Cracked Designs

The strange land that is my desk.

2012-02-10T11:41:00.001-06:00

The other day while I was working I stopped for a minute to look at my desk. It was covered in saxophone cutouts, glittery spaceships, white underpants and more. It made me pretty darn happy knowing that I get to spend all day covering my desk in the weirdest combination of things and dreaming up some crazy cards in the process.

We heart Indie Wed

2012-02-01T12:00:00.000-06:00

We trekked down to Chicago on Saturday for our third Indie Wed show. It was amazing as usual. There's really nothing bad to ever say about this event, seriously, I can't even think of a single thing. We met a whole bunch of cute couples, and managed to keep the awkward-ness at a record minimum. I'd like to think we are some kind of Indie Wed pros! Check out all of our Wedding Invitation sets in our Etsy shop, or some of our custom designs on our site.

Altitude Design Summit Recap, as told by an awkward gal.

2012-01-30T18:38:00.002-06:00

I've been back from Salt Lake City for a whole week, and only now have I been able to finally wrap my head around the entire Alt Summit experience and write this post. I've been reading all the recaps from other attendees all week, and wanted to go in a different direction and be true to my nature, so my recap won't blend into the vast sea (vast fabulous sea) of other Alt recaps. So, if you want to hear about all the glorious speakers (there were many!), delicious food, trendy fashions, and swanky parities, this is not the blog post where you are going to get it. I gots to keep it real people.

I first have to say that this conference was excellent, well organized, and insightful. It's incredibly rare to get a humongous room full of women together and keep it happy, friendly, and non-catty. A group of 400+ extremely creative people in one place is a very special thing, and the energy from this place is electric, you can feel it in your bones. Although I can see how Alt can be overwhelming at times, I couldn't help but be inspired and refreshed at everything I gathered and learned. I felt incredibly lucky to be apart of this event.

Part One: Loner
So, moving on to the really real part of things. I'm super duper awkward. For those who know me, you know it's true. I've always been that shy girl who sits in the back of the class in elementary school and pees her pants when someone expects her to answer a question. Sure I've gotten better as I've gotten older, (basically, there is no more pants wetting) but I still can't help but to give off an awkward vibe. Why the hell do you think I own my own business and work from home? No co-workers, baby! So, you can imagine my nervousness as I ventured out to Alt Summit, completely ALONE. It's like an introvert's worst nightmare. But nevertheless, I decided it was time to put on my big girl pants and get out in the real world with other human beings.

Part Two: Small Talk
I am awful at small talk, seriously, I can't emphasize how awful I am at small talk. I spent a lot of time at Alt just watching other people so effortlessly make small talk with someone they just met and then 5 minutes later became BFF's for life and trading those 'Best Friends' necklaces with one another. It was wildly entertaining. I am in awe of all the people who can do that (and extremely jealous), and it seemed like every single person at Alt had this miraculous ability, except me, naturally. I did, however, force myself to go up to people and talk, or sit with random groups of people and mingle. It was kind of like getting my teeth pulled out and getting punched in the gut at the same time. I was constantly thinking, "do they think I'm a weirdo?" "is there something in my teeth?" "why the hell did I just share the story of puking on my 1st grade teacher?". I was so busy thinking up all these things while I was talking to people, that a lot of times I ended up forgetting their names or forgetting to tell them my name. I'm actually really shocked that people didn't just slowly back away from me, mid conversation. Despite the throw up feeling in my throat, I met a whole slew of genuinely sweet and very cool people, who were all nice enough to endure the agony of awkward-ness. So, to those I met, thank you!

Part Three: The Awkward Pause
I'm oddly proud of the fact that I can totally nail the perfect awkward pause. It's an artform, really. For instance, I was making some solid conversation with someone at lunch and we were talking about road trips and kitschy roadside attractions. Now, this is something I'm really passionate about, so I get really into it when I get on the subject of excellent roadside oddities. In the middle of the conversation about visiting caves, I exclaimed "I just really loooove caves!". Immediately after that incredibly weird comment, there was a long awkward pause. I mean, what the hell do you say in reply to a person who has just proclaimed their love for a big hole in the ground? I'm not quite sure why I thought it was a good idea to declare my love for such an odd thing. And it wasn't like I just said it off the cuff either, I said it really excited and intensely, which probably made it all the creepier. The conversation never quite recovered after that, but she was nice enough to continue to talk to me for the rest of lunch (which I greatly appreciated!) I would love to say that this was the only awkward pause moment I had at Alt, but alas, my trip was filled with awkward pauses, all created by me, of course.

(The above photo is the only photo I could find in the Alt Flickr stream that had me in it. I love that I just barely made it in...)

Part Four: Sticking Out
If you're an introvert, the last thing you want to do is stand out in a crowd. Now, I am not an extreme introvert as I am painting myself to be, for example I love getting recognition for the design work I do, and I love participating in indie craft fairs and meeting the people who love my stuff, face to face. To quote Ben Silbermann of Pinterest (who gave an awe inspiring keynote speech), "I'm an extrovert introvert". This pretty much sums me up completely. If you get a few drinks in me, I'll be your best friend, but stone cold sober and you'll be looking for the closest exit. I have always wished I was more like the 'Few drinks in me' version of me all the time, and attending Alt Summit this year was one of my baby steps towards being a more outgoing, and socially 'normal' person. One of my main goals at Alt was to play it cool, and show this kind of intimidating group of popular girls that I was just as cool as them. As you can imagine, this didn't go as planned. My most fatal mistake was ordering a beer at the Wednesday night dinner instead of wine. Right after I ordered the beer, I realized my mistake immediately once I looked around at all the other women who had their glasses of Merlot and Chardonnay. What the hell was I thinking? It didn't help that the beer I ordered came in a HUGE glass, which only drew more attention to the fact that I was the only one who wasn't drinking wine. I also was the only one who ordered steak, which also made me stick out in the bunch, since everyone ordered fish or salads. (For those who care, I ordered a Squatters Brewery I.P.A which was delicious! I bet it could have kicked the asses of all the wines at the table. On a side note - Mad Props to Squatters, they had a lot of tasty beers that a true Milwaukeean-read alcoholic- highly approves of!)

