invites impress

this gorgeous modern meets elegant invitation reminds me of the beauties we did for whitney's wedding last fall. oh how fun an rsvp postcard can be.

still life before the storm

this is how my saturday felt idaho feels sometimes. still and simple.

saturday was full of goodness. dan biked a hundred miles. benj and i palled around. we all celebrated with shaved ice. mango + coconut to start the summer off. then we took a farmroad drive while the boy napped (was happy to have my camera along), nestled in for a good read, purchased pink polish (i can always find something else to buy at Target) and enjoyed a bowl of tortilla soup (am still loving everything with cilantro). i picked up a pile of new mags at barnes & noble and sifted through each one at a lovely little round table. i walked out empty handed with a brain full of mush. marvelous mush. ideas upon ideas galore. the nice thing about living in a small town is, there aren't too many options for a saturday night. which i am coming to appreciate. little did i know, these skies would well up and burst with a theatrical electrical storm late into the night, just to turn up the juice in said small town. it was quite a show.

other things on my mind.

01. first thing's first, the lucky winner of the pretty pouch is julia. congrats!! please email me your shipping address and such. i thoroughly enjoyed reading how so many of us are carrying burt's bees, lip gloss and regular ol' chapstick in our clutches. hooray for smoochable lips.

02. and a big thank you to those who purchased a li'l something at the sidewalk sale yesterday. your goodies will be shipped out today along with some sweet scalloped gift tags.

03. on another note, i am in the middle of three very good reads. each of them are highlighter worthy and poolside friendly. contentment by maria covey cole (uplifting and inspiring), daring to be yourself by alexandra stoddard (i devour her books, her love for loveliness reminds me of my mother), the recent issue of cookie magazine (an endless resource of great ideas) and i just checked out this book, have found it intriguing too. am hoping to finish it while in sun valley this weekend.

04. i like reading books for a lot of reasons. because reading opens my eyes to new things, it makes me realize i'm not so different, makes me feel like i belong, makes me feel like the world is a big, great place, makes me feel empathetic, makes me aware of situations i've never heard of before, all in all reading makes me want to be a newer, better, greater person. while simultaneously reminding me (ever so kindly) of words i should add to my blogging vocabulary. such as auspicious. or bemusing. or the phrase phonetically correct. lets just say when i read i realize there are a lot of ways i could be pushing myself more. a lot of things out there to do, to dream, to learn. which brings me to number five.

05. to make a long story short, i've been enrolled in this fantastic 8-week online e-course: unravelling by susannah conway, who lives in england. (what could be more charming than my new life guru living in the historic town of bath, england? i can only say her locale aloud with a british accent. because indeed, everything is more floral, more dewy, more dainty, so twee and full of lush hillsides and pretty words and pretty people and romanticness and subtle gestures and expressive characters and lacy charm in england. no wonder this woman is full of good ideas. i hope this wanderlust will rub off on me.) her course is all about seeking the self and finding out what's inside and what type of art, photographs, ideas, etc. come out while looking inwards. as fate would have it, i happened upon this workshop simply by winning a giveaway (talk about a big hip hip). auspicious signs all about. and now i'm enthralled and ultimately so happy to be a part of a creative group. i'll be sharing some of the things i work on as i trudge through and attempt to pull my heart out and pin it to my sleeve. and as of yesterday, you can take a peek at my current photos via my new flickr page which will be flooded with images these next 8 weeks.

06. am headed to pack and re-pack and then cross off my list of packed items. it's true, i'm really like that. i should have this process memorized by now. i ought to get a medal for all the times i've packed for a weekend getaway. am thanking heavens am only packing for one little one at the moment. sooner or later i'll be rolling dozens of socks and finding a billion shoes and three hundred toothbrushes. not really, but someday it might seem that way. therefore i'm enjoying the simplicity in taking one babe and one husband and running for the hills in one car with one trunk loaded with a billion things that we may or may not need.

sidewalk sale today

welcome to my first official sidewalk sale. hello hello. the pros of having an online sale is the weather is never a worry, nor is there a need to haul out card tables or stick mini price tags on everything. the con is that i cannot seduce you with my applesauce oat muffins, mingle with customers (put faces to names), or offer up a bowl of fun freebies next to my cash register. instead, i'll give a heartfelt thanks for stopping in and tuck something special into every package i sell. if you're interested in purchasing or wonder what else is going on this week, scroll to the end for more info. thank you! also, if you're reading this via rss reader, please hop over to my blog to see if i've updated with what is or is not still available. now onto the goodies. just a few items today...


a few mini clipboards are up for grabs..


3 mini clipboards. $14.00 each
styles available 1. polka dot sold 2. floral sold 3. birdie sold
mod podged by me and indispensable.
6 x 9 inches. *clipboard includes a mini notepad & pen.

and here are four handmade journals for sale, each a bit different. all of them are made with ribbon + paper. (the photos show the cover, the decorative end papers and a sample of the blank journal pages.) each book has been created by hand, bound with ribbon and will arrive ready for writing.



'perfect' journal. $18.00 sold
a perfect place to jot your scribbles.
40 blank papers inside. 8.5 x 5.5 inches.


'cute' journal. $18.00
sugar & spice should conjure a thought or two.
40 blank papers inside. 8.5 x 5.5 inches.


cowboy journal. $18.00
giddy up, cowgirl. write your adventures.
40 blank papers inside. 8.5 x 5.5 inches.


sweet pea quote journal. $23.00 sold
describe in detail all that you love about your li'l sweet pea.
45 papers inside, each featuring a different quote on love. 8.5 x 5.5 inches.

instructions: email me if you're interested in purchasing any of the goods you see here. marta{at}martacards.com. please include which item you'd like; the clipboard design or journal style preference along with your shipping address. i will respond with an online invoice within 24 hours, given your selection is still available. your goods will be shipped out 2-5 days from payment date.

payment + shipping: PayPal is the only form of payment option accepted. a flat rate fee of $5 will be added for priority mail (within the usa).

thank you for browsing. tune in this week before we head out of town. i will be announcing last week's winner, outpouring lazy weekend pics, discussing a new thrilling project of unravelling, posting a likely long-winded write club prompt, and another thursday giveaway, even if i'm technically not here. oh how awesome it is to pre-publish a blog post. oh how awesome it is to blog. am meeting so many nice folks. and have had lots of questions concerning me building logos and helping with identity designs. oh how flattering and lovely. i will eventually get the piles off my desk and be prepared to schedule in serious pretty logo making, right after our upcoming weekend getaway. (thanks for being patient, my one woman show is a liberating career choice albeit sometimes a tad tousled.) happy monday, it's gonna be a good one.

quote wall 06

a great man with great words.

sidewalk sale teaser

am excited. am planning to host an online sidewalk sale next week! if successful, i'll do another. i have plenty of craft supplies + goodies to go around. monday morning at 8 o'clock (mountain time) i'll post a few blank book journals for sale. they are the last of my ribbon-bound collection at the moment, so i hope for happy customers.

sales will be granted on a first come, first served basis (just email me directly) and i'll cross out the listing if/when each item sells. if you see something you'd like, email me with your request, marta{at}martacards.com and i'll send you a PayPal invoice within 24 hours.

happy weekend, hope you have fun plans in the works. am definitely going to the farmer's market in the morning and getting a tigers blood sno-cone in the afternoon. and in between those events? am leaving it up to chance.

giveaway: pravina pouch

clean lines, industrial materials, modern designs, beautiful simplicity and handmade quality. everything you want in a tote. pravina is the new pretty when it comes to purses + pouches.

Everything at Pravina Studio is crafted with careful attention to detail, quality materials and durable construction. An excitement and anticipation goes into each piece from Pravina Studio. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. - Diana



the textile team over at pravina studios is offering one m.writes reader a fabulous zipper pouch from their collection. simply leave a comment to enter to win. list a favorite must-have for your purse (or in this case, pouch). comments are open until saturday / july 11 / midnight / mountain time. a random winner will be announced next week. good luck, my friends.

and merci, miss diana.

visit her blog + browse both her shops.

s'more camping tips

like i said, my sister heidi could write the book about keeping kids happy in the great outdoors. she basically emailed me her first chapter; a lot more detailed camping with tots tips. (if you're all camped out, feel free to skip this.) in my opinion heidi's been there, done that camping wisdom is priceless.

