BaaBaable

Everyone still loves to receive letters!

2012-02-09T07:31:00.000-08:00

Furman University has a beautiful campus with huge trees lining the roads, fountains, and an abundance of flowers, but most photographed is probably their bell tower surround by a lake and walking tail.

I recently spent a couple of days visiting my daughter at Furman University in Greenville, SC. It is always so refreshing to be around young adults. They are so full of energy and enthusiasm for both learning and socializing! The best part was probably spending some time in her dorm room where friends and other residents freely came and went, discussing their plans for the day, classes they were taking, plans for their major, politics, and recent speakers that had come to campus.

Of course there was talk of some recent post on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, as well as text received from one friend or another! Which brings me to my interesting observation, that in spite of all the electronic and quick ways of communicating they still really treasure the handwritten note. My daughter has often reminded me that she loves receiving "real mail." She says it makes her whole day to go to her mailbox and receive actual personal snail mail! I also noticed that on her wall (real dorm wall not Facebook wall!) as well as others on the hall, she had pinned up notes and cards received from friends. There were notes of encouragement after a rough day or class, some "I came by and sorry I missed you, let's get together," and also the "I'm so glad we're friends," or "I'm glad you are in my sorority."

So in the hurry up world of quick communication, the written note stands out as even more special. The short thank you or thinking of you that is actually mailed to someone has such an impact. Even this younger generation recognize that it is special when someone takes the time to write them an actual note with pen and paper and deliver it! Below are a couple of my favorite Little Lamb Design notecards. Treat yourself to some beautiful personalized stationery, or give some to your favorite college student. You will make someone's day by writing them a note, and you might be surprised how much your college student will really use stationery!


Our NC610 is perfect for young and older women and has a matching return address label too!


This flat note card FC653 features fun and bright flowers.

You can add this matching return address label for a fun splash of color on your envelope.

Stella

Inspired By Nature

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

This is Stella writing today! I wanted to share an inspirational outing that I had the pleasure of last weekend.
My three children are now young adults and I just don't get to the park, zoo, ball park, or local bike trail like I used to. I love the outdoors, and miss those days that I spent many hours outdoors with my children! So last weekend, I grabbed a young friend and we headed to the Birmingham Zoo. It was a little cool, but beautiful and sunny for January. I was in dire need of a dose of sun after a stormy week! We picnic-ed and had just good clean fun, but I was really uplifted by all the inspiring colors and patterns in nature. I seems that no matter what combination of color or patterns that we might imagine, God has already created it in nature. Below are a few photos from our outing, as well as some of the Little Lamb Design invitations inspired by nature!

This gorilla was unbelievable! He seemed to be showing off his muscles and definitely playing to the crowd. The texture of his fur is hard to see in this photo, but on this bright sunny day, his coat was truly beautiful.

This Caribbean Flamingo was absolutely beautiful. His neck is bent all the way around, beak tucked into his back, and his eye appeared to be staring right at us. Look for new stationery this spring in this magnificent shade of orange!

Okay, it isn't hard to see where we got the inspiration for this custom valentine! But the zebras are just so fascinating. I love the beauty of their gorgeous stripes.


The color and saturation of macaws were incredible, I couldn't get enough!

Check out our zoo invitation for your next party!

Okay, I have many more photos, but don't want you to feel like you are watching your neighbors' vacation slide show, so I will leave you with these few. But let me say, maybe since my children are grown, and I no longer was tending to scraped knees or hunting for their sippy cup (though those days were great, and I enjoyed every minute while they lasted!) I was able to enjoy the zoo in a whole new way! The animals' behavior, the color combinations, the textures, the patterns were all like a breath of fresh air!

10 Tips for Taking Great Kid Photos

2011-12-01T23:17:00.000-08:00

Still haven't tackled the kids and gotten them to cooperate in front of the Christmas tree? Check out this awesome article from Photojojo by Rachel Devine. My favorite advice in this article is to capture each family member's personality.
Still haven't ordered your Christmas cards? There's still time! So read on and then get those pictures uploaded to our site! Here is one of my favorite new designs this year. The photographer is the amazing 205 Photography

Recipe cards

2011-11-28T09:48:00.000-08:00

Some of the most cherished things I own are the recipes my mom, grandmother, and my husband's grandmother have passed along to me. It is a true blessing to flip through their old recipe cards to see paper styles "back then" and to see the recipe written in their actual handwriting, especially since my grandmother has already stepped into eternity. It is funny to see terms like "a pinch", "simmer for a while", etc.! These cards are a tiny glimpse into their lives before I was even born. It is a neat exercise to compare my homemaking abilities with theirs.

What a great gift our recipe cards would be for a mom, grandmother, aunt, or even a newlywed. Ask these ladies in your life to write their favorite recipe on one of these cards and give it back to you for your own collection...and for your own memory-making! P.S. We also have some great designs for men!

***CYBER MONDAY SPECIAL*** Through Wednesday, Nov. 30th, double your order for free on Recipe Cards, Enclosure Cards, and Gift Stickers! ~~20 recipe cards for $30~~ NOW 40 for $30

Ellen

New cards!

2011-09-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that all of our Holiday designs are now up on our site. Here is one of my new favorites, but there are so many more new ones! Check them out here!

CC958 (front)

CC958 (back)

Our biggest sale of the year!

2011-09-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

Holy cow! We're excited to announce our biggest sale of the year!

Now through 9-30-11, order your Holiday Cards and receive not only 25% off, but also free return address labels or have your address printed on the envelope

AS IF that weren't enough...we 're also running a buy one, get one free on flat and folded notecards, stickers, enclosure cards, and bag tags!

