After Success?

Last week marked the 4 year anniversary of me leaving my office job and starting Cracked Designs full time. (I had been doing CD part time on the side for a year-ish  before that) It seems like forever ago since that time and I remember being so terrified and excited for what the future held for CD. I had all these goals in my head and couldn't wait to fulfill each and every one. Now, 4 years later, I look at those original goals and realize that I've accomplished them all. Pretty crazy, right?

You always read about what it takes to pursue your dream in life etc., but there doesn't seem to be any guide to what happens after success. Even though I've been runnin' this show for 4 years, I'm now faced with the same terrified and excited feeling in my gut I had all those years ago when I first started, and find myself asking that same question, "what happens next?".  It's always thrilling to be working towards something, but lately I've felt at a bit of a stand still, and I'm faced with making even bigger (and scarier) goals. It's a great feeling, but an odd feeling as well.

Anyways, I love this little company I've created. If I could, I would give it a fist bump, but then would make fun of how fist bumping is lame, and we would high five instead, because that's old school cool. Yes, these are the things I think about in my spare time, giving high fives to my own company. Deal with it.

PS: Obviously, some very exciting news is on the horizon, and I can't wait to share it with you all in the coming weeks!

New Tyke

I forgot to post this last week, but we have a new card up in the Etsy shop! "Congrats on your new little tyke!" Go here to get it now!

Aloha, Hawaii!

Adam and I got back from Hawaii earlier this week, and since then I have been in a coma of depression that I was not prepared for. Hawaii really did a number on us. The first week back from any vacation is always rough, trying to get back into your groove and getting back into work...but this goes beyond that. I've found myself browsing airline tickets to Hawaii instead of working, sipping on Mai Tai's instead of drinking the usual Summer Shandy, and putting on Elvis' 'Blue Hawaii' on loop. To say that we loved Hawaii is an understatement.

First off, Adam and I don't 'do' vacations probably like normal people 'do'' vacations. We usually pack in a huge assortment of odd tourist traps, off the beaten path "hole-in-the-wall"s, and discovering local flavor when we go on trips, and Hawaii was no different. We didn't spend a ton of time relaxing on beaches, instead we searched out some 'un-touched' Hawaii and hung out drinking Kava out of coconuts. It....was....amazing.

We traveled to 3 of the islands: Oahu, Maui and the Big Island, our favorite probably being Maui. It was surprising how different each of the islands were, but all equally stunning.

We, of course, tried lots of local beer and had some of the best Mai Tai's on earf. Seriously, I'm starting to wonder if they slipped crack into those Mai Tai's, they were addictive .

Some highlights of the trip included:
- 'Nakele Blowhole' in western Maui: we hiked down the rocks and got a close up view of this crazy ass blowhole, and boy was it worth it. It was windy that day, so the waves were rockin' and the blowhole was spraying like nobody's business.

- 'Aina Nalu' was our hotel in Maui and it was like staying in a jungle treehouse hideaway with 2 gorgeous pools.

- 'Maui Brewing Company': we liked this brewery better than the much more popular  'Kona Brewing Company' on the Big Island. It was really laid back and the beers were especially tasty. Kona did have a better patio though.

- 'Volcanoes National Park': everyone should go here. The hike in the crater was amazing, and despite the rainy weather we had, it was a surreal experience to see how lava could completely cover a road.

-Mai Tai's: We had a ton of different Mai Tai's, but our favorites were at 'The Royal Kona Hotel bar', 'Kimo's' in Lahaina, and the 'Feast at Lele' Luau.

- 'Okolemaluna Tiki Lounge' in Kona: This place was the bees knees, fo' real! It was off the main drag, and had some of the best tiki drinks on the planet. Our waiter was from the Milwaukee area too, and super nice.



Ah, Hawaii, what have you done to me? I get freakin' teary eyed looking at these photos, and long for my next Hawaii fix. Well, Aloha Hawaii, until we meet again!

