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Mara Mi Stationary Store :: Part Two

As promised, here are the second set of images captured of Mara Mi's Stationary Store in downtown Stillwater, MN. I had difficulty putting the camera down. The colorful displays were intoxicating and it seemed that behind every nook and cranny was more to look at. Truthfully, I had wanted to bring all of it home with me, including the gloriously decorated table at the store's front entrance. Talk about a fabulous introduction. Maybe I should just pack my bags and move in already. 

I'd like to pass along a quick thanks to Gary, Mara Mi's owner, for stopping by and commenting a day or two ago. What a tremendously wonderful surprise!! And I'm all for expanding Mara Mi's presence, Gary. London sounds about perfect!

I love how Mara Mi displays their washi tape selection. It sits tidely and patiently inside two large glass jars that sit amongst other office supplies. Surrounding them are "washi tape" kits - this set of extra thin washi tape was by far my favorite :)) 

 

Just across from the washi tape was a bold, get-right-to-it collection of Japanese mechanical pencils and notebooks. I was inches away from claiming a pencil for the purse - they're some of the prettiest pencils I've ever seen!

 

Yes, Mara Mi designs partyware! Napkins, plates, silverware, etc. Have a Summer party coming up, and live in Minnesota? Check out Mara Mi's large extended partyware selection. There's lots to choose from :) 

 

Do you sometimes buy a card simply because the design inspires you? I've done it a couple of times myself in the past. The Thank-You card was an immediate purchase. I couldn't surpass it's almost perfectly "Christine" color palette. 

 

And there you have it, Mara Mi, cozy on the corner of a busy intersection inside the beautiful area of Stillwater - a regular travel destination for those of us that live in the Twin Cities - there are a ton of shops and restaurants in the area to be enjoyed, Mara included! Can't wait to get back there...two weeks and counting!

Crate Paper + Little Boy Blue "New"

 

 

When I heard that Crate Paper was releasing lil' boy and lil' girl baby collections this Spring, I just knew they'd be extra cute! Each has a slightly different feel and vibe, but both encompass that retro-ish feel that's recognizably "Crate", and only "Crate". Of course, there are some new embellishment/paper additions - check out the wood "baby-themed" shapes, and matching AC Thickers. Also, the boy collection is home to a "flashy" patterned paper that'll cost you less than a buck - though some trim-work is required. Still, the flashcards, when seperated, are worth every little penny. Use them alone, or together (frame the sheet while you're at it! The paper is super darling...)

 I actually had a chance to create with the collection over Mother's Day weekend. Before doing so though, I had to seek out a baby picture. Sadly, I lost all of Ethan's baby pictures to a failed external harddrive a number of months ago. Luckily, I as able to located an adorable picture of Ethan's cousin instead. Them blue eyes are as precious as can be...

Believe it or not, this young lil' boy is now well over three years old! Ethan and I have plans to see him this weekend as his sister is about to turn one - guess I'll have to use the Baby Girl collection to document the special, upcoming occasion. :))

 

I'm keeping the post short and sweet 'cause I'd love for you to make it to Crate's blog to see the new collections as soon as you depart from here. Make sure to tell Crate Paper what you think of them!! Leave a comment if you'd be so willing. Lastly, there's a "Name that Baby" contest on Friday - Lullaby could be all your's for free! Mark your calendars. See you over there..

Mara-Mi Store + Cafe :: Stillwater, Minnesota

When it comes to bold colors, modern patterns, big typography statements, hand-illustrated graphics and all things paper, you know I'm there. So, when I heard the rumor that Mara-Mi planted itself in the quaint, trendy district of Stillwater, Minnesota, I added the stationary shop to my "must-see-to-believe" roster immediately. I made the first visit to Mara-Mi two months ago, but forgot the camera. No kidding.  Finally, this last Saturday, with camera in tow, and the lil' fella Ethan, I drove the forty-five minutes again, to see the place a second time.  Upon arrival, we stopped off at the store's in-house cafe for a quick treat so as to settle in before going crazy with the camera, and "yes", the checkbook. The idea of leaving empty handed hadn't seemed much of an option given the two big glass jars of washi tape sitting at the back table. A couple hundred photos and five tape rolls later, we said our good-bye's to Mara-Mi. And, after a two hour photoshop session tonight, I'm ready to share the trip! Be prepared, there's a ton of color ahead!

