A Little Design Everyday | by Anelieze Castrejon

New Blog Address: Please update link!

2012-02-13T17:47:00.000-08:00

Hi! I have now moved my design blog, acdesigneveryday.blogspot.com, to my new host, Wordpress! The new web address is: www.acastrejondesign.com/blog. Click the header below to go to the new address and be sure to update any links and subscriptions, including Google Reader!

Thanks a bunch,
Anelieze

Philippians 1:27 Inspirational Download

2011-08-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

I designed this "mirror" reminder for myself and thought I'd share for whoever may also need an inspirational quote to start the day. Click on the image above or click here to download the 8"x10" image.

My new favorite font: Phateon, and a Quinceañera invitation

2011-06-09T14:31:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with this font when I saw this carnival-inspired invitation set designed by 45 Wall Design. It inspired me to use it for my sister's Quinceañera invitation. I couldn't wait to share it~ it's one of my favorite invitation designs I've done yet! And the party is going to be a-ma-zing!

Other fonts and elements I used:
Rosewood
Adobe Wood Type Ornaments
Twine brush {designed by me, free brush download available for Adobe Illustrator, too}

*If you ever have any questions about a design I post, please let me know. I'm still learning, but I love to share my findings!

Sheky's 2nd Birthday Party Banner Invitation

2011-06-07T14:48:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of catching up to do on posting the many graphic design jobs I've done lately. Wedding season and Spring birthdays are upon us! I wanted to photograph each one, printed out and with their envelopes, but I probably won't get to do that until after our move in July. So, meantime, here's an invitation I did for my niece. I loved her birthday party--there was a cotton candy machine!

Photoshoot: Kids in swimsuits

2011-06-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

Here I am pretending to be a photographer again. This time it was easy because the models were just that: perfect models! I snapped away while these kids pretty much posed themselves, and soon enough I was left with these shots:

We shot at a park, so the "sand" pictures needed a little photoshop love to take out the cement blocks around them. But they rocked it like it was a real beach!

*one other note: i'm going for the more "natural" look in my photos, so most of these are very minimally edited, but I was playing around with some photoshop actions from Florabella, rain and london, and liked the feel of them. Otherwise, I'm trying to steer away from the vintage, cross-processed look. It won't be trendy for much longer and I want a more classic look to my photos. Agree? Do you like the cross-processed look?

Franco's grad announcement

2011-05-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

He did it! Franco graduated last weekend. It was a perfect, perfect day. I'm so proud of him. He's going to be a terrific doctor.

Fun trampoline family photo

2011-05-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this family look like they're having so much fun? They're so acrobatic! I had a blast taking their family photos.

p.s. yes, this was photoshopped. =)

N + E's photoshoot at the park

2011-05-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

This is the first of many shoots I will share in the near future, but I wanted to start off with one of my favorites of Naomi and Ethan. Just look at the plays on emotion from one photo to the next--pure joy, timidity, puzzlement, playfulness, love, and seriousness. I could look at these pictures over and over and find something new each time.

Newborn photo shoot: Lil J

2011-05-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

I'm by no means a professional photographer, but a friend asked me to take pictures of her baby J last month. We had to have a couple of shoots because the most horrible thing that can happen to a photographer happened after the first shoot: I lost 90% of the images. Long story, but they were irrecoverable so gratefully my friends forgave me and were willing to do it again. And here are some of the results! Welcome to the world, Baby J! {Yes, he was awake for most of the shoot, but we did get him to sleep in a cozy crocheted coccoon~ I'll share those soon, you'll die of cuteness.}

Graduation Party Plan: tissue paper decorations

2011-05-04T16:19:00.000-07:00

My husband Franco is graduating in less than three weeks! I haven't even finished mailing out the invitations yet! Ahh! I am, however, carefully planning the decorations. So even if no one shows up because they didn't get the invitation on time, the decorations are going to be so rad.

I'm going economical + d.i.y. and using a lot of tissue paper. First up, the garlands: (credits linked below their respective photos)

fringed tissue garlands + fringe layers

d.i.y. confetti system garland + glitter letter garland {mine's going to say "congrats!"}

These are made using crepe paper, but they're so simple, I can't wait to make them!

zig zag accordion streamers d.i.y.

Allongée dans l'herbe: Photoshoot with my nieces

2011-04-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was kind of cloudy, but it didn't keep me from having this little photoshoot with my nieces, Aaliyah and Shekendra, and sisters in law, Iris and Mayra. We went to a lemon orchard in Iris' backyard and turns out it makes for a great backdrop for Spring photos! The girls sucked on lemons and played hide and seek between the long aisles of citrus trees.

Aaliyah, who will be three next week {in the flowered top}, was so funny. We told her to run around in the grass, and she would, but then she'd suddenly stop and twirl with her arms outstretched, her smiling face looking up at the sky, which is what she's doing in the montage above. We thought it was cute, but we didn't know why she was doing it. It wasn't until while we were watching the princess movie Tangled later that night that Iris said, "That's why she would twirl with her arms wide open--she's copying Rapunzel from the movie!" And it was so true! She's princess Aaliyah, even in a lemon orchard. Ah, to be three again!

**allongée dans l'herbe: loosely-translated french for "frolicking in the meadow."
©acastrejon design, 2011. all rights reserved.

My favoritest salad recipe download

2011-03-01T11:10:00.000-08:00

Today I want to share my favorite salad recipe to-date: the Spinach, Apple, & Avocado salad. Yum. It's truly the dressing that makes the salad, a perfect mixture of sweet and tangy that cause your taste buds to go all a-flurry. Plus it doesn't hurt that it includes avocado, which I can eat (and have eaten) alone with a spoon. Sorry if that's gross.

The original recipe I found was from Real Simple, but I made some modifications. Click on the image below to download the printable pdf of my favorite recipe. It may become yours, too!

Salad Ingredients:

2 Gala apples, cored, and diced
2 tablespoons lemon juice (you'll need more for the dressing)
2 (5-ounce packages (8 cups) fresh baby spinach leaves (I bought a large bag at Trader Joe's for $1.99)
1 firm-ripe avocado, peeled and diced
4 strips of cooked turkey bacon, crumbled
1/4 cup red onion, sliced into thin pieces
Optional:
To add a little more sweet to the sour, add a handful of dried cranberries
To add a little more sour to the sweet, add a handful of crumbled goat or feta cheese

Salad Dressing:

2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
Ground pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Toss apples with 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Place spinach in a large bowl; remove long stems and bruised leaves. Chop loosely. Toss spinach with apples, bacon, and onion (and other optional ingredients except avocado and cheese).
2. Make dressing: In a small container with lid, mix together the 2 tablespoons lemon, oil, honey, pepper and vinegar. Be careful with the vinegar--add it little by little. I put too much in the first time and the dressing was very bitter. It's supposed to be more sweet than sour, unless you want it to taste sour. Close the lid firmly on the container and shake it to combine all the ingredients.

3. Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing. Divide between four bowls. Top with the avocado and cheese.

Relief Society Birthday Celebration balloon invitation

2011-02-25T23:01:00.000-08:00

A balloon invitation I designed for my church's women's organization, the Relief Society. I love the whimsical, retro-look of the tangelo, mint, and gray color palette. My inspiration: these Zara Picken's illustrations.

Chalkboard lettering by Dana Tanamachi

2011-02-11T14:44:00.000-08:00

A chalkboard + Dana Tanamachi + brilliant design & typography = swoon.

I Love You, Deeply: Free Valentine's Day Card Printable

2011-02-04T16:21:00.000-08:00

Hi luvs! Today I was inspired by Mr. Derek Weathersbee's brilliant font, Franchise, so much, that I wanted to make a little something that you can enjoy, too! {He even inspired the "ad-like" design below, similar to his own ad for his font.}

Here's a honeysuckle-colored "I Love You" card for you to use for Valentine's Day, an anniversary, a birthday, or any day of the year you feel like telling someone you love them. There are two files, one for the outside and one for the inside, you'll probably have to play around with your printer settings to print it out right. I made it the size of a regular sheet of paper, 8 1/2 x 11 so it should be pretty simple. Wouldn't it look great on some thick, texture-y cardstock? Can't wait to share my love in a pretty card! Happy weekend!

Click on each link below to download the PDFs:

As always, please do not use for commercial purposes. Thank you!

Make your own "Keep Calm" poster

2011-02-04T11:54:00.000-08:00

I went a little crazy with this poster generator. So many possibilities!

His + her fingerprints

2011-02-04T11:49:00.000-08:00

I wish I had thought of this! Very sweet for your other half.

Black damask and pink baby shower paper decorations

2011-02-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the inspiration I got for d.i.y. paper decorations, the baby shower I helped decorate for last weekend went very well! With a few supplies and tools I already had, I made these damask and pink paper decorations:

-"It's a girl" bunting banner {I don't think bunting will ever get old!}

-damask table runner made from wrapping paper

-impromptu door sign--I literally made it in less than 5 minutes with leftover damask paper I had printed and crepe paper, creating a ruffle using tape on the back

-flower branches--fake flowers from the dollar store taped to a couple of tree branches

-tissue poms {always a hit and hard to mess up}

-paper pinwheels

-framed chalkboards {from the dollar bin at a local crafts store}

I didn't make the diaper cake, but it turned out so pretty! Susie loved it, and it was a perfect blend of simplicity and playful elegance. And it didn't break the bank! Like I said, most of the supplies I already had, and my local dollar store had the rest of the things I needed. Be creative and do some harmless googling before you needlessly shell out precious dollars for gaudy party decorations. Unless, of course, you want to! =)

Joie online magazine: Nutella whipped cream recipe

2011-02-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

I was browsing through the past issues of Joie, an online lifestyle magazine from Indie Fixx, and came across a recipe for Nutella whipped cream! How is it that I've lived this long without knowing Nutella could be used for frosting? I think I'll have to try it for a Valentine's day dessert, or even just an everyday dessert!

*the rest of the recipe for the dark chocolate cupcakes is found in the magazine. take a gander!

ps. i apologize in advance for any unwelcome obsessions caused by this post. xoxo

February first and i still don't have a calendar.

2011-02-01T08:15:00.000-08:00

There's a blank part on my wall where I keep telling myself that I need to put a calendar there. It's February already and I still didn't have one up. There are a lot of printable options out there, but I particularly liked these simply modern calendar designs from Red Stamp. I printed the Chevron one and the multi-colored modern typography one. Now my wall won't be so blank!

linked from here and then here

Paper craft d.i.y. decorations= my salvation

2011-01-28T12:05:00.000-08:00

I'm in charge of decorations for a good friend's baby shower this Saturday and got incredible inspiration from this lovely picture of paper craft decorations. I especially love the truthful statement in the companion article: "With all the over the top dessert displays all over the internet, your average party planner can feel incredibly overwhelmed. Today, I have the pleasure of sharing with you a shoot that proves that simple can be stunning."

Amen.

from somewhere splendid. links to tutorials gratefully provided by creature comforts.

new year, new desktop background.

2011-01-10T10:51:00.000-08:00

Happy new year!

Simplify your desktop.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T10:45:00.000-08:00

Christmas card design

2010-12-13T09:29:00.000-08:00

I regret not designing more holiday card templates to offer my friends and family this year, but at least I got to do one. I still have to design mine...

This was for the Porter family. It is a 5 x 7 inch greeting card printed on cardstock.
{I took the pictures, too.}

Free Download: Twine Vector Brush + Digital Images

2010-12-06T18:42:00.000-08:00

It's finally here! Today's freebie deserves a little explanation, so bear with me!

I am in love with baker's twine {I may have ordered about 3,400 yards of it for wrapping Christmas presents just last week...} and wanted to use it for some upcoming Christmas digital projects, but what I wanted to do would be too time-consuming to work with real twine and scan it in, etcetera. I thought, why not try to use a digital file of twine? So I searched high and low and far across web-land but found nothing that even came close to a red-and-white twine brush/digital image, so I ventured to make my own! I am excited to offer you this lovely download for your personal design needs: behold, the Twine Vector Brush!

Downloading Instructions: To use this vector brush, you will need Adobe Illustrator CS or up, and all you have to do it download the .zip file, extract its contents, and open on the .eps file, which will open it automatically into Illustrator.

**New! A Commercial License is now available for purchase in my Etsy shop for only $5.00 USD! Click Here to go to my Shop, Paradis Designs and to read more about the License.**

But, my non-illustrator-owning friends, do not fear, for I made a freebie for you, too!

The Twine Digital Image Pack.

Since the holidays are around the corner, here are some twine-errific {sorry, it's late and I want to go home} sentiments and accessories you can add to your Christmas cards, blog posts, digital scrapbook, or print them out and glue them to a tag for your gifts!

Click on each image to download these freebies:

Agence Eureka: Activites Manuelles scanned images

2010-11-22T16:31:00.000-08:00

Just in case you aren't too French-proficient, "Activites Manuelles" loosely translates into 'handmade skills,' not "Manuel's Activities" as...*cough* some people...may think. I love these scanned images from Agence Eureka's treasure chest of vintage European images. I think they'd look lovely in a simple frame and hung in a baby or toddler nursery, or perched on top of a shelf or a wooden dresser.

rest of photostream here

I'm working on a fun freebie for you so check back soon! Here's a little preview:

Doodles

2010-11-19T12:44:00.000-08:00

I was at Barnes & Noble last weekend in the kids books section {I find myself migrating there more often than the "grown-up" sections} and came across this awesome concept of a book. It's actually a coloring book called Doodles. I. Want. It. And the rest of the collection. I would keep it in my office and pull it out when I need a few minutes to unwind after a particularly busy day or something.

