Lemon Thyme Lollipops!

Ooooo so much is going I and I can't wait to share it all with you! The two biggies are that I'm back in the design business officially with my own company, hooray! If you'd like to check out Tiny Bungalow Design, please look HERE.

And the next tidbit of happiness is that I'm opening a thrift & vintage store in The Camphouse called Mission Exchange. All proceeds will benefit The Mission Chattanooga, so I'm super excited! Plus it's a really tiny space so I've had a blast designing the shop interior. Think lots of white on white with layers of texture from found objects as well as modern elements - Anthropologie meets CB2. It's going to feel like shopping in an insanely hip closet without the awkwardness of feeling like you're robbing a friend of their best goodies. Finally stages are happening... I'll have photos up soon.

As for the yummy lollipops, well MG and I made them today while McB napped. They were yummy! Here's a quick lollipop tutorial if you're interested. I added lemon oil and fresh lemon thyme from my garden. If I were getting married again (which I'm definitely not!), I would totally make these as fun, cheap, easy wedding favors. Wouldn't you love to get a gourmet lollipop as a wedding favor? So happy making!

- HAPPY NEXT STEPS -

Tornados Again & Some Fine Espresso!

This past week has been crazy with tornados, electrical outages and mass loss of trees. The storms came in so quickly that I only had minutes to pile the kids and pips (our little white dog) into the bathtub. There were quite a few rounds of "Row, row your boat" while the wind howled. Hey, whatever works! Thankfully our home was spared, but many friends had homes crushed and are still dealing with the after effects. If you have a chance to send relief, please give it a thought.

And on to something happy for a moment... I don't often share my design work, but I've been busy rebranding The Windfarm Coffee Bar and it's finally finished! In an effort to tie the coffee bar in with The Camp House and to position it for easy expansion, we decided to rename the store to "Camp House Espresso". The new design was inspired by The Mission's roots in Rwanda, truly "handcrafted", excellent coffee and a commitment to beyond fair-trade beans. It's been fun to watch the new signage, cup sleeves, etc go up. The only flub was the new mugs arriving with the logo printed upside down - heehee! I'm thinking they'd be great "you are special to us" gifts to the daily caffeine addicts. So check it out, if you're in town. Trust me, my friend Aaron makes an espresso like no other! He is fanatical about each and every cup he pours! And the whole crew of baristas make drinking lattes truly artful. Mmm happy coffee!
-HAPPY & THANKFUL ALL AT ONCE-

Oh My Whiteness!

I am a huge fan of white! Seriously, it has to be one of the best colors out there for it's sheer power to illuminate other colors. Plus it has the honor of being the combination of all colors at once. Considering that and many other things (like the fact that it's the hue of vanilla ice-cream) it's a pretty understated champion of the spectrum. I'm always trying to convince clients that it's well worth including more "white space".

With all that said, white seems to be especially sentimental the past few days. For instance, my favorite coffee mug that welcomes each day with me had a fight with the dishwasher and got chipped - good thing I have one of these from Anthropologie as a newly beloved. Then, I finally tackled a few things in the dining room. Newly rescued from the attic and bleached curtains went up, an old sideboard that's been 4 different colors was painted charcoal and white knobs added, and I hung a pair of photos that my dad took in art school. All good and exciting.

Then came the crib. Ugh. Little McB climbs everything and so it's time for a big boy bed upgrade. Well, I was excited until I realized that the crib is going for good. We have a great home for it, but after 2 babies sleeping in it, it's hard not to be sentimental. Anyway, the sight of McB proudly cuddled in his very own bunkbed makes it all worth it. And now I have big plans for a surprise "extreme makeover" of the kids room one day soon. I can't wait!! Happy planning!

-HAPPPYWHITEWONDERFULS-

Voice of Color

Ok, it's midnight and I should be sleeping but had to share a little something fun before I snooze... while I was trying to find the link to my new favorite app (which I'm now saving to share later), I stumbled upon this color sense game. It's part of Pittsburgh Paints "Voice of Color" campaign. I've presented many branding tests to clients over the years and I'm a sucker for a well thought out design quiz. They really tackled the emotional side of color very well. Go take the test - it'll make you think. I'm a "Pop Art". Means I like vibrant, modern, innovative color combinations. Little do they know!! Oh and I need a "creative office with dynamic color". Umm, yes please!

