greeting cards a la moi

To start, I actually don't know any french.  So I'm not sure if that title works or makes sense.  But it sounds good and that's all that matters.  Back on topic, when I left my last job, I agreed with a colleague that we'd become pen pals.  With that, we started writing notes back and forth over the summer.  She had all sorts of cute stationary and I had some blank folded cards.  Eventually to be more cutesy, I added stickers to my cards and thus spurned my new hobby of card making.  While I'm totally new to the game, and totally borrow ideas from the interwebs, I find card crafting quite fun.  Some of the cards I've made are okay and some are better than okay.  I'm not "trained" in any techniques of yet but I do watch some youtube videos from time to time.  The most difficult part of it all is that it actually can get quite expensive.  But I'm going to keep trying to get better before I buy too many more items.  Any way, below are some of the cards I've created.  Just like everything else, one gets better by practice, so I imagine I'll post more about this hobby in the future as I continue to grow in my skill.

1001 Purple Cranes

I'm on a mission to make 1000+ purple cranes for my wedding this summer.  At first it seemed like a big endeavor (and I suppose it still does) but slowly I'm folding lots and lots of cranes and moving closer and closer to 1000.  I'm not entirely sure what will be done with all the cranes at the wedding but I'm looking forward to being creative and incorporating them in different ways.  

In many Asian cultures, cranes symbolize long life (they are said to live a 1000 years) happiness and peace.  They also symbolize fidelity because they choose a mate for life. 







In Japan, the practice of folding 1,000 cranes for ones wedding is called sembazuru. The tradition itself is called Tsuru wa sennen. It's said that the couple that could dedicate the time and patience to fold the thousand origami cranes proves their ability to maintain a long term, content relationship.









And with that, back to crane folding I must go. 

Scarves, Cardigans and Love

I had quite a bit of trouble trying to title this blog.  Mostly because anything I could think of was already taken.  Either way, I am a scarf and cardigan gal.  It's pretty much my daily uniform.   Here's some proof - me, my scarf, my cardigan and my baby :)

all photos courtesy of Ashley McArthur Photography