Taylor Made designs

:: hungry ::

Latest craft project with the kids. We had lots of fun + made a grand mess! Today we're going to make some turkeys for thanksgiving.

:: common sense is not so common :: 

:: work ::

"H" is for "HELLO" too!

:: Hard work never killed anybody, but why take the chance? ::

Taking this quote to heart today! I am hoping to wrap up some work and then take today and tomorrow to prepare for Turkey Day. We are hosting the big day so I have a lot to do. Most of our shopping is done, now it's just the smaller stuff like the table arrangement, napkin holders etc. I will post some photos later so you can see what I came up with :)

Meanwhile, here are some additional illustrations from "The Alphabet Book". I love the illustrations. {and no, I do not know the author, I just like to support talented people :) }

:: Buy the Book ::

New Alphabet book released by Steve Mack. The illustrations are wonderful. I'm not sure if I'm buying this book for me or the kids! So fantastic. Go buy it for the holidays. Talented folks like this need support~

:: good will funny face ::

I asked Will to smile for my camera.
This is what I got :)

:: school time ::

Handsome boy William. Playing outside at the School 

Pretty girl Davis sliding down the slide at the School

:: the most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things :: plato

As most people with pre-school children know, this is the time of year that you need to figure out where your kids will be attending school for next year. I swear, this is good prep for college.

This past weekend we attended the Charter School Open House so we could learn more about the School for William. Their cut-off for kindergarten is October 31st. {all children must be five years old by then. Whereas, for the town schools, the cut off is Sept 1st.} William won't be five until the end of September, so instead of another year of pre-school, he could start kindergarten if he gets into the Charter School.

There is an application to fill out and a bunch of questions on why we want our child to attend and what we can contribute to the school. All typical stuff. BUT, it's all a lottery. Meaning, it all comes down to luck. Which is so sad. Because we're not lucky. I do not win things, nothing ever falls into my lap. boo.

We met a couple of the teachers. One of them we really liked. He interacted well with William. Got right now to his level. They did some numbers together – and then the teacher turned to us and said.
"wow, he's a smart one. It will be too bad if he does't get in. He's really ready for kindergarten."

word.

:: get the boot ::

How sweet are these? Stylish, but functional. Perfect for East Coast winters I think!

:: extremely simple ::

:: Found at The Container Store – stocking stuffers for the kids
{to be used only with adult supervision!} ::

:: pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win ::

So, we went to the "Real Simple" event held at The Container Store last night. Overall, it was OK. My expectations were a lot higher for the event. But I don't think my expectations were unwarranted. I mean, Real Simple has a great brand that is reflected well in their magazine, all their correspondance + collateral materials, so I think it was fair + not naive to think the event would be a lot more... informative.

Sure, they had "one" demonstration – where we learned to create a bow. Yep, you heard me. A bow.

Now, I was under the impression that I was going to learn " tips and tricks for creating a gorgeous holiday gift presentation". {that's an exciting prospect for someone who cares about wrapping} Now, I am not dissing the bow. I think the bow is extremely important. And I did learn to create a very good bow. :)

The women who gave the demonstration couldn't have been nicer. But honestly, I was expecting a bit more than learning how to create a bow + to wrap a nice package without showing the seams. {honestly, their audience are people who already know how to make a tidy package. They care about these little details, that's why they buy these kinds of magazines etc.}

They had some good food, served on everyday products found within the store which was creative. {mac + cheese served in these aluminum canisters, cute!} The music was terrific. The wine was nice. Overall, a pleasant atmosphere. No hard sell to purchase anything at the store. Which was refreshing.

BUT, I just expected more than one simple demonstation. I expected to learn something new + creative. I mean, I drove 40 minutes to this thing... I had to pick up the phone and actually RSVP to the event. So in this respect, I was disappointed.

The goody bag.
"Attendees will receive a gift bag full of goodies that will help you get ready for the holidays"

This is what was in the bag:
:: handy measuring tape from The Container Store
:: nail polish {super french pink colour called "real simple"}
:: pad of paper with list of grocery items {had a magnet back so you can put on the side of your fridge}
:: small notepad with folders {to hold receipts etc.}

OK, all good things, but not really reflective of the theme. In a grand scale, perhaps. But I guess I was thinking I was going to get some ribbon, bows, tape, you know things to help me create " a gorgeous holiday gift presentation" .