-HAPPY VIBRANT TEST-

Bigtime Drool!

So it's been a while since I shared one of my new favorite sites to drool on... Here's an oldie that I rediscovered tonight - Plasticland! I have to say that they've seriously worked on offering more thoughtfully designed items along with the fun stuff. I'm especially in love with the pink cuckoo clock, Matryoshka doll glasses and tape measure. But trust me, there are lots of other happy things to drool on!

-HAPPY COLORFUL GIFTS-

Behance

It's going to be a quickie post today - lots of exciting design work in the pressure cooker this week. I can't wait to share it with you, but it's top secret for now. If I told you, I'd have to pinch you ("kill" sounds way too harsh for brand identities!).

Anyway, I thought I'd touch on a topic that's super important for designers, illustrators and creative types alike... the dreaded self-promotion. Blahhh! Not so fun, but definitely necessary. Many of you, I'm sure, have a portfolio on Coroflot (which is great) but I'm a much bigger fan of Behance. It has a really clean and simple format (always my fav design-wise) and it's a great platform for showcasing your work and gaining exposure. Plus has some amazing job listings, always fun! If you have a minute, check out my brother's insane portfolio here.

And for those of you non-creatives, who are big fans of out-of-the-box thinkers, check it out. You will find some amazing work and it may even be a great resource for your business!

-SELF-PROMOTION CAN BE HAPPY (& PRETTY)-

Creative Sleeps

So here's yet another idea I wish I'd thought of... But first be warned, it definitely fits in the "dorky designer" category. In fact, Tim just looked at me puzzled while I drooled and tried to explain why it's cool. That's never a good sign!

Anyway, for those of you as dorky as me, you'll love this. Just in case you don't spend enough time with your favorite app (like Illustrator, Photoshop, Twitter, etc), the folks at MySuiteStuff have created pillows so that you can hold them close at heart. They're called "Creative Sleeps" and they're bright, colorful and super cool looking. Never thought I'd want to cuddle an application, but now might be the right time to start. Could be a happy thing?!

Font Fridays - Featuring Colors

Every week as Friday approaches I start to get antsy about Font Fridays and it seems as though every week something comes up and I miss it. Then I go through the whole "does it count to post a font on Saturday even though it's meant to be on Fridays thing?". Yeah, I'm starting to loose it over here!
Anyway, I've wanted to feature this for a while... especially since it involves fonts and color. Ah, be still my heart. Basically there are several fonts that convert text into blocks of color. So "A" will be pink, "B" blue, etc. The result is sentences of "words" that, instead of being readable, become stunning color-coded thoughts. My dad's blog has a great explanation of the thinking and science behind the concept. Check it out, you may think about how you react to colors a little differently if you do. It's really cool stuff!

Oh and one more goodie... Wilton Foundry is officially Twittering. Trust me it's a happy thing!

- CLEVER COLOR FONTS MAKE ME HAPPY-

Shiny Happy Orange "Strolla"

As you know, I'm a huge fan of brilliant design. Especially when it makes my life easier and prettier! So when I spied a Quinny Zapp stroller on mega sale last week, I knew it was time to splurge... having a gift certificate to the store was a great justifier as well. Before you think I'm pushing a product, let me explain why it's my new favorite baby essential. It's the world's smallest stroller AND it's super easy to fold. With 2 kids, a purse & no brain that's huge! Plus it happily teams up with McB's MaxiCosi car seat. Ahhh, I love it when great design delivers on the promise!
Oo and before I forget... if any of you have some hot tips, please share. I'm always on the hunt for fun, happy goodies to feature. Thanks!

- SHINY HAPPY CONVENIENCE -

A Cold Tip

Ever hear the latest hot tip and realize you're the last to know? Well, I had a super slow moment last week with this one. So slow, that it's officially a "cold tip" by now! Anyway I figured that maybe, just maybe I'm not the very last to know and that I'd share with my fellow slowbies.
Here it is - Threadless.com. It's a community-based tee company that welcomes artists to submit design ideas. So the shirts are super fun, very hip and limited editions. They have all sizes from baby through adult including the cutest onesie hoodies. Trust me when I say they're amazing, plus they have five dollar deals all the time. Yay for supporting artists and being thrifty. I can't wait to choose some for McB and MG!

