Fancy Fonts just got fancier!

While perusing Facebook is still my all time favorite thing to do while I should be doing something else, Simply Modern Mom is now fighting for the title.  This blog is the reason I started Project 52:  Glimpse into Motherhood, and now it is the inspiration for one of the finishing touches I will be placing on the personalized gifts I offer.  Finally, a great use for all of the scraps of paper I have leftover when I finish a plate set!

I already have some cute brown paper bags for the plate sets, so now the finished product will be handed over in the bag, coordinating gift tag attached (and completed, if so desired).  Still working on the ideal presentation for my big piggy banks, but a coordinating gift tag will be included with those as well.  Simply Modern Mom used brown paper on the tags and raffia to tie it onto the gift, and I intend to do the same...it's just a matter of getting into the attic to find that big roll of brown paper I have stashed away.  If you would like to purchase these gift tags to fancy up your own gifts, an assortment of 10 tags is available for $3.  Email me at karen.psimas@yahoo.com or message me on Facebook to place an order.

Project 52, Week 4

With two daughters ages 4 and 1, much of my day is spent playing referee.  When I see the way other siblings go at each other, I do feel my girls get along rather well by comparison.  However, sweet moments of sharing toys usually turn into tug of war matches, and running laps around the living room usually end with someone being shoved or tripped or knocked over and crying.  Ding, ding ding...back to your separate corners, ladies.  

On our way back from a weekend away, separate corners weren't an option.  Good thing there wasn't much to fight over while strapped in their carseats, so in between catnaps, there were lots of the sweet moments I live for every day.  See Exhibit A below:

This one is thrown in for good measure because it's just so cute!

Click on the link below to start your own Project 52:  Glimpse Into Motherhood, and click on "Older Posts" to see what Fancy Fonts has been up to lately.

Ducks in a row

After a relaxing weekend in Duck, NC, I felt inspired to get everything in order so I can get to work on wedding invitations once they start pouring in (in my hopeful mind, yes, I will be inundated!).  I reconfigured the binder that houses my calligraphy samples and ordering information, and organized all of my Fancy Fonts paraphernalia in the neat little caddy my parents gave me for Christmas (you should see it...pockets, pouches, partitions, all on wheels...this thing is FIERCE!).  Hopefully one night this week, I'll even get around to practicing a few different fonts I'd like to add to my repertoire.  Here's a peek of what I currently offer:

A contemporary font with a mixture of capital and lower case letters, blue gel pen.

Whimsical font, lime green ink 

Contemporary, all lower case font, black ink (invitation custom made by yours truly) 

Contemporary script font, black ink 

Traditional formal font, chiseled tip with black ink

And, because it was stunning, the sunset that inspired me:

More calligraphy samples can be seen on my Facebook page (Fancy Fonts by Karen Psimas) under "Photos," then "Weddings, etc." and "Babies and Kids."

Below are current prices for calligraphy services:

Envelopes……………………………………………$0.75 each

Wedding Invitations

·       Outer Envelope……………………………….$0.75 each

·       Outer Envelope w/2 line return address……$1.25 each

·       Inner Envelope………………………………..$0.25 each

·       Invitation Assembly (stuff & stamp)…………$0.25 each*

*customer supplies postage

Fill-in Invitations……………………………………$0.25 per line

Place Cards………………………………………….$0.25 each

      

Buffet Cards………………………………………...$0.25 each

Miscellaneous Creative Projects……………………TBD

·       Family trees, baby books, documents, etc.

Pick-up/Delivery of Paper Goods………………….TBD 

Please feel free to email me at karen.psimas@yahoo.com with any questions you may have regarding my services and placing an order.  

Project 52

Well, maybe it's technically more like Project 49 for me, as I am about 3 weeks late getting started on this.  Maybe I can catch up and make it a true 52 anyway. A blogger called Simply Modern Mom started this up, and  another blogger and fellow NRHS alum/Virginia Beach transplant (what a random combo!) called Me Sew Crazy clued me in.  This Project 52 is called "Glimpse into Motherhood," and the idea is to capture a photo every week that represents what motherhood means to you.  So for one post per week, I'm going to depart from sharing my artistic creations with you and share my most precious creations with you instead.  After all, Brynn and Camryn are pretty much the reason I started Fancy Fonts in the first place!  

So here we go, starting with Week 1 of 2011:

This was taken on 1.1.11, and it's what I like to call "starting the New Year off right."  It was the first warm day after Mother Nature dumped a foot of snow on us (extremely rare in the Mid-Atlantic), and we were taking complete advantage of it.  We were in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and we hit the beach to get our toes in the sand, feel the sunshine on our faces, and watch Daddy catch a wave or two.  Wow, I have really small feet!

Week 2

Thank goodness for wonderful big sisters!  Brynn can get Camryn to eat when all of my efforts have been exhausted.  I guess part of being a good mom is using the resources you have available to you to get the job done, even if they're only 3 feet tall.

