Holstee Manifesto: Words to Live By

{manifesto: from holstee.com, a very cool, sustainable

and conscious company you should check out}

Seeing Red

As you head out for a bit of last minute shopping this week, don't forget the most important part... your holiday attire! Red is always in trend during this festive season. Here is a bit of eye candy to inspire the wardrobe for your whole family {even your dog)! Happy holidays!



{L to R from the top: Girls' ribbon flower headband; Burberry Studded Leather Wrap Bracelet; Slithering Rosette Heels; Alice and Olivia Carla jersey twist dress; Opaque Tights; Secret Wash point- collar shirt in large gingham; Collier Madame Necklace; Pups Classic Sweater; Lotta Stensson Nairobi printed silk top}

Gastrotypographicalassemblage

{images from The Center for Design Studies}

In the spirit of the holidays--and all the eating that typically goes along with it--I thought I'd share one of my favorite instances of environmental typography.

Lou Dorfsman was the longtime designer for CBS, and in 1966 his piece Gastrotypographicalassemblage (yes, all one word) was completed and installed in the cafeteria of the broadcaster's headquarters.

His sculpture was a giant mural composed of a myriad of three dimensional wooden typography, spelling out the names of all the various foods featured in the cafeteria. It was exhaustive, typographically playful, and formally brilliant all at the same time.

Above you can see Dorfsman's initial sketches, the entirety of the 35-foot wall, as well as a detail shot of the designer with his work.

A Royal Wedding Gown

{Images from Top to Bottom: Vera Wang, Elizabeth Emanuel,  J.Crew, Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, Rachel Roy, Tommy Hilfiger, Valentino, Badgley Mischka, Tory Burch and Christian Lacroix via AOL StyleList.}


Hello and happy Thursday, hope this finds you all well. I’m sort of giddy to share this post with you today because it combines a few of my favorite things; wedding dresses, fashion sketches and royalty! Oh my! These awesome sketches are from some of the world’s top fashion designers and feature designs for Kate Middleton’s royal wedding gown. Which one is your favorite? Mine is by far, the Tory Burch design, second to that, would be either the Vera Wang, or the J.Crew gown. Leave us a comment and let us know! I’m sure Kate would appreciate the input ;}

Veer Fonts

Still looking for a last minute holiday gift for the designer in your life? These two featured fonts from veer caught my eye, and would be more than welcome under my tree!



{L to R: Piel Script by Umbrella Type; Manicotti by Umbrella Type}

Contemporary Rituals

{image courtesy of danwitz.com}

Recently I discovered the incredible paintings of New York artist Dan Witz. Witz, a 30 year member of the street art scene, has been capturing the energy of contemporary gatherings in his series "Mosh Pits (Human & Otherwise)". Besides the obvious technical prowess of Witz's paintings, he captures the primal energy and aesthetic beauty of people locked in celebratory chaos that make you forget that the finely rendered participants are not actually moving on the surface. The Mosh Pit works explore the timeless human urge to create a shared experience where all pulses beat together.

Cool Holiday DIY

{potato stamp: factorydirectcraft.com; paperchain: priscillabeau; magnetic advent calendar: twig and thistle; glass ornament: twig and thistle; paper garland: twig and thistle}

{ok, i fell a little in love with twig and thistle, a great gathering of unique inspiration}

The holidays are an especially fun time to make, bake and spend time with family and friends. I am always on the hunt for simple, fun and cool ideas. The paper chain is a wonderful holiday craft and is fun for small children and adults. I especially love this one shown, as each link is personalized with something to be thankful for. You can easily make a Christmas version of wishes, thoughts, lyrics, poems and of course, the words to The Night Before Christmas. May your month be merry and filled with wonderful moments, of new memories.

Made of Paper

Check out this wonderful little short film featuring paper as the key emotional element. Cute!

Snowflake Season!

{image from NOAA Photo Library}

It's getting to be snowflake season! In the spirit of winter fun I thought I'd share a photographer who fuses art, science, and--indeed--snowflakes.

Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley (1865 - 1931) was a pioneering photographer of snowflakes. Perfecting his own experimental technique, Bentley was able to capture and rapidly photograph individual fleeting flakes.

