Budget-Friendly Holiday Decor

Now that it's officially December, my mind turns to the holidays. Besides a few white lights and sometimes a nice, fresh green tree, I'm not too big on holiday decor. I blame this on my current apartment (not a lot of room) and my lack of off-season storage (no room at all). Maybe someday when I have a larger space, I'll be more seasonally-inspired. For now, though, I like to keep things minimal. This diy wreath project over on Design*Sponge caught my eye, though. It's wintery, without being too "Christmas-ey," and with its soft colors, it could stay up for a few months. I always have leftover grocery bags and spray paint around, so this would be a "free" decor project that wouldn't take up any floor space. Free and cute? Perfect!

Click here to check out more images and the full instructions at Design*Sponge.

Image source: Design*Sponge

Happy Friday!

I caught the sunlight was coming into our bathroom window at sunset the other day. It was so pretty, I just had to snap a shot.

The Nars bottle that you see is their Monoi Body Glow II. I love this stuff. I got it before I went on a trip to Greece five years ago, and I still have it. A little goes a long way, and every time I put some on, I feel transported to a tropical locale. It's a tahitian gardenia scent and there's even a little dried flower in the bottle. If you're feeling very un-tropical some time this winter, I would highly recommend purchasing a bottle!

Happy weekend everyone! Think tropical! xo -Kam

Musical Inspiration!

Working on my Etsy shop usually occurs after a full day of work, which means that I usually need a little energy. For a little non-caffeinated pick-me-up, I always put on a little music while I work! Thought I would share a sample of what's been playing in my studio tonight:

- - "My Love" by The Bird and the Bee

- - "Lisztomania" by Phoenix

- - "Evacuate the Dancefloor" by Cascada

- - the entire "Sigh No More" album by Mumford & Sons
(but especially "I Gave You All" and "Winter Winds")

- -"It's Been Done" by Angela McCluskey

- - "Prisoner" by Hacienda

- - "He Can Only Hold Her" by Amy Winehouse

- - "The Promise" by When in Rome (for old times sake!)

I like the fun mix of upbeat, dance music and moody, folky, nighttime music. Hope you find a few songs that you enjoy! Put them on and get creative!

You can purchase these all of these songs on iTunes (and probably Amazon, too!)

xo - Kami

Where have you been?!!

I don't call. I don't write.
The nerve.

I guess I have some explainin' to do.
Well, I've been just a little busy with my personal life lately. It's as simple as that. I have been feverishly planning the most wonderful event: my wedding to the loveliest, sweetest man, which is going to happen in 30 short days! (Eeeekkkk!!!) I cannot begin to tell you how excited we are. Everything is finally falling into place and the "to-do" list is getting a lot shorter. I'm just hoping that the Chicago weather holds out for us and we have a sunny, crisp fall day!

A few weeks ago, I also completed my first ever sprint distance triathlon here in Chicago. That was a HUGE personal goal for me that I have been working on since February (and hey, it didn't hurt that it helped me lose a few pounds for the wedding!). I am so proud of myself for accomplishing it. Sports have always played a role in my life, but I have to say, swimming for a half-mile in open-water never has. Beyond casual swimming, I had no idea what I was doing. So I signed up for some lessons this past winter and then practiced, practiced, practiced. Obviously, swimming in a race setting, with a bunch of other people was the panic-inducing portion of the race for me. But thankfully, the swim went better than I could have ever hoped. The rest of the race was HARD, but very fun. I literally caught myself smiling so many times because I was so excited and proud. There's nothing that will make you more proud of yourself than doing something that seems a little risky, a little out of reach, and makes your nervous heart beat a little faster just thinking about it. It's worth it! Prepare, train, set yourself up for success and go do it! You'll be so proud of yourself afterwards. Promise.

Ok, enough pep talk. I'm just feeling so energized lately and am ready, with all of my personal plans falling into place, to step back into my Etsy shop and the blog world and send some positive energy and lovely cards your way! I hope you'll come along for the ride! xo-Kami


This is literally what I yelled out as I exited the water, "Yay! I didn't drown!"