Part Five: Acceptance
So, because I've titled this last section as "acceptance", this whole thing may have read like some sort of 12 step program for awkward people, and maybe in some ways, it is. Despite all of the cringe worthy awkward moments I had during my 5 day trip to Utah, I came to realize that I am a pretty perfect version of me. Sure, it would have been really easy to go into a shame spiral of depression after showing my Medical Insurance card to the car rental agent after she asked me for my 'insurance card' (obviously, she wanted my car insurance in this situation, duh.) To get back to the point, even though it would have been easy to go into a shame spiral after this event, I turned it into a funny story and quickly called my husband to tell him what I had done. I know I'm not going to change my awkward-ness and magically become the outgoing and perky person I sometimes wish I could be, and instead, I embrace all the quirkiness that makes me, me. After listening to all the speakers and talking with all of the creative attendees at Alt Summit, I realized that I didn't have to be the best dressed or coolest cat at Alt. As long as I love what I do & know that I'm good at doing it, that shines through and makes my stuff special. So, with all this being said, I'm proud to announce that I'm pretty awesomely awkward, and I love it. And I think that confession makes me pretty darn cool just the way I am.

PS: For a complete list of all of the amazing awkward moments I experienced in Utah, feel free to let me know. To tempt you...they include things like, being trapped in snow, falling in high heels, and eating alone, just to name a few. A note to the Alt organizers for next year- I should be your #1 candidate to be a speaker to talk about 'Surviving as a socially awkward blogger/designer'. I think it would draw in about 5 people. Just something to think about folks...

Indie Wed 2012

2012-01-27T18:47:00.000-06:00

So, I assure you, I will post a recap of AltSummit soon (it will be witty, I promise), but in the meantime I have been getting ready for the annual Indie Wed down in Chicago tomorrow! It will be my third time participating, and every year it gets better and better, so I'm excited to be apart of this wonderfully organized & of course, unique, event again.

Every year I debut a couple of new wedding invitation sets, so here they are in all their glory - 'Wes' and 'Venn'. You can buy samples of each of these sets in our Etsy shop now.

If you are engaged, and in the greater Milwaukee or Chicago area, Indie Wed is definitely a wedding show to check out. Get all the deets here.

Ut-awe(some)

2012-01-22T19:23:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow I leave Utah to come home to good ol' Milwaukee, and I have to say that I really fell in love with Salt Lake City. It's absolutely beautiful. If nature & urban life got freaky and had a baby, it would be Salt Lake City. I love how you can be walking around a really urban, cool city one minute and then 30 minutes later you can be high up in the mountains, snowboarding.

I am impressed, Salt Lake City, I can't wait to come back and explore some more!

Hello, Salt Lake City!

2012-01-17T22:58:00.000-06:00

Well, I am off to Salt Lake City tomorrow to attend Alt! I'm a little nervous, since I'm an Alt virgin, but since I hear nothing but amazing things about the conference, I am beyond excited!

Our Holiday Card

2012-01-11T16:04:00.000-06:00

I always love designing our family holiday card, and each year I try to come up with something new and cool that conveys a year in our life. Since 2011 was packed full of fun vacations, first steps, and more, I came up with a bunch of icons that represented our year and shaped it into a heart. I really loved the outcome, it makes me smile and remember all the awesome-ness that was 2011.

Music to my ears

2012-01-06T16:28:00.000-06:00

One of my most favorite things in the world (other than designing greeting cards, of course) is going to concerts. I love me some live music something fierce. In the past few years, Milwaukee has been stellar at bringing some great big name and small name bands to the city. And it helps that Milwaukee has some amazing music venues like the big guys: The Pabst/Turner Hall/Riverside & the perfect intimate venue: The Cactus Club. I get really freakishly excited when I experience an extra good live show, and I just happened to see 4 really exceptional ones this past year that I'd like to share...

The Eels @ Turner Hall: I didn't really have much expectation for this show because I don't know much of the Eels music, but got tickets for Adam because he likes them. I always thought the Eels were pretty mellow, but holy frack, they totally rocked the crap out of Turner Hall. It was one of the most entertaining shows I've ever been to.

Sat. Nite Duets & The Fatty Acids @ Cactus Club: I always love going to a show and discovering a great new band, and the Cactus Club has provided me with this time and time again. This show was super great because I found not one, but two great bands- from Mke too! (On a side note, these 2 are playing together next weekend in Milwaukee!)

Wilco @ Riverside: I've always been a Wilco fan, but the one time I saw them live, about 7 years ago, I was really disappointed. That particular show was kind of boring and felt really stale. Because of that, I've stayed away from seeing them live, despite everyone always saying how good they are live. But when I heard they were coming to Milwaukee again, I wanted to give them another chance, and I'm really happy I did. It was a really beautiful show full of a good variety of their long playlist. It made me remember why I love Wilco so dearly.

White Rabbits @ Cactus Club: Dude, this show was awesome! I first saw the White Rabbits when they were an opening act and fell in love immediately. So I was stoked to hear they were playing at the Cactus Club. They were super energetic and it was perfect seeing them in such a small venue.

What were some good shows you saw this past year? I always love discovering a new great band!

2011 revisited: Tricia & John

2012-01-05T17:42:00.000-06:00

There's something really sweet about a simple & minimal invitation design. I designed these wedding invitations for bride-to-be, Tricia, who wanted something a little modern, but still traditional, and most importantly, simple.

Resolutions I'll pretend to keep

2011-12-31T13:14:00.004-06:00

Going into the new year, I always create a little list of resolutions in my head that I want to keep, and of course, I forgot about them four weeks in. Sure, I think about them every now and again and think to myself "Next year, Tara, next year".

