Linkz

Keeping it short today, as we prepare for a little vacation in Montana. Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Letterpress invite via Beast Pieces

Beast Pieces
A lovely design/letterpress blog

Display and earrings by Polli

Polli
I bought a pair of their earrings a few years ago and they are still my most favorite pair ever.

Final result by Nicole, from Making It Lovely

Better Homes & Gardens 48-Hour Challenge
Five bloggers + two days = I'm a slacker

Greenery

It's official—Earth Day is here... and it's still trendy. I can't count the number of "Happy Earth Day" emails I have received from companies trying to position themselves as eco trendsetters. Don't get me wrong, it's great that our country is finally starting to get it. Unfortunately, we've abandoned some simple earth-friendly steps in favor of purchasing designer reusable bags and driving hybrid cars (I still love you hybrid Civic.) I'm trying very hard to get back to basics, grow my own food, buy grains out of bulk bins, and repurpose what I already have. But the urge to buy more is always there. There are just so many great things being made, and I have sites like Etsy to thank for my constant exposure to all of these fabulous creations. At least buying this way supports the artist directly and allows for more interaction than most online purchases. I'm also a sucker for craft shows. But I digress... the real point is that each year I try to do a little more. And this year, my goal is to start using and reusing the things I already have. Less buying, more creating.

Until I have more to report on that front—and it's my goal to have something made and up for your viewing by the end of May—here are some great things others are making.

FrucciDesign
Jewelry made from recycled paper


Elephant and Chickpea
Shoes made from upcycled fabrics.

Way Basics
Modular furniture made from 99% recycled materials

Businesslike.

The work has been piling on this week, rather unexpectedly. It's a wonderful thing, but it really caught me off guard. I don't advertise in any way, unless you count my website. Instead, I have a network of fabulous people who continue to send projects my way. Thank you, thank you!

However, I have been wondering how long this arrangement can last. Eventually, I am going to have to put myself out there—right? I feel a bit disconnected from the rest of the design world, as I continue to work in isolation in my lovely brown office. I try to get out at least once a day and have even made a few local business contacts. But I think it may be time to branch out. I really, truly believe that networking (as much as I despise the word) is the best way to find clients whose products and/or values closely mesh with mine. There are several opportunities coming up that sound promising, so if I can just make the time (effort)...

One I'm looking at seriously:

Defining Business Success on Your Own Terms
Through the Grassroots Business Association, who have a great selection of events that always seem to fall on days that I am previously engaged :-)

So, I'm wondering... How do you stay connected?

p.s. Facebook and Twitter do NOT count.

In the mail.

I recently found an incredibly inexpensive (used) version of Piero Ventura's Book of Cities online... and am anxiously awaiting its arrival in the mail. More soon!

Linkage.

Another week down. We'll be headed to the Tulip Festival this weekend, which seems like a fine place to enjoy the lovely weather!

TapeSwell
The decorative packing tape is my favorite.

Morris & Essex
Pretty hand-printed cards.

The Small Stakes
Jason Munn designs posters for awesome bands like it's nobody's business.

Bold & Noble
Beautiful screenprinted posters.

Video.

Just thought I'd share this video from the folks at Free Range (my old company.) I thought it was nicely done... and it reminded me a lot of Michele Gondry's The Science of Sleep. Perhaps it will convince you to stop using plastic bags?!?

Free Resources

While I absolutely adore my Adobe Creative Suite 4, its purchase left my pocketbook quite empty. I wish I could use it for everything, but sometimes I just need to make a spreadsheet... or attempt to organize my thoughts. Luckily I've found many great free resources that make my life at least a little bit easier.

OpenOffice
The first, and most powerful free resource I wholeheartedly endorse is OpenOffice. I successfully rid my MacBook Pro of all things Microsoft, including Office, late last year. But I only did so after testing all of the common functions I'd be using in OpenOffice. I was impressed. In fact, I think it works better—no issues with conversion or saving in different formats, and it hasn't crashed my computer. They also offer tons of extensions and templates to customize your experience. Try it!