 *Because I took enough photos to supply a week's worth of blog posts, I'm breaking the Mara-Mi presentation in-half. Stop by on Friday to see the rest of the images..

I'm skipping the descriptions this time around. I figure there's enough photos here to outlast any further info needing mention. Now tell me you wouldn't shop this place like no one's business...

 

Shifting Scrapbook Trends :: The Modern Design Takeover

 

White. White. White. I don't know what to make of this up & coming neutral. Normally, I shy away from using it. Period. My creativity is driven by color, almost exclusively. Still, I'm drawn to it's modern, clean appearance because I'm really liking some of the new scrapbook trends lately. A couple days ago, I sat around thinking about ways in which to incorporate it into my scrapbook style. While at my desk, I experienced a sudden, unexpected light bulb moment that went something like this...

Treat white like a side item. Around it, create a bright color palette. And don't just use a little bit of color either..go all out! Skip the sanitary white-on-white layering. When formulating the color palette, balance pastels with bold, lively hues. Also, as a whole, the presentation should be eclectic, but not overly random. To do this, partner neutral patterns with more lively ones. Make use of embellishments in unexpected ways, as well.

I'm really excited to give some of these ideas a try. I hope to build on them as well. I'll keep you posted as to my progress. It's time to embrace change...

 

Another trend I told myself I wouldn't give into, Washi Tape. For the longest time, it's price point made it extremely easy to look the other way. While everyone else was collecting stacks of washi tape, I was avoiding it. Laugh. Well, wouldn't you know it, times have changed. After running into a table that's surface was covered with jars and bowls of patterned/solid washi tape varieties, I caved and bought five of them. Currently, I own eight rolls. Since purchasing the last roll, I told myself, "no more". Well, surprise, surprise! Every manufacturer under the sun is producing the crafty, soft-stick tape! Just a couple a days ago, I almost succumbed to a three-pack! Thankfully, the practical side of Christine kicked in. Honestly, how much washi tape do I really need?! Yes, it's cute, but it's tape, plain & simple. Scotch tape works just as great! Ummmm..maybe not.

 Metallic colors are HUGE ,again. I'm very happy about their return to the design scene. A number of years ago, I outlined everything in gold. I then followed it up with black outlining. I owned an ample number of gold gel pens, too. Thankfully, I kept a few. As of right now, I'm expanding my gold-ware collection - this small jar of gold smooch is waiting for me at my desk. Not quite sure what I'm going to do with it yet...

 

As a random insert, I accidently came across this retro-ish, red polka-dot transparency at the local Archivers. It's part of a brand new release from Fancy Pants called "Wave Searcher". It's truly bright red, and is flocked. Can't wait to create with it! 

 

I can't confess to being a good cook by any means, but I'm learning to make use of fresh goods over the less-than-stellar processed foods I'm trying hard to avoid. Today's late night cooking spree included freshly baked blueberry scones! Find the delicious recipe HERE.  I promise, after one bite, you'll be sold on them! They're heavenly tasting...

 

Last weekend, we made a trip to the local Ikea store to pick up a new kids table for Ethan, and a cream shag rug for the living room. During the visit, we stopped off at Ethan's favorite hot spot, the light fixture area. While there, Ethan thought it a good idea to help the retailer save on energy usage by turning off a row of lamps. Unfortunately, I had to instruct him to turn them back on. Of course, he happily accepted the request because it'd been another opportunity to play with the switches. He's crazy about mechanics and how things work - it's too bad I'm not an engineer.

I should probably depart. I have a calculus final that begins at 7:45am, sharp. That's less than seven hours from now. The last final, Micro Economics, is on Thursday..so close to the finish line. Wish me luck!

