Pin it To Win It! Get $75 to Yellow Heart Art AND Etsy!

Who doesn't love an excuse to make your home "Pinterest Perfect"? But if you're anything like me you have all these grand plans for your home but then it doesn't pan out. Either you don't have time to make some potato stamp curtains (unless your Morimoto ain't nobody making intricate designs using a machete and a potato) or you don't have the budget to go all "WEEEE CLICK ADD TO CART" crazy at West Elm.

Well, I'm feeling pretty giving. It's getting colder out and you're going to be staring at the inside of your walls a lot soon by trying to stay warm. I want you to be able to look around your home and smile, so I am giving away a $75 gift card to Yellow Heart Art AND to Etsy! You get to update your house on me, or you can use it to buy some holiday gifts this year!

See below on how to get in on this amazing (and super easy) giveaway!

Simply visit my DIY board on pinterest (or just click here!) find this image and re-pin it to your board! For extra entries visit my shop and pin up to 5 items from my Yellow Heart Art shop onto your pinterest (each pinned item is an extra entry) with the hashtag #YellowHeartArtPintoWin aaaand that's it! Please re-pin to public boards only!

This giveaway is open to US residents only. As much as I love Etsy they are not affiliated with this giveaway, this is just me doing my thang and giving you guys some awesome loot! Giveaway will run from November 21st 2014 and end on December 1st 2014. Winner contacted via email. $75 gift card to Yellow Heart Art is valid on prints only and excludes plushes and custom artwork. Entire value of $75 gift card to Yellow Heart must must be forfeited in one use, any remaining balance can not be applied to future purchases. Entire Yellow Heart Art giftcard value must be used by December 30th 2014.

Cut.It.Out. New Cut Out Prints!

One thing I noticed in my almost 4 years of running Yellow Heart Art was that I was constantly getting this one request from customers..."Hey, can you change the colors of your print to match with my home?"

Sometimes I was able to do it, sometimes I couldnt. Or sometimes you pay extra for me to change the colors of your artwork only for you to go ahead and revamp your living space and now that new print no longer goes with your decor.

So, I have a solution. A fun solution. A unique solution. A solution that when others walk into your home they look at your print and go "whoa...is that...?" (why yes, it is, it's a cut out print!)

click me click me!

find me here!

aaaand how can i help you today? (see what I did there?)

inspired by the bubs

What I love most about these prints is that they are so versatile. Since the words are cut out of the paper whatever wall or surface you place the print on will peek through the openings, so it will always go with any home decor you have in your house!

Plus the fact that its cut out makes it stand out from your other gallery wall pieces. Check out the entire collection here! Be sure to stock up for gifts this holiday! 

xoxo

Leonora

Behind the Scenes to my Yellow Heart Bridal Shoot! "Pop-Up Video" Style!

So this might be a dead giveaway for my age over here but do you guys remember pop-up video on VH1? Basically little thought bubbles would pop up in random places during a music video and tell you little snippets and behind the filming info about that scene!

So, ladies and gentlemen (ha, gentlemen, the only dudes reading this blog are Bub and maybe my pet bird) I bring you some behind the scenes tidbits for Yellow Heart Bridal!

The shoot was so much fun and I was planning for it for weeks! I am so lucky to have so many people in my life that support me (and for my to use as my Yellow Heart Bridal shoot guinea pigs) To see more pics you can check out the new Bridal Event shop Yellow Heart Bridal!

By the way we are still running our instagram giveaway for either a guest book from Yellow Heart Bridal OR $100 to Yellow Heart Art! Visit our instagram for more details!

rules for contest:
US residents only. Excludes Puerto Rico. Must be 18 and over. $100 gift card to Yellow Heart Art can only be redeemed at YellowHeartArt.etsy.com and excludes: pillows, custom personalized art, custom graphic design work. You have the choice to win either $100 to Yellow Heart Art or a guest book  from Yellow Heart Bridal. Enter on instagram by reposting our giveaway image, be a follower of @YellowHeartArt on instagram, use the hashtag #yellowheartartgiveaway and tag @YellowHeartArt in your caption as well as tagging a friend in our original post. Runs from August 11th 2014 - August 17th 2014 12AM EST. Winner announced on our instagram account.

That Time I Stumbled Upon my Design in Kourtney Kardashian's House

As you know Bubs and I recently purchased a home. Between buying said home, renovating it and saving up moola for our engagement party/wedding we aren't exactly makin' it rain banjamins over here. I am constantly looking up interior design ideas either on pinterest or by stalking celebs to see what they're doing and maybe I can DIY it myself or use it as inspiration for our own digs.