You may remember my post from last year containing our Christmas card recap. Did you get a great picture of the family over the summer? Check out the recap to get some idea and then get this task marked off your Holiday list!

Follow me on Pinterest!

2011-08-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

I've been hearing about Pinterest for several months but never took the time to sign up. Holy moly...now I see what all the fuss has been about. Basically, you see things online and you "pin" them to these "boards" to be able to keep tabs on everything you are interested in, or want to come back to later. I just signed up last night, so I don't have tons of "pins" yet, but click here to follow me and see what all neat things inspire me!

4th of July Invitation

2011-06-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

Maybe because I am still trapped in my hometown because of my Little Lamb's baseball schedule, but I am pining away for Independence Day and the chance to head out of town!!! The food, friends, and FUN always make for a special day to celebrate our great nation. Are you planning a get together? Check out our new Fireworks invitation.

Help your kids get along this summer with our FREE printable!

2011-05-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

http://www.scribd.com/doc/56274473/Play-Together-Chart

My Little Lambs are 3 years apart, just far enough to really get on each other's nerves, but close enough to reasonably be expected to play together ;) I had one of those "ah-ha" parenting moments last week and told them if I "catch" them playing together throughout the summer, they get a sticker on this nifty chart I made. When they get 5 stickers, they get a special treat. So far the treats we've thought up are going to get ice cream, hitting at Total Baseball, and getting balloons at the "party store." (For those who know my Little Lambs well, guess whose idea was what!?!)

Click on the link above and you can download and print this chart off and post on your fridge as I have done. So far, they've gotten 5 stickers last week...but only 1 this week...hopefully it's not going to be a LONG summer ;)

Ellen

Thank You Notes by Jimmy Fallon

2011-05-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about the hilarious new book by Jimmy Fallon?

It is called Thank You Notes, and is really, really funny. The BEST thing about it, though, is that he takes out an actual piece of stationery and writes these "thank you notes" on them. LOVE it!!!

Raise them right!

2011-04-15T05:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I took my Little Lamb to get a new bike since he's outgrown his last bike. Since we're preparing to leave for the National Stationery Show shortly, I had to go back to work last night, so Daddy took him to try it out. When I got in last night, he had left me this thank you note!

I gotta say, I am really proud ;) After making him write thank you notes for birthday presents for the past 2 years, I feel like I've given him the gift of good manners! Although he has an entire drawer full of thank you notes that I've designed for him, he chooses a piece of notepad paper, but I couldn't be happier...and prouder!

Ellen

It's Graduation time!

2011-04-08T05:57:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe graduation will be a month or 2 from now. Check out our new photo graduation announcements / graduation invitations! Graduation is all the buzz at our office this year because Stella has one graduation from high school and another from college!

Little Lamb Design Stickers put to use in Bangladesh

2011-02-22T20:07:00.000-08:00

This past fall we had the pleasure of working with Tommy Obenchain as he took the next step towards realizing his dream of using his for-profit company, Taylor Pearl, to help fund his non-profiit, Pearls for Life.

In 2005 he traveled to China and saw an opportunity to import pearls and re-sell them in the U.S.
At the same time he knew he had a passion to provide for the basic needs of some of those most in need.
His concept was born to use a portion of the funds from the sale of fresh water pearls to fund fresh water for children and their families in Bangladesh. In 2009 he traveled to Bangladesh to research the problems and the best options to help. Tommy also worked with several professors at Vanderbilt University, where he is currently a senior. The solution that he decided would have the greatest impact was a Sono filter, which uses rocks, sand, and an arsenic probe to eliminate bacteria, metal and arsenic from the water.

This fall Tommy used his fall break to travel to Bangladesh and oversee the first installation of the filters. Our stickers made the trip too, leaving the Pearls For Life logo on the filters provided by his team's efforts.

Over 77 million people drink contaminated water every day in Bangladesh. He has already provided water to about 300 hundred and hopes that number will reach the thousands in the coming year . He will work full time on Taylor Pearl and Pearls for Life for 18 months after graduating this spring, before starting work for Huron Consulting.

It has been a pleasure working with Tommy and learning more about the great work he is doing! If you would like to read more about Taylor Pearl and Pearls For Life check out .taylorpearl.com

aTeam Ministries' Heart to HeART Gala

2011-02-21T11:46:00.000-08:00

I got an email several months ago from an old friend asking if I wanted to do invitations for a charity event. We get asked to do this a lot, and I am always happy to do whatever I can, but I had no idea how amazing this event was actually going to be. What a blessing to have received this request and to have been invited to the event! Here is the invitation we created. It was an adaptation of our IV500 design.

Just in case you haven't noticed from my previous posts, I graduated from the best university in the country...and they happen to be 2010's national football champions. Coached by Gene Chizik, I couldn't have been prouder this past year to be an alumna! But this past Saturday, my pride pretty much doubled! Coach Chizik and his wife, Jonna hosted this benefit for aTeam Ministries It was actually Jonna's idea and vision and aTeam was blessed to have been chosen by Jonna. Long story short, 10 local childhood cancer patients were partnered with 10 renowned artists and each of the artists and children created artwork to be sold at an auction. Here is an example of the artwork:

The evening began with the children arriving by limo!!! Coach Chizik greeted each child, took a photo with the family, and then the children and family entered the event "paparazzi style" down a red carpet. It was SO exciting! Here are the founders of aTeam as their son just got out of the limo.

