Day 56

hmmm...2:41 AM. So I technically once again missed a day. However, it was completely worth it. Huddy is staying the weekend at my parents, and I had great time visiting with them and my grandparents tonight. I love my brother so much, despite the fact he is 17, he can be pretty child-like at times...in a GOOD way. I am the serious sibling and he is definitely the funny one.

As we entered the restaurant for dinner, he quickly deposited a couple of quarters into a toy machine. I assumed maybe he was buying Hud something, I was wrong. He was purchasing perhaps the best laughter in a small plastic container I have seen in a while.

The series of pictures from tonight are more than enough to show what a great guy he is, he had us all laughing and cracking up. So please...enjoy my silly, wonderful family :)

And yes, he is sporting a fake mustache and sideburns.

We then realized that his fake mustache was the exact color of my Granny's hair.

 She laughed so hard when he put it on her face. It was nice to see her laugh.

And don't fear, my mom got in on the fun as well. However, we opted to transform the

sideburns into an amazing set of bushy eyebrows. The silly face was her own doing.

It felt great to share a round of laughs with family. I don't think we do that nearly enough anymore.

Day 55

Love this baby sooooo much!

Day 54

We had such a wonderful time last night. Spencer was given two tickets to the Alabama/Auburn basketball game. We debated whether to take Huddy or not, but finally decided to go. It was very last minute, so we had to park pretty far from the coliseum. However, Huddy LOVED the bus ride. We arrived to the game after it had started, so instead of fighting our way to the middle of a row, we just chose to sit at the very top, very empty row. Huddy needs his space at sporting events. My sweet baby clapped and cheered (for both teams) and he giggled and laughed at the music. Overall, it was a lot of fun. He became quite restless, so we didn't make it the entire game.

This was the fun part. I love campus during big games, it is empty, almost feels deserted. It is a entirely different atmosphere, hence the reason I love UA during summertime.

So yes I did miss day 54, but it was a great night. After the game we went to Buffalo Wild Wings and then came home and built block towers for what felt like hours.

Climbing out of the "rut"

Just thought I would share my most recent project

and quite possibly new favorite logo.



I have felt like I was in a design "rut" for quite sometime now. I discussed this quite a bit with a past coworker who encouraged me to reconnect with my designs. I think a lot of artists of different mediums get lost in the creative struggle between artist and client. It can be a rough spot to be in and when you love something, it can be extremely hard to let your idea go.

As a designer, I think I am back to where I need to be. My creative spirit is meant to be free and I can see the designer in me coming back out into the world. Spencer can more than tell you how much I have doubted my work, for probably a year now. I went through a patch of time where I felt like an outsider in a world that I loved so much. I didn't feel like my work was worthy of posting or sharing. I wanted to hide away in my little office, behind the comfy code of a web developer. However, my true passion has always been design. Don't get me wrong, I love the difficulty of coding and typing out what looks like trash to most people and seeing a beautiful design come to life. It is intriguing to me and I will not be leaving that adventure behind, but perhaps it is time for it evolve as well. 

Here I am, picking the brush (mouse in my case) back up and sharing my creative talents with others. I am ready to be confident in my work again. 

Also, please go check out the non-profit organization that this little logo will the face of, quite soon I hope.

Wyatt's Warmth from the Heart

Day 53

This is for my mom. She is in love with this little app on my new phone. Pair that with pictures of Huddy, makes her one happy NannyJ.

You would think we never give our child any water to drink! He loves to drink his bath water, which is so gross and I constantly fight him over. Huddy and I have finally agreed that he can have a sip, but only from the fresh water, not the tub water.

Day 52

I apologize, Day 52, I completely forgot about you. I must admit making it this many days before missing one is quite an accomplishment in my book. Yesterday was busy. Actually very busy, I made three other blog posts but forgot this one. I actually only made one picture all day yesterday, which is not like me at all.


Spencer bought me a beautiful bowl, and I love it. It is going to be the inspiration to finally decorate the dining room in this house.

Design from the Heart

I have recently been pondering my place in the design world, where I want to be as a designer, the type of clients I enjoy working with, and etc. I think it is important as a person to take our skills and use them for good in any given situation. I have been blessed with the ability to bring attention to just about anything through my design work. I think there is a special place in my heart for non-profit organizations. While at UnlocktheWeb I was given the opportunity to work on a few of these, and I must admit they are still some of my favorite websites.

Facebook is an amazing networking tool. A friend of mine shared a story that touched my heart a couple of months ago. A story about a little baby boy with a heart condition. Unfortunately his little heart didn't make it through his second procedure, but his short time here on earth has obviously made an impact on many. His parents have decided to honor him through helping other children. I think this is wonderful, inspirational, and a true blessing for other children suffering from this heart condition.

As I followed the story, I was left with the overwhelming desire to provide my support to this cause. I honestly feel that even though my skills as a graphic designer help provide an income to my family, I can use them in much better ways. I have offered to provide a logo and advertising materials to the non-profit organization honoring baby Wyatt. Please say a prayer for me as I design these items for this organization.

If you would like to help, please visit Wyatt's Warmth from the Heart on facebook for more information.

Yummy Deal!

National Pancake Day is quickly approaching and my favorite quick stop for pancakes is definitely honoring the day with FREE pancakes. IHOP will have free pancakes on March 1st. The best part? While they aren't requiring this, they are offering you to not only enjoy your sweet pancakes (trust me, mine would be covered in strawberry syrup) but also donate to a great charity. The donations made on National Pancake Day will go to the Children's Miracle Network. Free pancakes + donation to a good charity = great day!

Thank you Penny Pinchin Mom for the head's up on this one!

Day 51

So I must admit, going to the gym was on my brain today. I completely forgot to charge the rebel. Before Spencer bought me the Canon Rebel, I loved my little point and shoot. I thought it was amazing. However, since being able to work with a DSLR for the past couple of years, a point and shoot is just a letdown to me. Who cares that is has auto features, I want manual. I want to be able to determine the outcome of my photos, not the camera. I tend to think all the pictures that come from this camera now look washed out. Anyways, here is a super cute, would have been better on my rebel, picture of Huddy for Day 51.

Day 50

I had great things planned for today's picture and it just never happened. I cleaned ALL day and my camera battery is dead. One thing I love about being a mom, watching my sweet Huddy have such a great time making a mess of the living room. This type of mess takes around 5 minutes and he giggles the entire time. Of course, all toys can be picked back up before bed, so why not let him have his fun.