Divas 3 Design

Graduation Invitations

2011-04-02T09:30:00.008-04:00

It is time again to start designing and ordering your Graduation Invitations! Photo Invitations are a more economical way to invite all your family and friends to share the greatest milestone in your life. Photo invitations also give your family and friends a more meaningful keepsake of this great event! Divas 3 Design has several different designs that would be great for your Graduation Invitation. Here are a few of my favorites:

You will find these in our Etsy Shop. Remember you purchase the digital design and then you are able to get as many as you need printed at your favorite photo lab. If you run out you just get more printed!

Dr. Seuss Style Photo Birthday Invitation

2011-01-25T09:57:00.005-05:00

My daughter and I just started our own little reading club blog and I made a post about our favorite Dr. Seuss book. That post inspired me to create this Dr. Seuss invitation. You can read the post here. Below I have put together some other Dr. Seuss items, all found on Etsy, that would go along with a Dr. Seuss themed birthday party.

Dr. Seuss Felt Hat by maycouture

Dr. Seuss Cake Topper by adianezh

Serving Plate by maryjudy

Wooden Letters by thefunkymonkey1

Dr. Seuss Invitation by divas3design

I love all of these items but my favorite is the serving plate, it is so cool.

Tea Party Birthday Invitations

2011-01-16T14:11:00.004-05:00

This is a perfectly girly invitation and what little angel wouldn't want to have a tea party? Our tea party birthday invitation has beautiful pink, green, yellow, and blue colors throughout, along with a cute caterpillar nestled among the flowers. This 5x7 birthday party invitation can be found in our Etsy store http://www.etsy.com/listing/65913898/photo-birthday-invitation-dress-up-tea only $15.00 and we will add your photo and wording. You will receive a digital file to print at your local photo lab.

Photo To Colored Pencil Sketch Art

2011-01-14T11:59:00.010-05:00

Would you like to have your photograph transformed into a work of art giving you a truly unique keepsake? We will give you a free consultation about your photos discussing your photo choices to see if your photo is a good fit for this type of art. Colorful photos usually work very well.

These look very nice when they are printed on Canvas we like gallery wrap style canvas. You can choose to hire us to do just the digital work to your photo, and you do the printing. Or we can have your art professionally printed on a gallery wrap canvas.

Prices for Gallery Wrap Printing:

8x10........................... $106.00

11x14..........................$131.00

16x20.........................$186.00

Framing paper covers the back of the gallery wrap

and metal hangers and bumpers are applied to the

corners. Your Gallery Wrap will be ready to hang on

the wall the minute it arrives.

If you would like to get this printed yourself , we charge $30.00 for our design fee and you will receive a jpeg image to have printed any way you wish.

Keep scrolling for another sample of how your photo could be turned into a colorful sketch.

Newborn photos can be turned into a valuable keepsake to be treasured for a lifetime. If you have any questions you can contact either me (Amanda) or Diana by emailing divas3@tds.net or visiting our Etsy Store and leaving us a conversation. http://www.etsy.com/listing/65456698/photo-to-digital-colored-pencil-sketch

Pottery Barn Inspiration Baby's First Year Silver Leaf Frame

2011-01-06T13:58:00.007-05:00

I love my Pottery Barn catalog and they have so many beautiful products that if I could afford it I would just buy up their entire store. Unfortunately I can't so I don't. Instead I usually buy less expensive items and re-create the look I want. So I was flipping through their catalog a noticed this Silver Leaf First Year Frame for $59.

Pottery Barn Kids

I'm not in love with the silver Leaf Frame but I do love the layout of the photos. I guess that is the designer in me. So I decided to put my skills to work re-creating the photo mat in Pottery Barn's frame as a digital storyboard template.

I designed this layered psd template as a 10x20, and now all I have to do is place my photos and get it printed. The template could also be modified to add Personalization by simply adjusting the layers up or down to create the space needed for text. After printing the only thing left is to buy a frame.

In fact I liked this idea so much that I re-created the concept in 5 different sizes. Each template has 13 opening so they are perfect for Baby's First Year or School Years Photos.

If you like these templates as much as I do you can find them in my Etsy Store or on my website.

Mommy Card Freebie

2010-12-22T14:58:00.005-05:00

As an appreciation gift for all of our wonderful customers a FREE Mommy Calling Card. This is a psd file that you may personalize with your name and information. Exchange your calling cards with new moms you meet, they are great for setting up playdates. You can even put them in thank you cards, holiday cards, etc. Or keep these around just for the fun of it!

This Mommy Card was created using Vista Print specifications.

Thank you all for your kind support during 2010. We are so excited about 2011, plans are in the making to add many new and exciting products to our Etsy Store. We would like to keep you informed so sign up for our newsletter at http://divas3design.com/mailinglist.html

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

12 Days of Christmas Games

2010-12-15T08:45:00.004-05:00

Well peeps Christmas is just around the corner do you have all of your shopping done? I am just getting started on mine. I can't wait to shop for Alexis this year. This year we are getting her a Leapster Explorer or the Leapster 2 I haven't decided yet. Anybody have any suggestions for me on which way to go?

While I am trying to figure out which product to buy, I would like to invite you over to my Facebook Page http://facebook.com/divas3design We are playing fun Christmas games with our friends, come on over and join us!

Busy Busy Busy Creating More Photo Birth Announcements

2010-12-02T08:46:00.006-05:00

We spent Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchasing new beautiful papers for theses beautiful cards. I love the fresh new colors! What do you think?