Coach Chizik spent the next hour or so signing autographs and meeting everyone. Wow, was that exciting! I don't usually get star-struck, but I so was this time...lol! Luckily my husband thanked Coach for the email he sent our brother-in-law when his wife passed away last Fall...because I could think of NOTHING to say ;) Except maybe to say, "I'm taller than you in my heals," but maybe that wouldn't have been the best choice?

Afterwards was dinner, and because Jonna sadly had to miss the event, Coach's 13 year old daughter stepped up and filled in for her mom. I will tell you, they are doing something right with that girl. She spoke so eloquently about her faith and about how much her mother and father loved the Lord. I doubt there was dry eye in the room.

Next was the AUCTION! It was SO exciting. So fast-paced and cut-throat ;) So fun to see how much money the paintings went for and how much aTeam benefitted.

Being the art lover and Auburn girl I am, this was pretty much the highlight of my year...at least until my son caught an amazing hit in left field the next day at his baseball tournament ;)

Help needed to support a great cause!!!

2011-02-02T15:53:00.000-08:00

What a privilege I had last Fall to be asked to design a State of Alabama license plate that will benefit Cystic Fibrosis research, and treatment and care for those affected by it. Not only is it super cute ;) but of the $50 it costs, $41.25 will go straight towards the fight against CF. It was an honor to work in conjunction with Laps for CF, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Children's Hospital. Will you consider helping this worthy cause? The organization must have 1000 of these commitments to purchase to make the funding a reality. They still need to sell a few hundred and through this Sunday they are half off, so visit http://www.lapsforcf.org/licenseplate and fill out your commitment to purchase!

GOOP's A Day in the Life. . .

2011-01-13T12:22:00.000-08:00

Ever heard of the blog GOOP? It is written by Gwyneth Paltrow. I am a huge fan. Today's post was SO FAB, it features a day in Gwyneth's life as well as 2 other working moms. It was great to read because of the tips given, but also just to know that my life isn't quite as crazy as I always feel like it is :)

Christmas cards recap!

2011-01-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

I know I may be a little behind the eight ball with this recap, but I just had to share a few of the cards we did during this AMAZING holiday season! Once again this year, we were blessed beyond belief by being able to work with so many fabulous people. Thank you to everyone who chose one of our cards to send to brighten your friends' holidays!
It is beyond fascinating to watch people's lives unfold, especially those who have blessed us by being repeat clients year after year after year. We get to watch all phases of life: new babies being added, kids heading off to college, divorce :( remarriage, and even the sweet family who said "thank you for your support for our family during this difficult year." I don't know very many of the people whose cards we proof, but catching a small glimpse into their lives give me personally the chance to pray for them and reflect on the blessings in my own life. My close friends know the past few months have been a bit of challenge for my family, and ironically, I had already designed my own card shown here and had used the verse John 1:18 "From the fullness of His grace, we have all received one blessing after another." Despite everything, I claim this verse for my family this year because I know The One who has it all figured out and am in constant amazement of how He has been giving us one blessing after another! So here is the card my family sent out (by the way, this is Ellen writing this post). It is our trifold card design.

Next up is my co-owner, Stella's family's card. She chose our 5x5 folded design. She has the MOST amazing kids (of course besides my own ;) and it is always fun to see her include a photo of her dog, Ryder. Maybe the reason we work so well together is because of our shared Golden Retriever ownership?

Lastly, I wanted to show off some really fun trends we saw this year. Hopefully you know that our flat photo cards can be printed with photos on the front and the back, and that our folded cards are customizable on all panels of the card. It was so fun to see people include their pets or a picture of their family's vacation or a crazy shot on the backs of our cards. We are constantly amazed at our client's creativity. We had fun changing colors, fonts, and wording to help people create truly one-of-a-kind Christmas cards. So sit back and enjoy a VERY SMALL sampling of some of our 2010 Christmas cards!

So fun seeing where everybody traveled to this year...

An efficient use of your Christmas card is to make it a Birth Announcement Christmas Card Combination...

It is always special when you have a wedding in the family to send out a wedding Christmas card showing off the big day...

Cute pet Christmas Cards are such fun!!!

I love Grandparent holiday cards!

And because my alma mater, Auburn University, is playing for the BCS National Championship in 3 days, I just had to throw in my favorite Auburn cards we did. There were actually many more, too many to show here. If you will remember, a certain other university in our state played for the National Championship and won this time last year. It was really funny to see the trend this year...we did a couple of Auburn cards last year and more Alabama cards than we could count, and this year it is vice versa. So funny!!! WAR EAGLE!!!

Thank you again for your business and we wish you the very best 2011!!!

So much to blog...so little time!

2010-11-23T06:15:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness! No words to explain how much fun we're having designing and proofing everyone's Christmas cards the past few weeks. I have SO many things to share with the blog followers, but alas, gotta get back to setting up these proofs :( Instead, I'll just share one of the cutest cards that's come through the office this week! Photos were taken by the AMAZING Carson Studios in Auburn, AL.

This is our CC100 design, shown with the front and the back. What a precious angel!

7 week Holiday Planner from iMom

2010-11-10T05:59:00.000-08:00

I came across this fabulous tool from iMom. Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and then Christmas right after that, this will help you stay focused and not ever feel overwhelmed ;)

http://www.imom.com/idea/tools-and-resources/7-week-holiday-planner

Thanksgiving cards

2010-11-03T05:54:00.000-07:00

We have had a few Thanksgiving cards come through our office this week and I just had to share how creative our clients are! And how wonderful of them to manage their time so well. Instead of letting having to get your Christmas cards in the mail be yet another stress during December, these ladies decided to celebrate Thanksgiving....and allowing their friends to have their card out on the mantle for a few extra weeks!

