Thrilled to be drawing again. Here is what I came up with for Addie and Ian's party invites. They are 12 months apart and a few days, and so this year we are sporting a combined party complete with lollipops and sweets of all kinds. I can't wait to see what we come up with...a Hansel and Gretel theme is coming to mind! Now to start the baking...
For Christmas my mother-in-law sent me a few thrifted book finds, which I LOVE! Vintage children's books are an obsession of mine. Everything...the text, the printed images, with the children's figures being my favorite. Every once in a while you can still find some with great color. Here is one she sent me from 1929. So sweet, and precious to have something so loved for so long. 
It is one thing to see these images online (my favorite pass-time on the computer when I have time to waste is find more vintage children's illustrations!) but seeing them on paper is totally inspiring.
Posting these up makes me want to dig into my vintage children's book collection with my sketch book and a cup of warm raspberry tea. (I will have to post more of my favorites sometime!) What a lovely way to spend the afternoon! I am needing some inspiration for Addie and Ian's birthday invitations. Signing off to get lost in literature!
The month of the romantics is coming soon, and I guess the most romantic issue of Romantic Homes couldn't wait...since the February issue is already out on the shelves. I was THRILLED to see that they included my "This Much" card as a valentine favorite! I have been so excited to wrap up these cards and send them to new places and to new customers. No worries though...I have plenty! This is the first time any of my products have been featured in a magazine, and I couldn't be more tickled! As much as I handle and see my work everyday, there is something about seeing it in a magazine that makes me tilt my head to the side and say, "Did I create that?" It is something like a double-take or deja-vous. Kinda surreal.
But thank you Romantic Homes for your generous feature! February is coming fast, and Valentine's Day is just around the corner. I have grand intentions of getting some more sweet valentines into the shop...let's hope this week fares better than last (our house has been quite the sick house!!). My hand is itching with new ideas....
Cheers!
Over the Christmas break, I made sure to pick the brain of my extra-efficient-super-techie-really-organized-oober-up-on-the-latest-everything-brother and asked him his favorite form of keeping track of all his tasks. I knew I'd love it as soon as he told me what he uses:
"What? no really...what program do you use?"
"Remember the milk!"
That is so my life. I mean, Forgetting the milk!
I knew I could totally trust my brother since he is also all about SIMPLE and cutting back on all the extra stuff when it comes to trying to stay organized.
It is an online simple task list, which I love since I am all about the old fashioned paper and pen task making. It's been a week, but I AM IN LOVE! It is so simple, and acts just as you need it to...you can easily categorize, customize, etc. It can even show up as a side bar to your gmail account, which acts as a perfect place to dump more tasks in after going through your email. genius. I love smart people who come up with these things! Best part, you can also access without the Internet! My life has been SO much more manageable this past week! And I just love that I don't feel like I have to be all organized to be organized...you know what I am talking about. Those task programs that require you to think like an organized person to be organized? Ya. Not for me. I never thought a cow could be so helpful.
So, just passing a long another happy site this Friday! Happy weekend, and happy list making!
Well, that was a long break! I didn't really intend to stay away that long...it just sorta happened! I noticed however, that most of the blogging world took a good long break over the holidays so I am not feelin' so bad. Something happens when I am on vacation...I go on VACATION! I have always been blessed to just relax when I need to, and in this case, staying away from the internet was my version of relaxing:)
We had a magical Christmas with my parents! I hope you had a splendid holiday too! 2 weeks of catching up with each other, snugging in pj's, cooking, eating, playing, site-seeing, and movies.  The perfect relief after a big move!
Well, we are back now, with more to think about than we left with, namely: warped hardwood floors in our previous place from internal water damage that we haven't closed on completely, frozen pipes in our new place requiring Kenneth and I to be up till midnight with blow dryers to the water pipes and boiling water down the tub (it was -9 degrees last night!), the flu and cold bug keeping my kids hot with fevers and up in the night like newborns, a house full of boxes and life to jump back into! Whew! Welcome home!
But despite the warm welcome home, we are so happy to be home and together! Staying up with hot babies is quite a wack at my pregnant body which needs sleep, but it also lets me snuggle them all night which I know will only last a few more years! There is nothing like being a mom. The hard and the wonderful are often disguised as the same thing!
