CRAFT IT: platypus designer duct tape

these lovely gifts would make anyone's day brighter.

in addition to leading the marketing and creative direction for the brand, i styled these presents for the "remake christmas: make it with tape" holiday shoot for platypus designer duct tape.

you can create your own handmade packages too. here's how:

~ find modern + colorful gift wrap. these are from paper source in palo alto / san francisco (you can also order it online)

~ select a fun gift topper. these gorgeous handmade lollipops are from the candy store in san francisco.

~ make various styles of bows + then wrap with wide ribbon, crafted out of assorted platypus designer duct tape, of course!

my choices included:

~ pink polka dot

~ denim

~ leopard

~ wool stocking

~ houndstooth

i also gussied up the packages even further with some pretty french ribbon generously donated by rob's mom, louise jordan. she is one of the "platypus people" + was the "production assistant" on our holiday film shoot - pretty much the best PA ever!

now see, who can resist?

(not me. i basically pulled an all-nighter at the fortis design warehouse in raleigh, nc to make sure the film set and all of the styling was very "martha." oh, the things a girl will do in the name of platypus designer duct tape....It's not just for repair anymore.)

note it:

"she's crafty" by the beastie boys

GIVE IT: a day of blogging silence....

"Bloggers Day of Silence" tomorrow March 18 in remembrance of Japan and its people.

Donations are being collected through Shelterbox, emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for families in Japan affected by the Tsunamis and earthquake.

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/utterly-engaged/shelter-box-usa

Altruism makes this world go around....

xo

GIVE IT: love

a very rough week.

i will miss my dear friend + cousin amy....

while earth is a darker place, the heavens shine brighter.

i want her glow.

xo

note it:

"angel" by sarah mclachlan

GIVE IT: heavy heart

sigh...heavy heart today.

jeffrey liked the rolling stones.

yes, i am thinking of you and sending you love, wherever you are....in peace, i pray.

xo

As Tears Go By

The Rolling Stones

It is the evening of the day,
I sit and watch the children play.
Smiling faces I can see, but not for me,
I sit and watch as tears go by.

My riches can't buy ev'rything,
I want to hear the children sing.
All I hear is the sound of rain falling on the ground,
I sit and watch as tears go by.

It is the evening of the day,
I sit and watch the children play.
Doin' things I used to do they think are new.
I sit and watch as tears go by.

note it:

"as tears go by" by the rolling stones

(photo credit: freephoto.com)

GIVE IT: time

need more time....

note it:

"time passages" by al stewart

(photo credit: head-fi.org via spareribs)

GIVE IT: brilliant braille

how brilliant! this "braille" bracelet from the mom-owned company "at first sight" just won the "2010 people's design award" from the smithsonian's cooper-hewitt national design museum.

ligon, the mother of a blind son, created this line of jewelry to increase awareness of braille literacy. A percentage of the company’s net profits are donated to Braille literacy organizations, including National Braille Press and BrailleInk.

for limited time, this jeweler's metal bracelet made of stretch tiles is available in fashion finishes of shiny silver or brushed silver plating and being sold online for 25% off retail price for $35.63 each. 7", 7.5" or 8" available. perfect for holiday gift-giving.

both educational and evocative, this bracelet tells a story of a mother's love...and i think that's incredibly noteworthy.

note it:

"learning to fly" by lady antebellum

THE "WRITE" STUFF: fallen trees

i'm a sucker for trees.

not surprisingly, these limited-edition handcrafted recipe boxes from rifle paper co. really whet my whistle.

salvaged from destined-for-landfill trees, each is eco-friendly, gorgeously designed + one-of-a-kind. plus, these charming recipe cards are throwback + fun.

i think it's the perfect wedding/holiday gift. by stocking the box with collected family recipes, it becomes an instant heirloom...definitely the "write" stuff in my book.

to wit, charlie (my son who "schooled" me in the ways of an old-fashioned apple peeler/corer, my latest obsession from williams-sonoma) made this single-crust beauty. a snap to make - even if you're 4 years old!

just goes to show you that fallen trees are as fabulous as apples fallen from trees....nourishment for the body + soul.

note it:

"american pie" by don mclean

charlie's "4-step" apple pie

(closely adapted from "mustards grill napa valley cookbook")

~ 8 or so large apples - peeled, cored, sliced about 1/4" thick (i like a mix of mostly granny smith with a few honeycrisp or fuji thrown in for good measure. my tip: place the apples in cold water spiked with lemon juice to prevent them from browning.)

~ 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

~ 2 teaspoons penzey's madagascar or mexican vanilla

~ 1 cup sugar

~ 1 teaspoon of penzey's apple pie spice (or cinnamon, if you prefer)

~ 1/4 teaspoon salt

~ 2 tablespoons flour

----

~ 1 pillsbury refrigerated pie crust, taken out of refrigerator to soften 15 minutes prior to assembling pie

----

~ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits

step 1 - preheat oven to 425 degrees. make the filling by combining top (7) ingredients + toss to evenly mix.

step 2 - place pie crust in 9-inch pie dish, crimp the edges by hand. pile the filling into the pie dish.

step 3 - dot the pie with butter + place in freezer for 15 minutes to "set" the butter (otherwise, it gets too greasy when cooked).

step 4 - bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. then lower temperature to 375 degrees + bake for 40-45 minutes or so longer. (start checking at 40 minutes + remove from oven when filling is bubbly + apples soft when poked with a toothpick.) serve at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

(photo credits: box, cards+tag/rifle paper co.; charlie+pie/lissa lowe; box close-ups/design*sponge)

GIVE IT: cheer up

a friend of mine is feeling blue.

i wish i were in back in chagrin falls, ohio where i spied these fun bottles. if i were, i'd pick up one of these cuties, stick a gerbera daisy in it + give her a quick "cheer up."

i hope things are better soon....

note it:

"better days" by eddie vedder

(photo credit: lissa lowe)

THE "WRITE" STUFF - boo boo

pardon the lack of posts. i'll be on the mend soon.

note it:

(i hope) "everything is alright" by motion city soundtrack

(photo credit: printed card from man vs. george)

THE "WRITE" STUFF - lost art

letter writing is a lost art.

now's the time to pour your heart out.

from paperwheel, get this nifty notecard that's pressed with love on an antique 1923 chandler & price press. 100% cotton extra soft paper pressed with hand-mixed vibrant red ink + paired with a matching red envelope.

