The Cre8ive

Giveaway at Design for Mankind!

2011-05-21T12:29:00.000-04:00

I’m posting this to enter a contest offered by MeridaHome at Design For Mankind! I want to win the iPad 2! (and I love Erin’s shoes!). Head on over and enter, because who doesn't want an iPad?

As for where I've been? An update on that is on it's way.

Parcel post

2011-02-26T18:45:00.003-05:00

I have to have these. Can you imagine getting something wrapped in such great stuff? I'm already dreaming about what I can send.

The Classics Gifting Kit by knotandbow on Etsy.

For Valentine's Day

2011-02-13T14:19:00.000-05:00

I can't stop watching this video! It is so charming and the colors and imagery feel like I'm in an afternoon dream.

Seize the day!

2011-01-24T09:35:00.000-05:00

I've been beating myself up about not writing more often, but I have to say that I've been busy doing things I love (not that I don't love blogging, quite the contrary! I just have many loves in my life) and creating and just enjoying myself. So this morning I decided I would just celebrate the fact that I am creating and happy and being productive — and enjoying it all the while. Are you doing what you love, at least a little bit, every day? Life is too short not to enjoy it!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T23:35:00.001-05:00

What a wonderful, fulfilling Christmas I've had. I'm so very thankful for all of my blessings. Here's hoping that you are all feeling the same way!

Untitled (Let's Get Lost)

The winner is...

2010-12-20T13:20:00.001-05:00

We tallied up all of the entries and plugged the total number into random.org in order to determine the winner of TheCre8ive + embracedbabies giveaway, and the winner is:

Stacy Tilton (Mom in Training)!

Congratulations, Stacy! You get to choose a chapstick cozy and a reusable snack bag from the embracedbabies Etsy.com store.

Heather and I both would like to thank everyone who entered the giveaway! It was a lot of fun seeing everyone's favorite items, and we're already thinking about projects and giveaways we can do in the future, so stay tuned!

And, if you didn't win, remember that Heather is offering Cre8ive readers a 10 percent discount at embracedbabies! Just use coupon code Cre8ive10 at checkout.

Have a wonderful holiday, everyone!

Before and After... and a GIVEAWAY!

2010-12-13T10:00:00.002-05:00

When I went down to my brother's house for Thanksgiving last month, my sister-in-law Heather prepared me for a project. She runs an Etsy.com shop called embracedbabies, and has been looking for some inspiration to work on some new projects. She needed her work area to be organized because she just wasn't being as productive as she knew she could be in the space. Well, she didn't have to ask me twice! I love an organization project, and I know first-hand how powerful a clean, easy-to-navitage home office and/or studio can be.

I am not, however, someone who can just organize part of a space. No sir. It is all or nothing with me, and if I'm going to tackle a project I'm going to do a complete overhaul. And this is what I was working with:

Needless to say, we had our work cut out for us. We spent the next four hours cleaning, throwing away, organizing, dusting, compartmentalizing, rearranging, and completely overhauling her work space. I know you're dying to see the after, and let me tell you, it's totally worth the wait.

The best part about the whole project was that she has been super productive since we finished! One of the cubbies above her desk was filled with 'items to list,' and since she has a clear inventory on what she needs to post and it's right there, she knows exactly what needs to be done.

So, to celebrate, I'm hosting a giveaway from her Etsy.com shop! That's right: We did all of the tough work and you get to reap the benefits!

One lucky winner will receive both a chapstick cozy and a reusable snack bag (you can pick which designs you'd like).

Here's how to enter:

1. Comment on this post with your favorite item from the embracedbabies shop (include a link!).

You can also do one or both of the following (for a total of four entries per person):

2. Become a fan of the embracedbabaies Facebook page. Comment on this post with "I'm a Facebook fan!" and your Facebook name.
3. Follow me on Twitter (@TheCre8ive). Comment on this post with "I follow @TheCre8ive on Twitter!" and your Twitter name.
4. Follow Heather on Twitter (@hgibbs76). Comment on this post with "I follow @hgibbs76 on Twitter!" and your Twitter name.

You can enter from today until midnight on December 19. I'll pick the winner randomly (using random.org) and announce it on Monday, December 20.

AND, in case that wasn't enough, embracedbabies is offering a 10 percent discount to The Cre8ive readers! Just use coupon code Cre8ive10 at checkout. How's that for super awesome?!

Pretty plates

2010-11-27T00:14:00.000-05:00

Aren't these dishes from Anthropologie just gorgeous? They make me want to do a breakfast photo shoot.

Working hard.

2010-11-22T23:02:00.000-05:00

I just love this illustration, titled 'Hard at work,'by Etsy.com seller blackoutwell.

I'm also loving these:

The holidays are on their way!

