San Francisco Eye Candy

Earlier this week I was in San Francisco for a short visit with friends, eating my way through some of the city's best bakeries, admiring the city's Victorian and Beaux-Arts architecture, and visiting as many charming boutiques as time would allow. Here are some of the highlights:

On an early morning walk to Coit Tower I stopped to admire the window display at I Dream of Cake (1351 Grant Avenue, 415-918-CAKE). They have an amazing wedding cake gallery on their website (www.idreamofcake.com) - check it out - you will not be dissapointed! The walk back to Union Square yielded some delightful decorative ironwork, such as the entryway doors below:

And then it was off to the Ferry Building to enjoy the sites and smells of the Farmer's Market and lunch at The Slanted Door.

After a quick pick me up from Blue Bottle Coffee Co. it was off to Hayes Valley for some macarons. First up: Paulette Macarons (437 Hayes St., 415-864-2400).

The slick white interior is the perfect backdrop for Paulette's exquisite vibrantly colored macarons. These are some of the best I have tasted outside of France and standout flavors include sweet wedding almond, violet cassis, coconut, passion fruit, and jasmine tea. Then we strolled over to Miette (449 Octavia St., 415-626-6221) where we sampled their hazelnut and vanilla macarons and gushed over the precious displays.

Then it was back to my friend's flat in Pacific Heights for a walking tour of the neighborhood's immaculate mansions and visits to a few of her favorite shops.

On our way out we passed these enigmatic window displays for mixed media artist Julie Salles's intensely elaborate and whimsical story boxes (www.juliesallesartist.com). The delicacy and precision of her cut paper work is stunning. My friend, who an authority on all things floral, took me to one of her favorite florists, Bloomers, which was completely packed with gorgeous spring flowers including lilacs, peonies, and lily of the valley, not to mention a lovely selection vessels, ribbons, and letterpress note cards. Unfortunately, we did not have time to visit her other neighborhood favorite, birch - I guess I now have a reason to go back!

J.Crew Wedding Collection

Last weekend I went with a friend to check out the J.Crew Wedding Collection at the Rockefeller Center store here in New York. It was so nice to finally see all the dresses in person! The silhouettes are simple and elegant, the gowns are nicely made, and the prices are gentle on the pocketbook (most designs cost between $695 and $1500). A few standouts were (from top right) the Gracie Gown ($395), Penelope Gown ($695), Confetti Gown ($995), and Mimi T-Shirt Gown ($795) :

In addition to the bridal gowns they had a selection of dresses from the bridesmaids collection and samples of flower girl and ring bearer outfits from crewcuts - the flower girl dresses were especially cute. I also found out that J.Crew offers a monogramming service where they will embroider your initials and wedding date onto a piece of grosgrain ribbon that you can then sew into your gown - very sweet.

Inspiration: Ascot Gavotte

I'm not a huge fan of musicals, however I love Cecil Beaton, and his costume and set designs for the "Ascot Gavotte" scene from My Fair Lady are simply stunning. Even though his designs date from the 60's, the combination of black, white and gray patterns still feels glamorous and fresh.

(click image for a larger version)

Images clockwise from top left: Bouquet from Martha Stewart Weddings; Cover for Cecil Beaton's Fair Lady; deserts from Martha Stewart Weddings; Vase by Francis Palmer (www.francispalmerpottery.com) ; Original sketch for set and costume designs for My Fair Lady by Cecil Beaton (via artnet); Wedding Gown by Oscar de la Renta; Wedding Cake from Martha Stewart Weddings; Film still from the Ascot Gavotte scene (via reelclassics.com); Floral Frieze wedding invitation by Blue Ribbon.

Femmegems

Have you ever wanted to make your own jewelry, but didn't quite know where to start? Then you should make an appointment at Femmegems new studio in Chelsea.

Femmegems stocks all the raw materials (clasps, wires, beads, etc.) and shows you how to assemble everything into a unique piece of jewelry. You can make necklaces, earrings, or bracelets and if you don't want to start from scratch, they even do jewelry makeovers, where they take your old jewelry (an old string of pearls, charm bracelets, etc.) and update it by restringing, embellishing, or simply changing the clasp. They also do parties which could make for a fun night out with your bridal party. Imagine, sipping wine and snacking on crudités while you and your bridesmaids make something beautiful to wear to the wedding. Sounds lovely...

CHELSEA STUDIO
134 West 26th Street, #400
New York, NY 10001
212.625.1611
www.Femmegems.com

By Appointment Hours:
Tuesday – Thursday 8:30am – 1:00pm

Inspiration: Paper Pursuits

I'm a magazine addict and there is nothing I like better than to browse through vintage magazines on Paper Pursuits. The site has tons of images from fashion magazines like Vogue and Harper's Bazaar (I especially love the issues from the 1950s), interior design magazines (be sure to check out House Beautiful and House & Garden), old advertisements, and even sewing patterns. These publications are a wonderful source of interesting colorways, graphics and period details. Many of the fashion magazines also produced special bridal issues that have gorgeous photos of gowns, veils and bouquets - who knows, maybe it will inspire you to add a vintage touch to your own ensemble!


