Jennifer

If Found, Make. | WordPress Development

05/11/2015 by Jennifer Leave a Comment

Earlier this year, I worked with my good friend Angela (who blogs at If Found, Make. and also on The Blog Market with me) on developing a theme out of her WordPress design! From the start, she had a really clear vision of what she wanted in a blog design. Something simple and free of clutter, but still pretty.

Here is a dreamy mood board we created based on the look and feel we wanted for If Found, Make:

We ended up going for less blue-grays and more neutral-pinkish colors. Angela and I are a lot alike in that we never want to settle for something we don’t truly love. We revised this design like crazy to get it just right. (Angela’s beautiful logo was created by Alexandra Em Designs!)

Check out the full blog design here and have fun getting lost scrolling through all of Angela’s amazing DIYs and style posts! Girl is seriously so talented.

moodboard images: abstract / girl / walls / bed / sweater / rose petals

To learn more about my blog and web design services, click here!

Welcome to Earl Grey Creative!

05/06/2015 by Jennifer 6 Comments

Good morning! Today Earl Grey Blog has a new name, a new face, and some exciting new features. Meet Earl Grey Creative. Still a blog but more importantly, a design studio! Over the past few months, my good friend Laura and I have combined our skills to offer web design and development services, as well as brand identity design packages. Click here to learn more about Laura and our new business venture. :)

In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing details of my recent design projects. Can’t wait to show you!

PS – the new site address is http://earlgreycreative.com! earlgreyblog.com will still work but I’ll slowly be phasing it out.

Darby Smart DIY Feature!

04/16/2015 by Jennifer 1 Comment

I always find so many DIY projects that I would love to do, but I usually don’t follow through because I’m lacking the supplies needed to complete these projects. Darby Smart is a brilliant community that shares inspiring projects and will send you the supplies you need. How helpful is that? They believe that there is beauty in crafting fashion and home trends rather than just buying them. I wish I had known about Darby Smart sooner because I would have probably finished so many more projects. So happy to know about them now!

Today I’m sharing my DIY honeycomb magnets project over on the Darby Smart website! It requires oven-bake clay, magnets, cardstock and glue, all of which you can find by following this link. Have fun getting lost on all the crafty goodness over on their site. Have an inspiring day and do somethin’ creative. :)

Playing Favorites

04/10/2015 by Jennifer 5 Comments

Last summer, I moved to Downtown Portland and it was way hot. Although cute and charming, there were no bodies of water, pools or air conditioning systems in sight. A couple weeks ago, I moved from the city to the suburbs (what what!) and I could not be happier. It’s so convenient (and cheap!). And there is a pool. :) This summer, I want to plan cocktail parties, throw BBQs, and do all of the cliche things that people do from June to August. Lately, my pins have been reflecting that desire.

Exhibit A – Rosemary Ginger Margarita Recipe.

Have you guys listened to Serial yet? I finally got around to it during a recent drive from CA to OR. This article includes a list of 20 addictive podcasts to help take our minds off of all the Serial cliffhangers. (Just found out the investigation is continuing through a new podcast though. Hooray!)

Ahh, spring is in the air! I just rediscovered a box of pretty felt I used to make bows with. Maybe I’ll use all the scraps to make beautiful flowers like these.

Also, about a month ago I read an incredible post on Design Sponge about negativity online. When I see negativity in the blog world, I get so bummed out. This article is long and honest and surprisingly convicting! It made me realize that by being moody or jealous of perfectly styled photos, I’m joining in on the negativity. Sheesh. Click here to read the post! It’s worth it. :)

Have a beautiful weekend! I’ll be back next week with some design project sneak peeks.

Early Morning Rituals with Plum Deluxe

04/06/2015 by Jennifer 3 Comments

Do you ever have those mornings when your body wakes you up surprisingly early? As someone who loves to sleep in, this is very rare for me. But every now and then, I’ll wake up randomly around 5:30am and decide to stay up, having the most peaceful morning with one or two cups (um, giant mugs) of black tea.

Andy, who owns the tea studio Plum Deluxe in Portland OR, recently sent me some amazing nutty Oregon breakfast black tea! I’ve enjoyed this blend for many mornings now. It’s made with all organic chemical-free ingredients – black tea, honeybush tea (grown in the United States!), orange peels, hazelnut essence, love, and gratitude. :) It is so neat to know the specific ingredients rather than just hearing a generic “black tea” label.

Aside from the tasty tea blends, I love the inspiring story behind the company. Andy started Plum Deluxe with a mission to share the lessons he learned from his mother. While battling breast cancer, she celebrated each day with meaningful moments. Whether she was traveling, having spa days, or gathering with friends for dinner parties, she found all sorts of ways to love her life in spite of her circumstances. Goodness. That truly sounds like the best way to live life.

Plum Deluxe is all about creating moments that matter. I believe that so many beautiful moments can happen over a cup of tea. A little snippet from the website: “Plum Deluxe teas are unique in that they are handcrafted to create experiences that, for example, calm you after a tough day or provide a spark for fun conversation.” I seriously couldn’t agree more.

Visit the Plum Deluxe tea shop to learn all about their current delicious blends! If you’re a tea addict like me, you might also be interested in their Tea of the Month Club.

Thanks for letting me share my new obsession! Here’s to an inspiring week full of meaningful moments.

Spring Giveaway on The Blog Market

04/02/2015 by Jennifer 1 Comment

Hey guys! Remember me? To figure out my plans for Earl Grey, I took a 2 month long hiatus and I feel really great about it. Over the last several weeks I did make some decisions about this blog and there will be a little relaunch coming SOON! Yay.

In the mean time, I wanted to let you guys know about the giveaway Angela and I are hosting on The Blog Market this week to celebrate 500+ followers! We are both obsessed with pretty office supplies and wanted to share some of our favorite items with a TBM reader. Notice the words of wisdom on that notebook. ;)

To enter, click here. The giveaway will be open until next Wednesday the 8th. Good luck!!