His photographic legacy leaves a thorough visual archive; his snowflake images act not only as scientific artifacts, but also as wonderful examples of the splendid innate patterns found in nature.

Posters and Passports!

Images via Alexander & Co.

Hello and Happy Thursday folks, I am so excited to share these wonderful posters with you from Alexander & co. Aren’t they just awesome?! I had no idea such a thing existed…but thanks to Amanda, over at Ruffled, these beauties found their way into my blogosphere and into my heart. Alexander & Co. offers a large selection of customizable vintage-inspired designs to choose from, all of which feature beautiful 1930s style illustrations.

Aside from being a great visual to have at your wedding, any of these posters would make for a great keepsake, or even an amazing anniversary gift, don’t you think? They would also make for the perfect complement to any destination themed wedding…and what other way to announce such a wedding, than with a passport save the date, or invitation? I’ve included here some examples that are available on eInvite…so fun!

{Images from L to R:  Saika & Lars Passport Thank You from Marsupial, Saika & Lars Passport Invitation from Marsupial, Passport Save The Date from Checkerboard, and Par Avion Save The Date from Checkerboard. All Images via eInvite}

Holiday Photo Cards

I hope your Cyber Monday shopping is going well! Last month I shared a few of my favorite holiday cards and today I wanted to share eInvite.com's fabulous holiday photo cards. These fun cards below, from Checkerboard, are available at 10% off through 11/30. Happy shopping!



{L to R from the top: Delicate Frame; Hot Pink Holiday; Calligraphic Greetings; Moments; Regalia; Ornamental Greetings}

Deck the Halls

{holiday decor via hgtv}

Advent calendars are so much fun. The anticipation of opening one hidden treat every day, made morning so much fun, especially if you could break the law and enjoy a piece of candy! I also found this really fun paper chain. I know what we will be doing next weekend!

Holiday Craft Fun!

Hello everybody!

Now that the holiday season seems to be in full swing, I thought it would be fun to pass along a DIY ornament! Just a few simple steps for assembly. After printing out the image above, cut around the perimeter of the triangular shapes and (including the tabs). Then, with a craft knife, gently (and carefully) score the lines between each triangle, and where each tab abuts a triangle.

For the string to hang the ornament, first poke holes in the two white dots with a needle or thumbtack. Use a ballpoint pen to widen the holes, and then place each end of your string through one of the holes, tying a knot on the back side of the printout.

Apply glue or tape to each tab, and then fold up to reveal a wondrous winter octahedron ornament!

Party Perfect!

Looking to throw a great party in the near future? Well, whether it be a holiday party, a new Year’s eve party, or maybe just an excuse to have a party, eInvite has some really fun designs available for any such occasion. We just recently released a new line of party invitations that feature, playful die-cuts, whimsical graphics and beautifully applied ribbons and crystals. Above, I’ve shown just a few of my favorites, but be sure to check out the full selection here…happy browsing!!

Objectified

{poster for objectified by swiss dots}

Shown first at SXSW earlier this year, Objectified directed by Gary Hustwit and created by his gang at Swiss Dots of London. The piece is a documentary about industrial design that may have you sitting in your chair a little differently. You may recall, Swiss Dots of Helvetica. Looking at objects, there is the chance you may perhaps get on all fours to get a good perspective, or stand on the other side of the room and compare two of your favorites. As a consumer, you will start thinking about the inside world of the manufacturing of objects, about their simplicity v. complexity, their ease of use v. their uselessness, their value v. their waste of space. As a designer, you will be taken on a journey into the minds of brilliant aesthetic thinkers. You may never brush your teeth or use a MacBook the same again! See the trailer here.

We have been lucky enough to have Adoniram, our in-house photographer set up a monthly film series here at the office. Objectified was our last inspiration. {I am waiting for Urbanized...hint, hint!}

Faux or Real?

{images L to R: my Hipstamatic experiments, tricycle from Eggleston Artistic Trust, farm house from The J. Paul Getty Trust , sprocket photography from Mark Edwards , TTV Lincoln from Flickr , my candle/hands photograph}

I hope you don't mind if I wax poetic or--perhaps--photographic for today.