2010-11-21T14:44:00.000-05:00

I am so excited for the holidays, and I've just ordered the most adorable holiday cards from Eggpress. I can't wait to get them in the mail and send them to my friends and family!

I also can't wait for my return address stamp to come in; it's so cute! I'm going to use it on all of my cards and letters, and I'm going to kick it off with my holiday cards. There were tons of designs to choose from (I ordered mine from Paperwink) and I definitely had a hard time picking one!

Floral fever

2010-11-18T00:11:00.000-05:00

I am loving the florals with a hint of preppy/equestrian/librarian/anthropology major that's going on over at EmersonMade. I'll take one of everything, thank you :)

I'm loving Artrise!

2010-11-16T18:58:00.001-05:00

Hello there, cre8ives!

I know it’s been a while, but there have been some big changes going on in my life! I started a new job as creative director with educational travel company Holbrook Travel (currently working on getting the website redesign launched; it should be up in 3 weeks!), and have basically been meeting with my new coworkers, learning the ropes and diving right in to several projects. I’ve even taken a trip and attended a conference already. I have to say, I really love what I’m doing with them, and I’ll share more about the things we are doing in a future post.

I did want to take some time to talk to you about a new service I signed up for and have been trying out, called Artrise. My dear friend Erin Everhart, who currently works at 352 Media Group and used to work with me, introduced it to me. It’s a social networking site for creatives, similar to the Behance network, dribbble, and other popular sites. What makes it unique and awesome is that it combines all of the things I love about all of those separate services into one easy-to-use interface. I can post my work and education information in my profile, connect with other users and network (like with LinkedIn), update my connections with what projects I’m working on, and even post images of my projects right there on the website (similar to dribbble and Coroflot). What I love about it is the vast network of users that are on there — everyone from other designers like myself to musicians, actors, singers, painters, and people from a variety of locations and fields. It's also got great listings for art-related jobs and art events.

So, why am I sharing this with all of you? Well, I found it to be a wonderful marriage of all of the functions that sites that I like provide without having to spread my information out over several different avenues. I find the amount of sites, services and networks I am a part of to be somewhat daunting, and they often create a digital ‘noise’ that becomes unbearable. There’s no way I’m going to be ably to fully and effectively utilize all of the services I subscribe to and to monitor what’s going on with each of them. There’s just too much to keep track of! So I’m totally in love with the idea that I can do a ton of stuff in one place, and it’s much more manageable that way. I mean, I can remember to check one site every few days and to keep up with that’s going on there. It’s my digital life, simplified, and I’m all for a little (OK, a lot!) of simplification. The common adage of ‘less is more’ certainly applies here, and I’m so very happy it does.

Want to learn more about Artrise? Sign up! It just went public on Monday. You can also read more about it here, on their ‘About Us’ page.

Happy creating!

I should probably point out that neither of the images I've used in this post are by artists affiliated with Artrise. They're both from Etsy.com (images are linked to their pages) and just happen to be of pretty things that I'm currently digging.

Dream Job :: Marketing/Merch/Swag designer for Veer

2010-10-15T13:50:00.001-04:00

I've long been a fan of Veer, ever since I got my first design job and got a look at one of their activity books for creatives. I immediately thought, "Wow! There are people out there who get just as geeky about design, typography and stock photography as I do." And not only do they get geeky about it, they use punny humor, create amazingly fun marketing materials, send me the coolest things I've ever received in the mail and have the most covetable stock art on the interwebz. (No, this isn't a paid plug for Veer. I really do love them that much.)

Most of what I love about them is in the little things: They use a classic type-foundry style in their font promos, they are great at editing down what's going to have an impact and what is just fluff, they've got good taste, they clearly have a good sense of humor.

I'm also a big fan of the merchandise they design. Wouldn't it be great to get to design clothing, home stuffs, portfolios, desktop wallpapers, mugs, etc. for other creatives? You get to talk about things like kerning, FPO, Lorem ipsum, ligatures, serifs, baselines, the pen tool, and white space, all while knowing that not only will your audience understand you, they'll appreciate the message you're getting across. Brilliant.

I can just imagine what working there would be like, too. Constantly being surrounded by people you respect and admire, being urged to think outside of the conventional 'box' that most design falls into, constantly being inspired to come up with witty, meaningful designs that have an impact on people, being encouraged to take chances and risks in the name of doing something amazing... It's like you can almost feel the creative energy that's happening inside this company from the outside. They have fun. They love what they do. They're passionate. I want to be surrounded by that.

Another reason I'd love to work for Veer? They're located in Calgary, Alberta. I've always wanted to live there. It's a creative hub of excitement, and it has seasons! That's more than this Florida girl could ask for.

The future of linking content is here.

