Rye Designs

twelve days of christmas: day two

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:48:00 -0700

Day two: Make breakfast for dinner and eat in your pajamas

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me... potatoes, bacon, and a mexican egg scramble. That sounds awfully unhealthy, but it sure was good! Dan and I got home from work, changed into pajamas, and cooked dinner together. Sweet and simple.

Today is day three: Take food to a local food pantry. Why didn't we put this on the weekend?

twelve days of christmas

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:10:00 -0700

Every year around October, while we're in the thick of creating holiday cards for others, I realize that I'll need to order our own cards soon... and that I have no design ideas whatsoever. Then, I wonder why it's fairly easy to make things for others, but so incredibly hard to make things for myself. The process repeats until mid-November when I know that I'm almost out of time and I'm still searching for that perfect idea.

This year, we had a few different ideas and one kept taking the lead. It took some extra steps to plan and implement, but once we ironed out the details and knew we could do it, we just had to. I was so excited to assemble the cards with Dan and get them ready to mail. Also, since I've wanted to make an advent calendar for a while, this card was a great compromise and a fabulous way to share the daily activiites with others. Check out the makings of our card with our version of the 12 Days of Christmas.

Our first day of Christmas was yesterday, December 13th, and the activities will go through Christmas Eve. If you didn't get a card and would like to play along, here are the activities:

12/13: Make paper snowflakes and decorate with them.
12/14: Make breakfast for dinner and eat in your pajamas.
12/15: Take food to a local food pantry.
12/16: Have a holiday movie night.
12/17: While shopping, buy something extra and donate it to charity.
12/18: Buy a new ornament to place on the tree.
12/19: Write 10 things you are thankful for this year. Tape it to your mirror.
12/20: Make a special treat and deliver it to a neighbor.
12/21: Drink hot chocolate.
12/22: Take a drive to look at Christmas lights.
12/23: Have a game night.
12/24: Fill a small stocking. Drop it off on someone's door as a surprise.

Tailor these activities to your own home. If you don't want to buy something on the list, then do something handmade. If you don't like hot chocolate, then have hot cider. Live in a cozy, little neighborhood? Instead of driving, bundle up and walk around to look at Christmas lights. Everyone's results are going to look different, and that's what I love most. To start us out, here are the paper snowflakes Dan and I made last night. We haven't decorated with them yet, but we will. Let's see your snowflakes.

sneak peek: [r] family session

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:27:00 -0700

I can't believe it's November already, but I have to say that October went out with a bang! Not only did we get to meet a cute family with two little girls, but the weather was wonderful and the maple trees along their street were at their peak. The images below only give you a glimpse of the amazing colors. Check out the sneak peek and say hello to the [R] family...

sneak peek: hayden's newborn session

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:00:00 -0600

Our friends Sara and Bobby are such special and inspiring people in our lives. If the couple hours we spent meeting Hayden last weekend was any indication, I know these two will be wonderful parents as well. While I finish editing their images and coming up with the words for their full post, enjoy a little sneak peek of their happy baby boy.

sneak peek: jesse's senior session

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:57:00 -0600

Now that Dan and I are back in the office from a couple big trips this fall, I'm digging my way out of images and orders. Here is a quick sneak peek of Jesse's senior session. His session was special for a couple reasons—first because he is one of Dan's brothers, and second because the session took place at the Rye family farm. It's a photographer's paradise with the family's abandoned cabin, old tractors, and overgrown fields. I'll have more later!

sneak peek: ava is two

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:13:00 -0600

Between Lila and Ava, last weekend was filled with cute little girls. I can hardly hold back the rest of the [A] family's session, but you'll have to check back next week after their premiere. I think the following images will give you a good idea of the adventure we had.

sneak peek: lila is one

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:52:00 -0600

Could this family be any cuter? Seriously. I can't believe how much Lila's grown and learned since we saw her in April.

Here are a few images for Maggie and Ryan to see until their premiere. I can't wait to show the rest!

sneak peek: [h+s] family session

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:58:00 -0600

At the end of August, we had the pleasure of hamming it up with a group of teens. This is not just any group of teens as the first two boys you see are my twin nephews (how old do I feel right now?!). I'll give more background to the session in the full post, but for now I know the moms are waiting for a sneak peek!

kellie and dave's anniversary

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 21:00:00 -0600

From the moment you meet Kellie and Dave, you can tell that they were made for each other. They are such sweet and supportive souls, but love a little fun and competition, too (you should see Kellie play Stratego!).

For their session, we were celebrating their second wedding anniversary and wanted to make sure the session represented them as a couple. We headed to a park where they could hang out on a blanket, enjoy the scenery, and play a little frisbee together. Dan and I joined in for a bit before ending the session and heading to the nearest ice cream shop. Let me just tell you that tossing a frisbee is not a skill of mine, but eating ice cream certainly is. You just can't beat an evening with good light, good people, and good eats.