While looking through InStyle magazine's home tour of Kourtney Kadashian's California home something stuck out to me. As I was looking at her daughter's Penelope room I noticed something peeking out in the corner of the crib.

No…wait…that can't be….

holy shit it is.

Kourtney had used one of my diamond plushes to spruce up little Penelope's space. I could not believe it. It is a little hard to tell since it is inside the crib and its a soft pink color so it doesn't "pop" out but its kinda like a mama spotting her child across a crowded disney theme park…you just know.

You know what this means now? Poor bub is going to have to deal with our DVR being full of "Keeping up with the Kardashian" re-runs in hopes of me seeing it "in person". If this doesn't kill us it will only make us stronger (as quoted by the great Kelly Clarkson) (maybe she was predicting this moment for me and, in fact, the song is about mine and Bub's relationship and the turmoil one faces when the DVR is full) (do I smell a drama filled "Keeping up with the Bubs" in our future? I think I do)

I think the part that really gives me the warm and fuzzies is that Kourtney states in InStyle magazine that  "I get so happy when I go into her room. It’s my favorite room and I did it all myself." This is someone who can probably use hundred dollar bills as toilet paper (cause if I win lotto thats totally what I'm doing. Ya know that and pay off our mortgage…oh wait. no. use 100s as toilet paper, pay off our mortgage AND roll around in a kiddie pool full of dollah dolla billz) and yet she thought that my little handmade item was worthy enough to be seen in her home tour. It really blows my mind. Thank you so much Kourtney, I didn't think 2014 could kick 2013's ass, but 3 weeks in and it's looking pretty promising.  

Kourtney owns the larger version of this plush, if you want one for your little princess you can purchase it here!

That Time I Accidentally Live Instagrammed My Marriage Proposal (I SAID YES!)

This weekend is one for the record books. It all started out when I asked Bub if we can have a "Steve and Leonora" weekend. We had just bought a house so pretty much every weekend this summer consisted of:

• Packing
• Unpacking
• Moving
• Painting
• Home Depot runs
• Lowes Visits
• Tearing down walls
• Celebrating Weddings
• Celebrating babies
• Playing host/hostess to family members
• Throwing surprise parties
• Going to BBQs

…we were beat and needed some serious "us" time.

Back track 3 years ago I had thrown Bub a scavenger hunt. He really loved it and I had told him I always wanted one as well. Since I am usually the one making plans for us to do stuff he said he would take the reins this weekend and plan something for us to do.

Saturday morning we wake up and he hands me a card. It was my first clue, but I had to wait 10 minutes before opening it because bub needed a head start to run around our home town and place the clues everywhere. I needed a time killer because staring at the oven clock waiting for it to be "11:50" was killing me, so naturally I turned to insta-gram. I thought it would be fun to document my scavenger hunt so it felt like I was doing it with everyone.

I instagramed my first clue, opened it up and it read "If it gets too hot we can cool off with some ices….MARCO?!"

I hoped in my car and drove to Ralphs Italian Ices. (and no "MARCO" isn't a weird endearing nick-name bub gave me. I am always screaming MARCO at Bub when I sneak away from him in public places, and that is how he has to find me) (he really hates this game)

When I got to ralphs I really had no idea what to expect. Did he leave a clue in the parking lot? Do I need to buy an ice? Am I even at the right place?

I walk up to the girl behind the counter and start off with "…ummm this is gonna sound weird but--" and before i could finish my sentence she was like "NO NO THIS ISN'T WEIRD AT ALL HERE YOU GO!" and hands me a yellow ballon, a toy car, and another card.

I Instagram the Ralphs location, and open my card. The clue brought me to the place where Bub had attempted to teach me how to drive a stick shift (It didn't end well, in case you are wondering I can only get it into 1st gear) (or is it already in 1st gear when you start the car? Whatever, the point is cars should NOT go backwards when you take your foot off the break) (its unnatural) (and makes couples argue)

I pull up into the parking lot and see a yellow balloon off in the distance. I drive up to it only to find it attached to a park bench that is currently occupied by 4 people on their lunch break. I run up, grab the balloon like a stealthy ninja, and jump back into my car. At this point people are commenting on my instagram photos saying that I am going to end up with a fiance by the end of this scavenger hunt. I didn't think anything of it and soon became mortified with the idea of telling 1,700 people that no, I'm not engaged, this is just Bub being Bub.

My 3rd clue brought me to the local park that we go to sometimes to picnic, play frisbee, or just go for a walk. Unfortunately you need to be a town resident to use the park. I hadn't change addresses yet so I was technically not a town resident (even though I am) I rolled up to the little park booth thing-a-ma-jig and start again with my "hi this is gonna sound weird…" speech only for the girl at the booth to just wave me on. She saw the yellow balloons taking over my car and knew I was here for the scavenger hunt that bub had left for me.

