From the DeskTOP Friday: NSS Booth Inspiration

We are seriously snowed in this morning in Brooklyn. I was skeptical of the weather forecast of 11 inches - but that's pretty much where we are, if not more, with even more coming today. What a crazy winter this has been!

So while I'm cozying up inside, I'm starting to think about our booth display for the National Stationery Show in May. We've been lucky enough to store our foam core boards here for the past few years (they are not cheap! or small) and pretty much use the same furniture with a few additions & changes over the years. But this year, I want to change it up a little. So, I've been looking around for interior inspiration and came across the work of stylists Lo Bjurulf (first & second images) and Stella Nicolaisen (third image) via Agent Bauer. While we won't be covering our walls in wallpaper or giving out teacups as gift toppers, I really love these images - for their whimsy and their color palettes.

Have a great weekend, whether you're digging out or enjoying the sun. And if it's the latter, I'm way way jealous!

[images courtesy of Agent Bauer]

Longing for: Warmer Weather, Lighter Clothes

We woke up to huge snowflakes this morning in Brooklyn. We're supposed to get several inches by tomorrow. Normally, I'd embrace the snow, but stick a fork in me, Jerry. I'm done.

We went to see Crazy Heart the other weekend and just seeing bright sun & lighter clothes on the screen made me long for warmer weather. I love Toast's shirtdresses here. What I wouldn't give to be able to leave the house in just this right now. Ah, well - soon enough. (fingers crossed!)

[images courtesy of Toast]

Hello, Old Friend

I'm working on an amazing project right now using my old friend, the rubber stamp. You may know that I started L&H exclusively working in rubber stamps. I love how immediate it is. And living in NYC with stamp producers able to do same-day turnaround on custom designs, it feels even more instantly gratifying. Hand-stamping several pieces for a big wedding was a lot of work (and came with a lot of mistakes & re-dos) but for smaller runs like this project, it's super fun. Most people probably think of scrapbooking when they think of stamping - but it can have such a beautiful timeless effect. And it can be so easy for invitations or stationery. Maybe I should have a little tutorial on here for creating simple tasteful invites using stamps? Hmm. Would you be interested?

Out of the City

We spent most of the weekend with friends out in East Hampton, NY. It's always nice to get out of the city & smell salty air from time to time. And this weekend's weather was a nice little promise of the warmer weather to come.

I hope you East Coasters got to enjoy the sun, too!

From the Desk Fridays: Vintage Post Cards

I love using found papers & giving them a new life. These post cards were left over from the ones we used as gift bag tags for our Maine wedding. I'm working on a fun project for next week & feeling really inspired by the subtle color differences in these aged papers. I'm not sure post cards will work for this specific project, so I might need to "age" my own paper - but this is a great starting point.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Red & Violet

After seeing the Seeing Red piece from yesterday's post, my friend Lizzy sent over a link to these amazing images. How right she was that red & violet make a lovely pair. A little styling, a great eye, & beautiful flowers help, too:)

[for MSW, photographed by Ditte Isager; prop styled by Randi Brookman Harris; flowers by Naomi Demañana]

L&H on the Bride's Guide

Yesterday, the Bride's Guide (the blog on Martha Stewart Weddings) featured our Zig Zag invitation on its seeing red round up. I love the idea of using red in a wedding, too. To soften this strong color, I'd mix it with a pale green or sorbet tones. Or mix country red plaid with vintage brass or aluminum pieces and then add in something more tailored glass or china.

Thanks, Carolyn Veith Kreinke & MSW!

[inspiration board courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings]