DIY Custom Mongrams

I love monograms, or really anything really that screams personalization...funny... you'd think I owned a company that creates personalized photo jewelry... 

So, when I found this set of custom monogram creators on weddingchick.com, I thought they'd be perfect for Valentine's day. Or really any day for that matter. Here's just a few I created for myself:

Heart & Arrow Monogram • Birds & Banner Monogram • Circle Love Monogram • Formal Crest Monogram

I think my favorite is the heart where it says 'super in love' I think if I'd met John in the 8th grade I might have written that myself on my Trapper Keeper. :)

Dog Days

Ummm... I don't know if you can tell, but we are pretty smitten with a new little Kotori mascot, Lucy. She certainly makes life at the studio a lot more fun, especially when everyone has to stop every few minutes to dole out some serious belly rubs.

Being a dog is like living the high life... and if you need more proof, just check out this collection of finds from etsy:

Handmade Collars • Cherry Dog Bed • Mod Raised Dog Bowls • Custom Etched Treat Jars

While, we've gotten our sweet girl those cool dog bowls, we've yet to take the plunge on the $600 dog bed. {i think we'll have to sell a lot more jewelry if we want to swing that}

The Perfect Weekend

After getting back around 1:30am on Wednesday morning from Imaging in New Orleans, I'm pretty beat. We had a great time - but I'm wiped out. The kids were so happy to see us first thing in the morning when they woke up Wednesday it almost made me not feel so bad for being away...

The keyword for this weekend is low key. Think movies in bed, lazy mornings and a long hike with my 3 favorite people {and Lucy, of course}.

Hope your weekend is perfect too.

Lucy

You know how sometimes when someone asks you about your favorite gift, and you find it hard to pick just one? Well, we don't have that problem this year. The best gift arrived at our house Christmas Eve. Meet Lucy...

How did she arrive a day early?

Santa sent a special text message telling us he'd hidden some clues to follow to find our mystery gift

We ran all over town finding clues in places you'd never guess... like underneath a swing at the playground...

...and behind park benches. But the final clue sent us back home

where we were greeted with puppy kisses from Lucy.

His face says it all. Love.

Quick Christmas Recap

The holidays are always a crazy time for us - it's our busiest time of year for Kotori but it's always the busiest time for family. No matter how crazy it gets, though, it's always one of my favorite times of year.

Here's a quick little recap of our holiday...

images from top left: waiting to see what Santa left Christmas morning * Kate was so proud of her homemade gift for John and I * Carriage ride to look at lights with Grandma & Grandpa * Our singing angel was pleased to perform with her preschool class

Where've You Been?

Sooo... it's been a while since I did a little blogging, I know. But I do have a very good excuse. We migrated our entire site - store and all to our new server. That's the good news. The bad news? Wow. So much work!

When we migrated the blog over, all our pictures disappeared. Yes. ALL. {Don't you just love technology? Me either.} I've been working hard to get all the pictures reuploaded - all 3 years worth. Yep, it has been a busy few weeks working out the kinks of the new site, getting the blog images redone and, oh yeah, getting ready for our tradeshow booth at Imaging! Can you say exhausted? I'm too tired to say exhausted.

Back soon with pics of the holidays!

Foodie Friday: Peppermint Meringue Cookies

I love baking at this time of year... it's a busy time for work, but the act of taking time to slow down and make treats in the kitchen with the kids is always a great way for me to escape for a bit. I have to admit, I tend to get into a 'holiday treat' rut just a bit. I have a few holiday favorites {read: Reindeer Chow & Fudge} that I make EVERY year, but I know they are good. And, truth be told, I look forward to eating them each year!
But when I saw the picture of Peppermint Meringue Cookies on the cover of Bon Appetit I just had to try them... Super easy AND I already had all the ingredients on hand. {any recipe that doesn't call for a trip to the grocery store is deemed 5 star in my book}

Peppermint Meringue Cookies

3 Large Egg Whites, room temperature
1/8 tsp Kosher salt
1/3 C Sugar
1/2 C Powdered Sugar
1/8 tsp Peppermint Extract

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or silpat. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt on medium speed until white and foamy (1 minute). With mixer running, gradually add granulated sugar in 3 additions, beating for 2 minutes between each addition. Beat until firm peaks form, about 2 minutes longer. Add powdered sugar and peppermint, beat to blend (about 1 minute).

Dot 12 drops of red food coloring over the surface of the meringue; do not stir. Spoon meringue into a plastic freezer bag, and cut off 1/2" of one corner. Twist top, pipe 1" rounds onto prepared baking sheet. Bake meringues for 2.5 hours and allow to cool completely.

These will have that crisp exterior, but will completely melt in your mouth!