I have a confession, I love my Hipstamatic. For those of you unfamiliar, Hipstamatic is a camera phone application which lets users digitally simulate a variety vintage lenses and films--replete with many traditional imperfections of analog photography--over and underexposure, light leaks, vignetting, flares, and dust and scratches.

As somebody who cringes (hopefully not too snobbishly) seeing photographs processed with an excess of digital effects, I feel a but hypocritical that I'm so enthused with the completely faux vintage flavor of the Hipstamatic's images. To get a feel for the application, I started taking images of overhead power lines. For a reason I'm still unsure of, seeing those ordinary power lines altered through the Hipstamatic's digital alchemy gave the photos an attractive quality totally absent from a traditional, run-of-the-mill, point-and-shoot cell phone camera's images.

Imagine that--in a world in which we have practically every conceivable image altering ability at our fingertips--we gravitate towards those which can satiate our longing for the imperfections of (in the realm of technological time) ancient analog processes.

I don't know why I was so accepting of the Hipstamatic's product; perhaps it's the fact that the effects were pre-produced, instead of slathered on in post-processing, which seemed more in line with what one would expect with actual analog imperfections. So instead of being willfully doctored after the fact, the application's images were shot and developed "as is" without any further manipulation.

But still, why was I enamored with the images?

I immediately thought of William Eggleston, one of the most celebrated modern photographers. The charm of his images are two fold; first they expertly capture the curiosity that banal everyday objects or scenes can retain, but they are also reinforced (or symbiotically operate) with a richness born from the limitations of the--at then--still relatively nascent field of color photography. I find his work to be a perfect fusion of form and composition paired with the comfort (for lack of a better term) that his saturated colors convey. They simply produce a feeling.

For instance, his image of a tricycle is equal parts perfect low-angle framing, as well as the saturated colors his media affords. Similarly, his image of a farm perfectly marries form and the ochre tinge of the analog photographic process. What I find striking is that the feelings of nostalgia are produced equally from the clearly dated objects in the photographs, but also the fact that they also look like what we imagine an "old photograph" to look like.

Now, is this comfort simply derived from a sense of nostalgia decades removed from when the image was shot? I'm really not sure, but it brings up another point; I'm often dogged by doubts about my own artistic authenticity. Today, if I shot an image which perfectly mimicked the visual analog DNA of, say, an Eggleston print, ­­­­would that vintage feeling be lasting? In essence, can possessing the style, but not necessarily the substance of an image be satisfying? Is that satisfaction sustainable? Or at some point do we--crestfallen--have a revelation that the machine should take more credit than the operator?

This begs another question: is then form, and the exacting eye of the artist (instead facets constructed solely through technological artifacts), inherently as well as indelibly entangled with any true sense of an image evoking a feeling? I'm not completely certain of the answer, but it also got me thinking about schools of contemporary practice that also attempt, to some extent, to marry the proliferation of digital equipment with analog image making techniques.

For instance, Holga cameras are experiencing a resurgence in popularity; they are inexpensive, plastic-lensed film cameras which are earnestly known for their less than sturdy construction. Thus, light leaks and soft-focused images are expected from their use. However, some photographers have taken this fact one step further. By hacking the camera to accept common 35mm film instead of its larger native format, a Holga is capable of exposing 35mm film all the way to its sprocket holes, thus making the technology become more readily evident in the image itself. In this case the look and feel of the image is altered to deliberately display its creative process.

Another practice is TTV--or through-the-viewfinder--photography, which employs the simultaneous use of two cameras. Using vintage twin-lens reflex cameras to frame a shot, one then takes (either digitally or with film) an image of the first camera's viewfinder; the result is a slightly distorted and vignetted image, complete with whatever grime and dust is present on the TLR camera.

Trying out processes meld analog and digital techniques are surprisingly easy to experiment with. For example, I wanted to find a way to create an analog version of blur and vignetting. Using a spare UV filter on the lens of my digital camera, I coated the filter with a ring of petroleum jelly. The effect was a surprisingly effective analog vignetting.

