Sneak Peek: Evans Wedding Suite

send out another set of wedding invitations and info cards recently! 

stay tuned for more photos!

Wedding Suite Sneak Peak!

one of my besties is getting married in just a couple months and i had the privilege of creating her Wedding Invitation Suite. what an honor. i make it a habit to never post the actual invitation on my blog before the big day, because God forbid any random stranger think it's a good idea to show up (also, i always blur the address once i do post it!). i just don't want to ruin the surprise. 

but... i also can't contain my excitement when i finish everything and mail it out. it's such a good feeling to complete a project, and know that it's exactly what my client wanted. so here's a little sneak peak until the big reveal!

fresh from the printer, getting ready to be assembled

ready to be shipped!

i just CAN'T wait for this wedding. 

thank you so much Leah and Andy for allowing me to be a glimpse of your special day! love you tons!

tara

Challenge: 30 days of love making!!!

whoa, what!?!?! that's right people, i didn't stutter. i am going to challenge you to 30 days of love making. because i'm gonna do it and i don't want to do it alone. hhheeeee.....

i'm just like every other girl who doesn't like to do anything alone; like get ready for a party, shop... pee. so why should i want to do this alone? back when i turned 29 i decided to make a list of 30 things i'd like to do before i turned 30. making love to my husband everyday for 30 days was on that list. what better time to accomplish that goal AND give him a GREAT father's day gift ( i love two-fers!) than to lump it all into one. 

in all seriousness, i have been hearing a lot of stories about couples that just aren't making love. like, for YEARS. and i am just not ok with that. i mean, how can a marriage survive without intimacy? don't get me wrong, we are NOT perfect. there have been seasons when we were only intimate once a month... and when i was pregnant, if he even looked at me with his side eye i would get nauseous. seriously, i could only do it in the shower, his natural body odor (which i normally LOVE) made my stomach turn. now this might be too much information for you but i think it's important to talk about. and i'm not ashamed to share my struggles because there is probably someone out there who is going through the same thing. but my desire and my heart are to have a long, fulfilling marriage and sex life where neither one of us are settling with just being roommates. don't you want that too?

when thinking of a way to present it in some special package, rather than just blurting it out, i remembered stumbling upon this awesome 19th century packaging suite a while back and knew it would be such a rad way to break the amazing news. 

the bottom says, if you can't read it, "the fine print: i promise that, come hail or high water, i will prepare my heart to make love to you every day for 30 days. i promise to give you all of my heart, all of my mind, and all of my body in a loving and appropriate way to create oneness between us. i promise to put our intimacy above all else for the betterment of our marriage."

it truly is so important to prepare your mind, heart, and body for intimacy. a dear friend gave me some great advice about starting early in the morning, tell yourself you will be making love that night. shave your legs, shower, wear your matching underwear set, whatever it takes for you to feel comfortable. you know what they say, "men are like microwaves, woman are like crockpots"... so make the extra effort to start getting hot 8 - 10 hours before!

if you are interested in using this gift certificate you can download it here. 

i feel like this is going to blow my husband's mind away, i mean how happy would any man be to get something like this? so i want us wives to band together and die to ourselves so our marriages will gain from it! who's with me? anyone? 

i'm going to be posting weekly updates and i would love to hear from anyone who is willing to join me in this challenge. if you don't feel comfortable leaving a comment i would love to hear from you via email at taranuncio@gmail.com. 

i hope you will all consider this, it could change your marriage forever!

