Announce Your Marriage!

If you just got married than I'm sure that you're ready to announce it to the world!  We recently added our first Photo Marriage Announcement to the site!  Perfect to send to all of your out-of-town family and friends that were unable to make it to your wedding or to all of your guests as something for them to cherish for years to come!  Look for more Marriage Announcement designs soon...

Design Name:  Just Married Marriage Announcement

Color Scheme:  Bridal Bliss Blue & Wedding White

Tomorrow's THE BIG DAY!! Are you a Facebook Fan?

The time has FINALLY come!  AnnouncingMoments.com will be OPEN FOR BUSINESS tomorrow at 12:00pm CST!  I'm so delighted and can't wait!  To celebrate, we'll be playing "games" on Facebook all day tomorrow!  Are you a Facebook "Fan"?  If not, PLEASE click on the "Become a Fan" link above!  You will NOT want to miss out on the fun and PRIZES!  Here's tomorrow's "schedule" for the celebration!  We sure hope you win!

Grand Opening Celebration Date:  October 1st

Who is invited?  Exclusive to FB Fans!

At "game time", Announcing Moments will post instructions on how

to play each game.  The first FB fan to comment the correct answer

to our post will WIN the prize offered!  We hope you can join us!

Making It Match!

From my son's first birthday (he is five now) to the baby shower I'm helping host in a couple of weeks, my husband has come to realize that it's a necessity for EVERYTHING to match!  Bringing your party all together with a "theme" is the best way to make your next celebration a success!   In my opinion, every milestone in life is worth a great party and spending a little extra time to make everything "match" can definitely make a good party GREAT!  Most people agree that a celebration begins with the invitation!  The invitation you send to your guests will not only give the first impression for your party but it will also set the mood for the celebration.  Matching every aspect of your party makes you seem "instantly creative" and definitely makes a lasting impression!  People love to be a part of a great party so we'd love to help you match your invitations to your "theme".  Just send us a photo of what you have purchased (plates, decorations, napkins, etc.) and we'll do our best to create a one-of-a-kind, matching design that you and your guests will LOVE (while honoring all copyright regulations, of course!) 

Design Name:  Elegant Paisley Girl Baby Shower Invitation

Color Scheme:  Pink and Brown

Plates and Napkins Source:  http://www.platesandnapkins.com

Only EIGHT Days LEFT!

Our GRAND OPENING is October 1st!  ONLY EIGHT DAYS AWAY!  It's still hard to believe that www.AnnouncingMoments.com will soon be up and RUNNING!  I'm very excited and putting in lots of hours to ensure it works properly...  Hopefully we'll have no "technical" difficulties! **fingers crossed**

In the meantime, I'm still creating new designs for the site!  Here are two new designs that will be featured in our 2009 Holiday Card Collection!

Design Name:  Joyful Holiday Card

Design Name:  Winter Trees Holiday Card

That time of year again - ALREADY?!

I can't believe it's that time of year again! The holidays are right around the corner! I'm trying to get into the spirit by creating new designs for the 2009 Holiday season! Here are two of my favorites so far!

Design Name:  Fun Flakes Holiday Card

Color Scheme:  Holiday Red & Reindeer Brown

Design Name:  Warm Wishes Holiday Card

Color Scheme:  Green & Red

Trendy Polka Dot Fun!

One of my favorite design elements is polka dots which makes the Polka Dot Fun Girl Birthday Invitation below an Announcing Moments favorite!  The mix of green with shades of pink makes it trendy to say the least!  This invitation will let your guest know that they are in for some fun!

Design Name:  Polka Dot Fun Girl Birthday Invitation

Color Scheme:  Green with Shades of Pink

A Christmas Present Worth Announcing!

If you have a baby due during the holiday season, consider combining your Birth Announcement and Holiday Card!  It's an easy way to save money and send a creative Holiday Card all at the same time!

I love the Holiday Card design below because of the untraditional colors used!  For the more traditional tastes, this design could easily be modified.  This is one of the many Holiday Card designs that will be featured on my new website - www.AnnouncingMoments.com.  The Grand Opening will be October 1st!  I'm so excited about the Grand Opening and I'm working hard to meet the deadline!  Follow this blog to receive more details on how you can win prizes on Grand Opening Day!

Design Name:  Sirene Holiday Card

Color Scheme:  Green & Snowflake Blue

Twice as much love - Two blessings from above!

What an extra special blessing - TWINS! Twins definitely deserve a special announcement into this world!  The playful fonts used in this design are a great mix with the light colors.  I also love the matching damask border which adds a fresh and modern feel.  This is a perfect design to end the week on and would also be a perfect design to announce your "little ones!"  I included two versions of this design to illustrate how simple it is to revise a design to match your preference.  The color combinations you could combine are endless! Hope you enjoy this design and have a lovely weekend!

Design Name:  Sweet Sisters Twins Announcement

Color Scheme:  Light Purple & Precious Pink

Design Name:  Buddies & Brothers

Color Scheme:  Light Orange & Meaningful Mint

Pirate Party For Your Little Captain!