Well, that was a longer "I'm Back!" than I was intending, but I mostly just care at making sense at this point (3 hours of sleep does wonders for your mental cohesiveness!).
Hope you are all well, and THANK YOU THANK YOU for your sweet congratulations on the pregnancy! You are all so thoughtful!It was so wonderful to read all of your comments!
Have a great week and come back over! I am back to regular blogging! Stay tuned for artsy news coming soon!
xoxo
sarah jane
Happy Birthday my dear!
Four years ago today I became a mother because you came into the world. Into my life. Into my arms. You were so perfect and little, and I was the happiest I had ever been in that moment!
It amazes me how your personality is consistent with what I sensed about you in the womb: curious, stubborn, intelligent, musically gifted and a sure-minded little girl mixed with the compassion and warmth of the most tender of us. Every day is an adventure with you! I have vowed never to take for granted your excessive "I love you's" or the plenty of kisses you give every day. You make my entire month with your smile and giggles. The Earth makes you laugh and stand in awe...and I in turn see it too. Just yesterday you insisted on taking a nap on the sunlit carpet so you could sunbathe and feel the sunshine on your bare back while the rest of the world was complaining that it was 13 degrees outside. You talk to nature and to animals, and remind us all that life is a gift. Your newest favorite friend is your shadow, and you can often be found kissing it (her)! You sing yourself to sleep. And you love the world and everyone in it. A few weeks ago, you asked me:
"Mom, how long would it take to hug everybody in the whole world?"
Not wanting to meddle with your own profound ideas, I asked you how long you thought it would take.
You put your head in your hands and thought for a while, and then very matter-of-factly, "Thirteen."
I love you. You are my girl. I hope being four is all you imagine it to be. And I can't wait to get even closer to my best friend. I had no idea how wonderful it would be to be best friends with a four year old! Life is beautiful with you in it my darling. I love you.
Love you Addie,
Mom
Eight years ago today was the best day of my life up to that point. I got to marry the man of my dreams! Tall, dark and handsome. Spontaneous and full of energy. Smart and ambitious. Wildly talented. A man convinced that love makes it all better. Hilariously funny. Deeply concerned about my own happiness and willing to take the longest ride of his life. So far, it has been nothing but WONDER.FULL! I am crazy about you BABE! It just keeps getting better!
Today, We got the best anniversary present. I got to hear the heartbeat of the littlest member of our family. YES!!!! WE ARE HAVING A BABY THIS SUMMER (I am 12 weeks along) and it has been the hardest secret to keep: especially to those that know me. I have been one big ball of yucky since September! I actually was pregnant in early September, and then miscarried, only to get pregnant immediately after, which essentially added an extra month to what I have classified as full-blown-yucky-land. Morning, noon and night of hovering over the toilet. Thankfully, I am starting to feel better and now I am really starting to show. (Ok, in actuality, I was showing since day one...as this is baby #3, my belly doesn't stay little anymore...as you can clearly see in the picture above!)
But all is well and we are THRILLED to be adding a new addition to the family!!! Addie and Ian are thrilled, and talk to my belly constantly. I absolutely love that they can be apart of this! Addie and Ian are 12 months apart, so Addie was not even aware of Ian coming...which was just fine! I had enough concern for both of us! But now, the two of them actually get to be part of this whole process, and I love it! Addie even got to hold the stethoscope!
We are still in the throws of moving. I will hopefully have pictures soon of our new place. Right now we have no phone, TV or internet and I am actually loving it. Like, REALLY loving it. It makes my world smaller, but more full. I nearly feel like we live in a cabin away from it all. And what a better way to celebrate an anniversary. And a new heartbeat. And Christmas. And life.
Happy holidays to all! Enjoy your family time! Can't say when I will be in again...Internet will be out for a while. In the mean time, I am reading some REALLY great novels...between cat naps of course! Baby on board makes mama pretty sleepy these days:)
xoxo Sarah Jane:)
I have been hooked to PANDORA for a year. I can't think of a better way to get a mix of music and at the same time find new artists and songs you have never been introduced to. I.love.pandora. Almost as much as my ipod. Currently I am listening to my "college of king's choir christmas" mix. Get's me in the mood. But Feist and A Fine Frenzy are getting my going when I need a break from holiday music. What is your favorite Pandora mix? What comes out of your secret box?