As you probably know ordering our photo cards includes photos on the front and back, but color changes are also included if you desire, so in a snap you can have a precious photo greeting card for any holiday, not just Christmas!

Mrs. Ezelle loved our Lovely Band 5x7 Folded Photo Card and had this unbelievably precious photo of her kids in their Thanksgiving PJs. So we changed up the colors and just look at the amazing results:

Mrs. H loved our flat Cheery Swirls Photo Holiday Card and had us change up the colors. Look how wonderful it turned out:

Pears!

2010-10-31T05:07:00.000-07:00

The pear is in peak season from late summer until January, so now is the perfect time to celebrate this delicious fruit!

This is my favorite sandwich! Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich with pears from Martha Stewart.

Cool woven pear from Ballard Designs.

My favorite of our enclosure cards: the elegant floral with the same colors as the pear.

Auburn Christmas Card!

2010-10-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm gonna say it really loud WAAAAAAARRRRRRRR EAGLE!!!!!!! That is the battle cry of my NUMBER ONE ranked Auburn Tigers! Maybe not such a big deal to people at that certain other school in our state, but this is the 1st time my alma mater has been ranked #1 since the BCS rankings began 12 years ago.
I just had to post this unbelievably precious Christmas card we've just had come through our office. It is a 5x7 folded card. The photos were taken by the FABULOUS Brooke Dilworth Photography in Opelika.
WAR EAGLE!

Halloween Wreath

2010-10-25T06:27:00.000-07:00

This is a super easy and precious way to decorate your front door for Halloween. With the week ahead of our family, I am afraid we may not get to carve pumpkins this year, but at least our neighbors will tremble with fear when they get to our front door ;)

STEP 1: We started out with a grapevine wreath, florist wire, scissors, matte black spray paint, red glitter paint, and plastic creatures (snakes, worms, and spiders).

STEP 2: Next, we used the florist wire to tie the creatures to the wreath.

STEP 3: After everything was attached, we headed outside to spray paint it

(before a baseball game...obviously!)

STEP 4: We used the red glitter paint to paint super spooky eyes onto each creature's head

STEP 5: After it dried, we hung it on a wreath hanger! So quick and easy...and SUPER SCARY!

Halloween and Martha

2010-09-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe Halloween is just about 6 weeks away. My Little Lambs are in the process of deciding what they want to be...and it changes daily. I am blessed that they are at such fun ages and really get into the dressing up and trick-or-treating. We always have fun trick-or-treating in a huge group in our neighborhood. Maybe it's time for you to start thinking about your Halloween get-together. Shown here is a spectacular costume by Martha Stewart and an even more spectacular matching way to invite your friends over on the big day.

The Little Lamb Hydrangea

2010-08-17T19:17:00.000-07:00

Collier's Nursery is just down the road from our office. They carry some really beautiful plants and have such helpful people working there. Although I'd rather pull out my own teeth than do yardwork ;) I have visited them several times throughout the years. I drove by there today and saw on the marquee that they now carry "Little Lamb Hydrangeas." WHAT!?!?! Of course I just HAD to check that out. Not only are hydrangeas my very favorite flower EVER, this one has the same nickname as my boys (oh yea, and a certain stationery company you might have heard of ;)
The crazy thing is, I actually have 2 huge Little Lamb Hydrangeas in my back yard and had NO idea until today. I planted these 2 small bushes in our backyard when we moved into our house 7-1/2 years ago...2 years before the stationery company or the 1st Little Lamb were even born...and every year, when they bloom, they produces hundreds of these huge, amazing white blossoms. Here is a picture:

So in honor of the Little Lamb Hydrangea, here is a hydrangea invitation from our Invitations album:

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/purple-bouquet-invitation.html
And some matching hydrangeas stationery:

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/purple-bouquet-folded-notecard.html

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/purple-bouquet-rectangle-return-address-label-set.html

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/purple-bouquet-enclosure-card-set.html

The Beach!

2010-08-04T05:48:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving soon to be taking a "walk on the Wilder side" with an annual beach trip with our friends The Wilders. In honor of this special occasion, here are some of my favorite beach invitations. I hope you are enjoying your summer...it is almost over :(

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/invitations/surfboard-invitation.html

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/invitations/surfboard-invitation-1.html

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/invitations/fish-invitation.html

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/invitations/sailboat-invitation.html

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/invitations/mermaid-invitation.html

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/invitations/pool-party-invitation.html

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/invitations/shark-invitation.html

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/invitations/summer-invitation.html

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/invitations/speedboat-invitation.html

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/invitations/tropical-luau-invitation.html

National Lasagna Day

2010-07-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

Did you know today is National Lasagna Day? I have heard it is, though a quick search online doesn't tell me how this "holiday" began, and I guess we need to celebrate!
Here are some recipe ideas:
Green Lasgana http://bit.ly/gVpFL
Crockpot lasagna http://bit.ly/906L0g
Fruity Dessert Lasagna http://bit.ly/cACgSB

and although I don't really have any lasagna invitations, here are a couple of Italian-ish ones ;)

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/pizza-invitation.html

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/tuscan-vineyard-invitation.html

Airplanes!!!

2010-07-28T16:10:00.000-07:00

In honor of my oldest Little Lamb's first time on an airplane tomorrow (we're having a special mommy/son trip before he heads off to 1st grade...sniff, sniff!), here are some of my favorite airplane invitations and stationery. Fly on over and get some on order!