1. Build a better blog and website (I've been trying to tackle this one for years...)

2. Finally make some of the cards that have been occupying my doodlebook for years (there are some good ones in there!)

3. Take more pictures.

4. Turn off the TV more, and just relax and listen to a good record. (We've already been implementing this)

5. Make a new friend.

*Happy New Year everyone! We adore all of our CD fans, we couldn't do any of this without the people that love our stuff. So, thank you again for another amazing year. We hope 2012 will be full of awesome new stuff, and we can't wait to share it with you!*

Paper Typewriter

2011-12-28T12:59:00.001-06:00

Dudes, check out this suuuuper cool paper typewriter. I randomly came across it on Etsy, and totally love it. Find it here, along with other sweet goodies from London Handmade!

Hello Wren!

2011-12-19T13:48:00.001-06:00

Heather Cook Elliott, the amazing wedding & family photographer, approached me back in the fall to design some birth announcements for her new arrival, baby Wren. I was super excited when I heard some of Heather's ideas, so needless to say, I loved working on these. Heather & Brian have such a sweet and long love story, so Heather really wanted to play on that story that led to arrival of their first child.

Thank you Heather for allowing me to design these for you, little Wren is so precious, and I can't wait to see what's next in your journey.

PS: Here are Heather's amazing photos of baby Wren.

50/50

2011-12-16T11:34:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, Adam and I saw the movie 50/50...and I'm going to get real with you for a second - I cried. I cried a lot. The fact that I cried at this movie (at a theater in public, no less!) is huge, because for those of you that know me personally, know that I am NOT in any way a person who shows that kind of emotion, especially in front of other human beings. In fact, I have never cried at a movie....ever. Unless you count the time when I was 4 and stood up and cried in the theater when Johnny 5 died in 'Short Circuit', but I'm not really counting that. Sure I went to see this movie because I am semi in love with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but the outcome of this film experience went beyond good looks.

It was such an incredibly moving film about the reality of dealing with cancer, but what made it really good was that it perfectly mixed being hilarious and extremely touching. It got things so right. Maybe it's because both Adam and I have been greatly affected by cancer in our lives, so much so, that the disease has taken away & changed forever, our fathers. That mere fact alone is probably why this movie has lingered with me and why I enjoyed it so much. Because at the end of the day, it's rare to come across a film that moves me to tears, really rare.

So, go see it. Now.

PS: Watch the trailer here.

San Fran Print

2011-12-08T20:41:00.000-06:00

I am freakin' in love with this print from Hero Design Studio. It makes me want to hop on a plane to San Fran where I'll sip on Speakeasy beer and wander Market Street. sigh. Anyways, I love this print and the awesome illustration mixed with cool colors. Check out Hero Design Studio here. They have a TON of cool prints in their Etsy shop.

Wish List

2011-12-07T13:48:00.004-06:00

Here are a few super cool things I would love to find under the Christmas tree this year!

1. Cardboard Deer head
2. Backpack by Herschel Supply Co.
3. Criss-Cross bag by Quotestudio on Etsy
4. Sweet Indian Chief Shirt by Hammerpress
5. Gig Posters Book
6. Kiehls Healing Hands Kit
7. Chevron Throw
8. Wrapped Fox T-shirt in gray by dandyrions on Etsy
9. Bansky Book
10. Geometric Bar Necklace by theriveriseverywhere on Etsy

MINI Journey Journal is here!

2011-12-05T11:16:00.001-06:00

The Journey Journal just got mini-fied! Check out our newest edition of the Journey Journal in our Etsy shop - The MINI. This puppy is perfect for tucking away in your back pocket, so it's always close to document your most important travel memories. Measuring 4.25 X 5.5, it's a perfect stocking stuffer for your traveling loved ones! Check it out here for all the specifics.

Gobble Gobble

2011-11-23T22:17:00.000-06:00

I spent the evening baking up a couple Pumpkin Cheesecakes and a pumpkin pie from scratch - my first time! The house now smells oh so yummy. Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving!

Tis the season

2011-11-16T13:12:00.002-06:00

The boxes are starting to pile up daily on my desk, and holiday cards are shipping out to our stores across the country (and the UK & Canada, of course) Don't have your holiday cards yet? Then head on over to our Etsy shop!

Excitement

2011-11-10T15:49:00.003-06:00

I love owning my own business, and being able to create and design freely as I please in my little office. But now and again it's easy to feel isolated and cut off from the outside world (especially during the cold Wisconsin winters...) So, I am beyond excited to be attending Altitude Design Summit in Salt Lake City this upcoming January! I've always wanted to go, and decided to go for it this year! I'm taking a few days away from my boys and indulging in all things design. Oh, and the temptation of a snowboarding day in the mountains made my decision quite easy too. I'm really looking forward to networking and meeting other bloggers, designers and cool people.

On Wisconsin!

2011-11-06T15:10:00.003-06:00

I forgot to post about our newest notecard set a few weeks ago...so here it is now-the Madison notecard set! This set is pretty specific to Wisconsinites and is super cool. Set comes with 6 inside blank cards and matching red envelopes. Each card features different Madison specifics-like the the Capitol, badgers, the union, the lakes, and Bascom Hall. Check this set out now in our Etsy shop!

The Bestest Movies

2011-11-03T13:44:00.006-05:00

'Science of Sleep'

'So, I married an axe murderer'

Now that it's getting chilly outside, I am more tempted to cozy up on the couch and watch some of my most favorite movies. I have kind of an eclectic collection of favorite movies (which I sometimes get made fun of for), but here are probably my top 10 favorite movies- in no particular order:

-Royal Tenenbaums
-So, I Married an Axe Murderer
-Super Troopers
-Rushmore
-Science of Sleep
-40 Year Old Virgin
-The Big Lebowski
-500 Days of Summer
-Ghostbusters
-Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T13:20:00.005-05:00

I was really excited about Beckett's Halloween costume this year (The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters), so I had this idea to design a little card to showcase the awesome-ness of Beckett in his costume. The end result turned out better than I expected, and I laugh every time I look at this card.

