yep.

*unknown source

moving: part II

We're up to our knees in boxes. J's finishing his last week of his first year as a teacher (I can't believe it!). And I'm releasing another issue of the magazine tomorrow. A little stressed, we are. Here are a few more pretty photos from around the web for my new apartment inspiration...

J loves the art on the wall // I love the table.

Literally cannot get over this fireplace (no fireplace in the new apt, I just love this one!) & love the arrows hanging on the wall.

Have I ever mentioned J's record collection? He's obsessive & as he's out-grown his milk crates I'm trying to think of a better solution that can show them off a little more. again, via d*s.

Lastly, yes, this is a shop in Portland. But I'm obsessed with the utilitarian/clean/functional way the space is laid out.

Stationery for the new Mrs. Dutton

Jessica contacted me waaay back in January 2008 to do her wedding invites & programs after she saw what I did for our mutual friend, Lauren's invites back in 2007. (All of us go way back to the O.L. Slaton Junior High band... that's right, I was in band. I played the trumpet and we were awesome!) Jessica & Windsor's wedding was this past weekend & Lauren, the crafty, artist-supporting bridesmaid that she is had me design this stationery set for Jessica's wedding gift with her new name on it.


*Thanks Lauren for the fun opportunity & a thousand congrats to Jessica & Windsor. (I'll be featuring their invites very soon).

We're moving!

Next weekend we're moving across the 'hood. No big thing (not like last time!). Ever since we signed on the new place I've been nervous since we weren't supposed to move until August I hadn't mentally prepared myself to move out of our first home together. The small studio that we've grown to love. It took work but it's a totally livable spot and we've both grown and changed a lot in the last year in that one room.



Enough with the sentimental musings...We started boxing a few things last night and I can't wait to get in to the new space and paint, get a couch & have dinner parties!

*shots from around the web in my home inspiration folder on my desktop.

Fort Defiance

I work in Red Hook, Brooklyn. (though not for long! DUMBO here we come!) It's on the water & once upon a time Red Hook was a port run by the shipping industry. Those days are long gone and gave way to decay, feral dogs and a Meth clinic. Those days too are in the past. Red Hook is thriving and growing with hot spots like Saipua, Baked, The Good Fork and the largest IKEA in the world (not that that's a good thing, but it's here). The newest edition to Van Brunt Street is Fort Defiance, set to open this Saturday. St. John (owner, mixologist) asked me to do a large chalkboard sign in the cafe/bar. He wanted it to follow the identity that by boss, Steve, did for all of the print pieces for the cafe/bar.

It was really a great hands-on project for a few reasons: 

1. You can't get too perfect with a chalkboard (though I used pastels to grant myself some control). 

2. With the opening being so soon I couldn't play around too much with different methods etc. it was a "get in, get it finished!" project. I loved that because I know I have a tendency to want to explore all of my options for weeks before I settle on how/what I'm going to do for a project.

3. The imperfect typesetting was exactly the look we were going for, like an old historical document where the kerning and printing is just a little off.

*Thanks Steve for recommending me for the job & St. John for giving me the opportunity!

illustration re-visited

I designed this poster for a class project when I was at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. The design brief was that I was to design a public service poster similar to the ones the WPA did under Roosevelt's New Deal. Flat color was a must to make it possible to screen print – which was the most common method of printing posters at the time – and under 5 colors.

We recently ran an article in the magazine that I work on about ways to conserve water in the summer. As soon as I read the article I thought this piece of illustration would be great for the magazine. Here's that same illustration used in a slightly different context.

Now you're inspired to conserve water, right? This site is unrelated to the magazine but here are some great tips to help you save water, time and money!

sneak-peek!

I've cryptically mentioned "projects in the works" & "new work to come..." in the past. Well, friends... I can't release some of them yet but here's a little teaser of of what's been going on in the studio of Paper City Design.



More photos with details to come (I promise).

Swoon

Oh man, as a huge fan of street art this is beautiful!

for the love of boats

A few shots from boats this weekend.
Above, Governors Island Ferry, and below, Frying Pan restaurant in Chelsea.




*the original shots were blurry (boats sway you know)... but with the help of my trusty Poladroid they're much better now! And a correction to my pervious post on the whereabouts of my Polaroid camera... lost. Left in Mississippi after the wedding but no one has seen it. total bummer.

Jazz-Age Lawn Party

We went. It was so much fun to see everyone dressed up & dancing! Ah, New York in the summer...

rainy friday

I think that calls for a good book and a glass of wine.

(i wish.)

J's old roommate (Kirk) introduced us to Malbec a year and a half ago when he picked up a bottle for us in Oklahoma as an engagement gift. We had it with dinner before J popped the question so I was relaxed and enjoying the mystery wine that just showed up while J was stressing out and couldn't eat! cheers!

*horrible blogger note: I did not take this photo, nor do I know it's source.

something old, something new

(This has nothing to do with weddings.)

I saw the There Will be Brunch sign this weekend in D.C. and can't get over it. I know some boys that were (read: are) obsessed with There Will be Blood and the egg with a 'stache is just too perfect! – as is the hand drawn blackletter!

I spied the shoe shine sign on my way home from work yesterday in front of an old shoe shop in my 'hood. very iconic. It would look pretty rad hanging in a living room.

yep.

We don't have a t.v. // we don't care about sports (not even a little bit) // we eat kale on pizza because it's our fav. (try it with walnuts and blue cheese, so good!) // we ride our bikes everywhere, even in the winter. // our first date was at Choo Chai. // we love to make bread together // we sometimes hate leaving brooklyn because manhattan is a rat race.

*via here.