local yokal : Nellie Design

Source: etsy.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

This week is all about holiday gift ideas and what better way to start than with a classy lady who makes it all happen in celebrated style.

Nellie Leis of NellieDesign specializes in making parties look put together. I've had the pleasure of attending one recently for her son's 3rd birthday, and I was impressed with every detai--from the goodie bags for each child (by name!) which included a train whistle, crayons, and playdoh--to the ease with which she decorates the entire space. She thinks of everything from water bottles to string ties to non-labeled decor, and it all comes together for the most cohesive, celebratory style.

If you're looking for added oomp this holiday season, NellieDesign is the place to start!

thn: Tell us about your aesthetic. 

ND: Nellie*Design's aesthetic is very simple, clean & nautical-inspired. I move with the trends and {hope to} stay contemporary, but have always loved the classic simplicity that nautical / coastal design embodies. Not all of my designs are nautical though! I provide many custom designs for client's seeking different styles, like a rustic-chíc "camping party" or a retro 80's birthday party! 

thn: If we were to walk through your front door today, what would we see that would be unmistakably Nellie Design?

ND: Stripes, Chevron, Polkadots, a simple serif font and a single motif/graphic. 

thn: Ah, I love stripes, too! So where do you draw your creative inspiration?

ND: I find inspiration from fashion and interior design {for things like patterns & color trends}, pinterest and etsy {for scoping out the competition and to be ever blown away by other's creativity}, martha-freaking-stewart and other inspirational DIY women like her {to motivate myself to be like them}, and from other designers and artists that I admire. 

thn: What role does your husband play in your creative work? And your children?

ND: My husband is really great with marketing! He's a salesman, so helps me a lot when I'm doing freelance projects for the business world. Sometimes I can get caught in my boutique-style {okay, you can call it "cutesy"}, so he helps redirect me when I'm working on corporate design. His ideas sometimes surprise me and a LOT of them have been the ideas that end up getting chosen. The role my children play{ed} in my creative work has actually been a game changer for me… I began nellie*design because of them! I became a stay-at-home-mom when I had my first child, but knew that I couldn't be "just a mom" {even though that is a full time job in itself!} and that I had to continue being creative. So, I started my at-home design business. It initially started with wedding invitations, personalized stationery, moving announcements, holiday cards, etc. But, once that big, beautiful, baby boy arrived {and my world changed} my designs shifted. I began my printable party designs, birth announcements and onesie stickers! Having children influences what kind of product I now make! Basically, now, I'm always creating designs that I think would be great for my own children!

Source: etsy.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

thn: Do you have a favorite project, and if so, what was it? 

ND: I really enjoyed working on my sis-in-law's wedding stationery items. From her save the date postcard and invitation suite, to favor tags and ceremony programs, I designed, printed and assembled {with the help of a family assembly party!} everything! This isn't something offered in my Etsy Shop, but is a service I offer. Outside of my boutique Etsy Shop, I provide custom designs, such as wedding stationery or corporate branding!

thn: How did you start your online business?

ND: I opened up an Etsy Shop page first and then started my blog to help promote it. I wouldn't consider myself a "blogger", but find that having a blog has been a great way to bring traffic to my business.

thn: How did you learn your graphic art?

ND: I had my first encounter with graphic designers as a young girl visiting my dad's art studio. My dad was a freelance illustrator, and in the same studio he worked, was a graphic design firm. I truly had no idea what they did, but I could just tell that they were cool! ;) I later went to the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee to receive my bachelor degree in Graphic Design. 

thn: Where would you like to see Nellie Design in five years? Ten years? What would be your big dream for the business?

ND: In 5 years, I see my business staying steady. I'm doing this as a side gig to my full time job as a stay-at-home-mama, so my first priority are my kiddos. I mean, who doesn't want their business to explode and "hit it big", but honestly, I just want my business to stay manageable and enjoyable. In this amazing period of my life, with very young children, I want to stay present in their lives and enjoy every minute of it. I am blessed to be able to do that, while still being able to be creative "on the side" for a while. BUT… in 10 years… I hope to be doing my business full time from home, making a steady and supporting income from it, blogging full time, and creating many more items to sell in my shop! 

thn: How do you balance working from home and living there?

