Recent Work: Banjo & Scout

I had the wonderful opportunity to install another blog design last week. This time it was for the lovely Amber of Banjo & Scout. We've been following each other's blogs for quite some time, so getting to know her a little better while also designing something for her was a great experience. Below, I'll share a little about the design inspiration and process with you!

When Amber contacted me, I knew right away what sort of style and feeling she would want Banjo & Scout to evoke. With such a folksy title, we took a lot of inspiration from nature. I referenced photography from several of her past posts (specifically her outfit posts in wooded areas) for ideas. This was especially helpful when creating all the foliage, as I wanted it to feel authentic to Amber and be representative of her surroundings. Amber was not at all afraid of color, which is a real treat. It allowed me to pick some gorgeous, bold, natural colors and Banjo and Scout's color scheme just might be my favorite yet. Mossy green, deep mustard yellow, dark moody grey, a bold berry blue, and a bright fig inspired purple. The real magic was balancing out all the earthy, woodsy, moody elements with a streamlined and clean backbone. All that color pops beautifully against the soft white and linen.


To see the design in action, be sure to give Banjo & Scout a visit! I had a lot of fun with little details this time around, such as hover effects, so check all those out as well. Be sure to say hello to Amber while you're there, too! She's a great friend to have in the blogging community. Thanks so much for letting me design for you, dear!

xx Emorie

P.S. I mentioned before that I would be slowing down my design services a bit. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to schedule out clients, so I hope those of you who have already contacted me can understand and bare with me a bit. My design services are booked until the end of 2014 and I will be updating the information on the Design Services page soon to reflect some changes that will be happening. It's an exciting time! Thank you all so much for your interest in my services.

Recent Work: The Desert Poppy

My schedule has been a little hectic lately, so while I actually did the install for this design on Monday I'm finally getting a moment to tell you all about it on Friday. That's just life sometimes. Regardless, I'm so excited to share my most recent work with you! Designing for Kassandra was really fun — we have very similar styles and tastes, so getting to the same place creatively to envision the new look for her blog was relatively easy. I'll share a little about the design inspiration and process with you!

Kassandra's blog is titled The Desert Poppy, so rightfully I wanted to take a lot of inspiration from the desert. But, having already done a very deserty design, I didn't want the design to feel unoriginal. And as with the previous (Desert Darling) design, I didn't want it to be too deserty (think cactus) or come off as cheesy. Kassandra also wanted everything to come off more modern and clean and moody, so we made some bold choices that I think made all the difference. Adding a chalkboard sidebar really set the stage for this design. It added such a unique and interesting element! But, I didn't want it to be too distracting — so I kept it slightly grey instead of a harsh blackboard. This complimented the paper textured background and desert colors wonderfully. I went with a array of desert greens this time, with a pop of coral and poppy pink. The addition of hand-drawn desert floral and succulent accents really tied everything together.



Be sure to give The Desert Poppy a visit to see the design in action and see all the fun details at work. Be sure to say hello to Kassandra while you're there, too! Thanks so much for letting me design for you, Kassandra!

I'll be slowing down my design services a bit, as I just don't have the time to work on them as I used to. But if you are at all interested in having me design for you, don't hesitate to email me for more information and let's reserve you a spot!

Happy Friday!
Emorie

Recent Work: Alma's Darling Dailies

Happy Monday! I'm excited to share some recent design work with you today!

Alma contacted me wanting to completely redo her design. She told me about how she had stopped blogging because she had lost the desire to post due to frustration and boredom with her simple design. I wanted to bring everything about her blog back to life. We both agreed that what she needed was an entirely new look to accompany her new blog and blog name; that way Alma would be able to blog without the limitations her current blog was posing. And she needed a place to post freely and comfortably, a place that felt like herself, and to have everything posted beautifully.

Alma was a dream to work with. This girl has some serious style, and that style is adorable. The day after we began hashing out ideas she posted an image to instagram of her bike. The basket on her bike was stuffed to capacity with letters and packages for a trip to the post office. I knew immediately I wanted to incorporate that into the design; it fit perfectly! Inspiration for this design came easily, Alma spewed it out in every direction and I sure ate it up! I also took a lot of ideas from mod fashion and her adorable wardrobe. Polka dots were a must, but keeping them calm colors was key to them not overpowering the design. All the other colors were selected by flipping through her instagram and the great mood board she created for me on pinterest!



