Designer's Blog

My mom came to visit not long ago, and since she is a fan of lighthouses, we went on a tour of the Point Sur Light Station. It's located on Highway 1 near Big Sur, south of Monterey. Point Sur was established in 1889 and automated in 1972. It is now part of Point Sur Historic Park and is still used as a navigational aid today.    They're in the process of restoring the light station and they've tackled quite a bit already! The lighthouse keeper's house was restored to what it may have looked like in the 1950s. It...

   You may have noticed that antique, skeleton keys are popping up everywhere! Vintage wedding themes are on trend and these little beauties are making a comeback. It's not just limited to weddings though, I spied them in World Market the other day amid picture frames and wall decor! A little history lesson for you (at least my best interpretation of it): The term "skeleton key" is often misused to describe any antique key. A more correct term is a lever lock key which was usually made of bronze and used for cabinets and doors in Colonial America. A true skeleton...

Here is a sneak peek of a new design that I'm working on.... a bicycle made for two! This romantic design will soon be available in my store as a wedding guest book, but for now, I'd like to give it to you as a greeting card. Just in time for Valentine's Day! Download & print away, and check back for my new product in the next few days.

In preparation for Valentine's Day, I have a new recipe to share with you: some super-moist, vegan-friendly chocolate cupcakes! I never thought much about eating vegan until I met my friends Erin & Jeremy; their diet preference has encouraged me to stretch my baking skills. While the cupcake recipe didn't require a special trip to the store, the vegan frosting did. I used coconut milk (instead of soy) and coconut butter (instead of margarine) which gave the frosting a light coconut flavor - VERY yummy!

 You can download & print the recipes here.
 Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 12 ¼ cup dark...

It seems as if each wedding I attend benefits from the rise of Pinterest a little more than the last. Brides are able to put their creative spin on every aspect: the programs, the centerpieces, the seating chart, the bouquets, and of course, the guest book. Guest books have become much more personal than the typical sign-your-name-in-a-memory-book style that was standard for generations. Even when I got married 5 years ago, I hadn't even thought that there could be a more unique solution. One guest book idea is a wish tree, where guests write a wish to the bride &...