I collect another clue and another yellow balloon (All my clues were stuck to the balloons with duct tape, true Bub fashion). I opened the last card and it read "…swing on by for a kiss…MARCO!"

So I drive to the swing set where bub and I had our first kiss (I know, very Dawson's creek a la 1996). I pull up, get out of the car, walk over to the swing set only to not find any yellow balloons there.

Ahhhh crap.

I call up Bub, admit defeat and that I am at the wrong swing set. I have no clue how to get to "ours". He laughs, gives me directions, and I get going again. I get out of the car and see bub in the distance swinging on the swings while holding a yellow balloon. He starts yelling "MARCOOOOO" and I yell back "POLLOOOOOO" as I walk over to him, give him a kiss and park on the swing next to him. A few minutes go by so I assume the hunt is over and we can now go and get some lunch like we had planned.

Before we were about to leave bub gets up off his swing, stands in front of me and kisses me (reenacting how we shared our first kiss) he then goes on to say how I'm his best friend, and how much he loves me, and how he wants to keep loving me forever…at this point I blurt out "OMG is this really happening right now?!" and he goes "Yes, this is happening" and gets down on one knee. I pretty much black out and don't remember what happened, but I came to and found a ring on my finger and a bub wrapped around me.

We hear clapping in the background and I'm all like "OMG HE HIRED A PHOTOGRAPHER!" and out of no where this dude walks over to us, says he saw the whole thing, and thought it was the coolest thing ever. Bub whispered in my ear "I have no clue who this guy is…at all"

We hop in the car and start the whole "LET'S TELL THE ENTIRE WORLD!" tour. I purposely never instagrammed that he proposed to me because we wanted to share that special moment with close friends and family first before announcing it there. After telling all our friends and family we hit up the local amusement park and celebrated by acting like a kid and riding some rides (it only seemed appropriate since we started off the day on a swing set)

And that, kids, is the story on how I inadvertently live insta-grammed my marriage proposal. How was your labor day weekend? ;)

New Artwork That Will Hopefully Help Me Out: I'm Kinda Mad at 14 Year Old Me

Your Smile Makes Me Giddy and Stuff-New Art! Find me HERE!

I really didn't want to make my "blogging come back" with a post like this. I really wanted to make a cute collage of fun etsy picks or perhaps some awesome DIYS that I have found on other blogs that I wanted to share with you all.

I went to the dentist last week for an emergency visit. I had taken a bite out of a peach and noticed little pieces of my front tooth left behind on it. I panicked and called the dentist. When I got there I was given the news that I knew was coming but hope I could avoid.

I need another dental implant.

Back track: When I was 14 years old I had fainted face first down a flight of stairs. My poor mom witnessed the entire thing. She screamed my name and I wanted to say back to her  "I'M OK MA!" but I was completely knocked unconscious (side note: I am a firm believer that people in a coma can hear you since I was able to hear everything my mom was saying to me even thought I was knocked out) she thought I was no longer "with her" (if you catch my drift) because she had found me unresponsive and in a pool of blood. I came to, put my hand to my mouth and in my hand was my front tooth. Now, I don't mean that little nub that you see when you smile, I mean the ENTIRE tooth that is rooted into your jaw (its about and 1-1/2 long) there was a giant hole in my gums and my teeth were really loose. Till this day doctors have no clue how I didn't snap my neck right there and die, so I would like to think I am here for a reason.

She rushed me to the dentist where I had gotten 72 stitches placed into my mouth. They attempted to root canal my tooth back into my head but my jaw rejected it. I had to get 2 dental implants on my front tooth and the little one next to it (if you are not sure what a dental implant is basically they rip your teeth out of your jaw and literally screw a  long screw into your jaw that then gets a little fake tooth glued to it) the process is painful, scary and expensive. Insurance companies do not cover dental implants because their reasoning is that this process is "cosmetic". I do not know who in their right mind would willingly put themselves through this torture. I literally had no teeth in my head and they were claiming I was doing this to "improve my looks" (HA!)

Since then I have had so many issues with my jaw/mouth. My jaw is constantly popping since it was knocked out of place (if you look closely at my face my jaw is actually tilted towards one side). Last year my jaw locked up on me and I couldn't open my mouth more than an inch big, I had a hard difficult time eating. My gums are receding upwards and food is constantly getting stuck in there causing it to be a breeding ground for bacteria. Sometimes my face goes numb which doctors believe is caused from nerve damage when I took that spill down the stairs.

Flash forward to today, my other front tooth that was perfectly fine has started to fail on me 15 years later. It is super brittle with a giant hole in the back. Soon it will snap in half completely and I will be left with no front tooth there.