ND: This is an extremely hard balance for me, that I work on daily! But, on a good day, I try to do all my work while the kids are napping and after they go to sleep. {I try my hardest to NOT answer emails or do design work while I'm with the kids!}. I have made it known in my shop's policies that my turn-around is 48+ hours, and that I don't work regular business hours. The line gets crossed often between home & home-office. I catch myself on the computer looking up "Betty Brinn Children Museum Hours" and then 30 minutes later realize I've been responding to Etsy Orders the entire time. So, I am constantly working on making being a mama my number 1 priority, while maintaining a quality business at the same time!

Source: etsy.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

thn: If you could purchase 3 things from your shop today, what would they be and why?

ND: 1. Chevron "we've dropped anchor" Moving Announcement - I love everything about it; chevron pattern, red anchor, navy serif font… all my favorite things in one little package. 
2. Seersucker Alligator Onesie Sticker & Stationery - I think this is a design that screams nellie*design; everything about it embodies my aesthetic.
3. Burlap & Fushia Camping Party Invite & Decor Printables - Man, do I love the combo of the bright fushia on a rustic burlap background! Gone are the days of pretty pretty princesses! Bring on the rustic, self-sufficient, not scared of a little dirt, Camping Girls! ;)

thn: How do you make your house a home?

ND: There's no place like home. And I definitely feel that way toward my home. To make my house a home, I have decorated it to my style {nautical, pottery-barn-on-the-cheap, cozy}, I don't keep things too stuffy {big comfy couch that swallows you up, not so clean you're scared to spill, etc} and I display lots of family photos and family art pieces {my dad's paintings & now Fin's art!}.  Living in an OLD English Cottage style home, I think, automatically makes for a charming, cozy, comfortable home! 

thn: Say I'm preparing for an event and I want to contract with Nellie Design. What should I know before I approach you?

ND: Know what you want! You give me your direction and I'll run with it! If you're ordering a "printable" {pre-made} design, have all of your customized information ready. If you're working with me to create a custom design, let me know your style, colors you'd like, custom information and general "vision" for the design. From there, we'll work on completing the design through proofing to get exactly what you want!

thn: What would you suggest are the 3 most important steps in preparing a great event?

ND: First, I think choosing one thing {theme, color, etc} to tie in to all the paper pieces for the event. If you're having a nautical event, for example, use a nautical knot motif and have it on everything from the invite to the favor tags, menus, etc! This will tie everything in and make it feel consistent and planned. 

Second, have a budget. If you know how much you can spend, you will feel more in control {yes, even if it is a really small budget!}. Using your budget, begin to evaluate what is most important to YOU to prioritize where you want to spend more of your budget. {A little shameless self promotion here…} A great way to save money when preparing for an event, is to go the DIY route, and order "printable" party decor from designers like me! This is an entirely customizable option {rather than choosing decor from a party supply store, where thousands of others are using the same design} so you can have gorgeous paper pieces for your event, for a much more affordable price, at the cost of your time/energy to print/assemble everything on your own! 

And finally, make your guests feel special! Whether it's sending them off with a unique favor {a GOOD one, not a cheap bottle of plastic wedding bubbles!}, or having a "candy bar" where guest's can make a bag of goodies, of their choice, to go home with, or even, just having place cards at each place setting can make your guest's feel special! 




Thanks, Nellie! I can't wait until my kids are old enough to have a camping party so we can use those fabulous invitations!

Check out her shop here to get ready for the holidays (and you may catch a glimpse of her sweet kids).

icj,
~j 

tweet

for kids or young adults :: homemade tent inspiration

Source: blogs.babble.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I can't get enough of these tent ideas, some of which I pinned long ago on pinterest. I can't wait to build these for our kids, in part so that Hawk and I can enjoy them too!

Wouldn't it be SO much fun to have friends over for card games, put the kids to bed, and spend the evening in a crazy tent in the basement? Call me crazy but I'm doing this. Who wants to be invited?

tweet

it's time

It's time for someone over the age of 17 to have more a clue about technology that those under. It's time that we remind them we created this junk. Or at least we tested it out through Napster (and Ocean's 11). 


