Hand lettered mug: Engineer by Day, Gamer by Night

Engineer by day, gamer by night...some people are just awesomely talented that way. So much that they deserve a custom hand lettered mug, don't ya think? This one's for you, gamers. Enjoy! ;-]

Xo, Dio

Hand lettered mug: It's a Beautiful Day to Save Lives

Any Grey's Anatomy fans out there? If so, you share my pain. ALL my pains. I mean, so many wonderful characters have passed on, and they have all hurt. All of them. But by far, McDreamy was the most devastating loss. This one's for you Dr. Derek Shepherd, and all your fans. Hand lettered with love, of course.

Hand lettered mug: Be Still and Know That I am God

So happy to include this beautiful piece to my collection of hand lettered mugs. It is by far my most favorite mug, as it comforts me and brings a smile to my face each morning. 

To read the full story on this mug, please visit the blog on my website at DioPerez.com

Sweet Dreams, Printable Hand Lettered Artwork

New on my website - hand lettered printable wall art! 
Great for a kids room or nursery. Just print and frame, or color it first then frame! 

Click here for details.

Hand Lettering: Live, Love, Sparkle

So now that I've been practicing my hand lettering for a while and becoming more confident in my abilities, I decided to try something new. I found a few plain ceramic mugs at a good price, I  thought "oh, what the heck..." bought some ceramic markers* and came home eager to try my lettering on a new medium. Part of me was a little nervous about possibly ruining a perfectly plain coffee mug, but I figured #1) it wasn't a huge investment, and #2) I can always use them as planters or donate them to Angel View. 

Well, to my surprise, I really like they way they turned out! I especially love the metallic inks, they really add a nice accent to my designs. Above is one of the cups I've decorated. I think this one might become my daily companion at the office. Don't be surprised if you start seeing a few of these in my Etsy shop or website. Once I get started on something, it's hard to stop, and I don't have enough cabinet space to store them all! 

Pens used: Uchida Decocolor Fine Point Paint Markers*

~ Dio

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Feliz Mother's Day

Mother's Day is celebrated in Mexico on May 10th regardless of what day of the week it falls on. This year (2015) it falls on the second Sunday of May, same as Mother's Day in the US. So in honor of my momma and my heritage, I created this illustration in my sketchbook wishing all Spanish-Speaking and English-speaking and Spanglish-Speaking moms (like me!) a very Happy Mother's Day.

~Dio
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Happy Easter

Happy Easter, everyone! Stay away from those cupcakes. They might look good, but...

Tee-hee...

~ Dio
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"Cafecito Con Leche" Printable Kitchen Decor

Yay - It's Freebie Friday!

Yes my friends, "Freebie Friday" is back on the blog! I decided to revive the posts, but rather than doing it randomly as I had in the past, I am aiming to post a new printable the first Friday of every month. All freebies will be accessed through my website, and you will be notified via Instagram and Facebook when a new printable is available so make sure you're following Paisley In Paris™ on social media so you don't miss out!

What is "Cafecito con Leche y Canelita"?

Today's hand-lettered piece was inspired by my hubby and our love of coffee. The text reads "Cafecito con Leche y Canelita" which is Spanish for "Coffee with Milk and Cinnamon". This is a daily must in our household, mostly for my husband. I like a little variety, so I mix it up a bit and alternate between coffee, green shakes or tea throughout the week.

How to prepare Cafecito con Leche y Canelita

We drink mostly instant coffee since we're not home long enough in the mornings to drink a whole pot. To prepare it, we:

1. Add a small cinnamon stick (aka "canela" or "canelita") into a small pot full of water and let it boil. Once it's boiling, we cover it with a lid so the water has time to absorb the flavor of the cinnamon. (We use the cinnamon stick several times before throwing it out. And yes, the pot has a permanent place on our stove. We just add more water to it the next day.)
2. Pour the cinnamon water into a cup, fill it about 2/3 of the way and add the desired amount of instant coffee ("café" or "cafecito").
3.  Fill the rest of the cup with milk ("leche") instead of creamer. 
4. Sweeten with a teaspoon of honey or brown sugar if desired.
5. Enjoy!

And that my friends, is a great way to start the day. We also have an electric percolator. When we use it, we simply include a small cinnamon stick with the coffee and let it brew. Once the coffee has brewed, follow steps 2-5. 

To download a copy of this 8.5"x11" printable, click here.

~ Dio

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April Showers

Last night's bedtime doodles were inspired by the start of the new month and the old saying that says "April showers bring May flowers."

I drew it on a regular 8.5"x11"sheet of paper, using my black Tombow Dual Brush Pen* for the lettering and gelly roll pens for color. Thought it would be cute on a calendar, so I added the days of the week and dates underneath. My little freehand calendar would have turned out perfect, had it not been for day 16. Now day 16 looks very bold compared to the rest. Hope it's a sign that something special is going to happen on that day. Keeping my fingers crossed!

~Dio
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"Let It Flow" Productivity Mantra & Free Download

I am the queen of busy! I work a full time job, I have a half-hour commute in each direction, a 10 year old with extracurricular activities, a hard working husband whom I like to spoil with home cooked meals, a workout routine I'm trying hard not to break and I have tons and tons of ideas for my stationery business along with other personal goals. One day, in the midst of daily chaos, I slowed down to pray and meditate. "When?" I asked, "When will I have time to do everything I want to do for my business?" and as I asked, the answer came to me..."Let it flow". You see, it doesn't matter how busy we are or how much time we have available. The truth is, no matter what our tasks are, we will get through them one step at a time. It doesn't matter if we have 10 hours a day to work on a desired project, or just 1 hour in 10 days. Whether we have a chunk of time all at once or scattered throughout our week, we still have to fill that time with the steps involved in the process to accomplish our goals. So all we can do is remain consistent, keep working at it, "let if flow" and it will come to fruition.

The phrase has since become a productivity mantra for me. I used the phrase to create this hand-lettered document which includes a few lines to write down the goals I want to focus on at the moment. Once I write them down, I feel as if I were releasing them to the universe. I trust that I will be provided with the time and opportunities to achieve each goal, as I continue working towards them, one step at a time. 

I have set up a complimentary printable file which you can access through my website in hopes that you find both inspiration and motivation to remain focused and on task. Now come on - let's go make our dreams come true!

~ Dio

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