TULALOO:elevated envelope 2

 Now that I've shared what Tulaloo mailed out for the Elevated Envelope exchange, I get to show you all the nice goodies I've been receiving int he mail! This beauty is from Danielle S in Nebraska. The front of the hand made envelope has a clear window in it, giving you a sneak peak of the contents!

 Denise made a really creative envelope that folds up in a way that reminds me of a kimono, which was a perfect choice for this Asian inspired letter. There was lots of collaged paper which added great texture.

When you unfolded the envelope, there was a pack of Chai tea, gorgeous postcards featuring Japanese prints and a really wonderful letter from Danielle. As someone who really struggled with what to write in my envelopes, I loved receiving Danielle's letter, which told about her other pen pal exchanges and inrpiration and process for creating her envelope. Thanks for sending something so pretty my way Danielle!!

GIFTABLE: drawworm

I've talked about Kelley McMorris of Drawworm before, and I'm going to talk about her again because she is just that great. This winter she drew a portrait of my good friend Kylie's baby boy, which I gave as a Christmas gift. And Kelley did a phenomenal job. Not that I am surprised, but it is so, SO good. The image above really does not do justice to the actual drawing. Kylie cried when she received it, so I think we can call it a successful gift.
Kelley included the finished portrait on her blog where you can also see some details from the portrait as well as some in-progress shots. Please check it out and leave her a comment!

ARTIST I LIKE: kelley mcmorris

It is so exciting to find an artist relatively early in their career and then have the pleasure of watching their career blossom. Such is the case with Kelley McMorris, illustrator and portrait artist extraordinaire. In 2009, I purchased a few gift certificates for custom portaits, to be given as wedding gifts, from her Etsy shop Drawworm. She was gracious, and lovely to work with and I knew she was going to find great success. Fast forward 2 years and Kelley has fully devoted herself to this career and gone back to school to study fine art. She has branched out, and while still offering custom pencil portaits in her Etsy shop, she now has her sites set on illustrating children's books. As an artist and parent, there is not much I love more than a excellent story with excellent illustrations. I think Kelley is going to take off in this field fast. What do you think?

ARTIST I LIKE: mila's daydreams

I was torn between categorizing this one under INSPIRATION or ARTIST I LIKE, because it is both. Mila's Daydreams my new online destination for a bit of zen during a hectic day. Who isn't instantly calmed by a peacefully sleeping baby, let alone one in a fantasy dreamscape? Admittedly this gives me a bit of mom guilt. When Captain and Chunk napped as babies it was a good day if I spent the time doing a bit of laundry or sweeping the crumbs from the kitchen floor. Crafting and photographing my napping babes in an imaginary dream never once popped into my sleep deprived brain. Looking back, this would have been a more meaningful use of my time.

ARTIST I LIKE: amanda borozinski

Frequently, the artists I feature on this little blog are also friends. I'm not playing favorites. I just have lots of crazy talented friends. Maya was in the photography program with me at Alfred. I played college rugby with Nancy. Amanda of BORO: Creative Visions is another college friend. Not only is she fun and sweet (and tough. she is a former rugger too) but she is yet another talented artist I am super lucky to know. Now you can get to know her a little too!


Amanda is a veteran photojournalist turned full time wedding/family photographer. I've said it here before and I will say it again. I think that photographers with a true journalistic background and varied professional interests make the best wedding photographers. They tend to be just a little more observant of the small things. And it is the small things that make the day special. Amanda's work was recently spotlighted on A Practical Wedding. If you aren't already visiting this blog, start. It is a fresh (and, um... practical) perspective on weddings and relationships and marriage.

While Amanda devotes most of her camera time to weddings, she also offers family portraiture. The kind that is perfectly personal. I'll take that over Anne Geddes any day.

How perfect is this pout?

This shot may very well be my favorite. The textures and colors are wonderful. I could look at it for an hour and be happy.

Amanda is based in New Hampshire. Check out her site and like her on facebook. You know you want to.

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ARTIST I LIKE: cocopunkz

After a few years off, our friends are getting married with a frenzy. We are attending four weddings this year, one of which is taking place outdoors, in October.... in upstate NY. Fortunately the bride has a great sense of humor and my husband's constant jokes about going sledding at the reception are met with laughter. And return jabs about the tough-guy cop being the only one complaining about being cold. But I digress...


I got an amazing little black dress from White House Black Market, specifically because it has sleeves. After my husband oh-so-cleverly suggested I wear snow boots with it, I realized that maybe I did want some fun new shoes to wear. I'm not the kind of girl who spends $260 on a pair of shoes, but I'm very tempted to make an exception for these. Cocopunkz hand paints shoes with original artwork. Even though I am pretty darn frugal, I do love shoes. Did I mention I used to be a shoe salesperson? And Cocopunkz shoes are A M A Z I N G!!!!! Plus the ones in the picture above are my size... somebody save me from myself and go buy these before I do!!!!!

