dear lizzie

soft pinks and whites are what little girls like!  and mommies too!  

i just adore this little bundle of love!  little lizzie was the sweetest, best little baby to photograph!  she was so sleepy and peaceful and new ❤

it seems like just yesterday i took your very first picture.  keep growing strong little one! love you!

©2012 brightsides, all rights reserved.

the graduate

hi hi!

hello to the living!  hello yard.  hello cute little yellow dandelions that should not be in my grass.  hello dear yummy smelling white lilac bushes growing under my windows.   it's great to see you again!

last thursday i hurt my back [insert virtual frustration here]

yeah, i leaned over to load the dishwasher, and while bent, i heard a pop/crack lame bucket noise.

OUCH.  i was barely able to stand up straight and make it to the sofa.   thankfully my cute neighbor laurie was able to come and save me!  she pulled jack out of his crib, changed him, dressed him, and then fed the two littles breakfast until my mom could get here.

short story shorter, i spooned with my heat pad and laptop for four days straight.  

on the "brightside"{funny little side note for us to remember- annie (4 yrs old) started using air quotes on us lol}

my mom and i got a chance to hang out together ☺

a few other highlights for being bed ridden:

• i watched this old house on saturday.  i smiley face that show.

• i was given an essential oils massage.  love.

• i was brought yummy food in bed

• i created some new prints!  it was challenging with a laptop mouse.  i had to do something.

here is one i designed for a client & decided you may love it too!  it's now available for purchase in the shop!  i also added some great new colors to my color chart.  yay!

here is the graduate and my updated color chart

graduations are coming up quick!  place your orders soon to make sure you receive your prints in time ❤

oh, so is it true?  once a bad back always a bad back?  i hope not!  i hope you're doing well!   

ciao!

©2012 brightsides, all rights reserved.

happy birthday pétra!

HELLO?  are these people all so beautiful or what?  this is my gorgeous friend pétra & her darling family.  

today happens to be her birthday!  happy birthday dearest friend!!  i don't know what i'd do without this jewel of a woman.  she is always there for me.  she is my person.  it could be totally depressing being her friend because she's so pretty and so perfect and so everything!  but she is one of the sweetest, most funniest people i know!  she is thee cutest mom ever and the greatest friend a girl could ask for!  we laugh because we are polar opposites from each other and we both know it.  we have totally different taste in most everything.  it's really weird.  but it works!  we welcome and embrace it!

i had an absolute blast taking their family pictures (other than being so super nervous)!  her husband is a photographer himself, so i was majorly intimidated.  he's scary.  hahaha, j/k, he's not at all!  i'm just not confident enough yet.  

it was extra fun because i know them all so well and their personalities.  they are always so fun to be with & all so photogenic!  love you guys!  here are a few of my faves from the shoot ❤

©2012 brightsides, all rights reserved.

the handmade home giveaway!

today brightsides designs is having a giveaway on the handmade home!  go enter to win!  

i'm also giving all handmade home readers 20% off today- go snag the code ☺

i just added this speedy little vintage inspired print to the shop yesterday!  it's cool 'cause it's personalized with your little cruiser's name on it!  you can find it here!

on a personal note, i just returned home from my first girl's trip!  yes, after 13 years of marriage and 4 kids later, i escaped with two amazing ladies for a much needed long weekend getaway!  it was bliss!  we ate amazing food, shopped, stayed up way too late laughing & crying and slept in every morning.  i came home so uplifted and inspired.  it was sOooOoo good on so many levels.  thank you pétra and cathy!  love you!  

and the biggest ever thank you to sam for being the cutest dad ever and taking care of our little ones while i was gone. they had so much fun with you!!! get this, he even took two of our daughters to get their hair cut ❤ how cute is that??  

i came home to happy kids, a clean house and an exceptionally  handsome husband! 

now back to work!  i'm ready!  it was laundry & playdough playin' day all day yesterday and today i'll be working away filling your orders!  

happy tuesday friends!

top image courtesy of the handmade home

©2012 brightsides, all rights reserved.