2010-10-15T12:54:00.001-04:00

I just shortened a link on bit.ly, and went to the link info page to copy it again. When I got there, I noticed this barcode; a new feature to the service.

I thought it was a great chance to try out the barcode scanner app I have on my phone — and lo and behold — it took me to the link I had shortened!

What does this mean? Well, for starters, it was really easy. If I'm reading something and want it to be on my phone, all I have to do is scan this barcode. It's also really cool. Go ahead, try it. Scan this barcode to read about the JetBlue campaign I tweeted about earlier today, and enjoy how wonderful technology has become!

Proust commercial

2010-10-15T12:17:00.000-04:00

I really like the play between type, colors and illustration that's happening in the Proust promo commercial.

An Introduction To Proust.com from Proust on Vimeo.

Dexter posters

2010-10-13T21:32:00.001-04:00

Have you seen these posters over at Mattson Creative? Because they're perfect, and I want them all.

Are you listening, Gap?

2010-10-06T16:00:00.000-04:00

The design community is all abuzz about Gap's logo redesign, and the overwhelming majority of people seem to really dislike it.

I have to say, I'm not impressed, which is hard for me to admit. I've been shopping at Gap since I was a child, and I've traditionally loved everything they've done. I'm also a fan of iconic Helvetica. In fact, I even tweeted about some 1969 promotional signage they did that — in my opinion — was really successful.

So why doesn't this one work? It's that square. It's so oddly placed, and doesn't feel like it makes any sense. I think the logo would be much more successful without it. Plain, and possibly nothing to write home about, but leagues better than it is now. And, honestly, part of what I like about the Gap is the simplicity — if I'm ever looking for wardrobe staples, timeless pieces, or trendy items that will last past this season, that's where I go. That's what their logo should reflect.

And, I've got to say, I'm sure they paid a pretty penny for that logo. But it's just not working. I hope they're listening to what people are saying.

Ferm Living love

2010-09-29T20:33:00.001-04:00

I came across this site the other day over at newly-launched Rue magazine and haven't been able to stop visiting. It's the site of Ferm Living, and their wallpapers, textiles, wall decals and children's toys are just perfect. The textures, patterns, colors and slightly nerdy wares have me dreaming about designing my own line of wallpapers and fabrics one day. I think my favorite ones are the mushrooms and the leaves. They are just so perfect.

I just can't get enough. Not only are the products beautiful, but the styling is just spot-on. It makes me want to redecorate my entire apartment. Isn't it just inspiring?! I even love the stuff for kids.

I really did try to pare down my selections to my absolute favorites, but I just couldn't. Everything was so great.

I'm really loving the typography on this laundry bag. I've long believed that even things like laundry bags deserve to be beautiful. If anything, something boring and mundane like doing laundry can be just a little cheerier if you've got something beautiful to look at.

Can't get enough, like me? Check out their blog, with fresh posts. My favorites are the ones where they show their wallpapers in people's homes. It makes the idea of wallpapering seem less ominous.

Currency redesign

2010-09-18T15:06:00.000-04:00

I love some of the entries for U.S. currency redesigns! They looks so cool. Here's a article on the competition.

Anthology magazine is here!

2010-09-17T17:42:00.000-04:00

I have been SO excited about the arrival of Anthology magazine; I can't believe I missed the big announcement on the 12th. If you haven't heard of Anthology, you need to check out their website as soon as possible. As in, click over there now, silly!

And, to give you a taste here are some amazing photos from their blog:

They also created a super cute stop-motion video, which I'm going bananas over. How great are her tights?

Print Is Not Dead from Anthology Magazine on Vimeo.

Dream job :: Designer for FAME

2010-09-13T18:36:00.002-04:00

I'm starting a new series, called Dream Job. I'll be talking about the companies that are on my list of dream jobs, as well as why they're on that list and what makes the ideal work environment for me.

There will be a few companies that won't be any surprise (coughChronicleBookscough), and a few that I've kept under wraps but have secretly been pouring over and bookmarking the work of for years. Part of the reason I'm sharing them is because I want to inspire other people to think about their dream jobs and why they would love to work them. I'm a firm believer in working towards whatever goals you may have, and I try to do at least one thing every day to help me get closer to whatever goals I may have. My blog is one of the way I try to reach my goals; I use it as a tool to hone my eye for design as well as a source for inspiration — I often come back and look through my archives when I'm working on a project to see what types of things have caught my eye and to look for ideas for new projects.

So, without further adieu, I present my first dream job: I'd love to be a designer for FAME, a group of extremely talented branding, promotions, and advertising professionals who crank out some amazing work. And it's not their rock-star client list (including Target, Time Warner Cable, Select Comfort, La-Z-Boy, etc.) that caught my eye; it's an attention for design, an always-fresh color palette, a true harness on typography, a love of letterpress and an overall feeling that the work they produce is meaningful, meticulous and lasting.

