Cara Crowley

Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T10:38:00.000-08:00

Images from my instagram stream. I’m caracrowley if you want to join me.

Happy Valentine's Day! Honestly, I haven't always been the biggest fan of this day. I have always believed that when you love someone you show them all year long how much they mean to you not just today. But since becoming an Auntie, I have come to like this day more and more. I love sending cards and goodies to my nephews and making it a special day for them.

.... But if I was going to go all out when celebrating Valentine's Day with a love, I would commission a hand calligraphy love letter to give as a gift. This would also be a romantic anniversary gift.

photo credit and to order, contact paperfinger.com

Enjoy your day with the ones you love.

xoxo,

Sunday Mornings

2012-02-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

Images from my instagram stream. I’m caracrowley if you want to join me.

My favorite mornings are Sunday mornings. I love getting up early and taking my nephews to pancakes and then taking them on a fun adventure. This past Sunday we went to a nearby fish hatchery to feed the fish. It was a perfect way to unwind before starting the week. I hope you had a great weekend!

Cleaning House

2012-02-01T19:08:00.000-08:00

The new year always inspires me to start cleaning and organizing. I've been cleaning out my design studio and purging all my party supplies. Today, I found this bunting and I've added it to the shop on my sidebar. For now I am selling only one 4' bunting but I know I have more floating around the studio.

Perfect bunting for a baby shower or birthday party. This bunting is made from two shades of pink card stock; blossom and strawberry. The patterned paper is inspired by a vintage floral pattern with shades of pinks and grays. The bunting is strung on a double sided satin ribbon. Bunting measures 4' in length.

2012-01-31T09:19:00.000-08:00

When I attended the Alt Summit a couple of weeks ago, we were lucky to have Ben Silbermann of Pinterest give the keynote speech. Ben's speech was one of the best speeches I've heard, it was inspiring to hear him talk about his passion as an adult for the internet and after failing trying to create an iPhone app that never happened he turned to what he was passionate as a child, collections. His company then went on to create Pinterest; a place to collect images from around the internet.

I've used Pinterest for a while for both personal and work projects. I use it with my clients as a collaborative work space to collect ideas and as a place to make sure we are visually and style wise on the same page. I use it as a place to collect inspiring images of all types to keep me creatively fed as well as a place to catalog travel, design, entertaining and recipe ideas.

This is how I use Pinterest but I'm always curious to see how other people use it. How do you use Pinterest?

If you are new to Pinterest and want to know how to use it, Kathleen made this video about How to Pinterest. And you can find my collections here.

Chinese New Year 2012

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

(Instagram photo )

Today marks the start of the Chinese New Year, the year of the dragon If you are wanting to celebrate here are some ideas to decorate your home for the festivities ::

Decorate your home in red, the Chinese color for good luck.
Peonies symbolize love, affection and beauty and are know in China as "flowers of riches and honor." Float the peonies in shallow bowls down your table to create and easy centerpiece.
String a flower garland to ornament your mantels or doorways.
Line your walkway with traditional Chinese lanterns to draw light and luck, along with your friends and family, straight into your home.
Foods like whole fish, noodles and mandarin oranges are considered lucky foods, so eat or gift these foods as much as you can on the New Year.

Wishing you a year of great happiness and prosperity!

Alt Design Summit

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

Today I am leaving my desk and heading to Salt Lake City to attend Alt, an amazing lifestyle and design blogging conference that I am very excited to attend. I'll be driving from Sacramento to Salt Lake City, wish me luck. I hope to be blogging from Salt Lake but if I don't, I'll see you back here next week!

Kid Friendly Entertaining

2012-01-12T13:25:00.000-08:00

Last year I was given to opportunity to contribute to a local moms magazine, Kidaround. In the latest issue, I provided five tips on how to entertaining at home with your kids, instead of going out or shipping the kids off for the evening. You can go here, to read the digital copy of the article and the rest of the publication.

Cauliflower Soup

2012-01-06T14:51:00.000-08:00

In the cold months of January and February, I turn to this soup. It's warm, comforting and satisfying. And as an added bonus it's topped with warm, buttery, crunchy home made croutons.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a shallow pan, add 2 diced celery ribs and 2 coarsely chopped cloves of garlic.

Sauté for a few minutes until celery is soft and shallot is translucent. Add kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Add 4 cups chicken stock to celery and shallots. Add cut up cauliflower and add a few springs of thyme to pan and simmer for 25-30 minutes.

Remove soup from heat and cool for a few minutes. Spoon mixture into blender and blend in batches (remove the top of blender while blending to allow steam to escape). From there pour soup either back into pan or pour into serving bowls. Serve with homemade croutons.