    

gift wrap idea

it's all in the presentation, right?  so, you've bought some prints to give as gifts, now you need to make them extra fabulous!  here is an example of how i wrapped some up for gifts the other day. simply pick up a cute frame, gather up coordinating ribbons(i found this pink and white striped ribbon at the dollar store)and bust out some flower rosettes-here is my tutorial-they're SUPER easy! attach a tag and shebang! you're done!   

i found these dotty white frames at ikea ☟

we have mother's day, several weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, end of school teacher gifts and graduations coming up. 
there will be a lot of gifting goin' on yo!

make it easy on yourself & order up some unique, personalized prints to give to your peeps here.

happy wrapping! 

©2012 brightsides, all rights reserved.

easter with kate & artichoke cheese bread

  easter dinner was at my sister kate's house!  oh my beautiful!  her, and her house, and her family-all so lovely!  kate put so much work into this gorgeous spread.   thank you dear sis!  the food & company were absolutely delicious.  fo shizza!!  here is a little taste of what i was able to capture   ♡

kate & steve with their adorable boys.  number 4 is missing.  he was off playing.

one of my food assignments was this artichoke cheese bread.  it's one that kate & i came up with together for an appetizer.  it was SoOooOOo delishy!  here's how we made it:

•1 loaf french bread, cut lengthwise

• 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and rough chopped

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

•1/2 cup sour cream

• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic

• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

• 1/2 cup colby jack cheese

• a sprinkle of salad supreme seasoning, or paprika

• parsley for garnish

combine artichokes, mayo, sour cream, garlic and cheeses and spread over the two loaf halves.  top with seasonings and bake at 275º for 20-25 minutes.

enjoy!

©2012 brightsides, all rights reserved.

happy easter!

may we be more christlike and remember him.  happy easter!

©2012 brightsides, all rights reserved.

we can do hard things & may the odds be ever in your favor today

hello friends!  the skies are gray today & i'm feeling frisky in a spring break - let's go play outside today kinda way!  maybe it's these print's blues & yellows that are making me smile☺ maybe it's the fact that i only got 3.5 hours sleep last night- i'm an idiot.  nah, i know the reason for my internal bliss today, but i'd rather not say.

how are you?  are you ready for easter?  i only have 3 things so far.  again, i am an idiot.  i will be buying picked over little trinkets, candy and bonnets (ok, i don't buy bonnets but it sounded appropriate) tonight or tomorrow night at 10 pm.  why is that?  why do i hold off?  

enough about me already, i wanted to introduce to you my newest prints!  the first one, we can do hard things and i can do hard things was inspired by my children and their kick butt charter school.  one of their main mottos is "we can do hard things" and i love it- like more than you'll ever know love it.  so i wanted to share it with the world.  we can do hard things!

i think this print would make such a great graduation gift, teacher gift for their classroom, mother's day gift, or just for the heck of it!  I think this would look so awesome blown up big like as 16x20" or 20x30" in an office, family room or bedroom.  really it could go anywhere.  i'm planning to frame a 20x30 for my family room.  can't wait- just trying to figure out what color i want ☺

and the second print may the odds be ever in our favor was inspired by an endearing wish from the beloved Hunger Games series.  I thought this saying would be great for the family; wishing each other well through life ❤ 

This print can also be made with the word 'your' instead of 'our' like the original saying.

and don't forget you can still receive 20% off your entire order for all 6th street readers.  go get the code!

happy good friday friends!  

©2012 brightsides, all rights reserved.

6th street's newest sponsor

today the shop is being featured on 6th street design!  i'm offering a 20% discount to all kirsten's readers today through saturday, april 7th!!!  go check us out!

happily ever after

it feels like forever since i've posted!  my kids are out for spring break!  enough said.

i had a few minutes this afternoon to add this sweet little print to the shop!  i'm thinkin' this would be a darling wedding gift ❤

you can purchase happily ever after here

better run & have some more fun with the kiddies.

have a great day!