Enchanted Royals

Wedding Bells

2010-12-21T21:29:00.001-08:00

....And let's get started right away (did I mention that I'm sitting around at the airport?).

The Super 8 film that Haley shared below is from our good friends, (for Haley this is of course an understatement), Adam and Jamie's wedding on Long Island back in October. How can it have been that long ago?? It truly was a beautiful day, as you can see from the film. Haley was the most lovely maid of honor, might I add; and she truly held her own in a dance-off with the groom. But to give the full feeling, here's a combo of photos taken by Haley and me at the rehearsal dinner and the wedding.

From me:

From Haley:

--D

Oh, hello again.

2010-12-21T20:59:00.000-08:00

{My duck-bootied feet in my NJ backyard last Christmas break}

Greetings from San Francisco Airport!

So....drips and drabs in early fall and a recent gorgeous film update courtesy of Haley aside, it's been a pretty empty showing over here in ER-ville. Haley is- no surprise- kept crazy busy being a successful editress down in SoCal. And as for me...let's just say that graduate school unveils new and fascinating ways to beat me to a bloody pulp with every passing semester. Of course, like any true academic masochist, I love (most) every minute of it.

That said, I have a few weeks of vacation time ahead of me. While this winter break isn't going to be quite the carefree romp through the snow that last year's was (I must, by the end of break, do that which I have been dreading for the last year and a half: come up with a cogent, viable thesis proposal to present at my midpoint review next semester), I would still like to take this opportunity to punch in over here in Enchanted Royal land and share some of the things that have inspired and excited me over the last few sleep-deprived months. We'll also be getting our website back up and running (the Big Cartel store is still full speed ahead).

So, hello again; and happy holidays from Enchanted Royals!

--D

Jamie & Adam: A Love Story

2010-12-16T13:24:00.000-08:00

Jamie & Adam's (Super 8) Wedding from Haley Thompson on Vimeo.

This video is a wedding gift to my dearest friends, Jamie and Adam, who will one day grow up to be a very hot, old married couple that loves each other just as much, if not more, than the day we shot this footage (I'm sure of it).

Many special thanks to the super talented cinematographers, Carol Fahey and Dave Sliozis, without whom this video would not have been at all possible. Thank you both for helping make movie magic!

xo...HT

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2010

2010-10-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

I spent yesterday at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park. It's a free yearly event, financed by Warren Hellman, a highly wealthy music lover who's been giving this gift to the city for the last 10 years. This was my second festival as an SF resident; and while there were a few people that attended last year who were sorely missed, it was a beautiful day with some great buds.

--D

Book 2.0

2010-09-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

Of particular interest to a lot of people these days, I think, is the future of the book. Kindle, the Ipad, and all manner of copycatting also-rans have created some divisive schools of thought on the matter. I personally am not a Kindle convert, nor do i forsee such a thing coming to be anytime soon, but I did find some of Ideo's ideas on the matter to be kind of inspiring. (I'm referring to the first and last of these ideas in particular; the middle one just kind of reminds me of Goodreads.)

The Future of the Book. from IDEO on Vimeo.

--D

Jessica Walsh

2010-09-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the things I post tend to run the risk of skewing TOO graphic design-y for a blog that's supposed to be a bit more all-encompassing; a byproduct of my having a bit more time in between projects to post things than our intrepid editress. I'm trying to reign that in, BUT I just love Jessica Walsh's website. She's a winner of the ADC Young Guns 8th competition, and her site and her work really stood out to me as I was scrolling through the winners. I actually couldn't decide which I liked more: the work or the site itself!

I'm a particular fan of her sculptural tableaus. She's also only 24..... pretty, pretty impressive.

--D

Massimo Vignelli

2010-09-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

Massimo Vignelli from John Madere on Vimeo.

Also, I want Massimo Vignelli to be my uncle or mentor or best friend.

{via Quipsologies}

--D

HBO "Unexpected"

2010-09-20T09:17:00.000-07:00

HBO 'Unexpected' from Umeric on Vimeo.

I. Love. This.

{via designworklife}

--D

Enchanted Vision

2010-09-19T16:26:00.001-07:00

Right on schedule, school has gotten the best of my ability to keep up with our little land of bloggy goodness. I'd like to take this moment to express Haley and my collective excitement: our latest short film, Enchanted Vision, the one we've been squealing about for over a year now, is finally- FINALLY- ready to be revealed. We will be screening it at the Saluting Shorts event at the Echo Park Film Center at 1200 North Alvarado this Sunday, September 26th. It starts at 8 PM, and the best part is that admission is free! Of course, if you can't make it, we will be sharing with the internet world soon enough. We're so excited to finally be able to reveal the fruits of our collective labor. Nothing like working with your friends!

--D

Santa Cruz

2010-09-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

Some of my SF lady friends and I took a little drive down to Santa Cruz on Sunday and checked out the boardwalk (perfect amount of cheese), and then were treated to delicious burgers and grilled veggies at the new, idyllic SC home (let's just say they have egg-laying hens in their backyard) of an old college friend, whose boyfriend is about to start working towards his phd. An unexpectedly perfect day.

{final photo courtesy of Elena's flickr, taken on her iphone}

--D

Apple Scruffs

2010-09-07T09:48:00.001-07:00

Right around my freshman year of college, someone played the song "Apple Scruffs" by George Harrison for me for the first time, and for a few years after that it was always on heavy rotation. It's perfect for fall walks through Boston, particularly when you're in that particularly cocoon-like world that college is. Clearly it didn't have much to do with the lyrics, which are about some hardcore Beatles fans who garnered that semi-affectionate nickname; it's kind of a more ineffable thing. Somehow, the song got away from me (probably I overplayed it), and I hadn't really thought about it for a few years. These things come back to you at the most opportune times, though; this Sunday a few of us girls took a trip to Santa Cruz (photos to come), and while having a great meal in our friends' ridiculously idyllic backyard, someone put on a George Harrison record and the song came on. Welcome back, heavy rotation.

{ps- I know the video's sort of silly, but it was easier than trying to figure out how to embed a music player right now. Just close your eyes and listen.}

--D

Be Awesome

2010-09-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

Returning to SF after lengthy stints away generally requires some adjustments that aren't always welcome (cooking for one and sleeping alone are probably highest on the list, followed in short order by lack of weekly dinner parties with a certain couple of ladies). This reminds me that I'm here to become more awesome, and the rest is all going to fall right back into place once said goal has been achieved. Focus on, little girl....

{via design crush}

--D

Lovah's Strolls

2010-08-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

Lately, Chris and I have been taking afternoon and early evening hikes in Fryman Canyon, which is just a few blocks from his house. It's amazing to be in such flat, suburban surroundings, but simultaneously be just steps from all of this.

