LOVE ME

INSPIRATION

It’s Valentine’s Day and we all have love on the brain. Curtis Kulig, artist, photographer, and illustrator, is best known for his iconic Love Me work, and he comes to my mind often around February 14.

When you stumble upon one of Kulig’s paintings or artful scrawls on the side of a building or high up on a billboard, it makes you smile… It’s the playful yet sensual lettering. It’s the bold yet sweet sentiment. It’s the honesty. It’s the love.

Happy Valentine’s Day!


Island Nuptials

IN THE STUDIO

Stephanie and Charles said “I do” last year in a lovely tropical setting on the island of Maui. See the fun details featured today on Martha Stewart Weddings. From the invitation to the ceremony to the cake, their special day was infused with the local colors, flavors, and traditions of the Hawaiian islands.

Photography: Meg Smith

IslandNuptials

FOG Design + Art Fair

INSPIRATION

This past weekend San Francisco hosted the first ever FOG Design + Art Fair in collaboration with the SF Museum of Modern Art. One of our favorite event designers and visionaries, Stanlee Gatti, was on the Steering Committee and we commend him and the rest of the team for putting together such a fun and innovative celebration of modernism.

Here are a few of our favorite pieces from the fair. Photos courtesy of artsy.net

TaskLamp
Greta Magnusson Grossman, Task lamp, circa. 1948, R & Company

 

Lake

Hiroshi Sugimoto, Lake Superior, Point Isabelle, 2003, Fraenkel Gallery

Screen Shot 2014-01-23 at 8.18.38 PM

 

Ed Wormley, Prototype Rocking Chaise, 1960, Converso NY

Vessel

Jeff Zimmerman, Faceted sculptural vessel, 2012, R & Company

BlueWoods

Eric William Carroll, Blue Line of Woods, 2010, Highlight Gallery


David Hockney: A Bigger Exhibition

INSPIRATION

I finally went to see the David Hockney exhibit at the de Young Museum and was blown away. The halls were filled floor to ceiling with his vivid, colorful canvases. It reminded me of a wedding invitation we did a few years ago in which we printed one of the groom’s own paintings on the vellum overlay. Not only was it a wonderfully personal detail, but the bold colors elevated the entire invite.

Color is so transformative and powerful… as is Art. The exhibition closes Monday so if you haven’t been yet, go now.

Additional info can be found at artsy.net

Hockney

Photos courtesy of hockney.famsf.org and sfgate.com


Gingerbread Fun

HOMELIFE

We thought a fun way to get everyone ready for Christmas (and on a massive sugar high) would be to all decorate gingerbread houses with our families and compare the results. Who doesn’t like a little friendly competition? Below is a quick recap of the fun… you be the judge!

First, we have Eve’s daughters working their magic on an amazing snow frosted roof. It’s quite the colorful masterpiece.

Eve Ginger

Next up, Joanna’s niece and nephew get crafty with Oreos, Rolos and marshmallows… Yum!

Joanna Ginger

 

Jocelyn’s son built a very happy home complete with a gorgeous shingled roof, a snow-covered chimney, and a very creative candy cane lamp post. So cheery and colorful.

Jocelyn Ginger

 

And, last but not least, Lesley’s nephews may have had a little too much fun… even the addition of the adorable candy cane front door couldn’t hold this house in one piece! Nice work, gentlemen.

Lesley Ginger

PRINTABLE GIFT TAGS… FOR YOU!

IN THE STUDIO

We’re getting in the holiday spirit here at the studio and designed some gift tags for you to download and print right from home. They are the perfect accompaniment to any gift giving this month, and we hope you find them useful. Download now!

GiftTags(3)

'Tis the Season

IN THE STUDIO

Thanksgiving is long gone, which means it’s time for mistletoe and merriment. With the supremely talented Laurie Arons (www.lauriearons.com) we designed this festive invitation for a San Francisco holiday party. Ho ho ho.

CugginoHoliday

Gobble Gobble

HOMELIFE

Joanna had some creative time with her nieces and nephew over the Thanksgiving weekend. Check out these DIY birds …

Turkey

WELCOME DINNER

HOMELIFE

A Day in May is honored to work with new hires Joanna and Jocelyn! We wanted to celebrate them with a special dinner so Lesley’s husband Pablo took on the chef role. Lesley found the fun kraft paneled place cards at Paper Source and chose to write the guest names by hand for a homespun flair. Eve topped off the night with a delicious homemade berry tart.

Dinner 580

Women Who Inspire – Serena Dugan

WOMEN WHO INSPIRE

SERENA DUGAN
FOUNDER, SERENA AND LILY
a celebration of risk taking ladies
WHAT DO YOU DO?

I think of myself as a textile designer, although technically I’m the Chief Creative Officer of SERENA & LILY — a home decor company based in Sausalito, CA. There, I design or direct the design of all patterns used on our textiles (bedding, rugs, etc.), I direct the design of all of our products, and I oversee the creative side of the business (i.e. graphic design, photoshoots, website etc.). www.serenaandlily.com

GIVE US A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR CAREER PATH.

Non-linear! I was a Psychology major, undergrad, and always thought I would go on to be a Clinical Psychologist. In between Undergrad and Grad School I took time o and worked at a Tech rm. I realized my day would not be spent being a therapist, and had an inkling I wanted to do something more creative. It was then that I picked up a paintbrush for the first time and started painting designs on furniture. Lo and behold it got shown in a local art/craft gallery and sold, so I made more. It sold, and I thought I would re-direct my path and go study art and design. After a BFA and time in Florence studying, I started a business doing Decorative Painting for private clients in Denver. Upon moving to San Francisco, my client base became Interior Designers and Pottery Barn Kids Catalog (as their decorative painter on catalog photoshoots). I continued to take classes to expand my range of “mark-making” and studied textile design and screenprinting. At that point I developed my own line of hand block-printed fabrics, which I sold through Interior Designers. Soon after, I met my business partner Lily; she owned a local children’s boutique (Mill Valley Baby & Kids), and she and I commiserated about how few great options were on the market for baby bedding. The rest is history.

