ready for business

The time has come!

After years upon years of "wasting time" doodling, and after much encouragement and enthusiasm I've finally decided to take it on as a little more than a day-dreaming hobby.

Although, this really is more like a dream.

So excited to share it with you!

Introducing: Urban Sky Designs

Together, with my husband, we create the perfect addition for your wedding or home.

A few things we offer:

Custom Lettered Signs
Chalk Boards
Photo Backdrops
Nursery Art
Jewelry Dishes and Dinnerware
Painted Antler Sheds
Magnets
Business Logo Design
Tattoo Design (yes, crazy right?!)
Digital Prints
and
Salvaged Picture Frames

Don't see it all in the shop yet? Just email us!

Here's a little glimpse...

All handmade and 100% personalized.

Check out the shop here. Or by clicking on that cute little shopping cart up there! 

Use code: GRANDOPENING for 20% off all purchases over $15!
Good now until July 6th.

...in the mean time, SHARE AWAY!

chill

It tastes as good as it looks, I can promise you that.

This birthday cake snocone was about as crazy as our weekend got.  Turbo was helping host a golf tournament, and was gone Thursday through Sunday morning.

My to-do list was quite lengthy, but did any of it get done? Nope. Since my only real "job" is to clean, do laundry, and cook dinner, when Travis is gone I kind of feel like I'm on vacation. Is that terrible?

 I spent Friday with the pups on the couch (another treat we partake in when Turbo's gone) and a full DVR. I never watch TV but record a hundred shows, so I was set to be lazy all weekend! 

Saturday, I did a little shopping in San Antonio but not before I got locked out of our house for 4 hours after closing the door behind us when I let the pups out. After a sad attempt to break in to every door and window we have, I finally decided to walk a few streets (barefoot. in a XXL shirt.) to our friends house to use their phone to call T who was staying just 20 minutes away. Total walk of shame - really, college all over again. I am SO thankful I decided to walk back in the house to put on shorts and a bra - which I don't always do. That walk of shame would have been a hell of a lot more shameful pants-less and bra-less. 

Neighbors were looking at my hotmessyness - and our unleashed dogs, wandering about - as I explained that I had gotten locked out and was just walking to borrow someones phone. Of course, I confessed that I don't actually know my husbands phone number when they offered theirs. Really, has anyone memorized a number since 2002? I got some definite eye rolls.  

Welcome to the neighborhood Mandell.  

Other than that, my weekend was incredibly chill. 

a nice way of saying worthless

Weekend lesson: hide a key somewhere and memorize your husbands phone number. 

I should also note that this is my second time to be locked out of the house and unable to get in.  About 7 times I have gotten locked out and successfully broken in. AND I've locked my keys in my car no less than 13 times...

No one should probably ever give me a baby without some serious, immediate, OnStar/AAA coverage. 

link up here, here, here

good things to come

and I'm kicking them off with this fab new blog design.

There's just something wonderful about a nice, organized space isn't there?

A space can tell you a lot about a person. Good or bad, it can change you mood, energy, and sometimes can even lend itself to productivity. Now if only every room could do that...

Over the last few months I've been slowly working on "my room" as we call it. A room that is completely mine, full of color (which is basically nonexistent in my neutral colored home), organization (in progress), and chock full of inspiration. 

Ideas, sticky notes, to-lists, inspiration galore pulled from magazines, catalogs and a million sketches, are all staring me down and I .love. it! In the last few weeks I have accomplished more here, than I have in ages. 

That's what a great space can do for you!

My hope is that having a new beautiful place in the www to share with you will inspire me to be a little more diligent. I have SO much I want to show & tell you all about! 

We are in the car a lot it seems. Truthfully, as much as I would love a little more time at home I look forward to being on Turbo's passenger side. Some of our best, and most important conversations take place in the cab of his truck. (I also get ample time to catch up on my mags and catalogs which I don't mind one bit.)

  Recently, on one of our countless drives home, Turbo and I were having a discussion about all things "future". He told me that I can't waste talents by not offering them to others.  He also encouraged me to really pinpoint what I love and what I'm good at and make something happen with it. And I full heartily want to, have wanted to...   

How pompous of me to presume people may actually like or even care what I have share, show, and tell, right? But in my (usually) wise husbands words, "if you're not going to do it, someone else will."

So very true.

New ventures like this can always be a little intimidating. But I think I've gathered enough encouragement to follow where my mind wanders. I mean really, what do I have to lose?

In the coming weeks I am excited to share a new endeavor with you!

