A Time to Reflect on 2014

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It is almost here...2015! 
It sounds so futuristic, but it is only two days away. I love looking back over a year and remembering all that has happened (like those Facebook picture outlines). Anyway, it is cool to look back over Texture Design's year and remember how much happened!

We freshened up our branding.

The new website was launched.

Our Etsy shop opened in August.

We added hand-drawn illustrations into our line of products.

Texture's first calendar was released. 

Thank you for receiving it so well! We still have a few available in the shop! 

We participated in our first holiday market.

And overall, we just learned A TON!! 

Things like Etsy shipping don't seem so daunting. Write "Do Not Fold" on packages, otherwise the postman may try to smash your 8x10 cardboard folder into a tiny mailbox. Ha! Thank you for all of your feedback, encouragement, and wise suggestions. We took them into account when we made our Texture Design Co. goals for 2015. Next week on the blog, we will share some of those goals and plans with you! So excited about this upcoming year!

Feel free to leave us feedback if there are things you'd like to see us offer next year! We love hearing from you!

Festive Fun: Recap of the Holiday Farmers Market

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We participated in the Mt. Pleasant Holiday Farmers Market last weekend and had the best time! Thank you so much to our friends who were able to stop by and say hi! We really enjoyed being out in the community and making some new friends. (Here is a shout out to you if we just met you at the market!) Below is a picture of Martin and I at our booth. (That funny looking thing I have on is an apron...keeps me organized.) The weather was perfect, and the food was phenomenal.  Overall,  it was just a great experience. We thought we'd share a few pics from the day. All photos courtesy of our good friend and fabulous photographer, Melissa Griffin!

If you're interested in any of items in the photos, please check out our online shop!

www.texturedesignco.etsy.com/shop

We're hoping to do some more shows this spring, so we'll keep you posted. Let us know if there is one in your area that you think we should do! We're open to suggestion!

Thank you again to Melissa Griffin Photography.

Best, Emily

Save the Date: Farmers Market this Saturday!

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We can't wait! Hope to see you there!!

-Emily

Our Etsy Inspired Christmas Stocking Stuffer Ideas

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Growing up, my mom found the best little surprises to fill our stockings! 

In honor of my mom's great stockings, here is Texture Design's 2014 Etsy Stocking Stuffer Ideas!

T E X T U R E   D E S I G N   C O.

Yes, I included one of our shop's prints! This cute little skirt comes in a 5x7 or 8x10 print! I love the simple clean lines of the skirt! It would look great in a little girl's room or a guest room!

 T H A T C H   &   T H I S T L E   C O.

What girl doesn't live a little wasabi tape to liven up their packages, notebooks, grift wrap... This shop has tons of fun designs, but right now I'm swooning over the polka dot print!

M O D F R E S H

If you know me, then you know these are my favorite colors to wear! :) I love all the fun bold necklaces in this Florida based Etsy shop! Each wooden bead is hand painted. 

BUT WAIT...there's more! Modfresh is offering a 15% off coupon for our readers! Just use coupon code TEXTURE at checkout!!

Y A O   C H E N G   D E S I G N

Yao Cheng's shop is full of lovely tea towels, prints, and cards showcasing her painting skills. I love the colors and softness of this particular water color pattern. It is also available in a print.

T E X T U R E   D E S I G N   C O.

Yes, it is Texture Design Co. again! Honestly, these are one of my favorite items in our shop. I think this set of stationery makes a perfect gift for anyone. AND they include polka-dot lined envelopes!! 

C H E W I N G   T H E   C U D

I'm a fan of patterns and bags...this shop is full of both! I'm personally a big fan of this tiny one that is printed on recycled canvas.

S A L E M   W O L F   D E S I G N S

These lovely little boot cuffs are produced in Charlotte, North Carolina. With a wide variety of colors available, they make a great stocking stuffer!

K O L B I E   W O O D

What's not to love about this hand-painted wood planter? I love the combination of colorful paints with the wood stain. This little block would liven up any set of shelves.

W H I T L O C K   A N D   C O.

Yes, polka dots again! This graphic pillow is fabulous because it could be paired with any color! Yellow, taupe, green....it is so versatile! It does not come with the insert, so you can stash this pillow cover in anyone's stocking! This shop also has a great variety of other fabrics to choose from.

A M E L I E   M A N C I N I

It is time to liven up the table with these cactus napkins! This set of napkins is screen printed in Amelie Mancini's Brooklyn studio. Definitely check out her other screen printed items!

Well, that concludes our 2014 stocking stuffer list! Merry Christmas!

.   .   .

DON'T FORGET TO USE YOUR COUPON 

TO MODFRESH!!

(all photos provided by their Etsy Shops)

Thanksgiving Post: What Am I Thankful for this Year?

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Looking back over 2014, there have been so many blessings! 
I thought it would be good to take a moment to list a few of the things I'm thankful for! 