MAKING THE OUTDOORS REALLY GREAT.

my advice for camping with kids is that you can never be too prepared.

I believe in outfitting little ones in rugged jeans or pants that I don't care about, so that I don't care if they sit on the ground and get completely filthy. I like to bring a place for them to sit, like a highchair or saucer, even the car seat carrier is the most handy for the tiniest ones. You can't just leave them in a highchair (the ones from IKEA are cheap, and perfect for hosing down afterwards), but it is easier for them to eat, be up out of the way & it was great having them sit and color for awhile... while I was nearby of course.

Watered down cocoa is great in a sippy cup & I prefer uncooked s'mores for 2 year olds! I bring books & all of their nighttime rituals for tent sleeping. I bring their winter jammies with feeties, and make a bed out of an unzipped sleeping bag & blankets. The twins are still in cribs at home, so I wasn't sure what they'd be like sleeping. (I discovered the first night that they didn't like to be inside the sleeping bag, so I did it different the next night. Creativity is key!) Getting them to bed is always an adventure. I make sure every kid has a flashlight for & then turn them all off at the same time for made up tent tagDora Adventures by mom. Once they are all settled and snoozing, I don't freak out to leave them in the tent alone. The adults are always very close, the campfire is just a few steps away and I check on them often. It's a joy for us to enjoy some fun time around the fire sans kids. I try to have everything ready before dark so I can get right in my sleeping bag after zipping down the tents for the night.

Another tip: Kids noses get stuffy while camping... maybe campfire smoke or something. This year I brought those cool Triaminic Vaporized Patches. We cut them in half & stick them on their jammies & they sleep a little more sound.

I look back on pictures and realize my kids get really dirty. We try to brush teeth, but we don't do hair so cute. The clothes they wear are grungy & I always bring washable shoes. This year since I knew it would rain... the older two had their galosh boots to roam in. They were perfect! Tuck their pants inside & the pants are clean enough to wear another day.

We scout out perfect campsites and reserve them early. Even if we're booking our site in winter, we try to get a feel for what it's going to be like by driving to where we're going. We know just what we like about the sites we want; shade only, no one wants to bake while making lunch! It's lousy being hot and kids get grumpy. (The typical group sites are great, but are usually cement & not tons of shade.) We like to invite others, because it's just easier that way. My husband is awesome enough to offer to set everything up & take down as long as I take care of scrubbing down the kids. It's a perfect trade off. We only camp 15 minutes away from home, so it's easy to pack our whole house! We make it worth it by staying a few nights (it is definitely not worth all the packing when you go for just one dinner & one night). May as well make a whole vacation out of it! My kids remember the fun times with their cousins and have come to love our family camp outs.

We always have yummy food... because the best part of camping is the meals & snacks for me. And, Opa & Oma introduced Jac & I to their GINORMOUS sleeping pads, not so easy for lugging along but they are soft and cushy and make sleeping in a tent totally doable. I like to take a stroller for walks around the campground, or you can always drive the canyon to get kids to take naps. Most of all, you and your husband can't have huge expectations. Jac gives me breaks so I can enjoy and read my book & I try to give him time to sleep & unwind too. We can't wait for the years when the kids are old enough to do long hikes & we can all sleep in, etc. But until then, we'll just deal with it. Plus we have to make the most of it! We can make them go now while they're little, what happens when they're all saying, "Camping?!! Gross mom... can't we just go to Disneyland?".

