Happy 3 Years!

Today is our 3rd wedding anniversary! I am just crazy about my husband. Not only is he my best friend, but he is also the the most amazing person I know. I am so blessed to be his wife!


I love you, Brent! Happy anniversary!

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! I had such a busy week finishing albums for holiday deadlines and getting ready for Turkey Day at our place. I was really looking forward to having everyone over to our house this year. It was a great day. I always love spending time with my amazing family, and a lot of delicious food doesn't hurt!

Our dining room - all ready for the feast!


Name tags around the glasses:


Centerpieces - SO thankful for my wonderful husband who stayed up till 1:00 am helping me get ready!


Getting the turkey ready to go (not my favorite part of the day):


Almost time to eat - Brent did a great job carving this thing!


As we head into the holiday season, I'm definitely reflecting on all the blessings we've had in 2009 - a new house, Brent being promoted, two healthy pregnant sisters and one beautiful new nephew, getting Walter (and finding him after a truck hit), another amazing year for KruBooks... So much to be thankful for!

100!

This week I finished my 100th KruBook album! And not only did I cross off number 100, but 101 and 102 too! What an exciting milestone! Thanks to everyone who helped me get here. I couldn't love any job more!

Here's a couple spreads from lucky # 100...

photography by Envision Video and Photography

Dog Park

Last weekend we went to the dog park with our good friends Mary and Brad and their dog Garfunkle. We had such a good time! Walter was pretty scared of the water, but loved playing with the other dogs. Here's a video of Brent and Walter playing fetch. Walter skids to a stop just before he goes off the dock. Funny dog.

Photographers are Fun

Over three years of album design has brought me to this conclusion - photographers are fun. They are imaginative and resourceful. They see art in everyday things, and they aren't afraid to be a little crazy. I'm inspired every day.

I'm loving these details shots with the vintage phone. Kudos to Mark Ketcham of Envision Video and Photography.

Baby Baptism Album

I recently completed a baby christening album for a sweet family in Houston. The pictures are beautiful, and the ceremony/celebration looks awesome! What a handsome little boy! This was a fun project for me since it's a little different from the wedded norm here at KruBooks - and who doesn't love looking at pictures of cute babies? I think baby baptism books are a great idea. Perfect for grandparents, and a lot more fun to share than a regular photo album. Here's a couple of the layouts from Eduardo's big day.

photography by Brooke Schwab

Cupcake Baby Shower

This weekend I co-hosted a baby shower for one of my closest friends. We decided to have it at Sugar Cupcakery, which really is the perfect shower venue. The party room was sophisticated and classy, and the cupcakes were, of course, amazing! You can read more about Sugar on my sister's blog.

The invitation I designed for the shower set the scene for Sugar's modern and fun decor.


The party room:


The adorable mini-cupcakes!


There was a great outside patio area right off the party room. We got lucky with the most beautiful November weather. We decided to put the food outside, along with the food tags I designed to match our invitation.


The co-hosts with the guest of honor:


Congratulations on your baby boy, Elizabeth! We can't wait to meet him!

Rave Review

One of my extremely talented photographers, Brooke Schwab, just wrote a Vendor Review on KruBooks. You can check out the review for yourself on her blog. Here's a little of what she had to say:

"If you are a bride who has received your wedding album you have likely worked with Katie at KruBooks. She is my album designer who has been amazing this year in designing all of my wedding albums. Her work shows her passion for her job, plus, she is amazing to work with."

Thanks for the kind words, Brooke! The feeling is definitely mutual :)

Halloween Baby

This weekend my newest nephew decided to make a surprise arrival - on Halloween! Joelle was scheduled for her c-section on Nov 3, but this little guy just couldn't wait to join the fun. Brent and I are bummed we couldn't be there for the big day, but we are so thankful to get these pictures from the rest of the family. Welcome Kru William Turner!


Kru was an incredible 10 pounds, 14 ounces! Here he is with the proud parents:


And his two precious sisters:


Congratulations, Joelle and David! We can't wait to meet you, Kru!

Birthday Fun

For my birthday weekend, Brent took me to a bed and breakfast in Vevay, IN. The bed and breakfast was gorgeous and and filled with character. If you are nearby, you should check it out. The town of Vevay itself is quaint, and was voted the 4th coolest small town in America. Not too shabby!

Here is the bed and breakfast, Schenck Mansion:


We were blessed with the most beautiful fall weather. Perfect for walking around the neighboring town of Madison:


While in Madison, we stopped at the Lanthier Winery for a wine tasting. We ended up getting a bottle of their blackberry wine - so delicious!


I'm so thankful for my sweet husband! I'm a lucky girl to have him :)

Fall Bliss

I don't know if it's just me, but this seems to be an especially pretty fall. I started noticing the vibrant colors on our mountain drive home from Hilton Head, but this week they've really popped! I am loving it! Last weekend we had our third annual Fallapalooza celebration. Each year, my extended family gets together for an October campout to celebrate all the fall birthdays. It was quite chilly this year - lots of bundling up around the campfire. Poor Walter was shivering all weekend!


Happy Campers


Man's Best Friend


This weekend Brent and I are celebrating our October birthdays with a long weekend in Vevay. We are staying at this great bed and breakfast. I am so excited. I promise an update when we get back. Hope you all have a great Friday!

Holiday Card Giveaway

My new Etsy shop has been featured on the Jack and Izzy blog. I am giving away one FREE custom holiday card (the digital file). Check out her post and leave a comment to enter. Jack and Izzy will annouce the winner on Tuesday morning, October 20th. Good luck, everybody!

Introducing...KruCards!

I know it's been quiet on the KruBooks blog for quite some time, but I've had something up my sleeves! After doing my blog series on card design, I felt really inspired to start selling custom photo cards on Etsy. This week, I finally got my shop up and running! Right now, I only have holiday cards available. But check back for birth announcements, save the dates, and more! I'm really excited for this new extension of KruBooks. Check out the shop and let me know what you think!

Here's a sample of some of the cards:


Tis the season for holiday cards! Check out my shop for pricing and more information!

Hilton Head 2009

We had a such great time on vacation. Hilton Head in October is the BEST...no crowds and awesome weather. Just when things are cooling down in Cincinnati, it feels good to get one more shot at summer.

As promised, here are some pictures of our trip. It was so nice having all four sisters together for a week. I love these girls!


Poolside wine tasting with my dad:


My adorable nephew, Jack:


Sunset with my love:


Night walk on the beach:


It was hard to leave those sunny days behind, but it feels good to jump back into the swing of things here at home. As much as I love laying out by the pool, I'm ready to embrace fall. And, hey, only 72 days till Christmas!

Hilton Head...here we come!

We are leaving tomorrow afternoon for a week in Hilton Head. I'm so excited that my whole family is able to come this year. On the way home from Hilton Head, we'll spend a couple days with Brent's family in Greenville, SC. It will be a wonderful 10 days!

Here are some pictures from last year's trip to Hilton Head. I'll be sure to post this year's when we get back!

Harbor Town


The Behlert sisters minue one (we're all so happy Amy can come this year!)


Brent's birthday


Visiting Brent's family in Greenville