As you may know, I work with teens and I'm married to a music-freak. Freak as in any song on the radio he knows. In tune. Every word. Even the deplorably written platinum fun Black Eyed Peas pieces. And yet, there came the day.


All of you already know about it, but those silly children-conceived-in-the-90's (sorry Linds) and  my lovely husband didn't. And this was even better than when I introduced them to Evite.com!


PANDORA.

If you haven't got yerself an account, do so. I am now an entertaining queen, and I can listen to work-appropriate music when at, well, work.

Recommended stations: Chris Thile, Madeleine Peyroux, Victoria Vox, Punch Brothers, Ingrid Michaelson, Kate Nash, and Edgar Meyer.

Have you opened up pandora?

icj,

~j

tweet

How to throw an almost-perfect dinner party for 10: part III...letting go

So we've had a couple posts about hosting a dinner party. What to do, and what to do better.

Despite the challenges of the evening, it was a success. In the first post, we mentioned offering entertainment and being able to enjoy each other's company. For each person, couple, or family this differs. For the Hawks, we chose two things: music and questions. For those of you who know us personally, you can pretty much guess who does what best.

First, we broke out the questions. I (jen) always wanted to do this so after a friend from work mentioned that she does something similar and it's a big hit, I went with it. I use this box:

This gives me an appealing way to store the questions (a.k.a., not lose them) and also helps the presentation. Let's face it, when we tell a bunch of adults that they're going to write down and then answer question around the table, there will likely be a bit of groaning, rolling eyes, etc.

And provide slips of paper on which our guests are asked to write any question in the world:

And then we put them back in the box, 

have everyone draw one, and go around and listen to their answers. Note: it's not an "icebreaker"! We do this after the meal and many drinks have been consumed. The conversation that comes forth is fantastic and different every time if we don't anticipate what someone will answer, or force the conversation one way.

After the questions and much to his chagrin, our guests and I convinced Hawk to break out his old and new mandolins. At least one other person in the group knew how to play. Here he is explaining how he chose the Mandolin Store's Custom Gibson F5-G while Eric plays in the background:

Here we are enjoying three separate conversations. One of Gianna, Hawk, and Eric to the left, one of Colin and myself, and one with the other five on the right.

Eric breaking out Hawk's guitar and leading us in a rendition of Blackbird by the Beatles.

I love this next photo; it just seems old-school, classic, and it captures the devilish look our friend Colleen often has in her eyes:

We have a few videos of the evening which are brilliant! They include guitar-led group singing (with most of us forgetting the words) and an opera singer letting loose! When I figure out how to edit and post them through vimeo, I'll let you know. This may be another year at my rate.

Happy Thursday!

icj,

~j

tweet

how to throw an almost-perfect dinner party for 10: part I, being prepared for...

The Art of Hosting a Dinner Party for Ten..
Almost-perfect is our operative phrase for this little blogging session. 

I'm going to walk you through our first "real" dinner party---ever---and what we did well and what we need to work on. I find this sort of information invaluable for those of you starting out in your first marriage, house, etc. 


"The Ten" invited to the aforementioned dinner party included 4 couples who have taken great care and love to mentor Hawk and I in the art of hosting. While I wouldn't say this is necessarily a lost art, I do think my generation has little experience in hosting them and only a dip more experience as guests.


What defines a "dinner party" vs. "friends over for dinner?"
In our reflection, we find the primary difference to be about the intent: what do we intend for our guests? The answer defines the difference between the two types of dinner. 


When throwing a dinner party, we want our guests to have an experience. By this, we mean that from the moment they walk in the door to the moment they leave, our guests should feel that they were hosted, that is, a) that their hosts prepared the space for them, b) prepared a menu (versus "food"), c) prepared the bar, and d) prepared entertainment.


These preparations differ from "friends over for dinner" in that the latter requires little forethought, little preparation. Sure, the counter may be scrubbed, floors swept, and great food served, but when a friend comes over for dinner in this way, it is as if they are in their own home.