Dream Locale: The Viceroy Palm Springs

Well, I've already got my wedding venue, but the Viceroy Palm Springs looks pretty darn swanky. I love, love, love the yellow + black and white color palette that they have for this whole hotel! Yellow is my favorite color and playing a big role in my own wedding, but the Viceroy takes the yellow to a whole new level of hip, California cool. It's 90 degrees here in Chicago, but Palm Springs is still looking pretty nice :) Especially that pool.


Check out the full post over on The Wedding Chicks blog.

And after your done ogling the images of the Viceroy, head on over to Lane Dittoe's website. He took all of the above photographs and there so much great wedding and couple photography on his site.

All photography by Lane Dittoe Photography
Source: The Wedding Chicks

FREE Father's Day Cards!

Hello Lovelies,
Well, I have been a very bad shop owner lately. I'll admit it. Between traveling and planning my own wedding, I have been been a bit neglectful and have left you in the lurch without any Father's Day cards! Shame on me! I sincerely apologize for the oversight. I DO love my papa, and I'm sure you do, too!

So, to make amends, I've posted some free, yes FREE, Father's Day cards that you can download as a PDF file and print on your own personal computer (or take to your local copy shop). NOTE that these are only for your personal use (not for selling them or for stealing my ideas). Just print 'em out, cut and fold along the lines. Then give the card to your Dad this Sunday with a big hug and a kiss!

Here are the 2 card designs (2 color options for the first design)
Simply click on the LINK below the card image to go to the pdf file download.

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful Dads out there! -Kami

Happy Daddy Day! Card - BLUE

My Pops is the Tops Card

Happy Daddy Day! Card - RED

Etsy Love! :: Dancing Pen Calligraphy

I just wanted to spread a little Etsy Love to a fellow Etsian, Elecia of DancingPen. Isn't her work beautiful? And to top it off, she's a sweet shop-owner, with super-customer service. I'm lucky enough to have her addressing my outer envelopes for my wedding invitations. She also does calligraphy for a range of other products--marriage certificates, vows, placecards, poems and I'm sure much more!

I admit, it is a little splurge to get calligraphy, but even on a budget I wanted at least one extra special touch to our invitations. After seeing so many beautiful calligraphy samples on wedding blogs, I knew that I wanted calligraphy. Elecia is going to use white ink on dark grey metallic envelopes and I cannot wait to see the results. I'll have to control myself until August, but I will be sure to share the results when I get them back! Until then, I need to get working on the overall design of our wedding invitations. It's definitely on my "to-do" list for this month.

Top image source: Dancing Pen Calligraphy

Go Ride a Bike!

The weather forecast for Chicago next week is looking a little better and my goal is to ride my bike to work at least two times next week (with my helmet, unlike the cute lady above. Yes, you look chic, but put on that darn helmet!). My trip to work is only about a 15-minute bike ride versus a 5-minute drive in my car. I know, I am such a lazy American. A 5-minute drive! However I defend myself on the basis of these three facts: 1) I am absolutely, positively, never-in-a-million-years a morning person. It's just not pretty in the morning until I have some coffee and the clock strikes 11am. Unfortunately, I need to be at work much earlier than this. 2) I am currently training for a triathlon, which is both the reason I should be riding my bike to work and also the reason that I should not. My body is just so doggone tired lately and biking even just a few more minutes is not the most appealing idea. Also, if I have my car, I can whip over to the gym at lunch and get a run or a swim in. So being lazy and driving actually allows me to workout more (i'm sure that you love this logic. ha!). 3) Lunchtime=errand time. I get so much of my weekly shopping and errands done at my lunch time. No car = no trunk, which poses a logistics problem for how I would actually get all of those groceries and Target purchases safely home.