Week 3

I have the best job in the world.  I hang out with two of the cutest, smartest, and funniest little girls I've ever met, and some days I get to do it without even getting out of my pajamas or putting on a lick of makeup.  However, this job is 24/7, and sometimes I just need an hour or two without my cutest accessories.  This sounds like a job for...Super-Grandmommy!  My mother-in-law has had a lot on her plate in the last few months, but she volunteered to hang out with the kiddos so I could go clothes shopping without them.  The picture above is of my girls, eagerly anticipating Grandmommy's arrival.  Brynn pulled up a chair and perched herself in front of the window, so naturally Camryn had to do the same.  The whole "monkey see, monkey do" concept doesn't always work out so favorably, so luckily my camera was close by to capture a moment when it did!

Want to participate in a Project 52 of your own?  Check out the link below and get started!

Grrrrrr!

My latest creation is for my BFF, whose cousin's little boy is turning 1 next month.  She loved his party invitation, which was a picture of the birthday boy in his monster pajamas, and it read "Our little monster is turning 1!"  She thought it would be a great idea to incorporate the monster theme into the piggy bank (and challenge my artistic abilities yet again!), and sent me the link to his pj's:

And I gave it a go:

I sat looking at the front of this piggy for a good 10 minutes, scared to draw the big eyes and mouth on it.  I'd never done anything but some cute little eyelashes before, and I was worried I'd screw this up after I had done all the work on the sides.  Phew, turned out pretty cute!

Hope Jake loves his piggy and saves a monstrous amount of cash in it!  Large piggy banks like Jake's can be purchased for $25, while medium and small sized banks are available for $15 and $5, respectively.  Email me at karen.psimas@yahoo.com or message me on Facebook to place an order.  Get your order in before February 5th, and all proceeds will go toward my fundraising efforts for Special Olympics Virginia.  

The next two piggies on the docket are for twin boys, and mommy wants me to do a monkey theme.  For some reason, I love love love monkeys, so I can't wait to get to work on those.  That will have to wait though...just like the family on In Living Color's "Hey Mon" skit, I have to get back to my first job as a mom and second as a babysitter.  Better get going on that first cup of coffee.

Paisley piggy

Wow, this one took a while to get right, but I'm pretty pleased with the way she turned out.  I was asked to make a "girly" piggy bank, so I went with pink and green paisleys.  Throw in some long eyelashes, rosy cheeks, and pink shoes, and we've got ourselves a rather swanky swine!

Large piggy banks like Emersyn's can be purchased for $25.  They make a great gift for baby showers, Christenings, birthdays, graduations, and even engagements.  Small and medium size banks are also available for $5 and $15, respectively.  Email me at karen.psimas@yahoo.com or message me on Facebook to place an order.  

This little piggy

This little piggy went to market.  45 miles away.  And took every last piggy bank left on the shelf.  

I'm starting to believe there is a conspiracy against Fancy Fonts.  When my plate sets got hot, I was told they were being discontinued and had a huge order on back order for weeks and weeks.  Now my piggy banks are in demand and no one seems to want to carry them (and they want me to use one coupon per day, but don't get me started on that!).  By what seems to be divine intervention, my plate sets are in stock again, and hopefully the same happens with the piggy banks.  Luckily, I have friends and family who live and/or work near every single Michaels location in Hampton Roads, and they have all been placed on high alert...if you see a piggy bank, buy a piggy bank!  

I have recently done three little piggies, one as a gift for my new nephew, one as a gift for a friend's baby shower, and the other for a friend to give to her tenants, who just had a baby this month.  I have four more in the works, and I'm really looking forward to the girls' bedtime tonight so I can start on them (and maybe catch up on some Bridalplasty or Jersey Shore while I'm at it).  Here's the scoop on my latest:

I knew my sister-in-law and brother-in-law were having a boy, but they were keeping his name to themselves until he was born (and for several hours after he was born until they could figure out what it would actually be!).  My brother-in-law went to the University of Virginia, so I knew I wanted to incorporate UVA into my nephew's piggy bank somehow.  I love the UVA logo with the V and swords, but I thought the chances of them naming this kid Vincenzo,Virgil, or Vern were slim.  When they announced his name was Gavin, I nearly did a backflip.  Not only was I able to use the UVA logo, but it would look nice and symmetric on the piggy bank!  See my inspiration (albeit a little blurry), followed by the final product below:

The next one was a little more straightforward.  I used baby Isla's crib bedding as inspiration for her piggy bank.  Pottery Barn Kids' Penelope, in case you love it and must have it:

This guy is for Charlie, whose dad is a music man:

Each of the piggies above are the large (7 3/4 inches) banks and can be purchased for $25.  Medium and small banks are also available for $15 and $5, respectively.  Email me at karen.psimas@yahoo.com or message me on Facebook to place an order.  Every penny earned from now until I jump into the frigid Atlantic on February 5th will go toward my fundraising efforts for Special Olympics Virginia.  Get a great gift AND support a great cause at the same time!  Regular donations can also be made on my secure fundraising website - www.firstgiving.com/karenpsimas.