A dinner party requires that guests receive an experience of being prepared for, attended to at every moment, and enjoyed despite any mishaps.


Today, we will explain how we prepared for our guests.


First, the Menu.
Jen chose the menu three days prior to the dinner. She went for a combination of foods that are both tasty and on the gourmet side, and also were repeats. Here is the menu:
Pancetta-wrapped Filet Mignon with Sun-dried Tomato & Goat Cheese
Rice Pilaf
Boston & Romaine Salad with Raspberry-Kick Vinaigrette
Momma Shedd's Homemade Toffee (what is possibly left after our Christmas feast!)
Two bottles of red wine, one higher-quality, one lesser
Twelve-pack of beer for non-wine drinkers
Soda, regular & diet

Here's what made this menu wise:
Jen has made the steaks before, and they were incredible! All the ingredients are readily available at the local market. The rice pilaf was a brilliant box mix (I'm out, so when I remember what it is, I'll post it if you want to know), so no pressure there. The salad was simple--just lettuce and homemade dressing. The dressing is a very simple and tangy recipe Jen altered. Since we had the rice, dressing ingredients, and twelve-pack ready, our total bill for 10 guests including 10 cuts of 8 oz. filets came to just shy of $75.00!


Here's what made this menu stupid:
Ugh. That's a later post. I promise. All the dreadful details will be brought into the light.


Second, the space.
Hawk had to work late, complete mandolin lessons, and coach the evenings prior to the party, so that meant that Jen had to get a few things done ahead of time (see the checklist below). Remember, the hosts must be ready to receive guests. No running upstairs to shower or do hair. The party was Wednesday, so on Monday night, she scrubbed all the hardwood floors throughout the living and dining rooms. Really scrubbed. Washed as many dishes as needed to be washed, and picked up anything that was laying around and shouldn't be. Not true, complete cleaning, just enough to make it easier the day-of.


Jen scrubbed the kitchen sink (yes, before preparing dinner!), the powder room sink, around any other obvious bathroom areas, and the top of the wine bar.


Here's a good checklist for housecleaning in preparation for a dinner party:
KEY: No one will notice what IS clean, but they'll take fierce mental notes on what isn't.
1. Scrub floors. Nothing is worse than muck on the floor. It's the first thing people notice as they think, "should I take off my shoes?" and then look down toward their shoes.
2. Dust all flat surfaces Never underestimate it! We are not good dusters. Meaning, we've dusted twice in 5 months. Oops. But a quick once-over of all the flat top areas in any room in which we'll receive guests really makes a difference. No one will notice if it is, but they'll feel like everything else is a little dirty if it isn't.
3. Wipe down mirrors. Humans can't help but check themselves out when they walk by a mirror. A good host makes sure they notice themselves rather than foggy dust.
4. Double-check the toilet paper, towels, and soap. I had to reload both tp and soap in our powder room. It was used quite a bit that evening, so I'm glad I had the forethought to do this. 
5. Sweep under and around the dining table. I hadn't even realized that there was just---stuff---under there. 
6. Fill the ice-trays. Makes sense, right?
7. Re-clean any spotted wine or water glasses. This one has caught me off guard in the past. Our wine glasses used to dry with a cloudy rim. I've since remedied this problem, so now I'm more attentive to what isn't done correctly.


Third, the tone.
Hawk is the musical one in the family---by leaps and bounds, but I have a good sense of relaxing music. Not always good tailgate music, but a girl can't be perfect all the time.

madeleine peyroux

So with a new itunes giftcard, Jen downloaded some Madeleine Peyroux. She's fantastic. We had some Punch Brothers & Chris Thile waiting for when things got going. We made sure all the music was ready so we could enjoy it as we prepared and ensure that nothing was off kilter.

Fourth, the host.