Thanksgiving Wallpaper

2010-11-18T12:33:00.000-08:00

If you spend anywhere near as much time as I do in front of a computer, you may get sick of your desktop background very quickly. With Thanksgiving around the corner, I did a search for Fall-themed wallpaper" and found some nice desktop backgrounds you may like:

via

via

...and, of course, I have to add one of my own:

Download:
1280x800
1440x900
1920x1200
2560x1600

share & care: please do not use as your own.

Keep Calm and Bake Pies

2010-11-18T11:01:00.000-08:00

I love this printable from Tatertots and Jello: Keep Calm and Bake Pies! That's what I'll be doing on Wednesday and Thursday of next week. I already bought the ingredients for 8 pumpkin pies. I make my own crust and everything! If you'd like me to share the recipe, it's seriously so easy. {So easy that I can't remember it...haha.} Happy pie-making!

New photos

2010-11-16T14:01:00.000-08:00

Whew! Busy weekend. Had a couple ladies' nights and had some time to prepare for the holidays. Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week? Amazing.

These are pictures of these beautiful centerpieces at a harvest gathering I attended Saturday night. Silver pitchers filled with silky rose-colored flowers, a small white pumpkin in the middle, and flags made of dictionary pages stamped with autumnal sentiments. Simple, yet so chic.

I also had the opportunity to present a cd of photographs to a family with three girls. The photo shoot was a little impromptu {my specialty} and it was a lot of fun! We went to a park near their house and got a few good picures in just before the sun retired for the night.

Free printable: 5 greeting cards

2010-11-12T15:22:00.000-08:00

I've had this free printable for months and months and I'm just offering it now. Sometimes things just have to get put on the backburner, right? Sorry for holding out on you for so long! Here are 5 printable greeting cards: Happy Birthday!, Thank you!, Just a little note..., Gracias!, and Thinking of you. Don't forget to share + enjoy!

2 cards per pdf file | blank inside

Click + Download your chosen greeting card:

Happy Birthday!

Thank you!

Just a little note...

Gracias!

Thinking of you

for personal use only | please do not sell my designs

thank you!

Purple wedding invitations

2010-11-12T13:36:00.000-08:00

It's been a great week, but it's gone by so fast! I had family over to our studio apartment yesterday {10 people in less than 600 square feet...} for a little birthday celebration for my sil Mayra. I'm battling Fridayitis {only halfway through the workday but I want to get out of here already!} so I thought I'd browse through my digital files and share a little something with you: my wedding invitation.

It's pretty unique, including the way I spelled "reception" on the English side. 400 invitations, and I didn't notice the typo until they were all printed. Yes, I kick myself every time I see it.

papersnitch: d.i.y. magnetic photo frames

2010-11-10T15:04:00.000-08:00

I had this idea on my to-do list, but brittni from papersnitch beat me to it: how to make magnetic polaroid frames like those found on photojojo. I'm glad to see it works! I want to make some of these for holiday gifts.

photos from papersnitch

Free fall leaves image download from fuzzimo

2010-11-10T14:37:00.000-08:00

Browsing through fuzzimo.com, I came across some colorful fall leaf images available for download. They're perfect for any Thanksgiving/Harvest invitations, greeting cards, or photo embellishments. Very high quality and so many different types! Love them.

link

Photoshop Practice: Retro Effects

2010-11-05T10:32:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the light posting this week! I've been preparing for a craft fair this weekend where I'll be selling some of my handmade things. More info here!

When I have some downtime, which lately it's been few and far between, I like to brush up on my photoshop skills since I've been out of school for over two years {gasp!} and there are a lot of things I didn't learn but would like to know. I can usually rely on blog.spoongraphics for some cool tutorials. Today I thought I'd try his Retro Photo tutorial, which helped me do the process from start to finish because I've been using actions, which are great, but they do all the work for me and I don't learn the step-by-step.

I did a little photoshoot last Monday with these cute sisters, and thought I'd give a little retro touch to them by adding "light streaks", "grain", and some "retro lighting".

It's fun to come up with my own effects rather than pressing the play button and watch the work being done for me! (Though sometimes, I will admit, I like that =)

November gem: Gifted magazine

2010-11-02T11:40:00.000-07:00

What a way to start November and the whirlwind that are the holidays!

It's wonderful to me how right after the creepy Halloween decorations come down,

the feeling shifts and suddenly fall colors and white Christmas dreams permeate all around us.

gifted, a holiday gift guide from creature comforts

Boo!

2010-10-29T15:11:00.000-07:00

Knock knock.

Who's there?

Boo!

Boo Who?

Aw, don't cry, Halloween is just around the corner!

My Halloween checklist:

* October-y Halloween weather- check!

* orange knee-high socks-check!

* spooky Halloween parties to attend- check, check! (one tonight & one tomorrow night)

* sugar fast for the last week to prepare for this weekend- check!

Have a Boo-tiful weekend!

at the pumpkin patch last year. sadly, we didn't get a chance to go this year =(

Design Essentials Freebies

2010-10-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

I hadn't visited design essentials digital scrapbooking site in a while and I'm glad I did! Found some more fantastic freebies like photoshop brushes and "free candy." I subscribed to their newsletter so I won't miss another freebie in the future.

And while you're there, take advantage of their digital kits!

I adore this "Crisp Fall Day" kit. Definitely describes the weather around here lately.

Organizational Personality Quiz: Average Jane

2010-10-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

my motto on organization: things don't necessarily have to be spotless or in their correct place to be organized. a menage of mail on the counter, a crumpled martha stewart magazine here, a stack of plates and cups waiting to be put away there, a vase of flowers perched atop my husband's mountain of textbooks...they aren't necessarily in their respective places, but to me, it means home.

today I found out that I am most comfortable in a home that is moderately organized.

"You are organized but not obsessive. You may have moments when you feel overwhelmed by the number of fingerprints on the light switches, but those moments pass quickly. The trick for you is to reserve one day a week for cleaning and de—cluttering — unless there is a Law & Order or Design Star marathon on, of course.

While you don't enjoy clutter, you need to be aware that it can sneak up on you. The best way to combat the encroachment of disorder is to employ a casual system, focusing on the clutter hot spots: closets, pantries and desk drawers. You like to live in a space where you can put your feet up and relax, but where you can also be confident that the next time you open your closet doors, objects won't fall on your head."