Happy Halloween to all!

Warm & Modern Invites

2011-10-26T14:30:00.002-05:00

I had the pleasure of working with Christian and Kim on their wedding invitations. They got hitched in Chicago in the beginning of October. They wanted to keep it simple, clean, and modern with warm browns and oranges, and that sounded just about perfect to me! I really loved how the final invite turned out, complete with a chocolate brown tri-fold and textured ivory paper. Congrats you two!

Discovering Cool Kids Clothes

2011-10-22T23:55:00.005-05:00

Before I had Beckett, I thought that all baby clothes were just the basic Carters outfits that were overly cutsie and made me wanna barf. But I have been so excited to find that a lot of my favorite stores have super rad kids clothing lines-my two favorites being H&M Kids Collection and American Apparel for Kids. H&M kids is especially cool because it's so affordable, and their little boy outfits are so freakishly cute, I can't stand it. It's a perfect combination of simple, a little old school, and hip.

Mama Bird Baby Shower

2011-10-19T14:42:00.004-05:00

A few months ago I designed these fun baby shower invitations for the super talented Heather Cook Elliott. A mama bird and egg seemed perfect for the mama-to-be! I really dig how these turned out! I'll be sharing her baby girl, Wren's, birth announcement in the next few weeks too...they are suuuuuuper cool.

PS: Check out Heather's work here.

Close Encounter

2011-10-11T12:34:00.004-05:00

Look out! There is a new card in town, and it is super cool. Find it in our Etsy shop now!

Specs: "Looking forward to our close encounter", the inside of this card is blank.

Maine-ly Maine

2011-09-26T13:25:00.010-05:00

Paul B.

Lobster Roll

Salem, MA

Fenway Park, before the Red Sox unfortunately choked...

Desert of Maine, Freeport, ME (amazing tourist trap!)

Portland Head Lighthouse, Portland, ME

Dave at MAGPIE!!

Cooperstown Brewing Company, Cooperstown, NY

The Dead Frog Circus in Holyoke, MA

We just got back from 10 amazing days on the east coast. And we must say that we're impressed. New England is filled with lots of our favorite things: Good food, Paul Bunyan Statues, Tacky souvenir shops, and lots and LOTS of very good beer!

We tackled this trip naturally, by car. We drove through upstate New York, making stops in Cooperstown and then explored the beautiful city of Boston. We then traveled north, making stops in Salem, MA, and towns in Maine like, Ogunquit, Portland, Freeport and Bar Harbor. We unfortunately didn't see much of Acadia National Park, due to lots of fog and rain, but managed to hike up Gorham Mountain despite the rain. After leaving the coast of Maine, we traveled through Bangor, and made our way through New Hampshire and then Vermont, making stops in Waterbury and Burling, VT. We traveled back through upstate New York and headed home.

Some highlights of the trip:
*Fenway Park, Boston, MA: It's going to be hard to go to Miller Park and not fantasize about being at Fenway-that's how amazing this ballpark was! Anyone, no matter if you're a baseball fan or not, you should visit this historic ballpark.

*Cooperstown, NY: Cooperstown is home to the baseball hall of fame, which was definitely cool, but the town itself is tucked away in upstate New York and is kind of like a trip back in time. It's also home to two fabulous breweries.

*Desert of Maine, Freeport, ME: This place was a trip. It's a tourist trap in every sense of the term, which drew us there. It's basically an area of land covered in sand, and you get a guided tram tour by a 75 year old man, whom we could barely understand. It was hidden back in the woods and looked untouched by time.

*Portland, ME & Shipyard Brewery: Portland was one cool city, not too big, but definitely not too small, all with cobblestone streets downtown and picturesque views. Despite it's Maine-y vibe, it was pretty urban and reminded us of Milwaukee. Portland is also home to Shipyard Brewery, which was super cool and surprisingly big. It also brews one of my favorite new beers: Pumpkinhead. We stocked up on this before we left.

*Lobster!: I've actually never had lobster before this trip, so I was pretty excited to feast on it, and feast we did! Not only did we try a tasty lobster roll at Spragues in Wiscasset, but I also tried steamed lobster, and I must say that I was a pro at crackin' those claws. It was tasty!

*Secret Caverns, NY: Ok, this place is tucked away in nowheresville New York, and while driving there, I thought we may get murdered multiple times, but boy was it worth it. This was by far the coolest cave I've ever been to. We had a very small tour group, so the guide (who was a perfect amount of corny) turned off all the lights and gave us all flashlights to navigate our way through the pitch black cave. SUPER COOL.

*Salem, MA: Witches galore! I love me some crazy witch souvenirs, and this is the place to get 'em.

Overall verdict....we love Maine, and can't wait to visit again!

New England

2011-09-15T08:45:00.003-05:00

You may be thinking, wait, didn't these guys just go on vacation? And you'd be right. September is apparently the month of vacations for us. We are taking one of our of favorite types of trip: a roadtrip!! Our roadtrips tend to always be packed full of destinations around every turn, and this one is no different. We are headed out tomorrow and will make stops in Cooperstown, NY, spend a couple days in Boston, MA, Salem, MA, Portland, ME, Bar Harbor, ME, Burlington, VT and then make our way back home. I've never been out to this part of the country before, so I'm really excited to visit, and eat some yummy lobster. Even more exciting, is that this part of the country seems to be packed with tacky roadside attractions. Holla!

We closed down the Etsy shop during this time, but will be back to open up shop on Monday the 26th. Happy Travels!

Wedding Invitations: Dave & Deb

2011-09-12T15:38:00.003-05:00

I had the pleasure of working with Dave & Deb on their wedding invitations earlier this year, and I am really into how their final invitation design turned out. Dave & Deb had a vision for what they wanted their invitation to look like, and it was exciting to design a pattern that closely matched a turn table design that was specifically important to them - without me even knowing it!

Not only was I really diggin' their color scheme of orange and grey, but I loved their overall feel of their Pier Wisconsin wedding celebration, right on the lakefront - simple, hip & elegant. Dave & Deb are a smart & loving couple with a great eye for design, and I couldn't have loved working with them more!

