Heading to the F.L.

I'm heading down to see my grandparents in Florida - Grandma is in the hospital, so everyone is rallying and meeting down there.

Sorry for the absence, but Tax Day took a lot out of us, but we completed them (whew)! Oh and really good news - I submitted several card designs for a book that's coming out on handmade greeting cards. Guess what? They accepted 5 of my designs! I sent the hard copies to the publishers last week. I'll definitely let you know when the book comes out (I figure a year or so).

This week I sent out a few items from the Etsy shop:

Letterpressed envelopes by Robert Warner

I love this wasp

I also sent out my first letter to my fellow Letter Writers Alliance member:

Robert helped me make these envelopes, aren't they sweet?

Hey, have I introduced you to the latest addition to the Baba's 2nd family? Her name is Little Elly and she's gorgeous!



Here's an example of how great our friends are:
Our good friend, Julie is such a connector - she overheard another friend (Elly) talking about her letterpress. Elly wanted to find a new home for her little Kelsey press and Julie mentioned that I'd be interested. Oh Julie!!! You are great! My sweet husband gave me a lift to Elly's storage space and helped me bring the press down to the letterpress shop. The ridiculously prolific and amazing Robert Warner is helping me restore Little Elly (he even suggested that we paint pinstripes on her - swanky).

I expect good things will come from our studio in the next few weeks. Til I'm back from Florida - enjoy yourselves.

...sometimes you need to slow down and do something else

I've spent over 110 minutes on hold today, had five conversations with my webhost (4 with billing/customer service and 1 with tech support), spent a few minutes having a meltdown and 9 minutes on Verizon's site troubleshooting our phone service and realized that I am not receiving ANY business emails from my server. Some days you're not supposed to do certain things.

On the very bright side, I'm working on three cards that are so lovely! They are for submission to a project on handmade cards. In spite of all the small business woes, I am happy. Get this - two turtle doves were eating from our birdhouse outside my office window. CUTE!!! Next time, I'll have the camera on hand.

Well, when life is overwhelming (or underwhelming), make something lovely. Here are some inspiring DIY projects:

An amazing hand stitched quilt that you can make yourself. 

image courtesy of the Purl Bee 

Repurposed Security Envelopes

images courtesy of Design*Sponge

Reuse those envelopes your bills come in or finally use that 

box of #10 security envelopes you have sitting around the office.

Shoe Rack Attack

image courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Shoes off the floor? I like the sound of that one. Of course you could paint the rack a nice shade and change out the hooks if you're feeling particularly randy. 

NO PICTURE BUT WORTH CHECKING OUT

Alicia Paulson's embroidered dishtowels. This one comes with a freebie pattern. She asks that her images not be used, but you can CLICK HERE to see the pictures and the pattern. Yay for the Rosy Little Things blog. 

So have some fun and take a freakin' break!

Brooklyn Rocks - Music This Weekend

Highlights from the Brooklyn music scene this weekend.

Jazz + Hip Hop

Brooklyn resident, Maurice Brown, the talented trumpeter is playing this Saturday at Rose Live Music in Williamsburg. The prolific jazz man is teaming up with keyboardist/producer Sam Barsh on a new project called Lose Your Mind. If you haven't heard Maurice play, you're missing out on the most exciting jazz show of our times.

345 Grand Street (between Havemeyer and Marcy) 10pm $3.00

Finger Styling Guitar

J.D. Wood, Brooklyn resident and all-around good guy, is playing this Saturday, 5 April 2008 at Sidewalk Cafe in Manhattan. Jeff plays the standup bass with a host of talented guys and this time it's acoustic ballads and blues with Lenny Molotov, Jake Engel and Karl Meyer. If you ever lived in Seattle, you probably know JD Wood and rocked out to his music. 

94 Avenue A (at 6th Street) 9pm  No cover

Japan's No. 1 B-Boy

The King is coming!!! DJ Muro, the King of Diggin is coming from Japan! This First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum , DJ Muro is playing the dance party at 10pm 9PM. Years ago, our friend Pooky let me borrow a few of his King of Diggin cassettes. I listened to them for years! I still listen to them now - yes I pull out my Walkman and pop in those puppies. Well, everyone from Ghostface to U-God to Kool G Rap praise DJ Muro. He also plays the best rare groove East of London. And it's FREE!

200 Eastern Parkway (at Washington Ave) 9pm FREE 

Art Tuesday - Diebenkorn on the Park

Yesterday evening as four of us gals were zipping through the Village in our friend's TD300, we passed Washington Square Park. Lynda, an amazing artist/human/friend pointed down the park and told us to check out the Diebenkorn exhibit at the Grey Gallery. 

