that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Charlie Brown Christmas - Kinetic Text Animation from A Pair of Pears on Vimeo

(if you're an email subscriber, you'll need to click the link to view the video)

Charlie Brown Christmas Printable by A Pair of Pears

What's not to love about Linus recounting the story of Christmas? It just never gets old. Plus, Linus has a trusty blanket, and I too had a trusty blanket up until a year and a half ago, so Linus and I have a lot in common. 

xoxo.

nothing left to take away.

Isn't this quote stunningly true? It's been on my mind the past few days as I think about its relevance--to design, to consumerism, and to life, really. And while I put my thoughts and prayers toward sanctification and not perfection, I do believe that much of life's lessons (for me, anyway) are learned in the taking away and doing without. I find that I listen to God most (and best) when I remove distractions, and when I get past my feelings. 

My prayer is that as God molds my heart, He finds little resistance in the taking away.

xoxo.

the best.

Marc Johns' quirky and whitty drawings keep me laughing on long days...

xoxo.

muhs home

Muhs Home is one of my favorite little browsing spots. Aren't these sets of spreaders, knives, and cocktail forks gorgeous? I love the simplicity and craftsmanship. 

Have a pretty Wednesday.

xoxo.

know.

hand lettering perfection.

This weekend, I stumbled upon the work of Dana Tanamachi, a custom chalk letterer based out of Brooklyn. Isn't it beautiful? I've always been a fan of gorgeous type, but this just takes the cake. See more on her website or this lovely write-up on Design*Sponge.

Ace Hotel Room 1021 on vimeo

this just might be the coolest toy ever.

How sweet is Twig Creative's Anagram wooden toy camera? Landon and I have joked that when we have kids, we're only going to give them wooden toys and running shoes. This little sucker fits right into the plan.

xoxo.

P.S. You can buy an Anagram here.

soul, spirit, joints, and marrow.

xoxo.

a bad case of the z.

Do you ever have weeks that just make you sleepy? This is one of those.

xoxo.

hello weekend.

Hello, weekend. Won't you stay a while?

Fun colored planters from A Beautiful Mess

An amazing photo shoot by Jose Villa, full of peaches, cupcakes and an airstream trailer

These lemon almond coconut ice cream sandwiches look like just the thing for a June weekend

Happy weekend!

xoxo.

P.S. This is my first ever animated gif. Who knew they were such a cinch?

oops, i did it again.

...a little blog redesign, that is.

This one took me a few hours to plan, but less than an hour to implement (last time around it took the better part of a weekend). And it's squeaky clean, which I love.

Happy last few hours of your long weekend!

xoxo.

the day i told landon i'd love a simple, clutter-free home.

...but alas, I'm a piler. 

Maybe someday?

xoxo.

[1 2 3 4 5 6]

act, love, walk.

xoxo.

diy monday: custom facebook covers [how-to and free downloads!]

Happy Monday, friends! Have you switched to the Facebook timeline yet? I switched a few weeks ago, and I think it's a lot of fun, especially the cover photo. The only problem with the cover photo is that a lot of low-resolution photos (especially ones pulled from Facebook) tend to look blurry when blown up to that size. So, I decided to design a few Facebook cover images with my favorite quotes/verses. Here's what I came up with (and how they would look on my--or your--page):

 

 

If you have photoshop, here's how to make a custom Facebook cover:

Step 1: Create a new document that is 1000x368 pixels

Step 2: Create a New Pattern Fill Layer

Step 3: Select Your Pattern (see sources below)

Step 4: Using the type tool, add text to your image

Step 5: Save the image as a JPEG

And that's it! Also, I should point out that I have no graphic design training, so if I went about this the wrong way, or I'm making any of you real designers cringe, my apologies.

Now, for your free downloads. To download, right click on any of these images, click "Open Link in New Tab" and drag the image to your desktop. Then go to your Facebook page and upload your new cover! 

And here's some versions without text. You can always add your own, or leave them blank.

If you don't have the timeline yet, but want to get it, the easiest way to switch is to visit one of your friend's pages who has timeline, and you should see a prompt at the top to switch to the timeline format.

Happy cover-ing!

xoxo.

Sources

Doily Thoreau Cover: Lace Doily // Paper Background // Typeface

Blue Chevron Isaiah 54:10 Cover: Blue Chevron Background // Typeface

Yellow Lace Churchill Cover: Yellow Background // Lace Ribbon // Typeface

Gray Chevron Hepburn Cover: Gray Chevron Background // Typeface

happy friday.

(my new motto)

xoxo.

hit the sack [literally].

 Is this not the most perfect bedding you've ever seen? If I owned a twin bed, it would be mine. Who wouldn't want to sleep in a a beautiful, white flour sack? 

xoxo.

our christmas card.

I really like Christmas cards. My mom usually keeps them in a basket during the holidays, and I love reading through them each year to see what friends and family are up to. I wanted to keep things simple this year for ours, but also signify the big change in our lives that happened in 2011: our move to Texas. I came up with this design, which allowed me to print them at home and send as a postcard...

 We sent these to our family and friends that are sprinkled across the West Coast. I had another set of cards that say "Merry and Bright," that we sent to friends here in Abilene.

Do you send out Christmas cards? Do you like getting them in the mail? I love both the sending and receiving.

xoxo.

P.S. See last year's card here.