DIY felt iphone 4 cover tutorial

ok, i am so excited to share this with you! yesterday i made an iphone cover for my new phone and it has been KILLING me to wait until today to share it with you. for 1} i can't believe i made something so cool. (i'm not trying to brag, i just really can't believe it worked!) and 2} i'm going to share with you how i did it. 

i worked really hard on this tutorial of sorts, so i hope you like it! 

 i got my inspiration for this from etsy. the basic form i tried to recreate i found here. and i loved the hearts on this one. 

most of the supplies i had laying around, except the felt. i only had polyester felt and i really wanted wool so i purchased an 1/8th of a yard each of gray and yellow from Joann's. SUPER CHEAP!

if you'd like to print the tutorial, please click here. 

i've never written sewing instructions before so i hope you expert seamstresses won't judge me too much. if something doesn't make sense feel free to ask me and i will try my best to explain it better. also, i have a super old version of photoshop so my dotted lines are kinda funky. my computer is ancient but i am blessed to have one and also for the gift of craft!!!

i hope you like it. if you make one i'd love to see pictures!

Graduation Announcements for my brother

this week, my little brother graduated from high school. 

i left my kids and husband at home early tuesday morning to make the 6 hour drive down to San Diego so i could be there for this special moment in his life. on the drive down i laughed thinking about all the silly moments we've had together and i cried thinking about how he is all grown up and those silly moments are so few and far between. if you were driving next to me you probably thought i was looney. well, i am. a little. 

my brother was born when i was 11 and i was in the labor and delivery room. the moment he came out i vividly remember a wave washing over me and i could not contain the love nor the tears and i knew i was forever changed by this tiny person. over the years we have enjoyed such a special bond and at times i get nervous that that bond will be lost now that he is an adult living his own life. i so desperately want to grasp for it but i also know i need to let him go. 

i am so proud of him, he's made such mature choices in his life so far and i trust him to continue making those good choices. i know he will make mistakes somewhere along the line and i will be here if he needs me. i am committed to praying for his future, his education, his love for Jesus, his future wife and family, and his dreams. 

i had the privilege to make his graduation announcements and i loved every second of it. my sister chose a folded card with a photo by Jackie Wonders. 

my sister also wanted the inside to be a timeline listing his accomplishments during his 4 year in high school. he's been very involved in sports, and also music even though it's not listed. we are very excited for him to have been accepted into UCLA with a partial academic scholarship! woot. woot. so so proud.

myself, the GRADUATE, and my older sister

Mike, i love you and i am so excited for you to start a new season in life. i'll miss picking on you in person but now that i have an iphone i can pick on you on ichat! YES! 

you. are. the. best. EVER.

custom bunting

my first custom bunting order!!! woo hoo! i was contacted shortly after opening my etsy shop to create a custom bunting that said "JOY". the only thing my client requested was that it match the color scheme of black, brown, and dark red like the colors in her home. i had so much fun putting this together and am super thankful she loved it!

i think my favorite details is the medium size black ric rac as a border around each flag.

or the micro-mini pinwheels. i love them both. 

if you are interested in custom bunting please contact me for pricing. they are the perfect decoration over a baby crib with your child's name, or even a big kids room that needs that extra little something. i've also made a few for weddings as sweetheart table decorations or just for photos props. 

MARRIED: Sarah & Joshua!

Sarah & Joshua were referred to me by my super good friend, Cherish. i was so excited that they entrusted me with a little piece of their wedding and i'm so in love with the design she picked. Yellow & gray are my favorite color combination right now (it's my bedroom's colors) and i just love how simple she wanted everything. Sarah was truly a no fuss bride and pretty much gave me total control. easy peasy.

(please excuse my terrible photography. it is not my strong suit. hopefully my work shines through the poor pictures!)

invitation suite

invitation

map, directions, and wedding registry information

RSVP postcard

congratulations Sarah & Joshua! it was a joy working with you. may your marriage be blessed!

if you are interested in having me create your wedding invitation suite, birthday party invitations, graduation announcements, baby announcements, or personal stationery, i would be delighted to help you! feel free to email me at taranuncio@gmail.com.

now that my shop is open...

i would love some honest feedback. i put 3 new bunting in the shop and i'm feeling a little clingy. i think it's because it's scary to put yourself out there and not know what people are thinking! ah! so bare with me as i figure out all this new business stuff. 

so what do you honestly think about the bunting i've made? do you like the colors, style, PRICE? (i have no idea how to price these things, what would you pay for one?) 

i know i'm totally being the needy high school girlfriend who calls every five minutes and just breathes on your voicemail right now, which can't be good for business... but i figure i want to make a product that people will fall in love with and feel good paying their hard earned money for. everything i've read says you need to be confident and not ask for comments and stuff.... but there aren't very many other people selling these types of things for me to use as an example. 

so, will you walk through this process with me as i am the guinea pig? 

thanks for understanding. love you all!

