Snippets: Summer's End

A COLLECTION OF ALMOST FORGOTTEN IPHONE PICTURES.
1 | I've been waking up a lot earlier than usual lately. Like, almost always before the sun has come out from behind the hills completely. That's really early for me! I've been hiking a lot more too, thanks for fair weather. This was a pretty sunrise in the foothills, while I was out walking with Pip.
2 | Just some weeds, my favorite new nail color,and documenting the fact that I sometimes have to put on a jacket in the morning now (yahoo!).
3 | Baking for my favorite ladies at work on a chilly, rainy morning.
4 | Coffee and pastries a few Saturdays ago.
5 | The loveliest mail ever from Alma.
6 & 7 | Will has been gone a lot lately (last week and this week) for work and I've been keeping myself occupied at night by rearranging/redecorating parts of our apartment.
8 | The clouds just looking freaking gorgeous one morning last week; I had to panorama it.
9 | Took myself out to lunch last payday when I wasn't feeling well.
10 | Just some #methodsofselfcare. Tea, ice cream (and midol), and sketching design ideas before dinner.
11 | Pippin is an even bigger baby than I am when Will is gone. I think he's done with me today. He wants the fun human to come home.

The days are finally getting shorter and I am very grateful.

xx Emorie

Grab a Drink & Eat Up Darling | DIY

I have the easiest DIY ever to share with you today. Like, seriously, if you have a sharpie and a scrap piece of wood (that's just been lying around, sadly, begging you to use it for months) then you're already halfway done. Open up that sharpie and write some pretty words on the wood and you're really done. And you've got something cool and unique to spruce up some wall space. I've been sprucing up all sorts of corners of our apartment lately. I'm finally putting up some of the art and prints that we've had lying around — not knowing where to hang them. Something about Will being gone all this week (for work) has me a little stir crazy, or cabin feverish. But hey, I'm getting things done. I digress.

There is this awkward door in our apartment's kitchen. Literally every single person we've had over for the first time, when getting a tour of the place, opens this door and goes "Oh, what's in here?" expecting to find a full pantry. Or maybe a stacked washer and dryer. But they are all quickly disappointed when all there is to see is a giant water heater; that's all that's back there. Sorry, guys. This is apartment life. To top it off, the disappointing door is framed by an off-center air vent and a crooked phone jack. I hung the sage branch not long after moving in, to try and fill the dead space next to it, and balance it out a bit. But despite the pretty branch, this little section of our kitchen has always seemed off to me. So today I hung this Let's Stay Home print (from Maiedae) and made a little wooden sign (inspired by this) to hang as well. I think it makes quite the difference.

See how I easily made this kitchen sign below.



SUPPLIES NEEDED

+ scrap piece of wood
+ printer + computer
+ text editing software
+ printer paper
+ a sharpie

INSTRUCTIONS

+ Measure you scrap piece of wood (mine measured 12in x 5in).
+ Choose/create a phrase to use.
+ Using a text editing software, chose the font (I used Tamoro Script) and layout for your phrase of choice.
+ Be sure to keep the entire layout within the measurements of your wood piece.
+ Print out your phrase onto plain printer paper.
+ Trim down the paper to fit the wood piece and tape in place.
+ Trace directly over the phrase with a sharpie, pressing firmly.
+ The sharpie will bleed through the paper and lightly mark the wood.
+ Remove the paper and, using your print out as a reference, completely fill in the phrase with the sharpie.



Grab a drink & eat up, darling.
xx 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

Longing for Autumn | Wishlist

one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight | nine | zero
If you're wanting my opinion on the matter, these last days of summer are the least lovely of the year. Not terrible, by any means, just the least lovely. August always seems to draw out longer than any other month as I'm always anxious for it to be over. Will is always out in the field (for work) around this time too, which will surely make these next few weeks seem even longer. I'm sure feeling ready for shorter and cooler days filled with crisp air and that special renewal of inspiration only Autumn brings.

The fact that I work in retail isn't helping how much I'm longing for the change of season. We've already gotten in so much pretty fall items at Anthro — I tried on both the dress and cardigan above the other day and fell in love immediately. Now I just need the daily temperatures to not rise to 80 or 90 degrees. The mornings have been getting a lot cooler lately, though, which has me even more hopeful for autumn air. It also has me baking (isn't autumn just perfect for baking!?); if I bake before noon I don't burn up the house by simply turning the oven on :) I'd also love a few more cozy pieces for our place for the cooler months; like this beautiful Mitla Moda woven rug, some dreamy curtains, and lots of comfy blankets.

Raise your hand if your pining for fall, too.

Happy Weekend!
xx Emorie