Planning a party is so much fun and one of my favorite things to do!  The design below would be perfect for your little Captain's next Pirate Party!  To make this blog post extra special, I decided to plan a birthday party around this design! 

I fell in love with the Pirate Party Sandwiches below and I'm sure your party guests will, too!  Making them would be a breeze!  After sandwiches, your birthday boy can "blow the candles out" and enjoy his Pirate Themed Birthday Cake!  Add some Pirate Decorations and your party is sure to be a success! 

Design Name:  Pirate Paradise Party Invitation

Color Scheme:  Red & White Strips; Pirate Ship Brown

Pirate Cupcakes:  http://cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com

Ship Sandwich Display:  http://www.toppartyideas.com

Pirate Party Bags:  http://www.partycheap.com

Pirate Birthday Cake:  http://forcakessake-bonnie.blogspot.com/

Stickers & Pirate Flags:  http://www.orientaltrading.com

Engagements Are Worth Announcing!

Engagement Announcements are a perfect way to "spread the news!"  Including a photo not only adds a special touch, but also allows the Announcement/Invitation to become a keepsake for many years to come.  The photo used in the Engagement Announcement below "pops" against the simple blues used in the design.  This design has a "fresh" feel and is sure to let your friends and family know that you are ready to celebrate your upcoming nuptials in style!  The colors used in the design below can easily be customized to coordinate with the color scheme of your choice.

Last week, one of my very best friends became engaged!  I'm looking forward to creating a special Engagement Announcement for the two of them.  Look for pictures to be posted soon of the design!  Until then, hope you have a great Monday!

Design Name:  Simply Sweet Engagement Announcement/Invitation

Color Scheme:  White & Shades of Fresh Blues

Proud Big Sister!

Including the "Proud Big Sister" in your new child's birth announcements is a great idea! The design below was definitely designed with the Big Sister in mind. I love it's elegant, yet simple, style! It's delightfully girly, but with a change of colors it could transform into an announcement fit for a little prince! Hope you enjoy this design and have a wonderful Friday!

Design Name:  Baby Rose Girl Birth Announcement

Color Scheme:  Rose Pinks & Light Beige

Double Party, Double Fun!

My sister-in-law (one of Announcing Moments biggest supporters and owner of Double Layer Designs!) talked to me yesterday about creating my niece and nephew's birthday invitation. My niece is turning three and my nephew is turning five but their birthdays are less than one week apart so she is planning a DOUBLE birthday party! And we all know that DOUBLE birthday parties are DOUBLE the FUN! The theme combination is "Ballerina" (for my niece and the girls) and "Hunting" (for my nephew and the boys). She gave me an idea of how she would like the invitation to look and here is what I came up with for the first draft (below).

Planning a double party is not only fun - it is also very economical! Check your calendars to see if you have somebody special that you could have a DOUBLE party with! It will not only be fun for your guests, but it will also be great for your checkbook!

Design Name: Dancers and Deers Birthday Invitation

Color Scheme: Pinks and Camo

**The pictures used above are not my niece and nephew, but they sure are CUTE!**

Fall Festival and a DEADLINE!!

Today was another exciting day for Announcing Moments!  A close friend of mine told me that she is signing Announcing Moments up for a booth at the school's Fall Festival! She is on the PTA board at my son's school and is over the vendors for the festival. She didn't ask me, she TOLD me - which is very motivating and encouraging! The problem is, the website is not ready. When I told her that, she responded with, "Well, you've got less then two months then!"... So, the deadline is SET and the grand opening of AnnouncingMoments.com will be OCTOBER 1, 2009! I can't believe it! Announcing Moments will finally have a website! I've been working towards this day since I first began creating invitations and announcements over two years ago!

I'm looking forward to finishing the website, advertising, and decorating my very first "Fall Festival Booth!"... Hopefully, this festival will become a tradition for Announcing Moments! The booth will be 10x10 in size - I'd love to hear your ideas of how I should decorate it!

First Day of School!

I am officially the mom of a KINDEGARTENER! My son started "Big Boy" school today! I'm still blown away at how big he has gotten! He was VERY excited that the first day of school had finally come. My husband and I walked him to his room. He didn't cry, but boy did I! They were happy tears - I'm just so happy to have such a handsome and brave little boy! I can't wait to see what this school year brings. I'm so proud of him already and it's only the first day!

I also volunteered to be the Room Mom of his class. That, along with being a member of the PTA, is sure to give me plenty to blog about throughout the school year!

Let's Camp Out!

Boys love to CAMP!  Make your sons next birthday memorable by inviting their closest friends over for a "Camping Birthday"!  Buying supplies would be a breeze - hot dogs over the fire, roasting marshmellows for s'mores, and ANYTHING camo!  The design below has a "Troop" theme and would be a perfect fit for any "Camping Party".  Doesn't match your theme colors?  No problem - just contact me and I'll customize it for you!

Design Name:  Troop Boy Birthday Invitation

Color Scheme:  Army Green Camo

Flutter Bug Birthday

"Garden" themed parties are very popular right now and are oh, so cute! What "Garden Party" is complete without a ladybug?! The design below is one of my favorite ladybug invitations! I love the traditional red ladybug, but decided to add a special touch by using pink! I hope you enjoy this design and I hope your next "Garden Party" is a huge success!

