{ The Big Picture }

As I was cleaning up my studio this morning, organizing what I could out of the mess that I am calling a studio re-model, I picked up the most trusted and useful tools a screenprinter owns: squeegees.
(I love that word! SQUEEGEE! It's even more fun to type!)

As you all know, we sell tshirts that use no ink and no paint so my squeegees always stay squeaky clean.

But. . . .Today they look like this:

My squeegees got a workout!

Me, and my family spent the last 2 weeks working on campaign signs for one of my favorite people in the whole world: my mother-in-law.


 After making 5 giant silkscreens,  we printed 65 4ft x 4ft road signs and 64 2ft x 2ft yard signs. My yard was plastered with red, white, and blue.  It was beautiful!

And now my squeegees show the battle wounds of real screenprinting usage; red and blue paint spattered across the rubber and smooth wood.  And as strange as it may seem, I don't miss my clean squeegees.

As I moved my tools around this morning I had a "big picture" moment, staring at the red, white and blue.  If it weren't for the soldiers who gave their lives for our country, there would be no Cantaloupe Corner.

Today is Memorial Day. I love this country more than I can express! I am grateful every day for the soldiers that went before us to protect what God set up for us in this blessed land.

Thank you to our soldiers for protecting the people and standing up for the rights given to us by God.
It is thanks to their courage and strength that we enjoy our freedoms.


So each time we get on Facebook or Twitter to speak our minds, thank a soldier.
When we go to church,  attend a rally or protest,  pick up the newspaper, shop at the local grocery store, fill up your cars with gas. . . .  And each time an entrepreneur starts up a small business, THANK A SOLDIER!

The men and women of the military gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we can be free!  

The simple words of "Thank You" just aren't enough. . . .

Can you handle it?

With all the arrival of our new premium quality t-shirts I thought it only fitting to get some new pictures that are just as. . . well. . .premium.

Eric Greer from Eric Greer Photo was the man behind the camera. And HOLY COW! Words can't even describe!

And you've got to hand it to a guy that is willing to chase toddlers/preschoolers around to get some good shots. It's not easy.

Here are a handful of my favorites:

Can you handle the cuteness?

ROCK 

Little Mister

Beat It

Definition of a Boy

Dig It

 Check out more new pics in my shop!

And. . .

I've got a new design or two coming up after the holiday weekend.

Eric Greer also does family, engagement, and wedding pictures. I LOVE his style! You have to see his work!

Check out his portfolio here.
 And his Blog.

Introducing. . . ROCK

. . . the newest member of the Cantaloupe Corner design family!

ROCK!

For your little guitar hero!

(I couldn't wait any longer! I'm getting modeled pictures soon but I just had to get this design in my shop!)

This new ROCK shirt is only available on our new tshirt brand.  Our new shirts are EXTRA soft, thick and the highest quality. And the best part is, they run true-to-size!!
 I've tried out a BUNCH of toddler t-shirts and these shirts are by far the best!

Sizing and colors will be slightly different. Check them out in our shop.

I will be switching the other shirts over to the new shirt brand as well, as soon as I get new pics, or when I start running out of our current tees, whichever comes first.


Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a sudden urge to break out my guitar and jam out to some Joan Jett!
"I Love Rock n' Roll, so put another dime in the juke box baby!"

What did you do this weekend?

Here's what went on over at our place:

Being the designated screenprinter in the family, I got forced talked into screenprinting some big ol' campaign signs! This is my backyard on Friday night. I got a self-taught crash coarse in large scale screenprinting.  It was AMAZING to see this project go from a tiny computer screen image to full scale 4ft x 4ft road signs.

I had a lot of help putting this all together. The signs are for the best mother-in-law in the world (she really is). She is Arizona's Apache County Clerk of Superior Court. (So if you live in Apache County, vote for Sue!)

What's that in the background? The Grand Canyon!!

As part of my birthday present, we took the kids on the Grand Canyon Railway to see the Grand Canyon. The trian ride was better than I have words to say about it. I have a 3 year old son who is a train fanatic and you would have thought he was in heaven. He didn't care about the big hole in the ground. He just wanted to get back on the train.

I also may or may not have posted a new tshirt design in my Etsy Shop.

If you find it (and I'm saying that there is one), which one is it?

Hope you had an adventurous weekend too! What did you do?

