7 rules to understand design & designers

LOOOOOVE this!


*image courtesy of Harmonie-intérieure

fortune & love

came across this lovely quote today and thought i'd share...

a quote by ovid:

"fortune and love favor the brave."

i think it makes for a great mantra!

unplug & unwind

a quote by ashleigh brilliant:

"sometimes the most urgent thing you can possibly do is take a complete rest."

after many months of working nonstop, i finally took a little time to unplug & unwind. my boyfriend knew the only way i was able to completely unplug is by putting me in the middle of the desert with no cell reception or wi-fi. what a brilliant idea!

so last week we headed out to joshua tree for a couple days of camping. the minute you enter this national park, it feels as if you're transported into another world. maybe it's because the joshua trees really do look like something out of a dr. seuss book. but, i also felt this sense of peace as we wandered throughout the park. we spent our days hiking and discovering different areas of joshua tree and each night the stars came out to greet us. it was A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!!

i wasn't quite ready to leave joshua tree and all it's beauty, but i definitely was ready for a shower and a ice cold beverage!  :)

work is not a job.

i came across this manifesto by workisnotajob. yesterday and  i thought it was fitting that i share it with you today.

i've been feeling super guilty lately because i haven't been blogging much and it's because i've been working A LOT!  i've had several projects going on at once, keeping up with my Etsy shops, dealing with super fast turnaround times, many late nights and sometimes feeling a bit overwhelmed with it all, but somehow as i sit here, writing this blog, i feel happy.  yes, even as i sit here in front of my computer on a friday night.  maybe it's the extra day of yoga i had this week.  or maybe it's simply like this manifesto says and that i just love what i do.  so yes, i agree, work is not a job, but simply the transfer of energy.

i hope you'll forgive me for not blogging lately.  i've at least been taking pictures of all my projects, so hopefully i will get a chance to post and share them with you soon.

a new year, a new chapter

a quote by an Unknown Author:

"Keep the smile,
Leave the tear,
Hold the laugh,
Leave the pain,
Think of joy,
Forget the fear,
Be joyous, because it's a new year!"

the new year is upon us and a new chapter in my life is about to begin. i'm filled with joy, excitement and great anticipation of how the story will unfold.  along with the boxes i'm packing up and moving to my new place, i have new hopes and dreams that come along with them.

so tonight when midnight strikes, i will raise my glass, toast the new year and all the new hopes and dreams we bring along with us.

custom notecards

alex originally found me on Etsy and was drawn to the simplicity of my notecard designs.  she thought custom notecards would make great gifts for her co-workers, friends & family this holiday season.  for her co-workers, she thought it would be nice to include the logo of the organization they work for, 10x10.  here is how her notecard sets turned out. (as a little surprise, i included a set for alex.  it's only fair that she have her own custom notecards to send out as well.)

each set, like all my notecards, comes packaged with a simple elegant black ribbon.

alex works for an amazing organization called 10x10. it's a global movement for girls' education - a film and social action campaign. people working together to change girls' lives. at 10x10, they believe that educating girls breaks the cycle of poverty and changes the world.  to read and learn more about this organization, please visit 10x10act.org.

steve jobs 1955-2011

remembering an innovator, a visionary, a creative genius...

remembering steve jobs.

*image by Jonathan Mak
a quote by Apple, Inc.:

"Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

new discoveries

i recently discovered yoga. and what an amazing discovery it has been! i can honestly say that i'm hooked. i look forward to my yoga days each and every week. i guess you can say with the hustle and bustle of life, taking an hour and half out of your day to just let go is absolute bliss for me. i find that i'm more calm and centered after each class and have discovered the most amazing sleep i've had in years!

yesterday night i tried out a new class and the instructor read us a passage from something she came across this week during one of our cool down poses and it absolutely moved me. hope you enjoy these words as much as i do...

a quote from Esther Abraham-Hicks:

“All is well, and you will never get it done. Life is supposed to be fun. No one is taking score of any kind, and if you will stop taking score so much, you will feel a whole lot better - and as you feel a whole lot better, more of the things that you want right now will flow to you. You will never be in a place where all of the things that you are wanting will be satisfied right now, or then you could be complete - and you never can be. This incomplete place that you stand is the best place that you could be. You are right on track, right on schedule. Everything is unfolding perfectly. All is really well. Have fun. Have fun. Have fun!”

