Rachel Bone
Rachel Bone is just a fabulous artist I think you should know about. Once upon a time, I sat behind her in Beginning Drawing with Professor Roberts at Wells College, looked over her shoulder, and thought, “this is beginning drawing,
A public Facebook up in your private life: Why I think the ads work
With Facebook going public this week, there’s all this upheaval around Facebook advertising. That’s where the money is, after all. Does Facebook advertising work? People are very worried that there’s no science behind it . . . no public research.
Big Sur
After the four-month work marathon Jonathan finished (aka the NewSchools Summit) we knew we needed to steal away for the weekend. We are guilty of always going north (think Mendocino coast, Fort Bragg, Lost Coast…) and this time, we thought
Keri Smith
I found something wonderful that I thought you should know about. Author and Illustrator Keri Smith has a blog, and it’s a-mazing! I could get lost in there for hours. Her creativity and her illustrations are so inspiring. It
Belated Birthday & French Toast
This weekend, we traveled to Sacramento to celebrate my mom’s birthday, a few days belated. Jonathan made his famous french toast (despite me having forgotten the cinnamon brioche on the counter at home in Oakland and having to run out
Old School
On a recent trip to Sacramento, I spotted a sign for a Pancake Breakfast at my old elementary school, Tahoe Elementary, just a block away from where my folks live. Of course, we had no interest in pancakes because Jonathan
From Sexist to Progressive in five months: The JCP Brand Story
Ever since Ron Johnson, the senior vice president of retail operations for Apple (aka, the genius behind the concept, design, and success of the apple stores) took over a near-death J.C. Penney as CEO, I have been anxiously watching to
adventures of a girl on a diet
I told my friend Christine that I should start a blog called “Adventures of a Girl on a Diet” as we sat in the drive thru to pick my boyfriend up In N Out for dinner. Not exactly where you
Reflections on turning 30 (one of many)
In 1997, Glamour magazine published a story titled “30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She’s 30.” The Huffington Post just reprinted it, and because I often cannot avoid the siren song of those HP headlines on
Finishing up the juice cleanse
Day three of three is winding down, so I thought this might be an appropriate time to step back and assess. I did the CAN CAN Juice Cleanse this week and it was my first cleanse. It’s 8 jars
Visiting Helena
Ever since I started working for KIPP, I’ve wanted to go to Helena, Arkansas. One of our oldest and certainly our most rural school was founded in the town. Once I was actually driving from Memphis to Helena, I realized
Planning for Portugal
Well folks, I did it. The flight is actually booked. June. Portugal, Spain, and Morocco. My best friends from college. 16 days. Right now, we’re planning on 3 days in Lisbon, 3 days in the Algarve (Sagres, probably), 3 days
This year’s KIPP Report Card
Well, it’s here! Close followers know that the annual KIPP Report Card is something that we work on quite nearly year-round. This year, we kicked off Report Card planning in October and now its finally launched. What a tremendous endeavor
Pets de Nonnes
It’s 11 at night, and the boss wants to know what’s for dessert. I found this lovely little recipe tucked away in in CHC volume 5. It’s basically the perfect 10 minute dessert. 6 tablespons of butter a pinch of
Where’d you go?
Yep, it’s a great question. If I were the excuse-making type, I’d explain that I’ve had some sort of perpetual cold/sinus infection for six weeks, that we finally got this darn 150-page annual report to press, and that free
Welcome home, Mad Men.
Hello, Don Draper. I’ve missed you. We celebrated the return of Man Men like any other good fans did; with 17 months of anticipation calmed by a very stiff and well-made Old Fashioned. And yes, it moved too fast and
Meyer Lemon Marmalade (from the front tree)
Best of fans will remember that I intended to try my hand at making marmalade before the close of 2011. I totally didn’t make my deadline. But this past beautiful weekend in March, I did finally make marmalade. I cheated
Calder’s Circus
When I was in New York in December, I unexpectedly had an evening to myself because of a cancelation. Since I was staying near the park, I went to go get lost at the Met and the Whitney for the
Banana Bread
I always buy bananas with the best of intentions. I don’t buy too many, maybe three, and I buy them just a little bit green. But, around our house, they end up getting brown before I’m able to eat them
Stamped Logos
In case you needed further evidence that we are in a very nostalgic design period, I wanted to point out that I am seeing these stamp-effect logos everywhere. It’s a little ironic that the look of the logo is actually
Character at KIPP
Last September, the work that KIPP is doing on character was featured in the New York Times Magazine in a piece by Paul Tough entitled, What if the secret to success was failure? KIPP’s character work is still in its
Tables of Contents(s)
Working on the KIPP Report Card tonight, and looking at samples of innovative, creative, and pretty samples of how others have done their Tables of Contents. They don’t have to be boring, it turns out!