We have lots more listed at Etsy!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Divas3Design?section_id=6306760

NEW! On ETSY Modern 5x7 Birth Announcement Sea Foam Cream and Chocolate

2010-11-22T14:35:00.005-05:00

Divas 3 Design's newest Photo Birth Announcement was just listed on Etsy! I love this birth announcement because it has such a fresh look to it and it is very modern.

Freebie: Christmas Tree Scrapbook Element

2010-11-09T07:43:00.003-05:00

This green cardboard Christmas Tree is my freebie for today. Download the freebie here.

Feel free to use it in your digital scrapbooking projects. I have created a whole set of these that I have made available on my website at http://divas3design.com/cart/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=16

Economical Printable Holiday Photo Cards

2010-11-05T15:10:00.004-04:00

The Divas have been working very hard to get more holiday cards added to our Etsy Store. These cards are so economical because we do the customizations for you for only $14.95. We send you your jpg file and you take it to any photo lab to get them printed. You can't get much better than that! You can find any of the cards shown below here.

No worries, you still have time to get those Christmas cards printed.

Snowman Poop Bag Topper

2010-10-29T09:06:00.002-04:00

As the holiday season nears it is time to give some thought to your holiday gift giving. Snowman Poop is a cute little gag gift you can give the naughty boys and girls on your list.

Snowman Poop

materials:

mini marshmallows

ziploc baggie

bag topper

stapler

Place mini Marshmallows in a ziploc baggie (snack size works well). Print out my Free Bag Topper. Cut out and fold in half. Place the bag topper over the top of your baggie and staple into place.

Have fun and Enjoy!

Here is a freebie bag topper for your Snowman Poop.

Freebie: Lifted Photo Frame Cluster

2010-10-26T10:31:00.001-04:00

Here is a Lifted Photo Frame Cluster that I am giving away as my freebie today! They can be used for digital scrapbook layouts, digital cards, or whatever your heart desires. Enjoy!

Download here

Groovy 1960's Hippie Theme Photo Birthday Invitation

2010-10-25T10:22:00.003-04:00

Today I created this very fun shagadelic photo card. Groovy baby! If you like the 60's and 70's theme with peace signs and flower power you will love this invitation. http://www.etsy.com/listing/59892747/groovy-hippie-themed-photo-birthday

Inspired by Pottery Barn

2010-10-11T17:01:00.008-04:00

I made this Baby Shower Invitation using this baby quilt from Pottery Barn Kids as my inspiration.

www.potterybarnkids.com

If you wanted this printed double sided on card stock either one of these patterns would look nice. I can't decide which one I like the best.

Starburst Paper Overlay and a Freebie

2010-10-11T14:53:00.008-04:00

Here are two new paper templates that I have added today. The ever popular star burst template/overlay. I love to use these for rock and roll theme layouts. You can add grunge and textures to suit your tastes.

These templates are 3600 pixels square at 300 dpi, perfect for you scrapbookers. They come in both png files and psd files for your convenience. You can purchase these in my Etsy store.

Keep scrolling down because I have also added a little freebie for you.

Two papers that I created with these lovely templates, with some added grunge and texture. You can download by clicking on this link or by clicking on the photo below. Enjoy!

5x7 Wild West Wanted Poster Birthday Invitation

2010-10-06T08:55:00.004-04:00

I love this invitation and it is starting to become quite popular over in our Etsy Store. It is a perfect invitation because it will work for cowboys and cowgirls regardless of age.

Come on over and visit us on Etsy, where we sell a printable copy of this invitation. We will make all of the personalizations for you and all you have to do is get the invitation printed. Having your invitations printed as a photo is the most economical way to send invitations but you can also get them printed on postcards or cardstock.

Freebie Halloween Invitation Template

2010-10-05T09:02:00.004-04:00

Halloween will be here soon! If you are looking for a last minute invitation you can download this template here.

The font I used in this invitation is a free font and I have included the name and where it can be downloaded in the zip file.

We also have other Halloween invitations available in our Etsy Store for $13.00. When you purchase our designs we do all of the customizations for you. Then we will send you a jpeg file that you can send to any photo lab for printing. Below is a sample of what is in our Etsy Store.

Enjoy the template and thanks for visiting!

5x7 Brag Book Template Freebie

2010-09-27T09:47:00.006-04:00

Another Freebie today. This is a 5x7 storyboard template or brag book template. Fully layered with clipping masks and it has lots of space for text under the photos. This template was made in Photoshop CS4, enjoy! You can download this template here.

Below is an example of one way this template could be used.

More 12x12 Storyboard Templates and a Freebie!

2010-09-24T09:59:00.009-04:00

I created a new set of Storyboard templates today. I have been getting some questions about how to use them so I am making one template out of my set available to you for Free. These templates were designed in Photoshop CS4 and are fully layered PSD files. Just drag and drop your photos using a clipping mask to clip into place. If you don't know about clipping masks I have a tutorial.

This is a sample using pics from my cousins wedding! These really make beautiful layouts, don't they?

As promised here it is my Freebie Template for you! Please feel free to use and enjoy! You may download it here.

All 4 templates are available for sale in our Etsy Shop.

5x7 Family Tree Birth Announcement

2010-09-09T13:03:00.007-04:00

Isn't this adorable? I found this cute phrase while looking for wording ideas "There is a new branch on the family tree." It really got the gears turning in my head so I used the phrase to build my idea for this photo birth announcement. You can purchase this design in our Etsy Shop at

http://www.etsy.com/listing/55918055/photo-birth-announcement-family-tree

Our ordering process is very simple.

Purchase the design you like at our Etsy shop http://www.divas3design.etsy.com
Send your photos to divas3@tds.net
We customize your invitation and send you a proof via email.
When you are satisfied we send you a high resolution file to have printed at any photo processor. (ie: Walmart, Target, CVS, Costco, etc.)