1. A thoughtful and adoring husband who loves God even more than he loves me!

(photo by Leah's Opus Photography)

Definitely the biggest thing in my life this year was getting married to Martin. I constantly become more thankful for how God put him in my life and the man that he is. He has so many characteristics that I appreciate  -- a GIANT heart, very steady, always serving others, quick to forgive, compassionate, and so loving. But I'm most thankful that he loves God so much. I know we let each other down at times, and we do not always see eye to eye (surprise!). But I always know that he is seeking the Lord, and so I can trust that God will lead both of us. I'm so thankful for that.

 2. An encouraging and supportive family

(photos by Leah's Opus Photography)

The older I get, the more thankful I am to have such a loving family (and new family). We don't get to see each other all the time, but they are such a joy to be around. I am thankful for the example they set for me and for Martin. We hope to follow their lead, and love on and encourage other people like our families have done for us.

6. Genuine friendships that survive long distances

The above picture was taken at my bridal luncheon. It makes me smile because the photograph is full of incredible, genuine, loyal, and thoughtful women. Another thing I'm learning is that great friendships are worth holding on to and working to keep/build. A lot of the ladies in the picture don't live near me, but it has been so cool to keep up with them as life takes us different places. It requires being intentional to call, email, text or send a note. Intentionality is definitely an area I'm trying to grow in, but I'm so thankful for the friendships God has placed in my life!

3. The opportunity to do what I love!

I love being creative, and I'm so thankful for the chance to be creative in my work!  It has been exciting to watch new opportunities open with Texture Design Co. this year! Who knows what directions God will lead the company next year, but I can't wait!

4. The opportunity for Martin to go back to school
Sorry, don't have a picture for this one. (Just picture someone sitting at a desk and reading). Martin was able to go back to school this year to get his masters. To be honest, it was a hard transition because it meant we wouldn't have as much time together in the evening. Weekends are now filled with tests, quizzes, or homework. However, I'm SO proud of how hard he has worked and how much he has learned. I know it is a blessing that he is able to go back to school right now, and I do think it has made our relationship stronger as we figure out how to set time aside for our relationship. So I'm thankful!

5. Our humble home

We currently live in a little one-bedroom apartment. Most people walk in and say it is very cozy...translation "it is tiny". Ha! But I've come to love it! Yes, some day I dream of having an office in our home or a guest bedroom or more than one bathroom! But right now, it is perfect. The best part, is there is little to clean. So we have more time to focus on other things. But we also learn to be content in all things. So as silly as it sounds, I'm very thankful for our little home.

6. God's grace
Well, I guess since getting married, I see more of my selfishness. And therefore, I see more of my need for God's grace. SO THANKFUL that He forgives and redeems!

"This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Romans 3:22-24

There is a lot more on my thankful list, but that is my short list for now! Happy Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for?

-Emily

Brown Paper Packages Tied up with Bows

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Brown paper packages tied up with bows, these are a few of my favorite things....

We had a little gift wrap party with Texture friends! It was definitely a few of my favorite things: good friends, great conversations, yummy snacks and pretty packages.

O U R   G O A L

To brainstorm some fun Christmas gift wrapping ideas. We used the Texture Design Downloadable Christmas gift tags, various craft supplies, and some leaves from the yard. It was definitely more fun to wrap gifts with friends and get a little "out of the box" with our gift wrapping. Hopefully some of these ideas will inspire  you!

(Texture Design Downloadable Christmas Tags)

First, I scoured the yard for some fun leaves and berries. I also bought a few fake berries in case the real berries weren't looking too good. Then I picked up some different yarns, bakers twine, and ribbon.

Our supplies also included different markers, white gel pen, white stamp pad, cookie cutter for possible tracing and wasabi tape. Since we were using kraft paper, the options were endless!

We just sat down and started brainstorming, and I would say we were pretty excited with the results. (not to mention we had a great time chatting while wrapping).

For the gift below, our friend Emily paired two tags together for added pattern and color. She created a very elegant package with the use of the sheer ribbon and berries. The twine gives it a little added texture as well. Note, we did use hot glue to keep the leaves and berries on most of the gifts. That seemed to work the best for us.

For the package above, two tags were stuck together and hole punched on the sides for looping the twine through!

I love how this package turned out. It was like the kraft paper was a blank canvas. Our friend Kait used yarn to create a pattern on the left of the package. Then she added wasabi tape and a leaf with a hand written note. So many textures! Who wouldn't smile if they received this in the mail or under the tree?! (see close up of the multi color yarn below)

For this package, I used the eraser on a pencil as my stamp and created a little polka dot design on a package. It looks like it took me forever, but it really only took me a minute or two! Pretty cool look in just a few minutes. Add a little green yarn and tag...boom!

If you're thinking these look a little complicated or too time consuming, it isn't true! We did each gift in minutes! I'm excited to put them under the christmas tree!

If you're interested in using tags like ours, check out the Texture Design listing for Downloadable Christmas Tags. You can immediately download three pages of gift tags to use however you like! It is around 35 tags that you can print as many times as needed!

Feel free to leave comments or send pictures of how you've decorated your Christmas gifts in unique ways! Have a a great day!

(We do need to thank our friends, Kait and Emily for their gift wrap help and hand modeling!)