I had a hard time accepting this news, I know it might sound silly or vain to you but I had a hard time dealing with having fake teeth at age 14. I was happy that at least ONE of the front teeth were still real, was still "a part of me". Now I have to have a piece of me ripped out and replaced with a fake. My smile will change and I will always know deep down inside that i was not given these teeth.

Maybe you think I'm being overly dramatic, maybe you understand where I am coming from, but I am having a really hard time with coming to terms that I will soon look different. I never understood people that willingly get plastic surgery to dramatically change their features, why would you ever mess with that?

Long story short this is coming at a really bad time. Bub and I just purchased a home and we had to fork over a lot of money at closing up front (I won't tell you how much because that is tacky and neither here nor there but let's just say we could've bought ourselves a reaaaally nice car with the money we handed over in one lump sum)

As I said before insurance will not cover this process for me and will end up costing me around 6,000-7,000 dollars. I would never ever ask anyone to "donate" money to help me pay for this because I am no more deserving that anyone else out there. I am no better that anyone and am not entitled to anything like that.

Instead I am releasing a new print into my shop where 100% of the profits will go to my "Leonora Needs A Decent Smile And Not A Hole In Her Mouth" Fund. Please, do not feel obligated to purchase this artwork. Even if you just share it on your facebook, twitter or blog that would help me tremendously. I am going to be selling 2 versions: 1 as an 8x10 for $20 and 1 as a more affordable 5x7 for $9. Also I personally love the colors I picked for this print, but I am also selling one in black and white to go with any home decor. Any little bit will help me and I thank you in advance for any and all support you can give me.

find me ovah here!

Friday Freebie! Hello Cell Phone Wallpapers

It's been a while since I've done a friday freebie! Figured you guys were past due for some free snazzy shit for your cell phone.

I have been so busy lately designing, cutting, sewing and photographing the latest Yellow Heart Art collection that will hopefully be released middle of August. This new line has taken up a lot of my free time but it's so worth it. I am busy creating new square pillows that can help spruce up your couches, bedding and even shelves! I managed to squeeze in a few extra minutes to make these cute wallpapers!

hello? hand drawn wallpaper for iPhone 4 (or any other device)

hello? hand drawn wallpaper for iPhone 5 (or any other device)

Just open up this blog post on your phone, tap the image with your finger (so it opens at full size) then press and hold and save it to your phone's camera roll! Please remember these are for personal use only, let's all play nice and use them for just that :) artwork can not be copied, used or produced. If you do share these on your blog please link with love and have them come back to yellowheartart.blogspot.com

------

Also in case you missed it we are still holding our "Yellow Heart Art Home" contest. Take a photo on instagram showing us how you style your Yellow Heart Art, be sure to tag @yellowheartart and use the hashtag #yellowheartarthome to be entered. We will pick our favorite photos and have our facebook fans vote on the winner! Opened to US residents only, winner will get to pick items from my shop as a prize! GOOD LUCK!

 

 

No Longer a Walking Halogen Bulb

I have a love/hate relationship with summer. I love the warmer weather, but I hate wearing clothes that show off more skin than I am comfortable with. I am pretty self conscious about my body to begin with so add that insecurity with my "I am so white I look like a walking glow stick" insecurity and you have a big pasty emotional mess on your hands.

A few weeks back I asked you all on facebook what self tanner you recommend. I have tried so many self tanners with little to no success. They would either:
• Make me orange
• Streak really bad
• Look awesome, but then "Sweat off" in a day
• Leave me feeling gooey
• Smell really terrible
• Be a huge messy disaster (any spray-tans had to be done in my shower so my walls didn't end up orange)
• Need to re-apply all day erry day
• Work great, but would be really expensive.

I asked you guys what you recommend because I know you'll be straight up with me. You'll give me your honest opinion and hopefully not steer me in the wrong direction and give me the deadly disease "oompah-lompha-itis". One person wrote on my status that the best self tanner they use is "sunlight". Now as much as I would love to be able to naturally tan I just can't. My skin just doesn't do the "tanning" thing, and even if I did tan I wouldn't want to expose my skin to that much sunlight due to other not-so-fun things that can happen to your skin when its exposed to too much sun.

A few of you guys recommend that I try Xen-tan. One of the people who recommended that I try Xen-tan was one of their representatives, Bethany. Bethany contacted me over email to see if I was interested in reviewing their tanning product. Before saying yes I did some research and read other's reviews of Xen-tan. Each review was positive and hopeful. I figured Bethany must be pretty confident in this product as well if she uses it herself AND is willing to let me review it using my own opinions.

 before and after

 before and after

The Results; Why I Would Totally Use it Again:

• Smells fruity when you first slap it on ya.