(The final invitation I designed for them was letterpressed at Bayview Printing Co., and was then put into a grey tri-fold pocket and wax sealed by the couple.)

San Fran Love

2011-09-07T15:17:00.008-05:00

So don't get us wrong, we love Milwaukee, a lot. But there is something pretty special about San Francisco, it keeps drawing us back, and with every time we love it more. Why oh why is it so freakishly expensive to live there? Sigh.

Anyways, we had a great time, and it was our first official family vacation: Tara, Adam and Mr. Beckett! Beck was a pro on the plane (for the most part), and we had a super fun time exploring the city- from old favorites to new places. Some highlights were:

*AT&T Park - a really beautiful baseball park right on the bay, but we think Miller Park has it beat!
*Speakeasy Brewery - an amazing brewery we discovered in a not so great area, but who cares when the beer is that good!
*Sausalito - a quaint little town just a short trip from San Francisco. We had a very yummy breakfast at Cibo Cafe.
*Lagunitas Brewery - Ah yes, this was our second trip to Lagunitas, and dare we say, our favorite brewery ever?! Since we were last there it has expanded into an even cooler brewery, complete with a restaurant & beer garden (all kid friendly too!)
*Musee Mecanique - This place was super cool and right on the pier, kind of hidden away from the other tourist-y places. It is a museum of old arcade games & antique coin operated machines. The best part is that you can play with all of them! It was so cool, we could have spent hours there.

Well San Francisco, we love you and we can't wait to go back.

San Francisco Bound!

2011-08-31T22:02:00.002-05:00

We are going on vacation for the next 5 days out to sunny...er, foggy, San Francisco! San Francisco is one of our most favorite cities. We definitely left our hearts there when we visited 4 years ago, so, needless to say, we are super excited to go back. Even more exciting, Beckett is going on his first plane ride! Let's hope it goes well...

We closed down the Etsy shop for the next 5 days, but don't fret, it will be back open next Tuesday the 6th. Happy Travels!

Pabst, my love

2011-08-17T13:17:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, Adam was traveling for work, so I decided to play around and design a card for him for when he arrived home. Let's face it, we both love Pabst, a lot. What's not to love? They're cheap, tasty and come in 'Tall Boy'. I hand drew the Tall Boy can and kind of love it, I think I'm going to post it up in my office.

Lovely Love in White Bear Lake

2011-08-13T14:53:00.005-05:00

A HUGE congratulations to Pondie and Mark as they get hitched up in White Bear Lake, MN today! I had the pleasure of working with them on pretty much all of their wedding stationery, including these fun mark-the-date bookmarks!

It's always really refreshing to work with a couple who has a unique vision for what they want their invitations to look like, and it's even more awesome when I'm able to successfully capture that and bring it to life. Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE maps of all kinds (especially vintage), so I was thrilled when Pondie told me she wanted to incorporate a vintage map of White Bear Lake. The invitations were complete with a vintage WBL map printed on the reverse side of the card, as well as a special WBL map envelope liner.

Pondie and Mark (and MOB, Nancy too!), it was truly wonderful working with you, and I hope I was able to capture your sweet love of Minnesota, nature and each other, on paper.

Like Us

2011-08-11T13:50:00.002-05:00

Do you like us on facebook yet? Well you should, duh. Our facebook friends get a special anniversary discount this month, so get over to facebook now!

Weeeee're back!

2011-08-10T22:11:00.004-05:00

Phew, it has been quite a crazy few weeks around these parts! Wedding season has been in full swing, which means things can get backed up. Not to mention, we are remodeling our upstairs unfinished attic in our house (which houses my office!), so things have been stressful trying to work + keeping a toddler occupied while construction workers go in and out of the house is quite the challenge. But thankfully, things are getting back to normal and the construction upstairs is just about finished. The good news is we have opened the Etsy shop back up, hooray! We are also working on some new designs, which should be up in the shop in the coming weeks. Hooray for normal-ness!

'Keep Calm' sign on Etsy by: Oh Dier

Real Simple Daily Finds

2011-08-10T13:13:00.001-05:00

Hooray! Our journey journal is included in the '8 unique travel journals' on Real Simple daily finds! See it here

Vintage Gold

2011-08-09T14:09:00.003-05:00

I recently ran across 'The Fancy Lamb', a vintage shop on Etsy. Their shop to stocked full of fabulous vintage goodies, from books to luggage and more. Check them out here!

Mission: Backpack

2011-07-26T12:24:00.003-05:00

So, for months now, I have been scouring Etsy and all other places imaginable to find a cool backpack/bag. We are heading to San Francisco in September with little Beckett, and I want to find a bag that is easy to carry around the city, as well as big enough to fit all of a toddlers necessities (without being too giant of course!) So far, the search has left me frustrated. I want something cool, and simple, that goes with everything, and ideally a backpack of some sort (but doesn't look too backpack-y). I hate the traditional diaper bag, which is why I usually carry around a big purse, that is big enough to fit all of Beckett's goodies, and look stylish!

I was happy today when I ran across the shop, 'Pansy Maiden', on Supermarket. Their bags (pictured above) are really cool and simple, and they even have a 'backpack' that can be worn 4 different ways, which I am kind of digging. They may be a little out of my price range, but I am really liking their style!

Do you have a cool backpack/bag? I'd love to know where you scored it!

What I'm listening to

2011-07-25T12:38:00.002-05:00

Since I've been so overwhelmingly busy these past few weeks, I've needed some music to get me through it. And the new Beastie Boys album has done just that. One a side note, I will hopefully be opening the Etsy shop back up in the next couple weeks!

Busy Break

2011-07-13T12:11:00.002-05:00

We have been swamped with big card & wedding orders lately, so we had to shut our Etsy shop down for a little bit. We hope to open it back up by early August once things settle down a bit. Sorry folks!

