I remember taking this picture. I was being a know-it-all brat and insisted to my mother that I wear my new “cool” glasses. Mothers are almost always right about things, by the way…(Mom, aren’t you happy to hear me say this at 27?) :)

I am itching for a small break from my computer, but I thought I would post a preview of what’s to come on my latest buzz…

That’s right…a New York post. Jonathan and I visited the Big Apple over Thanksgiving, and we fell in love with the city.

We even made a short appearance on Jimmy Fallon.

Don’t blink. You risk missing it if you do.

Sorry…no sound. I recorded this on an iphone at 1:30 a.m., NY time, so I was groggy to say the least.

I wish you the merriest Christmas and good time to relax with your loved ones.

xoxo

I’ve been playing with some calligraphy…

Just got done with an outstanding calligraphy class, and though I am practicing the more formal copperplate calligraphy, I like to have fun with my own style of modern as well. So, I doodle my husband’s name like we’re in middle school again for practice. :)

I’ve been hanging out with Copper…

“Can I have some, mom? Pleeeease??” (tail is wagging excitedly at this point). In case you’re wondering, the answer is no. We do not give our dog chocolate milk.

We’ve taken some beautiful Fall walks…

And played at our favorite lacrosse field near our house…

And, yes. I’m obsessed with our pup.

I’m sure you can’t tell.

I’ve got stories, design updates, and some previews from some new things at nimblee coming later. For now, I’m trying to remember to take all of these little moments in and fully enjoy them–even in the midst of lots of work and lots of “to-dos”.

Vintage Sara Beth & Anne Elise, 1989

]]> http://mylatestbuzz.com/2011/10/31/happy-halloween/feed/ 0 sbparks sb&annehalloween http://mylatestbuzz.com/2011/10/07/simple-can-be-harder-than-complex/ http://mylatestbuzz.com/2011/10/07/simple-can-be-harder-than-complex/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:08:22 +0000 sbparks http://mylatestbuzz.com/?p=1296 Continue reading →]]>

“Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.” ― Steve Jobs

Brilliant quote by a brilliant man. I’m thankful to Steve for his genius and for the way his products have shaped what I do everyday.

I fell in love with Apple in college. I was scared to death when I started playing around on my first Mac–trying to make something happen with really scary software. “Hmm…can I really be a graphic designer, I thought?” It didn’t take me long to decide that being a graphic designer was exactly what I wanted.

Because of Apple’s intuitive products, I was able to make things happen. And, Apple gave me more than just a really cool iMac to work on…it gave me inspiration. The design of their products, their ads, their clever copywriting, their simplicity…it all symbolizes the goal we designers attain to reach–reaching a market with connectivity, fantastic yet “simple” design, and brilliance.

I can’t imagine being the mind behind all of that, but I’m thankful that Steve Jobs was.

Since the seasons are beginning to change, I thought it was time to reflect. A lot happened this summer…

A new puppy came home with us…

He was so tiny!!

We celebrated birthdays…

How great is this card? It was made by Rachel Martin Williams, and I had a fit over it.

What’s a celebration without great friends?

We had backyard summertime get-togethers…

and played bocce ball by torch light…

We enjoyed some wedding weekends and I watched one of my best friends (and cousin) marry her love…

We enjoyed Santa Rosa Beach with some of our dearest friends in the world and one of the coolest couples of all time…

We had some good eats at The Red Bar…

and even got a red picture…

I tried to get a tan…

and got to reunite with some of my college girls for a weekend…

Copper even got to float…

Yes, it was a great summer. It has come, and it has gone.

So long, sweet Summer. Here’s my song to you:

I got to create a chair-piece last weekend for a fancy bachelorette party. The bride-to-be’s sister wanted her to have a special place to sit, so I got to come up with a chair piece and design a small sign that read “bride” to highlight the honored person of the night! How cute is she?

The theme was slightly European, as she is getting married in Greece! So, we went with a sprawling wildflower feel.

This pic is kind of dark, but you get the idea (I took it with an iPhone in low-light, so go easy on me). You can’t see it because of the darkness, but it has a large deep purple hydrangea in the middle, queen anne’s lace, some gorgeous natural fillers, and my favorites in this piece–tulips. They aren’t even in season now, but I found them at the wholesale and had to use them.

I’ve also been creating at the shop…

One of my favorite things about working with flowers? You almost always have fresh flowers in your home. I worked on a wedding last week, and we had a lot of left-over stock, so I am enjoying a tall center-piece this week. :)

I have so much to learn in the flower department, but I am enjoying the process. Stay tuned–maybe I’ll have some more shots for you soon!

Thanks for visiting! :)

Meet Copper.

Copper is a Brittany puppy. He is so sweet, and he is growing fast. We brought him home at six weeks old (two weeks ago), so we have gotten a small taste of what it’s like to have a toddler. We are training him in every way–waking up several times a night for bathroom lessons, “sit” and “no”, and the classic game of fetch, of course. He is a smart and loving pup, and we are a little obsessed.

This next picture warms my heart. It is everything that is right in my world. :)

Copper talk:

Likes: my toys (especially my green tennis ball), furniture (although mom and daddy tell me I can’t chew on it), getting up early in the morning to play, cuddling with mommy and daddy at night, having my belly scratched, running outside in the grass

Dislikes: bedtime, my crate, mom and daddy telling me “no”, the loud contractors across the street with all of their loud tools, the big dogs in our neighborhood

Copper will be appearing on the blog from time to time, so stay tuned!

Wishing my sweetie the best birthday ever. Wasn’t he a cute little boy? :)

{going to the beach with this handsome guy}

(pic nabbed from our younger years…can you tell, ha?)

{getting to hang out  and celebrate with these kids…}

{eating tasty treats like this blueberry yumminess…}

(recipe courtesy of Real Simple)

{and hopefully getting to see some of these…}

Happy 4th of July!

(Painting of Jasper Johns’. Beautiful.)

The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.  {John Adams}

I’ve been doing a little bit of this…

and a little bit of this…

and some projects like this (see before)…

(and after)…

In case you didn’t catch all of that, I am doing some new things. I get to wake up and play with flowers each morning, and I am learning a lot about them from some very talented people. I am also getting to fully pursue one of my greatest design passions—invitation design. nimblee is getting a lot more of my attention these days; I am in hog heaven playing with paper, beautiful typography, and meeting with wonderful people that have a passion for print and remembering that special event with something unique. nimblee has a site redesign in the works (stay tuned) and so does my latest buzz for that matter. So get ready for some new looks along with all of these changes. By the way…why is this text blue and highlighted? Sigh…I have bad computer karma lately. Whateve.

I haven’t been just working, though. I’ve been playing some, too.

My honey and I got to make a long weekend out of a business trip of his that just so happened to be in our nation’s capital. We were thrilled to get to spend some time in D.C. We were enamored—it completely tickled our history buff fancy. I have another post coming about it with lots of fun photos…

…after I re-download them from my online back-up system. My computer crashed last week. That was a change that I could have lived without for sure. But, life happens.

In the meantime, I just wanted to say hi. I hope you are having a perfect summer. And, I hope you have a fan close by at all times if you live in the South. This summer is a hot one.