--D

Emoting Typographically

2010-08-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

My return to school in SF is drawing near (one week tomorrow). This will mean a return to learning and working towards something I care about, but also means leaving my makeshift Californian second family behind, including the lovely guy I've spent the last 3 1/2 years with, AGAIN. Here's a sentiment I've been feeling, followed by a mantra I'm going to keep repeating.

{"Love Note #9" by Dawbis}

{print by Jen Renninger of Still Room Studio, not to be confused with the Still Room Studio I interned at this summer}

--D

There's More to Life

2010-08-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

I don't generally go for graphics on tee shirts these days (unless it's stripes; lord knows I can't resist a stripe), but something about the typography, the sentiment and the color palette on this guy makes me a fan.

Available here in mens and womens sizes. The rest of their typographic tee shirts are great, too. I particularly like the yes/no combo pack.

--D

Band Besties BBQ

2010-08-19T00:11:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Son Ark and Coyote hosted a "Band Besties BBQ" for, you know, besties...of the band. The lovely light notwithstanding, it was a raucous good time, the likes of which I hadn't experienced in some time. (There may or may not be photographic and video evidence of my participation in some serious singalongs....but that's another story, for another time.)

--D

Words

2010-08-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

Love this video, which accompanies the awesome Radiolab episode titled Words from August 10th.

--D

Madewell

2010-08-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

Oh boy. Madewell is fast moving its way up the totem pole to being in my top 2 mainstream clothing lines that I can generally afford. Classic pieces that I dare you to get sick of 5 years from now, but which somehow feel totally ahead of the curve.

I love the idea of an oversized chambray shirt, but if loose shirts aren't fitted in the sleeves they swallow me whole, so if I want to subscribe to something like this, it needs to have a closer fitting sleeve. Madewell's all over it.

I'm not a leather jacket person, nor do I have a spare $350, but if I were, this would be the one I would get.

Today I got a blouse that apparently has sold out so quickly, it's already off the webstore, despite it being part of the early fall collection. I'm trying to reign it in pretty tight on my clothing purchases, but this one's a keeper. The closest approximation I've seen of late is the above photo by The Sartorialist that I saw on Unruly Things.

As I believe I've lamented/breathed a sigh of relief about in the past, there isn't a San Francisco location, and there aren't any immediate plans to change that. They do have a webstore, though!

--D

Desert Boots and Slouchy Socks

2010-08-10T16:05:00.000-07:00

These past two fall/winter seasons have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'm a desert boot convert. My first was a grey pair by Opening Ceremony; the second happened...come to think of it, in early spring this year in an "emergency" purchase at Crew Cuts (basically, I drove to LA for spring break and left my bag that had all my closed toe shoes and toiletries in it back in SF. Early March, even in LA, calls for some closed-toe shoes. And yeah, I said Crew Cuts- an advantage of being a size 6 is that you also fit into boys' size 4, which is often cheaper).
At any rate, I'm definitely in the market for new ways to wear them. I love these ideas from the JCrew lookbook. I think this might just be the year I'm gutsy enough to try it out.

-D

Defenestration

2010-08-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

In less than a month, I'll be heading back up to San Francisco for my second of three years of grad school. Thinking about this impending return, compounded by a Design Boom article a classmate shared on Facebook, made me want to share this San Franciscan art piece by Brian Goggin, first installed in 1997.

I've only seen it once in passing, at night, but now I'm dying to go back and have a second look.

{all photos by Steve Rhodes}

--D

Wedding Invite

2010-08-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

Our good friends Eric and Jess are getting married in October, and we just received invitations a few days ago. They're too cute not to share. Each invite is printed on paper-thin wood, and hand illustrated and designed by our buddy Monica. And just when you think the invitations can't get any cuter, you take a look at the RSVP cards. The chicken, meat, and vegetarian icons kill me. Congrats, J+E!

--D

Steven Alan Online Sale

2010-08-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed a drop in posting frequency over the last few months; there's probably a number of reasons for this, but mostly it's just that both of our lives are a little hectic and all over the place these days. We will certainly be keeping up the posting, but it will probably be slightly on the lighter side, as it's been, unless things change. Thanks for continuing to check in! We promise to make it worth your while.

That said, I'd like to now turn your attention to the Steven Alan sale online. I've often felt that if I lived in one of those bizarro worlds where money were no object for clothing, a great deal of my everyday wardrobe would be comprised of Steven Alan, APC, and Costume National. Occasionally, when I'm in LA, I stop into the Steven Alan Outpost and try on a million things. Sometimes I talk myself into one great piece, particularly if it's on sale, but generally speaking it's just for fun/torture. It's always events like this that I pretty much have to shield my eyes from...but it doesn't always hurt to look!

--D

365 update

2010-08-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

My stylist boss has left the country for 2 weeks, which gives me time to intern at my seriously
delightful and inspiring internship, and to catch up on uploading my entries into my 365 photo project.
Here's some of what's been going on this summer so far.

--D

summer snack tragedy

2010-07-24T17:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, seriously. I was in New York twice this summer (which is more than I sometimes go in a year), and I didn't know about Popbar?

It just doesn't seem fair.

{via Oh Happy Day}

--D

Home for the Holidays

2010-07-07T22:59:00.000-07:00

1 & 2 - Dad's old and NEW Enchanted Royals shoes : )
3 - Greenhouse Dad designed for local High School. Just making the world a better place, ya know?
4 & 5 - Mom's poppies/irises in full bloom.
6 & 7 - Dad's beer brewing tub and one of many delicious products, the champagne cider.
8 - view of Rockies on trip back to LA

Over Father's Day weekend I went back to the hometown for my H.S. reunion and to spend some QT with my Dad. He is one of our biggest fans, as you can see by the wear and tear of his old 'Apple Tree' shoes. Being that it was Father's Day, it was the perfect opportunity to give him a shiny new pair of Enchanted Royals 'Aspen Tree' shoes. He still insists on wearing the old ones in the garden though, much to my Mom's dismay. It's always a good time being home, especially with MT's special home-brew on hand at all times : )

~HT

Bonus

2010-07-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

I had to stay an extra week on the east coast because of a root canal (in the world's biggest stroke of luck, I developed a giant toothache right before I came to New Jersey, rather than in California- so my dad was able to fix it for me! Hooray for free and amazingly painless dental work). This seemed like an inconvenience at first, dental pain notwithstanding, but it was definitely a blessing in disguise. I was able to head into New York and catch up with some friends (a fun night at the Frying Pan followed by delicious brunch and a stroll around Red Hook, Brooklyn), and then get some face time in with my cousin's two adorable kids, Jack and Lucas (Lucas is 6 months old and gorgeous, and Jack, almost 3, remembers and totally wants to hang out with me after not having seen me for 6 months- talk about a kid in tune with what's going on around him!) in their insanely beautiful New Jersey home.