(see more fun letterpress from elizabeth here.)

reach out and touch someone...

note it:

"somebody" by depeche mode

THE "WRITE" STUFF - what do you have to say?

what do you have to say?

write it down (or sing it, slam it, film it, record it, photograph it, illustrate it, animate it....).

everybody has a dream.

share yours.

----

happy birthday to dr. martin luther king.

thank you for making the world a better place to live.

----

note it:

"live your life" by T.I. + featuring rihanna

(photo credits: paper pastries, darling paper goods...do take a look.)

BIKE IT: speedy delivery

i picked up this super cute card from paper & ink at lavish in hayes valley in san francisco.

its caption: "may the journey be merry and bright!"

so true.

note it:

"sleighride" by barenaked ladies.

THE "WRITE" STUFF - artful americana

while recently at the gift show in atlanta, i had the good fortune of meeting the creator of lilywillow paper + press. not only were blake's creations absolutely artful (you should see her custom invites + stationery....gorgeous!), but she was down-home charming.

these cards are some of her newer beauties. when i saw them, i stopped in my tracks. perhaps it was the upcoming election to inspire my patriotism? or maybe it was the farm-to-table foodie in me? or perhaps it was the raw distinctiveness of the work. frankly, it doesn't matter. i loved them.

entitled "farm," these cards would look great framed as a series, particularly with an oversized white matboard set in a simple brushed aluminum frame. a modern presentation of wholesome goodness, i think.

don't 'cha just heart the heartland?

tips+tricks:

use the extra note cards as gift tags along with paper bag wrap + twine. cheap chic.

(photo credits: lilywillow)

THE "WRITE" STUFF - cartwheels + candy

who can resist this sweet sentiment?

bubbly like a blow pop, this valentine's day card from jacki paper is so doggone cute! letterpressed with soy-based ink on recycled paper, it's no run of the mill pulp...this paper is super sparkly as bling-ed by an organic compound that's actually embedded right into it (how fun is that?!). and, to top it off, each is packaged in a compost-able, biodegradable cello sleeve made out of corn. brainy and beautiful.

not unlike jacki herself.

a former freelance advertising copywriter in the bay area, jacki rigoni traded a more corporate life for one of freedom + mom-dom. why? she yearned to give her children as close to an idyllic life in california as to what she had in the midwest. who knew her childhood memories would end up on paper? but they did. and i am now walking down memory lane....her cards/invites: nostalgia packaged up in a most modern way. yep, unadulterated fun!

(now add some fun dip or pop rocks + you've got yourself some bit-o-honey this valentine's day.)

(photo credit: jacki paper)

THE "WRITE" STUFF - a birdie told me...

did you know that today is national handwriting day?

ahhhh, my heart is aflutter. letter writing is such a lost art. and while i blog (+ email + facebook), i put pen to paper as often as possible.

one of my fave card designers: andy pratt. an illustrator + graphic designer in new york city whose collection of cards + signed ultrachrome digital pigment prints are colorful + fun. some are even spot on (with 100% recycled french paper + 100% biodegradable or recyclable soy or corn inks).

if you live in chicago, stop by renegade handmade in wicker park for some great picks. that's where i bought my stash.

now get off your PC and post!

(photo credit: andy pratt)

GIVE IT: think pink!

i was right in the middle of my "monday makeover" post when this image popped into my inbox from design within reach. i had to stop press, so to speak, to tell all.

all these chairs are classics with a twist.

chair #1 - the eames aluminum "management" chair in spinneybeck leather. forged from affordable aluminum in the 1940s, the chair was originally created for use in a private residence. i must say it is the most comfortable office chair that i've ever used. if only i could have transported it with me when i changed advertising jobs....

chair #2 - i have always admired (from afar) marcel breuer's "wassily" chair, designed in 1925 and made of tubular steel. supposedly, the first of its kind. such beautiful lines.

rocker #3 - how cool for a baby girl's nursery! born out of a partnership between philippe starck and emeco in the 1990s + based on emeco's 1006 "navy" chair from the mid 1940s, the "heritage rocker" is a sleek white powder-coated aluminum beauty.

stool #4 - designed by eero saarinen in the mid 1950s, the "tulip" stool in now seen in spinneybeck leather. swivel-ly great design.

chair #5 - lastly, arne jacobsen's "swan" arm chair is fantastic. originally crafted for the sas royal hotel in copenhagen, i imagine myself curled up in it reading atomic ranch.

and now they are available in PINK!

but...there's a catch. only by bidding on ebay can you snag one of these limited-edition, fully licensed chairs. by bidding and hopefully winning, you will support a most worthy cause: the susan g. komen foundation.100% of the sales price will be donated in support of the fight against breast cancer.

help find a cure. think pink.

#1 - bid on the eames aluminum management chair: click here.

#2 - bid on the wassily chair by breuer for knoll: click here.

#3 - bid on the heritage rocker by emeco + starck: click here.

#4 - bid on saarinen's tulip stool from knoll: click here.

#5 - bid on the swan chair from arne jacobsen for fritz hansen: click here.