Friday, February 26, 2010

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]

Thursday, February 25, 2010

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]

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

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?

Monday, February 22, 2010

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!

Friday, February 19, 2010

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!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

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]

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

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]

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Snickers



These new Snickers ads from BBDO New York made me laugh out loud this weekend. Click to watch.



[Videos courtesy of BBDO and Creativity.]

Friday, February 12, 2010

Bonus Post: Ralph Lauren for the US Olympics


I love sports and celebrating all things sports. So every two years, I get giddy about the Olympic games. I may not know all the athletes, or the sports for that matter, but I genuinely love & get excited about competition and the quest for that podium. One of my favorite features of the Olympics is getting to know the athletes and their stories. NBC is good at running feel-good pieces right before an athlete takes the ice or the starting line. And I'm all about it. Sure, there may be some visual fluff & voice-over melodrama, but I like knowing a bit more about where the athlete came from, how she trains and what makes her so good. It's fascinating.

And I usually don't watch morning tv shows, but I've been tuning into the Today Show to get some Olympic inside scoop this week and have been loving the official US Olympic gear that Ralph Lauren has put out for this year's games. Meredith Viera was wearing this hat this morning - so cute. And I've seen several athletes in the sweaters. Finally, the winter Olympic gear looks good. (Bye bye, berets.) Go Ralph. Go USA!

Check out the full US Olympic line by Ralph Lauren here.

From the Desk Fridays: Wooden Things


Tomorrow, one of our dearest friends is leaving the big city (and his big job) to head up north to Maine for a three-month intensive furniture-making program. I am beyond inspired by his passion and his guts. And for months now, every time I see something made out of wood, I think of him. So here - as a little ode to him on his last day in Brooklyn - are some of the wooden things I've been eyeing around the web. Go get em, M!

[Left to right, top to bottom: Enfield Meetinghouse Bench, Wood Tape Dispenser, Handsome Wooden Porthole Mirror, Magnetic Wooden Tongs, Lone Star on Walnut Quilt Block, Bottle Opener, Teak Trivet, Fish Cutting Boards, Tablo Table, Hardwood Push Pins]

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Snow Day!


I woke up to heaps of snow outside our window yesterday morning. If it's going to be cold, it might as well be snowing. It is so beautiful. For at least a day, that is. After that, it gets pretty nasty. The clean snow turns to dirty slush, the street drains clog, the corners become icy swimming pools. But yesterday was beautiful.


John's work closed early yesterday, so when he got home, we clicked into our x-country skis right outside our doorstep and skied whole way to Prospect Park - about a mile - on the sidewalk & in the street. It was amazing. We got some looks & some smiles. But I didn't care. We were skiing in the street! Once we got to the park, it was a winter wonderland of people off of work - sledding, skiing, walking, building snowmen. It was magical. And the best Wednesday I've ever had.



And above, Prospect Park this morning - still very snowy, snowmen still standing, sun shining. I hope it lasts.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

L&H on New York Magazine's Shop-O-Matic


Our Thank You Swirls Note Cards and our Purple Mermaid Note Cards (thanks Lizzy for pointing those out!) were chosen as part of Oh Joy!'s picks on nymag.com's Shop-O-Matic! Do you know this column? It's great for window or real shopping. As if you needed an easier way or more motivation to do that. But it is very well-curated. And I love that they have gotten some guest editors like Joy in there now, too! Great idea, nymag! And thanks to Oh Joy! for including us in your round up!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Salvaged Bottle Lamps


You know when you're drawn to something so much, it almost Care Bear stares to your insides and makes you freeze? Or maybe it's that everything around you freezes & you think I could marry this. Well, I do. And it happens over a range of things - art exhibits, songs, food - and in this case, lamps. I saw these maison martin margiela salvaged bottle lamps in the most recent Remodelista newsletter, and I stopped in my tracks. And, they provided a little DIY checklist to make your own version. I must must make one of these.



Monday, February 8, 2010

Valentine Goody Bag


Send some paper love this week with these little limited edition Valentine Goody Bags. I screen printed the bags over the weekend & I just love them. Some may say hearts are too cutesy - and maybe they are - but they make me smile. And I'm such a small bag nut - I use them for everything. So I especially love this one. And it comes free! (The set is $26 and includes a notepad, a box of note cards, an L&H pencil & a handwritten little heart tag.) Check it out here.


Friday, February 5, 2010

From the Desk Fridays: Custom Work & Clean Up



This week (or at least part of it) was supposed to be office organization focused. But people are getting married! Lots of brides & grooms-to-be are coming to us for their save the dates and invitations - so we've had to put our office clean up mission on hold. We did get the first very important step done - the step where I have to constantly chant, "It gets worse before it gets better" - lots of editing, recycling and donating. Next step - installing shelves this weekend to better utilize our tall walls. (It might just be me, but a shelving system seems to be my golden ticket to organization.) Next week will be reorganizing our inventory, supplies and samples. And it's my goal to have a little Before & After post for next week's From the Desk Friday post. Fingers crossed!

[Above: A couple recent stationery sets. (I can't show you people's invitations just yet!) The first would be great ordered with a few different liners to mix & match. The second is a very grown up set for a male Princeton alum. Both are pretty simple - but I love them.]

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Soy Este Wallpaper


I recently came across these fun wallpapers distributed by Soy Este. I have a thing for multiples - and things removed from their original context. These are a perfect fit for me.

In real life, I would choose just one of these wallpapers for my home - to catch people by surprise & make them look twice, and not - Oh, another gum wallpaper in here, Sue. But because these fun wallpapers warrant a little fantasy-apartment decoration, I've identified rooms or uses for each of them.


I'd put this one (above) in a children's bathroom, because they should be so lucky to have a bathroom to themselves and stare at candy while they pee.



I'd put this on one wall of a game room. (You'll shoot your eye out!)



This one inside a shelving unit in a bathroom. Pretty.



I'd line my childrens drawers (or mine) with this one.



And this one for a small home office. Seeing lots of matches out like this looks to me like the matches have been freed from their tiny box coffins. So while this room may be small & full of papers with numbers & obligations, you're not locked in there.

See more wallpaper at Soy Este.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

133 Buildings


I love this print by Nate Duval. (The desktop calendar version he did for design*sponge is free & right here.) Last year, Nate designed three greeting cards for L&H. I must think of a way to collab again. He's so talented.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Book Jackets & Bookmarks




I was instantly drawn to these book jackets & bookmarks. I think Alice's Adventures in Wonderland might be my favorite.

[via Cup of Joe]

Monday, February 1, 2010

School Cork Boards


It had been a while since I was in a middle school when we went to see our nephew play indoor soccer out in SLC last week - so maybe I had forgotten how schools decorate their halls (oversized cork boards & paper) but I loved these simple paper borders - a little crafty & nostalgic and definitely happy. I might need to start one up at L&H.

We're rearranging our office this week and I found a cork board behind some filing cabinets - in all its naked ugliness. There's no chance it's getting hung up without some of this school house love.