I co-hosted my friend's bachelorette party this month and we asked the girls to dress in sparkly or sequin-y dresses. It was a sparkle party! The girls wore black, silver, or gray sparkle. The bachelorette stood out wearing a sexy sequin gold dress we picked out for her. We even kicked off our night with a bottle of vodka that came to our table lit up with a sparkler. I'd definitely do this theme again if I had to host another girls party!

I designed the invitation above that was sent out to all of the ladies...personal info, addresses, etc. have, of course, been changed for privacy. Please let me know if you'd like me to design your next event invitation!

Oh, and the "Throw some glitter. Make it Rain" quote used on the invite is from a song by Ke$ha. Gotta credit!

I am still in a state of blissful shock.
Before I moved to Chicago, I was in contact with the creative recruiter for Crate & Barrel. Her and I chatted for several months and once I arrived in Chicago she was gracious enough to meet me in person. The photo above is from the day I visited. Months have gone by since then and I was sure that our meeting was all that was going to come from it. Its a dream of mine to design for home furnishings and interiors.

WELL! Today I got an email that I had to read several times to believe...they want me to start on a freelance design project! Yes. I still can't believe it, I am so incredibly excited! I am in love with this company's design aesthetic and how they enhance their customers' every day lives with their products. I am honored they want me on their team, even if it's just for a little while! Yeah, freelance!

No, you have not died and gone to heaven. This place exists. It's real. It's beautiful. It's the Chicago Botanical Gardens.

I took a Botanical Illustration class taught by my amazing instructor, Heeyoung Kim, and we took a field trip to this magical place to learn more about the anatomy of plants and flowers. I literally gasped (gasped!) when we entered this place. The outdoor (and indoor) garden is open year round for visitors and is a great place to sit down and sketch for a few hours. This Kansas girl has missed out on so much!

 Here is my instructor and a couple of classmates taking a break to enjoy the view.

I start the more advanced version of this class on Monday and cannot WAIT! Below are some photos of the class and some samples of my drawings.

Just a few months ago I worked for Hallmark as a graphic designer and art director. While I still work for them remotely, I now have time to freelance too! I'm super excited to venture out of my design comfort zone. What better way to get the freelance ball rollin' than to mail out holiday cards to potential clients!

I created these cards in the photos using moo.com. I was so pleased with the quality of paper and color matching that moo produced with my design. While they're a little pricey, I do participate in their occasional online (read: holiday) promotions!  

Since my main design/drawing on the cover is a doily-shaped snowflake, I decided to cut the same snowflake out of construction paper with my exacto to pair with the card as a paper ornament...sounded like a great idea at the time. Each snowflake took an HOUR TO CUT! So, as you can imagine, I stopped at ten paper snowflakes and called it a day. Sorry, friends, who only received the card! I have the paper cuts to prove it...and a husband who wants my time back. Happy holidays!