All the images of vintage Vogue magazines are from Paper Pursuits. From top left: February 1956; March 1956; February 1956 (interior); July 1956; March 15, 1956; July 1956 (interior); October 15 1955, November 15 1955, October 1955 (interior).

Invitations & Cakes

A great way to incorporate your invitation design into the reception is to re-use design elements from your wedding stationery (colors, borders, monograms, etc.) for the decoration of your cake. Below are some lovely examples of how brides I have worked with used their invitations as the inspiration for their cakes.

Wedding cake photos above by Bella Pictures.

Wedding cake photos above by Iris Photography.

In the Studio: Cupcake Flags

I am always trying to come up with new ways to use some of the leftover trimmings and letterpress scraps I have here my studio. In the past I've made mini gift enclosures and favor tags, and now I've started making these little cupcake flags. Since they are made from scraps, the alignment of the artwork is a little different on each one - which I like, since it keeps everything from looking too formal - I think cupcakes should be fun!

Valentino: The Last Emperor

I saw Valentino: The Last Emperor last week and I can honestly say it's the best thing I've seen in a long time. The documentary chronicles the two years leading up to Valentino's retirement and features so many beautiful clothes, people, and homes it will make you giddy. The film ends with Valentino's three-day 45th anniversary celebration in Rome and seeing all the work that went into producing the spectacle is awe inspiring - this man (and all the creative people who work for him) certainly knows how to throw a party!

New York Cake & Baking Supplies

My six-year-old niece received an Easy-Bake oven for her birthday so I thought she would enjoy some fun decorating supplies to embellish her mini cakes with. This was a great excuse to visit New York Cake & Baking Supplies. If you are planning to make your own cake, cupcakes, candies, or cookies for your wedding this store is a fantastic resource.

They have just about every size cake pan, cookie cutter and pastry tip you could possible want, as well as sprinkles, nonpareils, icing dyes, and pre-made sugar paste flowers. They also sell packaging and display items like cake stands, cupcake wrappers, baker's twine, and cellophane bags. Plus they have an impressive selection of candles including those tall skinny ones - I love those.

Be forewarned though - the store is cluttered and a little dingy (this is not Williams-Sonoma!) and the clerks are not exactly known for their customer service. But if you are serious about baking and planning to make your own sweets, this is the place to go.

New York Cake & Baking Supplies
56 W 22nd St (between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10001
(212) 675-2253
www.nycake.com

Inspiration: Wine Labels

I got married at a vineyard, so I have a soft-spot for wine country weddings. Regardless of whether or not your wedding takes place amongst the vines, wine labels can be a great source for interesting layouts, graphics and typefaces.

I love the calligraphic swirls and crests on old-fashioned and vintage-style labels. If you are after a more modern look, the packaging blog, The Dieline, has photos of some great contemporary labels, like the ones created by Duffy & Parnters (left) and ilustrator Yiying Lu (right).


Images:Wine bottle table numbers and wine favors (upper left), marthastewartweddings.com; Table numbers, save the dates, wine favors, and invitations by Blue Ribbon; Misc. Wine labels from mmdusa.net, Wolffer Estate, Laurent-Perrier, Bonny Doon, St. Supery, Polaner Selections, R. López de Heredia, and theartistslabel.com; Duffy & Partners and ASDA California labels via The Dieline.

Blue Ribbon on Wedding Bee Pro

In the coming months a selection of my posts will appear on Wedding Bee Pro (yeah!). Wedding Bee Pro has tons of inspiring photos and provides a behind the scenes look at the creative process of some of the best vendors in the industry. I'm really excited to be contributing alongside so many other amazing vendors - be sure to pop over!

Imprintable Menus

You don't necessarily need to spend a lot to include some exquisite personalized details in your reception. The menu below was done on an ink jet printer using pre-printed letterpress flats (from Blue Ribbon, of course!).

Helvetica - The Movie

Helvetica is a must-see for anyone interested in the history of typography and graphic design. The film chronicles the use of the typeface Helvetica throughout the last 5o years and includes interviews with some superstar type and graphic designers where they discuss their creative process and talk about how the aesthetics of a particular typeface can evoke different emotions/actions depending on the context in which it is employed. PBS has built a great companion website which has more interesting tid-bits about the history of Helvetica and you can even take the What font are you? Quiz. Apparently, I am Times New Roman.

Meet Oscar

Our new pup Oscar will be joining me in the studio/house, so if you call the studio and hear high-pitched yelps in the background, it's just Oscar saying hello!

Hot Off the Press: Chinoiserie in Lilac & Lavender

Here are some photos of a new print job where the Chinoiserie design was printed in a Lilac & Lavender colorway. I think this might be my new favorite color combination for this design.

Real Wedding: Jessica & James

Look at these gorgeous photos from the wedding of Jessica & James posted by Brooklyn Bride today! This was such a fun wedding to work on. Jessica is a true paper connoisseur and I created a custom suite for her that included everything from the invitations to the place cards. The same scroll work motif was repeated in different variations on all the stationery pieces and even made an appearance on the cake! You can see more photos from this beautiful wedding over at Brooklyn Bride. (You can also see additional photos of the stationery suite in the custom design section of the Blue Ribbon website.)