Be sure to head over to Alma's blog to get the full tour, say hi, and let her know what you think of the new design! She's starting over with this design, so show this new blogger some love! And don't forget to check out her About page. We did an adorable design for it, including an illustration of her pup and other doodles :)

And of course, if you're looking to redesign be sure to click that "DESIGN SERVICES" link up on the Navigation Bar to see the Design Services page. I'd love to design for you! You can read more about what a complete custom design from me includes here.

xx Emorie

Recent Work: Desert Darling

I'm so excited to share my most recent work with you today! I am so happy with how it turned out. Cam contacted me wanting to completely redo her design as she needed an entirely new look to accompany her new blog name. Along with a design redo, Cam changed her blog from Sincerely Cam to Desert Darling. I'll share a little about the design inspiration and process with you!

Cam expressed that she wanted to take inspiration from the desert (the new title is desert darling, after all) but didn't want the design to feel super deserty or come off as cheesy. I'll be honest, designing for Cam was pretty simple. We both started blogging around the same time and I've been following her from the beginning — I've gotten to know her style really well. Once she told me what she wanted, things started to roll out! I went with strong yellows, pinks, and oranges but kept their usage minimal. I downplayed the strong colors with a soft, sandy linen background. The main column and sidebar naturally became bright white, to make her posts pop and to gently contrast the sandy linen. The addition of hand-drawn desert floral accents really tied everything together and made the overall look more girly and a touch whimsical. It turned out rather 'desert-darling', if I do say so myself!



Be sure to head over to Cam's blog to get the full tour, say hi, and let her know what you think of the new design!

And of course, if you're looking to redesign be sure to click that "DESIGN SERVICES" link up on the Navigation Bar to see the Design Services page. For a limited time, you can get a complete custom Blogger design (including installation) for only $75. I'm increasing my prices at the end of the summer so reserve your spot now — they're filling up fast! You can read more about what a complete custom design from me includes here.

Happy Friday!

xx Emorie

Let Me Design For You

If you've been thinking about making some changes to your blog — and are interested in working with me to do so — now is when we should make that happen! Right now is the perfect time to redesign and have a completely fresh look just in time for Autumn. I absolutely love having the opportunity to work and design for fellow bloggers and working with you would be a real treat. Let me create a way to give your blog a fresh feel you’ve been wanting. I’ll take those ideas swarming around inside your head to create a site that will be gorgeous, efficient, and completely you. That way you can stop worrying about the appearance of your blog and get back to focusing on what you love. Let's get all your energy back to creating content and posts!

I'm busily working with a few fun clients right now (and I can't wait to share the results with you), but I have two or three spots left for the summer. Grab those spots now because come September Oh Whimsical Me will undergo a change of it's own — moving to a new place under a different name. And with that move, my super awesome summer discount design prizes will go up a bit!

This is a great opportunity to give your blog a major makeover without having to do any of the grunt work. I'll do it all for you, and at a great price! Hurry up and book your spot now and let's get brainstorming together!

Learn more about my design services at a great price on the Design Services page.

xx Emorie

Adventures and Roses iPhone Backgrounds | Free Download

I've been really craving an escape to the mountains and/or woods like mad. I'll just have to keep wanting for a bit — we won't have the opportunity to go off on a camping trip until later this summer. I'm trying to remind myself that there are still plenty of escapes and simple adventures near me. I am so lucky to live in a beautiful city like Boise, where the outdoors and indoors tend to bleed into one another more often than not. I created this little reminder for my phone using a phrase I have hanging in my home and using images taken on in-town or just-up-the-hill adventures. I love the summery, escapist result.

Please feel free to use any of the of the images above to give your phone a fresh and colorful new look. Just view my blog on your phone, then click the image above you want to use to view a higher resolution. Then, hold down on the image, select save image, and find it in your camera roll from there. You know the drill :)

What are some adventures you enjoy without leaving town?

xx Emorie

This download is free for personal use only. It may not be used for commercial or promotional purposes without my written consent. Credit me if you share it elsewhere. Thank you.