Baby Shower

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I co-hosted a baby shower with Manpreet from pulp papery for our good friend, Anne. Anne is from St. Louis and is going to have a shower there hosted by her family but we wanted to throw her shower here with a few of her California friends. So Manpreet and I set out to create an intimate shower with classic French details, lots of fresh flowers and really delicious food. Check out the details ::

New Books

2011-12-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I lived dangerously and ordered everything in my Amazon cart. These are some of the books that I ordered. It's been fun to read through these new resources and gain fresh inspiration for the upcoming new year.

Pantone Colors

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

Like most designers, I have thing for Pantone color chips. I think it's the clean and simple layout of how the color and name are displayed on the color chips. Every year Pantone announces a color of the year in their yearly color forecasting. It was recently announced that the color for 2012 will be Tangerine Tango. This bright orange will make it's way into home decor, fashion, graphic design, weddings and parties.

Sample of Tangerine Tango

This custom painted wall inspired by Pantone color chips in Mindy Weiss' studio is genius ::

These mugs would be a great way to get inspired first thing in the morning ::

DIY :: Pumpkin Pie Spice

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

Fall has officially arrived in my part of the world and that means that it's time for fall baking. Some of my recipes call for pumpkin pie spice, which I refuse to buy at the grocery store because it's expensive and I already have all the ingredients in my pantry and it takes about 60 seconds to mix up some of your very own that you can use all season long.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Gather and measure out your spices

Mix them together and and store in a spice jar.

All photos were taken by Penny Sylvia. Penny is an international lifestyle and wedding photographer. For more information about Penny you can visit her website and blog.

Giving Thanks

2011-11-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

Recently I splurged on these Rifle Paper Co. notecards. I write thank you notes pretty regularly to clients that pass my name along to their friends, to friends that invite me over to a home cooked dinner or to industry contacts when they have helped me along. In a world of email, Facebook, Twitter, texting, I find that it can be refreshing to get a handwritten note in the mail.

Here are a few ways I like to make boxed notes look more custom:

1. Swap out the standard white envelope that comes with the set and instead purchase color coordinating envelopes.

2. Use a personalized stamp to stamp the back of the envelope, mine is a custom stamp from paperfinger.

3. Create a custom color coordinating liner, I mostly use Paper-Source envelopes and liner templates.

4. Don't use the same stamps as your bills, find a cute stamp at your local post office for your stylish letter.

5. Take the time to print off a nice label or use your best handwriting to address your note.

DIY :: Homemade Brown Sugar

2011-10-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

Kitchen Trivia: Brown sugar is just white sugar with molasses added to it. This trivia paid off well last week when I ran out of brown sugar while making harvest festival cookies for my nephew, Luke. I didn't want to close the house up, turn the oven off, get my shoes on and head to the grocery store. Instead I decided to see if I could mix up my own brown sugar and success! It was the fluffiest, freshest, most flavorful brown sugar I have ever tasted. From now on I am making my own and you can too.

The only two ingredients that you will need are white sugar and molasses.

I like using the ratio of 1 cup sugar to 2 tablespoons molasses.

You can add more or less depending on how light or dark you like your brown sugar.

Combine sugar and molasses in mixing bowl with whisk attachment.

Mix sugar and molasses together for 5 minutes at medium/high speed.

Keep mixing. Don't be tempted to stop mixing too soon.

At the end of five minutes you will have fresh, fluffy brown sugar that can be used in any recipe.

Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag.

All photos were taken by Penny Sylvia. Penny is an international lifestyle and wedding photographer. For more information about Penny you can visit her website and blog.

Wedding Wednesdays :: Favors as Centerpieces

2011-09-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Wedding favors can be challenging. You want to give your guests something that they will use and enjoy. My favorite wedding favors are those from the wedding decor; a little vase of flowers, a beautiful calligraphy place card, a potted herb or orchid is also beautiful favor. The favor ideas below work double duty as favors and as centerpieces, helping you stretch your wedding dollar just a little more.

Flower boxes. There are vases inside the boxes with a slit cut into the lid of the box to keep the flowers hydrated. You can also decorate the boxes with ribbons and fabrics that coordinate with your wedding.

Potted daisies are perfect for taking home for a reminder of a sweet wedding.

Surprise guests with a little something special and wrap it up with a pretty bow and pile them high in the middle of the table for a festive look.

Send your guests home with seasonal fruits or vegetables displayed in small wooden crates for them to snack on the next day or enjoy cooking with at home.

These foot high Noble Fir trees would be a perfect favor and centerpiece for a winter wedding, although I would change out the fabric shown in the photo and use burlap garland instead.

Use vintage tea and biscuit tins and fill with seasonal flowers.

Potted geraniums and herbs are also a perfect solution for favors and centerpieces.

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Wedding Wednesday :: An Elopement

2011-09-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

Wedding Wednesday will be a new feature here on the blog where I will highlight weddings and wedding ideas that inspire me.