(All wedding stationery by Blue Ribbon Design; Photos via Brooklyn Bride.)

Bonnard, Calder & Saint Laurent

Looking for a little visual inspiration? There are two great exhibitions at the Met right now and if you don't feel like leaving home, you can browse the Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé auction catalogues online.

Pierre Bonnard: The Late Interiors (through April 19, 2009)

The White Interior, 1932, Photo: Musée de Grenoble, Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADADGP, Paris (via nytimes.com).

Calder Jewelry (through March 1, 2009)

Caged Crockery, ca. 1945, Silver wire and ceramic; Loop: 18 3/4 in.; element: 5 x 2 3/4 in., Collection Harold and Emily Starr © 2008 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York (via metmuseum.org); Anjelica Huston wearing The Jealous Husband (c. 1940), by Alexander Calder, in a 1976 photograph by Evelyn Hofer (via Art + Auction, artinfo.com/artandauction).

Collection Yves Saint Laurent et Pierre Bergé (the three-day sale begins Monday, February 23rd).

Quince Blossom Branch Display

It has been such a crazy week that I have not had the opportunity to post any pictures from last Thursday's event at Lion in the Sun until now. Thank you to Melinda and Jessica for organizing such a fun little party - I can't wait to do it again! Above is a photo of the quince blossom display I set up at the shop. The samples are hanging from ribbons, which are looped over the branches. This type of arrangement works well with just about any type of forced branch (forsythia, dogwood, magnolia, etc.) and would look very pretty if used as a seating card display.

Fran's Chocolates

Valentine's Day is almost here and if you like to give the traditional gift of chocolate, Fran's offers some of the best in the country. My personal favorite is the gray salt caramels (pictured below), but they have lots of other delicious offerings including chocolate stuffed figs and single malt whiskey truffles. Unless you live in Seattle, Fran's delicacies can be difficult to find (I've only seen them consistently at one specialty food store in Great Barrington) so it is best to order directly from the company's website, www.franschocolates.com.

Gray Salt Caramels (image from franschocolates.com)

Purple Palettes

I was very excited to spot my Wallpaper invitation pinned to the purple section of the color inspiration board in the current issue of Martha Stewart Weddings. Personally, I really like the subtle combination of different shades of purple, such as lilac & lavender, but purple also looks beautiful when combined with chocolate brown, black, silver, chartreuse, and even pale yellows and golds. Below are some details of pretty purple pieces.

Clockwise from top left: North Moore Menu Card, Kimono and Trellis Gift Tags, Chinoiserie Invitation with lined envelopes, Wallpaper Invitation, Printemps Invitation, Custom Invitation printed with lavender & chartreuse inks, Custom piece printed in lilac & espresso, Wallpaper Seating Cards, Printemps Seating Cards (center).

Blue Ribbon "Meet the Designer" event at Lion in the Sun, Park Slope

Do you live or work in the New York City area?


Join me at Lion in the Sun on February 12th from 7:00-8:30 pm for the store's first ever "Meet the Designer" invitation trunk show. There will be lots of beautiful samples from the letterpress collection and custom portfolio on display, and I will be on hand to personally answer all of your etiquette, design, and printing questions. Best of all, all invitation orders placed during the event will be 10% off. RSVP to shop@lioninthesunps.com or 718.369.4006.

Click here for additional information and directions to the store.

Paper Flowers at Chanel

Look at these unbelievable cut paper headpieces and runway decorations from the Chanel Spring 2009 Couture show. According to style.com, Japanese hairdresser Katsuyo Kamo (and team) "...scored and scissored out...the incredible constructs of paper roses, camellias, leaf fronds, and feathers that adorned each girl." Photos of the complete collection can be found on the Chanel website and style.com.

From style.com

From chanel.com

Hot off the Press: Rehearsal Dinner Menus

Here are some gorgeous rehearsal dinner menus and seating cards we just did for an upcoming wedding in Mexico. I think the ruby/espresso color combination is just stunning!

White House Style

The White House Long Ago, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, Watercolor on paper
Image from the J.F.K. Presidential Library & Museum, www.jfklibrary.org

With all the excitement surrounding the Obamas' move into the White House there have been some wonderful articles about the White House's historical role as a showcase for American decorative art and culture. Here is a small selection of the recent coverage, including comparisons of the stylistic choices made by former First Ladies, as well as profiles of the taste makers who will be assisting the Obamas in transforming the White House into their new home:

Vogue's profile of the Obama's new Social Secretary, Desirée Rogers.

Domino's profile of Michael Smith, the White House's new interior decorator.

From The New York Times, "Hints of Agenda and Tone for New First Lady."

Via Domino's Daily Dose, Nick Olsen's comparison of Jacqueline Kennedy and Nancy Reagan's decorating styles:
First Lady Decorating Smackdown: Jackie vs. Nancy, Round 1
Jackie vs. Nancy, Round 2

The New White House China, via Pigtown*Design. (You can view additional Presidential Services on the official website of The White House.)

For images of the famous Kennedy White House Restoration, check out the website for the J.F.K. Presidential Library & Museum, www.jfklibrary.org.