Knowing that Hawk would arrive 15 minutes before our guests, that meant showering, hair, make-up, etc. had to be completed at least 2 hours before guests arrive. Jen's hair takes forever to dry, and she never blow-dries it because she'll look like someone in high school in the 90's (c'mon, you know exactly what we mean). This meant that Jen scheduled off from work beginning at 4:00pm, went in to work early that day, and made sure to leave the house as clean as possible so that most of the time could be spent on the food prep. By the time Hawk arrived, most of the work was completed. We are lucky to work so well together in these instances; Hawk came home and jumped right into setting the rest of the table items, filling water jubs, the decanter, ice trays, etc. Then, he made sure to be ready to greet guests when they rang the bell, take their coats, and offer them something refreshing to drink. 

{devote}Nonetheless, we had a 3-minute fight. 3-minutes in part because in 6 minutes, our guests arrived. Being under a bit of stress of course placed stress on our marriage, even for those brief moments, but those moments can build into bigger matters later. So we paused in the midst of our preparations and did a quick check of why we were both irritated, talked it out, settled it (each choosing to relax our stringent requirements), and give a little kiss before returning to our duties. Had we not paused to settle things, our friends would surely have sensed something between us, and we would have been tempted to treat each other with less love and dignity. Pausing to settle the matter and to both apologize meant that we were free to enjoy and be enjoyed.

Fifth, the guest list.

This is an often overlooked but essential ingredient to a memorable and pleasant dinner party. We have attended a few over the years in which the mixture of people didn't truly provide opportunity for conversational ease. Things felt forced. If the mix isn't thought out, guests might feel like hosts themselves, having to entertain the person next to them instead of enjoy the person next to them. For this party, we were lucky; 3 of the couples are good friends and have hosted us at least once in the same way. The fourth couple is acquainted with two of the three (sounds like a riddle) but hasn't known everyone as long.

So there's our short list of preparation. Short in that is was easily accomplished and spread out over three days.

Check back tomorrow for Part II

icj,

~j & Hawk

tweet

around the table

Last night, Hawk and I went over to our newly-married friends' for dinner. She used to be one of my "kids. I was in her wedding this past August and now, they're expecting in late April! Between our two weddings, we've barely had the opportunity to spend time together, so this dinner was a real treat in catching up, hearing details, and discussing the trials and triumphs provided in marriage and family life.


They're vegetarian, so they whipped up a simple Italian pasta meal with this at the center:

photo found here

We sat down at 7:30 and before we knew it, three hours had passed without us moving an inch. So much happens over good food. And while I'm ready to eat pizza every week just like the next gal, quick and easy foods are less conducive to the sort of conversation that makes relationships, that leads one in progressively reflective thought. So much of my own personal formation occurs over food, and so many of my closest friendships are kindled with quality meals.

MEALS VS. FOOD

{devote} There's something about sitting at a table, pouring drinks, passing plates, asking for seconds. A meal differs greatly from "food." The presentation may be brilliant, but the same quality may be reached if the presentation is simply the best that house can offer. Like the beggar woman who threw two penny coins into the pot. Our friends had a small, decades old metal-and-formica table, simple dishes, and no candlelight, but it was like dining at Bartolotta's Baccus. And in our marriage, might the same be said? Giving the best to each other with what we have.

Because they hosted us. They prepared for us. And so last night, we truly enjoyed ourselves over Spotted Cow, ricotta-stuffed pasta boats, garlic bread and salad. The conversation flowed like hearty wine.

Happy Thursday!

icj,

~j

tweet

Did I mention funeral favors?

During our first housewarming, a friend from work called to tell me that a funeral for which her reception committee prepared a reception had leftover food. Apparently, the family purchased enough for 200 people and only received a third of that during the actual reception. More than 11 containers of Sendik's catered food remained unopened.


She knew we were throwin' a little shin-dig, so she brought 7 containers over. One, we accidentally spilled all over the street, but 6 more made it into the house. By the time our second housewarming began, we were able to set out enough bread (rye, sourdough), spinach dip, and antipasto platters to give the impression of real high class hostessing. (wink wink)

Of course, we couldn't resist...we told our friends that they were eating previously-unopened funeral favors! Throughout the evening, we toasted such generosity and the long-life of the deceased (over 80 years). 


