Friday, January 30, 2009

bold & noble



Gorgeous graphic posters out of the UK ...


Thursday, January 29, 2009

sarah santi


One great thing about working in advertising/design is that you are constantly struck with amazing work. New people cross your path that have done something that you never thought of and that leads to your own work getting better. When T and I worked in Chicago, a fresh out of school designer came along who had an AMAZING book. Student work is hit or miss and Sarah's book was a home run. She has recently finished her portfolio site and it is wonderful. It is full of her super cool designs and photography. I love her personal logo. Enjoy!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

the perfect crop

In this digital age, I have gotten lazy with photography. If a picture isn't perfect for a layout I always choose to crop after the photo is taken. It is an art to crop in camera. I learn so much from photographers that do it well (Janet ... you are awesome at it!). The Polaroid is a medium that forces the artist to crop in camera. That is why these simple, graphic pictures by Grant Hamilton are so beautiful.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

shelf talkers


I love the name of this medium because it is exactly what it sounds like: a sign on a shelf that "talks" to you as you pass buy. It is yet another way for advertisers to try and get you as you make your shopping decisions, a last minute purchase that may pay off.

We have been working with an awesome client for almost two years now. Sol Simple is out of Nicaragua. They are a small, environmentally conscious company selling sun dried fruit, nuts, coffee, noni, honey and chocolate. We love working with them. Here are some lines that T wrote for their shelf talkers. A great client always has a sense of humor.

Monday, January 26, 2009

sand and surf


With a high of 14 degrees today, the thought of warm sun and sand sounds amazing. We really can't complain, though. We had three days in a row of 60 degree temps earlier this week.


Jeff Divine is a photographer out of CA. He did a long stint with Surfer magazine and is now with Surfer's Journal. His photos are so iconic and beautiful. Funny how some of these pics could have been taken today. LOVE the shorts!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

cars and truck and things that go


I know more about cars and trucks than I ever thought possible. Not necessarily their inner workings. But ask me what construction vehicle is working on the road up the street and I can tell you without hesitation.


The Old Car Manual Project covers two loves: graphic design and vehicles. I love the layouts and pictures. We may have to say goodbye our precious gas guzzlers (finally!), but their legacy remains in sites like this.


On the same subject, this compilation of VW buses is awesome. If they weren't such clunkers, we'd buy one!

Friday, January 23, 2009

a bit behind


I'm cleaning out my bookmarks and came across Poster Offensive. A group of designers out of Minnesota, their goal is to promote peace and democracy. The show was just prior to the elections in November, so despite the fact that the good guy already won ... you should check out the awesome work.

homemade gifts


Last Christmas I made most of my gifts (you can see some of them here and here). This Christmas I was lucky to have anything to give ... not because of the economy, but because of a new being attached to me at all times. We received these gorgeous miniature houses from our friends Janet and John. John made them. I love their simple lines. We don't have many toys in the living room, but these can be either grown-up accessories or toddler toys.

Janet told me that Design Out of Reach was selling these guys for $100/each. Craziness.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

goethe logo


Our neighbors lost one of their dogs to cancer last summer and have set up a fund in her name. All proceeds benefit pet owners who cannot afford vet bills. Pretty cool.

feltron eight 2008


He did it again ... an annual report of himself. Among my favorites: New Yorker reading by issue (page 3) and the time line running below the atlas of his world. As before, gorgeous type and perfect layout. I look forward to the 2009 issue.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

burning bush


Could we have misinterpreted Moses' vision?

via: Proximity

Monday, January 19, 2009

ahead of her time



Another of our favorite authors is Virginia Lee Burton. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Katy and the Big Snow and The Little House. All wonderful stories and full of details only a truck loving toddler would notice. We spend a extended period of time on every page, talking about what all of the people and trucks are doing. I absolutely love that all of the heroes are female. Making them heroines (The House, The Steam Shovel and the Snow Plow).

You can tell from all of her page layouts that Burton was a graphic designer. She taught design and founded a design collective called the Folly Cove Designers. Working off of the belief that art should also be useful, they created beautiful fabrics that sold at various retail shops. Reproductions are still available today.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

roger and richard


Since having number two, D and I have read SO many books. It is the best way to give both kids attention ... I feed one while I read to the other. Two of our favorite authors are Roger Hargreaves and Richard Scarry. We are all too familiar with Roger Hargreaves. His characters have been all over t-shirts ... Mr. Happy, Little Miss Sunshine, etc. The books are actually from the 70s. The simplistic illustrations are adorable. And the stories are really funny. D laughs out loud at almost all of them. Little Miss Giggles is his favorite.