- HAPPY SHIRTS, HAPPY ARTISTS -

Font Fridays - Featuring Ciseaux

I'm so excited to be able to feature a shiny new font this week - Ciseaux (aka "scissors"). It was only listed last night on MyFonts.com, so you're some of the first to preview it. Hooray!

Ciseaux was inspired by the art of paper cutting. Early paper cutting artists were often royalty, but it soon became a folk art practiced by commoners whose cutouts decorated their homes. By the seventeenth century it had spread throughout the world. The Japanese called it Mon-kiri, the German’s Scherenschnitte and Turkey even boasted a guild devoted to the art form. When Russian invaders confiscated scissors in Poland, villagers were found to cut their intricate designs with sheep shears! The art form later developed into cutting out elaborate designs of nature scenes and people, celebrating special occasions and even decorating legal documents.

Ciseaux letterforms mimic paper cutting art in its shapes with a rather loose and almost joyous rhythm. The overall effect is somewhat earthy and natural yet it has an element of sophistication that cannot be ignored. Just like paper cutting, Ciseaux can be used for special occasions like invitations, brochures, identities, restaurant menus, and if you dare, some awesome looking paper graffiti. Available in TT, PS and Opentype for Mac and Windows.

- SHINY HAPPY NEW FONTS -

Not your Mama's Juice Box

Most of you probably don't look at packaging design obsessively in the grocery store - in other words, you're saner than me! I can easily lose an hour or 2 when I'm just supposed to pick up bagels. Poor MG is very patient!
Recently I discovered some absolutely brilliant beverage packaging. My current favorite is Y Water for kids. Not only is the drink organic and the bottle 100% recyclable, but the actual container shape is designed to inspire creativity in kids. When they're empty, the y-shaped bottles interlock and become a toy. Talk about fun, wish I'd thought of it! For more great packaging from around the world, this site is awesome. Even if you're not a designer, it could be inspiring and it may even change your next grocery trip. Happy shopping!

- GREAT DESIGN EQUALS HAPPY PACKAGES -

Font Fridays - Featuring Marzipan

Wow, we're back to Friday again and that can only mean one thing besides YAY WEEKEND - it's Font Friday time! Since we're still technically in Mother's Day week, I've decided to feature a font that's near and dear to me, Marzipan. My dad designed it in honor of MG right after she was born. Yes, we do things slightly differently in my family! Just like my little girl, Marzipan has a sparkle to it along with a spontaneous flare and a bit of whimsy. It's great for a multitude of applications including brochures, identities, packaging and scrapbooking. Hope it makes you smile!

- HAPPY FONT, HAPPY BABY GIRL -

Font Fridays - Featuring Werk

Wow, I can't believe we're back to Friday again, the weeks are flying by! So happy weekend to you, it's going to be a great one with lots of sun. I can hear my garden calling already - especially the bazillion weeds that need pulling. Yikes!

On to Font Fridays ... today features Wilton Foundry's newest font, Werk. It's already a "hot new font" on MyFonts.com and I'm sure it will become a designer favorite quickly. Here's why... Every trade has at least one piece of equipment that is an essential workhorse - for a gardener it may be a spade, for designers, it is a no-nonsense, versatile typeface family... hence the name "Werk" which is intentionally designed to be a "workhorse" typeface family. Hope all of you creative types out there enjoy it!

- "WERK"-ING HARD TO KEEP DESIGNERS HAPPY -

Happy Studio!

Happy news everyone - my dad and I are finally moving into our new studio!! Given that Robbie de Villiers Design (my dad's company) has been working out of a spare bedroom for many months, this is HUGE. And thanks to Newton Remodelers, it's extra gorgeous with tons of windows and super high ceilings. We even have the perfect wall to hang one of my brother PJ's amazing paintings. It makes the space. If you'd like to check out more of his fine art work you can look here or for commercial work visit his company, Shallow Tree. It's very cool stuff!