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/boy-photo-birth-announcement-8.html

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/airplane-invitation.html

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/dinomite-valentine-cards-1.html

http://www.littlelambdesign.com/index.php/cute-airplane-folded-notecard-1.html

10 Ways to Make Your Stationery Store Obsolete

2010-07-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

I came across this awesome article for gift shop and stationery store owners. VERY good advice from Holly Bretschneider who owns Salutations. http://bit.ly/a98w95

Introducing Etipedia: Online Etiquette Encyclopedia by Emily Post Institute

2010-07-15T16:53:00.000-07:00

Since I am supposed to be a stationery "expert" because of the line of work I do, I get asked lots and lots of questions about etiquette, especially about invitation wording, time frame of when you mail an invitation, etc. I was SO excited when I received a notice from The Emily Post Institute^®introducing the world's first and only online etiquette encyclopedia. If you ever have a question in this department, this is your go-to! It is amazing! You can type in anything and the folks at Emily's will give you the proper answer.
I have been a huge fan of Emily Post, et.al. for as long as I can remember. I am such a dork that I asked for and received Emily Post's Etiquette, a HUGE book that I kept on my coffee table for years and years (until one of my Little Lambs drew in it, it is now put away for a while!) Check out this link to receive your day's dose of properness.http://www.emilypost.com/etipedia

Hello! We're back!

2010-07-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, how can it be that I have not posted to this blog in 2 months!?! SO sorry to all my legions of followers ;) Hahaha! You will notice the last post was from the National Stationery Show. My, my what a world wind it has been since we returned from the show. We added so many new dealers who now have our albums in their store or our products on their website. What a blessing the show was to us and we are so excited to be working with our new dealers as well as the ones we've had since the beginning. Ok, I am going to promise to try to update this blog way more often that I have been (although we are right in the middle of summer which is a busy time in my house! Forgive me if I don't keep my word as I unsuccessfully attempt to herd my Little Lambs).

In the mean time...please enjoy looking at some of our new holiday and wedding designs.

We're here at the National Stationery Show!

2010-05-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

We have arrived at the National Stationery Show! We have spent the past 2 days setting up our booth. It has been an exciting time, but we are anxious for the show to actually begin tomorrow. We'll keep you posted!

BEFORE

END OF DAY 1

AFTER!!!!!

Here we go!

2010-05-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

I know this doesn't look like much at all, but you have NO idea! This is basically the culmination of way too many hours of work over the past 2-5 years spread out among 4 people (and their very supportive families). We are heading to the National Stationery Show in New York City next week and this is our booth. LOL! Hard to believe this kinda gross group of boxes will magically transform into an incredibly beautiful (if we do say so ourselves) trade show booth. We'll call this picture "Before". We'll keep you posted. SO blessed to be debuting our line at the industry's largest tradeshow. Come see us in Booth 1206 if you are headed there. If you are not heading there, PRAY FOR US ;)

Cystic Fibrosis License Plate

2010-04-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

What a privilege I had last Fall to be asked to design a State of Alabama license plate that will benefit Cystic Fibrosis research, and treatment and care for those affected by it. Not only is it super cute ;) but of the $50 it costs, $41.25 will go straight towards the fight against CF. It was an honor to work in conjunction with Laps for CF, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Children's Hospital. Will you consider helping this worthy cause? Beginning next Monday, May 3rd, you will be able to go to your local county Alabama motor vehicle office and fill out a "commitment to purchase" application for the Fighting Cystic Fibrosis license plate. The organization must have 1000 of these commitments to purchase to make the funding a reality.

World's Longest Marriage

2010-04-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

I came across this post on iMom.com about this precious couple who has been married for 85 years. What an incredible inspiration. Oh hey, that reminds me...we have some really great new anniversary invitations. What better way to honor the special couple in your life than a beautiful celebration in their honor? And what fun to show "Then and Now" photos on them

Goodbye kitchen furniture...we'll miss you!

2010-03-19T08:36:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have been SO blessed to have been "grown ups" for as long as we have and to not have had to buy very much furniture. We received a house full of hand me downs when we got married and have only really bought a few pieces of furniture here and there over the years. Sadly, our kitchen furniture has died :( It lived a VERY long and full life in someone's house before ours and also has moved with us 3 times. It has been such a huge part of our family...lots of great times around that table! But all good things must come to an end. It is time to upgrade! I'm super excited to have made this very "grown up" purchase, the Marchella dining set at Pier One

Hey by the way, wouldn't this invitation be the perfect match? If I was having a bridesmaid luncheon or birthday luncheon for a friend, I'd so be using this one to match my awesome new furniture.

Introducing Our Photo Graduation Announcements

2010-03-11T06:15:00.000-08:00

We've been hard at work "behind the scenes" getting our new 2010 designs ready to introduce. Here is the first group of new products...photo graduation invitations or announcements. See the complete line here

Poem and Photo of the day

2010-03-10T08:28:00.000-08:00

I went to a lovely memorial service last week for a very dear family friend. I can barely remember a time when I did not know this incredible lady. As I listened to her life's story (an educator for over 40 years, married to her husband for 59-1/2 years, beautiful family, etc.) , I reminisced about how blessed I have been my whole life to have had such amazing Christian women to look up to. The following poem was published in the program at the service. What an uplifting way to look at losing a loved one.

Photo by Stella Schreiber

A ship sails and I stand watching till she fades on the horizon and someone at my side says

She is gone

Gone where? Gone from my sight, that is all.

She is just as large now as when I last saw her.

Her diminished size and total loss from my sight is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone at my side says she is gone there are others who are watching her coming over their horizon and other voices take up a glad shout

There she comes!

That is what dying is.

An horizon and just the limit of our sight.