Leave us a comment and tell us what you think. If we can get at least 25 comments on this post, we will choose one lucky person to receive any design in our Etsy Shop for FREE. A $14.95 value.

Win 25 Free Holiday Cards

2010-09-05T18:30:00.004-04:00

Join our contest and submit your family photos. This is what you could win 25 printed 5x7 Holiday Photo Cards with envelopes. Visit our Facebook page to enter http://facebook.com/divas3design

How To Enter

Submit your photos to divas3@tds.net
One photo entry per family.
You may not use a professional photo.
The photo you submit will be used to create your holiday photo card.
Photos will be accepted from 12:01 am EST Monday September 6, 2010 through 11:59 pm EST Monday September 20, 2010.
Include your name with your photo. Your family name will be displayed with your photo on our Facebook Page.
You must reside in the United States to be eligible for this contest.

More Details...

All photo submissions will be uploaded to an album on the Divas3Design Facebook Page on September 23, 2010.
In order to vote you must "like" Divas3Design Facebook Page. Then click on the "like" button underneath each photo you wish to vote for in the album Family Photo Contest.
The photo with the most "likes" at 11:59 pm EST on October 7, 2010 will be the winner.
*Send all of your friends and family to our Facebook Page to vote for your photo.

New! Storyboard/Collage Photo Birth Announcement

2010-08-27T15:16:00.005-04:00

I just love the simplicity of this photo birth announcement. I was creating storyboard templates when I was inspired to create this baby announcement. As usual you can purchase this at Etsy http://www.etsy.com/listing/54792373/photo-baby-birth-announcement-black Let me know what you think of it!

Storyboard Templates with Clipping Masks Tutorial

2010-08-26T11:17:00.013-04:00

It has been a while since we posted because I've been hard at work creating all sorts of new things for you. These Storyboards are our newest item just created today and I just couldn't wait to share. You can find these in our Etsy store at http://www.etsy.com/listing/54768170/8x10-storyboard-collage-template-set-of

Storyboards are a very artistic way of displaying your photos. They can be framed or mounted on storyboard. These are perfect for you photographers out there.

These storyboard or collage templates come in a set of 4 8x10 PSD files with clipping masks. If you don't know how to use clipping masks keep reading my tutorial below.

Clipping Mask Tutorial

The first step is to open the storyboard template and your photos in photoshop.

Now that you have your files open. Drag one of your photos onto the storyboard template. Place the photo layer directly above the clipping mask layer where you want your photo placed.

In your layers palette click and select your image layer. Now right click and select clipping mask. Or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl +Alt+G (on PC) or Command + option + G (on Mac)

Your photo is now formed to the size of the clipping mask. You may now drag your photo around and position it as needed and you can resize it as usual.

And that is how you use clipping masks in photoshop. Repeat for each image until you complete your storyboard. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, good luck and enjoy.

15% OFF

2010-04-28T15:15:00.002-04:00

Use coupon code "april15" and receive 15% off your photo card order. Offer expires April 30!

2010-03-12T12:26:00.001-05:00

Class of 2010 Graduation Invitations

2010-03-07T12:53:00.002-05:00

Class of 2010 get your graduation announcements and invitations at http://www.divas3design.com/graduation-invitations.html before it is too late!

Graduation Invitations For North Daviess

2010-03-02T19:09:00.005-05:00

This 5x7 photo graduation announcement was created specifically for our local school the North Daviess Cougars! These graduation photo invitations can be ordered from our website. We only require a minimum order of 10. They will be printed on archival quality photo paper with a matte finish. Fitted white envelopes will be provided for each invitation. $1.75/each

Other graduation photo invitations are available as well:

Delightfully Bright Photo Birth Announcement

2010-02-09T15:12:00.003-05:00

New Product! Just added today 5x7 - This beautiful scrapbook style photo birth announcement features bright beautiful pink and blue elements. Minimum order quantity of 10.

Birthday Photo Card Invitations For The Mature Generation

2010-01-24T03:28:00.003-05:00

~The Traveler~

~Boyhood~

We have began designing photo card invitations for the more mature generation. We have added these two that would be great for our senior fathers.

Digital Scrapbook Wedding Layout

2010-01-13T02:25:00.007-05:00

Digital Kit by Tricia Curtis Designs "Je t'aime Kit"
Picture from Stock.xchng
Photographer: Simona Balint
(used with permission)

Couples, You Need A Wedding Webpage

2010-01-07T07:13:00.001-05:00

Creating a wedding webpage is becoming a hot trend. More and more couples are using wedding webpages to connect with their family and friends.

Some features of wedding webpages:

A chance to share your story.
This is where you let everyone know how you met, When you shared your first kiss and what your hopes and dreams are as a couple! You can also introduce your wedding party and tell a little about how you chose each person to be included in the ceremony. Talk about your honeymoon and where you are planning to go. These stories give you and your family and friends a more intimate connection.

Adding photos
On your wedding webpage you will be able to share you and your sweethearts pre wedding photos. Photos such as your engagement pictures, vacation photos, or any photo of happy moments of the two of you together.

Maps
Most wedding webpages have an application that allows you to post a map with directions to your venue and surrounding attractions for those arriving from out of town.

Gift registry

Some wedpages have a really cool feature, that allows you to post your gift registry to your page.

Music
Do you have a personal wedding playlist? You can share your wedding music on your wedpages too.

