The Christmas Spirit

Birdie Birdie in the Sky...

I wrote and illustrated a book for my sweet little girl, Brea. I used a series of photos taken by the talented Marcel Walker as inspiration. Thanks Marcel for capturing the magic and wonder I see in her eyes. I haven't had the book printed and bound yet, but I can't wait to hold it in my hot little hands. If you want to see the book better just click on the thumbnail and you can view it full screen. I hope you enjoy it. I know I found a new passion creating it. Let me know if you need one for your own someone special.

The grass is always greener

We finally got lawn in our backyard. It is so beautiful... like a green patchwork quilt. I knew the girls would love having a place to play but I never imagined how much I would love the new addition. Everything about it is wonderful... watering and nurturing it, coaching it to take root and grow. I find myself staring at it from the big picture window in the dining room. And best of all, I love to walk around my yard barefoot and feel the cushiony goodness on my toes. Thank you to all the wonderful people who helped give me this joy. xoxo

I {heart} this poem... I mean, advertisement.

Here's to the Crazy Ones.

The misfits.

The rebels.

The trouble-makers.

The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently.

They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo.

You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them.

About the only thing you can't do is ignore them.

Because they change things.

They push the human race forward.

And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world - are the ones who do.

~ Apple Computers

Embracing My Inner Nerd

I have recently found out that I am a full-fledged nerd. I just received my Web Development and Design certificate from the University of Utah and during the months of intense coursework I was thoroughly delighted with every new tidbit of knowledge. I found myself laughing at jokes like "I love you strong" and wrapping your divs with "ziplocks" ... don't worry if you don't get the humor... it just means you aren't a total nerd. :o)

So, through this process I have created several websites. Here is a list of the URLs:

• http://www.PersnicketyGraphics.com
• http://www.ClementineDesign.org
• http://www.AndersonComputer.com
• http://www.GrandmaGreat.com

The hills are alive

A couple months ago my grandma gave us her old piano.  It's a beautiful antique upright.  We have the perfect spot for it in our family room, downstairs.  But for now, and until we can get it down the stairs, it sits right inside the front door.  Since the day we got it Riley has been drawn to the keys like a fish to water.  She can't walk past without tickling the ivories for at least a second or two.  I promised to get her enrolled in piano lessons, and finally yesterday was her first.  We went to a new studio, just down the road, called Chords Of Joy.  Riley's teacher, Mrs. Cyndi couldn't have been nicer.  She is teaching the Harmony Road Music curriculum, which instills a deep love for music in each student.  As they play the notes they sing the solfage names so now it is like living with the aristocats... do so mi do, do so mi do... every time Riley passes the piano. 

There's a Fly in my Soup

I mean, there's a DRAGONFLY in my SALAD!  And I BIT it!  SICK!  It was a Dole salad mix.  You know, the pre-washed kind you get at the store where all you have to do is put it in a bowl and eat.  Yeah, they pre-washed the dragonfly and I had it in my mouth.  The heebie-jeebies lasted for days.  I couldn't even talk about it without gagging.  But finally today I was able to call Dole and tell them my woes and they are paying me $25 to compensate me for my "distress."  Oh, and they said that they are also going to send me some free coupons so if I ever decide to try Dole again they can try to win back my confidence in their brand.  Funny... like I'll ever buy Dole again.  

And to think, I used say Dragonflies were pretty.  

Roll call

So I finally did it... I registered for some web design classes.  I've been needing to do this for a long time, and as much as I resisted I just had to give in.  At heart I'm a print designer.  There's nothing better than picking up a job hot off the presses.  The texture of the paper, the smell of the ink... I know... I'm psycho.  But I love it.  Anyway, it was my love for print that made me so closed-minded when it came to learning web design.  No matter what I tried on my own I haven't been able to grasp it.  I'm sure that 20 hours in the classroom at the U will help shed some light on the subject.  

What are the odds?

So I just happened to log into my blog for the first time in a long, long time and I realized that my last post was exactly a year ago. A full 365 days. Now, don't let the lack of posts confuse you... I have had a very eventful year. The biggest change is that I have officially left corporate America to become a full-time, work-at-home-mom or WHAM as the other work-at-homers dubbed it. It was a hard adjustment, but I now love it... I can spend my time with my kids while working on my passion, graphic design. Persnickety has had a bumpy year... a really busy summer with lots of great client projects, and a winter of discontent.  But luckily I still have TodaysMama on my client list. They keep me busy serving as their Creative Director.

So, work-wise, this is what I've been creating:
www.GreenTeamUtah.com
www.TodaysMama.com
www.PersnicketyGraphics.com

plus, lots and lots of pretty things in print.