happy weekend + shop update

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend! I've finally caught up with work enough to focus on some personal projects. One of which is to start organizing our studio to prepare for our store opening. Well, maybe that's not personal but it feels like it since it's been secondary to our other work here and I've had to put it off for so long. I'll let you guys know when the date of the opening party is finalized so that (hopefully) some of you can come!

Above is my first rough sketch planning the interior of the shop in our new studio.. It's coming together quite well and I can't wait to share the final result.

lara stone

I love model Lara Stone's look. ..especially in these vintage inspired shoots. and her gap teeth are so charming and beautiful (something I never conceived possible when I had my own gap teeth when I was younger). If only I'd known how fashionable it would become.. :)

top left: Vogue Paris (September 2009); top right & bottom left: Vogue spread (September 2010 issue); bottom right: W Magazine (August 2009)

light on black

i love light on black art.. especially that pull-down chalkboard map from Restoration Hardware but it's most definitely out of my budget. *sigh* someday... maybe. How fun would it be in a kids room?!  (though I suppose you could easily DIY a chalkboard map on a wall with paint)

left to right, top to bottom: pull-down U.S. chalkboard map, California flowering trees print by Claire Nereim (i adore all her work), Dr. Auzoux chalk plates from Room&Board (also quite pricey but so lovely).

new dog cards at Anthropologie

i posted these on twitter a little while ago but realized i never mentioned them here... we've got 3 new dog cards available exclusively at Anthropologie stores! A little pug, dachshund, and dalmatian. All available as single cards.

monday eye candy

Mr. Johnny Depp

vintage cigarette labels

a random image search about hand-painted signs in Mexico (there are such amazing signs all over the country) led me to these beautiful vintage cigarette labels. I love the typography and illustrated elements (they have a bit of an unrefined/folk art element to them).

more here.

rené gruau

LOVE these works by fashion illustrator René Gruau... especially the color palette in the top right image.

via here & here 

fall favorites

It's that time again! I love Fall.. Even though I don't get to experience the leaves changing and crisp air here in Florida, it does mean that we can start to be outside without melting.

feeling... feminine, tailored, rustic & ethnic

1. Room & Board Louis Chair / 2. Anthropologie booties / 3. persian rugs / 4. UO striped scarf / 5. Anthropologie Coat / 6. Marc by Marc Jacobs satchel / 7. dog art print / 8. Maroon5 (i've been feeling the catchy tunes lately) / 9. Built by Wendy sweater / 10. hide rug (mulling this over for my office)

new goods in the shop! party invites & halloween

New goods are in the online shop! I finally added our collection of kids party invites (soon to expand with more designs for other events) that I first announced before the stationery show. All of the designs are available with write-in lines or as imprintables that you can run through your home printer.

AND... I also added some new Halloween cards & invites to the shop (3 card designs and 2 invites).. These were so much fun to work on.

all photos by Rifle Paper Co.

hope you like!

alex steinweiss

alex steinweiss. the inventor of the album cover (no really). before him, albums came in plain brown wrappers.

genius! can you imagine creating something so innovative & influential?

more covers (& images via) here. AIGA write-up here.

monday eye candy

Mr. Paul Newman

vanessa bell covers

I love these first edition Virginia Woolf covers hand-painted by Vanessa Bell (Virginia's sister).

sign painting

Hand-painted signs are one of my biggest weaknesses in life. I love them and unfortunately it doesn't seem as though there are many people left who devote themselves to the craft (especially here in Central Florida). I'm intent on trying to hand-paint lettering & signage on our storefront windows so I've been doing some research for inspiration..

Here are a few things that I found and thought I would share.

Below are a few samples from the portfolio of sign painter Wilhelm Arrenbrecht (c. 1890) to showcase lettering options to clients (via here).

below are a couple samples of gold leaf lettering by New Bohemia Signs based in San Francisco (view more samples from their portfolio here). They still hand-paint all of their signs and their work looks incredible.. If they were local I'd hire them in a second.

check out this short video with sign painter Damon Styer of New Bohemia Signs to get a glimse into the process and how he got started:

 (video via Font Feed)

AND (if you're not bombarded enough) here is a blog chronicling the process of creating a documentary on sign painting across America. There's loads of great images and inspiration.

enjoy!

do fun stuff

I'm late to the game here but if you haven't heard... the children's album 'Do Fun Stuff Vol. 1' is now available to download on iTunes or preview here. I feel so honored to be a part of the project by working with Ryan (of Pacing the Panic Room) on the album cover art and hope all of you take a look at the album or the cause it promotes.

100% of the album's proceeds go toward funding research for SMS (Smith-Magenis Syndrome), which Ryan's step-son LB was diagnosed with in late 2009, through the organization PRISMS. The idea of the album came about after realizing that there was not a lot of information or research for SMS. Inspired by LB's love of music and the help of a few friends, Do Fun Stuff is now a reality and posed to make a real difference (it debuted at #1 on iTunes for children's music!).

I'm also working on creating limited edition posters based on the album art which should be available soon and will also donate 100% of the proceeds to SMS research.

So check it out... even if you don't have kids! I plan on enjoying it myself and playing it for my little nieces when they come to visit. :)

links:

Ryan's Blog, PRISMS, Album Preview, iTunes

around the studio lately...

a late Friday post but a post nonetheless...

Here are a few snapshots from around the studio lately. We've been busy prepping orders for new stores carrying our goods (so exciting!), printing new designs, and I'm still working on getting our own retail space ready (a task that always seems to get put on hold). 

I'm very excited about things to come and I will be back to posting more often. In the meantime, I hope you all have a lovely weekend!