Lift us up, Oh Lord, that we may see further

Bishop Brent

Temporary Hand Tattoos

2010-03-01T19:12:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen anything cooler than these temporary hand tattoos? They are called Monster Hands. I'm thinking these may have to find their way into some Easter baskets at my house this year!

Cooking party ideas

2010-02-26T07:01:00.000-08:00

I'm loving this red polka dot pvc apron from the awesome British mailorder catalog Cox and Cox. If I could remember anything I learned while earning my International Business degree, I might be able to tell you how much it costs (I do know it is on sale), but alas, too many years have passed and too many Mommy brain cells remain in my noggin to be able to run the exchange rate for you. BUT...

Seeing how cute the apron is got me to thinking about how fun it would be to have a cooking themed party, either as a child or adult birthday party, or as bridal shower.

For the birthday party: Have some different stations set up around your house where people could decorate their own aprons and make their own jars of cake mixes. It would cheap for you too because that would be their party favor as well.

For the bridal shower: Send these precious recipe cards along with your invitation and have people fill in their favorite recipe for the bride. Then their gift could be something used to make that recipe (like an ice cream maker if your recipe was for homemade ice cream).

This invitation would be the perfect way to invite your friends for this very memorable occasion

Cake Fun Fact

2010-02-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

Did you know that cakes used to be actually more like disks of bread that had to be turned over in the oven to cook evenly on both sides?
I came across that fun fact a while back in Martha Stewart Living magazine (my very favorite thing to read in the whole world!). In the magazine, it says "medieval predecessors" of cakes, but in my Monday Bible study this week, we were discussing Hosea 7:8 that says "Ephraim mixes with the nations; Ephraim is a flat cake not turned over." SO..."cakes" were more like pancakes even before Biblical times. Wonder if they had those yummy tubs of icing like we do???

I am thankful that we have come such a long way and now have such incredible cakes at our disposable and don't have to worry about them getting burned on one side and being mushy on the other. Why not throw a party and send one of these precious cake invitations!?!

Monopoly makeover

2010-02-18T05:47:00.000-08:00

Monopoly has gotten a makeover! http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/108764/monopoly-gets-a-makeover-but-will-die-hard-fans-buy-it??mod=family-home
I think this is so cool, but oh what a "sign of the times." Each player is given a credit card and the big round thing in the middle is the banker...so no more play money :( Also, the prices have been adjusted for inflation, so when you pass "GO" you collect $200,000, not $200. Should be in stores later this year.

A Day in the Life

2010-02-15T06:35:00.000-08:00

Check out the new header to my blog! Lovin' the picture because my fabulously talented business partner did such a great job with capturing a glimpse into what my life is like. I try to start everyday with kisses from my Little Lambs and then downstairs to my favorite breakfast of a banana with peanut butter, usually stepping or tripping over a matchbox car like shown. Then after (most days) heading to the gym, I settle in to check email and (if I'm lucky) work on new designs. Of course there are million other things occurring daily but...just a tiny glimpse into a day in the life of a stationery designing lamb lover ;)

This bag changed my life!

2010-02-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you how in love I am with this bag!!! It is made by Runaway Rabbit and is called "The Pretty Bag", and truer words have never been spoken. It is GORGEOUS. Such fun patterns (see them all here) but the functionality is what I am digging the most. The inside of the bag is HUGE, but the bag itself is not...how did they manage that!?! It has all kinds of pockets inside and would be perfect for a diaper bag.

Since I have (thankfully) gotten past the diaper bag stage of life just in the past few months, I use it literally every single day of my life to fit my super huge laptop in (I AM a designer after all and need to have a huge screen on which to design!) This is the literally the only bag I have found it will fit in (even though other bags out there say they'll fit ALL 17" laptops, they are liars!)

I bought mine last Fall at Market in Atlanta, but imagine my surpise when I saw them the other day while I was visiting one of our local wholesale dealers. Check them out at Kidz Closet. Oh by the way, did I mention the price??? Holy Moly! Only about $40!!! I'm in love!

Inexpensive valentine idea

2010-02-08T05:55:00.000-08:00

So of course since this is what I do for a living, I feel a lot of pressure to be "over the top" like a super out of the box Christmas card, or a spectacular teacher gift at the end of the year, etc.

Valentine's is no exception. Of course the kids in my sons' classes probably won't appreciate my artistic "vision" when they open their cards, but of course I imagine their parents looking through all their cards and saying, "Now THAT one, THAT one was really, really cool and different. I think I'll go out right now buy thousands of dollars worth of stationery from that kid's mom" LOL!!!

All kidding aside, I LOVE to be able to use my creativity on things not just printed, so here is what I am doing for my sons' classes this year. I like to think it would be super easy for anyone to do, so I am sharing the idea with you. (P.S. Super cheap to make!)

I took some coloring book sheets and printed them on cardstock (I drew these coloring sheets, but you can find free ones online all over the place like here.) I slipped those into cellophane self sealing envelopes, added some coloring pencils and few thin pieces of candy. Then I adapted one of our Valentine's cards (the wagon for my 3 yo and the baseball for my 6 yo) into a sticker and adhered it to the outside

Here is the finished product :)

Front

Back

And for the teachers....

Since they have to put up with my boys, I thought they deserved a little more than a couple of swizel sticks, so I got them each a gift certificate to take their families out to eat from http://www.birminghammenus.com

P.S. Please excuse my photography! That's more my partner's thang!

P.P.S. Ever since my older son's first Valentine's cards years ago, we've always used the verse I John 4:19 "We love because He first loved us." Isn't that what it is really all about!?!

My favorite quotes about love

2010-02-05T05:40:00.000-08:00

Here are some great quotes you can put on your Valentine's cards. (Today is the last day to order ours!)