Oh, east coast. I miss ye.

--D

....and you may ask yourself.....

2010-06-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend was inordinately milestone-y. I came to New Jersey to be in the wedding of one of my very besties from high school, Karima, and kept the party rolling right through Sunday with a visit to another high school bestie, Jeff's, days-old baby boy, Isaac.

With the exception of our one pair of high-school-sweetheart friends who got married right after college and immediately proceeded to have 2 adorable baby girls, it was the first of my close high school friends to get married with a full-on ceremony and reception, and the first to have a baby. This being the 10-year anniversary of our graduation, I guess these events shouldn't have been so mindblowing to me, but mindblowing they were. Quite an amazing weekend.

--D

Shoes.

2010-06-20T18:23:00.001-07:00

Ah, summertime. When a young woman's fancy turns to....shoes.

Up in SF, I generally spend an eighteenth of the energy I once did pondering my wardrobe; partially because I no longer belong to a career that focuses on clothing, and partially because as a student, I can't afford to buy clothes. However, the minute I arrived back in LA, it became obvious that I needed- no, NEEDED- new shoes.

And not just any shoes. Despite the fact that I found the perfect grey canvas oxfords just the other day (pictured below; from Generic Surplus), which would be light enough to work in the summertime but sturdy enough to carry me through the pseudo-seasons of SF's fall, winter and spring, being in LA for the summer has made me susceptible only to sandals and espadrilles.

JCrew, of course, wily wench that it be, has some flat espadrilles (let us remember my complete and total aversion towards heels) that are calling my name. I'm having trouble hypothetically deciding if I prefer the black, which are classic, or the nude, because this particular summer I seem to be into shoes that give the first blush appearance that I'm not wearing shoes.

I also love these flat Rachel Comey sandals and United Bamboo heels at Gargyle. The former is perfect for the day job I've returned to, and the latter would be to practice being a lady in. I'd obviously wear books on my head when doing so.

--D

Daily Drop Cap

2010-06-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

ery rare is what these blog postings have been of late, that I know. We're working on some awesome updates that I think will make it all worth it! In particular, scoring and final editing/effects on our newest short film is in full swing and hurtling forward at exciting and dare-I-say impressive speeds. We're bursting to share it with you, but all in due time!
In the meantime...I know that most everyone who cares about this sort of thing already knows and loves Jessica Hische (I've even mentioned her briefly right here), but I love her Daily Drop Cap project, in which she posts a new, beautifully rendered drop cap every work day. I couldn't resist sharing this particular one. Probably the Duchess in me, loving those branches. All the work she's been doing lately is great, though. Even if you aren't a typography nerd, it's definitely worth having a look at her site...some of the work she's been doing for magazines like Entertainment Weekly, The Wall St. Journal, Bust and People is just insane.

--D

Oh, hi.

2010-05-19T23:46:00.000-07:00

I'm taking my last final tomorrow at 12, and then this blog will be up and running again for the summer. I'm so excited for summer I can't hardly stand it. Actually, I'm more feeling like this young lady above; but once I get some cold, hard rest, I'll be appropriately excited.

--D

{image via design crush}

A little eerie

2010-05-04T17:03:00.001-07:00

As I was perusing the fonts over at You Work for Them today (a little late to the party on that one, but it's been less than a year since I knew what a font was so I think I get a free pass), I came across this lovely thing:

The typeface is called Seaweed, and it's one of their many awesome hand-drawn fonts.

But now we come to the eerie part. For your consideration, the "logo" I made for the infographic piece I'm working on in my class, documenting the growing out of a bad haircut.

Coinky-dink.

--D

Drop that Cap

2010-05-04T00:24:00.000-07:00

Ah, yes, finals time again. It's getting a little sparse up in here. I, for my part, am going to try to be a little better in the coming weeks than I have been, though, because I'm having to be all over the internet scouring for inspiration anyway, so I may as well share! Just came across this cute little video of Jessica Hische at the Semi Permanent Design Conference in Australia. She's so super talented, and only 25, AND- I've now learned- one of the cutest humans on the planet. See for yourself.

SP 2010 Speaker - Jessica Hische from Semi Permanent on Vimeo.

--D

Colors

2010-04-24T11:58:00.000-07:00

I love these posters, by a designer named Zhishi. Reminds me of this.

--D

I'm going to go ahead and quote Rachael Ray here. Yum-O.

2010-04-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

Check out these amazing-looking treats on the recipe site Ming Makes Cupcakes. She makes cookies and "savouries" too, but in honor of the Princess, I'm keeping this post cupcake-specific, image-wise.

According to A Cup of Jo, the "Ming" in question is "a Harvard grad with a sweet tooth," and her recipes are innovative and delicious-sounding. (Port Wine and Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting? Coffee Chocolate Cupcakes with Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting? Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes?!?!) I can't wait to make some of these.

{via A Cup of Jo}

--D

Stella McCartney for GAP kids

2010-04-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

An unexpected situation popped up 2 weeks ago that pulled me away from SF for a week. Sorry for the blogging lull....

So today, on my way to pick up my monthly BART pass, I passed the GAP. In the window were tons of adorable children wearing equally adorable clothes, which I soon discovered were Stella McCartney's 2nd collaboration with GAP kids (the first was last year...apparently there was a highly coveted military jacket. I was clearly asleep that month). As it happens, if you are a size 0-6 adult (according to GAP; I'm going to say it's more like a 0-4 at most), you'll fit into their largest sizes. To me, unless you're my height (5'3"ish) and have literally nary a scrap of fat on your hips, the pants and shorts aren't going to work. The tops and dresses, however, are completely doable. What I got:

I love the longer sleeves on the boy's t shirt (they hit midway down my upper arms; which come to think of it are famous for being excessively long so they might hit almost at the elbow on most people), which I immediately put on as soon as I got back home; and the muted color on the ruffled blouse is great. I can't find the picture of the cute little redhead girl wearing it in the window online, but if you pass it, you'll know.

Other awesomeness I did not partake in:

--D

In Knots

2010-04-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

Knitting + Original/Awesome Campaign = Sign Me Up.