ARTIST I LIKE: petrizzo photography

I'm so pleased to share Nancy Petrizzo of Petrizzo Photography with you! Nancy is a family photographer in Buffalo, NY, specializing in on-location maternity, baby, child and family portraiture. Now, you can certainly look through her portfolio and see for yourself why she was named Nickelodeon's Parents Connect Top Family Photographer in Buffalo, but allow me a moment to tell you why I think Ms. Petrizzo rocks.

• She makes her subjects feel comfortable. You can just tell by looking at the pictures. I've been through her entire portfolio more than once, and none of the photographs have that stiff, forced Sears Portrait Studio look. In a good portrait the subject looks happy and comfortable and relaxed - Nancy does that.
• She has a knack for capturing moments. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get a picture of a newborn smiling?!? It is pretty much impossible, yet she does it in a beautifully framed, well lit portrait. Which brings me to my next point...
• Lighting and color in her photography is perfect. Really. She makes it look so easy and natural, but in reality it is crazy hard to make photographs look that good.

Word on the street is that Nancy will be available for Trash the Dress sessions soon! I will be anxiously awaiting her entrance into the world of wedding photography!

ARTIST I LIKE: kim west

One of the great things about selling on Etsy, is that sometimes the customer who just bought notecards from you, has a cute little shop of their own. And sometimes you take a peak at said shop and realize that they make something really really cool that you just have to have. And sometimes you find out that you and this other shop owner actually went to the same art school and know some of the same people! Ok, that last one has only ever happened to me once, but it is how I found Kim West, owner of Shortees.

Kim shares an eclectic portfolio of photography and ceramics on her website, but it is her children's apparel that I am most taken with. Her Shortees line of kids clothes are all handmade from upcycled T-shirts and fabric scraps. The result is a collection of one of a kind, good for the environment and just plain awesome dresses, pants and bibs. Captain and Chunk both have their own Shortees pants now and I L O V E them! Not only do the boys look extra special cute in these comfy pants, but they are really well made and the perfect weight for this early spring weather. Chunk's are made from an old Green Day concert tour shirt and Captain's are from a blue Carolina shirt. They're great for playing around the house and can double as PJ pants too. Her inventory is ever-changing so check back in her shop often!

ARTIST I LIKE: billy steers

Having children is a great excuse to buy picture books. And there are alot of great children's book illustrators out there. There are alot of awful ones too, which make me appreciate the good ones all the more. It seems that most kids books now are quickly (and poorly) illustrated with graphics created on the computer. Don't get me wrong, I think amazing artwork an be created on the computer, but there is something about a hand-drawn or hand-painted illustration that you just feels good. I like being able to see the artist's hand in the work - pencil lines behind the watercolors, brush marks in the paint. It feels more personal and real.

Captain and Chunk (and me) love the Tractor Mac series by Billy Steers. Not only are the illustration great, but the stories - about farm life - are nice too. Steers lives near us and frequently makes appearances at local events and festivals. He created a real life Tractor Mac from an antique farm tractor that he often brings along. We ran into him at a local Apple Festival last fall and Captain was able to sit on Tractor Mac (he didn't stop talking about that for days!).

The Tractor Mac books can be bought here.

ARTIST I LIKE: nicholas nixon

Many moons ago, when I was a junior or senior in high school, I was given a book of Nicholas Nixon's photography. It was a book of family photos, all pictures of his wife and children. I was completely in love with these images. They were so intimate and so real; the photographs captured the essence of a family - dirty, messy, raw moments strung together with love. A few years later when I was a photography student I was able to learn more about Nixon's work and processes. He uses a large format camera - an 8x10 view camera to be exact. If you aren't familiar with this type of camera (and few are in this age of point and shoot digital camera phones) imagine the giant cameras with the bellows and the photographer hidden beneath the black cape. That is what Nixon uses. His portfolio contains far more than his family photographs. He is best known for his series of portraits of AIDS patients and the 30 year photographic documentation of The Brown Sisters (his wife and her sisters). The image above is from his recent exhibition titled "Patients" that portrays terminally ill patients. Although his subject matter ranges from a sweet, drooling baby to an AIDS stricken man on his deathbed, the images are remarkably similar. Each captures an intimate, quiet moment, giving you a glimpse of the private lives of real people. There is no glamour here. Just raw, true pieces of lives. Nicholas Nixon's work influenced me greatly throughout my art school years. In fact, my BFA exhibition was intimate portraits of my friends and family, photographed with an 8x10 view camera.

I still am completely in love with Nixon's family pictures. Although I've viewed each of them dozens of times I still get that amazing clenching in my chest and throat - the feeling I get when a piece of art, music or writing really touches me - every time I look at one of his prints. If you aren't familiar with Nicholas Nixon you can see a great deal of his portfolio on the Fraenkel Gallery site.

ARTIST I LIKE: by liad

I love intimate and personalized accessories that really reflect the owner, particularly jewelry. Imagine my glee when I stumbled upon this lovely pendant created by byLiad. This would make a perfect holiday gift (or Mother's Day present if you like to plan ahead) for that special mom. The image is engraved in silver from your favorite photograph. No adorable kiddos in your life? No problem - they'll engrave a picture of your Great Dane instead!

See their entire collection at www.byliad.com.