Would you ever elope? I love the idea of choosing a romantic location, inviting a few friends and family and tying the knot. This California elopement is simply perfect with the vintage pink accents and costal details.

All images :: Jill Thomas Photography
Found on 100 Layer Cake

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend.....

Playing with my nephews

Buying fresh fruits and veggies from my local farmers market

BBQ at my parents house

Making sauteed corn with heirloom cherry tomatoes and green onions

and green beans, heirloom cherry tomatoes with a shallot tarragon dressing

I also picked up gorgeous dahlias at the market

and yet more flowers

I have to say it was one of the best Labor Day weekends I've had in a while. I am easing back into real life this week and have some really fun projects in store for the fall.

Sneak Peek :: Pulp Papery at the Urban Hive Open House

2011-08-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

Last week I worked on an Open House for my good friend Manpreet, the owner of Pulp Papery. She recently closed her retail store and opened Pulp Papery Studio, at the Urban Hive in midtown Sacramento, to focus on custom wedding invitations, announcements, personalized stationery, and custom stamps and embossers.

These are a few iPhone images of the Open House, there will be much better photos coming soon from the wonderfully talented Caroline Winata of Tinywater Photography. This event was such a success due to the amazingly talented vendors that I worked with; floral design by Botanica Floral Designs, cupcakes sponsored by Icing on the Cupcake and mini tarot card readings by Jeannie Howell from the Manifest Readings & Healing Center. Thank you, thank you, thank you to each and every one of you.

Pulp Papery Open House

2011-07-26T15:54:00.000-07:00

These last couple of weeks have been crazy busy. One of the things I have been working on is an open house for a local stationary store, Pulp Papery. The store is reopening in August as Pulp Papery Studio at the Urban Hive in Sacramento. Please join us August 4th for the relaunch Open House and enjoy some live music, cupcakes from Icing on the Cupcake and check out the amazing floral designs of Botanica Floral Designs. It should be fun!

Jenny Lind Cribs

2011-07-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, when I have a client who is struggling to find their style, I have them do an exercise of quickly flipping through magazines and tearing out images that they like. They don't have to know why they like the image, they just have to feel a connection to the image. After they are done, I lay out all the images and 99 percent of the time, I can see a pattern in very quickly and I can get a very quick sense of what style and direction to go in.

In my own life, I collect images on my computer by either using Pinterest or by adding them to iPhoto. Recently, I was browsing through my photos and realized that I have a pattern, or better yet make that an obsession, with Jenny Lind cribs. Up until today, I would have told you that I didn't have a crib preference. See, the exercise works each and every time.

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DIY :: Lack Tables

2011-07-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

The Ikea Lack tables are my go to if I need a small side table. They are inexpensive, easy to assemble, and are the perfect size for small spaces but sometimes I need to dress them up a bit for a space and this DIY in the July Better Homes and Garden has the perfect solution by adding nail head trim to the sides of the table making it look dressed up and a little more custom.

Yellow and Orange

2011-07-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

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Yellow and Orange could quite possibly be my favorite flower color combination. It's upbeat, cheerful and celebratory. Perfect for a wedding, baby shower, birthday or just perfect to have around the house. My absolute favorite yellow and orange flower is the parrot tulip in the bottom right picture.

Confetti Fun

2011-06-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Somehow when you add confetti to an event everything instantly feels more festive. Check out these fun ideas to add confetti to your next event.

Fondant confetti cascading down the cake. I like the continuation of the theme by adding paper confetti

in the same colors on the table below the cake.

Create a fun photo booth with confetti circles and fishing line.

The first place to introduce you theme is the invitations, make sure they are festive and thoughtful with these confetti invitations. You can customize your own here.

I love parties and weddings that serve a little something extra towards the end of the evening, sometimes savory or sometimes sweet. These doughnut holes would be a perfect midnight treat.

Adult homemade liquor lollypops are meant to be stirred into champagne until the pop is dissolved and infuses the champagne with the flavor of black currant, peach or raspberry. Recipe can be found here.

Easy to make and unique place cards to keep the confetti theme going.

Gumball inspired chocolates make for a fun and festive favor for your guests.

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Summertime

2011-06-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today, I picked these strawberries from my garden and checked in on my cherry tomato plants. Summer is coming in fast and furious with warmer and warmer days. This summer I have decided to put beach days into my calendar as well as "field trips" to local produce and dairy farms. I can't remember the last time I was this excited for summer to arrive.

White Couch

2011-06-14T12:47:00.000-07:00

I have clients that are this close to purchasing this couch from Crate and Barrel. It's comfortable, is perfect their limited dimensions and fits their cottage, beach style. But it's white. It does come in other colors but we keep coming back to the white for their design. Would you dare to have a white sofa?