hello lovelies

it's been some time since i've been here to share. i have been busy behind the computer. maxing out my free music limit from pandora. making a huge mess in the studio. locking myself out of the house yesterday... only to be rescued by my hero mr.handsome.  good times :)



today i finally announce my very good news...



my new little shop Inspire Lovely is going to be opening tomorrow ( saturday ) at 9 am ( pacific time ) .
Yay!



and i hope you can come take a peek.



 I've stocked the shop with 100 of my most favorite items to share with you.



Some art,
some paper love,



some crochet love,
some packaging love...



= happiness.



The shop looks so cute with all the packaging with the new store logo i designed.



there have been many moments where i have to ask myself it it's really coming true.



it's here. it's so real.



my studio is busting at the seams with boxes of items for the shop.



it's awesome.



this has been a very happy journey and i'm beyond thrilled to finally be able to share this will you all xoxo



i hope you find something wonderful here :)



I had so much fun putting everything together, even mr.handsome lent a helping hand  hehee.



Hope you enjoy and thank you kindly for peeking :P



and before i go, last friday i made a quick trip to my local farmers market. it's literally next to a pier by the beach. as i was shopping for flowers and humus i couldn't help but take a deep breathe of the salty ocean air.



i wished so much for you to feel it. the sun shining on your face. the sound of the waves so peaceful and tame. i took this photo for you. i thought you could use a moment of peace too :)

sending you some flowers and peace
xo
-d

hello 2011

as i was "working" in the studio i accidentally spilled a jar of sequins all over the floor. my first reaction was how lame i was. i totally forgot to close the lid. in looking at the mess i instantly saw this shimmery happy mess as the prettiest mess i've made yet. it's so easy to stop looking at things with a different perspective. or maybe i'm just going crazy :) but i've been reflecting. pondering. willing and working at finding new ways to explore 2011 with a shimmery new perspective. my father always says to not wish for things that people can steal from you, but to pray for things that can never be stolen. like happiness. wisdom. hope. grace. love. i want 2011 to overflow with a lovely shimmery light of all these things in my mind, my heart and my soul. i'm ready :)

as i was looking through my files, (having another "back your things up" party in the studio today :) i found a few pictures of the only other mini i completed in 2010. it was for a class i taught early on in the year. i'm happy with it because i used the album filled with papers & embellishments i designed. And i had so much fun teaching spray paint & crazy sewing skills to the loveliest group of women. i hadn't shared photos of it so here you are... i hope you enjoy xo.















i wish you a shimmery & lovely day for the rest of 2011
 xo
-d

'tis finished

my little book is busting at the seams. a good 4 inches thick and completely full of paper goodness & love. it's much nicer to be done though :)

and in celebratory fashion... i have some fun fake glasses. i know i've said this before but i super duper wish i used glasses. i take mr.handsome's sometimes and wear them for fun. i had waaay more fun picking his frames than he liked hahaa! oh well, i can only be a nerd with fake glasses. we had a date night out at the movies and saw Tron in 3D. it's aight. i'm sure it's obvious i loved the glasses :)



i wore them while sewing these last few pages. you know, to make everything look better ;P

{ day 17 details }

i scored big time. i love when that happens. it might not look like much but i found a few awesome cobalt blue pieces of china to add to my collection. i can't quite put my finger on why i have to collect pieces in this color. i just do. and it makes me happier. i love it even more when i see mr.handsome use the little pretty plates for his banana bread & coffee. i'm gonna pay for telling you that, but you know, it makes me swoon every time i see him with a cute plate :) 

{ day 18 details }

2 years ago on december 18 mr.handsome and i said forever & always. in a mini pink courthouse chapel...full of dusty artificial flowers, so romantic. ha! i cried. i cried not from regret. but when it was my turn to say our vows... you know in sickness and in health. for rich or for poor. i cried right there. for rich or for..... poor. ha! you know the tears just came and i realized that we really were marrying for love. we are poor but definitely happy in love :)  awwww..... cheeeeeesy. i know. and yet i still cried. and just for the record i manned up at our real wedding and didn't cry at all.  i don't even cry for sad movies man. i'm a tough cookie like that. moving on. 

{ day 19 details }

my belladrummer shop is now closed and is now being transformed into a new little shop full of more inspiring and lovely things. I hope to open back up early January featuring a few extra things i really love. some of the same... i am repackaging and enjoying this entire process. just last week i was putting some twine of the cutest spools you've seen. good times :) i can't wait to share more and hope you will enjoy them too xo.