Ooo, I can't wait to get our desks this weekend and to settle in. Hooray!

- HAPPY SPACES MAKE FOR HAPPY DESIGNERS -

A Small Blog

Every now and then I fall in love. Don't worry, no need to warn Tim, I mean in love with a brilliant design or idea. Phew, I know you were worried!

Well, I've been getting the online magazine "Small" for a while and it's insanely cool. So when the email fairy let me know that Small has a new blog my heart fluttered. For any of you that love design, have kids or know some kids, it's worth checking out. Lots of pretty pictures and beautiful things to lust after. The latest features are the Kellner Steckfiguren plug-in figure from 2 Foot 9 and a great collection of rubber stamps from all over. Even the site sponsors are pretty to look at! Check it out - it'll make you want to be a kid all over again!

- HAPPY THINGS IN SMALL PACKAGES -

Wush Wush Tea

Hope you had a happy Easter! We had a great weekend with friends and family - speaking of, WELCOME baby Brighton and happy baptism baby Ivy!

On to the wush wush tea...as you know I'm mildly obsessed packaging design. Yes, I'm a bit of a nerd and, yes, one of the major highlights when I travel internationally is going to the grocery store. I love scoping what products and foods are popular and how they're marketed. You really can learn a lot about a culture by the everyday items that they buy. So I couldn't resist asking my dad to bring me something from Ethiopia. He totally delivered with this beautiful set of teas - they're colorful and lively, just like the Ethiopians he visits. Plus the names are very fun - just wish I could read "amharic" to figure out what all it says. So next time you're on an adventure, consider taking a grocery store detour. You never know what you may discover...

-HAPPY TEA FOR A BEAUTIFUL CULTURE-

Font Fridays - Featuring Pezzo

Today's font is Pezzo - mostly cause it's name reminds me of Easter candy, yum! So, the idea for Pezzo was born when my dad saw an old copper monogram stencil. The script forms are inspired by the titles and signature inscriptions on several Dutch seventeenth century paintings. These inscriptions are simpler variations of what was commonly used at that time - brushes were used rather than quills. By default, the brush strokes formed simple round endings. Combined with the unusual breaks in the copper stencils, he thought this treatment would create an interesting contemporary script.

Pezzo is ideal for boutique logos, menus, invitations, announcements, certificates, brochures, headlines, and anywhere you need the elegance of script but with a contemporary boldness. I hope you'll enjoy using Pezzo as much as he had fun creating it!

- HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY TO YOU -

Hi little baby!

Happy Wednesday everyone! Thought I'd share the latest pic of baby Newton the 2nd with you. It's crazy to think that in about 8 weeks this little one will be here and I still have no idea if it's a boy or a girl ... seriously, your guess is as good as mine!

So with the arrival seeming to speed up like a rocket ship (MG is really into them at the moment, so it's the first fast thing to come to mind), I decided to have a little look at the newest baby products. Whoa, there are so many cool new things! The Wee-go glass baby bottles are super fun & colorful. Plus they're safe for the environment and your baby. Bonus. Another very cool find was the Nestt car seat. It's only a prototype at the moment, but the egg-shaped design is ultra hip with a memory foam seat. Did I mention it swivels? Yeah, anyone that's wrestled a toddler into a car seat can appreciate that feature! Do you have any favs to share? I'd love to hear about them!

- HOT OFF THE PRESS GOODIES FOR HAPPY BABIES -

Font Fridays - Featuring Miss Pink

Font Fridays are back! Since my dad's out of town and I have the office to myself, I've chosen one of my favorites - Miss Pink. Can you tell that I had something to do with the naming? Really, what gave it away - the pinkness or the missy-ness? Kind of reminds me of a delicious cupcake, yum.

Anyway, Wilton Foundry debuted Miss Pink in 2005 and it's been fun, flirty, and girly ever since. It's the perfect accessory on invites, announcements, scrapbooking pages and boutique signage. Kind of like the ultimate pair of shoes that you've always hoped for!

- A PINK FONT FOR HAPPY GIRLS -