Good-Bye Spring Semester & Hello Summer School!

Hello Friends, on this very fine Friday! Yes, I seem to pop in and out of this place at random. On the flip side of that though, Spring semester is just about over {two finals remain!}. It's hard to believe that already, I conquered two years of business school (Business Calculus, Macro Econ, Micro Econ, Accounting I, Information Computer Systems (Database Development), etc.) It's a HUGE achievement given the circumstances of the last four years. I feel truly blessed that all has worked out well. In pushing forward, I have two Summer Class ahead of me; Accounting II & Business Stats. One starts in June, and the other, July....the adventure continues.

Speaking of which, from the movie "Up!", my very favorite line...

The movie tugs at my heartstrings every time I watch it, but this quote is so, so true. Eric would have said the very same thing! 

 

A few days ago, I spent the morning with my good friend, Jeff, at the local Brueggers Bagel Shop. Upon concluding our visit, I handed him my camera to take a couple of photos - he did a pretty amazing job! Love that I look happy and healthy again. :)) 

 

Yesterday, I posted a brand new layout at the Crate Paper blog! It's followed by a lengthy description and a brief number of technique ideas. There's a whole range of colorful photos as well - locate it HERE. 

Also, Crate's hosting it's May color challenge!! Tara Anderson has once again created a new "gorgeous" color palette - just look at her clothesline display..the PEACH is heavenly, don't you think?

One more item about Crate Paper before concluding today's post :)) There's been a makeover of sorts, one that has been long time coming, and is extremely exciting..feel like taking a guess? I'll return Monday with a full disclosure - enjoy the weekend!

Cute Ethan Story + An Elle's Studio Invite

For nearly two weeks we'd waited to see Jeff's pinball machine. Ethan had been beyond excited to check it out. So, for two weeks, it was the only thing he'd talk about until we finally reached Jeff's house on Saturday. Here's the run down on our exchanges - I think you'll get a good chuckle out it. Be prepared, there's a curve ball head...

Visit arranged, one week to go...

"Mom, how many more days until we go to Jeff's house?"
"In a couple of weeks, Ethan."
"Mom, that's a long time. How about we go tomorrow?"
"Jeff won't be home tomorrow."
"Well, I want to see his pinball machine now. I don't want to waaaaait."
 

Fast forward to the big day, just hours prior...

"Mom, is it time to go? How many more hours?"
"Four more hours. That's it!"
"But that's a long time. Can't we go now?"
"Nope. Jeff is working."

 Leaving the house, officially...

"How long is it going to take to get there?"
"Thirty-minutes, Ethan. Remember, first we're having dinner with our friends."
"I want to see the pinball machine before we eat."
"Sorry bud, it's food before games."
"Ohhhh man."
 

Destination  behold...

"Mom, it's in the living room."
"Do you want to play it?"
"Not yet."
"Really? But you've been super excited about it..."
"First, I'm going to play with the Legos."
 

I should of known. Legos. What about that pinball machine he'd been talking about the last two weeks? Eventually, with Jeff's motivation, he gave it a whirl. He had a blast, too. And now that we're home, he's asking about it again. Something tells me there will be another visit to Jeff's soon. Laugh. Ethan is such a hoot! Maybe next time he'll skip the Legos, you think? 

~

Over the years, I've been so very fortunate to meet an abundance of wonderful people from within the scrapbook community. Some of them have turned into blossoming friendships that I greatly cherish. They're my saving grace. And no matter the amount of time that passes, the friendships never change. Naturally, they just exist, as is. They're some of the best friendships you'll ever create, truly.

One such friend, is Elle. Yes, Elle from Elle's Studio. I've known her a couple of years. Love her. Love her tags. Love her kits. I recently had a chance to create with Elle's Studio April kit, "Here & Now". Over the weekend, I laid the kit contents on my desk and immediately got to work. 

The kit's color palette gave me the idea to take out a recent photo of our furry cute creature, Casper. Like many of my photos, it had been waiting for the right moment. The soft colors fit him perfectly.

