enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

  • where i work : the office.

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    For me, it's all about work surfaces and storage. So basically – A LOT of Ikea furniture.

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    The main table is where I do the bulk of my "crafting". Lots of paper cutting and adhering and when applicable painting and writing. Below the table are boxes of stuff – 8.5×11 paper, paint, envelopes, stamps, book cloth, ribbon, letterpress blocks and tons of arturo paper and envelopes. The table drawers hold 12×12 paper, scraps, inkpads, camera chargers … all the odds and ends.

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    On the table surface are my tools : paper cutters, hole punchers & stapler. And then tons more odds and ends that if I have out I am more likely to use.

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    The Ikea bookshelf holds my books, albums and boxes of shop items. The top surface is my prepping and shipping space. Items waiting to be boxed up, labels, etc. The small white bookshelf holds most of my packaging materials.

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    And the desk is where I spend most of the day. (And sometimes I am joined by Paul.)

    We decided to position the desk so it juts out into the room. This way we can sit across from each other instead of against a wall. We share a printer and just pass the chord back and forth when necessary. If I am going to use my sewing machine, I just move the laptop and put the machine in its place. Right now we just have one desk chair (P is sitting on a kitchen chair) so that's on our list of things to get.

    So it's pretty simple but super efficient. It works very well for me.

  • new posters.

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    many more colors : in the shop.

  • just keep printing…

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    …about 50 pages to go…

  • this weekend.

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    I took a roll and a half of film : it's at the developer.

    I finished my digital wedding album : it's 104 pages and is awaiting printing.

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    I went to the beach twice : it's magic, the beach.

    I celebrated the last of the lazy weekends : it's time for P to really start work.

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    I said good-bye to spring : it's officially summer.

  • dear weekend,

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    be sunny, be warm,

    be lazy, be full.

    we're this close to summer,

    dear weekend,

    be mine.

  • and so it begins.


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    I'm working (and will be working for the next week or so) on our wedding album. Keeping it simple. Using what I wrote about the wedding on this blog for the book's text. Following a similar format to our engagement album. And of course using our photos from the amazing Lisa Welge.

    I have decided to print at home and stick it all into another Russell + Hazel binder.

    I'll share as soon as it's printed!

  • home tour : the closet.

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    I shared a peek of our "curtains" over the weekend. I'm so glad to have them done. When we moved in, there were two doors that led off the bedroom to the bathroom and closet. Both doors opened in, which meant both spaces felt very cramped.

    I convinced Paul that it was a good idea to take the doors off the hinges on the second day. It took me two weeks to make suitable room dividers.

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    I bought tapestry fabric at Urban Outfitters that can be used for a wall hanging or bed cover. I cut mine into two 30" wide pieces, finished off the sides and added loops on the top so they could be hung on curtain rods from Target.

    The fabric worked well. I am happy with the color. As soon as I get fabric for a duvet cover, our bedroom is going to be gray, blue & green.

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    Behind the closet curtain is our packed walk-in closet. This is our first venture into sharing a closet and its working out well. The dresser hold's Paul's extra clothes and I get to use the top portion for my clutches & etc.

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    And I commandeered the wall space. So far no complains from Paul. The tulip polaroids were taken a few years ago. That profile shot is from a photo project my senior year of college. And the poster print is new in the shop today. If you pre-ordered a more / less poster and want to purchase this one as well, email me and you will not pay additional shipping.

    It's stuffed for sure, but everything has a place. For me that's the only way I can hope to keep it picked up.

  • 25 (more) secrets.

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    I would eat frozen yogurt everyday.

    When I lived in LA for school I'd drive 15 miles (or more?) each way just to get frozen yogurt at my favorite place in Pasadena. Sometimes with friends. Sometimes by myself.

    I am a really slow driver.

    I do my very best thinking while in the car. But the problem is I have no where to write down my ideas and so therefore, much of the thoughts go missing shortly after putting on the parking break.

    The California DMV ran like a pillar of efficiency compared to the Maryland MVA.

    That is not my personal secret, but I just had to get it off my chest.

    When we were in Maryland, I wanted to have kids as soon as we got married.

    Now that we're in a different city that crazy urge has died down. It seems like there is too much to see and do and live through for awhile.

    This does cause me some concern that boredom appears to be the reason I wanted little ones.

    I think recognizing this is a positive step.

    So we're on the "let's re-evaluate how we feel in two years plan".

    In two years, Paul could have already been deployed and back.

    That's terrifying.

    He is much braver than me.

    I try to avoid conversations that involve the phrase "So, what do you do?"

    Because I don't know how to describe my job in real life.

    I feel like I spend way too much time legitimizing the internet and Blogland and handmade.

    I wonder if I am just trying to legitimize it to myself?

    Speaking of legit, Monday night we felt a pretty big earthquake.

    During it, we just stared at each other in a state of bewilderment.

    I'm pretty sure that is not the correct course of action during an earthquake.

    I'm also pretty sure that if we had been fighting at the time, the earthquake would have put an end to it. Pretty hard to remember your point when the ground is shaking.

    Unrelated, excessive clutter makes me nervous.

    Less nervous than fast drivers, earthquakes and deployments.

    But more nervous than almost everything else.

  • the underwater cameras.

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    And that’s the official end of our honeymoon photos. And a huge reminder to me that I need to shoot film more. The surprises are totally worth the wait. (especially that one where I have a fish for a face.)

    more of Bora Bora here, here, here and here.

  • weekend round up.

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    Farmer’s market flowers and asparagus, chicken and vegetable lasagna, finishing up wedding stationery to another “e&p”, coffee, thank you notes and bill paying, sewing closet curtains, a looong walk through Balboa Park, a trip to the art store, peanut butter cookies, mojitos and carving rubber stamps.