Grandpa Barry is 80 going on 50!

Okay, so I have two things to celebrate. I can celebrate on a Thursday, right? #1 - that I'm taking the time to blog! And #2 - I checked and I've had 14,746 views as of today. Wow. Me? People have actually looked at this 14,746 times. I don't believe it. Now, I know that is probably an extremely small number compared to eh, let's say Google!? Holy cow - I bet they get 14,746 views every second. Maybe even more. Hey, but we all gotta start somewhere. :) 

I actually made this invitation back in July for my Grandpa Barry's surprise 80th birthday party that my granny had during our annual family vacation. I can honestly say that nobody else in this world deserved a surprise party more than my Grandpa Barry. He is one of the most brilliant, warm-hearted, fear-less, silent, loving, artistic man that I know. And, most importantly - he has the best thick head of white hair - it's manly gorgeous (if I can say that?). When I was younger and used to stay the weekend with Granny & Grandpa Barry, I used to love when I would get to hang out in the craft room with him. I can still smell the oil paints and see the almost finished canvas. He knew that I was a creative soul even before I did. He knew that I would much rather make giant tissue paper flowers than pretty much anything else. Grandpa Barry is one man that I'll happily sit six hours with painting pottery at 'Fired Up' - trust me, we've done it.

Happy 80th Birthday, Grandpa Barry. Cheers to many more winery tours with you! I love you.

See, I told you Grandpa Barry had a great head of hair! And check out my beautiful Granny!

Country Chic Wedding Invitation

This week was my brother's first wedding anniversary to his wife, Erin. So, I thought it only seem fitting that I post the wedding invitation that I designed for the couple.

Erin & Ryan had a Country Chic barn wedding - and I think the wedding invitation set the tone for just that.

Congrats on your first wedding anniversary!! Love you both!

 

The fabic detail was my favorite part of the invitation. What's your's?

Happy Thursday!!

Abby

IceCream Family

I've been having so much fun illustrating ice cream. Next up, trying to tackle the 'Skinny Cow' line...maybe.

I think I'm gonna buy some rocket pops tonight.

Ice cream on the brain...

Just doodling and sharing.

How bad do you want one of those Fred Flintstone orange push pops right now??

Stay tunes to see what I end up creating with these...

Follow me on instagram:: abbyraber

Pretty little thangs

I randomly whipped these little notecards up for a co-workers wedding send off filled with cookies at work.

I thought I'd share. Can't live withoat you. Ha, I'm still giggling. Now, say it out load.

Hamburgers for dessert!

Who doesn't love hamburgers? Wait, well...I guess vegans don't. Crap, anyways. MOST people love them a good juicy hamburger including about 92.7% of the people I run around with.

So, the real question? Who doesn't love dessert? Nobody. I don't care who you are there is a dessert everyone loves. If you want to argue about it....eh, I've got better things to do.

So for memorial weekend I made these little treats. And with the mix of randomness that makes them look like hamburgers they tasted delicious. Even after the nilla wafer got a little soft. Did I ever tell you I'm a sucker for stale nilla wafers? No? Okay, I am!

So, Anyways, I'll get to the good stuff.

Ingredients::
1 box of nilla wafers (I even used the generic Wal-Mart brand)
1 small bag of coconut
Green gel food coloring
Mint wafers (if you're out of girl scout cookies, Keebler makes a great mint wafer)
One tube of red icing (yes, that's right, I bought mine in a tube!)
One tube of yellow icing (don't hate!)

Once you've got all of the ingredients I started out emptying the coconut into a large zip lock and used a whole tube of green gel food coloring. Then squish with your hands. Next, ice the flat side of the nilla wafer with yellow icing. Place mint wafer on top of icing. Grab another nilla wafer spread red icing on it and sprinkle the green coconut on the icing then place ontop of wafer. BAM. You're done and you have the worlds cutest hamburger dessert in your hand.

Now try and refrain from eating all of them! Total I made 40 minus two (because they accidentally went in my mouth). And the ingredients are fairly inexpensive!

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Many of you that personally know me - you know that I have an obsession (addiction - whatever you want to call it) with Instagram. So, this post goes out to you. The ones that I cut off mid-sentence and say, "Hold on, I need to Instagram this." To those that I stick the camera in their face. To those that I tell them, "Don't eat your food yet, I need to Instagram this first." To those that see me with my phone up while driving - it's okay, I'm not taking a picture of you, I'm just really trying to get the last sliver of sunset. To those that watch me while I photograph a lawn gnome on my front porch-no, I'm not crazy. And finally, to the babies in my life, for being the best, most cutest subjects that I have to Instagram.

Without further ado, welcome to the last month and a half of my whereabouts.

Emma Lou. The gal with the prettiest eyes & smile I've ever set eyes on.

My best friend, Brooke and her precious boy, J.P. What I love most about this picture is her smile. That's a new, proud, a little tired, happy mother smile. And she's a damn good one, at that.

My Christmas tree. It may not be the biggest, baddest or even have a tree skirt. But, I sure to love watching tv with that purty thing lit up beside me.

If they made pj's like this in adult size. I would own them.

Sushi. On a tree.

About 5 hours into the Baking & Boozing Extravaganza with some pretty rad ladies. 

I love decorating Christmas cookies. I don't love decorating about 10 dozen.

Don't look at the cookies. They're naked.

Many people thought I really liked Dorothy. But, I just really liked that they added a bit of red to my outfit. #christmasspirit

Emma Lou. Being a beauty. See, I told you she had a pretty smile.

My sister-in-law and I the day after Thanksgiving. At a bar. In matching ECI fleeces. Having a blast.

What you gnome about that? Hands down, my favorite ornament on my whole tree.

Gran schooling us in (insert name of game that I forgot).

My little friend on my desk at work. Too much works makes for a shy gnome.

Arrington Vineyards. Mom. Granny. Grandpa. Me. And a bottle of really great wine (that has a name I cannot pronounce).

Granny and Grandpa before the show at Chaffin Dinner theatre. One of the greatest couples I know!

Not gonna lie - those snowflakes on the right had vanilla frosting AND cream in the middle. #winning. Hence why they were the first to go. Thank you, Dunkin Donuts!

J.P. shows me all of his faces. How can you not like all of them!?

Rainy day lunch break. Guess where at?

My highschool best friend took me to see Straight No Chaser at the Ryman. The only thing I actually like about IU.

Friendsgiving. And the choices. Not to mention a pretty big ham in the upper left corner.

When your oven doesn't work. Make no-bake cookies.

Someone had a rough night.

See that guy in the middle. He belted it out so great - he gave me goosebumps.

Me and my favorite lady cousins on Thanksgiving. Man, do I love them. Well, all but Nicole. I just like her a lot.

I sure do have a lot to be Thankful for. It's obvious. 

Thank you Instagram. You give me beautiful memories.