mbd meets calligraphy.

Oh, how time passes!  It's been a while, and since I don't really have anything tangible to show to date, here is something lovely for you to watch:



song by My Brightest Diamond, calligraphy by Leigh Reyes.

lauren edward.

Wow wow wow.  I am always inspired by my friends:


lauren edward / more videos

more lady singers!

Obsessed with these two right now...

Laura Marling:

Ane Brun:

(thanks seesaw)

vanessa bruno film love.

Thank you to Christine for this bit of lovely inspiration (Vanessa Bruno's A/W 11-12 film).

ps...I've always really liked Kate Bosworth's heterochromia eyes.

inspired by: here design.

Really enjoying (and getting inspired by) the branding/packaging work of here design. 

current little inspirations.

Bryce Dessner does it again....with this new father & son album.  Listening now.  It's so soothing.
Also, recently watched "The Secret Life of Bees".  Really liked the story, soundtrack, and cursive from the movie title :)

t & s hughes photography (new homeseed work!!)

I have to finish cleaning/shower/jump in the car & pick up Dan (to head to CINCI!  YES!) so this will be a quick one, but I wanted to share with you a small portion of some new identity work I did for t & s hughes photography!  Tony & Sharon are a beautiful couple as well as incredibly talented photographers!!  I am really excited to know some Chicago folks in the industry whose work I love and admire.  I was so excited to head to their website and see their new header up!  
Here's a peak (more to come later): 

Please check out their work!  It's SO so lovely :)

monday shares.

Wow.  Blog titles are getting harder and harder.  Perhaps I'll forgo titles like some fo my favorite blog ladies do?  Doubt it.  I feel like I need titles to organize.  Maybe they'll just stop making sense...that might be fun!

Yesterday we had a really beautiful time with our wonderful (and crazy talented) friends who just made it back to the states from Iceland (via Italy, via Belgium).  We get to see them again when we head to Cinci later this week to see folks and watch our worlds collide with these guys starting their summer tour there!  So excited.  So so excited.

I have two fun things to share with you today!

1. this girl (kimbra) has PIPES.  seriously.  I'm quite mesmerized by her voice and beauty (she's 21!  does that make you feel any different about how she sings?!  wow.  crazy.)...wondering when her soon to be released (in australia & NZ) album will make it to the states.

2. here is a beautiful august desktop calendar for you from Rebekka Seale (who is an incredible artist!).

inspired by: camilla engman.

I can't remember now where I first saw Camilla Engman's work (I just remember it was recent!) but I know that I felt then and now that it has a really special and playful feel that I enjoy.  Plus, she doesn't stick to one medium, which makes looking at her work quite exciting.  Enjoy!

curiousity + appreciation = imagination (michael wolff).

Thank you for your well wishes yesterday.  They are & were very meaningful to me!  My really dear friend Lindsey introduced me to the Intel Visual Life series through this video, called, "The Expressionist" about designer Michael Wolff.  It was beautiful and wonderful and inspiring. Certainly worth 6 minutes of your time.  Thanks Linds :)
    

kinfolk.

Mostly this magazine is all about inspiring one another to share out tables

more often, to open our doors and hearts to family and friends-our Kinfolk.

I cannot even begin to express how excited I am about Kinfolk Magazine issue 1 (it just launched today)!!  It is so so beautiful.  Truly a work of art.  In the past 6 months or so I have stumbled upon the blogs of Andrew & Carissa, Amanda Jane, Julie, and Anna Emilia Laitinen (and others!!) and have been blown away, inspired and encouraged.  I admire very much this group of artists/designers. Their network of talent and love is just wonderful to see snippets of through the blog world.  But Kinfolk, it just opens up their worlds to you even more.  You get bigger glimpses of the love and talent and you are invited to be a part of it.  It's wonderful-so wonderful!  Thank you for sharing!! The imagery, intent, teaching and videos inspire such goodness and beauty.  I have hardly begun to sift through the beautiful words in this magazine, but am looking forward to diving in deeper...here are a few spreads that I really liked:

happy Friday.  ENJOY!

inspired by: stoffer photography in the salton sea.

I have recently been finding more photographers in the two cities closest to my heart (Chicago & Cincinnati!!) whose work I really admire and enjoy.  These two make up Stoffer Photography.  This work in particular was particularly striking and impacting.  And...it's not from a wedding!  Which is what I most often find myself enjoying and looking at.  Please head HERE to read the story about their trip to the Salton Sea to get some background/understanding of the glimpse of eerie and beautiful you see here.  You will not be disappointed.

this is the video that inspired their trip.  it's beautiful!

d*s at home.

I am not a big "book" person.  The last coffee table book I received was "Influence" by Mary-Kate and Ashley (yes...it's true.  I have loved those two for as long as I can remember.  I still think they are beautiful.  Not sure I want to be influenced by too many of the people they are influenced by/admire, but still...I like them!  Probably always will!!).  Anywho-there is finally a book called DESIGN*SPONGE at HOME that I am pretty sure I am going to have to get...and I don't even follow Design*Sponge closely!  After watching THIS video though, it's been decided.  I WILL be getting this one :)

I do have a question for you though.  I am feeling a bit of internal turmoil/ethical conflict thinking about this...if purchasing the book through B&N, Amazon, Borders, or Book-a-Million it is %41 off the list price.  Through Indiebound or Powells it is regular price.  Of course the discount sounds appealing.  However, when I think about my struggles with people not receiving/being paid what they deserve I question my urge to buy cheaper.  Hmm...How is it that these larger sellers are discounting it so much?!  I always try to bargain and get a better deal.  Is that what this would be? Or would it be stealing in a sense?  Thoughts?!  HELP!

a neat video.

I was an intern at Target HQ for a summer a while back and was fortunately on the team that had THE coolest Design Director (in the whole company).  Saw this on her FB and got so excited for the collection!  And, just loved seeing her beautiful little face in the video.  Sometimes, the life of a designer in a corporate company sounds preeeeeetty good...

inspired by: anna emilia.

Thank you SO much for your encouraging thoughts and words about what I'm doing and thinking about this blog (and about my business).  I truly appreciate them, and you!  I am thinking for now I am just going to minimize posts per week.  It will surely help me feel better about being a blogger in general!

Anywho, found these lovelies by a lady named Anna Emilia as the upcoming magazine "kinfolk" will feature her illustrations.  I can't wait to see the mag!  So many of the contributors are folks that I admire a lot and am inspired by even more!  In the mean time, hope you like these...

inspired by: lisa congdon.

Found this talented lady (can't remember where!  ACK!), Lisa Congdon's work and was inspired right away!  I especially enjoyed how the colors seemed to have a constant and cohesive flow from piece to piece (or at least in my favorites!!).  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do :)

inspired by: agustina woodgate.

Saw the super sweet video below about agustina woodgate on seesaw and was so inspired/excited about her!  So, I did a little bit more searching and found some of her statements and other work that I really enjoy on her website.  Really like this from her:

I aim to create art that fosters exchanges between people rather than encounters between a viewer and object.

Through these exchanges, meaning is elaborated collectively, rather than in the space of individual consumption.

these are some of her other pieces that I enjoy

(and yes, hair is the medium in many of these):