This exciting little revamp you're looking at is what Travis would call an "investment".
see, he's usually so wise! Lucky me!

And didn't Bri do an amazing job? Total case of the green eyed monster here, I have complete respect for anyone who knows what the heck they're doing with html and even more respect for someone who is willing  email me back and forth no less than 40 times to make things look exactly as my (very specific) mind had hoped. Go check out her other work! 

link up here, here, here, here, and here

we're adults

You know what makes a girl feel like a full fledged adult? Spending an entire weekend doing nothing but house projects. Want to know what makes a girl know she's an adult? Actually enjoying an entire weekend of doing nothing but house projects.
There is no running away from this anymore. I am an adult. How did this happen? And when can I move back in to the dorms?
But I'll continue to dream about too many margs. At 2 pm. On a Wednesday. And try my damndest to pepper those in as much a possible.

But this new life isn't half bad. I quite love it actually. 
In a word, our weekend was productive. Very productive.
We have a handful of projects going on around the house and with our first full weekend home in what seems like ages, we knew we needed to take full advantage. And that we did.
We finished Trav's bar downstairs. He originally wanted me to paint it all old and chippy, like an old crab shack. I was ALL OVER that idea. Somehow, we ended up with this...I (mostly) kept my opinions to myself.  He gave me the entire house, I'll let him have his basement!

I refinished two pieces of furniture and got boards ready to finish out our dining room shelves. 

Do y'all have a closet or shelf with fun finds to "shop" through? I'm always changing things out throughout our house, I love shopping through this stash for the perfect addition! But it was high time to clear out a few things, get it re-organized, and a little more functional.

I think I was most excited about going to the nursery and planting our very first garden! Holy cow, getting a garden ready is hard work. About died. We planted tomatoes, jalapaneos and chilis, potted some herbs, and got seeds ready for a bigger veggie garden we'll make as soon as they sprout.  

And you would never believe how helpful these girls were throughout the entire weekend.

We managed to squeeze in a long lunch with friends and a trip to San Antonio, where Travis fell in love with Hobby Lobby -I can't make this stuff up y'all, I had to drag him out of there for the sake of our wallet-
Other than lunch with friends our meals consisted of out-of-this-freakin-world turkey jerky with a heavy sprinkle of sno-cones. Duh. 

And Turbo made some guacamole. Jerky, corn dogs, sno-cones, guac.  You'd think I didn't just join a weight loss challenge or something.
link up here, here, here

cha-cha

changes!
More on the "new" Urban Sky later this week!
In the mean time, do something wonderful today. Something that makes you supremely happy. Mine will include working in the yard with Turbo, we're finally putting in a vegetable garden y'all! 
And it's quite likely a sno-cone break will be included!

in need of a new blog design? go here. fast!

front porch sitting

On September 27th, 2012, after five very long months of house hunting, we were given the keys to our first home.

This precious little house circa 1929 is slowly being transformed into our home. 

Although quite the undertaking, it's a job I've dreamed of tackling since well, ever.

 Well, since spending hours in front of the TV watching "Flip this House" in high school.

I have full intentions on slowly giving y'all a peek inside but with spring here, and an open weekend at home (what? those exists?!) my mind is spinning with all things "curb appeal"!

And boy does our little house sure need it! Take a look:

On the to-do list:

-replace rotten siding

-make new shutters

-repaint house

-repaint porch

-trellis over garage

-mock picket fence at sidewalk 

-flag pole

-create fllower beds

-add color to beds

-line sidewalk

-update mailbox

-plant kitchen garden

-plant cutting garden

-pot porch flowers

-refinish daybed

-refinish desk

-make daybed bedding and accent pillows

-purchase outdoor rug, coffee table, iron bistro set

I have a million ideas in my brain about the overall look, little details, and feel I'm after. Travis never seems to quite understand them. Enter: pictures. I've been browsing through magazines and pinterest for pictures of what I have in mind. It's funny how when I verbally explain what I want to do he's rarely on board but as soon as I show him a picture he's all about it! Boys.

Here are some rough ideas I love that are still in keeping with the cottage-y nature of our house. 

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probably going to stick to a neutral color here.

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Okay, Travis is still a little unsure about the dresser and daybed.

The phrase "trust me" is used A LOT around these parts!

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On a bit smaller scale of course.

And here is some general inspiration...
I've had a hard time finding great do-able yards so far in my search.

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And you can bet your sweet little behind our porch will be decorated to a T with each new holiday!

When can we start buying pumpkins?!