Happy New Year

It has been a long while since I have written a proper post on this blog.  Since our Frenchie, Stitch’s passing in August I have not found any inspiration to fuel my writing so it was just as easy to almost just abandon the whole thing and re-post other people’s stories.  The summer ended and the “-ber” months began and with that a whole slew of other things distracted me completely from this blog. My husband and I immersed ourselves in our letterpress shop. I suppose the busy preparations for the holiday season and all the markets/events we’ve signed up for were some sort of blessing in disguise, but we both missed the numerous “interruptions” our dog presented us with.

Papa’s Boy

The gentle nudge with his round head at our hands which meant “pet me, please!”; the intense stares that translated to  “can I have a cookie, please” or the leaning against our legs with the “come sit on the couch and spend time with me, please” look. They were all irresistible and most times we gave in.

Stitch showed us how to slow down a bit, to be more aware of the present, to try balance your life, and most of all how to really care. We miss the Little Man terribly!

I also spent the NYE afternoon cleaning my computer and found a letter from a very good friend (LMO-Thanks!). While it is a message from 2010, she wrote great reminders to take with into this New Year of 2014! 

1. Kindness begets kindness. Many times, however, that ideal is not put to use. Even if others are unkind, be kind still. Do good even if others don’t.

2. Fear diminishes our will to survive. Life is too short for us to be afraid; we should maximize its essence.

3. Every single day — and everybody should know about this — big and small miracles happen.

Whatcha lookin’ at, huh?

4. Feel free to be free. This feeling is the best drug, better than Valium, to lull oneself to sleep. Before falling asleep each night, wouldn’t it be an amazing feeling to be able to say, after saying a prayer, “I am freer today than yesterday!” Free from fears, free to be uniquely ourselves, free to say what we mean and mean what we say, free to genuinely enjoy and celebrate life.

5. What food is to body, prayer is to soul. In fact, a prayer, because it is encompassing, is the nourishment that keeps the mind and the spirit going. The importance of praying for each other, even for someone you do not know, is the essence of humanity.

6. Rewire your thinking pattern and your life will follow. Adopting the right mindset can make all of the difference in the world.

7. Everything that happens to your life is up to Him and up to you.

8. Learn the importance of saying “No” when you don’t feel like doing something. It will make you more free from anxiety and more honest to yourself and others.

9. People are not only creatures of logic, they, too, are creatures of emotion — these are the things I remember when I deal with people to avoid misunderstanding and conflict.

10. Time is important — to save a relationship, to make a fruitful meeting, to seal a deal, to propose to a loved one, to meet a friend. Time is too precious a commodity to waste.

11. This world is not all about us — our needs, our faults, our victories, our lonesomeness, our cravings, our ambitions. This world is also about others — their needs, their faults, their victories, their lonesomeness, their cravings, their ambitions. Those who still believe that the world is theirs to keep have not yet experienced what true love is. No man is an island and attending to others is the most potent kind of love of all.

12. Some relationships end. That fact, however, should not cow the human spirit to grow. The art of letting go is mathematically proportional to the art of self-preservation. Prolonged agony is detrimental to one’s health, therefore it is unnecessary. Those who, from time to time, feel cheated and abused are not the easiest people to love either by others or by themselves. What ends blossoms again when we move on and move up.

13. It is important to care for Mother Nature. After all, “she” is the only one we have.

14. Be an active blessing hunter. Find blessings in your experiences — good and bad. Seek them out in people you meet.

Smiley Face

15. Laughter is as important as breathing. You forget about it and you perish. Laughter is the quickest break one mortal can take to momentary immortality.

16. Whiners are not gainers.

17. Some things can be done with the snap of a finger. Other beautiful things happen when we wait.

18. Spend time alone once in a while to be more attuned to yourself. Be silent and still. When was the last time you heard your own heartbeat? Sometimes, spending time alone always takes you to an inspiring, insightful journey.

19. Let’s forgive. American film and stage actor Tyler Perry once said: “When you haven’t forgiven those who’ve hurt you, you turn back against your future. When you do forgive, you start walking forward.”

20. Live and love. Dare and dream.

21. The most elegant thing is done in simplicity.

22. Celebrate the family — while the moment still matters, while the time still counts.

Happy times

HAPPY NEW YEAR, FAMILY & FRIENDS!

Can’t catch our breath….

Last week our little boy, Stitch, suddenly left us!

It is a real shock to us and we still can’t figure it out. He was scheduled for a lumpectomy on his right front paw which is a simple procedure. Because he was almost 11, the vet decided to only give him a low dosage of sedatives even though a few months ago he gave Stitch a clean bill of health. The vet just wanted to make sure, one can never be too sure about brachycephalic breeds. So we left our boy at the vet’s. Two hours later we received the devastating news. After about 20 minutes of giving him the sedative his beautiful little heart just stopped. Just like that!!! They did all they could to try and save our baby, but he wouldn’t wake up. We are so so sooo sad right now. And miss him dearly as we had never spent one day apart since we got him!

We love and miss you, Sweetheart!

A Fellow Makie’s Wedding

Here’s another custom design we recently did for a cute couple! Check out the registration on the names! Printed on our 12 x 18 Chandler & Price Press “Lucky”!

District Dogs Designs

A project for a wonderful couple we met while we were all participating in the Holiday 2012 Make It Vancouver Show. The challenge for this particular project came with the request to create two separate invites for the same occasion!

A hand-drawn illustration of the Fairview Baptist Church complements the predominantly stylized-type layout.

Both the bride and groom are young professionals, who are passionate about food  (she is the owner of Rosy’s Bake Shoppe) and maintaining a healthy balance between modern thinking and traditional values.

Printed on Reich Savoy #184, 100% cotton, bright-white; photopolymer plates made in-house.

CONGRATULATIONS Rosy & Kelvin!

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