A heartfelt thank you to all of our clients and partners for a wonderful year filled with good design and beautiful events. We wish you and yours a safe and happy New Year.
Cheers!
I’m leaving the California rain and heading to Mexico! Here’s what’s in my bag…
1. Black bikini – classic, timeless and it just never gets old.
2. Skinceuticals CE ferulic – I swear by this stuff. It’s a splurge but so, so worth it.
3. Old Navy tank maxi dresses – I’m not afraid to splurge but I’m just as happy to save. Every year, I buy a handful of basic tank dresses from Old Navy. They are so comfortable (I’ve slept in them) and magically easy to toss over a bathing suit or dress up for dinner.
4. Great book – No kindle for me. I love the feel of paper and this book is on my to-read list.
5. Chunky jewelry – To dress up my basic dresses, nothing does it better than great jewelry. I love the pieces at winifredgrace.com
6. I bring 4 pair of shoes: gold flip flops, silver flip flops, black flip flops and…
7. Nike “Free” running shoes – I’m religious about my running and these are my favorites.
8. Cover-up – I’ll bring a dozen but this one from from lemlem.com is so beautiful.
9. Straw hat – I like the casual vibe of this style. This one’s from Calypso, but I actually bought mine from my local hardware store!
We couldn’t do what we do without Full Circle Press. Now that the dust has settled and we have bid adieu to Christmas, we can take a peek at the madness of their holiday season and the beautiful printed pieces they created this month…
We love the simplicity of this wedding invitation and save the date. The clean fonts and a gold and gray palette paired with a modern laurel design and beautifully patterned envelope liners, makes for a festive and elegant December wedding suite.
My family and I just arrived at a winter wonderland for the holidays. At Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Colorado, the only thing missing is Santa Claus. We are all looking forward to ice skating, horse-drawn sleigh rides, ski mobiles and hot chocolate. Merry Christmas everybody!
Calligraphy can really elevate an envelope. As you wrap up your holiday card addressing, get inspired by some of our favorite calligraphers work shown below:
Barbara Callow
Janis Anzalone
Michele Papineau
Take a peek at the holiday gift we mailed out this year. With the help of our elves at Full Circle Press, we created a little kit with some gift-giving essentials – tags, stickers, and cards.
One of my favorite things to do in Sausalito over the holidays is their annual Gingerbread tour. Shops from one end of town to the other create their own gingerbread houses and they range from the traditional to the truly sublime. (Yes, that’s a gingerbread throne in the second and third row of photos) And though 36 Marie Street wasn’t on the tour, we couldn’t resist doing one of our own.
The holidays are here and cocktail season is upon us! I recently came across this incredibly unique cocktail menu design from Padrecito, a fantastic Mexican restaurant in Cole Valley. It reminded me how little details like illustrations and a touch of whimsy can transform something from ho-hum to absolutely memorable. I was inspired to do a little digging and find some more examples…
photo credit: henry, charlie bird, trick dog, etsy, padrecito, barnhart
We just wrapped up all the holiday card designs for this year and wanted to stop for a moment for a look back at some of our favorite designs from seasons’ past.
I’m spending time with my family on the East Coast right now and it’s always fun to see the new developments in my hometown. The store BACK 40 MERCANTILE is a wonderful new addition to Old Greenwich, CT. I’ve already done some holiday shopping there for my husband and step-sons. All their products are organic, sustainable and locally sourced. The overall aesthetic is a combo of earthy colors, wonderful textures, and innovative design. An A Day in May dream, and did I mention, I love their logo!
Looking for some unique holiday gifts this year? Check out the amazing jewelry by our friends at Lulu Frost – a unique blend of antique and modern design.
And if you’re in New York, swing by the “The Lulu Shop” – the new retail store located inside their studio space on the second floor of 12 East 20th Street.
We’re nostalgic for the smell of pine needles throughout the holiday season. Take a peek at this wedding invitation we did a few years ago where we printed the folder with monochromatic pine trees and brought in the little details of branches and needles to the inside, delicately accenting each card.
I won’t admit how long it’s been since I’ve been to the Mission. Just know that it’s been way, way too long. So last weekend, my husband and I decided to remedy that and spend a late afternoon doing a little bar-hopping, food tasting and store perusing. It was literally a feast for my stomach AND eyes. One of the last spots we visited was Mission Cheese. I was in heaven to be sitting in this rustic, cozy little spot. Yes, chalkboard type is everywhere, but how cool are those sheep! Look closely, the “wool” is created from all the names of everyone involved with the creation of Mission Cheese.
We’re in the midst of redesigning our website (stay tuned for an early 2015 launch!) and are lucky enough to be working with fabulous Carol Vaziri on the photography.
We loved her immediately – she’s a mother of 3, yet manages to stay creative, inspired and supremely down-to-earth. As we move into the season of holiday cards and family photos, we wanted to share Carol’s wonderful eye:
We’re all working on our holiday menus this week. Take a look at some of these bright and bold menus from some recent events for some inspiration.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Pink never looks better than on toddlers in tutus. Check out my daughter and her buddies at ballet class this past week working hard on their dance moves.
The artist Corita Kent would have turned 96 years old yesterday – we’ve been so inspired by looking back on her artwork this week and reflecting on her unique style and powerful messages conveyed through a vivid mix of color and typography. These images are still powerful and beautiful 40plus years later. Below are some of our favorite screen prints of hers from the 1960s and 1970s. She was a graphic arts pioneer!
Maggie and Stephen selected such a unique color palette for their wedding. The combination of pale yellow and cornflower blue was sweet and subtle.
Wedding Planner: Stacy McCain
Photography: Gertrude and Mabel Photography
Floral Design: Kathleen Deery Design
Calligraphy: Papineau Calligraphy
Invitations: A Day in May
I’m a true homebody at heart, so when my friend Jocelyn invited me to her parents house in Sonoma for an afternoon and evening of making apple chutney, I couldn’t think of anything more perfect. We chopped and simmered apples, sipped wine and filled 45 jars with our delicious mixture. And of course, no chutney is quite complete unless it has a proper label.