Confidence iPhone and Desktop Background | Free Download

I made a new background for my phone this morning and wanted to share the love with you! I refresh my screens regularly; at least once a month for my desktop and nearly every week for my iPhone. With how often I am getting on my phone or staring at some sort of screen throughout the day,  it only makes since to take that often overlooked background space and use it to my advantage. I often create backgrounds to reflect my mood that week, or use it as an opportunity to give myself a simple reminder. Last week, I had the words "seek adventure and happiness" on my phone's lock screen, but these words from Beyoncé feel relevant to me right now. I have a lot of changes coming, a lot of fun projects I'm working on, and some opportunities I plan on grasping fully. This confidence reminder is perfect for me to glimpse often throughout the day on my different devices.

If you'd also like a little confidence reminder on your screen, you can download the backgrounds using the Dropbox links below (for use on your computer or phone).

+ Desktop download: with quote | without quote
+ iPhone download: with quote | without quote

Enjoy!
xx Emorie


This download is free for personal use only. It may not be used for commercial or promotional purposes without my written consent. Credit me if you share it elsewhere. Thank you.

Recent Work: Design for Some Call Me CJ

There are some exciting things going on today! Do you remember the Reader Appreciation Giveaway I did about a month ago (to celebrate One Year of Oh Whimsical Me)? CJ from Some Call Me CJ won a free custom blog designed by me! We had so much fun working together and I think it was a learning experience for both of us. I know you've all noticed that "DESIGN" link in the pages on my navigation bar, that has linked to an adorable picture of Pippin for months. Some of you have even expressed interest in working with me on designing your blog. I've been working hard to get ready and comfortable before beginning to offer my services to you. CJ was happy and willing to be my guinea pig, as this is my first ever complete custom design for someone else! I'm excited to share the results with you today!

Most of the work that went into this project started before I was designing and creating. Getting all our ideas on the same page and understanding exactly what CJ wanted was the most time consuming part. I'll definitely streamline this step more in the future and ask my clients much more specific questions from the very beginning. Once we figured out what CJ wanted the rest was a breeze; it was still a lot of work, but mostly just getting approval and opinion here and there.

CJ wanted a geometric and colorful design, while still maintaining a really sleek and streamlined look. I originally tried triangles, but quickly discovered that was far too busy and distracting. A Hexagon/Honeycomb pattern was a much better option. And oh boy, she really isn't afraid of color and I love that. I went really bold and bright, which makes everything very cheery — just like CJ! No but really, this girl is a dream to work with (here is proof). Will kept overseeing our iMessages (I had up on the computer) and he kept saying "Wow, she has got to be the nicest, most excited person ever!" Which is pretty much true. The colors suit CJ wonderfully. Because she wanted to go so bold with the background, I colored the spaces between the hexagons a light tan to soften it a bit. I kept the main blog background bright white to contrast the liberal use of color and to keep the attention at the content of the blog.






Be sure to head over to Cj's blog to say hi and let her know what you think of the new design!

I'm also happy to announce that I am now offering design services! Click that "DESIGN" link up on the Navigation Bar to see the Design Services page. For a limited time, you can get a complete custom Blogger design (including installation) starting at only $50. Reserve your spot now! You can read more about what a complete custom design from me includes here.

Happy Monday!
xx Emorie

Geometric Spring/Summer iPhone Backgrounds | Free Download

I wanted to stop in really quick with something fun for you! Things have been rather quiet over here, and they will likely continue to be for awhile, as I'm busy busy busy with other projects. I'm really excited about some of the work I'm doing, and I'll have more to share with you soon as well as (eventually) a bunch of changes here. But, wow, I am getting ahead of myself. I've been playing around with lots and lots of patterns lately, so I'd thought I'd share some with you.  I adore spring colors, so I went a little crazy. And of course, ice cream, as it has been a staple in my diet lately (I kid... or do I?) thanks to the sudden increase in temperature here. These patterns are super cute, colorful, and fun and are perfect for a simple lock-screen or home-screen style.

