Meet Jaxon

jaxonHe’s here!  My third little nugget has arrived.  Meet Jaxon.  It’s hard to believe he was born nearly two weeks ago.  This new little guy is so laid back and easy.  If he were my first, I’d think this motherhood gig was a breeze!  I’m hearing from friends that their third babies are so different from the first two as well – must be special third child trait.  I managed to snap this little gem of a photo this morning, but a fabulous photographer friend did a couple of newborn sessions with us and I hope to share some more Jaxon-goodness with everyone soon (with professional pictures!).

I’ve slowly begun to start working again in small spurts, but I totally plan to take things easy for the next few weeks.  In the meantime, I’ll be accepting new projects to start in June and July.  If you’re interested in grabbing one of those spots, please take the time to fill out my new project request form and I’ll get back to you with a quote for your custom project!

A Christmas Made in the USA

According to ABC World News, ” If each of us spent just $64 on American made goods during our holiday shopping, the result would be 200,000 new jobs.” While I love that ABC is encouraging us to vote with our dollars by supporting companies that actually create and maintain American jobs, their gift guide is a little lackluster. I want everyone to know that you CAN get creative, beautiful, and high-quality gifts made right here in America.  Here are my top picks for gifts MADE IN THE USA. We actually own each and every one of these, so I speak from experience when I say that these products are of excellent quality and will last for years to come!

  1. Paloma’s Nest Personalized Stocking – $88
  2. Maple Landmark Magic Wand – $3
  3. Little Sapling Toys Personalized Wooden Rocking Horse – $80
  4. Little Colorado Play/Train Table - $200
  5. Spooner Freestyle Board – $45
  6. Green Toys Firetruck – $20
  7. Little Goodall Ferocious Lion Coat – $155
  8. Step2 Skwyard Summit Rock Climbing Wall - $500
  9. Eco Kids Rolling Pin – $13
  10. Little Hero Cape by Discover Denim – $45
  11. Little Sapling Personalized Christmas Ornament – $14
  12. Felted Kitten Crown – $7
  13. Chewing the Cud Recycled Cotton Canvas Bucket – $21
  14. American Apparel Infant Cardigan – $17
  15. Muddy Feet Mushroom Bowling Set – $50
  16. Kamik Rocket Cold Weather Boot (made in Canada, built in the USA) – $54

And let’s say none of these float your boat, but you still want to support American Small Businesses this holiday season.  After all, some of our favorite brands like Haba, Plan Toys, Hape, and Pilosale make their products abroad.  And the beloved Melissa and Doug, one of the first major toy brands to jump on the “Made in the USA” bandwagon, now manufacture their toys in China.  Here’s a small step you can take – buy your gifts that are made in other countries from a small American-owned shop.  When we’re shopping at the big-box stores for everything, we’re filling the pockets of corporate CEOs, not fueling our economy in healthy ways.  Find your local toy store and purchase your gifts from them.  Fuel that money right back into your local community.  If that’s not an option for you, check out some of these small online shops based in the US and keep your dollars in the hands of true small businesses who are creating jobs and giving back to their communities.

Ecomom.com – This is one of my all-time favorite sites to buy from.  Not only do they have amazing sales and deals, but each product they choose to sell has gone through a rigorous process to get ecomom-approved.  I know I can trust anything I buy from here.  They also are dedicated to helping feed local hungry children with each order you place.

Abe’s Market – This is another great site to find safe and natural products.  Not only can you get your Christmas shopping done here, but you can also pick up some of your household products and groceries.  Triple score!

Magin Cabin – I’m a sucker for high-quality Waldorf and Montessori inspired toys made out of wood and other natural materials.  This is THE place to go for that.  I don’t know about other kids, but my boys much prefer a toy that they can create an entire story around rather than the latest light-up action figure that can really only be one thing – an action figure.

Etsy.com – And of course, the ultimate anti-corporate place to go to buy anything!  Etsy sellers include anyone from a mom crafting in her back room to small businesses with seriously cute and functional products.  Always make a stop here during your shopping journey.

Happy Gifting!

recent work // oh my veggies



I recently had the privilege of working with Kiersten of Oh My Veggies on a new look for her vegetarian inspired blog. My goals for this redesign were to keep everything clean and uncluttered while creating a bright design that incorporates pops of color and some custom watercolor images created by Kaitlin Kostus. It was important to Kiersten that her new theme was mobile responsive and had some customized features like category galleries, styled social sharing, and custom recipe styling. I also made a few tweaks to give her a split sidebar, custom footer, and some custom widgets. Run on over to ohmyveggies.com to check out her fresh clean look!

Thank you SO MUCH for everything. I can’t even put into words how happy I am with the redesign. I feel like you really got the quirkiness, the brightness, and the modern look I was going for.
- Kiersten, Oh My Veggies

New Partnership: GreatProofreading.com

I am so excited to announce that we have teamed up with GreatProofreading.com to bring our clients extra services, including blog proofreading and SEO services.

GreatProofreading.com is a sole proprietorship run out of the home of a work-at-home mom and military spouse. Kendall Hoover has more than five years of proofreading experience and two years of full time employment-related experience (including resume and cover letter development), as well as Bachelor and Master degrees in Speech and Hearing Science. She is a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association and the National Career Development Association and is currently completing Google’s Advertising Professionals Certification program.

GreatProofreading.com provides academic and web editing as well as resume and cover letter writing services, but Kendall specializes in blog proofreading and keyword research for blog search engine optimization. Kendall takes the time to get to know the mission and focus of your blog and provides suggestions for content, style, flow, clarity, word choice, and idiomatic expression. Monthly blog proofreading packages are available in packages from $45 to $200 and more information can be found at www.GreatProofreading.com.

GreatProofreading.com invites our clients to take advantage of our affiliate relationship with them, and we encourage you to check out GreatProofreading.com’s Facebook page for specials and blog writing tips: www.facebook.com/greatproofreading .

recent work // malibu kitchen

Dori, from Malibu Kitchen, needed a header to fit her current theme that was beachy and retro. Using gritty watercolor images and a clean font, we ended up with this coastal combination.

recent work // kakers in wonderland

Kat, blogger at Kakers in Wonderland, needed a custom header to use with the Adorable child theme for the Genesis framework. This theme is the perfect fit for many bloggers out there and I have to give a little shout out to my designer colleague and friend, Lindsey Riel, for hitting this one out of the park. Need a cost-effective alternative to a custom-built design? Here’s your solution!

recent work // brunch at saks

Annemarie, of Brunch at Saks (a lifestyle blog that should be in everyone’s reader), was such a pleasure to work with! When announcing her new look, she compared her redesigned blog “home” to that of a Parisian townhouse. I just love having such stylish clients!

Thanks to fabulous designer, Shay Bocks, my home here at Brunch at Saks has undergone a gorgeous makeover, and I couldn’t be happier with my new digs. Shay was amazing to work with, and after nearly four years blogging I finally feel like I have a design that is perfectly “me”. Thank you, Shay!

-Annemarie, Brunch at Saks

Why don’t you show some love and head on over to Brunch at Saks for a quick peek? And maybe try out this recipe – it’s on my menu plan this week!