Something Different

My office is in shambles.

Me an my little tikes had went a whole week with no TV!! It took the hubby a little convincing that this was a good idea but we did it! It was easier than I thought and I felt so good knowing that my little boys' brains weren't turning to mush.

That's not why my office is torn apart.

I turned on the TV and the first show I watched had some simple advice:

 When you feel like you are stuck in a rut,  Do Something DIFFERENT!

So, I did!
Not because the black box told me too. I had been thinking about changing some things up already but this gave me that extra little nudge I needed.

I can tell you, little changes make a HUGE difference.

So. . . . .
I chopped 6 inches off my hair!  (I'm working on getting before and after pics of this)

And I started tearing down the wallpaper in my office. I think my hubby is scared that I've been possesed by some evil DIY spirit. He thinks I'm stressed and busy already and he couldn't believe I was taking on stripping and painting the office too! Don't worry honey, it's like therapy for me. And the office will look great when it's done! I'm so excited to choose paint colors!

I have limited space in my office because I share space with 2 humonguos computer desks. It's getting a teeny bit cramped.  see?

(Looks bad eh?  I got a pic of the room at it's worst; mess, wallpaper and all. I can't wait until I have an "after" shot to show off!)

So that's why my office is in shambles. I've moved the furniture all around, along with my boat-loads of Cantaloupe Corner supplies. Paint first, then arrange and re-organize! 

Now, what color do I want these walls. . . . . . ?

Did I mention I have some remodeling going on with Cantaloupe Corner too? Our new shirts are here and waiting paitiently to have their pictures taken (once my little models start feeling better).  You are going to LOVE, LOVE, LOOOOVE them!

And we have 3 new Toddler Tee designs coming! (squeal!)

All these changes will be going on in the next couple of weeks!  I wish it could all be done tomorrow so I could show you! I'm sooo excited!



You should try No TV Week too. My boys finally stopped asking me if they could watch a movie every 10 minutes. It was bliss.

Little Monster!

Take a look at this cute "little monster"! His name is Sam and his mom refers to him as the "resident monster" in their house. (Love it!)
 His mommy Julie, runs "The Gerber Babies" blog and she was kind enough to do a review yesterday on this onesie.  Check out the detailed review here.

She even mentioned how easy it is to care for these onesies.

She said:

 "I've already washed Sam's onesie and it was simple. I did not have to turn it inside out (which I often fail to do-hey, I've got too much on my mind these days!) and it looked new after washing. Sometimes black fades after the first wash but this onesie held it's color (and lack of color) well! She offers several colors and a variety of sizes. Each item arrives wrapped in tissue paper, perfect for giving!"

 Thanks Julie! "Your "little monster" is adorable!" If only my babies had hair like that.. . .

Inked Tote Winner!

Drumroll Please. . . . . . .. . . . . .

The winner of the Inked Tote is. . . . . . . .

MARIA


Maria said...

"love the Lock up Your Daughters shirt
and i love the Bow Headband - Amy Butler - Park Fountains"

Thank you to everyone for participating! And Congrats to Maria! I'll contact you via email so I can send you your new cute tote!

{ Cootie Pants }

In the world of Etsy, there are so many amazing people! Every single one has talent coming out of their ears!
I could spend hours searching through page after page of heart-stopping, drool worthy, handmade items.

If you remember, I did a giveaway a little while back for a cute toddler belt from a shop called CootiePants. After the giveaway was over I decided that I NEEDED one of these belts for my little guy. I found the cutest rock and roll guitar belt in the CootiePants shop and I had to have it.
Now little guy wears it all the time (cuz he's a skinny little thing and he can't keep his pants up on his own.) It's such a simple belt but it is really well made and so CUTE!

(This is random. . . Just before I started my Etsy Shop I found some retro-fabulous Cootie fabric in my stash.  I decided this would be perfect fabric for boy PJ's, and viola, I made "cootie pants" for my boy! When I met the owner of CootiePants I was so excited about her shop name!)

Anyways. . .

I wanted to show off some more of her cute stuff!
You can find her shop here.

Cute belt eh? Pair this with our "Beat it" tee and you've got yourself a little Rock Star!

Calico Paisley Binky Bubble Pouch

Cute Burp Cloths.

And TONS more! She's a super sweet girl and a fellow Mommy Etys shop owner.