Please feel free to use any of the of the images above to give your phone a fresh and colorful new look. Just view my blog on your phone, then click the image above you want to use to view a higher resolution. Then, hold down on the image, select save image, and find it in your camera roll from there. You know the drill :)

Happy May!
xx Emorie

Little Changes

Please excuse any mess you may encounter here over the next few hours. I am uploading a new template today! A few new features and a fresh pretty new design is coming shortly!

If you're here and everything looks in order, please let me know what you think!
xx Emorie

A Case of the Mondays and No More Passionfruit

I'm having a terrible case of the Mondays today.

follow me on instagram @ohwhimsicalme

Who am I kidding, I do most Mondays. Why do they always seem longer than every other day? There is a lot I would like to get done within the next 9 hours but I'm having a difficult time finding motivation. I'm sure I'll dig some up at some point. Until then I'll be endlessly sipping on coffee and listening to good tunes to try and get some creative juices flowing.

In the mean time, I want to share with you another little change I'll be making around here. This is mostly just a heads up to my current sponsors/swap buddies, and to anyone who is interestied in swapping with me in the future. I will no longer be using the services offered by Passionfruit to coordinate the swaps/sponsor spots I offer here on Oh Whimsical Me.

It seems like just about everyone is using Passionfruit to manage their ads these days (rightfully so). So I'm sure you've heard of the killer updates they have introduced. You can now not only sell banners, but also sponsored posts (guest posts, product reviews, giveaways), social media shoutouts, sponsorships, and even services (ad design, blog design, consilting, etc.). In other words, if you want to sell it, Passionfruit can mange it all for you! So awesome!  they've even updated the Ad Shop into a Shopping Cart style. Plus so many other updates that I'm envious to not be having. The updates are live now, and free to use until September 1st. You can read about all of the updates here.

image source

I've loved using Passionfruit. They have done nearly all the work for me and have made editing ads so easy peasy. Adding the ad shop onto your blog is as simple as copy and pasting html; it is all so effortless. So why am I stepping back from Passionfruit? To be honest, I wish I could keep Passionfruit. But with all of the new updates I am drooling over, there also comes a price. Up until now, Passionfruit has been completely free for me to use. The updated version costs $9 a month for unlimited access.

I get it. I do. I was surprised that I could use it for free to begin with. And for established bloggers who are working with other bloggers and companies all the time, that low monthly fee probably seems like nothing. But realistically, at this time, I cannot afford it. I am still such a new blog, and such a small blog, that I only am comfortable offering swaps. I am fine with that. In fact, I love it. I have met some wonderful bloggers. I just can not keep using Passionfruit. Their monthly fee is small, but because I make no money from this blog I would just be paying for people to swap with me.

What does this mean for my current sponsors?

You don't have to do anything, dears :) I will simply use you current button image and link to your blog when I make the transition. This may require some adjustment and cropping of your current button. If you are unhappy with the adjustments I make, please let me know and send me a button sized 270x100 to replace it. Your ad/button will be "renewed," giving us all a fresh start, and I will email you in a month or so to make sure you want to keep your swap up. If at anytime, you do not want your button up on my blog anymore, for any reason, please email me (ohwhimsicalme@gmail.com) and I will take care of it.

What does this mean if you want to swap with me in the future?

My advertisement page will be updated with all the details really soon. Please look there for specifics. We'll be doing things the old fashion way; I'll upload them myself manually and you can always coordinate with me over email (ohwhimsicalme@gmail.com).

I hope you understand the changes I am making and why. If my blog expands as I hope it to in the future, will I go back to using Passionfruit? Perhaps.

Planner and Sketch Book Restyle

I know we've talked about my anxiety before. And I may have also mentioned briefly, though without naming, some of my obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) tendencies. It is strange, really, because sometimes some of these obsessive traits sometimes help combat the anxiety a bit. Over the years I have developed a few habits that help me with both; keeping planners is number one on that list.

Planners allow me to map out specific goals and see them tangibly. It is really just another outlet for me to try and maintain some order within my schedule. Lately, I even go so far as to roughly map out blog posts/ideas. Planners are a little old fashioned, I know. When I told Will I wanted a new planner he said he would get me his favorite app; now that is lovely, but I still rather enjoy the pen and paper approach. I picked up a new plain planner last week and decided to spruce it up and add a touch of my personality. While I was at it, I gave my sketch book a mini-makeover as well.