We love because He first loved us.

~1 John 4:19

'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

~Alfred Tennyson

Love at first sight is easy to understand; it's when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle.

~Amy Bloom

Love: a temporary insanity, curable by marriage.

~Ambrose Bierce

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking.
It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
~I Corinthians 13:4-8

Tell me who admires and loves you, and I will tell you who you are.

~Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve

The love we give away is the only love we keep.

~Elbert Hubbard

I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out.

~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

There is no remedy for love but to love more.

~Henry David Thoreau

The one thing we can never get enough of is love. And the one thing we can never give enough of is love.

~Henry Miller

Love is a promise, love is a souvenir, once given never forgotten, never let it disappear.

~John Lennon

And this one is for my hubby:

Grow old along with me, The best is yet to be
When our time has come, We will be as one
God bless our love, God bless our love

Grow old along with me, Two branches of one tree
Face the setting sun, When the day is done
God bless our love, God bless our love

Spending our lives together, Man and wife together
World without end, World without end

Grow old along with me, Whatever fate decrees
We will see it through, For our love is true
God bless our love, God bless our love

~Lyrics by John Lennon (based on a poem by Robert Browning), also performed by Mary Chapin Carpenter

Little Lamb Design Announces its Participation in the 64th Annual Nat'l Stationery Show

2010-02-04T18:50:00.000-08:00

LITTLE LAMB DESIGN, LLC ANNOUNCES ITS PARTICIPATION IN THE 64^TH ANNUAL NATIONAL STATIONERY SHOW

BIRMINGHAM, AL February 4, 2010

Little Lamb Design is pleased to announce its participation in the National Stationery Show, running May 16-19, 2010, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. This year marks Little Lamb Design’s first time to exhibit at the show, and it is excited to debut its line of personalized, fully customizable stationery, invitations, and greeting cards at the Show in Booth number 1154.

Little Lamb Design offers a wide variety of products and designs. Its stylish offerings range from fun and cute to elegant and classic. The company’s products are available for retailers to sell through 6 different albums. Retailers will be particularly interested in adding Little Lamb Design to their in-store portfolio because of its ability to customize its designs according to the client’s preferences. They can request color, font, and photograph changes as well as a completely custom design option. It also offers clients the chance to put photos and text on the back of all photocards and invitations, allowing the client to make the design truly one-of-a-kind.

“Participating in the industry’s top trade show is a dream come true. We are beyond excited to be able to meet with our existing clients in person, as well as explain our exciting product line to prospective retailers,” explains co-owner Ellen Gillespie.

Little Lamb Design, LLC was founded in 2008 by designer Ellen Gillespie and photographer Stella Schreiber. Gillespie had been home-based stationery entrepreneur working when Schreiber became a client of hers. Their business relationship turned into a partnership in the spring of 2008 when they decided to combine their talents. Their combined 17 years of industry experience has given them great insight into being able to offer clients extremely high quality products with extras like expert photo editing, color changes (to reflect things like a favorite team’s colors or clothing matches), and a variety of paper and design options.

Little Lamb Design, LLC

Ellen Gillespie and Stella Schreiber

205-979-6363

www.littlelambdesign.com

littlelamb@littlelambdesign.com

Great wedding planning article from My Scoop

2010-02-04T05:09:00.000-08:00

I love a good ol' fashioned southern wedding! For all you Yanks, I'm telling you, if you haven't been to one, you haven't lived! Steel Magnolias is by far my favorite movie of all time.

Check out this amazing article by Ashlyn Stallings of My Scoop on how to plan the perfect Southern wedding. I was so honored to be a part of "a team of Birmingham's wedding experts." Who knew?!

Cool, easy, and cheap panini recipe

2010-02-03T07:42:00.000-08:00

I got married right around the time that the George Foreman Grill was just getting to be popular, so we got 2 or 3 as gifts (we just kept one, but thank you Aunt So-and-So for the LOVELY gift!). I guess it was because it was such a novelty, to be able to drip away all the fat from the the stuff we grilled right in the comfort of our kitchen, that we used the heck out of it for about a year. I think it was my "thing" I have with HATING to handwash dishes and the fact this grill could not go in the dishwasher, it kind of became relegated to the back of the cabinet. Fast forward ___ years ;) I came up with this awesome sandwich the other night using none other than that awesome little countertop appliance. See if you have one in the back of your cabinet and give it a shot! (And for the record, yes, I know they make them now where you can put the grates in the dishwasher, but alas, that is not how mine "rolls.")

Super Awesome Panini Recipe:

Tomato topped focaccia (I got one on sale at Target, but here's a great recipe if you want to make your own)

Slice bread in half horizontally.

Put some provolone slices on the bottom half.

Put some smoked turkey slices on top of that.

Repeat the cheese layer.

Top with the other half of the bread and put this on the preheated grill. Let it grill for about 15 minutes and then slice like a pie as shown above.

The Mommy Files review

2010-02-02T19:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Shannon at The Mommy Files for the great write up of our Valentine's Day cards! Check out the review here http://www.themommy-files.com/2010/02/little-lamb-design-valentines-day-review-giveaway/

Last call! Enter to win FREE Valentine's cards!

2010-01-29T12:20:00.001-08:00

We've partnered with 4 of our wholesale dealers to give away a set of 24 mini Valentine's cards to each store. Click on the links below and be sure to comment to get entered to win! Winners will be announced next week. In case you don't win, be sure to get your order placed by Friday, 2/5 to allow enough time for you to receive them. Thanks and have a blessed day!