Okay, enough of my faulty logic (or excuses :), I'm just going to try and ride my bike to work twice next week. It is fun and energizing and actually does wake me up a bit more than the coffee.

Are you able to ride your bike to work or get in a bike ride during your normal week? Maybe for just a quick errand or for a fun ride with the family?

And speaking of biking, Chicago is also having a fun event over Memorial Day weekend (Sunday, May 30th to be exact) called "Bike the Drive." They shut down the busy Lake Shore Drive to cars for a few hours and let everyone come out for a nice ride with their families along the lake. It's not a race, it's not competitive—just everyone out there, all ages and all athletic levels, pedaling around for fun. 30 miles of undisturbed biking along the lake and in the heart of Chicago. What could be better than that?

I'm signing off until Monday, I've got a "spa day" scheduled with my sister tomorrow, a lot of work for the shop, some workouts and most importantly some relaxation with my sweetheart planned. I hope everyone has a great weekend and is able to get outside for a nice walk, run or maybe even a bike ride! -Kami

Top Image Source:A Cup of Jo blog (more on this Australian blog later. It's great!)
Bottom Image Source:Strawberry Luna "Going to See My Baby" Art Print

Ahoy, Dresser!

How fun is this dresser? I'm definitely filing this away for future use. This was painted by the folks over at Chroma Lab. They have some great ideas on their site for creating whimsical and textural design with just a bit of paint. The great thing about decorating with paint is that it's affordable and easy to change. Now that's my kind of design!

Image Source: Chroma Lab via Design Sponge

Getting Some Work Done

Hello, lovelies! I've been hard at work on a BUNCH of new stuff for the shop. There's just never enough time in the day, is there? I hope that everyone is doing great and getting ready for summer (it's almost here!). I've got a lot of new prints coming to the shop, as well as some great new cards. I can't wait for show-and-tell time. Until then, though, I need to sit down and crank some work out! And doesn't the desk above look like a lovely place to be if you have a lot of work to do? Just add a cup of coffee or tea and I would be set for more than a few hours. Ta ta for now! xo -Kami

Say "Hello" to the Future of Laundry

Okay, so I digress from my normal design rants. I don't normally get excited about cleaning products, but this new laundry detergent from Method just rocks. And I feel that I just have to let people know. I purchased it on a whim at Target the other week, mostly because I had walked to the store and realized that I was going to have to carry back anything that I bought. Eyes scan shelves and land on a laundry detergent bottle that promised to wash 25 loads and was smaller than a grande Starbucks drink. Sold! (Ok, so there's some little nugget of innovative packaging design appreciation in this post...) I initially bought the smaller version just to give a try, but we've loved it and have since bought this larger 50 load pump bottle. This 50 load bottle is the size of a 20 oz. soda bottle. I haven't counted, so I'm not sure how many loads it actually does, but it seems quite close to what the bottle promises.

Good things do come in small packages. This new super-concentrated, small packaged detergent is probably the most eco-friendly option on the laundry detergent shelves. Less plastic waste (the Method website says 36% less plastic is used to create these bottles vs. other concentrated detergents. 50% less plastic compared to normal detergents. whoa). You're buying a super concentrated detergent (so less water) and less weight to lug from the store and around your laundry room. Bonus: it saves space in your laundry area (my laundry area is a tiny closet, so that's a big deal to me!).

If you're still not convinced, the Method Laundry website outlines everything much more scientifically than I ever could. Take a look and next time you're out of detergent think about giving this brand a try for a few loads. The earth will thank you. (ok, i'm literally stepping off the soapbox) xo-Kami

Image Source: Method website

Modern Dollhouses

Like a lot of girls, I had a dollhouse when I was a kid. My younger sister and I would set up our dollhouses in a circle (our "town") and play for hours. Each of our dollhouses was a different style. I had a rustic, wood cabin while my younger sister had a pink and blue victorian as well as a larger painted traditional house. We exchanged furniture, "redecorated" and played for hours in our imaginary, little world.

