:: birthday gifts ::

so, yeah. i missed it. i forgot to post this yesterday. i was just so busy having a great day i forgot all about it.

there was coloring with evan, a long walk in the gorgeous spring weather with the kiddos, all-you-can-eat sushi with brian for dinner, cookie cake and dark chocolate truffles for dessert, and eight full hours of sleep. it was unreal. totally perfect.

anyway, i've got a little freebie coming soon in honor of the big 3-1, but i thought i'd also share another little gift...

today only: 31% off everything in the shop!
go here: http://shop.upupcreative.com
use this code: HAPPYHAPPY

:: i love these so so so much ::

it's not just because she's an o'leary (no relation to me, though). it's not just because i have always loved maps. it's because her hand-illustrated maps are amazing. they invite you both t0 stand back and to move in closer. they're so simple and yet so intricate.




i wish i had a reason to buy a new york or a paris. they're available here in karen o'leary's etsy shop. just a little eye candy for this cold, snowy tuesday. (hope it's warmer where you are.)

:: in case you need help ::

i feel bad that i've already forgotten where i first saw this, because i'd love to give a little shout out to whomever first brought it to my attention, but i'm sleep deprived and really can't be expected to remember things like which blogs first took me to which websites.

but i am definitely still getting a kick out of this website, designed to come up with your resolutions for you. perfect for any of us who have resolved, say, to take the easy way out.



my favorite so far is jump rope, as pictured here. i've also gotten learn italian, be a better person, and learn to cope. the last one was eerily appropriate and caused me to close my browser window while shuddering from creepiness.

:: up up website is UP ::

it's been four months in coming, but here it finally is. i'm pretty psyched.

whaddaya think? soon i hope to spiff up this blog to match.

:: daily drop cap ::

ow cool is this? it's a daily drop cap and it's available (along with 25 other beautifully illustrated letters) completely free from typographer and illustrator jessica hische. jessica provides the letters as well as simple instructions (and html code) for including a drop cap in your next post.

am kind of tempted to use them to begin every single paragraph in a blog post, just to see what they all look like together. as you can see, each letter is different. i myself love hische's take on the letter V.

:: :: discount & gift :: ::

one week only, 15% off plus a free gift with any purchase. get the details here.

:: :: fun with color :: ::

ok. i have a fun little game for us today. it's called fun with color. basically, here are 9 color palettes i'm considering using for my next stationery collection(s). i have included them here.



your job is to help me name them, yeah? (while you're at it, i'd love to know your favorite color group, too!)

:: :: jump :: ::

photo taken by me, edited in picnik (go gorth and play -- picnik is really fun)

my mom's neighborhood is all new and well-planned and hilly so we had to resort to a few spots in the gutters where some debris blocked the rain's flow enough to make some okay puddles.

and then we spent an hour jumping in them.