The password is...

or·ga·nize:
1: to cause to develop an organic structure
2: to form into a coherent unity or functioning whole
3 a: to set up an administrative structure
4: to arrange by systematic planning and united effort

For 2009, it is my goal to organize! Organize my thoughts, my projects, my household responsibilities, my life. My in-box has been fluttered with newsletters and emails, talking about ways to organize everything from my kitchen to the space between my ears. Being organized takes effort, but a little inspiration can be a great place to start.

Bird's the Word?

At the start of 2008, I decided to live the year by a single word instead of several resolutions. Resolutions that I knew I wouldn't be able to keep. Hoping that '08 would hold some excitement, I chose the word celebrate. By choosing one single word, I found myself looking for ways to use it. Ways to put it into action. I posted about a few instances throughout my blog journey; graduating from college, a new job, my first sale on Etsy! But the truth is, I was able to find ways to celebrate in even the smallest every-day details. That's when I knew that my word was working! And even though '08 is now past, celebrating will continue because I made a point to make it a part of my life. If you chose a word last year, I hope you were successful in putting it to use. If not, why not choose a word to live by in '09? Share it with your loved ones so that they can help you to live by it as well.

So, what's my word for 2009? You'll have to stay tuned to find out!

Nautical Boat Accents

In planning for the nautical baby shower that my sister-in-law is hosting, she had a need for some little accents to add to a diaper cake that they're making. I went to Michaels and found some very inexpensive, wooden sail boats. And by inexpensive, I'm talking 25 cents each. One shiny quarter!

For a quarter and some coordinating scraps of paper, I was able to give her some cute little accents that she could use on the diaper cake as well as the centerpieces. These will be darling tied to the front of a pail holding raspberry colored hydrangeas!

Accents don't have to be costly, just use your imagination! Ahoy!

Nautical Thank You From Baby

I mentioned in my previous post that I was working on some nautical themed baby shower items for my sister-in-law. Today Id like to share a thank you note that reads from the baby. I used all of the same supplies from the nautical baby shower invitations and put together a simple card that can be placed along side the centerpiece of each table.

I added some simple aqua pearls to the corners and let the rest of the thank you speak for itself.

There are various baby thank you wordings out on the web, or if you're a poet and didn't know it, you could write your own. I think that this is a cute and simple way to carry your shower's theme throughout and to thank guests for attending.

The nautical themed fun isnt over so stay tuned!

Nautical Baby Shower Invitations

Hello! I hope you're reading this from someplace warm and cozy because we've got sub-zero temperatures outside. It is bitterly cold but I'm at least thankful for the clear sky and sunshine, rarities this time of year.

My sister-in-law came to me and asked me to make some invitations for a family baby shower she was hosting. She knew she wanted aqua colors paired with kraft paper but in a unisex kind of way. Knowing that the family has lots of love for boating and all things water related, I thought a nautical theme would be perfect for this shower. Nautical is easy enough, but try doing it in a non-traditional, non-gender way! With a little help from trusty ole Martha and Papertrey Ink, I decided to pair the aqua and kraft colors with raspberry for a new twist on nautical.

I started the invitation with Papertry Ink's Aqua Mist cardstock and layered it with Kraft cardstock. I wanted to keep the outside simple in order to emphasize the inside contents so I printed a catchy opening line in raspberry ink and set it off with a coordinating border:

The guest is met by a nautical greeting, 'Ahoy there!' and encouraged to sail on over for a baby shower. The invitation's final size is a standard A2 but I used the paper's full 11 inches in order to create a pocket on the inside. The pocket's contents were then secured by wrapping Raspberry Fizz Saddle Stitch Ribbon around to the front. The seam is disguised with a layered circle featuring a nautical anchor, courtesy of a Martha Stewart craft punch.

The pocket created additional space for directions and registry information without scrunching all of the wording into one area. I love this concept! Its an easy way to include an ample amount of information while keeping the invitation organized and easy to read without sacrificing its appearance.These invitations were so much fun! I look forward to sharing a few other concepts I came up with for this non-traditional nautical baby shower so stay tuned.

Shabby Hookers Set

Hello friends! If the rest of 2009 follows suit to this first week, it is sure to fly by! Over my holiday break, in between bouts with the flu bug, I created a Shabby Hooker set for my sister to give as a special gift. I love making these and you will soon see some new ones in my Etsy shop.


I love this floral patterned paper against the distressed, antique white wood.

To coordinate, I created two smaller Shabby Hookers that feature a rustic, red dot pattern with greenish-brown glass knobs.

Together they make a nice contrasting set!

Happy New Year!

Best wishes to each of you for a blessed and prosperous new year!