Design Name:  Flutter Bug Birthday Invitation

Color Scheme:  Rose Pink & Lime Green

Time For A Celebration!

Make your next birthday celebration extra special by including a photo (or two, or three!) on the invitation. The name of this design is "Celebration Boy".  It features a blue, orange, and green color combination which is very popular right now and leaves many oppourtunities for decoration choices!  But don't feel like you have to pass this invitation up just because it doesn't match your theme - I am always happy to customize any invitation to fit your needs!

Design Name:  Celebration Boy Birthday Invitation

Color Scheme:  Blue, Orange, & Green

Blush and Bashful Baby Shower

This is such a fun and classic design. I actually used this design for a friend's baby shower invitations and she loved how her unborn daughter's name was used. Consider using the unborn child's name on your next baby shower invitation to add a special touch! The baby shower honoree is sure to love it!

Design Name: Blush & Bashful Baby Shower Invitation

Color Scheme: Blush & Olive

Pretty in Pink!

When creating a custom design, I sometimes look into the photo that is provided for motivation.  This design is a perfect example of this!  You can see in this design, I tried to re-create the polka dot design and color scheme used in the photo.  What a sweet design for any little girl's birthday!  Or, change the color scheme and this could easily be used in a boy's birthday invitation or even a birth announcement!

Design Name:  Fun Girl Birthday Invitation

Color Scheme:  Bubble Gum and Seafoam

Announce The Results!

You're pregnant and have just found out what you're having! CONGRATULATIONS! Don't let the excitement stop - send out a photo announcement! The photo announcement below is another one of my favorite designs (which is why it's in my blog!)

The picture would be easy to re-create: Simply have a friend take a picture of you holding your ultrasound pictures! Your friends and family will go wild when they find out and will call you as soon as they receive their announcement in the mail!

Design Name:  Oh Boy Pregnancy Announcement

Color Scheme:  Turquoise and Cocoa

Has five years really passed?

Well, I planned for this blog to not only give a special look behind my designs, but to also serve as a place I could blog about my personal life! I just realized that I haven't done that yet! In my personal life, I have a very special event coming up - my son's FIFTH birthday! It feels so weird to say that he is turning FIVE! It's very exciting, but also sad for me because the time has passed by so quickly. My son is my world! He is my first and only child. He has amazed me in all ways possible in the five short years he has been in this world. It's so amazing how they steal your heart the day they are born!

In my opinion, the 5th birthday is a huge milestone so I want to make this birthday party extra special for him. We're planning a "surfing" theme, but it's kind of turning into a luau. I'm planning on making his cake again this year, but I'm stressing on what design to use. I definitely want it to match the invitation I designed for him (below). I'll be sure to post pics soon after the party for you to see!

Announcing An Angel...

Design Name:  Waverly Girl Birth Announcement

Color Scheme:  Rasberry Blush

Nothing in this world is as precious as a new born baby - especially if it's your own!  It's always such an honor to be asked to create a birth announcement.  It feels great to capture a new baby in a design that is as special and custom as they are!  This design is well-suited to announce a baby girl, but could also be modified to welcome a baby boy.  It's always been a favorite of mine!

Birthday Boy Bliss!

Design Name: Dumptruck Delight Boy
Color Scheme: Denim Blues and Orange

Wow - The birthday fun begins with the invitations and this design proves it! I love this design because it can easily be customized to match any theme. The dumptruck could be changed to a sailboat to match a nautical theme or maybe a train to match a railroad theme - the possibilities are endless!

"Pink and Green" is trendy...

Design Name: Pretty Petal Birthday Girl
Color Scheme: Pink and Green

I love the "Pink and Green" trend. It's such a fun color scheme and I couldn't wait to use it in a design. I decided to use it in a "Sweet 16" design, but any design can be customized to incorporate any age. I hope the "Pink and Green" trend is around for a while! Happy Friday! 

A Mommy with a Hobby!

I'm a mommy with a hobby - I love to create things! My passion is creating photo invitations, announcements, holiday cards, and other stationery. Hopefully one day I'll be able to turn this hobby into a successful business, but until then I wanted to capture my hobby within a blog - announcingmoments.blogspot.com!

I started this blog several months ago, but wanted to wait until my business had "officially" opened to start posting. Well, that hasn't happened yet and I can't wait any longer! Within this blog I hope to be able to meet new people and hopefully even meet other mommies who share my passion of creating things!

I'm in the process of designing what will hopefully in the near future be a source of income - announcingmoments.com. I'm working diligently to open my website to the public and can't wait until the day when I can actually make a profit with my hobby.

I'm self taught in all areas of graphic design and website development and know nothing about the "world of business". By following my blog you can not only witness as I continue to "learn the ropes" of designing, but you can also follow the process of opening a business. The "future" customer is my main source of motivation so I would be pleased to see your comments and have you follow my blog! Wish me luck - it's sure to be a long road!