{via The Space In-Between}

--D

The Haiti Poster Project

2010-04-01T09:05:00.001-07:00

A month or so ago, I saw that a classmate of mine had begun to follow the Haiti Poster Project on Facebook, so I checked it out. The team behind the 2005 Hurricane Poster Project and the 2007 So-Cal Fire Poster Project is holding a call for entries for posters that will be donated and sold to aid Doctors Without Borders. The posters go on sale April 5, but the deadline to submit is May 1, so there's still time to submit your own. There are already so, so many beautiful posters up there; these are only scratching the tip of the iceberg. Personally, if I find myself coming in to a bit of cash and am able to support this, I could see that great red "Earth Quake" geometric print on my robin's egg blue wall....

--D

Echo Park Art Walk

2010-03-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

This Saturday is the 2nd annual Echo Park Art Walk, so for all our SoCal readers, I suggest you mark your calendars! Feeding Birds Boutique (who carries our shoes, totes and baby onesies) is participating in the walk, and you won't want to miss out on their amazing selection of vintage household wares, clothing, jewelry and more! In addition to the sidewalk chalk art on display there will be crafts, food, music and fun times all around! But my favorite feature is that there will be coupons and candy hidden inside Easter eggs at participating stores that you can hunt for! I personally can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon of Easter weekend :)

For more information on the Echo Park Art Walk, go HERE.

-HT

On JCrew and Footwear

2010-03-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

Clearly JCrew won't leave me alone. And if I had any money at all, I'd be seriously considering several of these.

(semi-sincere apologies to Chris, who hates both wedges and oxfords.)

--D

Equinox

2010-03-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend marked the beginning of my spring break; I celebrated by embarking on a journey to Joshua Tree for Far West Almanac's first annual Equinox Camp Out event. Son Ark and Coyote both played, and the whole two days were pretty magical.

Coyote: Bloodhound

Son Ark: Going to the Woods

--D

The Curiosity Shoppe

2010-03-18T21:44:00.000-07:00

You may or may not have heard that Jason Munn, aka The Small Stakes, is coming out with a book of his posters.

If you haven't heard of him, he's mostly known for his great, minimal band posters.

I mean...forget it. It's just impossible to pick from all the amazingness.

A fun by-product of being a fan of The Curiosity Shoppe on Facebook is that you find out all kinds of fun information, such as when he will be having a book signing in the store. (That'd be April 10th.)

And as long as we're talking about the Curiosity Shoppe, has anyone seen their new exhibition featuring the quilts of Emily Sevier? The photos on the website are really beautiful, but I haven't gotten a chance to see them in person yet.

--D

Joshua Tree

2010-03-16T23:37:00.000-07:00

My spring break is this week, and I'm heading down to LA. I'll be starting out in Joshua Tree, though. Chris's two bands, Son Ark and Coyote, are playing at a festival hosted by LA's bluegrass bible, Far West Almanac.

Coyote

Son Ark

Can't wait.

--D

Lisztomania

2010-03-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for kid's and high school choirs as it is. My senior year of high school, I was in- count 'em- 3 choirs, and it was a huge disappointment to me to discover that my over-the-top artsy fartsy college didn't have any! (Not that a capella choirs are okay. Ever. But singing is fun and I missed it.) So when I saw the PS22 Choir covering Phoenix's Lisztomania, I was seriously into it. I love how now music teachers are starting to be around our age and they're using something awesome like this to help kids get really into music. Though from the looks on their faces, they didn't need much coaxing.

{via The Debonaire}

--D

Saving the Light

2010-03-14T17:58:00.000-07:00

{camera test}

So thankful for more light today despite getting one hour less of this divine weekend. In more important news... next Sunday Dara returns home to us! Happy Daylight Savings y'all :)

HT

Anthony Burrill

2010-03-12T14:45:00.000-08:00

I've seen this poster by Anthony Burrill going around...I know our adorably crafty friend Elena loves it.

I saw a posting about it on Happy Cavalier, and found some others that I really like; the first because it's just kind of nice, and the last two particularly from the standpoint of a design student who never feels like they know much of anything and has yet to have complete faith in their own ideas.

--D

Rachel Comey

2010-03-11T09:09:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay. I know what I said about the Swedish Hasbeens. They complete me, I've found my black ankle boots, yada yada yada. But I don't think I ever really believed that completely; I think when you've found the one, you just know. And I'm not entirely convinced that for me, "the one" includes a heel. That having been said:

What about these Rachel Comey booties? Clearly taking into account that we're going to have to knock about $100 bucks off the situation before I even begin to consider it. Anyone have a very time-flexible job I could, you know, do from home in the spare seconds I have between homework? Ooh I know, anyone want to pay me for contributing to this blog?

--D

Hooray for Hollywood

2010-03-09T18:54:00.000-08:00

As Spring Break draws near (1 week from Friday), these vintage photos of LA are getting me excited for a week of warmth and "family" reunion.

(via A Continuous Lean)

--D

Academy Award-winning Movie Trailer

2010-03-09T14:46:00.001-08:00

Oh jeez...can't wait to hear Miss HT, our intrepid trailer editor's feelings on this. Seen today, you know, all over Facebook.

These guys are a comedy duo recently graduated from NYU called Britanick.

--D

uh oh

2010-03-08T20:41:00.000-08:00

Finding out that JCrew has a 15% student discount was probably a bad thing.

(I can neither confirm nor deny charging the above items with money I do not possess. See also: I wanted a St. James shirt but feared I'd have the "unisex shirts make Dara look like she's wearing a cotton sack" effect. See ALSO: Dara needs to stop buying stripes.)

--D

65/365

2010-03-06T15:58:00.001-08:00

Today's the 65th day of 2010...knowing that without having to calculate is another reason I'm liking the 365 Flickr project (I'm posting one photo per day for the year of 2010. So far, I've only missed one day!) Here are some photos from the last two months and change:

Anyone else doing one of these? I'd love to follow it!
--D

Need Supply

2010-03-04T10:06:00.000-08:00

Need Supply Co. is also making me happy. (Shock of the century, I'm into stripes.)

--D

Nasty Gal

2010-03-04T09:57:00.000-08:00

Loving some of the pieces they have over at Nasty Gal, which stocks both new and vintage pieces- HT, am I wrong or does that floral number have your name written all over it?
--D

Les enfants s'ennuient le dimanche (the children are bored on sundays)

2010-03-04T09:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a cute video from Oliver Peoples (purveyors of my very favorite pricey glasses) starring Elijah Wood and Shirley Manson.

{via Luckymag}

--D

BECAUSE, that's why.

2010-02-27T17:32:00.000-08:00

So, this is a thing....

by Jean-Luc Cornec, via Where the Lovely Things Are

--D

Come Monday Night

2010-02-27T11:08:00.000-08:00

Come Monday Night from God Help The Girl on Vimeo.

Every couple of months, I get excited about God Help the Girl again.

