my daughter's hand lettering

I think that most parents can relate to this...  My daughter and son constantly mimic me.  They both pretend to walk around the house with a laptop, talking on the phone.  It's always both amusing and a little strange to watch.  Ha!

Lately, my daughter has been practicing her hand lettering with me:

Love it!  Maybe one day I'll write as well as she does...

Happy Friday everyone! 

a stunning wedding site

Oh my!  I saw this site today and had to share...  It's the very talented Jessica Hische's wedding invitation site.  Check it out - http://jessandruss.us/

my son's first birthday

I blinked my eyes and my son turned a year old this May.  When people say that time goes by quickly with babies, it's SO true.

My husband is Korean, so it was important to me to honor my son's Korean heritage by giving him a Korean first birthday, called a dol. 

For those of you that aren't too familiar with the tradition, first birthdays in Korea are a big event.  In the past, disease and malnutrition caused high infant mortality rates.  When a baby made it to his/her first birthday, it was cause for celebration.  I personally love the tradition.

Family and friends gather together, pray for the child and share food.  The main event of the dol, called the dol janchi, is a game telling the child's future as an adult.  Several items are placed in front of the baby and he/she chooses one.  Whatever item is choosen symbolically foretells his/her future.  For my son, we let him chose between a computer mouse, a pen, money, rice and the Bible.  If he chose the pen, the tradition is that he will be a scholar as an adult.   The mouse is for a computer genius, rice means an abundant life and the Bible means a minister.

It took many months of planning, but it was truly a labor of love.  I enjoyed every second:

(All photos by Laura Izumikawa Photography)

Welcome Sign

The main table, called a dolsang

The Cake

Paper Straws

Paper Pinwheels!  I used a wonderful tutorial from A Subtle Revelry here.

Dessert Table. 

Ruffled Streamer (Tutorial from MADE here)

Favors

The Wishing Tree (Found here)

During the doljabi, he kept going back and forth between the pen and Bible, but he finally chose the mouse!

 All of the vendors I used were fantastic.  If you live in Southern California, I highly recommend all of them:

• Photography:  Laura Iz Photography


• Cake:  The Cake House in Buena Park


• Cake Topper:  Knitting Dreams - A wonderful Etsy shop


• Bouncer:  Jump Action


• Invitations/Welcome Sign/Favor Tags/Thank You cards:  Little Seouls Party


• Food:  Waba Grill


• Tables and Linens:  Create a Party in Brea

Isn't Laura's work beautiful?  She was absolutely perfect and I'm so happy that we decided to have her do the photography.

I swear, this kid is my clone!

a birth announcement

Finally, here it is!

I'll soon be offering this custom work at my Etsy shop.

Now on to finish up the wedding invitations that I'm working on. Happy Friday everyone!

watercolor details

Lately I've been seeing watercolors on invites, everywhere!  Ombre washes, calligraphy in watercolor...  There's a stunning example here from oh my deer.

I haven't picked up my watercolors in years, but I've decided to experiment lately:

I have the watercolor bug again and so many ideas are coming together!

vintage speedball set

A lovely gift from a close friend.  Love the packaging!  The best part...most of the nibs are unused.

emily dickinson

I've been seeing this quote around the interwebs as of late and it got me remembering...

Emily Dickinson has been a source of inspiration for me for most of my life.  As a teen, I was a prolific writer and I constantly read her poetry.  Seriously.  Her poetry shaped my thinking.

A few years ago during a business trip to the Boston area, I was able to break away for a few hours to visit her home, which is now the Emily Dickinson Museum.  I've always wanted to visit Amherst and I finally got the chance.

Emily was never married and was a recluse later in life.  Only a dozen or so of her heavily edited poems were published in her lifetime and she was virtually unknown until her unedited works were published in the 1950's. 

Someone at the museum told me that the owners of the Dickinson homestead at that time didn't know who she was until people started showing up on their doorstep to have a look inside the house.  Sadly, only one photo of her survives and I hear that her desk is currently at Harvard.  Emily's sister Lavinia discovered all of her writing on scraps of paper stuffed away in her desk after she died.  Those scraps of paper, her desk and that photo are the only tangible things from her life that survive today.

Taking photos at the homestead was not easy.  For some reason, there just wasn't a good angle:

The home below, which is right next door, belonged to her brother.  It is by far the creepiest place I have ever been.  Hands down. 

This home is in the exact state that it was when it was built.  Literally.  The ancient wallpaper sits peeling away from the walls.  The furniture, china, paintings on the wall, everything.  It was amazing.  I don't believe photos were allowed inside and if photos were allowed, I was so stunned that I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Even if you're not a fan of Emily, this place is worth a visit.

Her gravesite is a short ride from the homestead.  You can see the seashells and rocks people have left for her.  I left her a thank you as well:

My favorite photo by far:

I've been thinking about the Boston area off and on since I was there.  I really hope to visit again soon...

calligrapher love - a modern calligraphy course

I hope everyone enjoyed their Father's Day weekend as much as my family did!  It's back to Monday and well, Monday is almost over...