Bicycle Solution

2011-07-11T10:56:00.003-05:00

Lately we've been taking lots of bike rides with Beckett, which means I have to bring a whole slew of stuff along with me (snacks, water, diapers, etc.), but I hate hauling a big bag around my shoulder while I bike with the trailer. So, I am in LOVE with the bags from the Canadian shop, Snootsie. They make this awesome bike bag that you hook onto your bike seat, which would be perfect for all of Beckett's goodies! The best part, they are awesome-ly stylish! I may just have to splurge and buy one of these puppies. Visit their Etsy shop here!

New Knotty-ness

2011-06-20T13:32:00.001-05:00

Hooray! There is a new card up in the shop: 'Knotty by nature' is now available in our Etsy shop here.

Sunglasses

2011-06-16T22:04:00.003-05:00

I got some new Wayfarer sunglasses last week. I'm really liking them. I rarely am able to find sunglasses that don't make my head look weird & mega tiny.

Campfire Cute

2011-06-13T14:13:00.002-05:00

Seriously, how awesome-ly cute is this Campfire Smore Baby set? It's made with little felt details by 'The Wishing Elephant'. They have some seriously cute onesies in their Etsy shop. Check it out here.

Hose & Honey

2011-06-03T11:50:00.002-05:00

Hooray for more new cards! We are really big fans of these ones too. 'Where my hose at' & 'Honey, I'm home' available in our Etsy shop now!

Newness

2011-05-18T13:44:00.002-05:00

I've been posting a lot of wedding invitations lately, so to change things up, I thought I would share one of our brand new cards! The inside greeting is "Miss you." It's available in our Etsy shop now!

What I'm listening to

2011-05-16T22:55:00.004-05:00

I've been listening to a lot of the new Maritime album lately. It's pretty good, classic Maritime. I also really like the arrows on the album cover, I've been into arrows lately... Is that weird?

Little Man Party: Final Part 4

2011-05-09T15:36:00.005-05:00

Well, this is the final part of Beckett's party. We set up a photo booth area in the house, so folks could take a photo! They all turned out really funny, and we even had a big bucket o' props filled with top hats, ties, glasses & of course mustaches on sticks.

Another great photo booth pic.

Of course my favorite part of Beckett's party was probably the stationery! I know I already posted photos of his invitations, but here is another one, along with the thank you card that included a photo of a mustache Beckett!

Thanks for letting me share the details of Beckett's party! I had so much fun planning the party, and can't wait for next year, I already have a few ideas... !

Little Man Party: Part 3

2011-05-09T13:20:00.004-05:00

We had some super delicious cupcakes in addition to the cake, I made little paper bow ties to stick in each of them as well.

The cake was amazing! I loved how it turned out, complete with fondant ties and chocolate mustaches. (The cake & cupcakes were made by Extra Special Touch Bakery)

Little Man Party: Part 2

2011-05-05T10:36:00.008-05:00

So, here is installment #2 of the birthday party bonanza....

Here is a close up of one of the No. 1 ribbons I made. I really liked the way they turned out and were pretty easy to make!

Ok, so this might be one of my favorite things about the party. Adam HAND DREW 30 different mustaches on all the cups. Yes, not only did he hand draw all of them, but he found 30 DIFFERENT mustaches to illustrate and name. It was pretty impressive. He got a little creative with them as he was getting towards the end. And he says he's not creative. I would beg to differ!

I set out a box of chocolate cigars, which looked pretty real! They added a nice touch. I also had necktie napkins, which were so cool! If you tucked them into your shirt, it looked like you were wearing a tie. I also placed old glass jars around the house and filled them with animal crackers (ya know, for the kids, since this is a kids party....)

I was really excited when I thought of this....I labeled all the water bottles for folks with the phrase, 'Wet your whistle'.

Next up I'll have photos from our photo booth, the cake, & my favorite: the stationery

Little Man Party: Part 1

2011-05-02T22:25:00.012-05:00

Well, it's hard to believe, but Beckett turned 1 over the weekend! To celebrate, we threw a big bash for our little man. I had so much fun planning the party and may have went a little over the top, but come on, you only turn 1 once! I'd love to share some of the details of the party!

First up, the decorations....

I made a bunch of paper poms and hung them from the ceiling in the living room, as well as paper flags and hung them above the dessert table.

I wanted to keep in theme, so I made a necktie 'Happy Birthday Beck!' banner, which I think turned out really cool! I loved adding little details around the house that people could discover.

One of my favorite things were the felt mustaches on sticks & handmade bow ties on sticks I made. The bow ties turned out really cool and were super easy to make. I had them set out so guests could easily grab 'em!

I made a silhouette Beckett portrait and put it in an old frame and put it on the dessert table. It was really easy to make, and I loved the vibe it added to the little man theme!

I also made a time line of photos of Beckett from all 12 months and hung them in order across the bookshelf. I also made these really cool 'No. 1' ribbons and hung them around the house, I loved the way they turned out!

Up next, more photos of the party details, along with the food!

Love birds

2011-04-26T16:48:00.004-05:00

I designed these really fun invitations for Gina & Tom (also one of the coolest couples!) for their upcoming May wedding here in Wisconsin. Their wedding sounds like so much fun too, complete with a donut tower instead of cake!

City Sleek

2011-04-21T18:58:00.002-05:00

I recently designed a whole slew of invitations for Chicago couple, Christen & Mike. They are having a classic wedding downtown Chicago at the Blackstone Hotel! So fancy! I really loved working with the Chicago skyline, and think they turned out pretty nice!

Party Time!

2011-04-05T17:06:00.005-05:00

So, I can't believe it, but my little Beckett is going to turn 1 in less than a month! We are throwing a big bash to celebrate with close family & friends. I was really excited to design some fun invites to set the tone for the very gentleman-ly day, complete with a felt tie to wrap the invite together. Come back later for some fun photos from the day!

Mark The Dates

2011-03-11T16:36:00.003-06:00

I recently did a whole bunch of 'Mark' the date book mark designs for Pondie and Mark. I think they all turned out pretty rad!