Aren't they cute? I love how these turned out! The simple graphic is right up my alley. I've included the "do things" and "make things" graphics I created and used below, if you'd like to use them for yourself. Simply click the links to download the files, upload the images to your computer, and then crop them to fit your planner/sketch book as needed before printing.

- do things image download
- make things image download

To create a planner and/or sketch book similar to mine, you will need: a sketch book and/or planner you want to decorate; the printed graphics included in this post; a variety of scrapbook paper; any accents you may want, like ribbon; mod podge (I made my own! Did you know that mod podge is pretty much just watered down glue? Just mix 2 parts glue to 1 part water); a foam brush; a coluzzle tool and a circle stencil, or something round to trace; and scissors.

For the planner: Using a coluzzle tool, cut around the do-things graphic using a circle stencil (or any shape you'd prefer). Tracing around a bowl and then cutting with scissors works great, too. Then, place the cut graphic on a piece of contrasting scrapbook paper and using a foam brush, adhere it with a very thin layer of mod podge. Trace a circle now on the scrapbook paper and cut again, creating a border. Mod podge this onto the front cover of your planner. If desired, decorate the back cover as well. I simply chose a different paper, with similar colors but a contrasting pattern, from the one I used on the front cover. Use mod podge to secure this as well.

For the sketch book: Select some scrapbook paper for the front cover. I chose a paper that was similar in color to the original cover, as I new some of it would still be visible near the binding. Keep that in mind. Adhere the paper to the cover by mod podging the back and then pressing the paper firmly down on the cover. The paper I used was from a paper pad, so I overlapped 4 different pieces to cover the entire thing, and trimmed any excess. As much as possible, bring the edges of the paper around to the inside of the cover by folding it over the edges. Over time, this will help with general wear and tear. If you'd like, add some accents, such as ribbon, in a contrasting color (I did this primarily to cover the lines from having to use multiple pieces of paper to cover the cover). Finish by attaching the printed graphic "make things" with mod podge. Place under a stack of books, to prevent warping, and allow to dry thoroughly.

If you do this project, be sure to share your creative creations with me. Have fun making and doing things! :)

Inspiration and New Things

I've had a busy week over here, even if I don't have much to show for it as far as posts go. If you follow Oh Whimsical Me on Facebook, I'm sure you got the heads up that I have been dutifully working on some different designs, contemplating the direction I wanted to take a few things, as well as working through some real life stuffs. It has been a week full of inspiration digging and decluttering, with a bit of relaxation and fun squeezed in.

You may notice that things look a little different around here and I couldn't be more excited about it. I've worked hard on this new design. Although things aren't entirely in order yet, Blogger has been giving me quite a fit, I'm still happy to share it with you. You'll just have to excuse a bit of mitch-match for a few more days. Anyway, I thought'd it be fun to share with you a few images that inspired the new direction and design.

outfit / kitchen / plant

I'm always drawn to cool, muted colors. I think it is apparent in my wardrobe as well as my home decor. I want that to transfer over into this space as well, for I always want OWM to be a reflection of me and to feel nice and personal. You'll see that I actually didn't stray too far from the color palette I had before. I just updated it a bit. I wanted OWM to feel a bit more clean and crisp and fresh. I hope I accomplished that.

To help with the cleaner, crisper vision, I have also improved the way you can navigate this blog. If you're a regular visitor, you may have already noticed this update already, as I was testing it out last week. If you select a category from the sidebar, doing so will now take you to a page with links to all posts under that category. I love this improvement. You can now see all categorized posts easily, instead of searching through a tagged list of posts. Be sure to check it out (but keep in mind it is still in need of a few minor updates coming sometime this week)!

Also, be sure to like Oh Whimsical Me on Facebook so you never miss a post and for little extra updates and stories. I've got lots of things coming your way this week!

What's new with you? Did you miss me?

Updating

Hello lovelies. This blog is undergoing some minor updates again today. I know, when will it stop, right?

Please excuse any hiccups that occur. And thank you!

P.s. Check back later for another floral crown DIY!