Find out your organizational personality by taking this 2-part quiz from hgtv.

Fave Freebie: Papermoon collage images

2010-10-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

Love these collaged images from the papermoon flickr set. So many design ideas pop into my head when I browse through them!

A fall outfit: layer in colors

2010-10-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

Don't get overwhelmed by layers, use them to your advantage!

[I like to use items from stores I actually shop at, mostly forever 21.
Everything pictured here is from there, except for the gloves.]
--------
dress- Belted Drawstring Dress | sweater- HTG81 | brown leggings- Basic Leggings
boots- Western Leatherette Booties | jewelry- Lacquered Butterfly Ring
gloves (target)- Mossimo Supply Co. Flip Top Gloves - Purple : Target | scarf- Knit Scarf

The Santa Ana winds blew in yesterday here in Southern California and suddenly everyone's hidden under layers of clothes. But gone aren't the dresses and accessories--you can still wear them! Be bold and use colors like mustard yellow and eggplant~ and pair with typical fall colors like browns and grays. It's the only time of the year when you can layer, layer, layer, so be creative and take advantage of it!

I love this: Spell Book Printable

2010-10-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

Sadly, I haven't pulled out my Halloween decorations yet. They're in a big plastic bin at the bottom of our storage/laundry closet and I've just been too lazy to take the time and lug it out. I keep saying, "I'll do it tomorrow after dinner" or "I'll wake up a little earlier tomorrow and do it," and I never do.

But then I saw this spell book printable on Ucreate today and it sparked my excitement to finally decorate tonight after work. I'm definitely using this as part of the decor! I think it would look great on my coffee table with some "potion" bottles and dead flowers, maybe a rat or two. I'm thinking Harry Potter 2 will be a good fit for it.

Happy spell-casting!

a spellbinding printable from chickabug

Best Kept Secret: Summertime Designs

2010-10-25T15:05:00.000-07:00

I don't know if it's really a secret or not, but I like to think that it is because I've managed to keep it to myself for the past year since I discovered it! Here it is:

Have you heard of the blog Summertime Designs? Summer Driggs is a fabulous web and graphic designer who offers free digital scrapbooking kits every couple of months. And these are jam-packed, well-designed kits full of textured backgrounds, clip art images, "ribbons", quotes, and so much more. I am constantly amazed at her talent and creativity, and generosity, because most of her kits are free! And she just started a blog called Two Bucks That's All!, and if you ask me, $2 for all these digital goodies is an incredible deal.

My favorite kits are:

Moments

Apples & Almonds

Dryer Lint At Tiffany's

{how does she come up with these names? haha =}

These are just a few. She even has a couple Halloween-themed kits that I love.

I've used them for church handouts, fliers, advertising posters, greeting cards, my own blog headers in the past, so many uses!

Thank you for sharing, Summer.

Fave Freebie: Puglypixel tape strips

2010-10-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

It's Fry-day! Don't know why I wrote it like that, but I did. Sounds more exciting =)

In case you haven't had the opportunity yet to browse through the delightful pugly pixel blog, I'm honored to provide you with your first glimpse:

Yes, friends, those are just a few of her offered free downloads~ and you can get even more in her premium membership! She is an incredibly talented gal. Learn more and spend some time marveling at her beautiful images on her blog: pugly pixel.

ps. my favorite freebies are her colorful puglypixel tape strips. Used them for my about | contact page pic.

Blogger Facelift: Change Older + Newer Post Text Links with Your Own Images

2010-10-21T12:22:00.000-07:00

One simple thing I did to give my blog a unique lift was to change the "older" and "newer" links {or "previous" and "next" on some blogs} which take you back and forth on pages of posts from text to images. It's easier than you think! I found this tutorial to be incredibly easy to follow and I replaced them in no time. I tweaked the image link in the tutorial, of course, to link to the custom buttons I uploaded to the web.

Here's a step-by-step:

Step 1: First, I designed my buttons.

1. I opened the link to the buttons in the tutorial and saved the arrow in order to get the right size for my new buttons.

2. I opened the file in photoshop and selected Image>Image Size to see the dimensions:

I don't want to make my buttons any larger than 32 by 42 pixels. So I made a new layer and pressed the little eye next to the arrow to hide it.

3. To make my button, I used a brush of a ticket stub for the background. I downloaded these free ticket stub brushes from deviantart.

I applied the brush a several times to make the shape pretty opaque. But it was still kind of see through, so I selected the background with the magic wand tool and made a new layer. Then, I selected the inverse by pressing Ctrl+I {Cmd+I on Mac} or going to Select>Inverse.

4. Once the ticket shape was selected, I made sure the new layer was selected, and with the paint bucket tool I filled the shape with white.

5. After the ticket background was done, I added text to the button, making it a little more visible by choosing the "sharp" option on the text toolbar.

6. Next, I thought rotating the button would make it a little more interesting. By selecting all three layers and pressing Ctrl+T {Cmd+T}, I rotated it on the corner just a little with my mouse.

7. To make it even a little more interesting, I added a drop shadow, but only to the white ticket layer, since it's the bottommost layer. I made it pretty subtle, but even a subtle shadow makes a difference.

8. Finally, I exported the image for the web by selecting File>Save for Web & Devices.

I like to leave the background transparent because some blogs may have different-colored backgrounds. I saved it as a Png-24.

Using the same photoshop file, make two more buttons, one that says Newer and one that says Home, and save them accordingly. Now you're ready to upload your images to an online file storage program.

Step 2: I uploaded my button images to an image hosting website.

1. You can use Photobucket or a program like it. If you're new to uploading images to the web so they have their own web link, here's a recommendation:

I use dropox.com, a file syncing/sharing/storage website which allows you to upload pretty much any type of file to a public folder, from which you can then share pdfs, images, etcetera, and also generate a public link for the file. It's free up to 2GB of space, of which I've only used about 6% so far and I've already uploaded tons of files. Learn more by reading through the features on their site. Let me know if you would like me to send you an email inviting you to sign up. We both would get 250 MB of extra storage =)

2. After you've uploaded your image, click on it so it brings it up on its own webpage, then copy the web address in the browser's search bar.

3. Sign in to Blogger and go to the Edit Html tab. Follow the tutorial's instructions from here.

4. To replace their arrow images with your uploaded images, you would replace the http://bandofgirls.googlepages.com/Newer_post_icon.png with your image's link, which in my case was https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1635088/older.png.

Do this for the Newer and Home buttons, too. Save your template and view your blog in a new window.

Now you have your own customized buttons! This is just the beginning. There are lots of easy blogger facelifts you can do that don't require tons of time or expertise.