960 Grid System
We use a grid for print design, so why not on the web? It really does make things move faster.

Evernote
I'm still trying this out as a possible solution to my listmaking addiction, but I'm not giving up on making my own paper planner.

dafont
This is a huge, searchable emporium of free fonts and dingbats. While I can't advocate using most of the typefaces found here, they have a nice selection of symbols and theme-specific fonts.

Brusheezy
Like their tagline says, stupid name. But the free Photoshop brushes come in handy when you're designing on a tight budget.

Do you have any free resources you'd like to share?

Technically, it's still Monday.

Today's journey to the library was a bit disappointing, as none of the books I have on hold are ready for pick-up. But that won't stop me from posting about the one children's book I'm anxiously awaiting—All in a Day, illustrated by Nikki McClure. She's still one of my favorites and I can't wait to get a hold of this book. Every time I see Nikki's illustrations, I am blown away at the intricacy of her paper cuts. Having spent many a night with Xacto blade in (tired and shaky) hand, I can really appreciate the skill that must go in to each creation. I really need to get off of the computer and just make something already!

Good Friday.

Here are a few spring-y links for the holiday weekend. Enjoy!

Crafterall
Lovely, affordable papercrafts.

Local Harvest
It's growing season, and I can't wait for our farmer's market to (finally) start. Find a market it your area and support your community by buying local!

COLOURlovers
The name says it all.

eggling plant kits from sprout home

Sprout Home
A large selection of wonderfully designed home goods.

Spring.

Flowers I never knew I had—what a pleasant surprise!

Looking back at this week's posts, it seems that content has been sparse—lacking at best. My only excuse: spring. And that means two things for me—beautiful weather and allergies. Both have been keeping me from being my normal productive self. I've been spending a lot more time outdoors, attempting to get my yard and vegetable garden back to a presentable state. And in return, I have been suffering. My office is littered with tissues, and it has most definitely NOT been organized. I have, however, begun designing a weekly planner for myself that I plan to publish at lulu.com. I'll let you know when it's finished!

Woohoo!

I received my latest issue of ReadyMade today. I can't wait to read it, after I meet a few deadlines.

Hmmmm...

It's April 7th and I still haven't received a new issue of ReadyMade, which made me wonder if it was quietly going away, like so many wonderful magazines that have disappeared in the last year. So I looked into it... and it seems that the parent company is cutting jobs and consolidating everyone to Des Moines, Iowa. But none of the employees, originally based in San Francisco, wanted to move. Can you blame them?

But it makes me wonder what's going to happen to this innovative magazine. And when will I receive my next issue? 'Cause I am seriously needing a little inspiration.

p.s. I am still missing Plenty magazine

A book I'd like to read.

It was over 70 degrees and sunny here today, and so we stayed as far away from the library as possible. Instead, we spent lots of time in the freshly pollinated air (boo for allergies!)

So no new children's book(s) to recommend, but I did run across this title that I am looking forward to reading soon. Once I have a chance, I plan to check out There's Nothing Funny About Design by David Barringer. It's been way too long since I read a good design book, and probably longer (like never) since I've read a funny one.

How did THAT happen?

Friday again? Absolutely. And it's shaping up to be a beautiful weekend. Here are a few links for all of you procrastinators.

Lala
I am constantly in search of new music, and here's yet another way to listen to it without any commitment.

Big Huge Labs
Do even more with your flickr photos. I did :-)

I think these are going to be next up on my baking to-do list.

The Post Punk Kitchen
Home of yummy vegan recipes. I made some chocolate cookies earlier this week... and let's just say they were good.

Rose la Biche
I love her clothes. They make me wish I could sew... and have inspired me to start my search for a used sewing machine on craigslist.

Staying Organized, Part Two... Avoiding Distraction.