{devoted detail}: Appreciating what falls into place--and what doesn't. We completed everything we planned to complete, and we weren't above receiving gifts like that and even celebrating their uniqueness. The same certainly applies within marriage itself, eh? A gift is a gift is a gift.


icj,
~j

tweet

An Entertaining Experience

Invitations: I kept these simple, even though I would have enjoyed going overboard. We used write-on invitations from a local gift store for the neighbors' so we could drop them off at their door.

We used Evites for our friends knowing it would be easier to RSVP and the electronic reminder is more manageable than a phone call, "So, are you coming or what?" We added the question, "What color do you think we painted our powder room?" for fun.

Menu: Due to the time of day, we kept our menu simple. I wanted to fill the house with warm & autumn aromas, so I chose to make whatever I could and purchase only bread, crackers, and sundried-tomatoes (julienne cut) for the cracker dip, and Halloween candy for kids.  We have a number of WFB friends who have mastered the art of entertaining, so we followed their lead and kept the hands-on portion very simple. All of my preparation went toward:

• M&M Cookies (for kids & husbands/men in general)
• Bruschetta
• Mama Shedd's Applesauce (J's Mom)
• Applecake
• Apple Cider
• Powdered-sugar Frosting (for the cake)

While Hawk went to purchase drinks, I began cooking at 9:30am. I planned to stop cooking even if I wasn't completely finished by 1:00pm so I could shower, redo make-up, and finish cleaning anything that needed it (entertaining tip below). I made M&M cookies first so they could bake...

...while I peeled apples for my mother's infamous and perfectly delicious homemade applesauce (it truly points us to the divine feast). 

mmm, macintosh...

wedding knives, bowls, & boards put to delightful use

I used 2/3 of the applesauce to make Applecake and replaced the cake's walnut topping with powdered-sugar frosting and more cinnamon-brown sugar. I then used the other 1/3 as an additional cake topping. By the time the cookies were done, I had finished the applesauce and the preparation of one of three batches of the applecake. While the first applecake baked (40 minutes), I was able to make the second batch.

I made apple cider last from apple juice, cranberry juice, and spices, with simmering oranges & cinnamon sticks. It filled the house with it's luscious scent at the right time. By the time our first guests arrived at 2:20, we were resting in the kitchen with some Leinie's Oktoberfest and enjoying a few moments peace.

Entertaining Tip: No matter how ready you are, stop one hour before the party start time and get dressed, get make-uped, etc.  It is easier to keep cooking when people arrive than to run upstairs to finish your personal presentation. This also ensures that when your guests arrive, you are not sweaty or unfinished. Who want's a sweaty, stressed hostess? Giving myself the hour had only one down-side: I'm not really that good at dressing up my hair. It's wave/curly and sort of like that main female character in Monsters, Inc., it mimics my current mood. Shortly after our guests arrived, we snapped the last of the four photos of the day. Here are two friends and I as we sample a New Glarus Raspberry Tart:

has that whole 70's look, eh?

More to come!

tweet

Afternoon October Sun & Funeral Favors

note: photo not really of our home

Despite the wicked weather, the sun literally and figuratively broke out last weekend! 


We hosted our first of two-in-one-day houswarmings a week ago Saturday. I highly recommend this idea! We knew that there was a block party in August, just a week before we closed, but we couldn't make it to the festivities. I can't stand passing people on the street or living next to them and not knowing their name---after all, the friendly neighborhoods are one of the greatest catalysts for our WFB move. And since we'd only met 3 homes (all those directly next to us), we thought we'd skip the waiting and awkward "Who is that person?  Ohhhh, that's our neighbor" thing, and just invite them over.


From 2-5pm, we hosted a little housewarming for neighbors only--just our block. That came to 22 homes! I dropped off invitations in their mailboxes 7-10 days before (though I highly suggest doing so 14-21 days ahead) and included: "Children & costumes welcome" so that our family-filled neighbors would bring those little ones by. 


Remember that post about regrets? Well, I'm sad to say that only 5 photos were taken of the day. Ugh, regrets... Nonetheless, they're evidence of something. Four of the photos will appear tomorrow, so I'll leave you with this chocolatey shot of our young neighbor:

Isn't he brilliant?


icj
~j

tweet