I know every person's blog template is different, so please let me know if you have any questions. It was a long tutorial, but like any good tutorial, I wanted it to be as thorough as possible!

Coming up soon, I'll show how you can customize your menu bar background.

Apartment Therapy: When In Rome

2010-10-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the bad quality pictures, but screen shots of the Netflix instant showing of When In Rome were the best shots I could get. Just thought I'd share the fact that I loved how Kristen Bells' character Beth's apartment was decorated. Neutral tones but with bright pops of color, like the royal blue artwork in the dining room pictured below and the sage green couch. I also love the space-saving white dresser in the entry way. Loving it so much I want to put it in my apartment.

Incidentally, aren't Beth's outfits in the movie so awesome? She's about my height, so I'll be bookmarking her wardrobe ideas for sure.

Fave Freebie: Holga Generator Photoshop Action

2010-10-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

Love this holga generator photoshop action. Used it for my new + improved header~ a holga of some origami paper I scanned. Here are a few other photos I "holga-ized."
Wish I had a real holga.

Holga generator: color version | b+w version

Fixin'

2010-10-18T01:10:00.000-07:00

I'm updating my blog template so there may be some strange things going on during your visit. Regardless, please come back soon bc it's not going to last forever and the result is going to be cool!! {if html coding will work with me.} Thanks!!

Halloween Graphics Freebie

2010-10-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

From me to you.

Use for blog headers, invitations, fliers, e-vites, whatever!

Just click on the image to bring it up on its own, right click & "Save Image As."

16 more days 'til Halloween!

Real Simple: 869 New Uses For Old Things

2010-10-14T11:48:00.000-07:00

I ran across this book a couple days ago and thought it was genius! It's a compilation of Real Simple magazine's feature called "New Uses For Old Things" where they show how to "repurpose everyday things in clever ways" {their words}. I am a huge believer in upcycling/using things you already have and making something with them, rather than buying them. Mostly because I usually have creative spurts late at night when all the stores are closed and I have no other choice but to use things I already have...

I'll never look at aluminum foil the same again!

New Fave: One Charming Party

2010-10-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

I know you've heard of this site, One Charming Party. You haven't? Let me enlighten you.

Halloween Recipes

Art Gallery Party

I am throwing this next party for my birthday. SERIOUSLY.

Wizard of Oz Party

Oh, how I wish I had this much creativity.

Origami-lined envelope tutorial

2010-09-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

Do you have some extra origami paper lying around? I did! If you don't, any patterned paper will do. I like the bright, geometric patterns on this particular packet of origami so pick some up next time you're at a craft store.

What you'll need:

one sheet of origami paper per envelope you'd like to line--I used these from Michael's
{preferably} blank envelope smaller in width & height than the origami paper--I used envelopes that were approx. 5.25" x 4.25" from Target
gluestick
pencil
scissors

Step 1: Trace

On the unpatterned side of the paper, line up the opened envelope so that it fits on the paper. Trace just the outline of the triangular flap with a pencil.

Step 2: Cut + Measure

Cut along the outline so that it leaves you with a house-shaped cutout. Leaving about 1/4" of the outer edge of the envelope flap free {where the glue you lick to close the envelope is}, line the edge of the patterned paper just below. You'll need to trim the two parallel edges so the paper will fit nicely inside the envelope.

Step 3: Glue + Insert

Here you can do one of two things:

1. Run the glue on the patterned paper and then carefully insert it into the envelope,

2. Insert the paper into the envelope first, then fold down the patterned paper and run the glue over just the triangular flap, so you won't have the possibility of wrinkling the paper as much. I like this way better, but do whatever works best for you!

As I said before, you can use any patterned paper you may have lying around. I made this stationery set using a U.S. map I bought at a used bookstore for 10¢! Use your imagination! Upcycle bits of wrapping paper, junk mail, or newspapers. Then package them with matching blank note cards and gift them as stationery sets.

I'm keeping these, though. =}

Water bottle tripod

2010-08-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

Get rid of the foreshortened-arm in your pictures when you're too shy to ask a stranger to take a picture of you and your partner with this waterbottle tripod! $10 may be a dealbreaker, but I definitely think it's a step in the "genius" direction.

[found on photojojo]

Printing on fabric: oh, the possibilities!

2010-07-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

I already have a million ideas on my list of at-home fabric-printing...brilliant!

See tutorial here.

Pretty, pretty calendar

2010-06-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

For work, school, play...I'd display it on a shelf because it's just so pretty. I like its colorful simplicity.

{from paper source}

Collection of How-Tos

2010-05-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

My "How-To" project list is growing!

Here are just a few of them:

{fresh almond milk}

{homemade pop-tarts}

{diy peanut butter cups!}

{homemade deodorant}

{vintage glass jars}

{fabric flowers}

I have to get to work!

Lillie's Sunprints

2010-05-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I found a couple packs of Sunprint paper at a garage sale for $1 each. Since then, they've been sitting in my closet for a few reasons:

{one} I just can't bring myself to use this awesome paper so I keep hoarding it and now I have more than I will ever have practical use for;

{two} this craft requires direct sunlight and by the time I get home, the sun isn't as bright anymore; and {three} I can never decide just what to make a "sunprint" of!

Lillie of Lille in the City gave me a few ideas:

Buttons? Plastic bread tags? I never would have thought of that! She also shares a few links to other awesome Sunprint ideas.

Now I have a perfect lunchtime craft...

Absolute Beauty by Suzy Coons

2010-04-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

Here are some pretty damask business cards I designed for my good friend Suzy, who's starting up as a makeup artist here in the Ventura County area! These cards are just her style~ elegant and bold. I ordered her 100 cards {to start with} from Overnightprints.com, and used their spot-gloss feature for the first time. They turned out very nice for the price {only $25 including shipping!}. Suzy is ready for clients!

Contact her: absolutebysuzy@gmail.com if you need an excellent, talented makeup artist!

"At All Times" Girls Camp Logo 2010

2010-03-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to share with you once again the logo I created for the 2010 Young Women's Camp for my church! Last year's theme was "iBelieve" and I didn't think it could get better. Well, our youth theme for this year is Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage..." and what better way to remind us to do so than to call this year's theme "At All Times"? At all times be strong, fearless, courageous. I really like it, and though I didn't have too much time to design this logo {like two hours, seriously, lol} I'm happy with the way it turned out. I'm sure I'll tweak it some before camp in August, but it's good for now.

logo design

Easter Bunny Peeps Free Printable Download by Anelieze

2010-03-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

Inspired by this bunny bunting tutorial on MADE, I thought I'd provide you with printable bunny peeps, in case you ran out of time to sew all those cute felt bunnies!

