200th Post
So here we are. I never paid attention to how many blog posts I had written until I noticed the count getting somewhere near 190. I’ll take any excuse to celebrate – so raise your glasses and toast to the 200th post since January 2008 on ohbrooke.
Willow has so graciously offered to host our celebratory giveaway with her very cute Birdie Art and Picture Clips {she must have known we LOVE birds}. Check out her unique and creative etsy shop here.
To Enter: Leave a comment below! Winner will be chosen via random.org on Friday June 12 {2 weeks}!
Just Some Stuff I’d Like To Make
My iPhone is stocked with photos of things I’d like to make. Here are a few:
Amy Butler Lotus Pillow
My mom surprised me with this cute little bolster pillow she made. It is the perfect size, and I’m always amazed how well the grey looks on our chocolate-brown couch. She used Amy Butler’s Lotus Wall Flower fabric, and she created her own pattern with piping, but you can use one similar to this. LOVE when my mom makes pillows…
Mo’ Betta.
I’m an internalizer. Everyday I try to do better: be a better wife, write a better blog, be a better designer. When I started reading Jessica’s blog, Make Under My Life, I was inspired by her weekly “exfoliations” where she purges one thing per week. I’ve continued her tradition and donated, recycled or tossed one thing per week as well. {The perk of this little ritual is the chance to win a monthly giveaway by sending Jess a picture of your exfoliation! Learn more here.}
The philosophy has leaked into the rest of my life, and my new mantra is: LESS. The more I have, the more there is to clean up, so I’m trying to simplify by buying less, and removing what we don’t need. Mr. and I don’t have excessive junk, but everyone’s got junk, and I’m getting rid of it one day at a time. Only, recently, I did an overhaul, and sent all of this to the donation center:
What have YOU internalized?
“Oh Yes!” Review Party
The “Oh Yes!” Party: Me + 5 blogging trendsetters, fashionistas, and cooks respectively are getting together to talk about products that are oh-so-fabulous and oh-so-necessary. We’re discussing them together, taking them home and then blogging on our own blogs about how we’ve used the products. The party is scheduled for June and I can’t wait to reveal what fun and creative projects we have planned!
These girls are the go-to girls in their social circles, and I’ve highlighted their blogs and traits below. Without further ado, may I present the “Oh Yes!” party panel:
Brooke {me}
ohbrooke.com
I am a web designer who loves all things computers and all things decorating. My blog focuses on home decorating, repurposing and web design. My friends look to me for what paint colors to choose, how to make something cheaper than you can buy it, and where to find a good deal.
Amanda
larsonhome.blogspot.com
Amanda is a mother of five, and a cute one to boot! She is gorgeous and bubbly, and stays almost skinny enough that we can’t be friends {wink}. Her blog is about the nuances of her kids, and her love of “glass things.” Her friends look to her for clever gift ideas, the perfect floral arrangement, and finishing touches for an event.
Carolyn
charliethenorthstardog.blogspot.com
Carolyn is mother to an adorable autistic son. She is infectiously optimistic and witty, and her blog focuses on her family and the saving grace of Charlie, their assistance dog, her son’s “BFF”. Her friends look to her for cooking ideas, outing ideas and a relaxing night in.
Linda
momasboyz.blogspot.com
Linda will crack you up. She has the most down to earth personality, and a great sense of humor {as to be expected as she awaits the birth of her seventh son}. On her blog, she writes about her coping mechanisms in a busy house, her girls nights out, and her adorable and supportive hubby. Her friends look to her for great conversation, advice about friends and family, and what kid products to buy.
Mandi
williamandjune.blogspot.com
Mandi is a hip mom of two with a small headband and hair clip business. She is easy to get to know and loves to create! On her blog, she writes about her travels, her busy social life and her knack for photography. Her friends look to her for fashion, how she’s dressing her kiddos, and craft ideas.
Shannon
camandshan.blogspot.com
Shannon is an undeniable trendsetter. She’s confident and loves fitness, pilates, and her hubby {and her first baby on the way!}. Her blog is a witty collection of rants and a peek into her ever-busy social circle. Her friends look to her for healthy cooking ideas, fitness secrets, and where to buy cute clothing.
Dear Free Time
btw… we’re nearing the 200th post… do you smell “giveaway”?
ByElida.com {Goodies and Cakes}
I’ve been playing volleyball with Elida for over ten years now {woah}, and I have come to learn over the years how great she is at cooking and baking. She studied at the Culinary Arts Academy in San Francisco, and has been baking ever since. I just finished her logo and website, www.byelida.com, which is built on WordPress so she can make edits and add images at her leisure without web editing knowledge. I’m LOVING WordPress as a CMS because it’s becoming more common for clients to want to maintain their own website.