Products available on SERENAANDLILY.COM
WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?

A psychotherapist.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE DOING IN 10 YEARS?

Great question. I want to be serving the same role at Serena & Lily, but with more of me to go around to my kids, family and friends thanks to all the talent that surrounds me there…maybe even leaving me enough time to paint again!

NAME THREE PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS THAT HELPED YOU GET TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY.

I believe in unlimited possibility, I’m internally driven (always have been), and I’m perpetually inspired.

Serena beading with Mamas during a trip to Africa
HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?

If I’m proud of and satisfied by the product of my effort.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE FAILURE?

If I make a mistake I don’t learn from.

Products available on SERENAANDLILY.COM
HAVE YOU EVER MADE A MISTAKE IN YOUR CAREER?

Lots, but I always learn from them and build on that learning. So “mistakes” become the course of things.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

The team of people we have working with us. We are like a family and I’m honored to have them all putting their time and energy into a common cause that started with me.

Serena’s son and friends in Marin County, California. / Serena and Lily during an inspirational voyage.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 21 YEAR-OLD SELF?

You don’t need to know what you want to be when you grow up. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, learn what feels right and what feels wrong, and adjust accordingly. But above all else: follow your own internal compass…no one but you can know your path.

WHAT TRICKS HAVE YOU LEARNED TO BALANCE LIFE AND WORK?

I’ve learned that it’s all about presence. Presence makes time count, and it becomes about quality over quantity. Since there’s never enough quantity, you might as well have quality.

products available on serenaandlily.com
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHILDREN’S BOOK AND WHY?

Currently it’s Fireboat (by Maira Kalman), an amazing children’s book about a fireboat that became an unlikely hero fighting res from the Hudson on 9/11. It’s a touchingly gentle way to introduce 9/11 to kids and an absolutely lovely story.

DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT VACATION.

Not having to make a single decision, sunshine, and great food. If I have all three it’s an epic vacation.

1) Copenhagen, Denmark
Incredible shopping, lovely people, phenomenal style

2) Marrakech, Morocco
Lush exotic otherworldliness

3) San Sebastian, Spain
Low-key, jet-set beach

4) Telluride, Colorado
Jawdroppingly stunning, but still-rough-around-the-edges mountain town

5) Paris, France
The most beautiful city in the world. Still.

PHOTOGRAPHY PROPERTY OF SERENA AND LILY

GIVING THANKS

IN THE STUDIO

This is one of our favorite A Day in May promotional pieces, printed in 2011. Let’s always remind ourselves to give thanks.

Thanksgiving

HOLIDAY CARDS

IN THE STUDIO

Halloween is all wrapped up which means…the holidays are quickly approaching! It’s time to think about your cards so we dug into our archives and grabbed a little sampling of different holiday designs from over the years.

Holiday.2013


Halloween Crafts

HOMELIFE

One of the many perks of what we do is all the oodles of extra paper our wondrous printer, Judith, (www.full-circle-press.com), sends our way. I got home on Friday to a HUGE packet of black and orange paper. In the spirit of the season – halloween bats soon popped up on my front porch.

EveSignature.png

 

HalloweenCraft

Beastly Threads – LOGO design

IN THE STUDIO

We’ve been so proud to work closely with Torrey Shawe on her new venture, Beastly Threads. In this post you’ll see her logo designed by A Day in May as well as her chic office space and inspiration boards.
Torrey is bring to market sensational scarves which incorporate timeless, elegant design; luxurious, sustainable materials; and a promise that with each scarf sold, a significant portion of the profits will go to wildlife preservation efforts. So do yourself a favor and keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming Beastly Threads launch!

Torrey 1

Mallorca Vow Renewal

IN THE STUDIO

Renewing your vows is a time to reflect on the past and celebrate the future. When one couple told us that they were going to do so in beautiful Mallorca, we thought what better way to announce the occasion than with this classic map – signifying both the spectacular locale and the road ahead as this couple looks forward to their future together. To highlight the simplistic loveliness of the island, we chose a navy palette and pale citrus imagery. We can’t wait to hear about all the exciting things that Alicia and Hosain have in store for their future together!

Engstrom

Artistic Designs for Living

IN THE STUDIO

High quality, creative designs + a solid business mindset = Artistic Designs for Living. Their mission is to provide home renovations that reflect your personality and aesthetic that you can rely on to be finished on time and on budget. Now Artistic Designs for Living has opened a new studio space which reflects their daring aesthetic and they asked us to recreate their brand! The end result was a modern brand full of rich details like this matte gold foil on deep white and black paper.


Strawberry Picking

HOMELIFE

I took my three girls to Sonoma last weekend and we spent the most magical day picking strawberries. Most landed in little mouths, but we had enough left over to make several nice jars of stupendous jam. And, of course, what’s a jar of jam without a sweet label to go along with it?

EveSignature.png

 

Strawberries

Must Love Dogs

IN THE STUDIO

We loved working on this save the date and invitation. Michele and Jon adore their dog and he became a central figure (see him under the tree) in all the pieces!

Shinder.blog

Potluck Menu

HOMELIFE

Few things are better than cooking with friends. This weekend, I invited a few of my nearest and dearest over to cook a feast and drink some wine. I had everyone tell me in advance what they planned to make, and I whipped up these menus/place cards before they got here – printed on kraft paper off my home color printer.

EveSignature.png

 

PotluckMenu