Smitten Stationery's Shop!

i did it! i opened my shop! i'm so excited and i hope you are too. i plan to eventually add options to purchase the pre-designed wedding, birthday, and other event invitations and also a few posters here and there. but for now i have several bunting ready to be purchased and put on your walls. 

come by and check it out. 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SmittenStationery

Paper Bunting

so... in order to get a shop up and running i need money. i don't have money. you have money. i have bunting. let's trade! 

just kidding. not really. in all seriousness, i am trying to sell a couple of these cute little suckers so i can put the money towards my packaging and building up my supply so i can have a nice shiny store when it comes time for the grand opening. so, here are a couple premade paper bunting(s?) that i made recently. if you are interested in one please email me. i also take custom orders. 

 "smitten" bunting - fifty five dollars

  "dwell" bunting - forty five dollars

 "tiny" bunting - forty dollars

also, my brother is turning 18 in a couple days and this is his senior year in high school and i really want to get him a camera. the money would also go towards that. 

shhh. don't tell him.

New Blog Design

i decided to switch things up around here. most of it has to do with THIS amazing blog that i stumbled across and am trying to get a similar look straight up copy. there is no shame. i love it and i want it. seriously, EVERYTHING about this blog inspires me. i get the feeling i will be linking to this blog in almost every post from here on out. don't hate me.

i totally tried to make buttons for my sidebar that were simple but cute and i could not, for the life of me, figure out how to change the HTML. i spent like 4362589 hours minutes trying to get it right. if any of you know how to, please share the goods. pretty please, with sugar on top!!

it also has to do with Spring!!! i'm so excited to see the little flower buds blooming on the trees in our yard and even some new sprouts on my windowsill. i have a ton of ideas for making Easter special for my kiddos this year and reflecting on my magnificent savior. i also wanted my blog to reflect the yummy colors of spring that inspire me and sing to my heart.

hello there. i'm going to love and nurture you, then EAT you. okay, thanks.

these are my pretty little terrariums on my windowsill. i got a few mini pots from the dollar bin at Target and thought it made a cute decoration. it's also helping me fulfill my dream of having a garden. i know, it's not a very good one... but it's a start.

also, time for spring cleaning. my windows!!! ick.

i'm also working on getting an etsy shop open in the next two weeks. i've been mass producing some lovely banners over here. (do you call them banners or bunting?? i've been switching between the two and feel like i need to pick one for consistency.) i've also been collecting inspiration for my packaging. i know it will have some elements of kraft paper and pretty ribbon, but more on that later. 

so here it is, what do you think? too bright? too much of a biter?

eh. i love it and it's my blog.

so there.

(sorry if you were all, "i totally love it!", then were offended by my snootiness. its a defense mechanism.)

hearts and sparkles,
tara

MARRIED!: Zak & Karey

more paper? i know.

congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Shultz! (wow, it's crazy to even say that! woo hoo!) 

ok, let me just start by telling you how awesome Karey is. she is REALLY REALLY awesome! not only she is beautiful, talented, and the sweetest person you'll ever meet, she also loves Jesus a whole lot. and it shows. i met Karey at Hume Lake Christian Camps during the summer of 2005 (i think, jeez it was so long ago). she was the intern photographer and i was a band-aid for my Mr.'s band that was leading high school students in worship for 12 weeks. i had an instant girl crush on her and we were fast friends. i am so proud of her. she has since then started her own photography business (that ROCKS!) and faithfully waited for the Lord to bring her the perfect man. and. did. He. ever. i am so happy for these two love birds!! they are PERFECT for eachother. 