Swap Meet

2011-03-09T12:16:00.002-06:00

Dudes, have you seen this? Blu Dot is trading their amazing furniture goods for your goodies. Some of the stuff on there is hilarious and awesome. We put in a bid for a collection of 10 different Journey Journals for a floor lamp. Click here to give it a thumbs up!

Eighties Love

2011-03-02T18:01:00.002-06:00

I have been really loving 80's stuff lately. Actually, I always love 80's stuff, who am I kidding? Which makes me really excited for the new Strokes album...dang, look at that cover art!

So cool

2011-02-18T10:39:00.004-06:00

It's doesn't get much better than this. I am lovin' this video by She & Him. I'm not sure who I love more, Zooey or M. Ward?!

So New

2011-02-16T17:16:00.002-06:00

We have two brand spankin' new wedding invitation sets in our Signature Collection! We are really in love with them both, so order a sample on our Etsy shop today!

Somewhere

2011-02-15T12:36:00.001-06:00

We just went to see 'Somewhere', the new Sofia Coppola movie, and I must say that it was really beautiful. I loved how simple & quiet it was. Made me long for another trip to LA...

9 Months

2011-02-12T23:28:00.003-06:00

Well, I have now been a mom for 9 whole months. Juggling Cracked Designs full time + taking care of Beckett has been a little overwhelming at times (to say the least), but I wouldn't have it any other way!

New Invitations

2011-02-08T10:36:00.005-06:00

We now have a whole bunch of new invitation sets added to our Signature Collection! They are pretty & cool, and we're really stoked about them! You can view them & purchase sample on Etsy or view them on our site here.

Indie Wed is super cool!

2011-01-30T16:25:00.003-06:00

Here are some photos of our booth at Indie Wed yesterday! It was another amazing year, with lots of even more amazing brides!

Indie Wed!

2011-01-29T10:37:00.001-06:00

We are there! Come see us, now. Pictures will follow.

Get to INDIE WED!

2011-01-25T20:54:00.003-06:00

This upcoming weekend is the 2nd annual Indie Wed wedding show at the Ravenswood Event Center in Chicago. This show is so super cool, I can barely stand it. We'll be there again this year and we're so excited! We're at booth #72 on the 2nd floor, and here are specifics:
Saturday Jan. 29th, 10AM-4PM, 4043 N. Ravenswood Ave. Chicago IL, tickets are $12.00 to get in.
If you are getting married & are anywhere near this year, you should definitely check it out!

Glimpse of spring

2011-01-24T15:26:00.002-06:00

I recently designed a very spring-y wedding invitation set for a Chicago couple for their April wedding. The design was based off of a previous design I did a few years back. I think the flowers & their color palette of blush & taupe are just so darn pretty! Makes me wish for spring to come soon.

Inspiration Board

2011-01-18T08:12:00.000-06:00

I recently shared one of my logo designs I did for Heather Cook Elliott...well for inspiration to help me in the process, she sent me an inspiration board of images that spoke to her. I thought it was so darn pretty, I just had to share it! I also had to share an image of hers from an engagement session she did recently. Her photos are so fun & unique! Check out her blog for more amazing photos!

What I'm listening to

2011-01-17T09:05:00.001-06:00

I've really been liking Best Coast lately, it's nice to listen to in this snowy weather. Also, the album art is great-that font! that cat!

Logos=Fun

2011-01-14T17:29:00.003-06:00

I recently designed a whole lotta logo samples for the wonderful Milwaukee based wedding photographer, Heather Cook Elliott. (She is super cool) I've only designed a few logos & brand identities in the past, and I am really lovin' it-and hope to do more! It was so fun coming up with a bunch of different ideas for her. Out of the bunch, this one is perhaps one of my favorites. I'll keep you posted on what the final logo will look like!

Transition

2011-01-10T14:53:00.002-06:00

As you've probably already noticed, we've just about completed making the transition of updating everything with our new logos & branding. We're real excited about the new-ness, it's nice to start off the year with a fresh new face for Cracked Designs!

Wisconsin Bride Magazine

2011-01-07T11:55:00.003-06:00

Getting married? You should check out the newest issue (Winter issue) of Wisconsin Bride Magazine. One of our invitation suites we designed for the lovely Meghan Magritz(who is the mastermind behind the Wedding Boutique) is featured on page 8 of the issue! Hit us up if you are interested in our work.

Be my beau

2011-01-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

Maybe, just maybe I'll give Adam this brand new Valentine's day card this year. Inside greeting says: 'Will you be my beau this Valentine's Day?' Get this brand new card, along with all of our other V-day/Love cards on Etsy now!

Winter Wed

2011-01-05T10:00:00.000-06:00

I recently designed an invitation suite for a Muskego couple getting hitched next weekend here in Wisconsin. Their celebration sounds so warm & cozy, despite the chilly weather. I had fun coming up with a elegant & understated winter invitation, complete with pinecones! Congrats Meg & Greg!

Breaking Bad Inspired

2011-01-04T11:01:00.000-06:00

Dude, I am totally into the show 'Breaking Bad'. I caught the first episode on tv the other week, and now I am HOOKED! It even inspired a NEW chemistry valentine card! I hear that!

New Cards for the new year!

2011-01-03T09:43:00.003-06:00

Brewing (inside: There's something brewing between us)

Frog Guts (inside is blank)

Hooray! Here are 2 new cards in our Etsy shop, perfect for Valentines Day! Find them here

Adios Twenty Ten

2010-12-31T14:49:00.004-06:00

This year has been yet another amazing year for Cracked Designs! We've had the opportunity to work lots of new brides, as well as lots of new stores all over the country. And of course, in May we welcomed the newest member of CD, Beckett! In a few years, I have no doubt that he will be helpin' us out with new card ideas.

Along with the new year comes NEW cards! Hooray! We just added a couple on our Etsy shop this week, but be prepared for lots more coming soon! Happy 2011, and thanks to everyone who supports CD!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T15:11:00.002-06:00

Here are images of the holiday card used for the gang here at CD! Hope you all have a happy holiday!