I am not qualified to give advice on this, as I have been so distracted that I am only beginning to write today's post at 3 pm. It's pitiful. What I can tell you is if you ever want to get anything done, don't get addicted to etsy, Scramble on Facebook, and most importantly... don't start reading blogs. These are not horrible vices by any means, but they're all part of a larger problem of having anything and everything available to us whenever we want it. I LOVE instant gratification! It does not love me back.

This, however, is not the largest issue with which I am faced. I work out of my own home—that is the problem. While it is absolutely wonderful to be able to roll out of bed and start working without ever getting dressed, I am constantly reminded of all of the other household chores that are being neglected when I am in front of my computer. The pile of laundry is only a few rooms away and the dishes in the sink aren't washing themselves. So, what do you do when the line between home and business has been blurred? Really, what do you do?

I know I would benefit from creating a little more structure in the days that I do work—having designated times for checking email, dealing with invoices/finances, and running errands. And it's obvious that I'll continue to be sidetracked if I don't just break down and get the laundry/vacuuming/cleaning done before I start working. So that's what I've devoted a sizable chunk of my working day toward—getting my life in order. Sadly, my office seems to be the last item on the list. Perhaps I can get to it tomorrow :-)

Here are a few related articles... in case you were running out of distractions.
A List Apart
The Anti 9-to-5 Guide
The Boss of You

Staying Organized, Part One.

I've always thought of myself as a fairly organized person in both my personal and professional life. But the past few years have been rather challenging. I not only had a baby, but also began working for myself and moved across the country. So it seems I have been trying to figure out how to manage the clutter of a highly accessorized toddler, and survive a 3,000 mile relocation, all while working out of my own home. And I can tell you that I was completely unprepared for what this would entail. Just writing about it makes me anxious.

Maintaining an orderly lifestyle is hard work, especially if you do it my way. I must admit to having a "type A" personality, finding satisfaction in controlling everything (and sometimes everyone) around me. I like to be in charge. And so I am, which means that 99.9% of the household chores are my responsibility. From cooking to ironing to financial management, I'm your gal. And while it's great to be able to multitask, I am exhausted. Why did I do this to myself? And more importantly, how can I undo it?

Would my life really be more organized if I had a snazzy planner?

While the answer isn't all that easy, I can tell you I'm making steps in the right direction. I'm starting to delegate a few tasks and thank goodness I have a husband who is receptive to my pleas for help. I'm also trying to find a way to manage the plethora of to-do lists that litter my office (and line the pockets of every pair of pants I own.) I often wonder why I don't put the date and time on my lists, as I never know if the list I am going off of was even written in the last month. There are that many. Yikes! I've tried software, widgets, notebooks... none of them work for me. The solution has to be something portable. Perhaps its time to get back to the basics and try a planner...

I have this letter holder (from Blu Dot) on my desk, but its contents elude me.

This brings me to my next, and probably most visible problem—the top of my desk. No matter how hard I try, every square inch of my desk finds a way of being covered with junk. I've got lists (of course), mail, bills, hair ties, old credit cards, scissors, pencils, tissues, and even wood play food that my daughter brings me to "eat" from time to time. And in the middle, there's just enough room for my laptop. I feel like I'm constantly purging, but to no avail. I think I've figured out the largest problem—I never really set up my office to be functional. Sure, it works for the day-to-day. But when I unpacked, I spent more time on the aesthetic than I did on putting things in their proper places. I guess that's just another item for my to-do list. To be kept in a fabulous day planner. That I have yet to buy...

One area that I can say I feel a little more confident about is our finances. Almost every bill comes via email and I can track all of our statements online. But even better, I finally found a resource that lets me check it all in one place—mint.com. Why didn't I know about this before? Sure, I was a bit hesitant to link all of my accounts, but once I saw the result—a well designed consolidation of all of my finances—I was hooked! Time saved: immeasurable.

Wow. Look at all I've written. And there's so much more. Since I'm not here to bore you (at least not too much), I'll leave the rest until next time. Stay tuned for the next installment—avoiding distraction, date tbd... in the meantime, if you have any advice/solutions/commiseration, send them all my way!