--D

Beautiful Bookbinding

2010-02-26T19:47:00.000-08:00

These are from a representative sampling of one thousand book bindings from the holdings of the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (Royal National Library of The Netherlands). The collection includes luxurious hand-made binding examples from over 800 years up to the 21st century.

{via Bibliodyssey- thanks Megan!}

Swedish Hasbeens

2010-02-25T16:23:00.000-08:00

The Swedish Hasbeens High Heel Jodphur boot is kind of freaking me out.

It's tantalizingly close to being in a price range where if I found it somewhere obscure on sale (I found a plum pair for $200), I'd be able to justify lightening my (miniscule) savings' load just a bit, due to the fact that I CANNOT find a pair of black boots that I like and are not from Target (I love you, Target, but you sadly are not built to last).

I think they're adorable, but what about in person? And I know they're made by the inventors of ergonomic foot technology, but as a stringent non-heel-wearer, will I be able to handle them?

Things that are really important to think about in late February with no income. (note: Carol makes the astute point that "the only thing worse than the word clog is the word jodphur.")

--D

Web Services Covers Therapy

2010-02-23T19:37:00.000-08:00

I kind of love Stephane Massa-Bidal's web services covers therapy series. Beautiful and also kind of hilarious.

{via happy mundane}

--D

Someone's been reading my diary.

2010-02-23T19:28:00.000-08:00

And yes, you can file this under "things that were announced 3 months ago so shut your mouth little girl," but Slow Sal over here just discovered that Pantone's "color of the year" is this lovely turquoise. You know, my favorite color since like, always. Love it.

--D

The Morning Benders: Excuses

2010-02-16T16:14:00.001-08:00

Yours Truly Presents: The Morning Benders "Excuses" from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

Well, this is pretty magical.

--D

A dalliance into hair discussion.

2010-02-09T09:19:00.000-08:00

I'll be brief.

Last night, I had a dream I was having a conversation with someone where I likened my haircut to a "bad marriage you can't divorce." Disclaimer: my haircut isn't THAT BAD. But back in October, I experienced a razory nightmare of a haircut that pretty much left me shrouded in knit hat for the duration of time up to now.
Michelle Williams is one of my main go-to hair inspirations. Currently, out of necessity, my hair sort of looks like this:

Except with shorter, and in my humble opinion, not entirely flattering bangs. Slash I don't know that this is a haircut I would have ever chosen for myself (face shape etc), but it will probably do the "let's get through the awkward hair growing out phase with some semblance of dignity" job with reasonable aplomb.
What I believe I'm going for, someday,is something along the lines of this, but probably with the hair short in back:

Kind of like a permanent tendril-y chignon.

At any rate, that's enough of that...you know how dreams can be. Do you have any hair quandaries/fantasies?
--D

(PS, April, if you're out there: take note of M.W's cropped hair circa 2006)

MK Design Rocks

2010-02-07T10:51:00.000-08:00

You know, we talk about all these things we discover all over this great, wide internet, and sometimes we forget to share the things that are right under our noses.

In doing a bit of research just now, I re-stumbled upon our buddy Monica's online portfolio.

I really love her illustration and design work, so I thought it might be nice to share it with y'all on this fine Superbowl Sunday. Several of her prints are still available in her etsy store; have a look-see! Her prints are featured prominently in several of our friends' homes, so I can personally attest to their being thoroughly delightful.

--D

Holy, Holy

2010-02-06T11:18:00.000-08:00

I'm not normally one to get excited about wedding or engagement photography, but James Moes's photos blow me away. (That first photo is his son...pretty much the cutest ever, no?) Have yourself a click for much larger photos.

--D

Design Revolution Road Show

2010-02-05T09:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Project H Design's Design Revolution Road Show came to the Academy. The professors seemed stoked that Emily had chosen us as the site for her celebratory party, and after a cupcake, carne asada taco, slice of bacon and carmelized onion pizza, and part of a brie-tomato-mushroom-pesto crepe (not to mention a glass or two of syrah- all of which was free as can be), I certainly was, too!

To quote the website, "The Design Revolution Road Show is a traveling exhibition and lecture series bringing “product design that empowers” to 25 high schools and university design programs across the nation in the Spring of 2010. A Project H Design initiative, the road show will feature an Airstream trailer exhibition of 40 humanitarian design solutions that have been showcased in the book Design Revolution: 100 Products that Empower People.

The programming will bring the evidence of and tools for design for social impact to the doorsteps of students, with the ultimate goal of enabling and empowering the next generation of creative problem-solvers to apply their skills to the world’s most pressing problems and improve life on a global scale."

Emily Pilloton, the brains behind the operation, was on the Colbert Report a few weeks ago to promote the Road Show.

It certainly was inspiring! Here are a few of the products in the airstream that I was able to get a shot of:

(side note...I would totally buy these portion control bowls in real life.)

For more information about the Design Revolution Road Show and the accompanying book, go here.

Shoe Love

2010-02-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

Remember when Dara informed us about the impending arrival of these sexy flats back in November? Well they are finally available for purchase HERE! Another awesome tid-bit: if you enter promo code VALENTINE10, you can get these babies before Valentine's Day w/ FREE GROUND SHIPPING!!! I did :) Happy (early) Valentines Day to me (and you too)!
xoxo

HT

We're baaaaack!

2010-02-01T13:45:00.001-08:00

We've fallen behind! We're bad bloggers! But it's mostly my fault; Haley's a hardworking editing maven whereas I was bopping about taking photos and generally having a hedonistic 6 weeks. But I'm back at school, back in SF, month 1 of the 365 photo project completed, and will be back up to blogging snuff. For now, I'll leave you with this jab at formulaic TV journalism:

--D

Tilted World

2010-01-22T15:08:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the adorable blog that is Old Sweet Song, I am now incredibly addicted to the iphone app, Tilt Shift Generator. You can affect any photo by shifting levels of saturation, brightness, etc. and point of focus. Above photo taken on iPhone from my office window. LOVE it.

xo Haley

Rain, rain, go away....

2010-01-19T17:47:00.000-08:00

Ever since I arrived, LA's been soaked to the gills.

--D

365 update: 2 week mark

2010-01-15T21:56:00.001-08:00

After a month in New Jersey (and SEVERAL bagels later), it's time to return to the west coast. Tomorrow I fly back to California, after my longest east coast stint since my departure 6 years ago. So while I upload my old Mary Lou Lord CD to my Itunes (a college favorite) and wait for my laundry to complete, here are some of my 365 photos so far. We're about 2 weeks in already, which seems insane.

It's only been 15 days...should be an interesting year.