Enjoy our favorites from Kellie and Dave's session.

josh is two

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 21:48:00 -0600

Josh's sessions are always a blast (and a good workout for us). He runs around and does what he loves to do—whether that means going down the slide over and over or stomping around while making dinosaur sounds. Working with this family is always a joy, and their session premieres always bring good tears.

For this session, we were celebrating Josh's second birthday and how much he's grown over the last year. We had custom cupcakes made for the session, and took some time out from the playground to enjoy the sugar. I got vanilla to be safe, but I should have known that Josh is a boy after my own heart—chocolate all the way! Normally I like the colorful images from a park, but the cupcake series in black & white was just so sweet. As the sun went down, we ended the session by catching lightning bugs and playing in the last bit of sunlight.

#2 completed

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 21:52:00 -0600

#2: Sew myself an apron

One of the goals on my 101 in 1001 list was to sew myself an apron, and I'm proud to say that I can cross this goal off the list (as of February, actually). Not only was this my first "big" sewing project—big compared to the few simple pillows or curtains I've made over the years—but as far as I can remember this is my very first apron. I used a thicker home decor fabric because I didn't want the apron to be thin and frumpy, but I'm not sure that was the best idea. I think the apron turned out a little too stiff, so I just need to wash it a dozen times or wear it in somehow. I love the cheerful fabrics, though, and I'm amazed that I made all of those ruffles.

After the apron, I decided to make a yoga bag to hold my mat, which turned out super cute, and then I took a big leap... I decided to make a purse. I got through 3/4 of the directions, to the point where I had to put the inside and the outside of the purse together, and I failed miserably. Again, I used a home decor fabric for a sturdier purse, and the purse became too thick to work with toward the end. A different style of purse may have worked better with the thicker fabric, and after I stuck a finger with a pin for the 100th time I threw in the towel. Sadly, I haven't touched my sewing machine since then, but I have been spending my time on other creative things. There are still more sewing projects I want to do for the house, so hopefully I'll get back to my machine soon.

What projects have you done recently? I'd love to hear about them in the comments.

sneak peek: kellie and dave's anniversary

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 01:15:00 -0600

Our second session of the July 4th weekend was with our friends Kellie and Dave. They wanted some images to celebrate their second wedding anniversary, and we were so happy to join the celebration. They are such a cute couple and the sweetest people—just see how Dave looks at Kellie and you'll understand. Check out a couple images from our session, and I'll have more for you next week.

sneak peek: josh is two

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:51:00 -0600

Over the holiday weekend, we spent some time with our good friends Scott, Mary Ellen, and Josh. We don't see them nearly enough, so it was surprising to see how much Josh had grown. He's a big two-year-old now, doing things on his own—like going down slides!—with a mind of his own, too. We met up at a local park and let Josh run wild. We did intervene for a surprise birthday treat, though, from a little cakery in downtown Burlington.

I'll have more to post later, but here are his newborn and one-year highlights if you just can't wait for more Josh.

lila at eight months

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:13:00 -0600

While I'm recuperating from our holiday and sorting through the weekend's sessions, here's a post I've been holding onto for too long waiting for the right words. It's about time I show more images from sweet Lila's eight-month session.

Lila's session was our first of spring, and it couldn't have gone better. The weather was fantastic (this was before "monsoon season" started), and Lila was just the happiest little gal. She was even sitting up on her own! It's been a joy seeing Maggie & Ryan over the last year and watching their little girl grow. If you haven't seen the posts yet, here are her newborn and three-month sessions. I can't wait for her first birthday in August—I better brainstorm some session ideas now!

Enjoy the stinkin' cuteness that is the [P] family.

numbers canvas project

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 23:56:00 -0600

After I painted my first canvas to complete #6 on my 101 in 1001 list, I quickly moved on to my second. Now, when it comes to home decor—especially wall decor—I usually go back and forth, mull over different ideas, and end up with the same blank wall. That has been the process since we bought our house more than three years ago, with a couple exceptions. So, you can imagine my surprise when I saw a Pottery Barn inspired DIY on Pinterest a few weeks ago, and within a few days I found myself at the local Hobby Lobby buying a huge canvas. I had a couple different walls in mind for the art, and decided on the wall above our bed. Let me show you the "before" image:

Our bedroom has a vaulted ceiling and, while this shelf is large enough to span our king-sized bed, our wedding decor just wasn't commanding a presence against the high ceiling. Sorry, wedding stuff. After I decided on the spot for the new canvas, I had to decide on the paint colors. Since I laid out the design in Photoshop, I was able to place it on a brown background and try different combinations. The colors I liked best included the pebble color we have as the neutral in our bedroom (the brown is an accent wall), and white to match the trim and ceiling. See some of my process—for full instructions, check out this post.

Step 1: Outline the numbers. Our living room windows were perfect for this. I used our anniversary and birth dates—05/27/07, 05/06, and 10/22.

