I am constantly trying to keep current. I read blogs daily, take pictures of layouts in magazines and have endless jpgs organized in folders of packaging, illustration, typography & print design.

However, one thing that has inspired me since I was a child and still takes my breath away is nature. Simply nature. Not a specific flower, or a certain location that brings back memories while laying in the grass. Just nature itself.

While on a hike yesterday I came across a vine that curled so consistently and perfectly around a stick, taking it as prisoner. A flower that hung with such elegance, the petals keeping a close eye on the pistil. It made me think of how we can’t really argue with things in nature.

Perhaps that is why it is so strong of an influence on me. I have gotten into the (good) habit of lining things up, making sure boxes are spaced evenly and checking for spelling. It becomes so natural to me. But when I’m out on walks and see these little instances of beauty that pop out of every crack in the sidewalk, tumble down brick walls and shine from trees above my head, I can’t help but smile, appreciate, and be inspired.

What inspires you?

A huge benefit of being a freelance designer is the variety of projects you get to work on. Currently I am working at Fredericks of Hollywood, helping to revamp their image via catalog and blog design. It’s so exciting to work at a company with so much history, I constantly get lost looking at the vintage catalogs (um, can i order everything from the 1974 catalog? Thanks).

Below is a little project I worked on for a blog entry about burlesque.

Hello friends! This has been an interesting year…I have worked on so many great projects (a lot with food this year!), traveled to cities I’ve always wanted to see (portland & austin) and met so many amazing people (joythebaker, whitney at brunellos, my friends at proof wine collective, and my love at thesweetsavory).

What is left? Presents. Lots and lots of presents. The problem?  What do you get for the friend who has everything? You know the one…they have too much in their apartment and are always complaining about clutter.

My answer? Infused Bourbon. Mmmmmm. Yes! It’s simple and goes like this:

Chamomile Clove & Orange Bourbon
1 bottle of bourbon (i really like to use bulleit bourbon)
1/4 cup of chamomile
8-10 cloves
1 orange slice
1 pretty bottle
label you can download here

Take the chamomile and cloves and let soak in bourbon for about 1 week (if you have less time that’s fine! It just won’t be as strong). Around the 5th day add the orange peel. The reason we add the orange last is because the oils in it infuse the alcohol so quick and can overpower the other ingredients.

Once it’s infused, pour through a strainer into a cute bottle, print out this label I have provided here, tie on with a cute string and DONE! BEST PRESENT EVER!!

Happy Holidaze!

How do you spend a crisp fall afternoon? Well, if you are lucky enough to have a wonderful friend who is a librarian at the Norris Medical Library, you spend it flipping through books dating back to the 1600′s.

Knowing my interest in vintage botanicals, I was invited to look at some early herbal medicine books at the rare book room located at USC. Somewhere between the crackling of the pages turning and the smell of old paper and dust, I fell in love.

Below are some of my favorites.

I love a good vintage sign. Heck, I even love a good new sign that tries to look vintage. There is something so romantic and dreamy about the old lettering, the way the paint chips, a light or two that no longer works at night…

Los Angeles has a special way of preserving things. It’s unlike what I am use to back home in Philadephia. The combination of the intense sun, heat, and salt from the ocean has a way of not only bleaching, but also preserving things in a way that they have the ultimate feeling of nostalgia. These are some of my favorite signs I see weekly, both old and new.

Hiking or just plain walking around is probably the most relaxing thing to me. This past sunday I had the pleasure of doing just that with my lady around her town of Pasadena.

We went to what was known as the original busch gardens and on the walk there couldn’t help but notice all the wonderful things California provides us with. We found herbs galore, peeked into a beautiful garden with an entire grape orchard, climbed a wall collecting lemons and foraged a weird fruit we later found out is a California bay laurel fruit.

We headed home with a knapsack full of goodies and plans for many more visits.

“Look to nature it will never fail you” — Frank Lloyd Wright.

While in St Louis on business, I read an article about Firecracker Press. Having the gumption that only a few local beers can give you, I decided to write to the owner, Eric Woods and ask for a tour. Luckily, the mid-western way is to always be polite and he responded immediately with an “OF COURSE!”

After a late coffee, we headed over to Firecracker press, located on a cool, ever evolving street in south city St Louis. Upon entering, we were blown away by an storefront jam packed with stationery, posters, books and more.

Eric gave us a tour of the different machines and told us a bit about himself and Firecracker Press. Having 9 years under it’s belt, Firecracker was started as a one man shop by Eric. Originally from a smaller town in MO, he moved to Kansas City to attend the Art Institute where he studied design. After graduation, he moved to St Louis for an advertising job…which lead him to seek out more creativity in other places. He became a member of the Printing making society and was lucky enough to meet someone who took him under his wing and showed him the ropes of letterpress. And Firecracker was born.

One of my favorite parts of the tour was hearing that Firecracker has been collecting fonts sourced from estate stales, city curbs and even a donation here and there.

Not only a letterpress shop, these guys do all the design in house, and I have to say it is stunning. One of my favorites is a series of posters that when hung together are tiled.

We left inspired and with arms full of posters, stationery, and coasters. Amazing work and such a friendly fellow. Thanks again, Eric!

As a graduate of Moore College of Art & Design, I look forward to the alumni newsletter we receive. This past newsletter, a recent graduate really caught my eye. Claire Buchanan.

A graphic design major, she studied the same program as me, and has interned at one of my favorite places in the whole US! Hatch Show Print. When I drove cross country, I had the pleasure of visiting this working letterpress-turned-museum, historic archive and tourist attraction! Anyway..this is about Claire, Not Hatch Show.

She has a true talent for hand lettering—something that I admire so much in designers. Below are some of my favorites of hers.

Sol del sur came to me looking for a new identity for her jewelry and accessory line. A brilliant textile artist she uses fibers to create bold shapes and patterns in her art. The logo I made for her reflects this by showing fibrous strands wrapping themselves around her name (which means sun).

She currently sells on etsy and has found an affordable way of packaging her items so that clients will never forget them! By printing double sided on a business card, and then trimming, she gives a tag with her name on it and also a little space for the person who buys the item to write a message if they are giving it as a gift.

Not only is this affordable for the artist, but good for the environment, because she is using less paper. Good thinking! Check out her shop for some really brilliant designs.

While on my wonderful Oregon vacation I found what I believe is the most inspiring book for a lady like me who loves botanicals, watercolors and handwriting. The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden.

The copy I found was in a thrift store and has on the inside front cover “Birds, Blooms and Butterflies—Beauty we can all share” — Love, Mom ‘Summer 88

Doesn’t that just give you tingles? Upon further research I found that this book is KNOWN to be given to others as a gift. My gift to you, my readers, is a few spreads from this book so you can see just how beautiful her typography and illustrations are. I will look back on this book both as reference and dreamy thoughts for a very long time.