How do I get started?
There are several sites to choose from. Several offer free wedding pages but there are some that ask for a minimal fee. I have compiled a small list for you, but feel free to search for your others. During my searches I have found that www.mywedding.com is my favorite. They have several templates to choose from and they are 100% free. Below is a list of other that I have found:

www.ewedding.com
www.projectwedding.com
www.weddingwire.com
www.wedshare.com
www.wedpagedesigns.com

Wordless Wednesday Photo

2010-01-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

Save the Date Photo Cards

2010-01-05T15:46:00.002-05:00

Our latest photo save the date card has just been added to Divas 3 Design.
http://divas3design.com//catalog/catalog.php?item=35&catid=Save%20The%20Date%20Cards

Our Save the Date cards are perfect for couples wanting to announce their wedding early and great for destination weddings. Save the Date cards should be sent out at least 6 months in advance of your wedding date!

Photo Birth Announcement With Matching Bookmark

2010-01-02T11:50:00.007-05:00

We are now offering birth announcement bookmarks. You will find this bookmark listed on our website. Bookmarks are a unique way of sharing the announcement of you new baby with family and friends.

2010-01-01T01:39:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!!!!

Wordless Wednesday - First Snowman

2009-12-30T14:29:00.004-05:00

We haven't got much snow here, yet at least we got enough for Alexis to make her very first snowman. She had a great time!

Networking For The Woman Owned Busisness

2009-12-22T12:25:00.006-05:00

As work at home women we are always searching for networking blogs to help grow our business. While searching we came across "The Work At Home Woman." This website is owned by Holly Reisem Hanna. In her bio she states,"I founded The Work at Home Woman; a website dedicated to helping women and moms fulfill their dreams of working at home and/or becoming self employed, while providing inspiration, motivation and support."

The Work At Home Woman is an online resource for women who wish to work from home, Their goal is to provide the work at home women with the knowledge and support to successfully run a home based business. They were recognized as one of the top home-based businesses in the 2009 StartupNation’s Home-Based 100 Competition.

The Work At Home Woman's website is loaded with wonderful articles covering many different aspects of running a home based business. You will find articles from "Finding Your Niche" to “How Work at Home Moms Can Maintain a Social Life While Working From Home.”

Tips For Teaching Your Preschoolers at Home

2009-12-18T21:10:00.003-05:00

Do you have a preschool age child? Do you use preschool workbooks? You can save money by using your work sheets over and over. Just place each worksheet into a plastic sleeve such as a page protector and give your child a dry erase marker to write his or her answers. When your child completes their worksheet, just wipe the page clean and insert another worksheet!

My daughter goes through an entire workbook in one sitting. This method allows us to reuse the pages several times.

Lucy and Ethel's DC Adventure Day 4 cont...

2009-12-07T10:01:00.003-05:00

After leaving Arlington Cemetery, we head to National Zoo. It is about 1:00 pm and today the Zoo is closing at 4:00 pm because they are having a Halloween Event. We were so excited, Lucy and Alexis really wanted to see the monkeys plus we were going to see the Giant Pandas. But first we had to stop and get lunch. By the time we were done eating it was 2:00. We did get to see the pandas and a few other animals. Just as we were heading to the monkeys, the Zoo announced they were closing at 3 instead of 4 and rushed us out. So we were all very disappointed. But we did see something quite amazing!

A homeless man at the National Zoo! But keep scrolling down and take a gander at these feet!

Taking this photo was one of the highlights of my day. I told my husband that I was going to get this one framed. (He just rolled his eyes and shook his head at me!)

Ok moving forward now, we decide to go to Union Station and do some shopping and eat some dinner. We are eating dinner and what a wonderful surprise, the President of the United States decides to stop by and have dinner with us! We were ecstatic! What a perfect ending to a not so perfect vacation!

Ok so it wasn't really the President, but one can dream!

Lucy and Ethel's D.C. Adventure...Day 4

2009-12-05T07:00:00.001-05:00

Sunday October 25, 2009

Today we get up early and we are going to Arlington Cemetery and the National Zoo. We leave for the Metro Train at around 7:30 am. It is an unusually crowded day for a Sunday on the Metro. After overhearing some of the other passengers we realize that today the Marine Corp Marathon is in town and they are going right through the Arlington Cemetery.

During our trip we never had any fears...until today! As we are riding the train towards Arlington, a strange man hops on the same train car as us. He is wearing all blue...dark blue pants, a dark blue jacket with his collar pulled up around his ears, and a dark blue baseball cap with the brim pulled down over his eyes. He is carrying a dirty old back pack...and the first thought that comes in my head is Unabomber! I am suddenly feeling very sick and nervous...I look over at Lucy and I can tell she is thinking the same thing. He never sits down...and there are seats available...so I am hoping that he's getting off the train soon...but he doesn't. So I look around the train to see if anyone else seems to notice this strange man...but no one else is paying as much attention. Suddenly this man starts making the most horrible sound and I look up and he has his hand to his mouth and he is breathing really hard. He is acting really nervous. Alexis is in my lap and I see Lucy look over at me, I can tell she is getting more and more nervous by the minute. I'm thinking maybe we should get off of the train at the next stop just to get away from this weirdo.

All kinds of thoughts are flitting through my head...I'm thinking this guy has got a bomb or something in that back pack and he is going to blow us all up! So I'm looking the guy over. He is very tall and broad, a monster of a man. I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to take this guy out...if it comes down to that! In my mind I'm swinging from the handrails kicking the guy in the head...but I don't see him going down...I'm going to need help, but I don't think Lucy is going to be up to it!