Richard Scarry is a classic. Published in the early 60s, Scarry's illustrations are full of many tiny details. D will stare at a page for minutes at a time, usually without me reading at all. Our favorites are What Do People Do All Day and Cars and Trucks and Things That Go. A tiny gold beetle is hidden on every page of the latter. D can find Gold Bug much quicker than I can.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

eli, no!


Katie Kirk is an amazing illustrator and graphic designer. She has written and illustrated a book call Eli, no!. It looks like the perfect book for any dog lover, especially those who call their dog their first child.

The book is bold and colorful and funny. And unpublished. Let's hope that some publisher sees it and knows that we will buy it!


via: Oh Happy Day

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

anything galvanized


There are a few home accessories with which I am obsessed. Bedding and pillows are a couple. And galvanized anything is another. I don't know what it is. When I lived in Durango I was obsessed with the huge tub-like feeders at the feed and seed store (seen as a planter above). I have also seen them used as actual human tubs (Domino Mag). There is something about the rough yet shininess of it ... so shabby chic. They go with any decor. The picture below is from Country Home magazine.


Last summer I bought a bunch of round galvanized buckets (similar to below) and small trashcans, drilled holes in the bottom and used them as planters. Home Depot has a great selection.

Monday, January 12, 2009

hippie feet


I have to admit that I have expensive tastes in shoes. But not the Sex and the City kind of preferences. Nope. I love expensive hippie shoes. Birkenstock, Keen, Frye, Chaco. All of you that know me are fully aware that I live in my silver Birkenstocks all summer. They match everything and are SO comfortable.

Naturally, my obsession trickles down to my kids. D has owned two pairs of Keens and two years ago I found the most adorable Birks on sale. I think they'll fit him this summer.

And while perusing the internet I saw these for M ...

Friday, January 9, 2009

cute kid


Our son walked out the door this morning wearing this jacket (Patagucci) and this car backpack (by Mimi the Sardine at ReusableBags.com from his aunt and uncle). To quote Where the Wild Things Are, "I'll eat you up I love you so!".



ps - there are always amazing deal on Patagonia clothing at Garnet Hill. I found this jacket for more than half off before Christmas ... making the unaffordable slightly affordable!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

new favs

There are some of my new favorites to your right ...

alphabet cards



A friend recently sent us Animals A-Z by Bob's Your Uncle (featured on S+C a while ago). They arrived at the perfect time. D knows his alphabet, but cannot tell you which letter is which. So we created a "close-line" of the cards. They totally make the TV/playroom room more colorful and fun.

I also love Eric Carle's cards that I bought at Anthropologie forever ago. D loves to spread them all over the floor. Who knew that a xolo was a Mexican hairless dog?


Tuesday, January 6, 2009

skuut

D got the Skuut bike for Christmas. I love the concept of kids learning to balance prior to using pedals. His feet can't quite reach the ground, so we have yet to see if he can ride. But it sits in our living room and looks like a fun sculpture. Functional and beautiful.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

one fish two fish red fish blue fish


D's room was not planned. I bought his bedspreads on MAJOR sale at IKEA. I painted a large floor mat (drop cloth with rug pad attached underneath) to match and to keep the room warm. And I past down some big old red pillows. Surprisingly the room came together. And while I was reading One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish to D one night before bed I realized that he had a Dr. Seuss room. So very CMYK - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black.

I love the striped rug juxtaposed with the big gas station numbers (from Architectural Artifacts in Chicago). And the cheapo Target globe. The boxes on the wall are Tiffany box tops that D loves to play with if we are sleeping late. The Dispatch poster is a Hatch Show Print.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

my favorite things

I have been socked-in lately, enjoying our newly extended family. And I have found quite a bit of inspiration in the world around me. So for the next couple of weeks I am going to feature my favorite things from our life out here in the Rockies. Most will have to do with our home and our kids. And then I hope to have more time to scour the internet for new ideas and cool stuff!