Time to rest

Wedding season has been particularly busy this year, and has definitely kept us on our toes for the last few months. So now, it is time to get out and travel and take a much needed vacation. We're headin' to Hawaii for the next 10 days, and once we're back we'll be ready to pump out the cards faster than ever. Aloha!

PS: The etsy shop is closed for the week, but never fear, we'll be back to open it up on Monday June 4th.

Sass-Quatch Party: Part 2

So, as promised, here are some more photos from Beckett's 2nd "Sass-quatch" birthday party. We totally decked out the house in full Sass-Quatch Forest style, complete with lots of green balloons, "vine" streamers and of course the glorious and majestic Sass-Quatch Forest! (pictured below) I cut out giant cardboard trees and painted them green, taped wooden stakes to the back and stuck them in the buckets full of rocks to help them all stand up straight. They looked pretty darn coolio.

I also got a bunch of vintage style jars for every guest so everyone could make their own very little terrarium to take home with them. I had a terrarium station set up, with buckets filled with rocks, dirt, sand, succulents, and instructions. Plus I had a little box with a whole slew of figurines, ranging from army men to dinosaurs, so you could add a little rad-ness to your terrarium (See top photo)

Perhaps the most fun thing about the Sass-Quatch Forest is the Sass-quatch cutout that was attached to one of the cardboard trees. I cut out the face, so everyone could poke their head through and become a real live Sass-Quatch!

I made little vine streamers out of ribbon and green paper leaves that I cut out. I glued them all onto the ribbon and hung them jungle style all over the room. They turned out pretty cool and better than I expected.

I'll be back to post more photos this week, including the most awesome Sass-Quatch cake!

PS: In case you missed it, here are the invitations!

Indie Wed MKE

Just wanted to quickly share that the most fabulous wedding show in the world is going TONIGHT at the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee! Indie Wed has moved north and is going to be putting on the first ever Indie Wed Milwaukee! So so excited to be apart of it, I can't stress enough how amazing this show is. If you are getting married and are in the greater Milwaukee area, definitely come and check it out. It's from 4-9 tonight, and you can buy tickets at the door for $15. Look for US there too of course, we'll be right by the door at booth #3! See you there!

Temporary Tattoos

I've been really diggin' temporary tattoos lately. I've always secretly wanted a tattoo, but will never get one because I'm too much of a chicken. I really love the ones from Tattly, seen here.

Sass-Quatch Party: The Invitations

 

I'm excited to share the party invitations I made for Beckett's 2nd birthday party a couple weeks ago. I loved the idea of a "Sass-Quatch" themed party, because little Beckett is quite the sassy boy, and often could probably be mistaken for a wild beast with the temper tantrums he throws. I also wanted to come up with a party theme that I hadn't seen before!

So anyways, I was really excited to make these invites, naturally. I went all out and created a "field guide" type pamphlet that contained all the party info (along with some fun text), and was all packaged in a cotton muslin pouch, on which I hand drew the little arrows symbol. It all was sealed up in a handmade envelope complete with the "Explorer Society" logo sticker! Obviously, I loooooooved making these! Stay tuned for more party posts soon!

PS: See the "First glimpse" here.

Ring Simplicity

 I'm usually a pretty plain jane when it comes to jewelry. Since I work from home and am on mom duty 24 hours, I usually don't give jewelry a second thought. I've been trying to be better though, since I actually do like jewelry. When I found these rings on Etsy recently, I was instantly smitten. I love how they are equally simple & beautiful. I also really love how they don't break the bank either! I was contemplating picking up one of these beauties, however this girl does have a birthday & mother's day coming up....

TOP LEFT:  infinity ring from Luttrell Studio, TOP RIGHT: Green ring from Luttrell Studio, BOTTOM: Knot ring by Autumn Equinox

A First Glimpse

This past Sunday we threw a super fun 2nd birthday party for Beckett. I've been working on editing all the photos from the party, but thought I would share some snippets of the party to give you a first glimpse. It was soooo much fun to plan and design all the elements of this party, and can't wait to share all the deets in the coming days!

PS: Beckett's amazing shirt is from Gnome Enterprises.