ok, so onto the paper...

invitation card | front + back

 karey asked for modern with a touch of whimsy. these are perfect, no? she sent me a picture and i pretty much did my best to copy it from head to toe. i did use all my own fonts (and by that i mean i found them all and added them, NOT i'm totally a typographer, because that would just be a dream come true.)

map & directions | front + back

 i think i finished designing the entire invitation suite in one hour. it was all so stream-lined and karey was awesome about getting all her info to me in a timely manner. she was very thorough and i bet it's because she's in the wedding industry and knows how important it is to be detailed. 

rsvp card | front + back

 i don't even think there were any changes that needed to be made, maybe one. i think she was my favorite client. and i'm SOOOOO honored that i got to be apart of her wedding because let's be honest... she totally knows tons of awesome wedding vendors because of her job... so THANK YOU for choosing me. i hope you were pleased with your service and product!

invitation suite

i just love karey with all my little heart and am truly excited for these two people to be together. many blessings on your new marriage now and forever. love you guys!
p.s. the results are in for the giveaway!
 

GIVEAWAY: love banner

ok people. i need your help. i'm thinking about either opening up an ETSY store or trying to sell some premade banners locally. what i need from you is if there is still a market for these (do you want one?) and if i were to make a custom one for you what would you want it to say? 

in exchange for said help i will give you this. made in mind for a baby girl's room, but you could really put it anywhere you'd like. 

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. all you have to do is become a follower of my blog and leave a comment on this post with your answer and i will randomly pick a winner by monday, february 28th, 2011 at 2:00pm. make sure to leave your email address or someway i can contact you if you end up winning. good luck!

if you want to see some other ones i've made in the past you can click here, here, here, and here. 

thanks friends, i REALLY appreciate your help!

and the winner is: LEAH OHLSON!!! congratulations!! please email me your home address so i can mail it out to you.

Jesse & Holly: MARRIED!

FINALLY, some paper. 

i have the privilege of knowing some awesome people. in that lump of awesome people are holly and jesse. i knew holly first, we met 5 years ago when she started singing for my mr.'s band. she has managed to make both of my kids, at separate times and for totally different reasons, fall in love with her. and me, and countless other people. then came Jesse. and he snatched her up! separately these two are some extraordinary people. but together, now that is something special. i can't wait to see what this couple brings to those who love them. 

so, i love them. and they love each other. and that love was made forever through some pretty awesome covenant vows that my mr. and i had the privilege of witnessing on saturday. it was a beautiful wedding. and i got to be a part of it in a small way. this is how.

holly and jesse really wanted something vintage and travel related. so i recreated an old telegram for their invitation card.

she didn't really give me much more input other than those two objectives and the wedding details, so i kind of just went for it. i loved the map i made for heather & aaron's wedding so much that i made a similar one for holly. something about vibrant colors on brown paper bag make me swoon.

since they created a wedding website for people to RSVP i whipped up about 10 of these little postcards for the few people she didn't think would have access to internet. i printed them from home, so the quality is not as nice as everything else i outsourced, but i love the design.

ah, the wrap around label. i push for these with almost every client because they are SO. MUCH. FUN. thankfully they went for it and i added some old school air mail stripes and a little dingbat to give them a vintage touch. 

 i love this wedding invitation suite and i hope you do to!

Baby Announcement: Welcome Hawea!

several months ago i had the pleasure of creating birth announcements for the brand new daughter of someone i love dearly. new mommy, Kahea, and i were instant friends and i miss her tons now that we no longer live near one another. i am also super bummed that i haven't gotten to hold her sweet baby girl yet! soon, very soon.

Kahea asked for a monogram, and right around the time i made these i was super excited to find a free monogram download from the Wedding Chicks blog. you can personalize a monogram for yourself here.

matching wrap-around mailing labels.

welcome sweet Hawea, i can't wait to meet you!