Valentine’s Cards for Hallmark
I have LOVED seeing all the Valentine's Day cards I designed last year on shelves! Here are a few of my favorites, to take a peek at them all head over to my portfolio. You can find them in person at Hallmark Gold Crown Stores, Walmart, CVS and Walgreens just to name a few. While I am no longer on the Valentine's Day team at work, I hope that someday I will have another chance to design for this holiday, it truly is one of my favorites. Enjoy!
Diptychs 12
Valparaíso, Chile
And just like that it's February! This last recap from Chile may have been my favorite to put together. I had so many photos to choose from — Valparaíso was unlike any city I have been to. If you plan on visiting, anticipate the hills! The city is filled with funicular lifts to take tourists and locals alike up particularly steep hills.
We stayed in Cerro Alegre at Hotel Casa Higueras which had a wonderful view of the bay as well as a restaurant where we ate both evenings of our stay. My absolute favorite part of our time here was all the art. Valparaíso is filled with art galleries and shops and we came home with lots of souvenirs.
Our last full day was spent relaxing by the pool in denial that we would be heading back to Winter weather in KC. After one last delicious dinner it was time to pack up before our long day of traveling home. I think two weeks in Chile was the perfect amount to time to see a huge variety of things, but also short enough that I hope we will be able to go back someday! We didn't get a chance to visit the desert in the North, and I know my Dad would love a chance to visit with his host family again. And I hope you've found some travel inspiration of your own, too!
January Around The Web
Happy Monday, friends! This month has been tough. After returning from Chile I spent several weeks dealing with health issues and a chaotic time of year at work — alongside the general chaotic nature of current political events. That said, I'm very grateful to be feeling much better now. This month has given me a renewed sense of energy to take care of myself. A January highlight has been seeing many of the Valentine's Day cards I created for Hallmark in stores. Work chaos sometimes leads to wonderful opportunities and I think that this is definitely one of those times. I'm really excited to see how the work I am creating now develops. It's always motivating to see cards come to life on shelf. Now for a few favorites around the web:
I found Wit & Delight's new studio space to be super inspiring. I'm very jealous of those in Minneapolis who will have the opportunity to use it!
This month I saw La La Land (I know, so did everyone), but I loved Jimmy Fallon's Golden Globes Opening Number based off the opening scene in the movie almost as much as the movie itself.
These photos stopped me in my tracks, I'm a big fan of Kaley From Kansas' photography, and her beautiful work this month for 100 Layer Cake.
Keeping this DIY in mind for if/when I have a home studio someday!
Loving Studio DIY's new balloon shop! I have my heart set on the Sparkle Emoji Ballons
New to me Ceramics inspiration
Some images from the Women's March
Creative globe painting ideas from Think.Make.Share.
I am constantly seeing Geronimo Balloons installations on Instagram and I enjoyed learning more about her in this interview.
This Queen of Jet Lags post has me adding Amsterdam to my travel wish list.
While I'm late to the party, this month I tried this Golden Milk recipe.
Here's to a healthier February,
hopefully filled with some winter sunshine!
Santa Cruz, Chile
Our second to last stop in Chile was a day in Santa Cruz! Deep in wine country, we fittingly spent most of our day at the the beautiful Vina Santa Cruz. We hadn't made any reservations in advance and luckily were able to immediately get a table in the restaurant. After eating we rode their gondola up the top of a hill where they have a self-guided tour. My absolute favorite moment was stumbling across two llamas trying to escape the heat—llamas are one of my favorite animals!
After our time at the vineyard we headed into Santa Cruz to check into our hotel. Along the way we stopped so my dad could buy a traditional Chilean hat, and the woman was gracious enough to let us take her picture with her sewing machine. The rest of our evening was spent wandering around the town and relaxing by the hotel pool. The next morning we visited the Colchagua Museum which is on the same property as the Hotel Santa Cruz. If you find yourself in the area it is a must see, the museum covers our history from 400 million years ago up until the twentieth century. While it is an unexpected location it was one of the best history museums I have ever visited! The last few days of our trip flew by and I just have one more place to recap. Be on the lookout for a few photos from Valparaíso next week!