Step 2: Have curious kitties check out the canvas and approve the outlining.

Step 3: Paint, paint, paint. The white was BASICS brand acrylic paint from Michael's and it only took one coat with some touch-ups. The pebble was a half-and-half mixture of flat and satin Valspar wall paints to match the sheen of acrylic paint, and took two coats to cover.

In between painting the canvas, I also hand-brushed the word "irie" and placed it in the same type of frame as our wedding picture. The word irie—meaning "it's all good"— came from our honeymoon in Jamaica, and has a magical way of transporting me right back to that time. Here's the shelf before and after. Pay no attention to the horrible lighting in our bedroom.

The canvas size is 48" x 36" next to our wedding image that's 20" x 20", and the 9" x 9" irie print. I can't lie, there were some frustrating moments painting in and around the numbers, but it turned out to be a lot easier than I expected. I suppose that's why I'm the designated edger whenever we paint a room. If you try this project yourself, I'd love to see the results.

And if you're on Pinterest, find me here!

#6 completed

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 22:22:00 -0600

#6: Paint a canvas

Growing up, my parents (generally) indulged me in whatever I set my mind to. Painting is one of those things that began early and never faded. My mom would take me to the local ceramics shop, and I would eagerly scan the aisles for my next painting project. One time it was a jewelry box for grandma, another time it was a Jesus statue for grandpa, then it was a musical snowman for mom, and there were many others. I dabbled in different kinds of arts and crafts through the years, but one thing I never tried was painting a canvas—until now. I was so inspired yet so intimidated. I just wanted to go at it and see what would result. I didn't want to "decide what to paint" or try to make any decisions that would slow down (or halt) the process of JUST CREATING. If it turned out decent enough, I could hang it and paint some more!

So, I'm posting my results for the world to see. I liked the way it started out with the brown, beige and yellow, but I don't like the way it ended. I think I used too many colors—for my house anyway, because only the beige and teal match—and tried too hard to fill the space. But I'm calling my first attempt super successful. I painted my first canvas, and I've already moved onto a much larger canvas project. I can't wait to post pictures when it's finished.

Since I won't be hanging this one, I'm considering selling it. It's 11x14" and about .25" deep, so it could be framed. If you're interested, shoot me an email at vicki@ryedesigns.com or fill out the contact page. It's a V.Rye original, and if I'm ever a famous artist it might be worth money as my first canvas ever—kidding, kidding. If no one is interested, I'm just going to paint over it.

sneak peek: lila at eight months

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 19:33:00 -0600

After a long, Midwestern winter, there's nothing I want more than blue skies, green trees, and warm temps. Our session with Miss Lila this past weekend provided all of the above, so it was the perfect way to break the winter funk. Check out a couple of our favorites while we're busy editing. A longer post will follow.

sneak peek: lisa + justin = parker

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:29:00 -0700

Last weekend we got to meet little Parker Lee, who was born just three days after the New Year. Enjoy a little peek at the cuteness I'm editing right now. :)

review + thank you

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 11:40:00 -0700

I can't believe it's the end of the year already. I hear myself stating this every year, and this year is no different. Now that my mind is reflecting on 2010 and looking toward 2011, I'm thinking of all the possibilities—the paths our business could take to get where we truly want to be. Begin with the end in mind, right? We're in a good place. There are great things ahead, and we've been nothing but blessed with experiences and challenges that will direct us.

We are so thankful for our 2010 clients. This year we got to work with some wonderful people who really get what we do, appreciate what we offer, and mesh well with us. They trusted us with their time, their money, and their memories. We can't thank them enough for what they have taught us—not only solidifying who our ideal client is, but how we want to serve them. Here's a quick recap of the year.

aaron + susan = claire

kale's senior session

[a] family session

josh is one

lila's newborn session

lisa + justin = baby boy

[m] family session

lila at three months

#61 completed - We became an LLC!

Here's a sampling of design projects over the year. It was neat to go through this year's photography and design files, see where we were at the beginning of the year, and see how far we've come. It's been a fun and full year. Thanks to those who made it so successful. We can't wait to see what 2011 brings.

lila at three months

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:55:00 -0700

Miss Lila has gotten a lot of publicity on the blog this fall. Between her newborn session, featured products, three-month session, and chats with mom about future milestones, it's a lovely feeling to know we'll see more of Lila as she grows. What's even more lovely? She's not opposed to our cameras anymore. Yay!

Lila turned three months around the end of November and it was too cold for an outdoor session, so we were able to get more creative around the [P] family home. Mom, Maggie, had several outfits and hats ready—some for Christmas and others for general three-month shots. I'm glad she planned for that because we ended up with a good mixture of images for both occasions.

During our time together we made Lila the centerpiece of a Christmas buffet, and took shots that will probably re-emerge for those embarrassing teenage moments. Even better, we caught glimpses of her sweet personality at three months that will come together with other sessions, and tell the story of her first year. Check out some of our favorites.