amazing paper craft

Retro gadgets inspired these amazing paper craft creations from contemporary
design studio Zim and Zou based in Nancy, France. I love the neons.

(via This is Colossal)

listen

Polica is a Minneapolis group making some serious waves in the local music scene. 

Their first album, Give You the Ghost, is sexy, moody and gorgeous.

I made this: Project Tortuga

I got crafty recently in order to make the perfect wedding gift for two wonderful people, Aaron and Nora. Words on banners aren't special, but ones that say 'Isle of Tortuga' in silver glitter are.

Update: Nora told me this was the most thoughtful gift they received. That makes me feel awesome.

a very vintage holiday

  This is the first year I'm actually excited to do my own holiday decorating so I've started collecting/making things for the house. Our house was built in 1914 and has all the original woodwork so I'm going with a vintage/homemade look. I just bought these bottle brush trees from Haven Vintage on Etsy. I've got a few other things planned, including felt garland and painted pine cones. More to come!

Friendsgiving

I bought the ingredients for sweet potato souffle so it must be time for the best holiday in
November! This little Etsy collection is inspired by my friend Emma who lives overseas, away from
her family, and has an annual "friendsgiving" with her closest friends and some delicious foods.

I think I love you, sweater vest.

These gems are from Etsy: Lady Patience, Hambone Vintage,  

Pickled Vintage, The Shoofly Vintage. And I want them all.

joyeux anniversaire

I want to wish a Happy Birthday to my wonderful mum. She's the craftiest, kindest, most 

patient person I know and the list of things I have learned from her is many miles long.

(print from Matou en Peluche on Etsy)

American Jobs Act

This is my submission to the Obama For America poster contest to support the Jobs Act.

Alex served as my art director, because he's smart like that.

the muse

This is a beautiful photo of my friend, Emily, who is off exploring her roots in Belgrade, Serbia.
She's the perfect artist's muse (and an artist herself). Taken by Nikola Zecevic.

Table for Two: victory 44

I would call myself an "aspiring foodie." If it were in my budget, I'd visit every great restaurant in town (of which there are many) and try the best dishes. For now, we settle for eating at an excellent eatery once a month or so. Our most recent was chef-owned Victory 44 in North Minneapolis. We shared small plates of bacon-wrapped stuffed dates, roasted beet salad, and charcuterie with some friends. I also had seared scallops over barley risotto and Alex had The Perfect Burger. I was most impressed with the small plates. The most unique thing about Victory 44 is that the person taking your order and serving you is also a chef in the restaurant, giving them an even more intimate knowledge of the food.

coming soon (to my closet)

I just bought this sweet 80s sweater from Sally Jane Vintage on Etsy. This would look 

ah-mazing (and possibly very nautical) with these RED pants from EmersonMade.

yes, please.

I love coffee. Something about it makes me happy. My dream is to have an
at-home barista bar and I like to imagine having friends and family over for Sunday brunch to
eat croissants and egg bake. Naturally, I'd be at my espresso machine whipping up drinks.

My favorite coffee supply store/site, Clive Coffee, recommends the Rancilio Sivia V3 as 

the best at-home espresso machine under $1000. So...it'll be awhile before I'm barista-ing.

Clive's site is the perfect combination of information and tools. They are a Portland-based
company that's dedicated to helping people make great coffee at home. What's not to love?

d*s book

Got my copy and got my ticket to go to the book signing event on Oct. 10!

on being...

A brief list of recent things that make me happy: the fall, changing colors, cool nights,
potential, birthdays, playing soccer, riding my bike, girlfriends, days off, & love.

(image from saratops on etsy via designworklife)

back to school

I used to love reading the Seventeen magazine back-to-school issue every fall. 

There were so many cute sweaters I would never own! This Etsy treasury reminds of the 

excitement of new school outfits combined with the dread of having to start another year.

kinfolk

Kinfolk Magazine is a beautiful new online mag that is dedicated to small gatherings of friends
that are simple and authentic. The design is lovely and the photography is dreamy, as is this
short video that introduces the concept and captures perfectly a summer picnic with friends.

Kinfolk from VsTheBrain on Vimeo

hand bag perfection

A beautiful vintage bag from Salvage Life on Etsy.

watercolor + business

 

How gorgeous are these watercolor letterpress business cards? I love the idea of each card 

being different and a tiny work of art. Plus they would be fun to make.

(via Oh Happy Day!)

summer at the lake

 

Here's a fun round-up done by Design Sponge for the summer classic, The Parent Trap, starring 

Hayley Mills. I need to watch this again soon. The first part of the movie takes place at a summer camp for girls. I really wish there were summer camps for grown women. I would totally do that.

brass compass $15, recycled sunglasses $21, deadstock vintage swimsuit $190, wooden oar $26, american traders wooden canoe $2700+, swiss army knife $10, ll bean mariner purse $77, pendleton glacier national park blanket $160.

(via Design*Sponge)

tomboy style

 

I just discovered this blog, Tomboy Style. It's probably old news, but since there are 800 billion blogs on the interweb (rough estimate) sometimes it takes awhile to find the good ones. The blog features a lot of what I would call "preppy tomboy" style. You know, sailing, loafers, blazers, tennis, the Kennedys, and horses. Lots of horses. I must be a tomboy because I was obsessed with horses and I wear my jack purcells with everything.

lost parts

I am loving these painted antlers by Cassandra Smith on Etsy.

leather yum.

Oh my gawd, I want this. Maison Scotch.

it's beer o'clock

As promised, more vintage beer labels. What time is it? 

It's time to enjoy some premium beer with the zing of malt liquor.

practically beautiful

 

This is so clever! By London artist Maisie Maude Broadhead.

(via Lifework)

craftsman brewery

Here is the blog debut of some of my design work! For this project I created a company, 

Craftsman Brewery, and branded it from top to bottom. The design aesthetic is based on the arts and crafts movement of the early 1900s. I really enjoyed this project (especially the letterpress coasters!) 

and I'm super happy with how it turned out!

on the house

I like beer as much as the next gal, but what I really like is awesome beer labels! Recently, I borrowed and scanned a huge collection vintage beer labels from the 60s and 70s. These are some of my faves, which I used for inspiration for my own brewery branding project. I'll post the rest in the coming months, including the super-classy Play Mate Beer.