And, once again, I am no expert! I only do it once or twice a year. But, every time we come home we say, "We gotta go again." I feel anxious to just set up the tent to sleep in the backyard this week!


thank you, heidi. next time you'll have to share your dutch oven recipes. mmm. mm.

the camp out

this was a fourth of july celebration to remember. we were lucky enough to spend time with our families and soak up lots of fresh air outdoors in the mountains. we ate piles of pancakes, sung fun songs, played silly games, got dirt underneath our fingernails, smelled like campfire and introduced the small one to what independence day is all about.

being together.



when you make one stop and that one stop is costco it means you find yourself buying the largest jar of sauerkraut in the world. you might reconsider, but knowing your family and dan's hot dog roast, you don't want to disappoint. gladly, it was well received. thanks to jacque for getting the darn thing open. and thanks to pete for taking it off my hands (so glad you and your friends love sauerkraut and who knows, miss anna may start craving it in her third trimester).


these sweet photos were snapped by my bro-in-law, scott who really should start up a photography blog. i could've posted a hundred more of his shots.

since we arrived a day or so late to the annual camp out, we benji got the most glorious hello i've ever seen. we pulled up and parked. and suddenly dozens of children literally came out of the woodwork, running over to us, yelling our names in their squeaky sunshine voices. the cousins club gave us an official welcome. all asking questions and giving hugs and telling their tales and showing off their beaded crafts and giving benji loves all at once. that settled it, i love being an aunt. the warm welcome starting things off with a bang and gave me the biggest warmest heart i've had in a long time. it made the loooong drive and all the packing and all the did-i-remember-the's so worth it. next time i am feeling low, that big hello will be my go-to memory. i loved every bit of it.


family camp outs are the best.
i think it's unanimous.


camping with kids checklist.
i've received a few emails inquiring about camping w/ kids, so here goes. i am a novice about camping with small ones, but i've learned a thing or two from my older sister. heidi and her husband have camped with their - oh so darling - 4 kids (in tents, mind you) every year since their family began. this year included her two year old twins. if they can do it, so can you. here are some ideas i picked up.

details. let loose and be flexible. give the kids each a place to sit. heidi brought her itty bitty princess camp chairs; perfect for the girls to roast marshmallows and minimized quarrels over where to sit. i brought up our small portable high chair for benji (it was perfect for keeping him from swallowing sticks). use off wipes to keep bugs away from li'l ones. bring sunscreen and lots of it. set up your tent in daylight and put the rainfly on, just in case. put a port-a-crib inside your tent for the baby (keeping him off the ground means he feels warmer and is lot more like home). pack all the baby food / spoons / bibs together in a separate ziplock gallon size baggie, it will be no nonsense to fix up when he gets hungry and anxious. oh and there are even coleman battery-operated fans available to attach inside your tent, perfect for hot afternoon naps. what will they think of next.

gear. invest in excellent gear in the first place, you'll use it for years. my dad got his coleman stoves in the 70's and still loves cooking bacon, warming cocoa and making oatmeal each and every year with it. good hiking shoes + muddy flipflops are my footwear of choice. pack warm ski socks to sleep in. take along rain jackets. oh and bring an extra tarp; chances are, you'll use it.

play. prepare a box full of kid friendly games beforehand. my mom loads a tote full of magnifying glasses, stories, wooden pop guns, coloring books, bubble gum, madlibs, and treasure hunt ideas for collecting bugs and seeking out the beauty in nature. my bro-in-law jacque always designs the best games for our family; this year was a full rendition of family feud. a little preparation goes a long way. and when all the other games have fizzled, the guys seem to be endlessly entertained playing what can we burn next.

work. this year we went green and used a lot less paper products. heidi brought up a giant tub (for washing dishes) and a fantastic large mesh bag for loading clean dishes in to dry. use a Sharpie to mark your items (you can divy up later). when it's time to pick up, play fairy godmother and tap each kid on the head with a stick and give them a special job to do. when the adults are busy taking down tents, folding tarps and stuffing sleeping bags, give someone the task of entertaining the kids with songs, games and stories. grandmas are overly qualified and very good when surrounded by grandchildren. this is their forte. let them have at it.

misc. bring along special treats from the bulk foods, pull them out at nighttime, when you're in need of a prize or as a perfect bribing mechanism. tie up a hammock (my brother's seriously brilliant idea). keep chapstick and kleenex at the ready. plan for the unexpected. brush up on your current events for lively conversation. be sure to pack a sweatshirt, a cozy blanket for the campfire, a bandana for crazy hair, a notebook, a camera, and a flashlight. and don't forget the sauerkraut.

if you have a camping tip or two, do tell. happy camping.