custom botanical stationery inspired by paris markets

this lovely stationery set was commissioned by my dear friend, andie. i'm kind of obsessed. she has a great eye for design and a love for all things french. 

austin, texas BBQ rehearsal dinner invitations

lindsay & boris were getting married in austin, texas.  with strong ties to the city (hook 'em!) and lots of international wedding guests, a big barbecue dinner was a must!

the rehearsal dinner invitation was all about fun: a chalkboard-style invite with vintage typography reminiscent of rustic honky-tonks let their guests know it would be a laid-back affair with lots of texas style. i couldn't resist a buffalo-check envelope liner complete with a custom logo featuring their soon-to-be monogram, LKB

see the full suite below and a little peek at the happy couple's rehearsal dinner celebration.

custom return address stamps now available at charm & fig

the shop is growing (oh so much more to come soon) but i had to get these custom return address stamps out ASAP. with holiday cards coming up, (you're sending them, right?) you can save some serious time and hand cramps with a return address stamp. 

AND it's a great gift for your best pen pal. i will undoubtedly be gifting some of these this year! xo

now available at charmandfig.etsy.com.

garden dreams in the texas heat

i've been totally inspired by rose moss. it's a hardy plant with succulent leaves that can withstand the texas heat and days without water. the bright blooms are right up my ally: neon shades of pink, poppy, yellow and orange. my iphone couldn't event register the brightness of these colors... #nofilter, y'all.

when we purchased our house, i had no idea how much i would enjoy gardening. i've been turning down some late night partying in order to get up early and hit the dirt. must be growing up. 

i pinned this photo a few months ago, and i keep going back to it. we're definitely going to spend the next few months trying to re-create this backyard. it's sustainable and just looks so damn cool. kudos to my good friend elyse who coined the term partio.

i'm torn between creating a modern, sleek backyard and an overgrown hill country garden. texas wildflowers need to 'planted' in september for spring blooms. i've been reading up on planting wildflowers and they just say to drop the seeds on dirt, don't bury them. how easy is that? you can order seed packets from wildseed farms.

here's a little peek of our backyard. blue agave, african irises and rose moss so far. still so much that needs to be done. can't wait to share the full picture.. when it's complete.

easy, cheap & festive party decor + house update

first things first! here's a picture of our house. it was built in 1937 and took a beating over the years. someone bought it late last year, flipped it and sold it to us. we were so lucky to jump on this house when we did - love at first sight and in a neighborhood we're excited to explore. 

..and now to more fun stuff. jon's sister graduated high school this year and all of her brothers and sis'-in-laws got together to throw her a little bash. we were all on a budget, but pulled off a pretty festive fajita soiree in our back yard.

with four kids and lots of birthdays to throw, my mother-law-in-law was smart to invest in a helium tank years ago. the balloons were a last-minute addition to the decor, but they were the best part! we taped fringed tissue paper to the base of the balloon to create these geronimo balloons-inspired floaters.

for the table, i used a dip-dye table cloth and crepe paper to create this striped runner. double-sided tape kept them in place.

to finish the ends, i simply cut out a little wedge.

and throughout the house, i made tissue-paper flowers. they brightened up the windowsills, tables, bathrooms and anywhere that needed a little pop of color.

here's the graduate with her bearded brothers. congrats callie! i was thrilled she happened to match the color scheme with such a pretty yellow dress.

my little nephew max is up-and-running these days. we tied a balloon to him so we easily spot him when he ran off. i think i might utilize this little nugget for when i have kids. my sister-in-law, chelsea, took the most precious photo of max with the balloons. 

that's all, kiddos. xo

it's here, it's open : charm & fig

so happy to announce that my etsy shop, charm & fig, is finally up and running!

if you follow this blog, you may recognize some of the items. here's a little peek at some of my new stuff. as you can see, all of these designs are inspired by the beach, which tells me i'm ready for a little vacation.

water color sunset polka dot folded card

hudson bay blanket folded card

postal thank you flat cards

'you're my anchor' folded card

yay! now go check it out.. and if you're on etsy and you like it, please add charm & fig to your favorite shops. thank you.

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bzz bzz.... bumble bee & birdie stationery

personalized stationery I made for a work friend with some vintage illustrations. melissa means bee in greek. bzz bzz!

yellow & black women's stationery

fun little cards i did for a co-worker's birthday gift

lemon water - easy treat

we received this pitcher today as a wedding gift. i had to throw in some sliced lemons and cucumbers to make a little refreshing beverage.

(IT's HOT, Y'ALL. we're in a serious rainfall deficit!!!!)

candied lemons recipe - easy and oh so good

candied lemons



if you like lemons, try this. there's no excuse. it's easy and chances are you already have these ingredients.

in a small saucepan, bring 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. add 1-3 thinly sliced lemons and simmer until translucent, 5 - 10 minutes.

drain and let cool completely on a rack before eating. store in sealed container in the refrigerator.

will you be my bridesmaid? purple & yellow

the aforementioned carly got engaged (!!!). she wanted to create something special to ask her best gals to be her bridesmaids and this is what we came up with!

engagement party invites - yellow & gray

my mom threw me a little engagement party and i had to take over the invites...

wald - random houston icon

these kind of signs have been going by the way of the dodo bird (yes! that's the second time i was able to use that phrase this weekend). i'm happy they're coming back in style.

don't know anything about the WALD sign, but when i was younger and going on road trips with my family, i could see it from southbound i-10, and that's when i new we were close to home.

the yellow arrow just makes me giddy. i want it in my house, stat.

birthday flowers

birthday flowers! my guy knows how to make me happy.

lemon souflee

lemon souflee & new kitchen tools tea towel. happpy new year!

pomegranate, lemons & water

pomegranate-dyed lemons in water

candied lemon peels

lemonade leftovers
candied lemon peels (thanks martha)
pretty packaging: confetti, post-it notes & envelope security stripes via frost bank