There's a hidden secret about Elle, and I'm about to expose it. Inside her well packaged boxes is the cutest shade of pink tissue paper you'll ever see. Every time I open an Elle's Studio box, almost instantly, the pinkness of the paper makes me smile. Not surprisingly, with the kit, the paper greeted me once again. I pulled it out, folded it multiple times and trimmed a small flower from the layers and layers of paper. I gathered them together with a tiny brad and then placed on top, a velvet yellow flower (Maya Road). I also curled up the edges, just slightly, to give it that messy look. Finally, I positioned it on the layout for an extra boost of pink!

 

Polaroid frames from Studio Calico's "Numerical" patterned paper serve as frames for the layout's titlework. I filled them in with antiqued Vanilla cardstock. I then taped them up with peach colored washi tape. 

*The numbers are not included in the kit. They're from my personal collection and manufactured by Bella Blvd. 

 

One of my classic, everyday tools that I keep near me while working is a gold gel pen. For the longest time, it's been my tool of choice. I love it's reflective qualities and how kindly it takes to strong, vibrant colors. You can't go wrong with gold! 

 

Fill those tiny spaces with Dimensional adhesive! The dotted pattern can be created on top of anything, really. I was wanting to expand upon the already beautiful hexagons from My Mind's Eye. 

 

It's difficult to see, but I also applied a thin layer of dimensional adhesive to Jenni Bowlin's hexagon stickers. 

 

There's a couple of additional layouts posted at the Elle's Studio blog if you'd like further kit usage ideas! Also, a brand new Elle's Studio Inspiration Gallery is live - get your pin button ready 'cause there's lots to love! 

I'll see you again on a brand new day! Oops, before I forget, Blue Birds take flight at the Crate Paper blog all this week! There's a Pretty Party giveaway up for grabs, too! Chirp. Chirp. >>

I can bring the flowers to daddy...

We made another visit to Eric's gravesite this week. I don't know why, but I feel closer to Eric when at his resting place. Knowing that he's literally "there", in the physical sense, makes baring his absense slightly easier. I even secretly tell myself that quite possibly, he's listening, or can hear my voice. In truth, the only real listening that's happening is from above, not below. Still, I'm pretty good at fooling myself. Six feet isn't so far. It's reason enough to believe, pretend, even convince myself, that what I say, matters more. My prayers won't go amiss.

I had a full week, hense less updates here. I apologize. I will try to do better next week. Too much going on, but honestly, I don't mind. It's good for me to get out and enjoy life!  

Today's agenda includes sitting down at my scrapbook desk with the latest Elle's Studio kit. They'd recently hosted a giveaway of the kit at the Crate blog. I promised Elle, my sweet friend, that I'd give some love to the kit's contents and create something wonderful from them...should be relaxing, and fun. 

A few final images from the visit..Ethan has been interacting more and more with Eric at the gravesite. He's even taken to brief conversations with him. When in the car on our way there, he suggested I "stay in the car" while he carried the flowers to "Dad". Of course, we both made the trip. I couldn't see letting him do it alone. It just goes to show you how much he loves his dad. 

Spring Time Traditions & New Pop Layout!

 

Like many of you, Minnesota residents saw an early Spring this year. And with it, came warm weather, ranging from the 60's to the 70's. Now, to some of you, that might not seem like a big deal, but to Minnesotans, it's pure paradise. Laugh. Very rarely do we have the good fortune of such temperatures this early in the year. Normally, we experience them around Mid-May or so, but it looks like we got lucky! Already, Ethan's enjoyed the sprinkler, the leaky bubble maker, the disorganized sandbox, the new big-boy bike, and the usual Summer treats, like popsicles and watermelon! We've even taken to walks around the block a dozen or so times...love the warm weather. Yes, we do.