Help support her by dropping by her shop and see what's she's got!

For those of you that entered the Inked Tote Giveaway, I'll be picking the winner today. Good luck everyone!

It's FRIDAY! (New Sales today!)

I love Fridays! I'm not the typical 9-5 worker and I don't get the weekends off (as all you moms know) but I love that I get to see my hubby for 2 days and get a little help with the little tornadoes! I'm hoping to attack my stack of new orders and get them D-U-N Done!  I have more changes and improvemnens, and new designs coming soon!!! (oooh! I can't wait for you to see!)

Don't forget to "like" our Facebook page so you can be the first to know about our new deals, designs, and other V.I.S. (Very Important Stuff).

I've got 4 more new deals for today! Happy Friday Everyone!  

DEAL #1: "Beat it" toddler tee. (I love this one)  available in sizes 12m to boys size 7. Check out the color options.  If you want it faster, I have lots of these cute drum tees already made up in black.  So if you order this tee in black it will most likely ship out next day.

DEAL #2: "The World Revolves Around Me" Toddler Tee (sizes 12m to boy's size 7) only $10! (was 16.99).

DEAL #3: "Chunky Munkey" Toddler Tee. (12m to 4T) only $10!  (was 16.99)

DEAL #4: ANY KELLY GREEN Toddler Tee (12m to 4T) only $10 today! (was 16.99) You pick your favorite Toddler Tee design and I'll put it on a Kelly Green shirt!

Grab these deals up today because tomorrow they will be long gone.

Thanks!!

ThUrSdAy DEALS! (Today only)

It's Thursday and the deals keep getting better!

 (I want to remind you that our Inked Tote giveaway is still going on. Put your name in here for a chance to win a one-of-a-kind printed "everything" bag." )

OK, back to the amazing Thursday Sales!

First we have ANY RED Toddler Tee (12m up to size 5/6) was 16.99, today it's only $10!
You pick your design and I'll put it on a red tee!

Next: DIG IT Tractor shirt, Was 16.99, today only $10!!

AND. . .  For your little Train lover,  Little Engineer, Train tshirt. Was 16.99, today only $10!

I'm not done yet.


I'm a Monkey, t-shirt. Was 16.99, Today only $10!

 These deals are only for today so snatch them up while the prices are at rock bottom.

Thanks! Happy Shopping!

TODAY'S {HOT} Deals!

More great deals in our shop today!

First up: One of my FAVORITE tshirt designs!

DO THE ROBOT Toddler Tee (now sizes 12m to boy's size 7 available!)

Was 16.99 now only $10!

Next: The "Defenition of a Boy" Toddler Tee (12m to boy's size 7)

And just for fun, ANY ORANGE SHERBET COLORED Toddler Tee, You choose the design: was 16.99 now only $10!

And Don't forget to enter our giveaway for a lovely Inked Tote!  Voting ends Friday!

Today's GREAT Deals! And new sizes!

Have you heard the news?
We are getting ready for some big changes! The good kind!

I just got a huge shipment of new toddler tees. This means that I need space to put them.
We are also going to be switching Toddler Tshirt brands.

What does this mean for you??
We are clearing out our overstock! Our current tshirt brand needs to be sold out so we can make way for the new tees!

 Every day this week I will be putting up new SALES!

Get ready! Once the tshirts are gone, they are gone.

AND. . . MORE GREAT NEWS! we have expanded the sizes to go all the way up to size 7!

Today's deals are:

"Lock up your Daughters"  Toddler tee only $10!! (was 16.99)

And pick up ANY DESIGN on ROYAL BLUE for only $10 !!! You pick your favorite design and I'll put it on Royal Blue.

When printed, it will look a little something like this:

This is the "Choo Choo, I'm 2" design (obviously) but you can choose any toddler tee design you like.

I would also love to hear which tees you want to see on sale this week. That way you can snatch up your favorite designs for dirt cheap!

Inked Tote Giveaway!

I've been carrying around my new Inked Tote everywhere I go.
I love that it is one of those "good for everything" bags. We have taken it to church, to museums, the park, the grocery store and everywhere in between.

I wanted to offer one of you lucky readers a one-of-a-kind Inked Tote so you can enjoy it too!

Say goodbye to ugly plastic bags, (in our house we refer to them as "Wal-Mart" bags.)
These totes are perfect for small outings with your kids or for when you are out with the girls.