• The lotion is tinted so you know exactly where you are applying it on your body. (don't let the dark brown color scare you. It freaked the shiz atta me too but once you rub it in it becomes way more transparent and blends in with your existing skin color, girl scouts honor)

• Wasn't streaky since I was able to see where the lotion was going on my body.

• If you happen to apply the lotion unevenly use the balm to help blend in areas that are blotchy, uneven or too dark (I used the balm along my jaw line, knees and ankles. It's like the mr.clean magic eraser but for your body. Its actually did help blend in my goof-ups)

• I didn't feel sticky, slimy or "ooey" like when I use other lotions or tanners. The lotion absorbed nicely into my skin and didn't "lay on top of" my skin.

• I started to see results ASAP. This was big for me because I noticed in the past I had to keep building up a base coat for a few days before I was happy with the color. This is great if I get invited to a last minute event and want to look a little "glow-y" beforehand.

• The color is natural since it has olive undertones.

• You can adjust the color to your liking by either adding more or less lotion in between coats. I did 2 coats of lotion for my base layer and the color held up for 3 days with out fading. After that I just needed to do one layer of lotion for upkeep (That's not to say by day 3 I was white, I still had tanner on me but I noticed it wasn't as dark. I would personally apply ever 3 to 4 days to maintain a constant nice glow. You might have to do more or less depending how often you shower. I shower every day)

• I used the scent secure gold lotion to touch up my face. Its a lotion with flecks of gold in it to help maintain your self tanner in between applications. I see myself using the scent secure gold lotion in the winter time to give myself a healthy glow since I won't have to be applying tanner to my entire body. (let's be real, aint nobody seeing my legs in -20* weather. I dub NY winters as "no leg shaving" season) (sorry Bub)
• I got a few comments at work from people saying I looked good and wanted to know what I did differently. I was happy to hear that people noticed "something" was different about me but it wasn't super obvious that I had self tanner on. I just said I got a hair cut ;)


Helpful Tips:

• My only slight issue (which isn't even a HUGE deal) is that the mitt they supplied to prevent the tanner from staining your hands did leave some lint residue on my body while using it. To eliminate this I would recommend running a damp paper towel over the mitt to pick up any loose pieces of lint before hand. Again, the mitt is optional and doesn't affect the tanner at all. Once I did that I was good to go and have no had a problem since then.

• The fruity scent did wear away after a while and the familiar "self tanner smell" did creep in but with that said it wasn't a strong self tanner smell and the other lotion (scent secure gold) that they supplied helps mitigate that scent.

• Do not use the mitt to apply the tanner to your face. Since the mitt is so big its hard to rub it in evenly, I suggest using your hands and washing them ASAP right afterwards.

• Do not shower right away after applying the tanner. I showered first, applied the tanner, and waited a few hours before putting on "real" clothes (ya know, clothes that are acceptable for public viewing) (I'm talking  to you oversized yoga pants and that free t-shirt you scored at the company picnic that hasn't been washed in a week) but again this goes for pretty much any self tanner you use.

• Avoid loofas or exfoliators, but this is common sense with any self tanners. You're just going to scrub off the tanner and look blotchy. Also avoid chlorine. I took a dip in my hot tub and my self tanner came off, again not Xen-tans fault it was my own fault for exposing my tanner to chemicals.

• I used an old towel that I cut into a 5" width strip to do my back. I applied the tanner to the towel and then "shimmied" it back and forth across my back like as if I was drying myself off (but instead I was applying tanner) it worked really well.

• Make sure to do your neck and jaw line! I see so many people with tan faces and white necks.

Wanna Give it a Try?

Bethany has graciously given you all a 35% coupon code to use! Enter "YELLOWHEART35" at check out. You can buy Xen-Tan over here! The code is only good for US Residents only.

In case 35% off your Xen-Tan order wasn't awesome enough Xen-Tan is also giving away a Tanning Goodie Bag that includes their Dark Lotion, Scent Secure Gold, Blending Balm and their Deluxe Tanning Mitt. This goodie bag retails for over $101. 

Do the Rafflecopter Prompts below to be entered to win! Xen-Tan was awesome enough to give you guys a prize pack worth over $100, so we do make sure every entry is valid :) Opened to U.S. Residents only please!




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Home DIY Round ups for the WIN

So, as you know I am on a total DIY kick for our new home. I can't wait to try these techniques below to spruce up our hizzay.

1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5

Ok, those folding chairs? HOW has NO ONE thought of this before?! I feel as though I should give this girl my first born child and a vital organ for being that amazing at life.