 I snapped a couple shots of Ethan nibbling on a popsicle a few weeks ago during a warm afternoon heatwave. His friends had been over and on the front porch after a long play session in the sprinkler. I brought them towels to dry off with, and strawberry popsicles to nibble on!  They were a very happy group of kiddo's that afternoon. And, for a minute there, it almost felt like Summer!

Last week, while out at Archivers with a friend, I started working on a layout with the photos I had captured. Since then, I've been slowly adding to it. My schedule is so random these days. I do most of my scrapbooking at night, when all is quiet and peaceful.  Last night, I finally finished the layout and couldn't be happier about the outcome - it's a beautiful rendition of lazy Summer Days and all it's coinciding simple pleasures like biking, kite flying, butterflies, sunshine, flowers, and delicious Summer treats.

 

Butterflies {Martha Stewart}  take on a little bit of sparkle via the addition of shiny pink sequins and yellow antiqued brads. Surrounding them are chipboard clouds {Cosmo Cricket}, an animated sun {Bella Blvd. - THANK-YOU Stephanie!!}, a sprinkling of punched yellow chevron dots, red floral buttons {Bella Blvd.}, and large red/pink ornate journal spots {Anna Griffin}.

 

Tucked beneath an array of layers is this cute "Spring" tag from We R' Memory Makers. I'm a huge fan of their die-cut tags! They're well designed, and very affordable. 

 

In the right, lower corner of the layout is a mini shadow box. It's filled with B/W chevron patterned paper, a lt. turquoise  journal spot {Cosmo Cricket}, an Ampersand sticker {October Afternoon}, and other misc. phrase stickers {Bella Blvd., American Crafts}. I propped the surrounding frame on strips of foam core pop dot material {leftovers trimmed into strips}. The frame is from an old K & Company collection - it's cheery and bright. 

 

Snippets, Snippets, and more Snippets. I can't say that I'm very good at using them. Personally, I find random pieces of hand-trimmed papers difficult to work with. Still, I see everyone playing them up with a dissaray of paint drops/mist., stitching, fabrics, white space, etc. I have yet to figure out how they do it, but I envy their ability to see outside the box of everyday traditional scrapbooking. I'm still stuck in "grid format", but it's what ultimately works best for my style. White space has never really been my friend...neither has paint. Laugh. Kuddo's to those that can make magic from both! 

 

I'm still obsessed with American Craft's double stick tape. It's the best adhesive for adding strips of glitter to one's project! Here, I applied gold glitter to a 1' wide strip of double stick tape, and then set it underneath a punched border strip {Martha Stewart}. 

 

Anyone care to take a guess as to the owner of this red bike? That's right, Crate Paper! It's a brand new design from the Story Teller collection chipboard set. I've been looking for an excuse to use it, and finally, it has a home! Makes me want to go out and buy a bright red bike to take on trips to the lake and other bike-friendly locations...currently, I'm without one, but it's on my  "to-buy" list. 

Not sure if you noticed, but I added a "Pin It' button to the bottom and sidebar of my blog. Please do "follow" me at Pinterest if you're someone that adores color and eclectic designs as much as myself. I'm also a big food lover..Pinterest has me cooking, finally! Yeah!

 

A Surprise Arrival + My Favorite Photoshop Actions

I experienced a moment of glee when FedEx showed up at my doorstep yesterday with a large American Crafts box with my address on it. I knew that inside would be Crate Paper's Story Teller & Pretty Party embellishments. Their arrival from China was just a few short weeks ago, so I'd been anticipating them. Around dinner time, I removed the new embellishments from the box and set-up them up for a quick photography run. Thought you'd enjoy seeing them...especially the bronzed copper frames {Made from thick, light-weight epoxy, not metal}.

Supplementing the buttons this time around are floral cabochons brads in various shades of pink. The complimentary mix coincides well with Pretty Party's "precious girl" theme. 

 

Story Teller is similar to a lot of collections out there right now. It cater's to the everyday moments that are vastly popular with Project Life followers. It's also a great neutral collection to have hanging around to use on projects about traveling, family, and other "general themes". And did I mention that it's color palette includes "Navy Blue"? Oh my goodness, I can't get enough of the color these days...and Emerald. Beautiful.