Fast forward to almost 20 years later: I come across these "Modern Dollhouses" and the stories of their collectors on The New York Times website. I seriously gasped when I came across the first image. Who ever thought that you could have a modern dollhouse? As a grownup? Genius! The thought hadn't even occurred to me, but what better way to live out your modern furnishing obsession without going bankrupt? Personally, I love modern furnishings, but they're really not in the budget at the moment and also not really in-line with my hubbie-to-be's style.

The current collectors seem to be about portraying "real-life" in miniature (if not better-designed) versions of their real lives. In some of the pictures of these modern dollhouses, like the one below, it's hard to tell if it's a life-size room or the dollhouse. The amount of detail put into these houses is amazing!

I'm not sure if I could get into full-on collecting (especially because there's just no extra room in my apartment now!), but it might be fun to have just a few mini-modern furnishings spread around as little surprises.

Ok, you've got to check all the pictures out. They're just fascinating! Here's a link to the full slideshow. Enjoy!

All Photos: David Azia (for The New YorkTimes)
Source: The New York Times

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the lovely mothers (and motherly figures) out there! I'm thinking of all the Moms in my life today and thanking my lucky stars that I have all of these wonderful women surrounding me. Hug your Mom! (or I hope that you at least sent her a card! :) xo -Kami
Me and My Mom circa 1985 (wasn't she sweet to let me play in the warm, clean towels?)

If you need to find me...

...I'll be here. At my (pretend) home in Napa Valley, California. Doesn't it look heavenly? Have a great weekend everyone! -Kami

Photo: Erhard Pfeiffer
Source: Remodelista

Wedding Notes :: Father-Daughter Dance Song Ideas

As my wedding day approaches (just 5 months away!), I'm trying to get more and more things checked off the to-do list. One fun thing that I wanted to figure out was the Father-Daughter dance song. Now, I know not every bride wants to do this tradition, but my Dad is my buddy, and I definitely wanted this to be our special time during the crazy wedding day.

After a lot of research (hours!), my Dad and I finally agreed on Adele's version of "Make You Feel My Love," which is is originally a Bob Dylan song. This song has special meaning to my family, too, because my Dad danced to this same song with my older sister at her wedding, but in the Garth Brooks version (which is also very, very pretty..even for non-country fans!).

It was surprisingly hard to find some good (read: non-sappy, non-corny) songs to choose from, so I wanted to share this list of sweet and modern father-daughter dance songs that I found. I didn't want all of my labor to be for naught! This can be a great starting off point for your search, or maybe you love one of these! Enjoy! -Kami

--Michael Buble "How Sweet It Is" (There are also many other artists who do a version of this song, i.e. James Taylor)
--The Beach Boys "God Only Knows"
--Adele "Make You Feel My Love" (also a lot of other versions of this song by various artists)
--Billy Joel "Just the Way You Are"
--Billy Joel "Lullaby (Goodnight, My Angel)"
--Paul Simon "Father & Daughter"
--Ray Charles "Ain't that Love"
--Johnny Cash "You Are My Sunshine" (lots of other versions of this song)
--Ozzy Osborne "Here For You" (a little long, but maybe you or the DJ could shorten it)
--also Neil Young's version of "Here For You"
--James Taylor's "You've Got A Friend"
and one of my all-time favorites:
--Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (I still want to work this song into my wedding somehow!)

That's all I've got! Hope this helps!

Gorgeous Stockholm Home

Ok, I've never been Stockholm, but Mr. M (my hubbie-to-be) has and assures me that it's a place that I would want to be. And stumbling across images of this amazing house situated in the center of Stockholm, makes me pretty sure that he's right. The aesthetic is a bit stark for my taste, but it's just so different. So many pieces of furniture and ideas in construction that I've never seen. And don't even get me started on that bathtub. Seriously? Hello, Bathtub of My Dreams. It would just need a little floating raft to hold my book and a glass of wine, then I'd be set for a few hours. Perfection!