You can tell their designers are having fun from looking at the work they're producing. It's modern without being trendy, it's vintage without being dated, it's minimalist without being stark, and it's the perfect blend of design and function. Because, let's face it, design for design's sake usually doesn't work, and neither does utility without good design. The two have got to meet somewhere in the middle. This team has found that middle ground, and is quite cozy there, thank you very much.

What first drew me in was the website. Like any good and effective website, it made me want to poke around a little. Granted, I'm a sucker for shiny things, but all it takes is a little bit of allure — just enough to get someone to click to the next page — and your website is a success, generally speaking. It doesn't hurt that the site is easy to navigate, filled with tons of beautiful work, and — what I liked best about it —a little sassy.

It was all admiration from there. I started looking at their work and drooling over every project. I'm not even exaggerating. The designs created by their team are just unbelievably refined and perfectly tweaked. My favorite part is that almost all of them have that little gem; that tiny little aha! element that makes you glad you took a closer look. Here are some of my favorites from their portfolio:

My favorite project, however, is the branding for Pastrami Jack's. And while the restaurant might not be in business anymore, the design for this project is certainly memorable.

The study of hair accessories

2010-09-09T18:22:00.001-04:00

Aren't these just gorgeous? They're the first of a line of hair accessories that ban.do will now be selling in Anthropologie stores! I love their hair accessories, and Anthro is one of my favorite stores. They have similar aesthetics, so I'm not surprised that these two companies paired up.

Fashion + Fiction

2010-09-02T19:32:00.000-04:00

You know how exciting it is when you discover one of your favorite designers is designing a collection for one of your favorite stores (like when Liberty of London and Orla Kiely did their collections for Target) or when one of your favorite actors is starring in a movie based on one of your favorite books (hello, Julia Roberts in Eat Pray Love!)? Well, that's kind of how I felt when I found out that Kate Spade was designing clutches inspired by great literary classics — The Great Gatsby, Great Expectations, and The Importance of Being Earnest. They're just adorable. And literary. And I love them.

And here they are:

And, if you can't get enough (or if you can't afford the clutches), you can get one of the clutch-inspired wallpapers from the site, as well. They're super cute, and I possibly have one on my desktop right now.

For the love of mail

2010-09-01T16:56:00.001-04:00

I love getting mail. There's something about opening my mailbox and seeing a letter addressed to me that just makes me all giddy. Especially if it's handwritten — I'm always eager to see what's inside, what someone has taken the time to send me via post instead of electronically.

It's because of that love that I recently send out change of address postcards to my family members and friends across the country. I'm hoping it inspires them to send me something in the mail!

Kodachrome Lovely

2010-08-29T13:41:00.002-04:00

I just ran across this video, which was from a 1922 Kodak Kodachrome film test. It's just beautiful.

Video found on Chateau Thombeau.

Creative, Inc.

2010-08-28T13:07:00.010-04:00

OK, so it might not be my news, but I am so excited about Creative, Inc. that I just had to share.

Meg Mateo Ilasco (who is the author of Designer's Library, Craft Inc., and upcoming Crafting a Meaningful Home) and Joy Cho (who is the author of Oh Joy! and the creator of many beautiful things) are the authors of this beautiful new book, and I just can't wait to get my hands on it and read it. It is published by Chronicle Books (my favorite publisher) and looks gorgeous already. The book is going on a blog tour right now, so make sure you follow along with all the cool bonus material!

And, through my reading I found out that Meg is in charge of design and creative direction and Joy is the Market Editor for Anthology Magazine, a new print shelter magazine that will be launching in the Fall. I can't wait to see the new magazine and I'm quite confident that it's going to be a design-lover's staple!

Hello, Austin.

2010-08-23T15:31:00.000-04:00

You have beautiful serifs with just the right amount of quirkiness. I'd really love to get to know you better.

Font Facts:

Austin Collection :: Designed for British style magazine Harper’s & Queen, Austin is a loose revival of the typefaces of Richard Austin of the late 18th century for the publisher John Bell. Working as a trade engraver Austin cut the first British modern and later the iconoclastic Scotch Roman. Narrow without being overtly condensed, Austin is a modern with the styling and sheen of New York in the 1970s. / Designed by Paul Barnes and Ilya Ruderman, 2007, 2009.

I love a blank slate.

2010-08-02T15:59:00.000-04:00

I moved recently (you may have noticed a little lapse in posts, as things have been super crazy in my life over the last few weeks) and my roommate and I were blessed to find an adorable apartment on the side of town that we wanted to be on. One of the great little extras about our new apartment is our half bath, located downstairs and perfect for our guests. Right now it's kind of barren and empty, but we're planning a trip to IKEA to remedy that, and I'm thinking that framing a few prints from Etsy.com would add the perfect amount of charm to the space.

