Cupcake Friday: Sex and the City

It's Cupcake Friday and I'm sure we will be excavating something with sugar today in the studio! And as all of you know, it's also the opening of Sex and the City. Will you be joining the swill of estrogen at the theaters this weekend (sorry guys!)? If you are...and if you love cupcakes...then you might remember Sarah Jessica Parker's character, Carrie, biting into a cupcake at Magnolia Bakery in New York. In a past article, Villager claimed this very scene "remade Bleeker Street" and sent real estate values soaring (read here)!


I have to admit, for lack of having HBO or the wrong schedule I have not been a dedicated follower of Sex and the City over the years so I cannot vouch for the Villager article. But as a sugar addict I can fully subscribe to Magnolia Bakery's cupcakes being able to drive the cost of square footage through the roof!

Have a happy Friday everyone!

Summer Party: Casamidy

I fell in love with the Almidi Star Table by Casamidy in the recent issue of House Beautiful. For a small space it has great lines and a perfect injection of color! above: the tea and side tables are available at Vivre.

These tables certainly inspire a summer party. Above: Leave it to Martha for such clever party lanterns and matching swizzle sticks by gluing on butterflies. And serve your canapes in this summery Milly ensemble.

above: For a more sleek look, Casamidy also offers brushed metallic versions.

Shop Friend: Mindy Weiss

I posted yesterday about meeting wedding planner Mindy Weiss in New York and I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures from her weddings.

above: this is my favorite wedding from her online portfolio. Her vision for the bride and groom imbues such richly layered elements. I love the blend of creamy shades of peach and khaki. And details...just look at that gorgeous tree inside of the foyer!

above: What a beautiful walk down the aisle!


above: Mindy's signature style from In Style Weddings.

Belated Show Coverage...

This is very belated indeed... but here are some show pics from New York. It was so wonderful to meet up with old and new faces of fellow companies, paper friends, retailers and bloggers!

Some highlights included meeting celebrity wedding planner, Mindy Weiss who will be carrying our "Ladies Who Lunchbox" collection. Mindy could not have been nicer and is the master mind behind weddings for Eva Longoria, Heidi Klum, Shaq O'neal, Christina Aguillera and Gwen Stefani, just to name a few!
above: Mindy poses with one of our "Ladies Who Lunchboxes". Her new book "The Wedding Book" is a bible for all things wedding and available in both paper and hard cover.

above: one of my favorite highlights is meeting new companies and retailers. on the last day I snuck away to visit some companies and found myself admiring the work of husband/wife team Press New York. Jennifer put me to task of finding some amazing letterpress albums for our Paper Studio here in SF and their collection will be available soon!


above: thanks to Grace's coverage of NSS on Design Sponge, I had to meet the designer behind Alee and Press. Amanda could not have been nicer and her talent knows no bounds. I was drooling at the quality of her letterpress and how many aspects of her designs can be customizable.

Cat Seto: Ladies Who Lunchbox Giveaway

It's another giveaway and customer appreciation day!
If your name appears here, please stop into the boutique to pick up a lunchbox (or your choice of boxed notecards) as well as a box of thank yous.

Amanda Booch
Martin Carlotte
Brooke Peterson
Joy Daniels

And we need your help! Each year we donate a portion of procees from our Lunchboxes to women's health organizations. If you know of a wonderful org or group, please write in and let us know!

long weekend...

Hope your long Memorial weekend is bringing you a day of remembrance and perhaps picnics, a mini-vacation and some rest and relaxation. While I was in New York I stared with longing every time I saw runners in Central Park and along the streets, so that is what I will be doing today...and maybe a picnic or two along the way.

above: Would you be able to roll into work if your office looked like this?! This is Longaberger Co., located in Newark, Ohio, makers of handmade baskets, ceramics and pottery. Their corporate office is a replica of one of their baskets!

