May 17th, 2012 | Blog, Graphic Design, Spaces | Comment
I’m so excited to announce that the new Alchemie Spa has finally opened! I have been working with the talented owner of the Santa Monica Spa, Mary, for the past several months designing the spas logo, signs, menu, website, etc. She has a great sense of style so it was inspiring and fun to work with her on this project and I think everything turned out great! If you are in the Santa Monica area, you should definitely stop by and get pampered!
You can visit the website and get more information at alchemiespa.com
May 15th, 2012 | Blog, Kitchen | Comment
This Mother’s Day I decided to try something new. I always like to make something special for my mom because she is such an important person in my life and she always appreciates the little things I make for her. After thinking for days about what I should make this year, I came across a yummy recipe on the wonderful ‘passionate about baking‘ blog for a fresh Strawberry Vanilla-Bean Jam. One of my mom’s favorite flavors is vanilla and I remembered seeing bundles of strawberries for sale at the market so they must be in season.. so I decided to give it a try. After gathering all the ingredients and jars I set to work. Turns out making jam is a lot easier than I thought! I made it without any ‘jelling’ mixture so I had to let it sit over night two different days and do a lot of ‘simmering’ on the stove but I gotta say that it really turned out delicious (and my mom loved it too!)
You can get the recipe here
May 14th, 2012 | Blog, Graphic Design | Comment
This past month has been a complete blur. As soon as I think things are calming down the whirlwind starts up again and I find my head spinning with so much work and so little time! I came across these fun vintage ads today while doing some project research and despite my frantic state, they still made me chuckle. You gotta admire the honesty in these old ads – nowadays, everything is so sugar coated no ones knows what is reality! Hoping to get back to a normal state soon so I can stop neglecting my poor blog :)
May 9th, 2012 | Blog, walks with frank | Comment
Today I felt like I could see the negative spaces around me- almost as if the spaces were the object and everything around it was just giving it shape. It’s interesting how you can see things so differently from one moment to the next.
May 7th, 2012 | Blog, Inspiration | Comment
Today was one of those days that you look up at the clock thinking its going to say 10am but it really says 2pm instead.. time flies when you have 100 different things to do at once. Staring at the computer screen, mind moving at 100 miles an hour, no time for a lunch break let a lone a walk to get some fresh air.. ooh mondays, why can’t you be more like fridays! I did however make time to run over to the Broome Street General store down the road to pick up some special ingredients for a (secret) gift I am making (stay tuned) and I was instantly transported into another world. Everyone was calmly perusing the unique products, smiling and even laughing (imagine that on a monday!) Once again, it put things into perspective and allowed me to slow my mind down, at least for a few minutes. Such an inspiring store filled with such simple objects such as hand made tea towels and multiple flavors of sea salts. If your in the echo park / silverlake area, this is a great place to grab a coffee and get lost in the wonderful selection of odd objects and products.
May 2nd, 2012 | Blog, Wishlist | Comment
Putting together my spring wishlist… filled with light, comfort and practicality
1 – Free People // 2 – Featured on Joss & Main // 3 – Fiel // 4 – Ayrika Fouta // 5 – stella & jamie
April 28th, 2012 | Blog, Inspiration | Comment
This little Echo Park neighborhood never ceases to amaze me. One of my new favorite local spots is the somewhat recently opened Cookbook market. I’ve only stopped in a few times but each experience seems to be even better than the last. Although they have a very small store, their selection seems great with local produce, cheeses and delicious fresh prepared foods. I tried the prosciutto and butter baguette for lunch and I could have sworn I was back in Paris! So happy this place is right around the corner!
Photo Source: 3 & 4
April 27th, 2012 | Blog, Graphic Design | 2 Comments
I was so excited to see that Shannon Reed Home Candles were featured on Fab.com today! I worked with Shannon over a year ago designing the logo and packaging for her new start-up candle company and its so great to see that her business has flourished and she is now featured on popular sites such as this. The candles will be on sale for the next two days so make sure to stop by fab.com and pick some up while they are still available!
April 26th, 2012 | Blog, Real Life | Comment
Today was one of those gray, gloomy chilly days- the kind that just makes you want to cuddle up in front of a warm fire and completely relax. With so much busy work today I felt my mind moving at a million miles an hour – not exactly relaxing. At least I can be thankful for the night, knowing I can escape from work for a few hours, with chicken noodle soup on the stove and a nice bottle of napa wine – it’s always important to give yourself a much deserved break!
April 24th, 2012 | Blog, Real Life | Comment
My favorite aspect of our house is that it was built in 1926 and the previous owners lived here since 1940! Which means that most everything in the house was original when we moved in. This was a good and bad thing. We had to do a lot of updating (think of kitchens built and designed in 1926- not as practical today!) but the good part was that the house was filled with so much authentic character. From the hardware to the doors & windows to the light fixtures… everything seemed to add a certain charm to the house that just cant be bought. It’s these simple touches that make the house feel so warm and comfortable to me.
April 20th, 2012 | Blog, Inspiration | Comment
You know those moments when the light is hitting an object so perfectly it makes something so ordinary, like a tree, look like a piece of art? I treated myself to a quiet break last night- sitting outside with a glass of wine watching the birds dance and the sun set- in awe of the beautiful light.