*image above was taken by me back in 2005 when i was in costa rica (sunset over the arenal lake). it's one of my favorite captured "right here, right now" moments.

support japan

my best girlfriend and favorite jeweler, april kawaoka, has created these amazing tribute pieces to support the relief efforts in japan from the march 2011 earthquake and tsunami disasters. half of the sales to these pieces will go to the american red cross to help aid japan.  visit her blog post for more information and details.


please visit april's Etsy shop, aprilkawaoka.etsy.com, to make your purchase and help support japan.

like i've said before, i believe that a kind heart will inspire many more.

the devil wears prada

i always get so giddy when a themed party is executed so well, and that is exactly what happened when i saw christine chang's blog today! christine posted a few pics from her mom's surprise birthday party, that i had the honor of designing invitations for, and i MUST give props to her and her sister, Crystal, for doing such a FABULOUS job!

here are a few pics i snagged off of christine's blog...

the invitation...


the fabulous cake...


christine, her mom, and sister, crystal


hilarious PROM CAM pic...

*all photos courtesy of christine chang photography

make sure you check out christine's complete blog post to see the amazing pictures she took along with the wonderful details the party entailed.

spring has sprung

with spring in full effect so is my mom's rose garden. take a look at this beautiful bouquet of fresh roses straight from my mom's garden and into my studio office.  i was smelling roses all week long!



it was almost perfect timing as i found inspiration in these roses for a current design i am working on.  stay tuned...

a kind heart will inspire many more

my friend marsinah, of blushing pearl is starting off her new year with an incredibly big kind heart.

this week, january 4-10, 2010, ALL proceeds from sales on her Etsy shop will be donated to the Somaly Mam Foundation.

for more information, visit: http://blushingpearl.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-can-i-help.html

don't have much in the wallet???
not a problem! blushing pearl's got great inexpensive, CUTE little notecards and gift tags that will dress up any gift.

here are 3 that i just recently purchased...


"Letterpress Spiced Textile Tags-Set of 10" by blushing pearl on Etsy


"Letterpress Birthday Cake Tags-Set of 10" by blushing pearl on Etsy


"Letterpress I Heart You Tags" by blushing pearl on Etsy

i believe that a kind heart will inspire many more.
cheers to marsinah and her great big kind heart!!!

blushing pearl

a friend of mine recently purchased her very own letterpress machine (a vintage chandler & price 8x12) and is now a one woman printing machine! (well, two if you count her cute little "bula bear" dog as her assistant).



marsinah and i met in a design class at cal state long beach about 10 years ago and we've been friends ever since. marsinah has recently started her very own company called, blushing pearl, and i am so excited for this new venture of hers. we met up yesterday for our typical get-together-and-catch-up sushi dates and she gave me a set of her beautiful letterpress notecards that i just had to show off and share with you all.


"french chandelier and lace" by blushing pearl on Etsy



i don't think photographs do letterpress printing justice.  to truly appreciate the art of letterpress, you MUST be able to feel the paper and run your fingers accross the texture and imprint of the design.  it really is like "a kiss to the paper" as marsinah explains in her letterpress printing process.





if you want this notecard for yourself or know someone that would absolutely love these as a gift, you can purchase them on her Blushing Pearl Etsy Shop.  she's got plenty of other designs as well and constantly adding new stuff so check her out and show her some love!!!

i can't wait to collaborate with marsinah on future projects and be able to offer "in a card" designs with "blushing pearl" letterpress printing!

respect nature

went hiking this morning in the santa anita canyon.  stumbled across this sign as the trail began and thought it was great and absolutely true!

and of course i had to share a breathtaking view of the beautiful trees that surrounded me...

can design save the newspaper?

very interesting speech...  love what Jacek Utko has to say at the very end.  very inspirational!
"...we just need inspiration, vision and determination.  And you need to remember that to be good is not enough."  - Jacek Utko