Well I don't want this guy to notice me looking at him so I look away... but I can still see his reflection in the train window beside me. Suddenly I see him smile a big toothy grin...ohhhh it sent chills down my back! The train stopped and we got off before he could kill us all! I have never felt that much fear in my life...but I guess he wasn't a terrorist after all because we never heard of any bombings or terror attacks on the news! LOL The sight of that man still haunts me today!

Lucy and I had to compose ourselves after our near death experience and we arrived safely at Arlington Cemetery to begin our fun filled day. We see JFK's grave site as well as Ted and Robert Kennedy's. But most exciting of all we are going to see the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknowns. During the ceremony they ask that you be very quiet...well if you know Alexis you know it is almost impossible to keep her from talking, she talks all day non stop. We wait about 30 minutes for the ceremony to start and Alexis is being so quiet...I'm so proud of my little Angel!

As the ceremony starts, we all stand up to pay our respects and of course I'm taking pictures of the whole process. Alexis can't see very well so Lucy takes Alexis up the steps behind me so she can get a better look. All is quiet and they begin to play Taps, suddenly I hear someone from behind me call out "HI MOMMY!" Everyone turns and looks to see who is making all that racket. So, I turn around too and there is my little DEVIL, Alexis with a big wide grin on her face. She is looking down at me and she seems to be so proud of herself. I quickly turned around and acted like she wasn't my kid, and Lucy hurried off with Alexis in hand! Oh what a day!

Arlington Cemetery

John F. Kennedy's Grave

Teddy Kennedy's Grave

Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns

Stay tuned...this adventure isn't over yet!

Lucy and Ethel's D.C. Adventure...Day 3

2009-12-04T07:00:00.002-05:00

Saturday October 24, 2009

The 3rd day of our adventure...we slept in a little later today! Today Lucy has our day all planned out for us. So the first thing we do is head back to the White House (to get pictures that we were not able to get yesterday!). It is a rainy day today but fortunately we have 2 umbrellas...and a poncho for Alexis. On the walk to the White house Alexis is throwing a fit...she doesn't want to walk any more...and she doesn't like the way her poncho feels! Now the wind is starting to pick up and my umbrella turns wrong side out. I'm getting all wet from the rain, Lucy has the good umbrella so she is just walking merrily along. Finally we reach the White House and get the pictures I so desperately wanted.

From the White House we head on our nearly 5 mile journey to the Vietnam Wall, near the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. Just a reminder, we saw most of theses the evening before...but I was excited to go into some of the museums. Alexis is complaining the whole time...she wants to go back to the hotel...I'm getting on to her to behave herself and giving her my famous speech about how historical this trip is...Alexis just looks at me like I'm crazy...Lucy is getting agitated with me because I'm giving Alexis such a hard time. By the time we get down to the monuments we are all exhausted.

This photo was taken the evening before.

So after our 5 mile journey from the White House to the monuments we continue on to the Holocaust Museum. We get into the Holocaust Museum and of course everyone is very somber. A guide tells a large group of us to go up to the 2nd floor and remember what we see and tell others. Alexis belts out "I'm not going to remember...I don't want to remember anything that is going to give me nightmares!" Everyone was looking at us like why do you have that child here. Needless to say we didn't stay long!

Now we are on our way to the Air and Space museum. We don't stay long because it is already getting to be 3:30pm and the museums close at 5 pm and I have a lot places I want to go to see So as soon as we step out and head to the American History Museum the downpour hits. I get Alexis's poncho on her...I gave Lucy the broken umbrella LMAO...and I take the good umbrella. We head across the street in the downpour. Once again the wind hits...Lucy's umbrella turns completely inside out...I'm laughing so hard I can't hardly stand it anymore...other people on the street are finding this humorous as well. We are all completely soaked, our shoes are wet and pant legs are wet up to our knees. Of course I was able to find the time to snap a photo...

Here is Lucy...she is not very happy, but me and Alexis find it quite amusing!

By this time we weren't in the mood to walk any farther so instead of going to the American History museum we went into the Natural History Museum, just in time for them to be closing within the hour.

Afterwards we had a 7 block walk to get back onto the Metro train and ride 30 minutes back to our hotel room! Ahhhh Home Sweet Home.

After we get our clothes changed we decided to go out for pizza...but we didn't want to eat from a pizza chain we have back home...so we were on a hunt for a local pizzaria called Pizza Uno's (or so our hotel called it). This time I'm making Lucy drive...muhahaha. So Lucy drives up and down the road and there is no
Pizza Uno's in sight. I start messing with the GPS to see if it can find it...the GPS sent us on a goose chase. We followed the GPS and when it reached its supposed destination it says make a U turn...huh but there was no pizza place in sight. Finally after driving around I spotted a Uno's Chicago Bar and Grill. Lucy says that must be it!..but I wanted to argue..."but it doesn't say Uno's Pizza". So Lucy drive around and we find a Papa Johns...but I say "no we can get Papa Johns at home...I want something different!"

So Lucy goes into the neighboring CVS pharmacy and asks them where Pizza Uno's is located. The workers in the CVS are of an Indian ethnicity. They say "theres a pizza place right next door"...Lucy replies "but I want Pizza Uno's!" they reply "yeah yeah Uno's across the street!"...Lucy says "they serve pizza?"..."yeah yeah right across the street."

So we go back to Uno's Bar and Grill sit down and order our pizza. I guess Lucy was right after all! Who would have guessed! So I'm looking at the menu and I only see 2 sizes one for an individual and one to feed two. Ok I'm from the country...I was expecting to find sizes in inches. But that is ok I order a Numero Uno for two.