--D

Brooklyn Flea

2010-01-13T12:28:00.000-08:00

This Sunday, to mark the final weekend of my east coast vacation, my Brooklyn bestie Sara and I hit up the Brooklyn Flea, which is currently taking up residence at the beautiful and historic One Hanson in Fort Greene. It was once a bank but now functions as a rentable event hall.

There were about as many taxidermied heads and antlers as there were mustaches at last month's SF Renegade Craft Fair.

Sara and I loved all these animal target prints, creepy though their undertones may be. This vendor had so many amazing prints; too bad I've pretty much wallpapered the apartment with prints as it is.

I bought a lovely necklace from Baubles and Thorn, by designer Elma Blint. Photo to come, but suffice to say it was very much along the lines of the rest of her pieces; simple and understated in an eye-catching way.

I also snagged a piece from Brooklyn-based Loyalty and Blood. I didn't see the one I bought on their website, so I'll have to photo that one too! There was another necklace that I wanted but didn't buy and am now pining for, though... and it WAS on the site.

I think I might have to go for it after the fact.

Between my two scores and Sara's 2 necklaces and amazing vintage coat, we made out like bandits. I especially loved her Jessica De Carlo necklace (excuse the sad, sad blurriness)...doesn't it remind you of the one For Me, For You's Kate's bf got her?

Brooklyn Flea was awesome, but I'm actually kind of glad to be heading across the country for awhile- that place could get dangerous! It's a good thing they didn't have the heat on in the giant, concrete-floored building, or we might never have left.
--D

Aspen tree totes have arrived!

2010-01-05T09:12:00.000-08:00

The Aspen Trees are here!

Actually, they arrived a few weeks ago, but I was waiting for miss Haley to send me a photo of her modeling it (cleaaaarly worth the wait!) in true Los Angeles fashion. We've received a such a nice response so far- thank you!

Available here in the shop.

365 project

2010-01-04T15:17:00.000-08:00

Taking a cue from Anabela of Fieldguided and several other like-minded photographers, I've decided to start a set on Flickr where I include one photo per day for the year of 2010. I think it will be a good way to force myself to take pictures on those days I wouldn't normally deem "document-worthy," and will make for something interesting to look back on when 2010 comes to a close. There's also been talk of taking a self-portrait once a week, but we'll see if I go that far. Here are my first 4 photos:

If you'd like to keep up with me, you can find my "365" project here. If you're doing one, let me know so I can follow you!

--Dara

Coveting boots

2010-01-04T14:45:00.000-08:00

It's happened: the perfect short, flat black boot has been found.

I've hunted and hunted through my bookmarks to find the blog I saw these on last night, but I can't find it again. I do remember that they credited Jane of Ill Seen, Ill Said with the initial find.

At any rate, here they are: the perfect boots, courtesy of Sigerson Morrison. I will now proceed to stare at them until they magically become $350 cheaper.

--Dara

Ring a ling

2010-01-04T12:21:00.000-08:00

A great many of our friends have been announcing their engagements in the past few months. I myself, being halfway through my first year of grad school and living across the state from my man of choice whilst I partake in said schooling, am nowhere near ready for that sort of thing, but when Joanna Goddard's post about her wedding rings led me to their designer, Blanca Monros Gomez's, website, I thought I really had to share them, because they're great.

--Dara

Holiday

2009-12-25T19:02:00.000-08:00

New Jersey's been wintery and great so far...lots of time communing with the new little members of the family, and many, many movies viewed. Hope everyone is having a fantastic holiday!

--Dara

Coyote

2009-12-22T20:32:00.000-08:00

Chris is in two bands, Son Ark and Coyote (pronounced "kai-yoat"). It's sort of a musical collective; everyone in Coyote except the drummer is also in Son Ark. Son Ark is the brainchild of singer/songwriter Robin Harris (the guy that's always all the way to the left in the photos below) and Coyote is Jessi Williams' baby (she's the tiny little cutie in the floral dress). Both bands are amazing indie rock with very strong country/bluegrass undertones. I love both these bands so much, and felt so lucky to be "obligated" to go to several shows per month when I lived in LA, because it was like getting to see your favorite bands play for free over and over.

These promo pics for Coyote that were taken a few weeks ago by Nikola Dupkanic are really beautiful/funny, no?

Find Coyote here, and Son Ark here. The music on Son Ark's myspace page is all live because they're allllllmost done with their album, but here's a sneak peek: click here for a great recorded version of one of their first songs, Gone Grave Diggin'.

--Dara

Alice

2009-12-22T11:20:00.000-08:00

I love this electro interpretation of Alice in Wonderland... if you know me, you know my love of the Wonderland (I might have a belt buckle with the White Rabbit engraving somewhere in my closet).

Thanks, Chris <3

--Dara

The Beatles USB Stick

2009-12-21T20:16:00.000-08:00

Today, my cousin pulled out a small, dense, acid green apple with the Beatles logo imprinted on it. He pulled a USB flash drive out of it by the stem, connected it to my computer, and proceeded to upload remastered versions of every Beatles album in 2 high definition formats, remastered album artwork, and several short documentaries to my hard drive.

What floored me the most was that this amazing little piece of packaging, which holds so much Beatles joy, was manufactured in such small quantities- about 30,000 were made. Also, apparently nary a quality product shot was taken.

Apparently there are 13 available on Amazon, so throw it on the last-minute Christmas list if you'd like- or be very, very nice to me. Although all I can offer are the files, and the apple itself as a specimen of fine packaging is really half the charm.

--D

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

2009-12-20T23:10:00.001-08:00

I was on set for this GAP spot that was shot for last year's holiday season, and let me just say: Jon Heder did that nutso dance for literally 20 takes in a row. The man is dedicated. Also, Janelle Monae is THE awesomest.

I'm home in New Jersey for the month, and already we've been snowed in! Feeling all kinds of holiday cheer......

--D

For Carol.

2009-12-15T18:23:00.001-08:00

Yes, I know, hush up, get back to your finals. But I think you're going to be glad I did this:

Can You Imagine puzzle by Trey Speegle via Even Cleveland.

--Dara

Letter Love

2009-12-15T14:46:00.000-08:00

I'm sure lots of people are familiar with Darren Booth's hand lettering, but I just came across it again and it's still awesome.

Work/Life Cover for Uppercase Magazine

Royal Bank of America

Out Magazine

AARP

Lots more where that came from.

--Dara (yes, back to work. 2 more days of finals!)

