I used the same color palette (while also adding a little PINK! to this collection) and the same fonts for both sets.  This creates continuity within the two suites.  But where LOVE YOU.. had a modern print paired with whimsical artwork, Coming Up Roses sticks to more traditional, romantic elements:  vintage swirls, pinstripes, and bracket frames all come together for a collection that will make anyone swoon!  French couture-inspired, these gift boxes are elegant (and affordable) Valentines!  And of course, who could resist Viridian’s darling arrangements or Jen the Cookie Chick’s yummy treats?  Contact Viridian Design Studio:  830.257.2067 or via email at tricia@viridiandesignstudio.com to place your order!

I seriously could not stop smiling the entire morning!  Tricia and her team styled the flowers and the tablescape, as well as directed the shoot.  Sally took AMAZING pictures of all the goodness and fun,  and Jen’s treats are every bit as tasty as they are lovely!  Enjoy our adorable feature, but continue down to the bottom of the post for some feebies for your own Valentine’s Day party!  I dare you not to smile!

Could this be any more fun?  And I made these printables that your child can share with classmates!

These sweet tweets <<knee slap!>> are so easy to make!  Just download the Valentine Printable files in the link at the bottom of this post.  Then print (glossy cardstock looks best!), cut, fold in half and punch a hole along the crease to put a heart shaped lolli through the card.  Fasten the tops with clear or double sided tape.  (I might add some ribbon to the candy stick for e’s preschool class!)

Want to join the party?  Print the LOVE YOU (a Bushel & a Peck) Banner, Mini-Valentines, Food Labels, and Straw Flags for a limited time!  :)

Check back next week for a full feature and some free party downloads from my new I LOVE YOU (a Bushel and a Peck) Valentine Party Collection!  My mother-in-law always sang the song to E and e when they were babies; I wanted to make something that was sweet-but-not-so-pink (since I’m the mom of two boys!) and Nana’s tune inspired . . .

Meanwhile, I’ve squeezed in a few holiday designs here and there (per request) but I never had the chance to create a 2010 line of Christmas cards. (Note to self: design for 2011 in the summer!!) Still, several ADORABLE families have ordered existing templates for their cards, and those were super fun to throw together!  Can’t wait to post proofs!  Maybe next week??  LOL!

After the craziness of the last week of school for my boys calms down, I am going to start work on a big project with Nathan Russell Photography!  But first, I have created a little something for YOU!

I’m up late tonight throwing together a SANTA Bingo game for my son’s class party on Friday. I kinda love the way it’s coming together.  So I used the theme to throw together a Letter to Santa printable for you and your kiddo!  Download it here.  Then print the cardvelope front and back on a sheet of paper, fill it out, stamp it, and stick it in the mail.  This is the “official” address where letters to Santa are shipped!

Merry Christmas! Hope you enjoy!  :)

Here are two digital frames to use for your Halloween photos of your cutie-patooties!

You can download my frames here!  Hope you enjoy!

First was a shower for our little MVP! I designed the invite, a banner, stickers, napkin rings, and party favor boxes for this fun theme… The color scheme coordinated with his nursery and Daddy was a football player–so that made it easy to come up with a design!  We wanted to make it “all boy” and still keep an elegant touch for Mom at the same time.. So we did things like use a glass punch bowl next to a sporty water jug to create that juxtaposition of asthetic.  I couldn’t be more thrilled with how it turned out!

Here is my Party Preview:

And the Party Premier:

And just a few more details–some bows for Mommy’s chair and a ball-cage for the gifts:

THEN, a couple of weeks later, we hosted this owl-themed shower for our much-anticipated baby girl!  I had a HOOT (sorry!  had to say it!) creating the save the date, invitation, toppers, notecards, hostess gift tags, and thank you cards.

Here’s a glimpse of the party:

Thanks to Viridian Design Studio for their help in pulling off the perfect cupcake tower!  And I can’t tell you how much fun I had with a sweet friend creating the table centerpieces.  But, one of my favorite elements was an idea from one of the other hostesses, a message board for friends to leave notes for this little blessing!!

What a joy to be a part of each of these special events!

This party was TONS of fun to be a part of, and I LOVE how it all came together!

And check out the goodies:  chocolate lollipops and then candy flowers and garden critters for the girls to top their cakes with!

Last week, their sweetheart turned 13 and we got together with another friend to throw her a little birthday party from her three secret admirers. The boys took her flowers, cupcakes, and a little bag of girly goodies from Bath and Bodyworks. I designed some toppers to coordinate with the gift bag and her impromptu party was good to go! Just goes to show, you don’t always need a ton of fuss to make something delightfully unique and memorable! Love moments like this one!

Our guy experienced a little anxiety about his new classroom when he realized that he’d be without a few of his close buddies for the first time this year.  Meanwhile, we know he’ll make new friendships in his class and he can still see his old pals throughout other parts of the day.  It’s a tough lesson for our boy, but we are very excited to see what the year has in store for him!  He’s slowly getting a little more comfortable with the idea of spreading his wings after some TLC from his family.. I think by Monday he’ll be truly excited to head back to school!

Fortunately, we are part of a great district, with an amazing staff and full of wonderful families. Still, even under the best circumstances many kids experience Back to School Blues for one reason or another.  So I decided to add a few extra items to my freebie in hopes of blessing my special guy with a few Mom-ents on his first day back.  Earlier this week, I created bright note paper to jot down some I Love You’s for packing in his lunchbox throughout the week.  Today I also designed a few bookmarks for his school box as we finish rounding up those last-minute additions to the supply list!  After that, my son and I had fun creating a mini-joke book for his backpack.   Nothing gets things going well like a little laugh, right?!

Download my School is a Hoot collection free today!  Prayers for a smooth start for our family and your’s as we begin another academic year!

For the Mini-Book, simply follow these directions:

1.  Cut off excess paper, leaving the 8 pages of the book as one large rectangle.

2.  Fold the Mini-Book vertically down the middle. (hot-dog style)

3.  Open the book and fold horizontally down the middle. (hamburger style)

4.  Cut one line between the title page and the page above it. Stop when you get to the line between the two outer rectangles.  As you open your paper, the slit should only be between the four middle sections.

5.  Fold on the extra page divisions and then open the paper back up; re-fold along the original vertical crease.

6.  Take opposite ends of the book and squish them together creating a diamond shape in the center.

7.  Continue pushing the ends together to form the book.   Crease along the edges you’re ready for some cheesy back-to-school fun!

UPDATE!!  For those that wish to avoid the Scribd subscription fee, you can now download my freebie from 4Shared.  Thank you for the continued love and positive feedback on these designs!  :)

And, giving credit where it is due:  The Sip n See invite was insipred by a design the hostess loved from Pen and Paperflowers.  Jess is a SUPER talented, fellow designer!  Go check her out!