We wait and wait and wait for our pizza...soon our server comes and says "your pizza will be out in 2 minutes." About 15 minutes later the restaurant manager comes and says "I'm sorry we have to remake your pizza...they cooked it with the peppers on top and that is not the way I do things. My cooks were going to send it out that way...they didn't think you would know the difference! So I am not going to charge you for the pizza, it's on the house."

Of course we didn't say anything and went along with him...we definitely would not have known the difference!!! Our Pizza arrived and it was the best pizza I have ever ate in my life.

Now that we have had our fill of Numero Uno's pizza, it is time to head back to our room and Lucy decides she is not going to drive us back to the hotel. Since Alexis doesn't have her license yet I guess I will drive. We get back to the hotel parking garage and it is almost full, the few spots left may not be large enough for my truck. There is no parking anywhere else in the vicinity unless I want to park at the metro station across the street. So what do I do, I drive around the block trying to decide what I'm going to do...I'm about ready to go in and yell at the hotel staff I'm so angry...So I decide to give it one more shot and I finally decide that I think if I back into the spot I'll make it in without scraping the other cars beside me...Finally I'm safely parked and my stress levels return to normal. And that was day 3 of Lucy and Ethel's DC adventure. To be continued....

Lucy and Ethel's D.C. Adventure...Day 2

2009-12-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

Friday October 23, 2009

It is the 2nd day of our trip and we got about 4 hours of sleep. Today we were going to the White House and to the Capitol Building for a guided tour. We had to be at the White House by 9:15 am and our tour was at 9:30 am. We can't take any cameras or purses into the White House. So Lucy decided that instead of leaving our stuff in the hotel we should put my camera in her bag and check the bag at Union Station...then we can go back and get it after the White House Tour. Ok it is a 30 minute train ride from our hotel to the center of DC...so I go along with Lucy's idea.

So we hop on the DC Metro with our bag in hand....It' is a busy day for the metro. We arrive at Union Station at about 8:42 am....We navigate to the bag checking station and Yippee there was no one in line. So we head to the counter to check our bag and sitting on the counter is a sign that reads "be back in 15 minutes."

I tell Lucy..."We have to be at the White House in 30 minutes...if I miss the White House Tour because we had to check this bag...I'm going to be really ticked!" At 9:00 we got our bag checked and ran back to the train...heading to the White House.

We had to walk several city blocks from where we got off of the train to get to the White House...of course my map was in the bag, back at Union Station!" I'm panicking..it is 9:15 and I don't know where we are supposed to go to begin our tour. So we stop and ask a few folks where the tour starts...they replied I think you want to go to the White House Visitor Center...another block away. So we go to the Visitor Center and have to go through security and metal detectors...just to have them tell us we need to go back across the street for our tour.

I'm about ready to pull my hair out by this time...I've been waiting months for this and I'm going to miss it...all because Lucy had to check the bag!

It's 9:35 am and we finally get in line for the White House Tour. I'm stressing that they won't let us in....but everything worked in our favor....It just so happened that President Obama was getting ready to leave and the tours were behind schedule.

To my relief we were allowed in with the 10:30 am group. And we got to see the President leave in Marine One. What an experience...too bad I didn't have a camera!

The rest of our day was fairly relaxing...we went on a tour of the Capitol and saw most of the monuments that evening. And that was Day 2 of Lucy and Ethel's DC Adventure...To be continued...

Me and Lucy at the Capitol.

Alexis at the Capitol

Lucy and Ethel's D.C. Adventure...Day 1

2009-12-02T10:56:00.007-05:00

Well let me preface this story by telling you why I call ourselves Lucy and Ethel. Of course you all have seen episodes of I Love Lucy...well me and my mom are a lot like Lucy and Ethel. Mom is the red head aka "Lucy" and I'm the more sensible blonde aka "Ethel." Together we come up with ideas that never quite go as planned.

So this year we decided we were going to take a trip to Washington DC with my 4 year old daughter. My husband suggested I leave Alexis home with him...but I said "Honey...this is a historical time in history and Alexis is going to be a part of it!" And that was that.

Mom and I were planning this trip on a very tight budget so we opted to drive the 700 miles from Indiana to DC rather than use other modes of transportation. Of course Lucy decides she wants to take the scenic route to get there. Me..I don't even like to drive...but I'm thinking ok, Mom will probably do most of the driving any way...No big deal right!

According to our plan and mapquest it would only take us about 12 hours to get there. So October 22, we left early...sometime around 4 AM. We wanted to get to DC while it was still daylight and have time to learn how to navigate the DC Metro system...there is no way either of us were going to drive in the middle of DC! So the plan was to arrive no later than 6 PM.

Off we go....everything was going great....we did have to stop several times for Alexis to go potty...and Me and Mom were doing good taking our turns driving. Then we arrived in West Virginia and we were finally in the mountains (the scenic view). The farther east we went the heavier the traffic became. It was Mom's turn to drive and she decides to have an anxiety attack. So we pull over in Maryland and and I have to drive from here on out...by this time it was already about 6:00 pm ...the sun was setting and it was starting to get dark. Well,I don't drive in the dark! I don't see very well to drive at night...so now we have a bad situation and we are still a few hours to get there and we should have already been there!

We keep heading east and I'm driving...still the farther east we go the more traffic we see...I'm going up and down and up and down big hilly terrain...through the mountains...because someone wanted the scenic route. It is so dark now you can't even see the scenery. We drove through the Cumberland Gap and I didn't even get to see it
because it was so dark.

We get near the edge of DC and I'm trying to get my GPS to avoid the Capitol Beltway I-495. I'm not in the mood to deal with that kind of traffic! The GPS doesn't like the route I want to take and is yelling at me to make a U turn...I'm getting really agitated now. Mom is in the passenger seat trying to help me navigate...but she is not helping me as fast I think she should...So I'm yelling at her ..."Do you think that you could at least read the signs because I can't see them!" She replies..."Well I can't see them very well either!" Uggghhhh!