Each PDF file comes with 6 bunny peeps,

so print out as many as you'd like {on cardstock, preferably},

then glue, tape, staple, pin, etcetera the bunnies to some ribbon

and hang them up for everyone to see!

Just do it quick, or they'll hop away!

Download Bunny Peeps Printable PDF

Download Bunny Peeps Printable PDF {with white background}

*not for commercial use, please. i don't own the rights to peeps and neither do you! =}

A little trip to paradise...

2010-03-15T12:02:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard of Santa Barbara, California, you've been missing out on what possibly is the prettiest, most relaxing, sunniest place in California. And we live only an hour away! We took two trips to SB last weekend. The sun was shining, the surfers were surfing, and everyone was out enjoying the nice weather~but then it's always like this there, any time of the year. I love Santa Barbara!

Free Vector Downloads at Vecteezy

2010-03-11T13:47:00.000-08:00

Popped on over to vecteezy.com today to see what was new and found these beautiful free vectors. If you have Adobe Illustrator, don't hesitate to download these!

My personal favorite is the leafy alphabet. So pretty!

floral background | birds | bright flowers | leafy alphabet

Cupcake Birthday Party Invitations

2010-03-08T16:15:00.000-08:00

My niece Shekendra is turning 1 next month! I was so happy to help design the cupcake-shaped invitations. I already had some glassine envelopes from Paper Source so I added a fun pink, patterened paper as a background and sent them off yesterday. Can't wait for the party!

Wonders In Wonderland Print

2010-03-03T18:23:00.000-08:00

I am so ready to watch Alice In Wonderland this Friday!

Do you have any plans to see it?

I was so excited about it a few days ago that I started this design for fun,

then found out a few hours later that I didn't want to stop!

Here's a little print to get you excited about the movie, too.

"{Alice} Wonders In Wonderland"

by anelieze

*please do not use this for commercial use. it's just for personal fun. xo annie

Lost Things: a few of my favorite things all in one

2010-03-01T10:58:00.000-08:00

Did you have a lovely weekend? =)
{Read about mine on my personal blog.}

Already this morning I've seen Lost Things three times on two of my most favorite blogs, Black Eiffel & Oh Joy! It combines a few of my most favorite things into one ethereal video:

Alison Sudol of A Fine Frenzy,
Stop-motion video.
"Lost things" such as miscellaneous vintage-y materials like buttons, ribbons, bows, and birdcages.

Love it!

Sweet Wishes For You + Cupcake Download

2010-02-26T16:59:00.000-08:00

{Click on the cupcake & save on your computer for personal use

as an invitation, note, gift tag, whatever!}

Here's a sweet download I whipped up for you today!

Enjoy your weekend, whether you're in the snow or sunshine :)

xo annie

Turquoise + Yellow Accents Inspiration Board: Inspired by Pantone Color 2010

2010-02-24T15:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I popped on over to the Pantone website to drool over their pantone formula guides {a necessary tool for print designers, but an expensive one} and I found out that they pick a different theme color every year.

This year's color? Turquoise! Pretty, ethereal turquoise. It's almost March and I'm sure it's old news, but I couldn't get the color out of my head and had to make an inspiration board centered around turquoise.

A few of my apartment's walls were already painted turquoise when we moved in so I was able to decorate with accents of yellow {the forsythia flowers}, black {mirrors, frames}, and brown {furniture} as well as with spots of turquoise here and there, like the turquoise platter pictured below {a steal at Target for $7!}. The rest of the things included in this inspiration board are little pleasures in life that just happen to be turquoise!

From top left to bottom right:

Good Morning by Yoshihiro Moritake | La la love you print from Etsy | Color palette | Japanese Paper Parasol Interior Design for Living Room | Prismacolor Pencil in Turquoise | Baker's Twine in Aqua {close enough}| ZaZen platter from Target | Flower headband from Etsy | Yellow forsythia flowers from Michael's

Swallow barrettes from Etsy | Tunic from Ruche

William Chambers Headpiece

2010-02-22T12:03:00.000-08:00

How beautifully incredible is this headpiece? I wish I had seen this two and a half years ago to wear on my wedding day!

As seen on Snippet & Ink by William Chambers.

Friday Finds: Vintage Labels Download on iDiy

2010-02-19T12:39:00.000-08:00

Found on: Worldlabel via iDiy via Craftzine

Happy Friday! I bring you the first installment of Friday Finds, where I will share wonderful "finds" I've come across during the week, i.e. free downloads, pretty things, new blogs, designs, etc. Come back next Friday! {Or sooner, I hope!} Have a beautiful weekend, whether you live in the snow or the sunshine.

xo annie

Decoder Invites on Ruffled

2010-02-17T14:58:00.000-08:00

Hi! Back after Hearts Day weekend. Hope it was filled with hearts + love for you!
Did you get to use the Love Heart or other Hearts Day card downloads I posted? I'll be making some more free d's soon!

Saw this today on Ruffled and loved the idea of making "decoder" invites. They can be used for anything, not only save-the-dates, as these are. Awesome idea!

Twig + Thistle Goodie Bags

2010-02-08T15:21:00.000-08:00

All ready for Valentine's Day this weekend?

Be prepared with these beautiful printable goodie bags from Twig + Thistle.

Found this

2010-02-04T11:58:00.000-08:00

in my stored images. Must have been when I was putting together possible images for my travel booklet assignment. It's a beautiful composition, isn't it? Wish I were in her place, waiting for a train wearing a lovely straw hat.

a perfect day for travel by dezzan

Cooking + partying with the rainbow.

2010-02-03T09:45:00.000-08:00

Maybe we're all anxious for Spring showers and the rainbows that follow.

Maybe we just want to play with a little more color in our daily lives.

Whatever the reason, these edible rainbows are perfect for turning our ordinary, rainy/snowy days

into unforgettable, colorful ones!

28-layer rainbow cake | rainbow pancakes | swirly rainbow cake

{Love Heart} Valentine's Day Notecard Download

2010-01-29T12:49:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist adding another free download for you~ it's just too pretty to keep to myself!

Download {Love Heart} Notecards + Labels

Hearts Day Card Downloads

2010-01-29T10:34:00.000-08:00

Hello! Happy Friday to you. I'm ready for another weekend. They never seem to come fast enough, do they? To kick off the weekend I have a little surprise for you.

I've already seen so many great Valentine's Day cards to print or buy and it's not even February yet! So I thought I'd join the bandwagon. They're not the prettiest ones out there, but they're free! And sort of cute.

Enjoy! See you next week!