Gift Guide, sort of: Bazaar Bizarre SF

2009-12-12T17:03:00.000-08:00

I'll tell you what I should NOT have been doing today when finals are next week: going to the Bazaar Bizarre in Golden Gate Park. Particularly when I'm going to see Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros tonight (because at the time, when I bought the tickets, I thought to myself, "Well, that'll be a much-needed break in the midst of all my work"). But when I saw a chance to catch a ride with my friend April and her man friend Cameron, I couldn't pass it up.

I'm so glad I went; the booths were fantastic. Some of my faves from the Ho Down were there, and I of course developed some new faves. Definitely of note was the abundance of mustache throughout.

Admission hand stamp

Cupcakes by Cynically Delicious

Embroidered bandanas by Cindy of Archicraft (she also had some killer handknit cowls and some lasercut wooden doilies....)

Nif Naks

It most certainly did not stop there, though.

I just loved this couple at Paper Pastries. I'm having the hardest time just picking 2 photos right now; go to my flickr for more, or better still, their website. They were just the cutest- they're dying to get out of LA (sound familiar?), and she clearly is doing what she loves.

Beautiful letterpress calendar from Ilee Paper Goods

Hilarious stuffed fruit from the Felt Baron

Amazing prints from Sycamore Street Press- I LOVE the heart on your sleeve print. Might have to obtain that at some point. They were another event superfave.

Awesome scarves by Loomlab. One of their designs is actually a poem written in braille!

This necklace by Ach Ach Liebling had the distinction of being my sole purchase of the day. If I gathered this correctly, it's a vintage nail head from a train track, and the number represents the year it was put in. She was so lovely, too. (update: on the website, it says that this necklace design was inspired by "a song by the Magnetic Fields about trains," which I'm assuming is "Born on a Train," which is like, my favorite song by the Magnetic Fields. Even more awesome.)

This hilarious print by Willow of willotoons is only a taste of what she's got; she's a super cute maker of onesies and tees.

All in all, 10 stars to the Bazaar Bizarre!

--Dara

Clean White Love

2009-12-11T00:37:00.000-08:00

This reminds me of a certain magical weekend I had this summer.

via Little Glowing Lights

(just peeking my head out of the finals fog....1 week to go!)

Nubby Twiglet

2009-12-08T11:19:00.001-08:00

A few days ago, I was chatting with my roommate Dawn (a freelance graphic designer), and just discussing that crazy world of employment that we're all peeking at trepidaciously, with our hands covering our eyes. She referred me to the blog of Nubby Twiglet, a graphic designer who's my age and fresh out of school. Her blog is insightful, engaging, and definitely a great source for any designer; from people like me who are in school through the most experienced. I was just reading this post, called "The Life of a Graphic Designer (in Training)." If you're at all in my position- just starting out or just starting your learning process or even just beginning to have an inkling that design might be the direction for you- it's worth a full read. This quote she included from Saul Bass on some problems students and new designers tend to run into struck me in particular:

‘They are not privy to process,’ he noted. ‘They may have the illusion that these things really spring full-blown out of the head of some designer. This is a very unsettling perception for young people, because they struggle with their work. They have a go at it… They redo… It gets better… It slips… It gets worse… it comes back… It comes together. And maybe it’s something that’s pretty good, even excellent. But they say to themselves, “Gee, it comes hard and it’s so difficult. Am I really suited for this?”

The blog itself is a fun read for non-designers too; her outfit posts are adorable and her Thursday feature, Link Love, is full of goodies. Thanks for the recommendation, Dawn!

--Dara

Dee and La La

2009-12-07T22:44:00.000-08:00

I was so grateful to Erin from the Handmade Ho Down crew for solving the mystery of the letterpress company I'd spaced on identifying at the event. They're called Dee and Lala, and if I thought their HHD booth was great, their website is even better.

"Let it Glow" Chanukah card

"Naughty/Nice Fireplace" holiday card

Peaclock

whale cutting board that I SO wish weren't out of stock!

Fondue pot card ('cause why not??)

If you're down in LA, you might have seen them this past weekend at Unique LA. If you're up here by the bay, fear not- you haven't missed them! They'll be at the Bazaar Bizarre this weekend (so many amazing crafts, so little time!). I'm hoping to be there.....

...Furthermore, LOVING Erin's etsy shop,Eristotle. She uses vintage, upcycled, thrifted and eco-friendly materials whenever possible. These pillows especially are so great.

The Last Leaf pillow

Rustic Modern pillow

Great job to everyone on the HHD staff; that event was seriously amazing. Can't wait for round two!

--Dara

Galaxy print

2009-12-05T13:28:00.000-08:00

These galaxy-print pieces by Risto Bimbiloski are ridiculous. Clearly nothing is less than $300, but I suppose we can all cross our collective fingers they go on super sale in the new year.

Risto Bimbiloski via unruly things, though I originally saw them on even cleveland a while back...

The Handmade Ho-Down

2009-12-04T16:27:00.000-08:00

Last night, my friend Kate and I braved some sketchiness in SOMA to attend the first-ever Etsy craft fair in San Francisco: The Handmade Ho-down. It was equal parts amazing and completely overwhelming; there were 3 floors filled to the brim with vendors, all of whom have Etsy stores. There were SO MANY PEOPLE there that it was kind of difficult to concentrate on how awesome everything was; hopefully the event was a financial success for all these intrepid Etsy-ers.
I did have a few favorites. I don't know if I'm developing a specific affinity towards it or if maybe some of the rest of the stuff just happened to fall on the Regretsy side of the spectrum and so I had no choice to be drawn to it, but the majority of business cards/photos I took were for letterpress companies.

Design des Troy was so lovely, and they are my newest bookmarked blog (love!). I love the font on this holiday card; it's used a lot in the latest issue of Uppercase, and I can't seem to find it. Kate and I also loved these skull and crossbones holiday cards; she pointed out that they would be perfect for Robin and Jessi (mom of Lily, thrower of the infamous Pirate's Tea Party 3rd birthday last month).

Loved these two companies, but I FORGOT TO GET A CARD from the one in the top photo, and the girls from the bottom photo forgot to bring cards. Anyone know who these are?

All the photos I took in the Noteify booth came out blurry, but check them out for yourselves; really cute.

Jon Carling had me at the giant whale illustration, but the rest of his prints are pretty great, too.

I LITERALLY could not stop smiling when I was over at the Sweet Meats booth. I mean, some things are just here on this earth for the express purpose of making your mouth hurt from smiling so hard.

Needless to say...fun time had by all. I am poor (yes Dara, we get it), and so I could not support them monetarily...but that's your job! Go support Etsy and the economy!

--D

SUPERMARKET! Stop it.