I was getting very frustrated but we finally made it to our hotel at about 10:30 pm...Almost 18 hours from the time we left Indiana. And that was Day One of Lucy and Ethel's DC Adventure!...To be continued.

Time Is Running Out To Order Christmas Cards

2009-11-23T15:36:00.008-05:00

We have added a few more Christmas cards to our website. Christmas is fast approaching so if you haven't ordered your Christmas Photo Cards do so today!

Christmas Cards

2009-11-20T09:30:00.009-05:00

It's time to order your Christmas Cards!!! Here are a couple we have to offer. Visit our website for more selections.

We Had Dinner With Barack

2009-11-09T16:49:00.002-05:00

Vintage Santa Holiday Photo Card

2009-11-06T16:14:00.005-05:00

Another vintage holiday card design. This design is now available for purchase on our website http://www.divas3design.com//shop/catalog.php?item=64&catid=Christmas More cards coming soon!

Vintage Inspired Christmas Photo Card

2009-11-03T16:33:00.006-05:00

This holiday photo card was created with vintage artwork that I found on Karen's blog. I've been fascinated with vintage art and was excited when I found her blog with vintage downloads so I created this wonderful digital photo card for the holiday season.

Vacation Tales

2009-11-03T15:06:00.002-05:00

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2028020&id=1619170636&l=17b17fbea9

Here are some photos of our vacation.

Lucy, Ethel and Little Ricky Go to D.C.

2009-10-22T04:26:00.003-04:00

Stay tuned for the Tales of their adventure.

Photo Christmas Cards

2009-10-18T14:39:00.008-04:00

You can make this holiday season brighter by sending Photo Christmas Cards this year. Family and friends will be thrilled when they receive your special greeting. http://divas3design.com/

Planning a Toddlers Birthday Party? Don't Forget the Photos!

2009-10-16T14:41:00.005-04:00

Birthday parties for kids are always a lot of fun, but sometimes in the chaos you forget to take that perfect snapshot . We recommend that you designate a person to take all of the photos, so that you as a parent don't have to do so much multi tasking during the party.

When the party is over you will have your photos to treasure for a lifetime. To make it even more memorable you can create a small scrapbook of the occasion. Your child will thank you for preserving this precious memory. Don't have the time to scrapbook? We offer scrapbooking services just for this occasion. We can create a small 10 page scrapbook with 4x6 photos for only $30.00. Visit our website to see sample pages that we can create for you http://www.divas3design.com//shop/catalog.php?item=59&catid=Custom%20Scrapbooks

Thanksgiving Greetings

2009-10-10T07:00:00.001-04:00

A beautiful Thanksgiving Photo Greeting to send you family and friends this fall. http://www.divas3design.com//shop/catalog.php?category=Thanksgiving

We also have some new fall birth announcements listed.

Tickets To The White House

2009-10-09T07:00:00.002-04:00

We got great news today! We will get that White House tour after all. Just got the email confirming our dates, we're so excited!

Looking for inspiration!

2009-10-08T09:00:00.001-04:00

I was flipping through channels last night and just happened to catch part of an episode of the Cake Boss. They made the most beautiful cake using Zebra Stripes and pink for a Teens birthday.

As soon as I saw the cake I was instantly inspired to create a card using the zebra print theme. I searched the web over for a picture of that cake but couldn't find it. During my search I found this beautiful cake made by Stacey that is very similar.

So here is my card, I think it would make a beautiful card for a teenagers birthday party. And we have listed this card in our Etsy store. You never know where my next inspiration is going to come from :-)

Baby Wipes Recipe

2009-10-07T10:00:00.001-04:00

We came across this recipe about a year ago and thought it was a great idea.

Homemade Baby Wipes

4 cups boiling water
4 TBS Johnson’s baby bath soap
4 TBS Johnson’s baby lotion
1 roll Bounty Paper Towels (cut in half)
2 airtight containers to fit paper towels

Directions:

Mix together the liquids then pour half (approximately 2 cups) into each container. Place paper towel rolls in the liquid and seal containers. Wait 5 minutes then flip the containers over to evenly distribute the solution on the paper towels. Make sure to use containers that are airtight and can hold boiling hot water.
Remove the cardboard tubes from the center of the rolls, then use the wipes by pulling the towel from the center.

Baby soap and lotion can be changed to whichever brand you prefer.

Creatively packaged you could create a unique baby shower gift using this recipe. Be sure to pass this recipe along to your friends with babies :-)

Planning our trip to Washington DC

2009-10-06T14:42:00.004-04:00

I've been wanting to visit Washington DC for the last 12 years, and I'm finally getting my chance. Throughout the years I have found myself becoming more and more of a political junkie. I tend to choose watching the news over sitcoms. Politics is very fascinating to me, especially now with our nations first elected African American President. Whether you agree with his policies or not this is a very exciting time in our history and I'm very eager to visit our nations's capital. So, Mom, Alexis, and me are going on a road trip! A mere 16 days away. Alexis is only 4 but she is a huge Barack fan, I think she actually believes we are going to a sit down dinner with the President lol. Alexis said "Oh he'll be so excited to see his biggest fan!" I hope she doesn't get too disappointed. So far I don't think we are going to get our tour of the White House. We have requested the tickets but we haven't heard any news yet. For now we are just counting down the days. I'm sure we will be posting some interesting photos later on :-)

2010 Calendars for Holiday Gifts

2009-10-04T21:41:00.007-04:00

This is a holiday calendar we have designed for business owners, measuring 4x9 inches. This calendar is a great marketing tool. Send one to each of your existing customers this holiday season. We will customize each card with your business name and info. For purchase information visit http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31686549

Newly listed birth announcement on Etsy

2009-09-25T11:03:00.004-04:00

Just listed today, this adorable birth announcement featuring pearls and lace. Our designs can be purchased on Etsy or on our website at http://divas3design.com

WE Were Featured Here

2009-09-24T16:33:00.007-04:00

We were featured yesterday on Wyjajewels Blog! Laura is a fellow member of Busy Moms of Etsy Team

Laura, thank you so much!