All images ©Sköna Hem via Designfragment.

Coming Soon to the Shop: The Jardin Wedding Collection

Hello, everyone! Wow, I have been away from the blog for awhile. Things have been a bit crazy here with my work (you know, that job that pays the bills :) and with planning my wedding. As we settle into summer, though, I am committed to being back in my shop and on the blog full-time. Very soon, I will be bringing a lot of new, exciting items into the shop! The first of which will be my "Jardin" Wedding Collection. I was printing out my test samples the other day and just had to snap a shot and share (I apologize for the not so great lighting).

The Jardin Wedding Collection is centered around this beautiful floral illustration, created by yours truly. The entire collection will be offered in 8+ color combinations, but of course, you can always customize any of the designs with your own colors and text options. The color options can change the look of the design from dramatic (red and black) to more relaxed (green, yellow, blue). The softer colors would be great for a garden/beach wedding, or you could go glamorous and dramatic with the red or black versions. The options are endless!

The Jardin collection will include invitations, rsvp cards, engagement party invitations, table numbers, and more! If something isn't in the shop that you need, just start a conversation with me via Etsy or the blog and I can create something especially for you, no problem. Be sure to check back in a few weeks for the full collection in the shop!

Are So Happy — Blog

My friend introduced me to the "Are So Happy" blog yesterday and I can't get it out of my head! This Oregon mom, Kyrie, chronicles her idyllic (but still real) life in this blog. Nicknaming her beautiful three daughters "Bee," "Birdie," and "Bunny," she shares gorgeous images of her daily life, recipes, and so much more. I haven't had much time to delve into the older entries, but I know that I eventually will.

I appreciate her point of view, her extensive reading lists for kids and Moms. It's refreshing to have someone out there enjoying her family, making beautiful art, homemade and nutritious meals and living a full life. Something to strive towards! Enjoy!



(Images from the "Are So Happy" Blog)

Draw on Your Walls

Ok, I don't know about you, but even though I'm a grown woman, I love the idea of being able to draw all over my walls. I have a tiny chalkboard "area" in my current apartment, but being a renter, there's not much I can do as far as super-creative decorating. Enter "IdeaPaint". This stuff seems pretty similar to chalkboard paint, in that you can paint it on just about any surface, and then easily paint over it with regular paint whenever you're tired of it. But really, who would get tired of having an entire dry-erase WALL? This paint is geared toward creative professionals through the Behance Outfitter website, but wouldn't this also be awesome in a kid's play room? Or (who am I kidding) MY room? You could change your "wallpaper" design every week, write down chore lists and weekly schedules, or just leave a nice big love note for your sweetie. How fun would that be?

Cleveland International Film Festival!

I'm already looking forward to the Cleveland International Film Festival! This year it runs March 18th through the 28th. My honey and his family are really into the film festival and I'm lucky enough to be attending my 3rd film festival this year. I'm only able to make it for one zombifying weekend where we watch 5 to 7 amazing, independent and international movies a day. It takes a few weeks (months) to process everything that you've seen in such a condensed time frame. You see more amazing movies in three days than you would normally see in a whole year. Pretty cool. Of course, the designer in me is excited to get my hands on this year's poster. Last year's poster was great and from the design tidbits that I found on the festival website, it looks like they've come up with a really fun, modern type treatment for this year. I must have one!

Cleveland International Film Festival
March 18-28th,2010

Snowy Day in Chicago

Another snowy day here in Chicago. Sigh. It is beautiful, but I don't think there are many Chicagoans who would disagree that it's time for spring to get here. Now. The one thing the winter has going for it is the Winter Olympics. I'm really into the skiing events this year and they're making me think of all those cool vintage ski posters. Now I'm feeling the itch to design something nordic-ski-inspired, so I went online in search of some great "inspirado." So many amazing things to be inspired by! Maybe some winter/ski cards and prints coming your way?