Paper Dolls in Greystone, AL

http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Birmingham-AL/Paper-Dolls/113789427216?ref=mf

Kidz Closet in Vestavia Hills, AL

http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Vestavia-Hills-AL/Kidz-Closet-More/341223270346?ref=mf

In Stitches Monogramming in Prattville, AL:

http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Prattville-AL/In-Stitches-Monogramming-by-Kim-King/104512550954?ref=mf

Paper with Purpose in Birmingham, AL

http://paperwpurpose.blogspot.com/

Cool Baby Kid

2010-01-25T11:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Cecelia at Cool Baby Kid for the review of our Valentine's Day cards. Check it out here:

http://www.coolbabykid.com/2009/01/little-lamb-design-mini-valentines.html

2010-01-24T13:04:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Kate at The Shopping Mama for the great write up of our Valentine's Day cards! Check out the review here http://theshoppingmama.com/2010/01/little-lamb-designs-personalized-valentines-giveaway/

Coloring book Valentine's Day card contest

2010-01-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

We're entering a contest through Etsy andCoolMomPicks for coloring book style Valentine's cards. Winning designs will be sold on Etsy with 100% of proceeds going to The Children's Heart Foundation. Wish me luck! Here are my entries.

I love being a "boy mom"!

2010-01-14T17:03:00.000-08:00

The photos say it all!

www.stellaschreiber.com

Sooooo beautiful!

2010-01-14T16:05:00.001-08:00

Sooooooo not in the market for a new wedding gown. Happily, happily married for many years now! BUT...this dress almost makes we want to do it all over again. I've never seen anything like it! It is from Jane Wilson-Marquis's painted collection. Go have a look at their website http://www.janewilsonmarquis.com Oh my my! I have really never seen anything like any of her gowns. They really stand out from the typical white straplesses you see at every wedding you go to.

Paper is not the enemy ;)

2010-01-13T20:16:00.000-08:00

So being in the paper industry, obviously I love paper. Many environmentalist would have us all believe that paper is evil because of deforestation. In this very interesting blog post from Roger Dziengeleski, Vice President and Senior Forester for Finch Paper, it is pointed out that "suburban sprawl" is the largest threat to forests these days, NOT PAPER!

http://www2.finchpaper.com/our-environment/where-have-all-the-forests-gone/

http://www2.finchpaper.com/our-environment/where-have-all-the-forests-gone-— part-ii/

So don't be a hater :) Send an actual handwritten thank you note for those birthday gifts, not just an email, and certainly don't NOT say thank you at all!

Cool party favors

2010-01-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

Here is a very simple and inexpensive party favor idea. Take some disposable paper cups and cut the tops off with scalloped scissors from the craft store. Fill plastic baggies with candy (we used chocolate kisses). Tie with ribbon and then affix one of our gift stickers to the front. WhaLah! What a great way to thank people for coming to your party.

The gift sticker says "We sending kisses on your way. Thanks for helping Angela prepare for Tanner's Birth Day!"

Baby Shower Ideas

2010-01-08T11:11:00.000-08:00

One of my dearest friends just had her 3rd baby. Her closest friends and I wanted to honor her and help her prepare for the arrival, but she had just about everything she needed because he is her 3rd. So we decided to give her a "Diapers and Wipes" shower. It was actually a lot of fun! We joked about her needing to find 30different ways of acting excited about opening a pack of diapers ;)

At left is the invitation. I just love the colors and the pattern, so I carried the same pattern throughout all the decorations and favors and even her gift...what else? A diaper cake!

I adapted the invitation into a guest book sheet for everyone to sign, thank you notes for her to use after the party (don't forget, this makes a great gift you can give too!), napkin rings (paper strips rolled into a circle and held together by double stick tape), and water bottle stickers. Lastly, we made cute little favors for everyone to take home. I'll be posting instructions on how to make those tomorrow!

Before and after

2010-01-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love a good before and after? I can't get enough! This one comes straight from my own powder room! We've lived in our house for 7 years now, but the house was built in '97. The bathrooms are SO mid-90's, so it was time for a change! I couldn't take the polished brass "builder grade" powder room for another minute, but because we're saving up for a kitchen remodel, I didn't want to spend much. So here is the 1st thing I did. This is the BEFORE. While it is a lovely light fixture, I wanted something with an oil rubbed bronze finish that is more en vogue these days. New bathroom light fixtures are not terribly expensive, maybe $100ish, but why spend it? I removed the light from the wall and painted it with this super cool new Rustoleum Universal spray paint.

Then when I attached it back to the wall, I turned it upside down and added some shades instead of the globes it came with. The shades were super cheap and then I glued some beads to the inside to create the fringe. Here is the AFTER:

2010-01-04T13:32:00.000-08:00

WELCOME!

Welcome to a NEW YEAR, NEW DECADE, NEW WEBSITE, and NEW BLOG!

We'll all be posting on here periodically, but mostly it will be me (Ellen). I want to use this blog obviously to increase sales (who doesn't want to do that these days?), but I also want to share some of our inspiration, ideas, and personal items as well. Things that might randomly affect you and cause you to have a better life :) (or at least a better party!)

So here's why I named this blog BaaBaable. Obvoiusly lambs say "baabaa". But also, I am SUCH a babbler! Do you remember the episode of Friends where Chandler said all the wrong things because he was nervous?

He kept saying to himself "Just stop talking! Just stop talking right now!" but he couldn't and he kept digging himself deeper and deeper in a hole! Well, my friends and family know that's me! I have no filter and tend to say the wrong things at just the right time. I just keep babbling and babbling and can't stop! LOL!

So here's to a great New Year and let's all BAABAALE together!