FREE PRINTABLE: LITTLE HOUSES

As you all know, I am a sucker for a good quote. If you have been to my house, you know I love to frame them and hang them on the wall. (see below)

I saw this adorable quote about small houses and thought it would be perfect to hang on the wall.

Here you go - a FREE 11x17" print!

 Print it at home, at a print shop, at kinkos, or wherever your little heart desires. 

Pop it in a frame and hang it on the wall. :)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FOR FREE.

MAKING THINGS PRETTY: BACKGROUNDS

Backgrounds. I used them all the time in my blog posts to give them a little spice! I use them behind quotes, behind images, as parts on my headers and the list goes on. I could always create texture and pattern in photoshop or illustrator myself, but it is much faster to grab them from websites that offer some pretty awesome ones for free.  Blogging takes a lot of time, so I am a huge fan of anything that helps you get the look you want in half the time. :)

Here are a few websites where you can find some good free images:

iphonebackground.tumblr.com |  bgh.ogqcorp.com  |  flickr.com
(note: always check image rights before using)

Here are a few examples of ones I like and how I might use them. 

KADEN TURNS ONE - HIS 'FAVORITE FOODS' THEMED BIRTHDAY BASH

I was so excited when Amanda asked me to design a few pieces for her son's first birthday party. First birthday parties can be hard. One year olds aren't into Superman or Barbies yet, so it is hard to pick a theme. You know what they are into though?! FOOD! :) When Amanda told me her theme for Kaden's special day, I thought the idea was so cute and I couldn't wait to get started. I created his invitation, food tags and a 4ft tall menu board! His party was last weekend and Amanda sent me a few pictures of the day, including one of the fun, blue ombre cake she made him. Kaden is one lucky little man!

His blue highchair was refinished and painted by Oak + Olive, right here in Madison! Didn't it turn out adorable!?
Oak + Olive up-cycles, restores, and revives quality furniture for fun and function. Make sure you contact them the
next time you find a piece that needs a little TLC.

My next birthday assignment is a rhino cake for my adorable nephew for his first birthday.  The theme is this cute little stuffed rhino that he loves. They say he is more like a fat blue hippo that wants to be a unicorn. ;) 

These one year olds are keepin' me busy!

TOP 10 DINGBAT SETS

Some of you know what 'digbats' are, but I sure many of you do not. Well, here is the actual definition:

Dingbat: An ornament, character, or spacer used in typesetting, sometimes more formally known as a printer's ornament or printer's character. The term continues to be used in the computer industry to describe fonts that have symbols and shapes in the positions designated for alphabetical or numeric characters.

I thought I would post about digbats for those of you that have interest in design, but are not graphic designers. You do not have to be a graphic designer to make things pretty! :) Some of you might be interested in enhancing your blog images or would simply like to create an invitation to a shower or birthday party.

As a graphic designer, I can illustrate these type of images, but choose to use dingbats quite often to save time. 

Here are my top picks:

Links to download these fonts:

ONE  |  TWO  |  THREE  |  FOUR  |  FIVE  |  SIX  |  SEVEN  |  EIGHT  |  NINE  |  TEN

Now, how to install and use them:

Note: I can only speak to mac implementation. Sorry folks, I am completely dumb when it comes to PCs. HERE is a link that shows other ways to install font, including how to install on a PC.

STEP ONE:

Download your desired fonts.

My favorite FREE font sites are Dafont, Font Squirrel, and (MY FAVORITE!!!) Lost Type Co-Op.

STEP TWO:

Open your Font Book and load in your font.

STEP THREE:

Add your fonts to your Font Book from your downloads.

STEP FOUR:

Use your fonts! They are now in your system. You might have to restart your programs and possibly your computer so that your computer recognizes them.

I, of course, use the Adobe Suite to design, but HERE is a link to some free (and more user friendly) design programs if you are looking for some.

PLEASE let me know if you have any troubles with installing your fonts by commenting on this post. Many times someone will have the same question and they can browse the comments to figure out the answers. I get lots of emails with questions, but not many comments. Please feel free to comment on the posts! :)

BRB and a sneak peek...

I am going to take a little mini blogging break - only for a few days. I am up to my eyeballs in freelance work and I will be spending the weekend celebrating this beautiful couple. Wish me luck on my MOH speech! :)

Photography - Blue Dandelion Photography    |    Save the Date: me

Oh, and here is a sneak peek at a little freelance project I am working on.
Wait until you see the rest of the pieces! TOO CUTE!

BE RIGHT BACK! See you on Tuesday or maybe Wednesday!

QUOTES ON THE WALL

I created some custom prints for a friend of mine.  Here they are! :)