Stay warm out there! -Kami

Cute Cup o' Joe

I just saw this sweet new branding design for Fresh Simple Cafe in Brooklyn over on Twig and Thistle (one of my favorite blogs to check on a daily basis). The look is so sweet and calm. I like the limited use of colors and the simplicity. I wish I could stop by the cafe every day on my way to work and grab a cup! I would probably save the bag forever, it's just so darn cute.

Check out the Shop!

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade LostBridgeDesigns.etsy.com

Happy Weekend!

It's Friday and, as always, I'm looking ahead to the weekend. My goals are to get over this cold (sniffle, sniffle) and to make some more progress in the shop. I've got a few new items ready for listing, so be sure to check those out in the next few days. Going to watch my guy play some squash games tonight and Saturday. Maybe some heart-shaped french toast is on the horizon for Valentine's morning? My musts for this weekend are relaxation and staying warm and cozy here in chilly Chicago! I came across this picture today and it makes me want spring even more than I already do! So sweet and such a pretty play of light and shadows.

Enjoy your weekend and think warm thoughts!

The Shop is Almost Ready!

Well kiddies, I'm still hard at work here getting my shop ready and open for business! My February 1st deadline has passed, but I'm not going to let it get me down. I'm still on track and am willing to break my own deadline if it means getting things done right. It's so great to finally have "inventory" and not just a bunch of ideas on paper and in my computer. It makes it so much more real.

It feels great to have my creative energy funneling into these projects. I was worried that I might start to feel a little "burned out" from working all day and then coming home and working some more. In fact, though, this whole endeavor has left me feeling more creative, inspired and determined than I've felt in a long time. I'm so happy that I've started out on this journey and can't wait to share my work. I already have to say much thanks to my family, friends and hubbie-to-be for their support and encouragement so far. Thank you all!

For now, the shop still sparsely populated, but here's a little sneak peak to whet your appetite. Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

Altitude Design Summit :: Wish I was there!

This weekend the best of the best in design, blogs and more descend on Salt Lake City for what sounds like an amazing weekend. Seriously, there aren't many conferences that I even consider spending my money on because they usually conjure images of big name tags, endless presentations and awkward mixer events. But the Altitude Summit...well, let's say that meeting half of these people would leave me in awe. Hearing Web-celebs like Kathryn Storke (Snippet & Ink), Nicole Balch (Making it Lovely) as speakers would alone make it worth my time and money. There's also the opportunity to mix it up with people from every creative industry: designers, illustrators, bloggers, marketing peeps, fashionistas, interior designers, and the list goes on. I hope Salt Lake City appreciates the amount of creativity oozing out from this conference.

Maybe in a year or two, I can be amongst those lucky, elite few who get to go!! Fingers crossed!

Is it Friday yet?

I can't wait for this weekend! It's going to be "Studio Set-Up" Time. I've got a huge to-do list in front of me and I'm ready to tackle it. But, alas, it's only Tuesday. With a full-time job, my man's birthday, and some necessary socializing this week (c'mon, a girl needs to get out once in a while!), the setup fun will just have to wait.

I've got my plans, though. I feel very lucky to have an extra, out-of-the-way room available for my use, especially since we are renters and space is at a premium. I've got a nice, long counter and a chair (and of course, my computer), but I need to get organized! I'm going to pick up a few flat file drawers from Ikea to keep my papers organized, my inventory nice and clean, and my supplies where I can immediately find them. I have so many craft and art supplies, but since they've slowly trickled into my life, I haven't taken the time to actually organize them. It will feel great to start my business off on the right (organized) foot. I'll post some pics later this month once my studio really starts to take shape. Wish me luck!

Happy New Year!

Well, it's a new year. Happy 2010! New year, new business. I'm working on the new designs for the shop and couldn't be more excited! I can't wait to share them with ya'll. For now, I'm focused on the 2010 designs, setting up my shop and purchasing equipment and supplies. That's enough stuff for a girl to do, don't you think?