Download Hearts Day Notecards

YW 2010 Theme "Be Strong" Print Download

2010-01-22T13:29:00.000-08:00

This year's theme for the Young Women's program in my church

is the scripture Joshua 1:9,

as stated above. I designed this print for fun,

and thought to make it available for anyone else to download.

I'll be printing some out to give them to my Young Women during class this Sunday.

It's our challenge to memorize it,

and, throughout the year, to live it.

So feel free to download it, or pass it on!

Download "Be Strong" Print

Business Card Design for Mayra

2010-01-19T10:54:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law Mayra is studying cosmetology and had me design some simple business cards for her. She already has a lot of loyal clients; I'm so happy for her. I also love that she chose purple: my favorite color!

miss m photoshop brushes + design work

2010-01-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

miss m is not new to me. I've used her photoshop brushes many a time. But i recently peeked at her portfolio, silentglow, and was mesmerized. I wish I could design like that.
I will, someday.

download her stunning photoshop brushes here.
view her heavenly portfolio here.

Simple Ways To Update Your Blog: Part 2: Posting Larger Pictures

2010-01-15T10:03:00.000-08:00

You may or may not be frustrated with how blogger lets you post pictures, but I definitely didn't like it. They're always so small! I didn't like having to click on the picture to make it bigger. So how do you make them bigger?

Two ways:
One is a little time-consuming, but if you're only posting a few pictures, it's not that bad.
It does involve handling HTML.

Step 1: Post as you would regularly, with images and/or text. When you're finished uploading all your images, click on the tab next to "Compose" that says "Edit HTML."

Step 2: Find the text in the HTML where it says any one of these: s200, s320, s400, s640. You can use the "Find" tool {CTRL + F} to highlight the instances.

Step 3: Carefully replace the s200 or s320, etc. with s800. I'm not sure what that does, but it improves the size and quality of the image when you change it. You must do this for every image in the post. If you have three pictures in your post, you have to look for the s200 and replace it three times. This is where the "find tool" comes in very handy.

Step 4: Now you click on "Compose" again and it takes you back to your post. Holy cow! Your pictures are huge! You can actually see the people's faces without having to click on each picture.

Like I said, it can get tricky and it's a little time-consuming, but it's very rewarding to have all your pictures nice and big enough for all to see.

Did I say there was another way to do this? Yes.
It involves having to upload your pictures to an image hosting website such as photobucket or picasa. Since I don't do this and prefer to do it the long way, haha, I'll have this lovely lady from Blue Orchid Designs explain how it's done.
Click here to go to 5 Steps To Larger Photos On Blogger.

Hope this made sense! Comment or email me if you have any questions.

Simple Ways To Update Your Blog: Part 1: Designing A Header In Powerpoint

2010-01-12T14:20:00.000-08:00

Welcome to part one of "Simple ways to update your blog." I will be exploring simple ways to update your blog. Whether they be personal or commercial or just-for-fun blogs, they all need some TLC once in a while, right?

So here are my tips:
-download a free template from a website like Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates

-make your current template unique with a few simple changes.

The easiest way to “update” your blog is to design your own header.
The header is the image at the very top of your blog which usually contains the title and maybe a description of your blog.

There are a few ways you can do this. The easiest way is to use Microsoft Powerpoint. Yes, Powerpoint.

{I used the 2007 version, but it's the same process with any older versions.}

Start with a blank presentation and draw a rectangle. You can add a border, too. Make it any color you want. You can also choose any image for your header, just make sure it’s big enough so it doesn’t look blurry or pixilated when it’s uploaded to your blog. The most common orientation for a header is landscape, unless you want it to be portrait {horizontal vs. vertical}.

Next add text, clipart, other images, shapes, etc. Get creative!

Designer Tip: Use an uncommon font. Visit http://www.dafont.com/ to download one or hundreds of free fonts—I think we’ve seen enough of Tempus Sans Itc & Comic Sans MS. Please don’t even get me started on Papyrus…but of course, to each their own.

*If you have Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator {free 30-day trials available}, please use them to make your header. There are so many tutorials you can google to help you design your header. Just save it as a JPEG or PNG, the most common image files.

*A more recent find is Picnik.com, where you can upload a picture and add effects, text, borders, you name it then save it as a picture file. That is also a very easy way to make a header.

*One more design tip: Digital Scrapbooking. I love Summertime Designs, but there are lots of other free digital scrapbook kits filled with backgrounds, swirlies, clipart, borders, you name it.

Have you designed a header that’s top-of-your-blog-worthy? Great. Now comes the easy part, adding it to your blog. To save the header you designed as a JPEG or PNG, select all {CTRL + A} the components of the header, making sure you don’t leave anything out, and right-click on the selection with your mouse.

Group the components by selecting the “Group” button. Then right-click on it again and choose “Save As Picture.”

Save it on your desktop {so it’s easy to find later} as “Header_1.” Choose the file type to be a “JPEG File Interchange Format” {better for photos or images} or "PNG Portable Network Graphics Format" {better for line art and text}. Then click “Save.”

Now login to your blogspot account and on your dashboard, click on the “Layout” tab so your “Page Elements” page comes up. You’re almost done!

You should see a blue Edit button next to the title of your blog. Click on that. A new window with the words “Configure Header” should pop up. It’s pretty self-explanatory from here on, but I’ll continue just for kicks.

Since you already added text to your header, whatever is written in the “Blog Title” box is won’t show up unless you tell it to. Select the bubble next to “From your computer” and a dialogue box to choose your file will appear. Find your “Header_1” file and click “Open.”

A mini thumbnail of your header will show up. Make sure that under “Placement” the bubble next to “Instead of title and description” is selected, otherwise you’ll get double the title. You may also want to check the box next to “Shrink to fit,” otherwise the header may be too big for your choice of template.

Can you guess what comes next? Click “Save”! That’s right.
You’re done.
Your new header should appear on your blog now.

{I made a quick header for this tutorial~ I didn't notice until the end that it didn't match my background. Well, that's easy to change, too. But that's a topic for another tutorial!}

Some problems that may occur: your header is too big and overlaps with the columns for the blog posts, etc. What you need to do now is find the “Header_1” file and with a photo editing software adjust the size of the pixels—or the inches.

If you have any other questions or problems or just want to say hi, please email me: acastrejondesign@live.com

Happy blogging!

Searching for a new camera?

2010-01-06T16:14:00.000-08:00

I hope you had a wonderful new year!

One of my goals in the near future--maybe this year, maybe next--is to invest in a nice camera.

I want to be able to take frame-worthy picutres of my {future} kids without always having to pay someone to do it for me.

And I just love to take pictures.

I visited gideonphoto.com for the first time a year before last and was impressed by his, Jimmy Bishop's, beautiful photography. It's stunning!