I suppose the moral of this story is if you're feeling a drought of creativity with the artistic processes you are familiar with, try experimenting and augmenting what you do know in order to unlock future ways to work!

Art of the Americas

(image courtesy of http://www.mfa.org/)

It's finally here! After many years of construction The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston opens the Art of the Americas addition. Fifty three galleries showcasing works from the pre-Columbian era up through most of the 20th century.

I have watched the progress over the past few years and am excited to finally see the new galleries, to see my favorite works that have been archived during construction, and to see their new acquisitions.

(image courtesy of www.mfa.org)

Butterfly Bat Mitzvah!

{Images L to R: eInvite, Linzi Events, Hostess with the Mostess, Pink Cake Box and The Knot.}

Hello and Happy Friday folks! I’m excited to share with you one of my favorite Bat Mitzvah invitations that is new on eInvite. The design, Spirited Flight, features colorful hand-layered papers and raised printed thermography. I just love the charming pair of butterflies and the vibrant combination of hot pink and chocolate wood grain. In general, I think butterflies make for such a fun Bat Mitzvah theme. Not only are they beautiful, but they’re whimsical and suggestive of nature, which makes them perfect for any size celebration - whether it be a casual affair, or an extravagant blow-out. Are you or your daughter considering a butterfly theme for her Bat Mitzvah, or perhaps know someone who is? Well here are just a few ideas to get you started…Enjoy! Not interested in a butterfly theme? Then be sure to check out our full collection of Bar and Bat invitations here…happy shopping!

"Kickoff" by Checkerboard, Ltd.

Decked Out in Sequins

I normally put sequins firmly into the category of "New Year's Eve", but the new Michael Kors catalog I received in the mail this weekend is prompting me to break out the sparkle a bit earlier this year. How fun would a holiday party be decked out in sequins?



{L to R from the top: West Elm, Starry-Night Pillow Cover; West Elm, Chunky Sequin Stocking; JCrew, Sequin Mesh Bell Skirt; Meri Meri, Party Silhouette on eInvite.com; Michael Kors, Sequin Tee; Potterybarn, German Glitter Bird Vase Filler; Potterybarn, Noel Sign; Shopbop.com, Zilla Reversed Sequin Pumps; Michael Kors, Sequin Belt, Coin Purse & Wrislet}

Sweet New Holiday Photo Cards by eInvite!

{ Images via eInvite's new holiday collection, Crate and Barrel and Martha Stewart }

Past & Present Photography

(images from Springfield Rewind)

Rephotography is a fascinating art form—it is the practice of recapturing the content of historical photographs in present day. The seemingly simple nature of the activity belies the fact that a certain bit of research and exploration is needed to recreate images of decades past.

One of the best examples I’ve found of this endeavor is Springfield Rewind, a database created by the Look Back Springfield project, which documents the history of Springfield, Illinois. The precision in which the photographs match one another is impressive, especially considering that the gap between historical photo and contemporary recreation spans, in many instances, upwards of 80 years.

However, even in examples which are only 30 years removed from one another, it is very easy to see the manner in which the environment (both physically & culturally) paradoxically changes greatly while also steadfastly remaining the same. While stone hewn buildings remain seemingly static, in contrast trees canopy once barren thoroughfares, and monolithic automobiles give way to their more agile contemporary counterparts.

From both an aesthetic and cultural standpoint, I’m always enamored by the large typographic signage of yesteryear. It often seems that large environmental—and slightly quirky—typography is missing from our contemporary landscape.

The encouraging facet of this art form is that one need only possess a camera and the will to scour their environments, so go and explore!

A Steampunk Future

{image from offbeatbride.com}

"Steampunk" is an aesthetic, growing in popularity, that presents the future from the imagined view of the Victorian age. Steampunk gets its inspiration from a combination of Jules Verne and H.G.Wells to contemporary retro futuristic sci-fi films such as "The City of Lost Children" and "Hellboy". It is a mix of 19th century industrialism with exposed steam pipes, greasy etched gears and Victorian style varnished dark woods, ornamental brass fittings, velvet, tin, with the added utilitarian beauty of worn leather and glowing electrical vacuum tubes.