Loving Chipotle’s latest ad campaign
Featuring Willie Nelson and some pretty neat and tidy animation to communicate a very tricky and dirty story. Dedicated fans know that I love Chipotle, as a burrito and as a brand. I thought this was nicely done. Admittedly, it
Looking for some inspiration
to get back into my workout routine tomorrow. And this poster is doing the trick… Coupled with the fact that I just celebrated Julie Mikuta’s birthday with a huge slice of carrot cake, I think I see a 6 am
Biscuits for breakfast
I made biscuits for brunch today (to go with the amazing eggs that JS cooked up!) and I thought that this can’t fail recipe was worth sharing. 2 cups flour (today I used whole wheat) 1 tablespoon baking powder (and
What am I supposed to do when Mobile Me goes away?
As many of you may have heard, Apple is doing away with MobileMe this summer. MobileMe will completely go away on June 30, 2012. You may have read how angry Apple customers are in the forums (heck, you may even
Kristin & Kayla
This week, I discovered www.kristinandkayla.blogspot.com. Jason Lee is a SF Bay Area photographer who mostly does weddings, but keeps a delightful photoblog about his two daughters, Kristin & Kayla. Some of his set ups are a bit cheesy, but I
Wit & Whistle
Amanda Wright is a designer in North Carolina who makes sort of weird, sort of adorable, sort of edgy paper goods. I’ll let them speak for themselves, but I will say this: there’s a crapload of letterpress out there, and
Very cool annual report
Warby Parker released their very cool annual report today. I’m working on our (ahem, print) annual report for KIPP right now, I’m feeling a little envious of their super slick web-based presentation of data. I especially love the timeline along
Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson
This book isn’t for everyone, but I couldn’t put it down. I can’t tell if I’m obsessed with the idea of putting design first, or possibly just too obsessed with Apple products themselves, but I found it to be extremely
Welcome home with pancakes!
After a long week of traveling for both Jonathan and I, he welcomed me back on my first morning home with pancakes. But folks, these aren’t just any pancakes. They are the best pancakes in the world! From our can-do-no-wrong
Considering a move to the MacBook Air
And I would be lying if I said I weren’t as excited for a new computer as I am about picking out a new case. I love this one! Handmade, free monogramming, $129. As I was looking around, I
If Anthropologie had a restaurant…
It would be The Eveleigh. Pronounced “everly” and located on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, Eveleigh opened last summer in what used to be a Kenneth Cole showroom. It is the brainchild of two Australians who opened The Kingswood in
Star Wars in a new era
It was New Years Eve, and the night had drifted past 2 am. We had a party, and the last guest was leaving. I was exhausted. Jonathan had just secured the Star Wars trilogy on Blue Ray, and he wanted
Visiting KIPP Comienza
Devotees know that two months ago, I committed to visiting KIPP Comienza Community Prep by the end of 2012. Well, here I am on January 12th, so. Close, right? KIPP Comienza is the school that my friend Margarita Florez founded
Coca-Cola’s Electric Vehicles
It’s incredibly rare that I’d ever call out a big business for being innovative and design savvy. I mean, we call it big business for a reason. They make a lot of money, and if they aren’t being innovative and
Indie Grits Film Festival Poster
Despite their website being among the slowest on the planet, I’ve got nothing but love for Stitch Design Co. Perhaps my favorite work that they’ve done to date is this lovely Indie Grits Film Festival Poster. I first stumbled upon
Freaky boyfriend dolls
I was exploring Etsy for a very specific birthday gift for a friend when I stumbled upon these very awesome boyfriend dolls. Each is handmade and has a story to go along with it. Turns out, these aren’t at all
Semi-Formal Southern BBQ Recipes
This New Years Eve, we threw a Semi-Formal Southern BBQ (also known as a place for Jonathan to showcase his supreme BBQing skills in the winter.) He stepped up to the challenge and produced some of the best pulled pork
Holidays in Yosemite
2009 was the Grand Caynon. 2010, Paris. For our 2011 holidays, under weight of two years of guilt trips (kidding, mom!) we committed to staying local in order to spend Christmas with my family in Sacramento. Lucky for us, there’s
When college friends get together…
What is it about college friends that is just the best? In December, I had the opportunity to combine a work trip to NYC with a play trip, by inviting my friends from Ithaca and Boston to come join me
The skinny on The Melt marketing
In two words: fabulously fresh. Especially for a concept that’s as old as time: the grilled cheese. Let’s start with the most important piece: they’ve got an outstanding product. Who wouldn’t love sharp cheddar on potato bread, or brie
Major progress toward the 2012 goals
First of all, I bought a kitchen scale. This is key to marmalade making, as I have been using my electronic bathroom scale to weigh strawberries. (Note: not that effective.) And of course, the fact that it’s vintage, adorable, and
When designers have babies
Apparently, this is what happens. My cousin Brady and his wife Belle are expecting a baby girl this winter, and I received their baby shower invitation in the mail. So pretty!
