the simplest solution is often the best.

it's starting to be that in-between time of year. you wake up in the morning freezing, and by lunch, you are rolling up your sleeves because it's too warm. aahhh, fall. just make up your mind already!

books?

a few books. i know, i know... i said no more books. but these were easy peasy and i am enjoying not working with brides directly (sad, but i get tired of folks changing their minds after i've ordered their paper).

my mom mentioned something to me the other day. she told me the next house we live in, i'd better make sure i have a big window with nice light so i could keep taking my 'product' photos.

she's right, you know. that's a very beautiful thing about this house - i get the best light in my kitchen, and the green walls just warm everything up perfectly.

is it sad that i'm already ready for the weekend again? things are just... not happy this week. and i'm ready to take that honeymoon we never got to go on... but i feel like that day is probably ages away from now.

a book for chloe.

here's a book i made for sweet little chloe, who turns one this month! i also have a few other surprises for her this weekend... but i'm waiting to post those pictures. chloe's mom is super creative, so i can't wait to see what all she puts in here!

we decided on a post binding so that she can add and remove pages as need be. this will also allow her to expand the book if she wants to make it bigger.

i hope she likes it! this was my first time using book cloth (the dark brown stuff on the binding edge) and i love the way it turned out. i'm hoping it will make the spine more durable as well.

i'm ready for the weekend! and hoping i don't get sick... woke up with a sore throat this morning. i have plans that involve monkey grass and a weed-eater... and i'm playing photographer for chloe's bday party this sunday, so i'm sure i'll need my strength!

i'm actually posting some book pics :)

i used to be really good about posting books as i finished them... not so much anymore! anyway, here are a few books that were finished recently...

really love that blue and orange combo...

hope you all had a nice weekend! the rain was good, and i got some things done around the house. i hope next weekend to be planting...

happy anniversary!

happy anniversary, grandma & grandad. i think it is amazing and inspiring that two people can spend 60 years together and still love and care about each other as much as you two do. i can't wait to celebrate with you both this weekend.

that being said, at least one of my party projects is done! i made a sweet sign-in book for the festivities, with a little room for photos...