rylie is TWO.

rylie elizabeth is a "big" 2-year-old now! we had a blast celebrating her birthday a couple weekends ago.

this was her super fun invitation. i'm proud of how it turned out.

i made everything (including the elmo & sesame street sign images) in microsoft word, because i have yet to learn how to use photoshop. i really need to do that, because i know it would cut down on my time and frustration! :)

there are some little things i'd change, but i think it's really cute, and the best part is, rylie got so excited each time she saw this invitation or the other party pieces i created. she'd start squealing, "mo-mo!!" which is 2-year-old for "elmo!!" :)

i'll post more pics of her party creations soon. right now, i need to call it a day so i can rest up for our big 4th of july trip to the zoo tomorrow! :)

happy fourth!

rylie's 2nd birthday party.

i'm in hyper-planning mode around here... why?? because rylie elizabeth is turning TWO next week!

and what is better for a little girl who LOVES elmo (or "mo-mo"), than a super girlie elmo party??!?

i created this save-the-date to send out digitally to friends and family to give myself time in the craziness of the end of the school year to create an invitation and get them printed and sent out. :)

i'm super excited about how everything is coming along... including these little "party dots" which will be punched out and used as cupcake toppers at the party... so fun, right??

stay tuned for more girlie-elmo fun. :) exactly one more week 'til party time! :)

bella ballerina.

our sweet emma kate had her first dance recital last week. it was so fun to see her point and twirl with the other little girls onstage. we may be biased, but i think we might have a little star-in-the-making on our hands... :)

to commemorate the event, i made a sweet little invitation to send to family & friends so they could mark their calendars and join us if possible.

i used tiny prints to create this girlie little beauty.

the body of the invitation is printed in chocolate ink in a font that i'm obsessed with for kid-friendly events, at the moment. it's called "peach fuzz!" so much fun, right?!?

take some time today to channel your own inner "twinkle-toes." dancing makes almost everything better. :) (especially when you're 5!)

sweet!! :)

i've been blown away by all the interest i've had over the last 2 years or so for the "sweet baby" gender reveal invite i created below!

thanks to all who have expressed interest and have purchased this design! :)

if you are interested in purchasing a customized digital copy of this invitation ($18 for customization and a pdf of the invite, for you to share digitally or print on your own), please email me at sara.beth.rains@gmail.com. 

if you are interested in me printing the invitations and then shipping them to you, email me with that information as well, and i can get started on a quote. 

if you would like a custom invitation for another event, please contact me, and i'd LOVE to create something to fit your needs! :) 

thanks again for your support and encouragement of my creativity! :) it has definitely been "sweet." :)

:) sara

strike up some fun.

i created this invitation digitally using a bowling invite from inviting company.

i love it - simple, fun, whimsy.

font is done in grenouille.

gender reveal party.

i whipped up this little invite today for a gender reveal party we're throwing for our family and close friends next week after our "revealing" sonogram for baby rains. :)

i'm really excited about how it turned out... i think it's super cute and fun. cheery. :)

***UPDATE: at our little gender reveal party, we announced to our friends & family that we are having another BABY GIRL! :) her name is rylie elizabeth, and she should be joining our family around june 23rd of 2010. we cannot wait to meet her!***

***YET ANOTHER UPDATE: due to a LOT of interest in this invitation over the last 2 years, i am now selling customized digital versions of the invite, which you may print on your own, or share digitally. if you are interested, please email me at sara.beth.rains@gmail.com. if you want printed invitations shipped to you, or an invitation created for another event, i'd love to chat about that, too! thanks! (oh! and our sweet rylie is about to be TWO!!!... my how time flies...)***

christmas card.

this is our family's 2009 christmas card.

because i was SO busy this year with the end of my degree and all, i designed it at vistaprint.com and think it turned out really great - especially for what it is! the colors on the actual card are SO much more vivid and festive... the scanner didn't do it justice. :)

...and i love this picture for 2 reasons:

1) emma's smile is simply irresistable! it is definitely kiss-worthy... and we laugh, because she totally looks like she came right from an episode of "toddlers and tiaras!" don't you think? :)

2) this is our very first picture as a family of four! our friends, the stewarts, snapped this photo at a trip to the big orange pumpkin farm in october - right after we'd found out about the little bean growing inside of me. so fun!

do you remember my christmas card post from last year? i wistfully wondered if i would maybe be printing "another baby announcement in the next two years..." i love that on december 27, 2008 i wished we'd have another baby to announce in two years... and that on june 22, 2010, hopefully that little baby will be here - and we'll be announcing his/her arrival! :) i guess christmas wishes DO come true! :)