Also that table runner on top is made from a drop cloth. I have been having a hard time finding *exactly* what I want to decorate my house, so if I can slather some paint on a drop cloth from home depot then shit thats what I'll do. Yeah, I'm talking to you cheesy table runners from bed, bath and beyond.

What are your favorite DIY go-tos?

Oh hey disclaimer! These are NOT my photos, please link with love. I found all these DIYs on pinterest BUT I went to the actual source for you guys so you can see the creative people behind these awesome tutorials. Enjoy!

how to really utilize newsletters for your business

Happy 4th-o-joo-lie eve guys! (It's a thing, swear) I created a youtube video filled with tips and tricks on how to really utilize newsletters for your business! Ignore the jail-cell-esque looking background, bubs and I just moved in and we need to paint and add furniture (Thinking peach? Gold? GAAAAHHH NEW STUFF!) (sorry, random outburst won't happen again)

You Know You Are an Adult When Napkin Holders Make You Excited About Life

I have recently discovered something about myself: I am an interior design junkie. I get such a high out of nabbing a really cool design-y piece for my home. The Bubs is used to it by now, I promised him he could have an "airplane room" and a beer tap installed in our kitchen back splash. (Bub is in the airforce and loves airplanes, he has a huge collection of airplane shiz and well he needs to get it out of his system. Man cave to the rescue)

Since I am taking over about 90% of the house I am trying to find an aesthetic that works for both him and I. I mean, he is living in the house too why should it be covered in doilies and flowers, right?(disclaimer: I'm not a "doily" and "flower" lover, but a lot of people are and that's cool too!)

The solution I came up with is industrial vintage. He has old airplane parts that look pretty bad ass with my rotting camera collection. Here are some of my "swoonies" (Swoonies: see also, Swoon or something that makes me go all HOLY CRAP I NEED THAT.)

1. Payphone from Urban Outfitters. So this thing not only looks cool but my guests also have to give us money in order to use it? Win-win.

2. Wired Lamp. This sucker needs to be in my dining room. I'm going to eventually have an exposed brick accent wall to go with it as well.

3. Wired Napkin Holder. You know you're getting old when things like napkin holders make your "swoon" list.

4. Giant Clip Thing. I am unsure what I would do with said giant clip thing, but I feel like i need it.

5. Moroccan Backsplash. I want this design to be my kitchen backsplash. I wanted something clean and timeless that doesn't need to be updated in 5 years.

6. Half Moon Basket. I don't really know what I would put in this basket, but who cares. I'll find something even if its just toilet paper.

7. Utensil holder. Dear Utensil Holder: Let's start a beautiful friendship where you hold all the things that no longer fit in my drawers. These things are currently scattered across the counter like some kind of utensil crime scene.

8. DANG IT I DID IT AGAIN. My "product collages" are notorious for skipping numbers. *face palm*

9. Flower Bowl. Obviously my apples and peaches need a cute home to live in, they can't just stay on the shelf in my fridge with no purpose.

**these are not my photos, for where to purchase please click on the links above. These are my own opinions and not a paid post**

What are your favorite places to shop for home decor items?

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
we're holding our own interior design contest on instagram! Show us how you style your Yellow Heart Art pieces in your home, take a picture of it on instagram and tag @YellowHeartArt as well as the hashtag #YellowHeartArtHome. We will pick our faves to be displayed on our facebook page for our fans to pick their favorite! Winner gets their choice of Yellow Heart Art loot*! Ends July 18th, 2013-goodluck!

Giveaway opened to all US Residents who follow Yellow Heart Art on instagram. Winners choice of item limited to what is currently in stock and picked by yellow heart art.

Life Lately with Morgan Freeman

EXPERIENCING my first ever "food truck" this past weekend with my college friend Courtney. Plus also? Wearing heart shaped sunglasses gets total strangers to talk to you…a lot. We had gourmet grilled cheese & chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches smothered in Nutella and almond ice cream. But it's ok cause we were celebrating our birthdays together so it doesn't count. In fact I think we even lost weight during this process (ha, yeah no I couldn't even say that with a straight face either)

WISHING whatever it is that is causing me to sound like the female version of Morgan Freeman stops soon. Verdict is still out if its a cold or allergies. Side Note: Imagine a world with out Morgan Freeman? I want to win the lotto so that I can hire Morgan Freeman to read me bed time stories at night, oh and to also narrate everything I do 24/7.

LOVING all the support and comments about my print potentially being sold at Uncommon Goods. I was having a pretty rough couple of weeks and the amount of love you all have shown me has been incredible. If I win the lotto I promise to share Morgan Freeman with you all, he can narrate your life for a day. But I want him back at night for my bedtime story, ok? Side note? I can still use your votes!