I've been looking at different collections of prints over the last few weeks, and I'm particularly drawn to seller LolasRoom's aesthetic. The photos in this collection are girly, slightly muted, and full of charm. Here are some of my favorites:

Aren't they just adorable? I love that her subjects are all things dear to my heart; books, balloons, photography, vintage clothing, typewriters, farmers markets, bicycles, etc. The simple elegance of these everyday items really just speaks to me. What about you? What kind of photographs make your heart sing?

Quirky photography

2010-07-01T11:26:00.002-04:00

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Oh Joy!, the beautiful and inspirational blog by designer Joy Deangdeelert Cho, and I often pull ideas from the things she shares on her blog in my designs. Today's perusal led me to some really great photographers with quirky and creative styles.

The first is Tom Mannion, whose portfolio I went to immediately upon seeing this teapot photo:

I just love the colors, the idea, and the styling of the whole thing. His photos have this whimsical, imagination feel to them and I just adore them. Here are a few more:

The second photographer is Camille Vivier, and her photos are a little dark, but very beautiful and some are certainly unexpected. She is a French photographer with a Fine Arts background. Here are some of her photos:

Don't you just feel inspired? A big part of what I love about Camille's work is that the fashion is just gorgeous. How could you not love those wicked witch shoes?

Featured Etsy seller :: Ello There

2010-06-28T10:28:00.000-04:00

I just ran across this completely adorable Etsy.com shop called Ello There that designs wedding invitations and save the dates, and I had to write about it and share with you. The beauty is in the simplicity with these, and just clicking through their shop gave me tons of ideas for invitations, save the dates and even posters to give as wedding gifts. I've always loved being able to use my graphic design background to create something unique and memorable for friends and family who are getting married, having babies, graduating, etc., and it's always wonderful to run across something fresh and new that I love and haven't already seen before. The world of wedding invitations is pretty saturated, and when something becomes trendy (like hand-drawn calligraphy) it suddenly pops up everywhere. What I loved the most about this shop is that the choices are all adorable, simple and sweet.

Hope Springs Eternal

2010-06-25T19:49:00.000-04:00

I saw this crocheted artwork on the homepage of Etsy.com today and just had to share. It's absolutely darling. I love the colors against all that white.

Hope Springs Eternal / by seller knitalatte / $12.00

Bakery beauties

2010-06-17T15:50:00.000-04:00

just ran across this San Francisco-based bakery Miette and I had to share. The treats all look SO yummy, and since I have always wanted to work for/own a bakery, I just couldn't help but to be inspired. Everything is so simple and perfect, and I love that there's not a lot of extra "stuff" thrown on there just for the sake of decoration. It's the equivalent of good editing with design. I'm also a fan of the styling they use for the photos and the cute but minimalist Web site.

Featured artist :: Andrew Bannecker

2010-06-16T10:16:00.000-04:00

Today I'm featuring the work of Andrew Bannecker, an artist and illustrator with quirky, personality-filled pieces. I ran across his portfolio site the other day, and not only do I love the design — especially the simplicity of the whole thing — but I'm also really inspired by his style of work.

He also just happened to design the cover of Northern Virginia Magazine, one of the magazines I interviewed with when I graduated college. Anyways, his work is definitely worth following! He posts new stuff on his blog, so make sure to bookmark it.

Present & Correct

2010-06-14T21:10:00.001-04:00

I've been eyeing London-based Present & Correct these past few weeks, and I just had to share. The paper goods are touted as old & new, from near & far, and the founders are graphic designers, so of course they have a great eye for the whimsical and beautiful. I love the eclectic collection of things they have in their store, especially the stationery and paper goods. They've also got a store on Etsy.com, with even more goodies. I can just imagine all of these beautiful things filling my writing desk. Wouldn't it just be wonderful?

Clockwise from top left: 1. Sewing Card Set 2. Good Luck Card 3. Security Paper Tape 4. Geometry Post Its

Clockwise from top left: 1. Bag Collection 2. Coloured Masking Tapes 3. Air-mail Letter Set 4. Lock & Key Mini Envelopes

Clockwise from top left: 1. Stamp Sheep Wall Planner 2. P&C Paper Bag 3. Airline Stamp Block 4. Wallpaper Postcards

Clockwise from top left: 1. Frukt & Ekollon Envelopes 2. JAL Airline Leaflets; 1962 3. Air-mail Letter Set 4. Wallpaper Postcards

Stamp Sheep Wall Planner

Neenah letterpress

2010-06-14T10:58:00.001-04:00

I was lucky to be the winner of a Neenah Paper giveaway a few weeks ago on Twitter, and when I received my letterpressed cards in the mail, I squealed with designer joy. These cards are beautiful. The artistry is inspiring and the sentiments are quite unique. The paper they are printed on is gorgeous. They were designed by some of the Ladies of Letterpress / Farmhouse Design Studio, and printed by Fey Publishing Company. Everyone involved did a wonderful job, and the final product is just perfect. I'm so excited to send these cards to my friends and family!

