Sadie Olive – The Blog

family, love, and everyday muses.

Well, hello there!

If you haven't been here before, allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Sara Duckett. I am 35 years old and one of five girls in my family. I am happily married to a handsome, slightly older man named Josh. We live in Orange County, California with our pup Hannah and two kitties, Mason and Annabelle. We just recently were blessed with an unbelievably adorable baby boy, Finn, who we privately adopted earlier this year. He is the light of our lives, and is absolutley adored around here.

About four years ago, I decided to start an online shop, selling home decor and accessories. At the time Josh and I had been struggling with years of infertility and I needed a positive distraction. I am shopoholic, and thought nothing could be as fun as helping others shop just as much as I do! And so Sadie Olive was born. (Sadie Olive being the name Josh and I had once picked out for a future daughter).

Soon after I started the online shop, I started dabbling in web design. Sadie Olive Design allowed me to keep up with the boutique while helping others start their own online businesses. It provides an additional creative outlet for me and connects me with so many wonderful people.

This site has opened the door to many opportunities I would not have known otherwise; including the honor of being featured in a few magazines. Our home was featured in the March 2008 issue of Romantic Homes Magazine, the Fall 2008 issue of Budget Decorating (A Woman's Day Special Publication), and the Fall 2008 issue of Dovetales (A Boston magazine). My design business has also been featured in Artful Blogging Magazine, the Fall 2008 issue.

Photography is another passion of mine, although it probably gets the least amount of my attention. I truly believe that if you follow your heart and live your passions, they will shine through for others to see. I hope that you find this blog, and my photos worth peeking in on every now and then.

Monthly Archives: December 2007

toot toot

Friday, December 7, 2007

Well I have tried not to talk too much about web design stuff on my blog, because I don’t want to bore all you non-techy people….but I just finished up two projects that I just adore and I have to share with you.

The first one was for Alys with Paris Couture Antiques. I designed a template for her to use with Pappa Shop for her new store and also a matching blog. But my favorite part of the project was all the extra graphics we made to make her site extra special. We added headers and custom collages, and Alys added some animation on her own. I just love the way the site came out, and just know it will be a favorite spot of a lot of you online shoppers like myself. Here are a few of the highlights:

The second one was for Cara with Le Petit Garage. Cara already had a template she was happy with, she only wanted a few custom graphics to help spruce up her site and give it a new look. She also liked the collage effect I did for Alys, so we used that as inspiration to create something that suited her site and it’s fun use of color. Here are a few highlights from that project:

Thanks for allowing me to toot my own horn. It feels good to have projects I am proud of, and I just had to share. Please go check out both girls sites and blogs, they are fun to visit and full of goodies.

Posted in design, personal

tree trimming

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

The year Josh and I got married (2004), my grandpa passed away. My grandma passed only months later, perhaps most of all from a broken heart. She lived her life fully for my grandpa and I believe she just didn’t feel needed or complete without him around. I was broken hearted at their passing and even more so that they wouldn’t be there for me to hug on my wedding day.

I was given a few special pieces that were my grandmothers that mean a lot to me. A crystal vase, some silver pieces, and a Christmas ornament. The Christmas ornament was given to me by my Aunt Sheri on Christmas of 2005. She had gone through my grandparents collection and picked out a single ornament for each of us (my sisters and myself). She even took care to address them to each of us and sign my grandma’s name as the gift giver. It was a really special thing to do, I thought, and I can remember how it felt to look down at the tag that read "to: Miss Sara from: Grandma" knowing it had been months since her passing.

Sheri tried to pick an ornament she knew each of us would love, and mine was no exception. I received this beautiful wooden Santa, who to me looks a little Swedish in design. It reminds me of my grandparents each year when I decorate the tree and it always receives a place of honor near the top of the tree.

I hope when each of you get to your tree trimming this year, you conjure sweet memories of your Christmas’s past, and hang the ornaments that have special meaning to you near the tops of your trees.

I wanted to add this reply from my Aunt Sheri, so it would share a little bit more about my grandparents and how special they are to us.

"Oh my gosh, so very sweet–this time of year always brings to mind your grandparents…how your Grandma would be counting the moments till she could decorate (I think a few seconds after the Thanksgiving turkey was put away?), Robert doing the lights, unwrapping each ornament, each with a story, your Grandma always filling in with the red glass balls and hanging the itty bitty ornaments at the top of the tree…your Grandpa complaining that Harry Connick, Jr. was no Frank Sinatra, breaking out the Glenn Miller Orchestra C’mas cd…. Holidays always remind me so much of them and of how much they loved them."