Happy Friday: Sugar to Go

Well I finally got a cable to download some NY photos...sorry for such lateness but I'll post up some highlights Monday. In the meantime, I had to put this up for our Cupcake Friday post.

above: Why don't we have one of these in San Fran?! Dessert Truck is no stranger to New Yorkers. It was conceived by Jerome Chang, a former pastry sous chef at Le Cirque whose dessert menu includes yummy berry pavlovas and chocolate tarts.

Have a Happy Friday and weekend everyone!

Sustained Fashion: Emily Katz

Emily Katz describes her eco-friendly, epynomous line as modern and sustainable. I absolutely love that she uses materials like soy hemp for jersey and organic water-resistant fleece to promote an awareness for our environment.


above: the perfect combination of sweet and sexy.
above: Emily has a fine arts background and also sells her drawings and paintings.


above: I am mad for this beautiful piece called "Dance." Emily uses freehand, silk embroidery and bits of jersey on canvas to create the dazzling lines.

Mushroom Madness: Shinzi Katoh and Decole

Cadenza "unearthed" these enchanting little mushroom finds knowing how much everyone at the studio loves them.


above: we have a workshop stool in the back that everyone fights to sit on that looks a little like that blue mushroom.


above: That tote is cute as can be. You can purchase these finds at Spiralling Store.

Maya Kini

I had to put up another post from Shibumi Gallery with an artist whose work just took my breath away. Maya Kini's wood grain rings (above) are perfect. These Mokume rings are made of 22 karat gold and can be commissioned and inscribed.

above: (above) artist Maya at work. (bottom) Maya's ethereal "Organix" collection inspires magical daydreams.


above: Edible art. (top) juicy Pomegranate necklace. (bottom) Maya entitled this "Luncheon on the Grass."

BIG Giveaway on Style Me Pretty

My wonderful friend Abby is doing a truly amazing giveaway from fine art wedding cinematographers, Four Seasons Films. The winner will receive a wedding film vignette that is worth over $10,000 and SMP will also offer $500.00 to help cover their travel costs. All you have to do to enter is fill out a questionnaire so click here to go to SMP for more details. Contest ends May 31!

above: Movie trailer for an epic, romantic period piece you ask? No...your wedding can be captured like this by Four Seasons Films! Watch some of the amazing trailers on the Four Seasons Films site.

Shop Friend: Shibumi Studio & Gallery

above: April Higashi's jewelry line carries gorgeous natural and raw gems and diamonds.

What a delight it was to meet the very talented April Higashi! April runs Shibumi Studio & Gallery in Berkeley, California which features her own line of jewelry as well as a gallery of other amazingly talented artists. Looking to bookmark unique pieces for engagement rings and wedding rings? I would absolutely look here for pieces that are both chic and organic and will tell the story of your union. above: An artist from April's Shibumi Gallery: Susanne Matsche. I love the juxtaposition of an ornate interior and modern exterior.
above: Artist Todd Reed plays with raw and brilliant cuts of gemstones as well.
above: Artist Julia Turner. I want those hammered gold rings!

I was going to post up before/after pictures of our setup this past weekend in New York but was thwarted when I realized I forgot my camera's USB cable! So in the meantime, I've borrowed the snapshots from NSS which are essentially the same shots of our giant crate and boxes stacked on the concrete floors of the Jacob Javits Center. Sunday was opening day and man was I glad to be rid of rain, cardboard boxes and forklift fumes. Hopefully I will have my cable so I can post up some current show pics!

Happy Friday: Cupcake Couture

Just got into New York for our show, or what I like to call the "Star Trek" convention for Paper Nerds. Ok...it's a little more stylish than that, but I will try and get some pics up from Jacob Javits soon! In the meantime...it's Cupcake Friday and this piece is entitled "Cupcake Couture" by photographer Anton Perry.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Watercolor Your Wardrobe

I have watercolored ever since I can remember...my first memory was when I was in the first grade and mischievously painted a forest of pines and a log cabin on the inside of my dress. Naturally, whenever watercolors show up in clothing nowadays, I pay attention!

above, clockwise: Catherine Malandrino. Rachel Roy. Adam + Eve.

Above: Cadenza sent over some LV "watercolor" bags she covets.