The packaging was perfect. The whole set of cards and the insert fit nicely into a fold-out envelope/case.

The details were gorgeous. I just love letterpressed cards. The bite is what makes them especially beautiful.

Isn't this pattern just gorgeous? I made a desktop background out of it for my computer.

And I have to say, the paper is perfect for these cards. It has just the right weight and texture, and feels very nice. It also has a great, papery smell. (Yes, I am a design nerd.)

There's beauty in the breakdown

2010-05-29T19:55:00.001-04:00

Something beautiful can happen when you ruin things. Case in point: Cara Barer, photographer and ruined-book sculptor. She creates beautiful images from damaged, waterlogged books. The result is striking and unexpectedly beautiful. Here is a sample of some of her recent work.

Stunning photography

2010-05-28T18:22:00.000-04:00

By photographer Philip Newton. I am loving his photos today. This collection kind of represents me, and the many moods I find myself in. I found his site via Oh Joy.

Less is more

2010-05-25T09:52:00.000-04:00

I've been feeling the need to craft lately, and I have so many craft projects that I've started and abandoned, it's all become a bit intimidating. I think I might be doing a major craft-box overhaul this week, in order to get things in order and to reduce the amount of stuff I have. I've been subscribing to the 'less is more' school of thought lately, and it's partly because I know I'll be moving some time in the next two months and I don't want to move a lot of stuff, but it's also because I've been feeling particularly weighed down by all of the stuff I own. I have a friend who moved recently and literally fit everything she owned (including her greyhound!) into her sedan. Anything that didn't fit she gave to her neighbors. And while I love having beautiful things and furniture to enjoy, it's got to be really liberating to be able to do that! I'm caught somewhere in between the two, but getting rid of some excess baggage certainly feels nice. So here's a challenge for you, too: If you don't need it, if you don't use it, if it's just taking up space in your apartment or your house or your life, just get rid of it! Donate it to charity, sell it on Craigslist, or lug it to the dumpster. You'll feel better and, as they say, less is more.

Creative Characters, indeed.

2010-05-24T11:13:00.000-04:00

Just read a lovely article over at MyFonts about the Kapitza sisters, who are based out of London. They create gorgeous picture and pattern fonts, and their work is really inspiring. Check out the article and some of their amazing work!

Ampersand love

2010-05-21T14:32:00.000-04:00

I've been a fan of the ampersand since the first day I saw it, but this is perfection. It's from ImJustCreative, and there's a great article that gives you a look into the development of the logo and the creative process in general. Isn't she lovely?

What's cooking?

2010-05-03T20:25:00.001-04:00

I've been doing a lot of cooking lately — inspired by recipes in body + soul magazine (like this recipe for poached eggs in tomato soup, or this one for peanut noodles with bok choy salad); by Jamie Oliver's simple, whole, green approach to cooking (and his amazing recipes, like this chopped salad that I had for three days straight it was so delicious); and by tons of other cookbooks that focus on whole, organic, vegetarian — and just plain good — eating.

I've been checking out cookbooks a lot lately, and I'm not sure if you've noticed, but they have been getting quite the star treatment these days. Today's cookbooks are gorgeous; they are smartly designed, expertly styled and perfectly photographed to make each dish look, well, irresistibly delicious. That's the point, isn't it?

What makes me happiest of all is the fact that these gorgeous, pass-down-to-your-children's-children cookbooks are spreading the word and piquing people's interests about cooking that is local, healthy and fresh.

Some of my favorites (and believe me, it's hard to choose!) include:

FAST, FRESH & GREEN

More than 90 different recipes for veggie lovers.

Available from Chronicle Books.

VEGANOMICON

The ultimate vegan cookbook. Over 250 fresh and delicious vegan recipes.

Available from Amazon.com

SIMPLY ORGANIC

A cookbook for sustainable, seasonal, and local ingredients. 150 recipes that'll make you say "yum."

Available from Chronicle Books.

NEW VEGETARIAN

More than 75 fresh recipes for pasta, tagines, curries, soups & stews, and desserts.

Available from Chronicle Books.

JAMIE AT HOME

Over 100 great, no-nonsense recipes inspired by the chef's vegetable garden.

Available from Amazon.com.