New Home Announcement

2009-09-19T12:30:00.008-04:00

Announce your new home to family and friend by sending them a photo announcement featuring your beautiful new home!

This card was made using four of the new pantone colors for spring 2010.

Just Moved Announcement

2009-09-19T03:10:00.006-04:00

This is one of the "Just Moved Announcements" we will be adding to our shop soon. Visit our website to see all of our announcements.

And the winner is...

2009-09-14T10:49:00.003-04:00

Heather! Thank you all for participating in our photo announcement giveaway. We used random.org to choose our winner and Heather will be receiving 1 personalized digital photo announcement of her choice.

Baby Shower Invitations

2009-09-11T13:57:00.005-04:00

We just added a new category to our invitations for Baby Showers. This is a very simplistic design but oh so cute! All of our designs can be printed 4x6 or 5x7. You can purchase this print your own file by visiting our Etsy Store or if you would like us to print them, we would be happy to do that too.

Photo Card Giveaway

2009-09-03T14:01:00.003-04:00

We are going to have a giveaway! Entries will be accepted for 10 days. Ending on September 13, 2009 at 11:00pm EDT. One winner will be randomly chosen and announced here on this blog on Sept. 14 around noon EDT.

The prize is: 1 person will win 1 personalized photo card design. We will email the personalized design to you and you can print them wherever you wish. The winner may choose from any of our designs located at http://www.divas3design.etsy.com

So how do you enter you ask!?!?

Well head on over to my etsy store http://divas3design.etsy.com come back here comment and tell us which one of our designs you like best! It's that easy.
Also leave some way for me to contact you should you win (email, twitter or such).

One Entry per person please.

To gain 1 extra entry to this drawing, visit our website at http://www.divas3design.com
and join our newsletter mailing list.

While you are here don't forget to follow our blog and on twitter so you will know when we do another give away.

Good Luck everyone!

Photo Birth Announcement - Kid Doodles and Scribbles

2009-09-01T14:42:00.004-04:00

This is just one of many photo birth announcements we have designed. This announcement can be printed as a 4x6 or 5x7. This birth announcement is available for purchase at our Divas 3 Design Etsy Store. You can have any of our designs printed at any photo finisher or we can have them printed for you. When we print your announcements we will also provide you with envelopes.

Halloween Invitations

2009-08-26T18:02:00.003-04:00

Need Halloween Invitations? Visit http://www.divas3design.com/halloween-invitations.html for some of our latest spooky Halloween Party Invitations and cards. New designs will be added on a regular basis as we prepare for the 2009 Halloween Season.

Divas 3 Design has been featured at Brilliant Blossoms etc.

2009-08-26T10:12:00.003-04:00

Our Etsy store Divas 3 Design is being featured today on Brilliant Blossoms Etc. blog. We are so excited! Jenn at Brilliant Blossoms Etc. creates beautiful handmade hair accessories. Visit her Etsy store to see Jenn's creations. Thanks, Jenn!

Winter Wonderland Wedding Inspiration Board

2009-08-19T23:27:00.006-04:00

Winter wonderland weddings are beautiful when using ice blue, silver, and white.

photo credits: bridesmaid dress, bridal gown, tuxedo, cake, place setting, flower girl dress, center piece, bridal bouquet, save the date card by Divas 3 Design

Save The Date for Fall Wedding

2009-08-17T23:50:00.005-04:00

Here at Divas 3 Design we have been designing save the date cards. We have designed this card that can easily be changed to your own personal colors. Here is one example using fall colors, you may see the inspiration board that we put together to go with these colors in the post below.

This sample is using pantone colors burnt sienna, honey yellow, and creme brulee with a little chocolate.

Fall Wedding Inspiration Board

2009-08-17T09:56:00.003-04:00

We have been reading what other bloggers are saying about fall wedding colors and have to agree that pantone burnt sienna, honey yellow and creme brulee are awesome together. Mix those with a little chocolate and you have the perfect fall combination. We at Divas 3 Design have been working on save the date cards and wanted to design one that could easily be changed to our clients personal wedding colors. With each sample of different colors we have also made our own inspiration board.

Photo Credits: bridesmaid & brides dress; Alfred Angelo, tuxedo, flower girl dress, bridal bouquet , cake, spiced apple cider, after-ceremony snack , candied apples, table settings, save the date photo cards by Divas 3 Design

Two Page Wedding Layout

2009-08-15T11:37:00.001-04:00

While I was looking at a Readers Digest I spotted an ad about Texas and thought it would make a wonderful digital scrapbook layout. I had downloaded some wonderful wedding pictures by Simona Balint and knew this would be the perfect layout for them.

Here is the ad that was my inspiration.

Here is my 2 page layout.

Pictures are from Stock.xchng

Photographer: Simona Balint

(used with permission)

Background paper from Delicious Scraps

Frames are from The Scrappin Cop

The words are a couple lines from the lyrics of "A Moment Like This."

All names and dates are fictitious.