Who?

Richard Diebenkorn, the late and great American painter that's who! Lynda loves his work and I see why. His earlier works remind me of a bossa nova track - beautiful in composition and quite accessible. 

Ingleside, 1963

The "Ocean Park" series (1967 - 1978) is his best known. Abstract and sophisticated, Mr. Diebenkorn's works are rife with his "trademark mysterious transparencies."

Ocean Park No. 54, 1972

Ocean Park No. 116, 1979

Born in Portland, Oregon and raised in San Francisco, Mr. Diebenkorn was culturally educated by his grandmother, a retired Civil Rights lawyer. An alum of Stanford, most of his life was spent in California - the subject of many of his works. The exhibition at Grey Gallery focuses on Mr. Diebenkorn's time in New Mexico and the Southwest; the experience that fostered the artist's exploration of the abstract.

Untitled (Alburquerque), 1952

Diebenkorn in New Mexico on view through Saturday, 5 April 2008 at the Grey Art Gallery in NYU (100 Washington Square East NYC 10003). 

Chocolate Luxe your name is Debauve et Gallais

We are very lucky in New York. There are so many fabulous places to shop and always something new to see.

Today I visited Debauve et Gallais, a chocolatier that I've been crushing on for quite some time. Normally, I do not count the Upper East Side as part of my stomping grounds, but today was an exception (besides, I usually find one or two fantastic places when I'm up there...hello Lady M?).

Le Livre, book of chocolate for $550.00

Debauve et Gallais, je t'aime! 

Darlings, this is luxury. I'm working with my friend Barbara and just had to go buy some chocolate for a shoot. If you get the chance, walk swiftly to the shop - I believe it's the only location in North America. 20 E. 69th Street - right off Madison Avenue.

Monsieur Debauve, a pharmacist, opened his first shop in 1800 and quickly became the chocolatier to French royalty. Didn't you know chocolate has therapeutic qualities? Debauve's nephew is the Gallais. Louis XVIII, Charles X and Louis Phillipe were served chocolate from the famous house of Debauve et Gallais. And for a few euros (or quite a few dollars), you can indulge in their chocolate. 

When you buy them, savor the experience - everyone was quite lovely in the boutique. Best of all? The packaging. Gray and deep blue and the most fantastic bag I've ever seen. Darling, this is the height of luxury!

Introduced by the royal family chemist, Monsieur Debauve, these chocolate 'coins' were initially made for Queen Marie Antoinette, "in order to ease her distaste in taking medicine," Monsieur Debauve had no problem getting her to eat these. $200.00 for 1 lb.  

PS - Piggy Bank survival tip  - You can also buy a small box of bonbons for $48.00

Ta-ta!

Coming Out Of Retirement

I'm coming out! I haven't styled for months (well with the exception of assisting a friend on a Family Circle shoot on Tuesday). It's been ages, darling simply ages!

Well, after spending almost all of last year freelancing at Martha Stewart, this year has been devoted to my business. What gives, you ask? Our friend, the beloved Julie LaMendola from Ching Chong Song is heading off with her band to tour Europe. So, I'll be helping my close friend and über-talented stylist Barbara.

I'm excited to scavenger for props and to work with Barb and her cohorts again (she works with some amazing photographers). My business will be still active - I'm still volunteering, creating and taking custom orders. Keep you updated!

Font-astic!

In the 4th grade I had a boy "friend" named Corey. He was a cutie pie, but what I remember most was his penmanship. Corey's handwriting slanted to the left. I thought it was fantastic. Sometimes, when I want to switch it up, I mimic his unusual style. 

The love for penmanship (and recently fonts) is in my DNA. Both of my parents have beautiful and unique handwriting. My mother's is more traditional. My father's hand is ornate and unlike any I've ever seen; copying his signature on report cards was never an option. My sister studied calligraphy and always writes out something on her promotional DJ cds.

Today fonts have become your signature. To some, they could care less if they're writing in Times New Roman or Courier. I am partial to Futura, but often change my font, depending on my mood. 

Last weekend, I met with my brother-in-law and his sweetheart. I am designing their wedding invitations. We spent hours carefully scanning the pages of my Wedding Library - I have almost every issue of Martha Stewart Weddings and quite a few bridal books. They want a traditional invitation all in script. Though I lean towards a more modern aesthetic, I love a design challenge. 

I remembered that Oh Joy posted about Grace's (from Design*Sponge) favorite new fonts and decided to google the post. Here's what I found:

a link to a link of Sudtipos.com an Argentine foundry/graphic design house. Look at how fabulous some of these are!

also for the ornate part of the invitations : 

What are your favorite fonts?