Our X-mas Card

2010-12-21T14:37:00.004-06:00

I was super happy with how our Christmas cards came out this year. I found this awesome wood grain paper that I printed them on. I am way into wood grain anything these days!

Max Fischer Pencils

2010-12-17T17:06:00.001-06:00

AMAZING! Weird, this is my second Rushmore post this week. Don't care.

(via Julia)

Retro Whale=Amazing

2010-12-16T10:32:00.006-06:00

Holy frack, these might be the most awesome coasters & prints ever! I stumbled across the shop, Retro Whale from LA today, and I instantly fell in love. They have coasters & prints with your favorite movies, bands, writers, directors & just cool illustrations. The illustrations are so witty & perfect. Anyone out there getting me a present? Then shop their Etsy store here.

Ok, we'll go

2010-12-14T11:03:00.004-06:00

We just saw Okgo for like the 100th time, and it sure does bring us back, way back, to our early college days in the Windy City. (Yes, we loved them before the treadmills...) I love how innovative they are with their live shows, as well as their videos, duh. I want to live in their paisley filled dream world.

Camera Bag Coolness

2010-12-13T16:12:00.003-06:00

I love this awesome camera bag! I would carry around my camera all the time just for funsies if I had this bag. Find camera bags, Ipad/Iphone sleeves, messenger bags and more on Stash's Etsy shop!

New Card Alert

2010-12-09T18:32:00.003-06:00

Holy smokes dudes, we have two more new cards on our Etsy shop this week! 'Milwaukee is for beer lovers' & 'Congratulations on your new little squirt' cards. Look out for even more new cards in the coming weeks! We're like card machines over here.

1000 More Greetings

2010-12-08T13:11:00.002-06:00

Just received our copy of the book '1000 More Greetings', in which 2 of our cards are in! This book is stocked full of some awesome cards, as well as invitations, stationery & more. Buy it on Amazon here.

Blue Ribbon

2010-12-07T18:34:00.005-06:00

We checked out HoverCraft this past Sunday, and it was awesome! It was so great to see so many cool vendors from Milwaukee. I picked up a bunch of goodies, but my favorite has to be this plush Pabst bottle made by Sarah Jane Harper. Along with this totally rad bottle were Pabst cans, tree branches and logs. I love how the Pabst cans & bottles had perfect imperfections, I wanted to buy them all! Beckett loves hugging his new Pabst bottle, which makes his mom & dad very happy....is that weird? Anyways, Sarah Jane doesn't have an Etsy shop quite yet, but you can check out her blog here.

The Milwaukee Wedding Boutique

2010-12-07T09:18:00.002-06:00

All brides out there should check out the new and awesome blog, The Wedding Boutique.
Meghan Magritz (a former bride I worked with) started the blog, which covers multiple cities all over the country and focuses on tips from handpicked wedding vendors in that specific city. We are honored to be apart of the Milwaukee section! Check out the Milwaukee Wedding Boutique here

2010-12-03T23:57:00.003-06:00

Yes, it is true, we've succumbed to Twitter. Follow us, you know you want to. @crackeddesigns

New cards!

2010-11-30T17:02:00.003-06:00

We have two super cool new cards in the shop! One is a holiday card (which is a little late I know), and the other is one we've been really excited to finally make! Check them out here.

GMA online

2010-11-30T15:11:00.003-06:00

Check us out on Good Morning America online today! We got a little mention in the 'Gifts that Give Back' article! Read it here.

Hooray for Sales!

2010-11-28T22:05:00.000-06:00

Only on Monday Nov. 29th, get 10% off your order on our Etsy shop! Enter coupon code, HOLIDAY at checkout.

Cool Pillows

2010-11-26T15:11:00.002-06:00

I am loving these pillows! They look real comfy. Get them on Diffraction Fiber's Etsy shop here, they also have tons of other awesome & original pillows!

Hovercraft!

2010-11-18T12:55:00.003-06:00

Wow, I am so stoked for a brand new craft fair in Bayview this holiday season: HoverCraft! Although I'm sad I didn't find out about it until now, I'm so excited to see a new craft fair on the Milwaukee scene to encourage emerging crafters in the Mke area. Check out their blog here.

Howd.i.y.

2010-11-17T16:09:00.002-06:00

Check out our interview on the fabulous Howd.i.y. Blog! In addition to the interview, there is a Holiday 10 Pack giveaway! Check it out here.

6 months later

2010-11-16T10:00:00.002-06:00

It seems like just yesterday that I was on maternity leave, and now Beckett is already 6 months old! He's grown accustomed to helping me make cards while sitting on my lap. It's starting to get tricky...

Honest Abe

2010-11-15T10:00:00.000-06:00

We have a neat-o new note card set available on Etsy! I first designed the cards for my sister as a birthday present (she loves Abe, which is slightly odd...) but I loved the way they turned out so much, I thought I would share them with the world! Find them on our Etsy shop here.

Destination Wedding

2010-11-12T12:44:00.003-06:00

I just finished some Wedding Invitation samples for bride-to-be, Eileen, for her destination wedding next fall in Puerto Rico. I was stoked at how they turned out!

New holiday cards!

2010-11-11T12:25:00.005-06:00

Hooray! 2 new holiday cards are now up in our Etsy shop! Check 'em out here.

Poster Love

2010-10-28T16:46:00.003-05:00

I'm lovin' these Smiths inspired posters!

Christmas Cards are back!

2010-10-27T15:24:00.003-05:00

Well, Christmas is coming, and our fantastical Christmas cards are now back up in our Etsy shop! Next week we will debuting 3 new Christmas cards too! Oh boy!

Daily Candy Weddings

2010-10-11T11:49:00.002-05:00

Hey! Our wedding invitations are featured in a little article on the ever popular Dailycandy.com Chicago Wedding edition! Any brides out there? Check us out here.