Four months old!

Four months old!

Making my own ring sling!

Making my own ring sling!

So, I have four carriers for Laelia; a hand-me-down baby bjorn, a moby wrap, an ergo, and a New Native sling. Needless to say, we (mom, dad and baby) all love baby-wearing! It really is a life saver around the house and while out running errands. Even out on day trips to Disneyland, the beach or a museum! We really only use two; the Moby and the Ergo. The Ergo is more ergonomically safe for both the wearer and the wearee than the bjorn, and the New Native I have is a size large, and feels too big for both me and my husband. The moby is just so warm and cozy and it was especially great when she was brand new. However, the moby is a bit of an event trying to put it on, and the Ergo, while easier to put on than the Moby, still feels difficult to put on while already holding baby. Both are rather bulky. I feel like a ring sling would be easier to put on while holding Laelia and also be less bulky, making it easier to stash in the diaper bag. Not to mention, Ring Slings look oh-so-pretty on! Thus began my search for a ring sling… and I realized, even if the prices are not a complete turn off, it just seems so easy to make! And, I’ll be able to get the exact one I want, not just settle for what’s available (which, incidentally, is almost always my reason for making something. I just can’t find what I really want).

There are a ton of tutorials and free patterns out there! Even the maya wrap website has a tutorial. Now I just need to figure out how I want to sew the shoulder, and what fabric I want to use. I’m so excited!

I heart printed cardigans

I heart printed cardigans

Mmmm.

One hundred percent cotton or merino wool, three-quarter or full sleeve, machine or hand-printed, intarsia or embroidered, button up or open, I love printed and embellished cardigans in all their glory. I’m trying to remember back to when I bought my first printed cardigan, and I’m not sure I can. But I do remember jamming from my office downtown to the j.crew at the fashion square in Sherman Oaks on my lunch break when I finally decided to shell out $100 flat on the the last byzantine print cardigan (the orange & navy lovely, above top right) in all of Los Angeles in April of 2007. I own at least 4 printed, and a few embellished ones.  At any given time I’m lusting over 3 different sweaters from any combination of anthropologie, j.crew, or H&M. Sometimes even Target! I even saw Jayma Mayes, who plays everyone’s favorite well dressed and OCD guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury on Glee, wearing one in the Madonna episode (♥). There is a blog called what would emma pillsbury wear which is exactly what it sounds like–a blog documenting her wardrobe, and helping you to find pieces this character would wear. (I also found this great shop! It’s a collection of where to buy each Glee character’s wardrobe).

Emma wearing the same printed cardigan I have from Target.

I think I love a print cardigan because of how instantly they make your outfit interesting with seriously minimal thought or effort. You can literally wear any of the above with jeans and a solid top, and you certainly don’t look as boring as “jeans and a t-shirt” sounds. Also, you can pair with a cute high-waisted skirt and get an instant vintage vibe. For as specific as a printed cardigan looks, you really can get plenty of use out of them. They have proven to be a supremely versatile item in my wardrobe!

Weddings Part 1: Theme

Weddings Part 1: Theme

The inspiration board I made for my wedding. Birds & Feathers, Aqua & Pink! I even have a clipping from lining from the suits and swatches of the bridesmaids dresses and sash.

With the absolutely overwhelming choices out there, deciding what you want for your wedding can feel a daunting task. And once you make a decision, it can seem even harder to stick to it! I felt the hardest thing about wedding planning is making decisions! If you have had a day where you can’t decide what you want, but have definitely decided what you don’t want, do not feel discouraged… this is definitely progress!

A must have on my list for wedding planning is an inspiration board. Long in use by designers of all sorts, inspiration boards allow you to visualize the look of your design. It allows you to test a new element to see the effect and determine whether it fits into your overall vision. Continue Reading

Weddings!

Weddings!

One year ago (already!) my parents walked me down a path to meet my soon-to-be husband surrounded by a circle of friends and family. I planned my wedding myself, and the VAST majority of it was DIY. In honour of that lovely day, and to share with the world what I learned about the rapidly growing field of DIY weddings, I’ll be posting a 3 part series about weddings.

The first will be about the importance of a theme and the best ways to choose and stick to your theme, the second will be about stationery & decoration, and the third will be about fashion, and all while sticking to a very tight budget!

Welcome

Welcome to Visual Vocabularie! My name is Jesyka, and I am a designer, artist, mom to Laelia and Luca, wife to software engineer and UX designer Tyler, coffee lover, and all around enthused person. This is my blog; here I share my personal projects, whether it's a furniture makeover, a new painting, a birthday party, an invitation I designed, or a favorite outfit for my little. You’ll also catch a glimpse into our family life in Los Angeles.

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