The crush I should have had long ago.
You know how you discover things that change your life and blow your mind, only to find out that you are totally late to the party. (ie: “Oh my gosh, I just discovered this amazing fast food place called In
Think Different.
Kanberg was thoughtful enough today to send me this video, and it made my day. It’s a video of Steve Jobs talking about marketing at Apple, and introducing my favorite campaign, Think Different. (And if you’re ever stuck on an
It’s Report Card Season!
Even though school just started, for those of us at the KIPP Foundation, we’re kicking off Report Card season. Each year, we produce a giant Report Card to highlight all of our results. It is a huge effort to collect all
12 by 2012
Danni writes one of my favorite blogs to browse through, Oh, Hello Friend. Recently, she posted this great idea. Since we usually make new years resolutions and forget about them by February (let alone October) she had the idea of
Let the good times roll
At the San Francisco Center for the Book, they have an annual event called Roadworks, where they have artists do beautiful, huge carvings and then use a steamroller to press them onto paper. I missed the event, but I’ve been
Why Brands Matter
Many thanks to Kanberg (@jkanberg) for sending this to me this morning.
Got my new bike!
Ladies and gentleman, it has arrived! The Raleigh Clubman. Beautiful, no?
Letter Pressin’
A few weeks back, I started taking a class at the San Francisco Center for the Book on Letterpress Printing with Lisa Rappoport. I suppose the why behind my choice in taking the class is that it seemed like a
Adrienne & Geoff’s Wedding
I was so honored to photograph Adrienne and Geoff’s wedding on October 1st in Sacramento, at Adrienne’s childhood home. The happy couple is on a six-week honeymoon to explore all of southeast Asia. But before they left, they were kind
Eat Real’s Awesome Branding
The Eat ‘Real Fest is an awesome local event that I missed because I went to a baby shower instead. But that doesn’t stop me from totally admiring their terrific branding, starting with their website. But most of all, I
Stephen Doyle’s NYT Art
As I’m sure many of you have seen (because it was the #1 emailed story on the New York Times website on Wednesday) Paul Tough wrote a wonderful article, What if the Secret to Success is Failure? He writes about
Props to MSP
I flew through the Minneapolis airport and simply have some nice things to say about it. First of all, it was beautiful outside. Secondly, what a surprisingly cool, modern airport! In stark contrast to the New Orleans airport (where I’m
Labor Day on the Coast
In even further celebration of my birthday (who knew 29 could be such a big year?) Jonathan planned a special trip up the Mendocino coast, one of my favorite places for a weekend get away. The trip up the coast
If summer weren’t already over…
I’d be tempted by all the yellow goodies in the Kate Spade sample sale, released tonight!
Bookshelving around the fireplace
Mood board for my next household project. Suggestions welcome!
Thank you for an amazing birthday.
As the month comes to a close, that means birthday month comes to a close, too. One of the many wonderful traditions my boyfriend brings to our relationship: the idea of a birthday month. My birthday began long before my
Tired in bed.
This was a project that I did for my experimental typography class a few months back, but never got around to posting. Our assignment was to take a piece of cloth and depict an emotion with it in some way.
Wild animal photography. Genius.
Somewhere in my secret heart of hearts, I’d love to be a photographer. You know, one of those really great photographers. I think Catherine Ledner is one of those excellent photographers, and her skill is matched by a quirky sense of the
Disappointed with Mad Men all around.
