Happy Halloween! To add to the spooky spirit of today, I'm sharing photos of some really adorable, silly, and scary pumpkins painted by our good family friend, Brook. Brook has been painting these pumpkins for years! My husband received his first painted pumpkin from him in college. Now, (a few) years later, little George is the recipient of his very own painted gourd! Photos of Brook's complete collection are below.

At long last, I am able to share photos of George's birth announcements! I'm so happy with the way they came out. They were letterpress printed on velvety smooth, bright white, 140# acid free paper in midnight blue and light cyan inks. Along with photos of baby George, I placed them in custom-lined tangerine envelopes. Each envelope was sealed with a custom, decorative fold-over mailing label. They were printed by Cranky Pressman in Salem, OH. Update: these are featured on Invitation Crush !

I ALWAYS send a thank you note when someone gives me a gift. It's how I was raised (thanks, Mom). Of course everyone understands that sometimes life gets a little hectic and it's hard to find the time to sit down and write a letter - especially multiple thank you letters for a big event like a baby or wedding shower. I have recently found myself in such a time crunch while on my maternity leave. In comes my need for "fill-in-the-blank" thank you cards. Okay, YES, I had time to design these cards. However, since they arrived from the printer, I have found them extremely useful and I think you will too. 4 cards and 4 kraft envelopes come in a set for only $6.50 at my Etsy shop . Fill-in-the-blank thank you notes are perfect for the new mom, busy birthday gal, and bride-to-be with little time but lots of love. These unique, hand-drawn cards will help you send a quick but heartfelt thank you note for those wonderful new gifts. Click here to purchase.

How awesome is this idea for personalized stationery on a time and money budget? My mother-in-law received this thank you note from a new mom and shared it with me: blank folded cards with dot stickers and one personalized sticker in the middle. You can either order these from a vendor like this one or you can print them at home using Avery labels and templates.

Hello from mommyland! I really thought I would be able to start blogging again in September (insert laugh track of new moms everywhere) but now it's almost the middle of October and I just figured out how to shower and eat something before 2pm. As baby George naps on this lovely Tuesday, I am finally brainstorming blog entry ideas. While I gather my thoughts, I decided to share two of my favorite craft posts from last fall. You still have time to make your own candy corn stamps or print and send a cute Halloween card. Happy crafting! Free Printable Download: All Hallow's Eve Illustration DIY "Candy Corn" Stamps and Cards