The end of an era

Long before the inception of Fancy Fonts, I was approached by a former co-worker with a business opportunity.  I had been a stay-at-home mom for about 8 months when Alex proposed I watch his newborn when his wife went back to work.  My arm didn't take much twisting, and I have been babysitting for the Siyufy's ever since!  That was 3 1/2 years ago, and I've seen this family earn promotions, take new jobs, buy a new house, have a new baby, and announce they're expecting yet another baby.  I have become great friends with Alex's wife, Mindy, and our children get along more like brothers and sisters (to a fault sometimes!).  The Siyufy's are starting an exciting new chapter in their lives, moving across the state for Alex to pursue what seems to be the career opportunity of a lifetime.  I will miss them all dearly (especially this baby girl I'll just have to wait a while to meet!), and I wish them the best of luck in their new home.  To send them off, I made each of the kids (including Miss Chloe, whose arrival isn't expected until March) a personalized plate and bowl set, so they can remember the Psimases at each and every meal.  Good luck, Siyufy's!

      Luke with his cars and trucks plate set

Noah with his sock monkey plate set

A very girly plate set for the future princess of the Siyufy house!

Like what you see?  As far as I know, the kids are not for sale (yet), but you can place an order for these plate sets or any other gifts and services I offer by emailing me at karen.psimas@yahoo.com or messaging me on Facebook.  The above sets are $15 each, which include one plate, one bowl, and one personalized insert for each.  Additional inserts for different seasons, holidays, etc. can be purchased for $1 each.  

Don't forget that every penny earned from now until February 5th will go toward my fundraising efforts for this year's Polar Plunge, which raises money for Special Olympics Virginia.  It's a great, albeit FRIGID, cause, and anything you can contribute is much appreciated.  Donations can also be made on my secure fundraising website at www.firstgiving.com/karenpsimas.  THANK YOU!!!


One last thing...Fancy Fonts is now included in the business directory of Macaroni Kid Virginia Beach, a local e-newsletter chock-full of events and information for local families.  Subscribe today by going to www.virginiabeach.macaronikid.com...it's completely free and there are weekly giveaways from local businesses.  Pretty sweet, huh?

Happy New Year!

Happy 2011 from Fancy Fonts!  Did you or someone you know ring in the New Year with a ring?  Let Fancy Fonts take care of all of your calligraphy needs, from the Save the Dates to the bridal shower/bachelorette party invites to the actual wedding invitations and place cards.   My services make a great gift for brides on any budget.  Check out some samples below:

Save the Date

Bridal Shower

Rehearsal Dinner

Formal Wedding

Formal Wedding

Whimsical Wedding

Prices for calligraphy services are as follows:

Envelopes……………………………………………..............$0.75 each

Wedding Invitations

·       Outer Envelope………………………………..........$0.75 each

·       Outer Envelope w/2 line return address……$1.25 each

·       Inner Envelope………………………………...........$0.25 each

·       Invitation Assembly (stuff & stamp)…………$0.25 each*

*customer supplies postage

Fill-in Invitations……………………………………..........$0.25 per line

Place Cards…………………………………………..............$0.25 each

      

Buffet Cards………………………………………................$0.25 each

Miscellaneous Creative Projects…………………….....TBD

·       Family trees, baby books, documents, etc.

Pick-up/Delivery of Paper Goods………………….....TBD 

Wedding invitations require submission of paper goods 12 weeks before the date of the event, while all other events require 4 weeks.  Please don't hesitate to email me at karen.psimas@yahoo.com or message me on Facebook if you have any questions or special requests.  I do my best to accommodate every bride's vision of her special day, including writing table assignments on sand dollars and creating a program on a chalkboard (any chance I can get a picture of that, Meghan?)!

If you live in the Hampton Roads area and would like the expertise and guidance of a wedding planner to help you achieve your vision for your wedding, I highly recommend Pearl Taylor of Uniquely Yours by Pearl.  She does a wonderful job and thinks of everything so you don't have to!  See for yourself by attending the Uniquely Yours Bridal Showcase on January 16th at Norfolk Scope.  The featured guest is none other than David Tutera from the WE channel's hit show "My Fair Wedding."  For complete information, click here.

Don't forget that every penny Fancy Fonts earns from now until February 5th (when I will be participating in my 6th Polar Plunge) will be donated to Special Olympics Virginia.  Scroll down to older posts to see the personalized gifts I offer, or find me on Facebook and view pictures of all of my products.  You can also help support my fundraising efforts by making a donation on my secure fundraising website, www.firstgiving.com/karenpsimas.  You're going to have to pay me to jump in the ocean in the middle of winter...literally!