Each bag is hand printed with our Cantaloupe Corner designs. They are embellished with handmade fabric blossoms. Each one is unique and stylish.

The bag up for grabs is the blue one pictured above. It features a pearl white Fleur de Lis and a silver Birdcage. One flower is white and the other is navy blue gingham and they both have vintage buttons in the center.

JOIN THE GIVEAWAY!

1. Head over to Cantaloupe Corner and pick out your favorite item. Post it in a comment here.
2. Check out our Cantaloupe Blossoms shop and tell us what your favorite accessory is.
3. Follow our Blog.4. Be our facebook fan.
5. Let your facebook friends know about our giveaway. Post it on your page!
6. BLOG about it! Please leave a link to your post here.
7. Tweet about our giveaway.
8. Send us an easy-to-make project tutorial we can feature on our site. ( send it to CantaloupeCorner@gmail.com) Don't forget to post a comment here letting us know you sent a project.
9. Purchase something from one of our shops, Cantaloupe Corner or Cantaloupe Blossoms.


That's 9 ways you can enter!! .

Get in as many entries as you can cuz I know you will love these bags as much as I do!

Thanks for the love! Y'all are the BEST! I hope you win!!!


(Did I mention I LOVE my readers?! Well, I do!)


Giveaway closes at noon (AZ time) on Saturday the 15th of May. USA and Canada only.

{ To be a mother }

I am one of the lucky moms.
No, lucky isn't the right word. I'm am very blessed.

I was able to quit my day job when my first little one came along.
My mom stayed home with me and my 6 siblings.
I am forever greatful for a mother that was willing to stay home to teach us and help us grow. Her time is worth more than any other gift she could ever have given us.

 I always wanted to be like her and stay home with my kids.

(Here' my mom and dad. Aren't they cute?!)

The first few months after my first son was born I was restless.

I was full of new mom joy and postpartum depression, and I was so used to having a task list, or pile of papers to file, or clients to call. Now I was living on my babies schedule: feeding, changing, feeding, rocking, feeding.

It was emotionally draining and physically exhausting.

I spent nights in tears wishing for sleep but accepting the fact that if the baby didn't sleep, neither did I.

I knew that being a mom was going to be the best and the hardest job I would ever have. No one ever told me how much my emotions would be entwined with my new little stranger.

Having a baby is like having your heart outside of your body.

Now I have 2 amazing, smart, sweet little boys that I love so dearly! I know that God gives us children so that we can catch a glimpse of how much he loves us. It is vibrant, universe altering, and unconditional!

As mother's day is this weekend I thank my Father in Heaven that I get to be a mom.

I don't want a day of pampering , flowers, or breakfast in bed.

I want to spend mother's day being a mom: Reading stories, kissing owies, playing trains, singing songs, eating cookies and milk.

I want a day filled with horsey rides and tickle fights, sticky hands, chocolate faces, and sandy feet. 

I just want to be a mom. 

Happy Mothers Day to all of you AMAZING MOMS! You are doing a great and important work!

 Enjoy your children while they are small because "the handprints get higher and higher and then one day they disappear. "

Vintage photo tutorial with GIMP

Have you heard of GIMP? It's an AMAZING free photo editing software! Yes, I said FREE! No strings attached!
For any of you that already have it here's a simple tutorial to vintage-ize a plain photo.  This will also work with PhotoShop but you will have to do some translating because I don't know PhotoShop lingo.

1. Choose your picture and open it in GIMP.

#2: Under the "Colors" tab, choose "Hue-Saturation". I took the saturation down to -39 to make the photo look faded.

#3: Find a great texture pic, or take a texture picture of your own.  I found this great wood texture pic.

#3: Open a new layer and copy and paste the texture pic (or if it's your own picture, open as a new layer.)

#4: Stretch or shrink your image to cover the entire original picture.

 #5: Choose the "Mode" of your layer to play with the texture effects.

You can find the Mode at the top of your right hand dock window. It's a pull down menu.

Try some of these effects:

If the effect is too dramtic, tone it down by lowering the opacity.

Choose your favorite effect and make something amazing! 

I also added a vignette using Picnik.com (another FABULOUS free service).

So easy, and there is no need to buy expensive programs.

To get GIMP, Click here, or go to http://www.gimp.org/