{ day 20 details }

i like to go to meetings that involve food. one thing i don't miss from my old job were the useless meetings we sat hours in monday after monday. i came to hate mondays for this very reason. now, i tag along with mr. handsome's "meetings" and i'm their honorary co-worker. we laugh, mostly at each other :) i love that. i love these really cool friends. and the nachos are pretty good too. xoxo

day 21 details }

i can waste time like nobody's business. and here's proof :P

day 22 details }

i think i referenced my love for fake glasses already. sorry to keep referencing but i really do 

love glasses. i do i do i really do. lol! what a nerd i know. 

day 23 details }

my sister cindy. she's a proud mama of 2 little boys. here she is with her newest love... baby gavin. he's got her dimple. her smile and her crazy thick hair. i'm sure he smells like baby. i'm sure he makes her happy. and i'm pretty sure they are best buddies :) 

day 24 details }

every time mr.handsome drives, i try to take a picture of him. in turn he gives me the "i'm serious" stare. yes. the one you see in that picture. it makes me laugh ! hahahaa! he's trying to be serious and i'm being very annoying. typical ride with the ruiz's. never a dull moment.

day 25 details }

a picture of a little chocolatey gift we gave our friends on christmas day. in return they gifted us with my most favoritist pie in the whole wide world. Nations banana cream pie. if anyone lives near one, i am SO jealous of you! really. i love this pie more than any cake or cheesecake i've ever known. it's amazing. and our sweet friends brought one down all the way from northern cali for us. it's the little things. like hanging out with them, sharing a good time. mr.handsome and i don't give each other gifts. we reserve christmas as a time to remember the hope that was brought into this world just for us. a little baby. a lot of love. and we spend time with family & loved ones sharing that. don't get me wrong i love gifts... but its these moments i remember most. my cup runs over xoxo 

thank you for bearing with me and letting me share a bit of paper love. i'm not sure if i will do another december daily again. i've never really finished a mini quite like this. but after seeing it all come together and finally finished is such a good feeling. hopefully there is more lovely paper art to come in 2011

happy almost new year! (& feliz ano nuevo :)
xo
-d

the merriest

wishes and love to you from us :)

Inside you would find peanut butter & mint oreo cookies covered in chocolate .extreme love. a sign we must really really love you. *wink*

mister handsome would never share his chocolate love with anyone unless he really loved them. and even then i wonder. i've come home to find all but one chocolate covered oreo left. now he thinks he's quite the gentleman for leaving *one* cookie. i think he's just doing that so he won't look so bad for eating ALL the cookies. no chocolate is safe man. so eat quick :)

in the spirit of sharing ... here are the next set of pages from my december daily. :)


{ day 9 details }
Red ribbon ( Merry & Sweet Mini Kit ), Glittery Snowflake (Michaels), Blue Button ( found), White & red stripe ribbon ( Heidi Swapp), Woodgrain Transparency ( Hambly), Red Journaling Tag ( Belladrummer Etsy ) Glittery Number Stickers ( Making Memories), Green merry tag ( Making Memories), Large white journaling Tag ( Belladrummer etsy shop), Gold sewing thread ( Jo-anns ).


The day i started my december daily. hehee.. ahh. late. as always but definitely got my mojo going. i loved putting all the little things i was going to use in a vintage tin cupcake pan. It was so lovely sorting through everything and seeing it all look so pretty. almost as good as playing with cupcakes :)

{ day 10 details }

Yellow Envelope w/red Snowflake stamp ( Merry & Sweet Mini Kit ), Glittery Number Stickers ( Making Memories), Fabric & Paper Leaves ( found), Red mini sequin snowflake ( found at holiday party :), Mini floral gem ( Heidi Swapp), Mini Red stripe Journaling Tag ( Belladrummer Etsy ), Vintage music butterfly ( Marvy Punch ), Gold sewing thread ( Jo-anns ).

Making paper garlands with a little crochet love is really fun. nena loves it too. xo 

{ day 11 details }

Green foil & Damask Paper ( Merry & Sweet Mini Kit ), Glittery Number Stickers ( Making Memories), Green & White Polka Dot frame ( Making Memories), Red velvet flower ( Maya Road ), Flower Paper punch ( Michaels ), Vintage music sheet circle punches ( thrift find ), Green Journaling Tag ( Belladrummer Etsy ), Gold sewing thread ( Jo-anns ).

our first double date with my sister and her boyfriend. they gave us tickets to see the messiah concert. interesting. hahaa. we had a good time...golden spoon frozen yogurt afterward+ friends = a fun christmas date night.

{ day 12 details}

Red felt Damask Paper ( Merry & Sweet Mini Kit ), Peace & Love Brad( Making Memories), Red Chipboard Polka Dot tag ( Making Memories), green paper leaf ( Making Memories ), Ribbon punch ( Martha Stewart punch ), Mini red Tag ( Belladrummer Etsy ), White mini Journaling Tag ( Belladrummer Etsy ), Red Polka dot fabric piece ( thrift find), Gold sewing thread ( Jo-anns ).

we started going to a different church this year. the best change ever. i feel safe again. i love that it's so big. i know mega churches aren't for everyone, but i love the anonymity. growing up as a pastor/missionary kid you can't get away from the spotlight. i love being here. i love that nobody really knows me or expects me to be anything else but me. and i love that mister handsome and i are growing in our faith together. :)