April 19th, 2012 | Blog, Real Life | Comment
I blog a lot about my pup Frankie but I don’t think Ive formally introduced him yet. This is Frankie, my 2 and a half year old crazy frenchie with enough personalities for 10! I’m writing about him now because today on our morning walk to the coffee shop, a man sitting at the table next to us commented that I was being an ‘over-protective’ mom.. Yikes! Granted, he was a bit of a loud mouth, but I really never thought of myself as the over-protective type.. especially with a dog! But I had to admit, maybe he was on to something. When I got back home I started to notice all the little french bulldog nick knacks around my house.. uh oh, am I turning into one of those people? I swear, they were all gifts! :)
My point to all of this is that while I think its great to embrace who you are, its also important to keep an open mind and be ok with introducing change into your life. Sometimes if we get too stuck in our own ways we can become a bit blinded from reality. So, thank you man at the coffee shop for sharing a slice of reality with me this morning!
April 18th, 2012 | Blog, walks with frank | Comment
Another sunny day, and a much needed walk with Frank. After a long day of intense projects, a 15 minute walk through my favorite neighborhood really did the trick.
April 17th, 2012 | Blog, Inspiration | Comment
As the warm weather approaches and its starting to feel more and more like summer, I’ve been thinking of ways to brighten up my work space. And what better way than implementing an inspiration board – visually stimulating as well as inspiring & motivating. Now that Ive decided to create an inspiration board, I just have to decide how to approach it.. with so many creative examples, there’s some really cool ideas out there. Stay tuned to see how it turns out!
images from Pinterest (apologies as I was not able to find their original source)
April 14th, 2012 | Blog, Real Life | Comment
Recently Ive noticed that fresh flowers have become part of my Saturday morning routine. Although they are a small touch, it’s such a nice and easy way to transition into weekend mode and a reminder to keep enjoying the small pleasures. Happy weekend!
April 12th, 2012 | Blog, Graphic Design | Comment
Just completed a logo design for DOJÉ – a new online women’s shoe boutique (coming soon!) A Parisian theme was the inspiration for this logo and the owners were such a pleasure to work with!
photo credit // TheCherryBlossomGirl
April 11th, 2012 | Blog, Graphic Design | Comment
I couldn’t help posting this amazing print from Wasted Rita. It’s funny because its true :) …Another great example of creative simplicity.
April 10th, 2012 | Blog, My Life | 2 Comments
I received such a wonderful package in the mail yesterday from my little sis. A belated birthday box filled with amazing French finds from her recent travels! These will add such character to my new little home. My favorite of the gifts is this vintage french cookbook which she actually filled in with some of our favorite family recipes. Très spécial!
April 8th, 2012 | Blog, My Life | Comment
Wishing everyone a happy and healthy easter! To family, friends, and great food! Have a wonderful and sunny day
April 5th, 2012 | Blog, My Life | Comment
Ever have those days that you just want to quietly slip away and escape without telling anyone? That’s today for me! Oh what I wouldn’t give to be in Paris sitting outside at a café by myself reading leisurely. It’s easy to say that you wont let the small things get to you but some days its much easier said than done. I know escaping is not the answer.. but at least I can daydream.
April 4th, 2012 | Blog, walks with frank | Comment
April finally brought some warm and sunny weather- much needed! Frank and I enjoyed another peaceful walk through the neighborhood today. It’s amazing how the weather can so easily change my mood!
April 3rd, 2012 | Kitchen | Comment
Today it felt like summer- not just the weather, but something about the air put me in one of those easy breezy moods. I had the sudden urge to cook up a storm so I decided to make a dish inspired by a brunch I had on abbott kinney a few weekends ago- a fried egg and prosciutto sandwich (so delicious!) They used a red pepper aïoli as the spread for the sandwich so I thought- why not try and make it myself! The end result was pretty tasty I must say! So here is my modified recipe for roasted red pepper aïoli:
Ingredients:
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 roasted and peeled red peppers
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Siracha (or your favorite hot sauce) to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Recipe:
1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a blender.
2. While blending, slowly pour in the olive oil
3. Season with the salt and pepper and keep cold until serving.
April 2nd, 2012 | Blog, Real Life | Comment
I had so much fun at my friend Becca’s bridal shower this weekend. Everything was themed in her wedding colors from the tablecloths to the cupcakes. Not only were the decorations beautiful, the food was amazing as well! It was the perfect day to kick off spring
March 28th, 2012 | Blog, My Life | Comment
This past weekend, my fiancé and I did a cake tasting for our wedding. Not only was it tasty but it got me thinking about what type of desserts we should serve on the big day. I love the idea of having a lot of mini desserts opposed to one big cake (that no one ever ends up eating anyways). The minis allow people to grab one or two at a time and get right back on the dance floor (or at least that’s what I will be doing) instead of having to sit back down at the table to eat your large slice of cake while missing out on all the fun. These are some inspiration shots I found- I noticed I was drawn to anything simple, homey and of course.. chocolate!
March 26th, 2012 | Blog, Interior Design | Comment
I found these wonderful old canisters at the Melrose flea market this weekend. It definitely wasn’t the best showing at the market seeing that it was pouring rain and freezing outside but I was happy to scout out a few good finds to make the trip worth it! These will fit right in in my rustic, country inspired kitchen.. I’m excited to get them cleaned up and put to good use!
March 22nd, 2012 | Blog, My Life | Comment
I woke up this morning to the sun shining directly through my front porch. I looked down and found this ‘fortune’ on the ground.. right outside my front door. I’m not sure how it got there but it sure seems like a sign to me! Life always seems to send these things at just the right time.