I know, the event was free, I got some appetizers + a nice glass of wine, and a few cute things, but when time is a commodity, you want to make sure it's worth your effort. I really think with a bit more effort, planning, and being focused on the theme, the event could have easily been better.
 

:: real simple ::

Tonight I was invited to join "Real Simple, [yellow tail] Wines and The Container Store® for fun, food and festivities…just in time for the holidays!

Enjoy food inspired by the magazine's recipes and wine selections by [yellow tail] while learning tips and tricks for creating a gorgeous holiday gift presentation.

Attendees will receive a gift bag full of goodies that will help get you ready for the holidays.*"

YaHoo! Sounds like fun, no? Nicole + I are going to make a night of it. I invited Renée, but she forgot and is having her hair done. :(

I just started getting "Real Simple" magazine + I really enjoy reading it. I like the layout + design of the magazine. The articles are relevant to me... unlike Martha Stewart Living. I just received the latest Holiday issue, and I am so not impressed. I also get Domino Magazine {which I really enjoy} and BluePrint Magazine. I'm just disappointed that BluePrint is not monthly. I think we're due for a Nov/Dec issue soon! Love the design of that magazine too. The one magazine I truly loved was MS Kids. But they discontinued that magazine @ 9 months ago. That was a great magazine. Creative, fun, relevant. I wonder why they stopped publishing it? Anyone know? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

:: a gift for koty ::

:: If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments ::

Woke up yesterday and felt horrible. My head was spinning and fuzzy and I felt nauseous. Oh, and I had chills, but had no fever. Delightful huh? I basically stayed in bed most of the day. Have no idea what is wrong with me! I have so much work to do. Why can't I get sick when I have nothing to do?

Anyway, is this not the cutest dog collar? I bought Koty, my black lab, a pink Coach dog collar about a year ago. It looks like she's had it for five years – it's falling to pieces. A bit disappointing as the collar was a bit pricey and it has not lasted long. So I was thinking the poor pup needs a new one.

She's a black lab + could stand to lose a few pounds. People always think she's a boy + not a girl dog. How cute would this look? Too much?

:: lorum ipsum ::

a good gift for your favorite designer.

:: a clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory ::

:: woof ::

For those of you who love your dogs + cats, visit here.
The design of the site is beautiful, appropriate + easy to navigate, oh,  and their products are great too!
L O V E   I T.

:: rain rain go away ::

:: The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese ::

It's been raining here on the east coast for a few days, and it looks like it's not about to cease. {though of course, as I type this, the sun is struggling to come out}  Rain really stinks because the kids can't plan outside, which means, they play in my studio while I try to work. :(

Luckily, today they go to their nana + papa's house for the afternoon. Here's hoping I can get some design work done. I have a couple of new projects: three corporate IDs + a small brochure. Exciting stuff. Plus, I have three jobs to release to printers today: business card, tradebooth graphics, + a tri-fold brochure.    

:: i want a pony ::

We attended two fun birthday parties this weekend {back to back}. The kids had a lot of fun + at the end of the day, they were exhausted. {and so were we!} Davis commandeered this pony – which was cute until she really wouldn't let anyone else ride it. {she's become such a bossy little thing} We were thinking this would be a good christmas gift from santa. Anyone know where to buy a toy pony? If you squeeze one of it's ear, it made noises. {you can see from the right hand photo that Davis caught on to this}

:: three ::

:: don't believe anything until it is officially denied ::

sorry to all three of you out there – checking out my blog :) but being sick put a lot of things on the back burner, including my blog.

BUT i am back, + better than ever.

a few good things:
::  yahoo, i got my camera back this weekend {the kids broke it. Thank goodness for the extended warranty I ponied up for} so i'll be posting a lot more photos
:: I"m starting to get in the groove of TMD stuff. I have been working in my studio (i've decided "studio" sounds better than "office". So I really will post some photos of my books this week!
:: I received a nice big check today. sweet when client's actually pay their bills.
:: Our kids have been sleeping in their own beds lately. {this is a huge accomplishement for our family}
:: My husband actually cleaned his office + we rearranged it today~  This makes me so happy. I hated looking into his office and seeing a mess.