There are so many wonderful calligraphers out there these days.  Melissa Esplin of ISLY is one of my faves.  She offers a modern calligraphy course for those of you that are looking to learn how or to polish your skills.  It's based off Copperplate and is freshly modern, unlike many other courses offered out there. 

I personally took the online course and I can honestly recommend it.  It's full of great tips and information.  She even offers a private gallery and gives feedback on your progress which for me, was extremely valuable.  It also helps that she's great to work with. 

I'm looking forward to any upcoming courses that she's offering.  The preview and sign up process is here.

etsy updates, blog updates!

I'm working on some changes to my blog design as well as a major update to my Etsy shop. Busy is always good!  

Here's a lovely WWI-era print that's going to be listed soon. Amazingly, the colors are still vibrant after all these years...

happy father's day!

Father's Day is this weekend and I'm lucky to have two great dads in my life - my dad and of the father of my children, my husband.  I don't know who I would be without either of them.  

Take time to connect with the dads in your life or in the very least, have a wonderful weekend!

peonies in bloom

Peonies are one of many reasons I love this time of year!  I love the color, I love those delicate petals...  I have to contain myself when I see them for sale. 

lemon cream cheese cupcakes

Who doesn't love cupcakes?!  Lately, I've been on a cupcake recipe frenzy, trying new recipes and perfecting some old ones. 

Some have turned out great, others not so much...  

Here's one of my favorites that I made for everyone on my birthday:



BEST Lemon Cream Cheese Cupcakes 

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 (pinch) teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 Tbsp. lemon juice or lemon extract
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk

Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature                           
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 cups powdered sugar

Directions
Position a rack in the middle of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.

Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl and using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until smoothly blended and lightened in color, about 2 minutes.  Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is blended into the batter and it looks creamy, about 1 minute.  Add the lemon juice (or lemon extract), lemon zest and vanilla.  Beat for 2 minutes.  If the eggs are cold, the mixture may look slightly curdled.  On low speed and in 3 additions (3 flour, 2 milk), add the flour mixture and milk alternatively, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Mix just until the flour is incorporated and the batter looks smooth.  Do not overmix.

Fill each paper liner to about 1/2 inch below the liner.  Bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Cool the cupcakes for about 10 minutes in the pan and then transfer them to a wire rack.  Let them cool completely before icing. 

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter, cream cheese, lemon zest and vanilla paste until smooth and thoroughly blended, about 1 minute.  Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing.  Add the powdered sugar, mixing until smooth, about 1 minute.  Beat the icing for another minute on medium speed to lighten the frosting further.  Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired.
Adapted from this recipe at Styleathome.com.

Seriously try these!  You won't be disappointed.  

Cupcakes can be a little tricky.  I've learned a few things by trial and error:

• Don't overmix once the flour has been added.  Overmixing makes them tough.
• Let all ingredients come to room temperature.  They combine correctly this way.
• Use vanilla bean paste in the frosting.  It makes such a difference!  Vanilla bean paste can be found here.
• Fill cupcakes liners half full.  This keeps them from rising too high to frost correctly.
• Invest in some nice decorating tips and pastry bags.  A very nice set can be found here, at Bakeitpretty.com.  With a little practice, you can have those really pretty icing swirls.
• Use cake flour and the best ingredients you can afford.  That probably goes for any recipe.
• Watch your oven temperature and let the oven preheat fully.  Most ovens have a hot and cold spot, so watch your cupcakes as they bake.
• Don't overbake your cupcakes.  They should be just baked without any browing on the top or bottom.  Check them after 20 minutes or so.
• Let cupcakes cool completely before decorating.  Buttercream will definitely run if the cupcake is warm.

Last but not least, experiment and have fun!

a work in progress

It's turning out to be one of those weeks.  At home today, sick with the flu, trying to sketch out and complete a few projects.  Here's a little preview...

 

It's a custom birth announcement for a very special little boy.

hello there

Here it is...  My very first post.  After much thought, I've decided to start a blog about my work and about life in general.  I hope to offer something of value, to inspire and to connect with you. Thank you for finding your way to my blog!

I've been a self-professed paper dork all my life.  Instead of playing with dolls as a child, I played with pen and paper.  I would sit for hours practicing my handwriting and have always been enamoured with letter forms. 

I'm also very passionate about quilting, fabric and sewing.  I learned to embroider and sew as a very young child.  My grandmother taught me what she knew and I've carried it throughout my life.

This past Sunday was my birthday and I had a full weekend of scribbling and experimentation.  I also completed a custom birth announcement for a client and just picked up a wedding project that I'm so eager to get started on! 

Why Tine and Thread?  The tine refers to the part of a calligraphy pen that flexes and allows the ink to move freely.  The thread is about my love for embroidery and sewing.  If it weren't for learning to use those two tools for my creative outlet, what kind of person would I be?  I often think about that.

It's also about the fact that I come from a family that made a living working with their hands.  My father and grandfathers are the type that can build anything.  My great-grandfather built his basement, a garage and added 6 bedrooms to his home, with just his tools and hands.  My grandmother was a painter and an accomplished seamstress.  She loved to sew and create. 

The lesson for me was that I could do anything, even things that seem impossible, if I just learn how.  It's very simple really, but it's been very powerful for me as I've walked my way in life.