Twinkle Living Rugs

My sis and brother in law have put me on a lookout for a rug for their new place, so it was such a treat to see Grace's Rug Roundup on Design Sponge this week. I loved Twinkle Living's Poker rug and when I went onto their site I couldn't help but swoon over their funky Glamour Girl series.
above: while I don't think my brother-in-law would approve of a pink glamour girl staring up from the floors of their bedroom, I would LOVE this for our boutique.

above: go rocker glamour girl!

Posh Girl Vintage

Isn't this bride just glowing in her wedding dress? And the best part: She purchased it at Posh Girl Vintage where you can find an edited selection of vintage wedding gowns and dresses for under $800! I've said this before...but vintage not only gives you something that is one of a kind, but can also be had for an amazing price point! If you already have a gown, I highly recommend looking for vintage elements like veils, ribbons, a hair brooch or stole to wrap yourself in at night.

above: The bride sent these photos of her London wedding for Posh Girl Vintage's blog.

above: their gowns go fast so you need to snag one when you see it! Click here to visit Posh Girl Vintage.

Shop Friend: Kay's K9s

It took me a while to gather the photos for this...literally...I had a hard time creating the posts because I had to ooh and aah (for like the fifteenth time) over each and every one of these critters. I first came across Kay Turple's amazing needle felting work when I was looking for a birthday gift for a friend. She happens to be one of the most beloved dog sitters in San Francisco so I was on the hunt for something fun for her own dog, Britanie. My jaw dropped when I saw these miniature wool felted dog sculptures...each one custom crafted to resemble your pooch! If you are a dog lover or if you have friends who are...this is the perfect gift to give!

above: which one is the real dog? the top left is real dog Britanie and next to it the adorable keychain that Kay made.


Visit her etsy shop where you can commission her to sculpt a felt pooch or feline. Each work comes with a signed certificate and a portion of the proceeds goes to the Ontario SPCA. You can also visit her blog where she posts up her commissions.

Happy Friday: The 12 Days of Show Prep

Happy Friday everyone!If you're in the paper biz, then you know...it's that time of year.
Countdown to show new products in NYC is in t-minus or so twelve days. This is when I travel to say hello to our retailers and also to show our new things. While I'm very excited about that part, I have not been excited about the prepping. Thanks to my team, we are keeping steady here by meeting and eating lots of sugar... but we're also going a little looney. So much so, we've concocted a rendition of The Twelve Days Christmas...ala studio style.


To spare you from having to read 12 posts of our rhyming I'll post up an excerpt (remember to play the song in your head when you read it or it won't make sense):

The Twelve Days of Show Prep

On the first day of show prep, the UPS dude gave to me:
...A huge estimate for our drayage fee.

On the second day of show prep, Cadenza said to me:
...two printers spitting
...and a huge estimate for our drayage fee

On the third day of show prep, a hallucination unto me:
...excel spreadsheets dancing?
...two printers spitting
...and a huge estimate for our drayage fee

On the fourth day of show prep, a thought just came to me:
...prototypes are not fitting!
...excel spreadsheets dancing?
...two printers spitting
...and a huge estimate for our drayage fee

We'll spare you from the rest, but hopefully you get the jingle jangle of it.
Have a great weekend!

Mod Safari

I love the mod safari print on the tote by Bunglebear Designs. It actually took me a while to notice that the print contained a giant panda and giraffe in it! And you can punk up your safari look with one of Anna Sui's latest creations.

above, clockwise: tote by Bunglebear Designs. Anna Sui ensemble. Charles David heels. Tory Burch thong sandals. Coin purse by Bunglebear.

Wedding Style: Angel Sanchez

I couldn't resist adding some of Angel Sanchez's stunning wedding gowns.

above: these gowns have moonlit wedding written all over them!

above: Angel Sanchez's use of pleating and ruffles always make me sit up and marvel away.

...four more...

...and four of my favorites from Angel Sanchez's recent fall '08 and spring '09 collection...

above: short and sweet

above: long, lean and gorgeous!