Finally!  After several weeks of waiting, Postal Press (run by Alyson Graves who runs one of my favorite blogs, Unruly Things) has launched and is ready for business.  Lots of very sweet letterpress stationery, journals, packaging supplies and other assorted goods are available to purchase.  She also offers custom letterpress work as well.  Head on over to check out some sweet items to send someone you love some snail mail!

{images shown belong to Postal Press}

Yes, this is yet another post about how I’m sad that summer is leaving.  I’m trying to take it in stride and be excited for fall, but I can’t help but think, “Didn’t August just start last week?”  We had an awfully wacky summer in New England, with the real warm weather showing up in late July and August.  As much as I’m protesting it, as I walked through my garden today many of the plants are giving little hints that it’s almost time to wrap up for the year (at least the summer flowering ones) and put on a good show for their last hurrah.  The bleeding heart is just starting to turn yellow, many of the sedums are flowering in corals, hot pink or flaming reds, and the daisies which kept reflowering all summer (despite the wet climate) are starting to look tired.  Even the brillantly colored hydrangeas are mellowing to faded steely blue or a warm golden pink.  I’m glad I decided to start photographing the garden this year, since these little signs are so slight that I almost walked right past them.  At least in their final few weeks I can enjoy the last of the blooms before autumn truly sets in.

{for more of my in the garden photos, check out my Flickr}

Yes, it’s Thursday, and I just so happened to have stumbled upon Creative Thursday via SouleMama.  As someone who is in a creative line of work and is still figuring out my path in life, I cannot express in exact words the types of emotions and experiences you go through on a daily basis.  With all the of wonderful and gratifying things that come with working for yourself and doing what you love, there is plenty of stress that comes along with it.  Since leaving a position at a design studio almost 2 years ago, I’ve constantly researched and sought out support and advice from other creative business owners via blogs, books, and networking online and face-to-face.  So it was with so much happiness that I found Creative Thursday’s podcasts, in which the owner, Marisa Haedike, talks about the ups and downs and personal experiences of being an artist and entrepreneur.  She is also running an e-course called In the Fishbowl: Life As an Artist Online, which has a limited number of spots.  Since I’ve found the podcasts, on a day when I was feeling particularly befuddled about my next steps (and as I’ve come to learn, things really do happen at certain times for certain reasons), I’ve since felt supported and inspired to know that there are other creative people out there who are also struggling with same day-to-day concerns just as I am, and are also making it work as self employed business owners.  And I’ve learned the most important thing… not to give up, ever.  I haven’t stopped listening to the podcasts since!

Creative Thursday’s podcasts are available to stream from the website or for downloading.

{image shown belongs to Creative Thursday and Marisa Haedike}

Lots of fantastic eye candy from 100 Layer Cake and their NY Stationery Social.  Wish I could have attended (or been a fly on the wall!) and got to meet some of my favorite designers.  Here’s hoping that this will become an annual event for 100 Layer Cake!

{images shown belong to 100 Layer Cake}

Some really cute items from Etsy shop Lemontree… great for the start of school! (I still miss back-to-school shopping even though I’m in my late 20′s!)

{images shown belong to Lemontree}

After making a few too many turkey meatballs last night (they are sooo yummy!), I think I’m going to use the leftovers for this amazing soup from Smitten Kitchen.  It’s a play on an Italian Wedding Soup, and her recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit.  Even though it’s still ridiculously hot and humid outside, I can’t let a chance to make this yummy soup pass me by!  And I can always save some in the freezer for when the first few fallish days come to New England… if it can make it to freezer without getting eaten up first…

Escarole and Orzo Soup with Turkey Parmesan Meatballs

{image shown belongs to Smitten Kitchen}

I cannot believe it’s already late August and I cannot believe summer is almost completely over.  There are so many things that I love doing during this season (my favorite of the four) and I really didn’t get to do any of them.  Here are some of my favorites that I have yet to do:

• go to the beach
• go to the drive-in
• go mini-golfing
• go to more Audubon Sanctuaries
• go camping at a favorite spot
• go for a hike
• go to Chatham, Truro, Providencetown and other spots on the Cape
• go to my favorite seafood restaurant
• go out for a good cuppa with family

Even though there’s only a few weeks left, just to squeeze a few of these things in would be fantastic.

(A beach in Truro, MA from a few summers ago)

(Hiking through the Flume Gorge, in the White Mountains of NH… again, a few summers ago)

What are you planning on doing with the end of summer?

With lots of baby on the brain (my sister’s little one born this week, a friend in Australia had her baby girl last week, and another friend due in exactly a week) I’m scouring the blogosphere for birth announcements.  This kangaroo design from Chris Rooney is too cute for words (found via Oh So Beautiful Paper)!  Love that he was able to incorporate a separate keepsake photo into the printed piece (which stands well on it’s own, too).  It’s going to be difficult to fit all of my nephew’s cuteness into an announcement…

{image shown belongs to Chris Rooney}

This morning I’m google-eyed over some really gorgeous images from photographer Ben Blood of Hollin & Eric’s Treehouse Wedding.  Definitely check out Ben’s site to see more images.  It was a very hip, cool, and well designed wedding.  How neat is this soiree idea!

{images shown via Ben Blood}

Now that my little nephew is here, I’ll be thinking of adorable ways to announce his arrival.  This Family Tree baby announcement from Bird & Banner is too cute!  Love the play on the family tree theme and the stamped fingerprints.

{image shown belongs to Bird & Banner}