{ day 13 details }

Pink & Green glittery stripe paper ( Merry & Sweet Mini Kit ), friends chipboard tag ( Making Memories), silver foil star sticker ( Jo-lee's), Mini white star ( Michael's ), Note paper washi tape ( Pink Paislee ), Pink Journaling Tag ( Belladrummer Etsy ), Tiny Alphabet stickers ( Making Memories ), Love definition paper ( found), CLear Star ( Michael's), Starburst ledger paper punch ( Martha Stewart), Gold sewing thread ( Jo-anns ), Floral sequin gems ( found), Paper doily punch ( Spellbinders punch). 

clearly we're not just "friends" :P but you know, the more i think about it i just can't help but want to keep thinking we're bFF's. i think that keeps us more aware of making everyday work. staying in love. giving. loving. putting each other first. and most of all, dating. i want to grow old with mister. i love celebrating that. everyday xo

{ day 14 details }

Green cardstock ( Merry & Sweet Mini Kit ), Gold sparkle die cut paper ( Merry & Sweet Mini Kit), Leaf Paper punch ( Marvy), Green stripe sticker ( Making Memories), Vintage ticket ( found ), Green leaf ( found ), White ribbon lace ( thrift find ), Gold sewing thread ( Jo-anns ).

crunchy leaves. i heart them. living in san diego all of my life makes me crazy for crunchy leaves. i once visited chicago in the fall and i instantly fell for the pretty trees and crunchy leaves everywhere. i go out of my way just to crunch a leaf. it's so satisfying. :)

{ day 15 details }

Red ledger paper ( Merry & Sweet Mini Kit ), Red felt die cut ( Merry & Sweet Mini Kit),  Vintage inspired White carnival ticket ( Belladrummer Etsy), vintage map paper( found ), white  button ( found ), White Journaling Tag ( Belladrummer Etsy ), Tiny Alphabet stickers ( Making Memories ), Mini tree pin ( Making Memories ), Gold sewing thread ( Jo-anns ).

the best day in december! our family welcomed our second little nephew... little baby gavin. here he is with his older brother,baby G. I LOVE that they both look like my sister. it's like she's growing up again before our eyes... scary and cool all at once. lol!  even though we could not be there ( in hawaii) to give him some love i made him this little page to share with them. I am a happy aunt :)

{ day 16 details }

White textured paper ( Merry & Sweet Mini Kit ), Chinese place mat paper ( found),  Silver gem ( MAMBI), Red starburst gem ( found ), Mini grey tag ( Belladrummer Etsy ), Butterfly paper punch ( Martha Stewart), Tiny butterfly punch ( Marvy ), Fortune ( found ), Silver crochet star ( handmade by me :), Gold sewing thread ( Jo-anns ).

so who writes those silly fortunes anyway? i always get a kick out of them. we had some chinese food at our favorite place and i took a apart the paper place mat ( thrifty yes?) and now it's happy sewn onto this page. I also added an extra crochet star I made. i love silvery shimmery crochet stars. xoxo


i know we're a little late in saying this but, 
we wish you the happiest christmas blessings & a heart full of joy & peace


xo
-mr.handsome & d

i'm not even gonna lie

this is what i do when i'm supposed to be doing something really important.
you can find me in the studio.

"working". it's very important to note i'm working here. really hard. or hardly working. whatevs :)

* high on a tall soy white mocha w/whip ( why do they even ask if you want whip? heck to the yes man. put it on there. i love the sweetness :)

* just checking if the photo booth app still works on my mac. good. it still works. *whew. i love technology.

* completely gaga over a little bit of paper scrap i almost threw away. but thankfully, i didn't. i repurposed it as my photo prop. genius. tell me if that paper scrap doesn't look happy. look. it's smiling :)
how the heck do i ever get anything done i hear you ask...

truth is. i don't. not everything. because it's these little things that matter man. it's what keeps me sane. working from home. locked up in my studio. begging for someone to distract me.

- i also call mister handsome randomly at work to see what he's doing. i ask what he's up to. he says working. i say working? really? wow. that's cool. bye. :)
- i watch a bit of divorce court. just to remind me what i shouldn't be doing in my marriage. totally entertaining. where do they get those people?
- i make stuff to send stuff out then make more stuff to send more stuff out. it's a mess. i love it.
- i also go thrifting to score some random vintage love. i found a few new places over the weekend and i scored big time. whenever i tell someone i thrift they give me a dirty face. like eww. i'm totally offended. how dare you not appreciate my thriftiness?

then it's about 5 o'clock and i wonder where all my time went. i guess i'll never know :)

I did manage to finish the following pages in my december daily xoxo. ( i will come back and add all the item details here later. i've got a hot movie and dinner date with mr.handsome so i gotta make this quick)













I'm pretty happy with the little mini so far ... not too busy and not too plain.
i even had my sister come over and we had some fun with nena in the studio. okay. back to work :)
happy almost christmas!
xo
-d