Here's a look at the inside of Jamie at Home:

Isn't it just gorgeous? I've thumbed through almost all of these cookbooks (and countless more!) at my local bookstore and am looking forward to eventually adding all of them to my cookbook arsenal.

And speaking of local book stores, might I suggest you buy as many books as you can straight from the source? That may mean from the author's Web site, from the publisher's site, or even from your locally owned independent bookstore. Why? Because that helps to guarantee that as much of your purchase as possible goes towards making sure the people who make these beautiful books available can continue doing so.

The Andor

2010-04-23T13:23:00.002-04:00

After joking around with the editors at work for the last few weeks about our need for an and/or symbol, I came the the conclusion that there is an actual need for a punctuation mark. I mean, how many times have you written 'and/or' and wished you could have just used a single symbol? Not to mention the ability to be clearer on character-restricted platforms like Twitter.

Well, consider all of those problems solved.

Patent pending. Copyright. All of the above. I'm thinking about submitting it to the AP Stylebook, since they are my go-to source for all things grammar and punctuation. This is THE FUTURE!

Great band, awesome posters.

2010-04-11T15:58:00.000-04:00

Dave Matthews Band (one of my favorites) is having a poster sale in their online store. Since I'm a big concert poster lover, I headed over to see if there wasn't something I couldn't resist.

Well, of course there were tons of posters that I absolutely loved. The majority of them were by Methane Studios, a full-service design and illustration studio. They were actually already saved to my bookmarks, and it for good reason — their work is remarkable. Here's a small look at some of the posters in the collection:

If you want one of your own, they're available both at Methane's site and at Dave Matthews Band's site.

Inspired by Steven Tabbutt

2010-03-31T19:12:00.000-04:00

I saw Steven Tabbutt's work on my iGoogle feed (in my Artist A Day box) and had to share. His work is beautiful, intricate, and the colors he uses are perfect. I love his style — how he leaves some parts black and white, colors come, uses a soft palette, fills some parts with pattern, etc. What an impressive, inspirational collection of work!

Pretty book update...

2010-03-19T14:30:00.002-04:00

So after some delightful Googling of book designer Coralie Bickford-Smith, I came across her gorgeous portfolio site (managed with Indexhibit, which I have been trying to figure out for my portfolio for a little over a hear now...) and found information about the second series of books she's designing for Penguin Classics. I immediately checked with Amazon.com, and they just came out March 10!

I think my new plan is to order one per month. That way, I don't feel the impact of ordering them all at once. Also, it will give me more time to read some of the books I already have! I'm just so afraid that they're going to stop printing them and I won't be able to get them anymore.

I think I'm most excited for Emma and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. Aren't they just gorgeous?

Penguin classics

2010-03-17T19:42:00.001-04:00

I have been pining over the Penguin Classics series designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith for over a year now, but since my stack of 'to-read' is larger than my stack of 'have read,' I haven't been able to justify spending the bucks on these literary beauties... until now.

Yesterday was my dear friend Marilee's birthday, and she happens to be a fan of the BBC's series, Cranford. While browsing the gorgeous collection online one day, I came upon the book and couldn't believe my eyes. I hit that 'Add to Cart' button as fast as my fingers would let me and eagerly anticipated the mail for a week.

When it arrived, let me tell you — it did not disappoint. The cover was gorgeous, the colors and embossing were decadent and everything I had hoped for. The pages were crisp, set in beautiful type, and there was even a green ribbon bookmark sewn into the binding. I had gift envy.

So this blog entry is my official record that I hope to one day own at least part of this collection. It is a goal of mine to read all of the classics of literature (and to re-read the ones I was assigned in high school that I trudged through every summer instead of enjoying) and to own some of them, as well. Wouldn't these just be the perfect ones for my bookshelf? I can't imagine enjoying a book more than I anticipate enjoying these.

Liberty of London wallpaper

2010-02-24T13:52:00.001-05:00

Are you eagerly anticipating the arrival of Liberty of London products at Target? Want to adorn your desktop with wallpaper in one of their beautiful patterns? Well, you're in luck. Head on over to www.target.com/liberty and click on 'Pattern Your World' for these colorful, graphic beauties.

Garamond for the win!

2010-02-24T13:39:00.000-05:00

The design intern at my job sent this to me the other day and was instantly awarded 30 bonus points. I love Garamond. Check out the full post here.

"Designers Matt Robinson and Tom Wrigglesworth looked at ink usage of some commonly-used typefaces, by hand-drawing them with ballpoint pens.

Scribble, scribble, scribble, and they got this simple bar chart with ink usage measured by, well, ink:

Little Doodles :: I am so in love.

