a little soundtrack: eric hutchinson

The motion graphics in this video illustrate the music beautifully and make me want to get up and groove. Enjoy!

sugar paper

Here's my video fix for the week, and it incorporates all that I love about letterpress! It is an introductory video for Sugar Paper in Los Angeles. I love the sweeping shots of the piles of paper and envelopes, the spinning flywheel of a press, and the bright red spread of ink near the end. Artistry and love is truly in the details.

secrets from a stylist

I've been totally obsessed with HGTV Emily Henderson's blog as of late, I enjoy her quirky writing style and lovely resource lists for all the rooms she designs for her show Secrets From a Stylist. She is seriously talented and actually gives useful tips for styling our own rooms at home. And her unstuffy delivery is refreshingly un-HGTV!

It has been a great jump starter for me to rethink how I decorate and what choices I can make for our own home. Here's to starting small! So far this is what is on my list:

• Choose and purchase art for the dining room wall (I talked about that here)
• Find simple and classic lighting for our dining area
• Find a child-friendly storage ottoman to replace our wrought iron and wood coffee table UPDATE: We just scored ourselves a new cream tufted ottoman today! Yes!
• Find new drapery in a lighter color (currently we have wine colored velvet curtains)

So far I've been trolling good ol' Craiglist every single day just waiting for the right listings to come up (I have a few search terms that I always employ), and I do believe that good things come to those who wait ... and by the end of the summer I'm aiming to complete this decor to-do list! I only have a few weeks to go, so here's to getting myself going! Yay!

weekday adventures

Although I sometimes miss the community of working at a company, I love going on adventures with my little girl during the weekdays. Our home is sandwiched between two downtown areas and it's lovely to walk and explore the hidden gems that are right outside our door. We even discovered a small organic farm in our city and bought purple basil and apricots to bring home!

Spending time with my little love is the absolute best.

image via mike's table

renegade craft fair sf 2011

2011 was my third year of attending the Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco, and this year was exceptional! Lots of loveliness to look at, and it forced me to be very thoughtful about my purchases. Otherwise known as self-control! All in all, I love being inspired by other people's work. Don't you think to yourself - I wish I had been genius enough to think of THAT? That definitely rings true for the wooden alphabet bunting below by Figs and Ginger. I purchased some bunting for my daughter's room, two delicate gold and leather bracelets for myself, and a bicycle birdie screenprint for our home.

Other vendors featured: Thief and Bandit (jersey necklaces), Diament Designs (delicate bracelets), Strawberry Luna (cute and affordable screenprints)

giving is good

I am so inspired by this image that I came across on the Passion City Church blog. It's an open shipping container with a mini classroom inside it. This is part of a movement to collect backpacks full of school supplies for kids in need around their community. I love the sign that says backpack + supplies = happiness!

It inspires me to help in big and small ways to make a difference, and I hope it inspires you too. Fun!

letterpress app

I love how technology is helping to spread the word about letterpress and the process behind it! Sure, most of the folks I encounter still need an explanation about what letterpress is, but we're making strides every day. Here's an awesome example of that with a letterpress app for the iPad! It uses a vintage Vandercook (like my press) and scans of real wooden type to print faux broadsides. Amazing. I can't wait to test it out.



I don't think I ever updated on my blog about what I've been up to with letterpress, but we just finished designing a wedding suite for a rustic western wedding at a ranch. I can't wait to photograph all the pieces and post them up. It was a great experience, and there's more ahead! Until then, enjoy the video.