Please check out the pictures of Elida’s Goodies and Cakes!
The Girls at the Shower
Birdie Baby Shower Details
My Bestie’s baby shower was Saturday, and my friends and I had a lot of fun! Here are some of the pictures of the details, unfortunately not all of it was captured on film, but most of the fun stuff was. We used the community room at my condo which provided contemporary furniture, seating for everyone, and a great roomy space. Instead of buying decorations, I grabbed all of the mis-matched pillows from my entire condo and put them on the furniture in the room. It made the room feel grown-up and cozy!
So, here are all the birdie-themed details, to match the birdie invitations:
I, of course, cannot take credit for those adorable cupcakes. Elida from ByElida.com created those, as well as the yummy tarts below. Those goodies on cake stands served as the perfect centerpiece. A metal birdhouse kept little notes that the guests wrote to the parents-to-be, and instead of games, we had a raffle for little bird-related gifts.
A full crepe bar for the ten o’clock shower was perfect to get everyone chatting and relaxed. I marked each ingredient with tags and menu holders… more for cuteness factor than for necessity. Whitney at Whisker Graphics helped me with all the paper for the shower, using our little nest graphic. Thanks Whitney!
I definitely haven’t shared everything, I’ll be adding more posts soon!
LOGO DESIGN: That’s What She Said
My kickball team’s name is “That’s What She Said.” It only seemed fitting that we have our own custom logo, what with a few graphic designers on board. I traced some clip-art of a woman, and made her wink. Then I added a typeface for the team name, all in Illustrator. If you want to download a version of this logo for your own kickball team, you can do so here. :)
In My Queue: LOTS of Web Work!
In case you thought I was busy making redecorating videos in every room in my little home, you are wrong. I am shackled to the computer working on web projects. Lucky for me, each and every one of these projects is creative and innovative. Here’s what I’ve got in the queue, hoping to finish up in the next week or so:
By Elida: Deliciously Adorable Cakes and Goodies
Phil’s 7 Questions: An interactive site about critical thinking
The Bright Side Project: Giveaway blog redesign
Hubby’s Bathroom Makeover
My husband likes to think of the guest bathroom as “his,” and even affectionately names it his “office.” He went out of town, so I painted, redecorated, and caught his reaction on tape… {and do I really talk with my hands like that, or is that a bi-product of talking to yourself in the mirror?}
Paper Crush: Whisker Graphics
I have had the pleasure of working with Whitney of Whisker Graphics and have gotten to know her products. After emailing a bit, we found out that I work about 2 miles away from where she lives! What a coincidence! So, she hand delivered these beautiful pieces of stationary and matching labels for me to play with.
Aside from being adorable paper to send a thank-you, or a “hello grandma!”, I wanted to put these to use in my home, and I found three ways so far:
- Mounted on clipboards in my office to keep those coupons from the fabric or craft store. When I keep them tucked away, I forget I have them
- Stickers labeling my “current projects” bin in my office
- A framed attitude adjustment reminder in my bathroom with patterned paper
You MUST check out Whitney’s website: www.whiskergraphics.com, and her adorable etsy shop: www.whiskergraphics.etsy.com. She has great graphic stationary as well as VERY AFFORDABLE print-at-home options. I’m using her print-at-home invitations for a party I’m having next month… can’t wait!
Save Your Blog!
I read a great post from Just Something I Made, which was introduced to me by a new blogging friend {a post about her coming tomorrow}. She found a company {Blog2Print} that you can have your blog printed into a soft bound or hard bound book, or {drumroll please}: you can download it as a pdf and print it out yourself for $2.95! Check out how she printed out her blog entries and comments and displayed them in binders to keep as a journal! Doing it today…
iPhone and iPod Touch Icon
Okay, so I’ve had an iPhone icon for about a year now, but I just updated it with the newer logo {overdue, I know}. Anyhow, here’s how to get your “oh” so cute button:
- Navigate to www.ohbrooke.com from your iPhone or iPod Touch
- Click the “+” button, and choose “Add to Home Screen”
- Click “Add”, and Voila!
If you’d like to create an iPhone icon, create a 57x57px icon {No need to create the “glare” effect of the button, the phone or iPod does that for you}. Save the icon as “apple-touch-icon.png” and put it in the root directory of your site. That’s it! Good luck!