STOKED that bub came to my job yesterday and surprised me with ice cream and flowers. The plus side to living in New York: We have about 3 baskin robbins in a 1 mile radius so you can get it to-go and it won't melt by the time you get to your destination. New York: 1, My Waist Line: 0.

DREAMING of big things for Yellow Heart Art

what has your life been like lately?

Answering Your Questions Part 1: Why I Haven't made Yellow Heart Art Full Time

make it happen by Yellow Heart Art

A couple of days ago I had created a post giving you all the opportunity to ask me anything. I am breaking up the questions over a few posts since some are longer to answer than others. Since I am still writing up this series you can still ask me anything over here if you missed out!

Why haven't you taken the plunge to quit your day job and take Yellow Heart Art full time? I'm looking into doing this for myself pretty soon and I go back and forth. Another person's perspective would be awesome.

This is actually a great question because its not one I talk about much on the blog. I struggle with this all the time. Everyday when my car makes that left turn into my company parking lot my heart literally sinks. Don't get me wrong, my immediate boss is great, it's just not something I enjoy. Yes, I do work full time as a graphic designer (which is what I went to school for and it is also how I design items for Yellow Heart Art) but there is zero creative freedom. Everything I design is for corporate clients so I have to adhere to their branding standards. I get asked a lot "Why don't you ever show us your design work from your job?" and the answer is because it's not me. Sure, I design stuff for well known companies like Nikon, HBO and Sony but they tell me what fonts, colors and images to use. I pretty much make come to life what is in their head.

I haven't taken Yellow Heart Art full time yet because a lot of other women in the handmade world (not ALL but most) are already married. When you're married you're able to go onto your husband's health insurance and use some of your husband's income to offset any bills if you need to. Even though I have been with Bub for 5 years now we are just boyfriend and girlfriend. I would never pressure him to marry me just so I can take on Yellow Heart Art full time. Also I live out on Long Island which is unfortunately a really pricey place to live. Just the taxes you pay a year for your house (JUST the taxes) are anywhere from 9-12 grand. That's not included mortgage payments and home owners insurance. I am all about taking risks and living a happy life but I want to make sure him and I can be at a place financially where I can take that plunge. If we were living somewhere else where it wasn't as expensive to live I think I could've quit my job 2 years ago. But we both Long Island too much to want to leave this place.

I don't think I will ever really be able to take Yellow Heart Art full time, I think when the time comes for me to pursue Yellow Heart Art I would also have to do other things too like book more freelance clients, which is totally fine with me since I am still doing my first passion which is Graphic Design :)

Trust me, that time is coming, and I hope that its sooner than later. I also know that if everyone waited till all the cards fell just right to pursue their dreams then no one would ever really achieve anything. I understand that the timing will never ever be "perfect" or "right" but I still need to be responsible. I'm ok with making materialistic sacrifices (I don't need clothes, shoes, purses or jewelry) BUT I am not ok with making "experience" sacrifices. I want to be able to travel the world and see things that most 20 somethings don't see. I want to enjoy the time Bub and I have as just *us* to see Europe and other countries. We're going to have a find a balance of "wants" and "needs" for when that time comes, and I am totally fine with that.

It's gonna happen guys, and when it does you will hear me shriek at the top of my lungs. There also might be a celebratory dance--oh hell there will definitely be a celebratory dance (gangham style anybody?)

All This is Worth it

The other day I may or may not have had a total melt down. Said melt down might have included downing an entire bag of mini eggs (ya know, not the 1oz bag but that huge muthah of a bag that costo has once a year....yeah...that) as well as watching Real Housewives re-runs to make myself feel better (what? Those bitches are insane. Watching other people be cray helps me be less cray--kay?) (PS-promise to never say "cray" again) (Cray) (sorry, its out of my system now, girls scouts honor)

While looking at the speckled eggs in my hand in all their chocolatey glory (seriously cadbury how do you make a mini egg so amazing?) I realized something. All the stress. All the "what ifs". All the "what on god's green earth am I doing?" is all worth it. In the end something amazing will come from me riding for free on the hot mess express these past few months (I have ridden the hot mess express so many times that my card has 9 punches on it, the 10th punch is on the house!) (mom, are you proud? Your little girl gets to ride a fictitious train for free)

That's where the inspiration for this print came from. No matter what you're going through: A recent move across the country, giving birth to a new baby, changing jobs, leaving something that isn't good for you, going to a new school....it's all worth it. Each and every little bit of it is completely worth it all.

All This is Worth it by Yellow Heart Art (in color)

 All This is Worth it by Yellow Heart Art (in black and white)

what is something you're struggling with lately that is totally worth it?