{image from offbeatbride.com}

This antique vision of the fantastic has shown its influence in areas ranging from fashion, modifications to laptops, televisions and phones to collectible re imaginings of historical figures and even "Star Wars" in the form of action figures. Now it has even made it way into weddings; grooms decked out in long coats and vintage vests and top hats accented with antique goggles, riveted brass and other factory style garments. Brides gowns move away from traditional white to darker tones with Victorian flourishes, lace, fingerless gloves and industrial style jewelry. Even wedding cakes are getting the fondant sculpted treatment.

{image from technabob.com}

Vera Wang and Unveiled by Checkerboard

{image: vera wang gown, via verawang.com}

{sneak peek image of checkerboard's unveiled invitation, presidio: suite no. 1}


The accent of black is so elegant. I love Vera Wang's line of wedding gowns that feature long silky sashes of jet and these gloves in the image above paired with the industrial elegance of the neckpiece screams personal style and edgy elegance. These stunning gowns perfectly coordinate with this invitation suite.

Checkerboard has come out with an innovative line of wedding invitations coming soon to eInvite.com. This elegant item featured is Suite No. 1 called Presidio. It features a custom Geneva diecut envelope and printed liner, a Jet invitation with a diecut pocket on the back that echos the same shape of the envelope and reveals your response set and direction card. Checkerboard has also added a number of imported Italian liners to the collection. This suite features the fashion forward, Donatella liner. If you are looking for something that brings out your personalities, text that embodies your spirit as a couple in celebration with your family, these invitation suites are sure to excite. Do you want to share your story to your guests instead of just telling them the time and place? Create the most exciting prelude with Unveiled by Checkerboard. Stay tuned...we can't wait to share more!

The Embellished Bride

{Images via Project Wedding, Style Me Pretty, Flights of Fancy and Martha Stewart Weddings }

If you’ve been to eInvite.com recently, you’ve probably noticed that we have a new and exciting line of invitations called the Embellished Collection; featuring Swarovski crystals, hand-tied ribbons and layered papers. One of my favorite designs from the collection is this Serene Scrolled Border invitation, showcasing an elegant pattern of flourishes and scrolls in soft pewter gray, and adorned with a hand-tied, contemporary, black ribbon. The clean look and classic colors complement any style, and the soft green accents add a punch of color, that is both refreshing and fun. Be sure to check out the full collection here and peruse the many beautiful designs available...Enjoy and happy shopping!

Cards!

Talking about cards is one of our favorite pastimes here at eInvite's Insights. However, I recently came across a fantastic archive which offers another genre of cards: playing cards.The Yale University Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library is home to the Cary Playing Card Database, an archive freely available through this link.

While one may never have thought to look to something as simple and ubiquitous as playing cards for visual inspiration, the contents of the database are rich with examples of bold patterns and detailed ornamentation. What I find interesting is the contrast of said bold and detailed patterns with others in the collection; there are plenty of examples of equally visually striking patterns, though wrought from nothing more than lines of various weights.

Have a look!

Holiday Cards

Happy Nov 1! Whether you are already in the holiday mood, or not, there is no stopping the fact that it is slowly creeping up. This is one of my favorite times of year, and I am kicking off this season by choosing holiday cards. Working at a stationery company (and especially in the art department), sets a expectation for my cards, so I always have such a hard time deciding. This year seems tougher than ever! Below are a few of my favorites, but you can find all our photo, non-photo and business holiday cards (plus fun accessories) here.