2009-12-03T22:49:00.001-08:00

Ace necklace by Stone and Honey

For the baby in your life this Christmas

2009-12-02T20:17:00.000-08:00

I'm THIS close to buying this (with Monopoly money) and storing it in the back of my closet until I one day (years from now) have a baby. I've emailed the link to three people who know a baby in the last few minutes, but I stopped myself there, because this is a far more efficient way to share information. Do the right thing. Babies need this.

by Decoylab

--Dara

In which we post belated Thanksgiving-y photos

2009-12-02T16:28:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's already been a week since Thanksgiving. Finals time will do that to you, I suppose. We had a lovely day, particularly because of our far more manageable guest list- 26ish to last year's 40- and our al fresco dining experience, compliments of our new hosts (we had held our east-cost-expatriot Thanksgivings at my old apartment in LA for the past 5 years).

(Above photos by Haley- yes, that is a deep fried turkey in addition to a traditional turkey. Below photos by me)

Hope you all had a great Holiday too!

Jewelry Crush: Lora Mallory

2009-12-02T15:34:00.000-08:00

If you're searching for the perfect holiday gift for that keeps on giving back, look no further! My dearest friend from home, Lora Mallory, is the talented designer behind my current jewelry obsession, beng her fantastic line by the same name. I own two of her pieces thus far (the Yellow Gold Plated Spiral Ring and the Deer Tooth Necklace) and am obsessed with so many more! With pieces in many prices ranges and styles, Lora's work is truly something special. You can see some of my favorites below, and check out her online store HERE. You can also find more images of Lora's work HERE!

{Deer Tooth Necklace}

{Double Orbit Earrings}

{Spiral Rings}

{Triple Orbit Necklace}

{Binocular Ring}

{Single Silver Pod Form Necklace}

{Gold Pod Formed Ring}

Aspen Trees tote presale!

2009-12-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

Introducing our newest addition to the Enchanted Royals family; the Aspen Trees tote! It's available for presale in our big cartel store; if you order by the 14th of December you'll receive yours in pleeeenty of time for Christmas. This is a mock-up sent to us by the printer. It's a two-color print on natural 100% recycled cotton (everything that's beige in this pic will just be straight-up unprinted cotton). We're just in love with it, and we hope you love it too!

Also, don't forget about the rest of our products available this holiday season...here's a taste:

presale orders here.

Duck Boots

2009-12-01T13:14:00.000-08:00

I haven't really needed boots that deal with craaaazy weather since my move to California almost 6 years ago, but now that I'm up north, I'm feeling like I might need some extra warmth when I battle the elements. My Wellies are grand, but as I learned last New Year's in Massachusetts, they just don't cut it when it comes to warmth. Clearly, SF will never be anywhere near that chilly, but a little insulation never hurt anyone, particularly when I take into account the fact that I'll be in NY/NJ for a full month this holiday season.

When I saw these shearling-lined Duck Boots Sperry made for JCrew on Camp Comfort, hearts appeared in my eyes. Christmas list for sure.

--D

ISO50

2009-11-23T20:50:00.000-08:00

As promised...the blog which has been the object of my recent obsession. I am referring to ISO50, the blog of SF based graphic designer Scott Hansen and friends. Other contributors include his manager (music and culture contributor), intern (design contributor and aforementioned student at the Academy), CEO of the music label Scott's band, Tycho, is on (music/culture contributor), and a random friend who recently moved to SF. So.
A) his work makes me happy.

B) the posts are so varied and unfailingly interesting; from playlists of music you should definitely be listening to, to a step by step process of making an awesome poster like this one:

I'm also finding it fascinating to follow the trajectory of Alex the intern's Academy experience, for obvious reasons. He has posted his portfolio of work he's done at school so far (he seems to be a year to a year and a half ahead of me), and it's very encouraging.

Regardless, SUPER inspiring blog, particularly if you're interested in design.

--D

Magic Pumpkins!

2009-11-22T20:11:00.000-08:00

With only four days until Thanksgiving (FOUR DAYS!) our friends are all joining forces to make fun contributions to the big day. Carol, our beloved director, photographer, domestic goddess of a friend was oh-so-wise to stock up on crafting essentials, thank you Martha Stewart, that made the perfect Saturday afternoon craft session. As if I weren't excited enough for Thursday's festivities, we now have the perfect magic pumpkin centerpieces to light up the night even more! For tips on making your own magic pumpkins, go HERE.

~Haley

How soon is now?

2009-11-21T13:41:00.000-08:00

(I still love you by Elena)

I feel it's my civic duty to inform you that within the next week, we will have a new tote available for your viewing/purchasing pleasure, followed quite immediately by a new tee. We're really excited about them, and I think you will be too. Stay tuned!

Design Crush Calendar Swap 2010

2009-11-19T23:26:00.000-08:00

About a month ago, I enrolled in the Calendar Swap on Design Crush. Today, I received my calendar in the mail from my swap partner, Megan of Chasing Davies!

The calendar is by Amy Soczka...I love her adorable illustrations! Check out her great etsy store.

Keeping in a fairly similar aesthetic vein and attempting to hopefully touch upon Megan's style, I sent her the SusyJack 2010 calendar.

--Dara

826LA Poster Love

2009-11-19T02:07:00.000-08:00

I found a new blog that I'm head over heels, over the moon, crazy in love with while searching for ideas for my very preemptive thesis ideation. One of the 3(?) writers is a graphic design grad student at the Academy as well, and I'm so impressed with his/their work and taste and...the whole nine yards. And I will post a real post about them probably tomorrow, but it's late, and I've been typing thesis ideations for a very, very long time, so I'm just going to leave you with something they posted a little while back because I'm having sensory overload with all the awesomeness and I have to share SOMETHING:

Friends and lovers, feast your eyes upon these and other promotional posters for 826LA's Echo Park Time Travel Mart (which, if you're an avid reader, you know I'm obsessed with).

I think "Fire Good...but also bad" might have to be mine.

(I don't know where I think I'm getting all this money.)

posters by Amy Martin

--Dara

Put This On

2009-11-18T23:05:00.000-08:00

A very fashion-savvy guy friend of ours alerted me to Put This On, an expertly edited men's fashion blog. Coming from LA, I've seen the gamut of "dudes who are into fashion," and these guys just get it right. From what I can tell, the blog, which reads a little bit like Esquire (from what I can remember from reading my roommate's Esquires back in Los Feliz), is a supplement to a video series they're developing on various aspects of men's fashion. There's only one out so far, and it focuses on premium denim.

Put This On, Episode 1: Denim from Put This On on Vimeo.

It feels a lot like the Billykirk video I saw on miel et cannelle recently (of course the boys at Put This On posted about it too). Great stuff.

--D

Girl Crush

2009-11-18T15:18:00.000-08:00

The one and only, Charlotte Gainsbourg.