----------------------

OH HAY BY THE WAY (that rhymed)

As you know I announced on my facebook that we are releasing a pre-order for a newly designed Yellow Heart Art T-shirt. You all voted and picked charcoal gray as a color you want to see as our new Tee! The design isn't released yet but there will be a limited number of T-shirts available. We are giving away coupon codes to the first 15 people who email me (yellowheartart at gmail dot com) to ONLY be used on the t-shirt when the pre-sale goes live. This code will not be available for any other products in our shop. USE SUBJECT LINE "T-SHIRT CODE" WHEN EMAILING ME.

If this is a hit you will be seeing more Yellow Heart Art Ts in our shop! SO STOKED!

----------------------

Also, now is the chance to ask me anything you want about me! Go to this post for deets.

New Art! For You Design Lovahs

Lorem Ipsum are 2 words every graphic designer and typesetter is familiar with. Lorem Ipsum is well known "dummy text" that designers use as a place holder for "real" copy so they can start designing something.

For example: If you are designing a Magazine Article for Cosmopolitan but the writer doesn't have any text yet you can go to Lipsum.com and type in how many letters, paragraphs or words you need to fill up the area of the article temporarily until the writer is ready to send you over the copy.

It's also good for other situations like if we are limited to a certain amount of space to design something we can place the dummy copy in there to see how many words or characters can fit in that space. We would then tell the editor the amount of words they are limited to for that area.

See? Don't you fee more knowledgeable now.

I created this print for all my designer friends out there. I am loving this new water color look I am adding to everything, I think it needs to start to make more of an appearance in my shop. Also? This is one of my first prints done completely my hand and not using any fonts!

Snatch up this print here!

any prints, designs or words you want me to add to the shop? Holla atcha girl!

Works in Progress, From "Olive" Us

I haven't done a works in progress post in a while. I was contacted by Eryn on Etsy about creating a custom stamp for her. Her daughter's name is Olive and she wanted something to stamp onto cards and packages that said "From Olive Us". She originally wanted it in a thought bubble but I had a different idea in mind...

(yes, I know, this stamp makes me want to go down to the social security office right now and change my name to Olive too just so I can use this bad boy) (Just call me Olive Jennifer, the artist formally known as Leonora Jennifer the 3rd) (just kidding guys there is no "3rd" Leonora) (just threw that in there to sound legit) (moving on)

Oh, and that awesome card? I gave it to my blanket hogging friend Ilene and my friend Julie makes and sells them!

Ya dig?

ITS HERE IT HERE ITS HERE!

IT'S HERE IT'S HERE IT'S HEEEEEREEEEE

(yes cap-locks and obnoxious use of vowels was totally necessary) (my apologies to every english teacher out there whose left eyeball just started to twitch uncontrollably) (the twitching will wear off in about 5 hours, 6 hours TOPS. Promise)

The Yellow Heart Art Spring 2013 Collection is now large and in charge. If I were a teenage boy selling snacks at a baseball game I would be running up and down the stadiums yelling "GETCHA PRINTS, STAMPS, PLUSHES & JOURNAL OVAH HEA!"

Oh, you saw the word "Journals" didn't you? Yes, its true, we added journals to our shop! BUT this is just a "soft launch" for now. I only created one design in limited quantities to see if you all would love 'em or leave 'em. Here is how i am planning to use our new journals:

• Since its small enough to place in my purse I'd carry it on me and make note of all the fun things that happened to me through out the day, then look  back on my year-o-awesome when the journal was filled up.

• Leave it by my night stand and jot down any gnarly dreams that happened to me that night

• Whip it out every time I heard "…Hold Please" while on the phone and then spend the next 5 minutes of listening to an instrumental version of Michael Jacksons "Beat It" doodling in my book.

• Use it as a mini scrapbook to keep track of fun moments and memories. Its going to be my "catch all" for all my movie ticket stubs, concert tickets, photos and other mini trinkets.

Mind Blowing Journal, Purchase Here

Our prints got a bit of a facelift too! I still kept our signature "quirky" prints and teamed them up with some motivational ones as well.

waking up next to you print

whatever you do make it happen print

The popular "Happy Mail Day" stamp now comes in a different design as well! The square format is perfect for smaller letters and packages.

Happy Mail Day Stamp in Square found here

(pssst awesome card by Julie Ann Art found here)

Know someone whose celebrating a birthday? Our newest mini cupcake plush set would make a perfect gift!

cupcake set found here

Take a peek at the entire collection! Click on the category below that you want to visit:

New Prints | New Stamps | New Plushes | New Journal

And I'm not saying that coupon code "ONSALE15" will give you 15% off your entire purchase from now till February 22nd 12AM EST buuuuuut it might (ok it does)

We are also launching a new campaign…but more about that tomorrow!