{L to R from top: Tree of Expressions w/ Crystal, eInvite.com; Selfless Santa, Carlson Craft; Blitzen, Paper Orchid; Reaching Up, Carlson Craft; Triangle Trees with Ribbon & Button, Meri Meri; Under the Mistletoe Flat Card, Stacy Claire Boyd; Western Joy Foldover, eInvite.com; Penguins, Crane & Co.}

Cirque Du Noir and the folks of eInvite

{images l to r: guests lisa crislip, j.fatima martins, chad sirois; musician valerie thompson of goli; eInvite photographer amy demar; eInvite artists: emily quillen and scott boilard; vip passes courtesy of checkerboard; louie despres and his wife tina zlody; angela cannistraro and myself,
and the art fusion audience, all images here by louie despres}

Our recent frolicking at Cirque Du Noir was such an enjoyable night. Every year we get dressed up in our finest noir and celebrate for a good cause. The premise is a simple one, with a huge artist community right here in town, the Worcester area is thriving with talent. We gather them up, watch them create incredible collaborative pieces before our eyes, while auctioning off donated pieces of art from many other generous and talented artists. All this happens while listening to incredible music. This year Esthema and Goli of Boston joined us for the haute evening of incredible creativity and fantastic costumes.

The event was actually inspired by all the creativity surrounding us at work. From this pool of amazing friends and creative spirit, the event became a reality. In its third year Cirque Du Noir has grown so much and we are so happy, as proceeds from the event support the Worcester County Food Bank. Our sponsors like eInvite and Checkerboard help to make the night a success adding the details that make it special. The VIP passes, programs and printing donations were customized for the event. Thank you to all that came out to enjoy art, music in the spirit of Halloween and giving back to our community.

Cirque Du Noir was Sunday evening, followed by a Halloween themed celebration at our annual company picnic the day before. We are just a bunch of party people here. We are now looking to Friday, which will bring yet another costumed day of fun!

Harvest Party

Here in New England, autumn is one of the most inspiring seasons, with the changing colors and dropping temperatures which call for cozy food and decorations. In a few weeks, my friend is throwing a "Harvest Party", and I am imagining natural colors and textures, hearty foods and an overall feeling of warmth. Here are a few ideas, so you can throw your own party and celebrate this fabulous season!

{L to R from the top: Pumpkin Pudding; Leaf Motif Textiles; Salt-Roasted Pears with Caramel Sauce; Mini Indian Corn Vase Filler; Fall Pumpkin Invitation; Gourd Candles; Fall Pumpkin Roses Centerpiece; Cranberry Compote; Fall Decorating}

Typographic Pumpkins!

Following the spirit of the previous two posts, I was delighted to come across these typographic pumpkin carvings. There is something endearing about precise and austere glyphs of Helvetica being carved out of a giant vegetable/fruit. So in addition to the typical staple of Jack-O-Lantern faces, don't be afraid to celebrate the season by showing off your inner design nerd! Just watch your kerning.

Images from: Veer , Swiss Miss ,http://www.myttonwilliams.co.uk/blog/?p=101 , http://chancentrate.blogspot.com/2008/10/pumpkin-party-pumping-arty.html

Halloween favorites

Michelle's fun post made me want to share a few of my favorite halloween cards and accessories on eInvite!

We Summon You for Hallow's Eve Inspiration!

{images l to r via: einvite.com, cheeseclothe welcome beautifully used, ghosts: martha stewart, cookies: good house keeping, fabric flora: dragonflys and stars and mask: sarah thomas designs}

Halloween is such a fun holiday for children and adults. The folks here at eInvite tend to get a little hokey around Halloween and have a lot of fun. This invitation shown above is from our digital invitation line, perfectly priced for a fun event like All Hallow's Eve, and sets the tone perfectly for a night of childish fun. You get to dress up and eat absurd amounts of candy. When I see elegant Halloween ideas, I am really drawn to them, like this mask by Sarah Thomas Designs. You can even make something out of recycled pieces from around the house. Autumn is vibrant in New England and it is also a time we can all reflect on the passing summer, rustle through the leaves and think about the approaching holidays with family, hopefully while stopping at a neighbors for some warm cider and apple bobbing!

Old Becomes New Again

As we've discussed on eInvite's Insights before, Pantone releases a color forecast seasonally, twice a year. The fall 2010 colors are a wonderfully muted, yet rich, palette of natural hues. They are:

As I began to play around with combinations and screens, I thought I would look at some of Pantone's own libraries regarding these colors, and discovered something interesting: Lipstick Red 19-1764 was the one of the textile colors of the year... in 1997. Needless to say, that got me curious. How was Lipstick Red being used in fashion more than a decade ago? Was it a pop color? Was it a hue applied universally as a base for furniture colorways? Where was it and how did it play?

