Welcome 2013!

Well, here we are...another start to a brand new year. Happy New Year, everyone!

I must say, I was a little nostalgic to say good-bye to 2012. It has been such a special year.  Lots of blessings and lots of learning. Sweet times with family and friends, new and old. It brought new adventures and many firsts as well as challenges that forced me to grow in ways to learn more about trusting Him in all things.

On the business home front for Tamagrams, the year brought amazing opportunity. Exhibiting at Surtex (our first time), new partnerships with new clients. As new partnerships began, new art targets also pushed me to widen the doors of my creative process. The year also brought an upbeat fresh look of Tamagrams with new logo/branding and new website. It's been a year that I am deeply thankful for as it has brought and taught me more about true contentment, inspiration, forgiveness, patience, creativity, gratitude, restoration, anticipation, dreaming, answered prayer, loving, loss and death, testing, faith and the power that is given to us when we believe Him at His word.

Lord, thank you for having my back at all times. Help me to trust you in ALL things as you lead and direct my steps. Thank you for being so dependable and so very perfect.  My prayer for 2013 is that You would fill me with more of You. I want to bring You glory as who you have created me to be. May my life and gifts be a blessing to my husband, my children, my family, my friends and everyone that I encounter. Amen.

(A little late, but hope you all had a VERY Merry Christmas) and are having a beautiful start to a brand new year. May 2013 be one that is filled with more growth and gratitude!

Tamagrams Wedding Collections & Kleinfeld Paper

Anyone familiar with the TLC show, "Say Yes to the Dress"? Tamagrams wedding invitation collections will be available through Kleinfeld Paper and supported by national advertising in Brides, The Knot, Martha Stewart and others starting January 2013...continuing to thank God for opening doors for this passion He has given me. 

On the note of passions and dreams...I wanted to end this post with an excerpt to share with you as it encourages me - I love to think about this... "I AM WORKING ON YOUR BEHALF. Bring Me all your concerns, including your dreams. Talk with Me about everything, letting the Light of My Presence shine on your hopes and plans. Spend time allowing My Light to infuse your dreams with life, gradually transforming them into reality. This is a very practical way of collaborating with Me. I, the Creator of the Universe, have deigned to co-create with you. Do not try to hurry this process. If you want to work with Me, you have to accept My time frame. Hurry is not in My nature. Abraham and Sarah had to wait many years for the fulfillment of My promise, a son. How their long wait intensified their enjoyment of this child! Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses." - Jesus Calling 

Interview/Feature on Sorry You're Happy Blog

One of the things I have loved about exhibiting at shows in the past have been the amazing people I meet. No seriously, just awesome.  It is so neat to be around and connect with other creatives who share a similar passion.  I have been lucky enough to also have some beautiful friendships blossom and still talk to on a regular basis, years later. (both were next door booth neighbors)

On the note about booth neighbors...do you remember back in the spring when I shared our experience exhibiting at the Surtex show in NY? Well, while we were there we were blessed once again in meeting a neat couple from Canada named Jen and Kyle. They were our booth neighbors and featured us on their fun company blog called Sorry You're Happy! So nice of them! To read the interview and feature, Click here!

Not saying Good-bye, but see you soon...

Hey y'all! Hope each of you are having a fabulous start to the Christmas season. It feels like a lot has gone on over the past month or so in the Brown household.

Not to be a downer, but I thought I'd share with you something I've been walking through. We got pretty sudden news several weeks ago that my grandfather had only a couple hours to a couple days to live. My grandfather has been my father figure through out my life so it felt as if I was loosing a parent. He would have been 100 years old on December 8th.  He has been married to my sweet grandmother for 72 years. Despite how old someone is, I don't think you can ever fully prepare yourself for the finality of knowing you will never see them again on this Earth. I am so very thankful for the one on one time I had with him the day before he died. He was in his room at home and I was able to hold his hand while talking and reminiscing over my memories with him. I sung him some of my favorite songs and got to pray over him.  He already had one foot in heaven and was unresponsive but the hospice nurse told me he was definitely able to hear, as hearing is the last sense that goes. As I hugged good bye, I was reminded once again just how fleeting our lives are. Jesus said to not get too attached of the things of this world because our lives are vapors, fleeting and a bleep in the scheme of eternity. I am so thankful that I don't have to say good bye forever but know I will see him again when it is my turn to enter the gates. I can't help but rejoice for him in what he is experiencing now. Meeting our Savior face to face, being united with loved one that have entered before him and being in the most beautiful and breathtaking place. No sin. No pain. No brokenness that we experience here on Earth. Thanks for letting me share a tribute and my last hours with him. He was one special man who shaped me in more ways than he will ever know. He loved me and my family so well. I love and miss you Pop.

A picture of him when he was about 30 years old, so handsome...

This sobering reminder of the delicacy of life makes me want to be sure that I am living every SINGLE day to the fullest. Utilizing every gift and ability that God has so kindly entrusted to me. I want to share it with others in hopes that it can in some way bring encouragement and/or inspiration to others. It is a neat thought to think if we all were tapping into these sweet gifts we have received how each and every one of us DOES add more joy and beauty to this world.  Join me as we can ask ourselves, "Am I living each day to the fullest?", "Am I sharing these awesome gifts to touch others lives and make a difference?" If there is any bit of hesitation holding us back, my hope is that we would shine brightly through the light He graciously gives to us! Amen.

Assortment Boxed Cards to be in Costco!

Exciting News! 

Tamagrams will be part of an assortment box of cards that will be distributed by Paper Magic Group to be available in COSTCO USA - due to hit stores in July 2013!

Greenville Business Magazine Feature

Thanks to Greenville Business Magazine for featuring Tamagrams as an Emerging Company. 

To read full article below, click here!

More exciting news to come soon...stay tuned!

Horray for FALL!

Every year, I do a happy dance for the fall! It is by far my favorite time of the whole year...

This past summer I have developed a new love for hydrangea flowers. For some reason I haven't really noticed their beauty as much in the past years. However, this spring and summer I found myself unconsciously look for them everywhere I went.

I have been wanting to make a new wreath for our front door and choose the hydrangea flower to celebrate the beauty and festive arrival of the cool crisp season.

This was very easy to make and have seen some of them retail for $85. If you do it yourself, you save yourself about half the cost. I got all supplies from beloved Hobby Lobby...

Supplies include:

twig wreath

3 bundles of hydrangea flowers (I picked creme, light green, and pinky/orangish)

brown wire edged ribbon

Cut the hydrangeas about 3 in" down the stem and just start stuffing them into the wreath until you go all around. After you have the flowers arranged, you can cut leaves off of the arrangements and then stuff those in to create fillers. It took me about 20 minutes from start to finish. The ribbon could be optional but I do think it ties it all together nicely (no pun intended) :)

Now, I will look forward to seeing the beautiful arrangement on my door 

each time I pull into my drive way. 

Blessings,
Tamara