I was happy to read one of his blog posts called:

"Time for a New Camera"

and to find out that I don't have to shell out thousands of dollars for an SLR unless I want to dedicate myself to the photography industry.

No, it will be more of a hobby for me.

So read what he has to say over on his blog.

Jimmy… what camera should I buy!?… I get asked this question a lot. Every family member asks it. People email me with this question weekly. So in this season of giving and buying more then we need or can sometimes afford, I figured I would just do a quick post on my opinions of cameras, to help everyone out there to better find a camera that suits their needs and their pocket book. Bigger, for the vast majority of people, is not always better!

New Moon T-Shirt Iron-On Transfers

2009-12-30T00:38:00.000-08:00

Love New Moon?

I do!

I designed these iron-on transfers for when I went to the New Moon Premiere in Hollywood.

Thought I'd share them with you~ even more than a month after the fact.
But, hey, they're still valid, right?
I'll design some for Eclipse, too, next year.

Download Team Edward Transfer

Download Team Jacob Transfer

The instructions are on the PDFs.
Please email me with questions: acastrejondesign@live.com

Feliz Navidad A Todos!

2009-12-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

Picnik Collages

2009-12-11T11:49:00.000-08:00

Last summer I put together these collages of pictures of my family.
I then printed them out onto 8 1/2'' by 11'' photo paper for my mom to take them as gifts for our family in Mexico.
I was surprised at how easy it is to make digital scrapbookpages with picnik. Too easy!
Click here to make your own awesome collages.
Try their Christmas collages, too, and make your own personalized Christmas photo card.
It's just as fun as making a real paper collage, I promise.

Christmas Gift for Designers, or Anyone: Photoshop Magnets

2009-12-08T14:38:00.000-08:00

What a fun idea! I am so putting these on my "DIY" list.

With some screenshots & magnetic paper from Staples--

so easy to make.

candy cane christmas party

2009-11-12T15:49:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe Christmas is a month and a half away!

I have to get through Thanksgiving first...

but I can't help thinking about how lovely red and white look together.

They should get married.

{Inspiration board by wedding paper divas.}

teacher clip art

2009-10-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

A cool find!

Black and white illustrations in clip art form

for all your designing needs.

See the site here.

A few of my favorite are below:

staples sticker paper

2009-10-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

I've been experimenting with sticker paper for various projects and now I can't seem to stop!
I come up with a new project every day, so I'm running out of pages.
I totally recommend the sticker paper from Staples.
I do wish it came in glossy, however.

Print labels, nametags, scrapbooking and cardmaking doodads, logos--

practically anything you can think of and print out.

Have fun!

{image from here}

designer heaven

2009-10-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

This site provides hundreds of patterns for inspiration--in any color, shape, and form you can imagine! Aren't they beautiful?

Small World-Themed Birthday Party

2009-10-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

Ooh, too bad I only have one birthday per year!

I would have loved to have this "It's a Small World" themed party.

Saw on Craftzine.com, originally on this blog. What a creative mom!

in the rain

2009-10-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

The rain-slicked road to work this morning.

The world around me is wet.

It's been refreshingly raining for two days!

It's wonderful!

This caused me to search for a "rainy day outfit," which I am wearing today.

I ventured out and bought some "skinny jeans"--something I never thought I'd do.

But I can't very well be the odd woman out, can't I?

I see them everywhere.

Are they just a California thing?

Anyway, they're comfortable,

even if they take forever to take off!

I bought everything except the scarf & shoes at Forever 21.

Scarf & shoes are from Ross.

Happy rainy day!

let the rain fall down

2009-10-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

We had our first autumn rainfall last night! I can finally the wear scarves and raincoats that have been collecting dust in my closet all summer.

I saw this tutorial today and thought it was so appropriate:

wet ink typography.

Can't wait to try it out!

digital design essentials: free fonts!

2009-10-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

I love these fonts from digital design essentials.

travel booklet

2009-10-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

Bringing out the archives...

My senior year at CSUCI I took an Illustrator class about pre-packaging & design.

The professor, Luke, gave us topics to choose from and we had to design & print a cd booklet about it.

I chose "Travel" and the pages/images/designs could/didn't have to be anything to do with travel. Some are obvious...okay, most are obvious, but some are thought-provoking...a little.

All right, so I'm not the most original designer. I had fun, though!

My Fall Picks

2009-09-24T16:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Autumn!

I couldn't help looking for new outfits for fall. I was inspired by this colorful painting of the ever-present Eiffel Tower. Looking at life through rose-colored glasses: "La Vie En Rose."

From top left: Pink blouse~ Forever 21. Skirt~ Ruche. Red gloves~ Ruche. Brown boots~ Ruche. Rose Headband~ This Etsy Shop. Brown Clutch~ Ruche. Rose necklace~ Ruche. White Coat~ Ruche. {out of stock! :( But I still love it...}

Do you have autumn wardrobe favorites~ whether you own them or not? Send me links or email me

acastrejondesign@live.com

eagles wings

2009-09-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

i love this scripture in d & c 124:18.

"I will bear him up as on eagles wings."

what a beautiful mental image it evokes.

what a beautiful promise.

red swing

2009-09-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

Hope you had a great weekend. Back to work today... I played around with this image using different effects. Which one looks the best?

1. Vibrant & Classic

2. A Touch of Vintage

3. Reminiscent of the 60s

4. Vignette

grow in grace and truth

2009-09-10T13:32:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to make this print for a long time. This is a quote from my favorite scripture in the Doctrine & Covenants:
"Grow in grace and in the knowledge of truth."
d & c 50:40.

If you like it, download it for print here. You can use it for handouts, lessons, or to frame.
Let me know how you like it.

yesterday...

2009-09-10T13:25:00.000-07:00

...my incredibly wonderful husband bought me the production premium adobe creative suite cs4! They are having amazing sales for students. Will you believe it's 80% off? With free shipping?? They're practically giving it away! hooray! only until September 30, though...hurry! :}

tips: family photos

2009-08-31T14:59:00.000-07:00

Last year the Zurcher family {my family} took formal photos for the first time in about eight years. It's been a year since then, but we all look pretty much the same. During the shoot, I remember thinking, "Oh, boy, I can't wait to see how these turn out..." There may have been a little sarcasm in there. Looking at them again after a year I think they're great. Not bad for first-timers {pretty much}.

Looking to shoot family photos? Here are some tips from shutterfly:

*Don’t stress about dress--look like yourselves.

*Go for variety--standing is boring; try posing a different way.

*Lighten up--forego the flash; use natuaral light as much as possible.

*Tighten the frame--close up!

*Shooting spree--take advantage of digital! Take lots of pictures--candid & posed.

Hope these help you on your next photo shoot. They helped us!