Who doesn’t love Jonathan Adler?! He was totally the highlight of Bravo’s “Top Design” show*, as there is something about Jonathan that exudes happy. His sassy orange is just what I needed on this dreary Michigan winter day. (Enough, already, snow!)
Having been a fan of his Manifesto since I found it a few years ago, I was delighted to come across his new(ish?) “10 Commandments of Happy Chic.” [Pictured above is the 5th Commandment: Thou shalt mix fancy with frisky.]
His design and style has such spunk and peppiness (let alone that splash of preppiness) - just take a peek at his cheeky Valentine’s Day gift guide right here!
*Come to think of it, don’t you think Jonathan was also the “behind-the-scenes” star of Welcome to the Parker for having provided such a beautifully decorated setting? I digress…
Filed under: olly | Tags: lakeland terriers, westminster kennel club, dog show
Although Olly hasn’t had much to say for the blog lately, he did want to give a big shout out to all the fancy Lakeland terriers at the Westminster dog show. As an aside, someone did tell him how pretty he is the other day, so while he’d prefer to be considered handsome, I don’t think he feels too terrible about not being included in the big show.
If you’re so inclined, you can visit a video of the Lakeland judging here (screen grab above is from video). Be warned, it’s 9 minutes of smooth-jazzified Lakelands - surreal. It’s a video in dire need of a “mash-up” to provide those peppy Lakelands with waggly tails with better suited upbeat tunes! We wish the little Sealyham terrier well in Best of Show!
P.S. I wonder if those fancy Lakelands bark just as much at their respective vacuum cleaners?
Get inspired for Valentine’s Day by checking out Douglas Wilson’s All You Need is Love letterpress poster here. I pretty much think it rocks. The bummer part is that they’re all sold out on Keep Calm, but here’s to crossing fingers and hoping he may churn a few more out.
In the meantime, get your fix fixed and visit Doug’s blog, onpaperwings, which is a big-time fave. Covering typography, graphic design, photography, letterpress and lots more (hello, Ira Glass!), it ranks super-high on my list, as does Doug’s original work. Here are a few more… wow, they are totally getting me excited to head back to my InDesign class tomorrow night. Enjoy!
Filed under: Uncategorized
My mom snagged this little article (originally published in the Chicago Tribune) about how we are embracing stationery, letter-writing and handwriting again. Pointing out that handwritten notes are much more personal than an email or IM, people also value the handmade an design aspects of custom or unique stationery. It’s always such a treat to get a postcard in the mail, or a little handwritten note - even if it’s just a post-it - it’s truly incredibly thoughtful. I am slightly fearful that the current popularity of cards, stationery and notes is simply a passing fad as a result of email backlash, so I pledge to continue to keep up my end of the deal by mailing postcards and letters more often (and you should, too).
Featured in the article were a handful of stationery stores in Chicago that are now high on my list to visit - I’ve been really aching for a change of scenery lately and think a few days in Chicago may be the most feasible. In the meantime, I’ll have to settle for visiting their websites (although since neither store offers online shopping, it’s even more reason to visit in person!):
- Paper Doll
- Paper and Plume
- Snow & Graham - fantastic design firm; you can buy their work lots of places; start here
Otherwise, I’ll also have to study the Chicago design guide from design*sponge. There really are loads of little stores I’d love to visit, particularly including PaperSource and Greer, which I have only just recently learned about but adore from a distance! I’ve been wanting to see what all the Jayson Home & Garden fuss is about (press coverage like nobody’s business), and have been really interested in checking out Salvage One and Architectural Artifacts. Hmm… that’s just the shortlist - now to pick a date and a hotel!