2010-02-10T13:45:00.001-05:00

I am in doodle love with Little Doodles, a collection of illustrations (often delicately painted and always painstakingly detailed) that are fashion, love, and life-inspired. I discovered the illustrations, by Kate Wilson of London, on Flickr a week ago and have found myself using them as desktop backgrounds, inspiration for projects and lovely eye candy. She's also got a lovely blog that I've just subscribed to.

Looking for a new bag...

2010-01-24T16:27:00.000-05:00

...and I ran across this one. Isn't it darling? It's by Etsy.com seller hellome, and I think it's perfect for trips to the coffee shop, wandering around downtown, hanging out on the weekends, etc. I love the little button flower detail, it's just so precious.

Absolutely lovely.

2010-01-18T20:23:00.000-05:00

These robes from Plum Pretty Sugar have me thinking about writing poetry, drinking a hot cup of tea, lounging on the day bed on my mom's porch in Key Largo... they are just so dreamy! The fabrics are divine, too.

Pretty photos

2010-01-15T13:57:00.000-05:00

Dear JuneCraft,

I love your photographs. More, please.

Love,

The Cre8ive

I need a new calendar...

2010-01-13T13:38:00.001-05:00

I've been looking for a new calendar for a while now, and I've been going back and forth between designing and printing one myself and buying one. After running across this one from Paper Source, I'm leaning more towards buying.

The coolest thing about this calendar is that when you're done using it as a calendar, there are templates on the back of each month that show you how to turn it into a box, file folder, note card, etc. Ingenious!

Perfect postcards

2009-12-02T20:01:00.002-05:00

These postcards from Studio Violet are the bee's knees. They're available for purchase here.

More typography tees!

2009-11-30T18:12:00.000-05:00

Just when I think I've found the best typography-inspired clothing store on the Internet, I run across another gem. Case in point: Ugmonk.

These snazzy tees have everything it takes to make my heart go pitter patter; simple, typography-driven designs, an understated color scheme and some sassy/clever sayings.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T08:14:00.000-05:00

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with love, joy, family and friends.

pumpkin pie in the making, originally uploaded by cannelle-vanille.

Typography Tees

2009-11-24T13:37:00.000-05:00

For a typography nerd like me, this store is like hitting the jackpot — it's filled with fabulous type-inspired clothing that (best part!) is affordable. Turn Nocturnal is a clothing company that is run by two guys who might love type as much as I do, and I can't wait to put in my first order!

Carry it with class

2009-11-23T12:56:00.001-05:00

I've just discovered aliamichèle bags, and they are adorable and one-of-a-kind. I love the colors and the inspired designs, and they're certainly like nothing I've ever seen before. Check out the store for more styles.

Featured Artist :: Leesa Leva

2009-11-19T18:25:00.001-05:00

Artist Leesa Leva has got my eye this week. I really admire her mastery of watercolors — a medium I, admittedly, have always wished I could excel in but have never come close to doing so. Watercolors are very difficult to work with (at least for me they are), but seeing her work would make you think they're as easy as pie. I'm also loving her quirky, nontraditional style. Check out her shop for more pieces.

Old Soul, new looks

2009-11-17T07:55:00.000-05:00

I am loving the collection over at Old Soul, New Heart. The pieces are fun, sophisticated and not too over-the top. Adding them to an outfit would surely make a statement!

Creative inspiration

2009-11-16T13:04:00.003-05:00

I've been supremely inspired by Shana Faust's Web site — so much so that I've visited every site she's listed on her gorgeous inspiration page! Here's a look at some of the beautiful things that serve as her creative inspiration:

But it certainly isn't just the things that inspire her that are inspiring me. Her work is beautiful, and with many years spent as a stylist for editorial features and Deputy Style Editor at Martha Stewart Weddings magazine, it's no surprise. Here are just some of the many beautiful pieces in her well-groomed portfolio. Her expertise is certainly something I aspire to gain myself, and if I find myself with half of the talent she possesses, well, I'll be quite a lucky girl.

Take a closer look...

2009-11-13T07:55:00.000-05:00

...at this really great idea for a Web site. Lost and Found Props is an online resource for anyone looking for, well, props, and the idea behind it is very cool. They fashioned their splash page after an eye chart, and then took it one step further. After you click on the text on the splash page (which, by the way, has typography that is perfectly matched for the feel of the entire site), it takes you to another eye-chart inspired page; only this time it's filled with photographs of different types of props they provide. When you hover over each photograph, you see the name of the category of props. You simply choose your first category from this page and then are taken to a more traditional (yet very clean, well-designed) page.

here's the splash page:

this is the second page you come to on the site, where you can choose your category:

when you hover over a picture, you see the name of the category:

Sketchy

2009-11-12T19:15:00.001-05:00

What a great site! I love that it's simple, clean and personalized with those great category sketches. Even though it's a men's clothing store, I still explored because I was so drawn in by the way it was designed.