Tale of the Multi-Tasking, Craft-and-Design-Loving, Mother-of-Two, Singaporean-Living-in-US, Corporate-Working Mom Named Grace Hester

Holiday Cards 101 – Gifting and Giving Back

I am co-hosting a Facebook chat this evening titled "Holiday Cards 101 – Gifting and Giving Back." Amazing creative mind and celebrity card designer Bonnie Marcus will be joining us to answer any and all questions you might have about making your holiday cards. This chat is the second of a two-part series, sponsored by Kodak.

When: Thursday, December 8, at 8 p.m. ET. It will last 1 hour.

Where: Kodak’s Facebook page – http://www.facebook.com/Kodak; There will be a tab on the side of the page: Chat Live with Bonnie Marcus!

About the class: Those holidays are creeping up fast! If you haven't already sent them out, it's definitely time to think about creating the perfect holiday greeting card! If you’re planning to design your own this year, this Facebook chat is the place to be! As a bonus, Bonnie will be telling us all about her Celebrity Cards for a Cause and the cool new Kodak Picture Kiosks in Target and CVS stores, which use RSS technology to connect you directly to your Facebook albums – allowing you to retrieve your favorite pictures to use in your own photo creations!

The chat is sponsored by Kodak, moderated by Jenny Cisney, chief blogger at Kodak, and features talented card designer Bonnie Marcus.

I’ll be there with six other bloggers to co-host the class, and I hope you’ll join us! The people who will be co-hosting with me are:

Alison, Oopsey Daisy Blog
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/OopseyDaisy

Ashley, Mommy by Day, Crafter by Night
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mommy-by-day-Crafter-by-night/148171478591062

Jennifer, Mom Spotted
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jleighdesignz

Jess, Craftiness Is Not Optional
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Craftiness-is-not-Optional/103633443053662

Joy, Creative Mamma
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/CreativeMamma

Shari, Earth Mother Just Means I'm Dusty
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Earth-Mother-just-means-Im-dusty/129663407092253

Hope you can join us!

I Could Be Violet Sky

This song's been in my head all day. 
No offense Mika but they did your song justice.  Different, but somehow equal justice. 

Fabulous Five Blogger Favorites (via Creative Mamma)

via creativemamma.com

Thanks Joy from CreativeMamma.com for highlighting this blog as one of her Fabulous Five Blogger Faves. I am so honored and stoked! It’s kind of funny because I enjoy reading her blog too (stocked with great tips, printable freebies, and fun family life stories) and she totally inspires me as a fellow busy mom. The other mentions include,

Paint Me A Picture

Oh My Handmade Goodness

Zakka Life

A Quick Study Online (who I am working with right now to launch my e-Commerce site – totally recommend her!)

Woot!

Greyson Chance

Greyson Chance (13-year-old whose YouTube video of him singing Lady Gaga's Paparazzi helped land him a feature on Ellen's show and ultimately a record deal with Ellen) singing Fire by Augustana gave me the chills.  In a good way - it's the kind of chills you get when you have the chance to experience true talent.

Enjoy. 

Cold Hands, Warm Hearts Swap Package from Megan of Flawed Perfection Jewelry

 

I decided to join the Cold Hands Warm Hearts gloves-swap hosted by the two lovely ladies, Ilene of much love, illy, and Sandy of Sandy a la Mode.  They paired me (random) with another lovely blogger Megan of Flawed Perfection Jewelry who has been just so lovely and sweet through this experience. 

First of all, I want to say that I had the biggest smile when I opened the box - everything was wrapped up so neatly in pretty tissue and enclosed with a small sticker.  Aw shucks, the packaging effort Megan! *score* :o)

When I first opened the gloves and saw the flip-top style she had gotten for me, I was so happy because I have been meaning to try a pair out but never got the time to actually go and purchase a pair.  This was perfect!

She also added a lovely handwritten message on a letterpress card - so sweet!  I think I just wrote something on a sticker.

And I was thinking that she will probably send jewelry (being a jewelry designer and seller et al) and sure enough - a truly cute pair of earrings!  Although I do not have pierced ears, I know at least 10 people who would love those earrings from Santa Grace this year.  (Oops and sorry Megan, I should have mentioned that beforehand. *sheepish*)

 

And last but not least, she knew that I liked chocolate so she sent on a bar of Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark chocolate!  Perfectly-chocolatey-perfectly-holiday-ish!  Do you feel the love?  I certainly felt the love.

Thanks so much Megan for putting this together for me and I hope you liked your package.  I was waiting to write this post before wearing the gloves but I thought it would be appropriate to at least don it while writing this post. 

(I think it might interest you to know that because of the flip top, I can still type while wearing gloves.  Yay!)

Thanks to Ilene and Sandy's great idea and coordination!  Head on over to their posts to see what they got and to Ilene's list of links submitted by other Cold Hands Warm Hearts participants.

 

Michael Bierut: 5 Secrets from 86 Notebooks(via The 99 Percent)

Renowned graphic designer Michael Bierut claims that he's not creative. Instead, he likens his job to that of a doctor who tends to patients  – "the sicker, the better." Digging into the 86 notebooks he's kept over the course of his career, Bierut walks us through 5 projects – from original conception to final execution – extracting a handful of simple lessons (e.g. the problem contains the solution; don't avoid the obvious) at the foundation of brilliant design solutions.

via the99percent.com

Thanks CreativeMama for sharing this video on her blog. I related to Michael (from Cleveland, Ohio!) when he described himself as a problem-solving designer and that he is not a traditional-creative. I was just commenting to Michelle from BabyGees when she was over at my place teaching me how to sew a floor cushion, that I like designing solutions to solve problems or a gap - that it is what I feel sets me apart from any artisan or designer who have a stronger aesthetic inclination but which is not rooted in practicality. (It's not always a plus, most of the time, it's a challenge if you have a solution in mind but cannot deliver the outcome aesthetically.)  When I look at my self-perceived "best work" so far, they have come from me wanting to resolve a problem/gap expressed by myself or a friend.

He summarized 5 simple lessons that he has gathered across his career and they are,

1. Listen first, then design
2. Don’t avoid the obvious
3. The problem contains the solution
4. Indulge your obsessions
5. Love is the answer

Not for everyone but if you have 20 minutes, take the time to view this video.

Too Cute: Mila's Daydream

Have you seen the blog Mila's daydream?  While baby Mila's takes a nap, mom, Adele Enersen, sets up a dreamy scene around Mila, takes photos, and posts it on the blog with an apt title.  It's a combination of Marc Chagall and Anne Geddes - but mostly from the School of Cool.

These are two of my favourites,

It's a Jungle Out There

and

Imaginary Friend

I also smiled at The Bookworm, Attack of the 50-ft Baby, and Nirvana.  All so clever!