If you hadn't noticed, Crate Paper expanded it's embellishment collection. Sadly, the planned upon Washi Tape release is no longer. Certainly bummed about the news, but these cute clips more than make-up for it :) And so do the new wooden frames!! Yeah! My favorite of the bunch!

 

Finding time to be creative is still a major challenge for me, though to make it happen, I've been scrapbooking nearly every night into the wee hours of the morning.  Normally, which I'll openly confess to, I'm not much of a late night scrapbooker, but I'm desperate and trying to make the best of the situation. Currently on my desk is a layout-in-progress and a bunch of colorful product piles. I love to surround myself with scrapbook supplies while working on projects. Like a map, I go to them for direction as they often lead to the next great idea! I also like to have a lot of options - honestly, I couldn't scrapbook the way I do without a vast and varied selection of fun items to pick from...

I call this a "die-cut/tag/journaling card" pile. I go through each of my color coordinated die-cut baskets before beginning a new project. I focus on only those baskets that support my project's color palette. Takes about fifteen minutes to get through the process, but it's worth it because it forces me to use "what I own". Plus, pretty displays like this one are a nice surprise once the selection process is finished. Seeing it all come together is satisfying within itself.

 

And always on my desk is this bird/butterfly filled bowl. You can never really have too many of them as far as I'm concerned. ;)

 

You know I can't leave this place without showing a small assembly of photos of my little guy. This morning, Ethan took out his old fix-it kit. When I asked him what he was making, he responded, "I'm making the letter "F", mommy. Wanna see? It's really cool! It even plays music - here are the speakers. Look!" Sure enough, there it was, the letter "F". A big ol' grin came over my face. He'd actually built a figurative object, and of all things, a letter! He's so much like his dad...laugh. I love it. And wouldn't you know it, he brought the letter with him to daycare today to show grandpa. I'm sure my dad loved it as well. 

 

I know that some of you have inquired about what I use to edit my images in Photoshop. Well, here's the secret; Kubota Artistic Tools. A photographer friend introduced them to me a long time ago, and I've been hooked on them ever since. They're intended for the serious photographer. The actions themselves are extremely smooth, easy to use, and combine beautifully. They're also built into a separate dashboard that acts as a mini search engine for locating all your favorite Kubota actions. The board is slick, too - Just pull it open after starting photoshop and you're set to go! 

The reason I mention this is because Kubota is having a huge sale now through April! I'd heard about it via email this morning. All action sets are nearly 50% off! Trust me, this is a really good deal. I went about picking up Viva La Vintage and Pow Wow as soon as I got word of the price. They're reliably good...and are worth the cost.

An Easter Recap + Celebrating Spring

 Easter is one of those holidays that rarely catches me off guard as to Eric's absense. Instead, it brings an enormous sense of  renewal and hope to the inner struggles that often compromise my ability to see beyond just today. My sorrows part way to make room for new possibilities as I watch mother nature transform her surroundings, all of which is beautiful. And the happiness that finds me is a comfort - finally, a chance to escape the isolation of Winter, what a relief....thank goodness for Spring.

On Easter, we spent a greater portion of the day with family. First, we traveled to my hometown of Cottage Grove for an afternoon at my parent's place. Aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, and anyone else you can think of was there, along with enough food to feed an army. Leave it to my mom to keep us from starving - love her for that :) In addition, an egghunt of mass proportions had been undertaken by the kiddo's. Each of them stuffed their tin buckets to the top with plastic eggs galore. It had been too much fun!  Now, they'll never be without candy again. laugh. As if the easter bunny hadn't been generous enough, we'll be forever endebted to sweets the rest of Spring. 

 

And there you have it, a petite summary of our Easter weekend "in-action". Tomorrow, I have plans to introduce a new Q & A session, and thereafter, a sneak peek at my messy desk and the inside contents of a special box from one of my favorite manufacturers! Happy Belated Easter to all of you! Thanks for checking in!