C-man turns 1!

I am going only a little crazy getting ready for Shop 'Til You Drop on Sep 10. I've been cutting and folding and coloring and painting and...whose idea was this anyway?

So with all this to do, what did I do this weekend? Threw a party, of course. Cause who wouldn't want to throw a party for this guy? C-man turned one!

And my Silhouette machine went nuts in the process. We had a baseball theme with hamburgers and hot dogs in the concessions area. (Check out that spiffy banner.) 

And then here were bags of peanuts and bubbles for party favors with fancy-dancy Silhouette cut bag toppers. 

C-man's aunt Stephanie made the cutest banner for the front of the high chair.

Stephanie works for the Texas Rangers, and she got an authenticated ball from an Astros/Rangers game to serve as a guest book.

There were the baseball cupcakes for the crowd.

And, of course, there was one moment of pure panic. Seconds before the smash cake made its debut, the "1 candle" fell and broke into two pieces.  

It took two grandmas, a grandpa and some special work with a Bic lighter to put it back together and get it to C-man in time for the song. I think the parents were none the wiser until they read this story. Surprise!!

C-man didn't seem to mind. In fact, I'm not sure he even noticed a candle. Two-fisted cake eating--that's what I'm talking about.

Now it's time to get back to folding and cutting and drawing and coloring and...all-around getting ready. Sep 10 will be here soon! Get ready! 

It's not even September yet, so what the heck??

Less than three weeks until I'm at the Shop Til You Drop craft show in Cypress, TX. So you know what that means...

It's time to pull out the Halloween merch.

Less than three weeks and I'm pretty sure I'm way behind the getting ready curve. That's...

 Wait. Did you say Scary and Creepy? I think I dated that guy in college!

This is one of my favorites. C'mon, it's Halloween. It's funny, and...

...it's made out of a Twilight book. Get it?

Speaking of getting it, click any of these pictures to buy a book. Oh, and one last chance to get on my email list to get the inaugural issue. It'll be worth your while. Promise. 

Things that make you go unhhhhh

You know how I get addicted to things? Right now I'm kinda addicted to markers. I bought a big box of them.

And then I bought another big box of them.

I even downloaded a color chart so I could track all the markers that I have...and now I can buy the ones I'm missing. Because that's what addicts do. Or people with OCD. Or maybe it's just me.

Anyway, here's one of the things I've been using them for.

I call them Booktangles, which is a mashup between books and Zentangle. I've been having fun finding pages with just the right words on them. 

Like this one. 

Doesn't this little three line novel just make you want to go unhhhhh? (Is that how do you spell unhhhhh? That sound you make when you just barely moan because it hurts too much to really moan?)

Unrequited love. It'll do that to you.

Here's a brighter one. 

In spirit and in color.

You could put this one on your desk to remind you that your mother was right. You are a genius. 

Booklovers love Booktangles. They make them go unhhhhh. Promise.

Click one and see.

        

Did You See My New Stuff?

Notice anything different around here? Like maybe everything?

Yep, I decided it was time for a little spruce up at Reading with Scissors so check out that fancy-dancy new banner up there.

Or check out the new design on my Etsy shop...or ask me for a new business card...or have you seen my new packing slips? 

I'd like to take credit for how ultra cool it all looks, but that honor goes to my friend, Paula. That's her below in the blue shirt. The one without the mustache.

Paula and I work together in Cube City with Chris (the one with the mustache) and Jasmine. Twice a day we get out of our chairs, circle the campus, and try to get some steps in. On one of those trips, I told Paula that I was thinking about rebranding Reading with Scissors, and Paula told me rebranding stuff was one of her best things. Match made in heaven!

I wanted to make her a special book for all the work that she had done for me. When I asked her what word she would like, she said...

Good choice! One of my favorite words, too.

I really like the way it turned out. Not only because it's one of those "round letter words" that looks so pretty in script, but also because I like the impressionist painting that covers the end papers.

It's a roiling sea--just like most of life these days--but in the midst of it: Grace.

If you would like to give the gift of Grace to a friend, you can order one by clicking here. And BONUS! You'll get to see Paula's work on the packing slip, too!

But wait, there's more! Click here to sign up for the Reading with Scissors newsletter. It'll be lots of fun including behind the scenes looks at what's going on in the studio and what's happening in my car--which is where most of my good ideas are born.  AND more Paula banners! Don't be left out. Sign up now.