Giveaway: domino, the book of decorating

I bought this book as soon as it came out and I still reference it for ideas - most recently for curtain and color inspiration. I was so sad to see domino go and will miss the little surprise-party feeling I got when I saw it in my mailbox. This book is a testament to the beautiful, talented and thoughtful work for which domino came to be known & loved. Simon & Schuster has generously allowed me to give away two of these books to you, my lucky L&H blog readers! Just leave a comment below by this Thursday, April 2 at midnight. I will compile a list for random.org to do the drawing and announce the lucky two winners on Friday. Good luck! And thank you, S&S.

And because the shipping is on us, we're only able to ship within the US.

Jeff Tweedy

We saw Jeff Tweedy play a solo benefit concert this weekend in Beacon, NY. Man oh man, do I love his solo shows. There's something about the atmosphere at a solo performance that just makes me so happy.

See one of my favorites here:

[photo courtesy of dino perrucci]

From the Desk Fridays: Hand-lettering

Today I'm working on some hand-lettered pieces that I'll debut at the NSS this year.

Happy Friday!

InStyle Weddings

Jeanine over at InStyle Weddings blog has posted an interview with me all about wedding invitations. Go see for yourself here.

With Thanks: People Stylewatch

Thanks to People Stylewatch for featuring our note cards in their Easy Eco piece! Many letterpress printers use soy-based inks. Perhaps too wordy for the spread is that the paper we use for our note cards is 100% wind-power produced and 100% carbon-neutral. And unrelated - but I just have to mention it - this is my favorite layout of our note cards in a publication. Often they are photographed alone and standing up - and sometimes the color is even off. Not here. I love the pattern play and overlapping of cards. I suppose that goes along with their "easy" look for the page - but I also think it highlights the cards nicely. Well done and thanks, People.

Happy Birthday John!

In honor of Wilco's biggest fan - or at least the biggest one I know - on his birthday, a favorite print of mine from the crazy-talented Nate Duval.

From his biggest fan, hap-happiest Birthday, John!!!!!

Vintage Wallpaper

I took a trip over to Second Hand Rose yesterday to source some new vintage wallpaper. I didn't find anything that fit my specific project, but there were so many I wanted to come home with. Above are just a few.

Our Thanks: New York Magazine Weddings

I've always loved the Weddings issue of New York Magazine. I think it's the best resource for brides in the New York area - whether you're getting married here or not. It's always got great tips from people in the know and their vendor list is well-curated. Lucky for us, we have a few paper pieces in the latest Spring/Summer issue. Our Bloom invitation, our lamp post response card and a custom Save the Date (which was hole punched for the shoot) were all featured. Thanks, NY Mag!

From the Desk Fridays: Vintage Wallpaper

We were busy bees this week, putting together this gorgeous invitation suite that incorporated vintage wallpaper. It's a lot of work assembling this fragile old paper - but the results are so worthwhile. I think I need to go scouting for more.

Mok Duk

We got the coolest Save the Date in the mail yesterday. I emailed the bride-to-be right away to ask who had done them. It was MOK DUK, the studio behind illustrator/designer Anne Benjamin. I'm totally in love with her whimsical, very story-book-sweet illustrations. Her style reminds me of my very favorite wallpaper by Lizzie Allen.

Knock Offs, Rip Offs, Fakes

Call it what you want - it ain't real.

I've gotten two emails in the past two weeks alerting me to copies of our Signature invitation suite. I can understand taking the concept and making it your own - I'm not the first one to hand letter an invitation - but in one instance, the names on the invitation were exactly the same - that is, until I emailed him to tell him how oddly coincidental it was, especially when I had made up the names for our sample in the first place. In the other situation - it was a letterpress company in Brooklyn who has actually printed the invitation - thereby taking business away from us right under our noses.

When I first started L&H, I used a copyright-free design and didn't think twice about it until I saw it on a votive candle holder at Target. I felt so lame. And even though the design was free for the taking - it still felt wholly unoriginal to see it somewhere else and I no longer use it because of that. But taking someone else's design & basically just inserting your own text doesn't make it your own or okay.

So a little heads up to you "designers" out there: the wedding blog & letterpress printing circles are smaller than you think. We're all looking out for each other. Like a crack down on Canal.

You Should Have Seen This

Pardon the double dose of unrelated content here - but my friend sent me a link to You Should Have Seen This, a list of the 99 best things on the internet - and it's just too good not to share. It's filled with YouTube videos of schadenfreude moments. And aren't those the best?

One & Done. Not Quite.

I swore I'd never do another Ironman after the emotional & physical toll of IM Arizona in November. And yet here I am, about 4 months later, thinking about my next one. I will try not to bore you with the details (might have to start another blog for that) - but I can't get it off my mind this morning.

[photo courtesy of the talented NYC-based photographer Ryan Scherb]

From the Desk Fridays: A trunk show in PA.

Lovely Teacups & Dessert Plates

Ever since Katy Elliott posted these teacups - I can't stop thinking about an excuse to buy them - especially the one with dessert plates, which I think are such a great multi-use size. I can't really justify it for myself (I've tried) and now I'm thinking I could buy them as a wedding gift for my sister & her fiance, since he's British. High tea anyone? But they live in a one bedroom apartment, so she might kill me for going off-register and cramping their space. Sorry guys, I still might have to.

Reminder for Small Business Owners

Love this print on 20x200 by Mike Monteiro. Which reminds me, if you're a small business owner, the latest Biz Ladies post on design*sponge is a must read.

Green Wedding Shoes & hanging paper

I recently discovered Green Wedding Shoes (where have I been?) and found these sweet hanging paper shapes. Forget having them at a wedding - I want these around me in my studio. I love them!

Packaging: this water

I love this very clean, simple and kinda cute packaging by Pearlfisher via oatmeal & cinnamon. Makes me want to drink it. Wish I could say the same for my favorite orange juice. Word on the street is that they're going back to the original packaging. Thank goodness.

More Pearlfisher beauties:
[photos courtesy of Pearlfisher]

Designer Crush: Anna Melcon Bond

Sometimes I see work by other designers that makes me wonder how in the world can I possibly compete with that?! That's how I feel about the work of Anna Melcon Bond. I cannot even begin to count the ways in which I love her work. Join me in my crazy design envy here.

From the Desk Fridays: Red & Pink

Just a little follow up From the Desk Friday look at the sorbet colorway I was working with last Friday. I loooove the red & pink here. It feels very summery sweet to me.

With Thanks: Better Homes & Gardens

Thank you, Better Homes & Gardens for featuring our Redesigned Flower Pins in their March issue! We're now using all shiny gold buttons on the pins - which I feel makes them look a little more special.

Welcome, Baby

I'm feeling a bit distracted this morning - I have a new little nephew!! I'm in charge of the birth announcement, and after hearing my brother and sister-in-law describe him as a little meatball, all I can think about is On Top of Spaghetti. Should probably try to get past this.

Junk Drawers

At the National Stationery Show last year, John and I each had a drawer in our booth where we stashed a whole bunch of extra stuff - tape, business cards, pens, etc. - and upon opening both at the same time - I immediately noticed how different they were: me with my LipSmackers lip balm and him with his box cutter and clamps. You may recall my post about this last year. So when I saw these photos by Paho Mann via 20x200, I was totally drawn in. They're like little windows into people's lives. The first is Junk Drawer, Tempe Arizona and the second is Junk Drawer, Brooklyn New York.

Read more on Mann's work here.

[photos courtesy of 20x200.com]

Perspective

I love this 'finding-way system' design for an Australian carpark by German designer Axel Peemöller. They can be read perfectly when in the right position.