laurel denise is away

It fills me with happiness (and terror?) to put this message up and to really, really follow it. The "very little internet and phone access" part especially:

"hello! thanks for writing laurel denise! laurel is out of the office taking a small vacation this holiday weekend and will be back on june 2nd. there will be very little internet and phone access, but we'll get back to you as soon as we return to the office - thanks for your patience as we take a little breather!"

I'm leaving, y'all, and I'm not bringing my laptop. This is huge news. Huge. I think I brought my laptop to my wedding. Seriously. Last time I did this was when I took a vacation to Maine last August (bliss!) and that was accidentally. I left my Blackberry in the car and might have had a panic attack about it once in the airport. Once again, seriously. Cute Husband and I will be relaxing on the beautiful beaches of sunny Florida for a few days, attending a wedding and just recharging. I intend to read (a lot) and just relax (a lot) and come back focused and energized! Catch you fine folks next week!

i made some glass bud vases

Oh, well, hey there, sweet little happy glass bud vases. I'm so happy to see you up on my website, I could just squeeze everything.

this breville has my heart

This machine walked into my life (via the friend's house we were staying at in Brooklyn last week) and, seriously, my life is no longer the same. I want one of these machines and I want one bad, y'all. Bad. Cappuccinos make me feel fancy. And like I'm on vacation. Which is pretty much the best way to feel ever.

what to wear no. 052011

Hey, wow, remember that time I left for NYC to do the Stationery Show and I sort of kind of thought I put a little post up here about that little absence and then I get back and realize that I did no such thing? Hmm...yeah...so I guess that happened. Um, so, hi? I'm back! It was a lovely trip, filled with wonderful show hanging outs with this fabulous gal and this super fun and awesome couple and showing the 2012 Planner to some really great buyers and I even got some great NYC-time in with Cute Husband and our NYC friends. Now it's time to move into the gym because, wow, I know everyone knows that New York has great food, but seriously, y'all, New York has great food. Also great shopping. Like, great shopping. So I now own that lovely blue skirt up there. I bought it because when I tried it on, I sort of felt like I still had my pajamas on. And anytime that happens, I consider it an absolute must purchase. No questions asked.

ps: Sweet Nole featured my booth and peeks of the 2012 Planner on her blog! Yay! I heart Oh So Beautiful Paper. I'll post more about the booth and such next week, but if you want a little peek, go here.

pps!: Sorry. Forgot to write this. I'm going to the Craftacular Sale tonight. You all should, too. That's all. No more ps things.

skirt | tank top | sandals | laurel denise shine necklace

stationery show city

We're big-time gearing up for the stationery show coming up over here, friends. Like, big time. Postcards and paper punching and stamping and email writing and catalog designing and just doing everything ever in the whole wide world to get our bums in gear it seems (ps: I'm never dramatic). It's been busy, but guys, seriously, these little calendars are just happy. The colors (colors!!), the pattern (pattern!!) and just the overall readiness of them is great. They sort of make me squeal when I look at them. The many late nights (and early mornings) have been worth it this week. I think you guys will really like this 2012 version and I hope the wholesale buyers I meet this weekend will, too.

If you happen to be a wholesale buyer or an editor and want to come on by and see the new goods this weekend, me and Cute Husband (that's right, friends, he's coming with me!) will be in booth 1870 at the stationery show from May 15-18. We'll be hanging with our Figs & Ginger friends who, I'm not kidding, are launching some of the cah-uuuutest new products ever.

i love daniella, too!

Y'all...know how I like things that are simple and plain and white and maybe have a touch of gold on them somewhere sweet and soft? Know how that's the case? Well, well, well...have you ever seen such ceramic goodness that is so perfectly suited to yours truly? Yay love daniella, well done!

day one, year thirty

So, friends, today I'm thirty. Ya know when you're a little gal (all dressed up in frilly dresses climbing a huge cherry tree in the backyard with my favorite book of the moment...because that was my style, friends) and you picture yourself turning thirty? There are things you picture. A house, maybe some white picket action happening, a golden retriever, a handsome husband, and a baby or two running around in sprinklers? I pictured those things, I'm sure of it. Maybe I pictured a horse instead of the dog...never have been much of a dog gal, as much as I tried to force that feeling. More than anything, thirty seemed to be forever into the future. Like, wow, by thirty, life would practically be over and done and, definitely without a doubt, figured out. But I've got to tell you...what I have today on the first day of year thirty in my life is So Much Better than anything I ever pictured as a little gal. I never would have pictured living in a huge open room with a Cute Husband (where's the picket fence?), I never ever would have pictured owning a business that challenged and rewarded me day after day, I never would have picturing believing in God (who's He?!), I never would have pictured all of the amazing friends that have come into my life this year, and I never ever would have pictured that life would sort of feel like it was just beginning. Getting to feel the hope and excitement that something big is a'coming and noticing that something big is a'happening even right now while the "complete" picture is forming is the biggest gift and blessing of all. I'm thankful for it.

This friday fashion post is what my free-spirit-hippie-style-living-at-the-beach-at-heart personality would like to be wearing on this fine birthday. Humor me.

dress | sandals | cardigan | laurel denise see the beauty necklace

studio tour no. 050511

Y'all, this has been a doozy of a week here in laurel denise land. That's right, a doozy. It's one of those weeks where I think at about every corner I turned there was a big "you are doing too many things at once" sign smack dab in front of my face (in, like, neon lights or something) and those signs came in the form of mistakes. Some small (a document is about .5mm off...those .5mm that drive me insane) and some quite large (oh, thought I had a 10x10 booth at the upcoming stationery show - upcoming as in next week, friends - and realized yesterday - yesterday!! a whole week before I fly to nyc for the show! - that I actually have a 10x6 booth). No big deal. Looking at the huge over 6-feet wide posters of the calendar we got printed to hang on the walls kind of makes me a bit sick though, ya know what I mean? So, yeah, it's been one of those weeks. But, if I've learned anything these years, it's that posters and booths get adjusted, .5mm mistakes go completely unnoticed by a normal person (me = not normal) and things move onward and upward. You'd probably also think that I've learned to quadruple check everything. Like, every single thing. But, clearly, I'm still mastering that there lesson, friends.

Plus...PLUS! The caps lost this series big time. I mean, seriously. Salt in the wound, friends, salt in the wound.

stores shipped this week:
JD Myers: Redlands, CA
Frances: Phoenix, AZ
Red Envelope

fancy text

I'm checking out some new calligraphy artists for a little project I'm working on and I think the work over at If So Inklined is just fantastic. Plus, I always love a little play on words for a business name. Gets me every time. Double plus? She's a cville gal, too.

banner gone sparkly

While going through the internets this morning, trying to find a thing or two to bloggy blog about (because I couldn't not blog and dwell in slacker city for two weeks in a row), I stumbled on this lovely Etsy shop, Nice, linked from Brooklyn Bride (if you don't already, suuriously, follow that blog...Vane blows up the page with awesomeness everyday). I liked a lot in the shop, but I think these banners are my favorites. So happy and sparkly and fun and cute, right?

check in - check out

So, I have a confession. I sort of "checked out" last week. Cute Husband and I went to visit his parents (and brothers and sisters-in-love and their cute kiddie and my sister and brother-in-love and all of their cute kiddies) in nova-land and, well, I didn't really notify anyone. It was sort of bliss, to be able to just relax and workout and catch up on my hulu watching and take a mini break from my studio and, well, get refreshed for what''s going to be quite a busy summer. There was work, of course...I didn't completely neglect my inbox (oh iphone...) and I'm pretty sure there was an entire day devoted to printing the 2012 Calendar and paper sample picking-outs and pattern making and color-choosing. But, really, last week was just what the doctor ordered and now I feel excited and ready to go. Or, I mean, I'm positive I'll feel that way once this coffee sets in...

Thought these cute prints from froschkind were appropriate for my random check out.