It's worth noting that Lipstick Red is a perennial favor of the Pantone staff, and shows up every few years in one industry or another, so it's no shock for a currently forecasted color to show up years before. What struck me is that some of the color forecast information in 1997 was still floating around the internet. So, off we go to investigate!

It didn't take long to dredge up reporting on design back in 1997; the New York Magazine was particularly helpful in identifying textile and interior use of 19-1764. I noticed that Lipstick Red was favored as an accent color for doorways and large interior objects:

image from The Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas

Old becomes new again through some slight styling changes and an emphasis on woods and natural tones, rather than the more stark and hard materials of the 1990s, featured by the architect Barbara Bestor in a variety of design journalists earlier this year:

image from Barbara Bestor's BESTOR ARCHITECTURE

It's interesting that while the materials, and particularly the light design, have changed, some of the basic design aspects have not. We still see a lot of metal mixed with wood: a juxtaposition of human-made materials with human-shaped materials. Though the two images above are distinctly different in taste, you can no doubt see similarities in the treatment of space (light makes a big difference here!).

Interior design was not the only design quarter to see Lipstick Red in decades-long rotation. The AIDs awareness campaigns that dominated popular culture in the 1980s continued on through the 1990s and, as AIDs awareness was often important to the design community, the red AIDs ribbon showed up both as a literal object and as a cultural color. The Red Ribbon Project was created in 1991 and continues to be a recognizable object in today's culture.

Ralph Lauren showcased a few powerful reds that were very close, if not exactly, Lipstick Red in his 1995 fall collection:

Ralph Lauren 1995 Fall Collection

Then, more than a decade later, Nicole Kidman shattered the Oscars with this red Balenciaga, analogous to similar trends in the 1990s:

Nicole Kidman, style by Phillip Bloch in 2007, in red Balenciaga

Of course, a reasonable argument is that anyone can pick and choose through history to create a design narrative, but I think it's clear that both the color and the application have a real history in our design culture. One of the great challenges that creatives and designers have is recognizing the difference between popular and timeless design. This difference is often was separates good designers and great designers.

The same goes for print design. When looking to purchase something that's meant to memorialize a moment in life, both designers and customers have to figure out whether their style is something that is nuanced but unchanging through time, or if it bends and sways with the trends of the day. Both are perfectly acceptable! Predicting time is the hardest thing anyone can try to do.

Our advice is never to try and guess what the future may hold. When buying something you intend to cherish for generations, make sure it's an honest reflection of who you are and what you love: about this moment, about the event, about life. Stay true to this and when you look back in twenty years, you won't have to say, "What was I thinking?!"

A Master Calligrapher and Zentangle

{video via newsletter of Zentangle.com}

The folks over at Zentangle, Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts are good friends of ours, and when I received this newsletter I had to share. LISTEN to the pen. SEE the penstrokes develop. LEARN the art of Zentangle...it's so easy to create amazing pieces of art in little time, even if you have never drawn a thing in your LIFE. I love watching them teach and inspire.

If you get on their email list, you will be rewarded and inspired EVERY time you see it in your inbox. Their blog and content is so very wonderful and creative. You will see your surroundings in a whole new way as they take you on pattern seeking explorations of their own. Look on their site for cool workshops all over the world. Zentangle is spreading like wildfire, no wonder why. Thank you Rick and Maria for this inspiration. More please!

Visit their website for more information and materials for learning the art: http://www.zentangle.com/

Lush Ribbons from Unveiled

{Image of Unveiled Suite # 15, called Lex courtesy of Checkerboard}

Just released from Checkerboard, coming soon to eInvite!

Post Cups from Bailey Doesn't Bark

{image via baileydoesn'tbark.com}

Today, I came across these really great mugs from bailey doesn't bark. You can personalize the little post card area and send them out. Here is a personal touch that lasts and lasts. Everytime girlfriend (or boyfriend) has a tea or coffee, thoughts of sender (you) enter in. Fun. The cutest gift!

Hit up their blog for some other cool images and a view inside the company. {*Love her aesthetic.}