I’ve been patient. I haven’t been complaining. But I’m getting tired of this. Where is Mad Men? Disappearing without a good reason…I’m starting to feel like Don Draper is cheating on me. And if being off the air for this
Private conflict with Public Bikes
About eight months ago, our bikes were stolen out of the garage. To be honest, this was not a huge loss for me. It’s not like I used my bike to commute, or even relied on it for weekend leisure.
Mainely amazing!
I spent only three days in Maine (because, as seasoned readers know, I’ve been on a vacation already this summer!) But truth be told, I was secretly even more excited about Maine than I was about going to Italy this
Adrienne & Geoff’s Engagement Shoot
Adrienne is a friend of mine from high school. She found me on Facebook, checked out the photos I had taken of my cousin’s wedding, and asked me to shoot her wedding on October 1st of this year. To be
Redecorating a town
I went to Wells College, a super small school in Aurora, New York. This weekend, my best friend Alexis and I took a trip there to relax and reconnect with friends. Aurora is tiny. Really tiny. As in, there are
From one Young to another
I don’t know how many people share my last name, but I’m willing to bet it’s a whole heck of a lot of people. In fact, “Young” is the 40th most common surname in the UK. With that kind of
Reflections on the KIPP Report Card
The KIPP 2010 Report Card was released this week, and we have hard copies to mail and click through rates to analyze. So, that means it’s time to do a post-mortem, right? The Report Card takes about nine months
Atkin’s Law of Spacecraft Design
I found these recently and I cannot stop thinking about them. There’s so much good stuff here, it’s worth reposting and revisiting frequently. The original site is here. 1. Engineering is done with numbers. Analysis without numbers is only an
Well done, Rockridge
Walking down College Ave., I saw this sign and I stopped dead in my tracks. No one does this anymore! No, not garage sales (although, seriously, who has garage sales anymore?) but taking this type of time and care with
Piccsy: My newest website crush
Piccsy is my newest obsession. It showcases 50+ user-submitted images every day, ranging from photos to imaginative illustrations. It’s the perfect place for daily design inspiration. In other words, it’s the perfect place to procrastinate.
iSuck
Devotees know that I’ve been a mac user for a long time. I’m an iPad user. I have four macs at my disposal at work, and a personal laptop my closet that I haven’t even opened in six months. I
Logotype Project
This week’s class project (Intro to Communication Arts at CCA with Suzanne Lagasa, week 1) was to design a Logotype using our name. I’ve put mine up here for now, though I will probably end up revisiting after my critique
Gluten Free, and what it means for dessert
We’ve pretty much got our dinner party routine to a science. See, Jonathan spends all morning deciding what elaborate meal to make, and I spend all morning trying to reign him in and convincing him that we do not in
Muddy potatoes and Marketing
At the farmers’ market this Saturday, we were at a particular stand looking for red onions when I spotted them: a box of muddy potatoes. Not just muddy, really muddy. As in, big chunks of mud, on the potatoes. Now,
Bikes on the brain
A few months back, our garage was broken into and all of our bikes were stolen. And out of sheer laziness, we haven’t cashed the insurance check and replaced them. That all ends this weekend, when we plan to walk
Live Now: A community of happiness and unicorns
Well, ok. Not unicorns. Eric Smith is the guy behind a wonderful new book project, called live now: a community of happiness. (Yes, for real. That’s the title.) Eric got the idea for the book while he was going through
Gorgeous Weather Screensaver
Ok, not actually gorgeous weather. It’s cloudy here in Oakland. But a gorgeous screensaver, yes! Romania’s Stefan Trifan (cool name, no?) made this beautiful screensaver that tells you the weather. You can download it here, and even Sacramento is a
Back to the Future Photos
Irina Werning is a Buenes Aires photographer with one of those ideas that you wish you had and a skill set to match. He takes old photographs, finds their subjects, and recreates them. Of course, many
Modernism on Memorial Day
For this Memorial Day weekend, we used Airbnb to find a weekend get away. Long ago, I had bookmarked this place, dubbed California Architect Glass House in Occidental, CA. It was designed by Frederick Fisher and Partners and commissioned by
Typeface, co-opted.
If you design typefaces, you basically have two options. You can give your type away for free or you can charge folks for it. And trust me, I love you designers out there giving it away for free, especially the