notes from alt summit

I almost didn't make it to Alt Summit this year.

Just as I was getting ready to go, something awful happened. I was holding Maira in one arm and loading up the car with another when she turned her head and whacked it on the car door. The accident result in a three-hour wait in the doctor's office, two tiny stitches, and one missed flight. There were several other mini disasters in the week leading up to the conference, and Maira's injury was the last straw. Part of me was ready to throw in the towel and call it a lost cause. But another part of me knew that Maira was more resilient than I was, that she was already okay, and that she would be in excellent hands while I was gone. Also: I knew I would regret not going. So, I jumped on the next flight out.

I'm so glad I went. Although I was distracted by the family I left behind, I had some fantastic late-night conversations and learned some wonderful tricks of the trade. I also got to share some of my own expertise, which I plan on sharing in another post soon. For now, here are a few of my favorite words of wisdom shared by others:

"Blogging is not about money. It's about passion driven content that is good."—Meg Keene

"If I cram my life with the things I love, there's no room for the things I don't love."—Gretchen Rubin

"There are so many things that are good enough, why not pick the thing that's beautiful?"—Ben Silbermann

"Always ask for what you want."—Erin Loechner

letter to maira : 6 months

Dear Maira,

Happy Half Birthday! I'm a few hundred miles away today, otherwise I would be showering you with hugs and kisses and more kisses and hugs all day long. I cannot believe you're already 6 months old.

Click to read more ...

gettin' ready for alt summit

This month has flown like light speed, and this week has been especially zooming by while I get ready for another fabulous time at Alt Summit. I'll be speaking on a panel about Website Design Dos & Don'ts. I'm excited for all the conversation and inspiration, but I am not ashamed to admit I am also excited for uninterrupted rest and sleeping in past 6am. 

Packing for this trip has taken me back to my preteenager days, when I would call up my BFF Chrissy Corral and we'd make lists of what to bring for our upcoming sleepover. The lists included things like Aggy Dodie (my cabbage patch kid) and jelly shoes (pink sparkly ones, of course). I still make lists, but now they include things like iPhone charger and silver flats. A few years ago, I started drawing them, too. It's fun to lay my outfits out onto the bed and sketch each piece, and it's a nice record of the trip long after it's over. 

Are you going to Alt, too? If so, and you happen to spot one of these outfits, please tap on my shoulder and say "Hi!" 

say yes to stylish & crafty living

 

I was a fan of the fabulous Say Yes to Hoboken long before Liz Stanley contacted me last fall. She wanted to redesign her blog and, naturally, it was a no-brainer to say "yes" to her. I landed on a crisp and fresh design with a bright and bold color palette. Despite the explosion of color, there is plenty of white space so that her excellent content shines.

The site, built by my pal Patrick at Solidhex, includes better categorization and organization, tons of room for ads and sponsorships, and nesting comments—all features that make blogging a breeze.

In honor of her site launch, Liz is hosting a mind-boggling giveaway. It's so good that even I want to enter to win.

happy new year to you, happy new site to me

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you had a wonderful, wonder-filled holiday. We spent some much needed downtime with family. And even though the tail end of vacation has been spent nursing another family cold, I am grateful for this time together.

I am also excited to share with you something I've been working on since last summer: My new Darling website! I still have quite a bit of portfolio updates to make, and I hope to share more about my design process soon, but in the meantime, please do visit and take a look around. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Cheers to a new site and a new year!

joy to you

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. I like to do it up big—tree, carols, presents, treats, and all.

This year has been busier than ever, though, so we've tried to keep it simple. Of course, I couldn't resist making a couple of my favorite treats for me and my family.

As a tiny token of my enormous appreciation for you, I wanted to share this recipe for Ginger Molasses Cookies with you. It was passed along to me after I ate one too many at a holiday party years ago. As is the case with some of the best recipes, that friend got it from another friend named Sam, and who knows where he got it from? I'm not sure who Sam is, but I am sure glad he liked to bake, because these cookies are scrumptious.

Wishing you and yours joy, wonder and peace this holiday and winter season! 

DOWNLOAD & PRINT THIS RECIPE

happy birthday, husby

Today's my darling husband Rama's birthday. Anyone who knows Rama knows that his love for life and art are inspiring. His laughter is contagious. His knowledge is mind boggling. His curiosity is insatiable. His compassion is bottomless. He is pretty amazing, and he deserves a pretty amazing day and year.

Illustration by yours truly

desire to inspire : book announcement & art giveaway

I am so proud to be included as a contributor in Christine Mason Miller's upcoming book, Desire to Inspire. It features twenty writers, artists and entrepreneurs who share a common goal: to positively inspire others. To live mindful lives. To have a good time while we're at it, too.

There are stories, anecdotes, quotes and exercises to help you on your own creative road. And here's a bit of book trivia: That hummingbird on the cover was painted by yours truly!

In honor of the book's release, Christine is giving away a sweet and inspiring wall art piece which would make a perfect gift for yourself or someone else this season. To enter the giveaway, just keave a comment below by Sunday at midnight. The lucky winner gets to choose one of these three beauties.

Congratulations, Muck! You're the winner. 

i love post-its

Here's a sneak peek at some post-its I doodled for Giant Robot's annual Post-It Show. This will be the 5th year I've participated, and it's always a blast. The looseness of this medium is a fun departure from my typical web and print work.

The past couple of years I've tried to come up with a personal theme to help guide my work. In 2008, I made mini-collages. In 2009, I drew the alphabet. This year's theme, of course, is love. If you're in LA, I encourage you to check out the show. The 2,000+ post-its on display are always quite a sight to behold.

holiday bargain basement sale

So, I was cleaning out my studio and, buried under piles and piles, I found these holiday card packs I made a couple of years ago. Each set features original watercolor illustrations and comes with six cards & matching envelopes, all for the super cheap price of $10 with free shipping. Now you have no excuse not to send some holiday cheer this year! Get 'em while they last.