Holstee Manifesto: Words to Live By

{manifesto: from holstee.com, a very cool, sustainable

and conscious company you should check out}

Seeing Red

As you head out for a bit of last minute shopping this week, don't forget the most important part... your holiday attire! Red is always in trend during this festive season. Here is a bit of eye candy to inspire the wardrobe for your whole family {even your dog)! Happy holidays!



{L to R from the top: Girls' ribbon flower headband; Burberry Studded Leather Wrap Bracelet; Slithering Rosette Heels; Alice and Olivia Carla jersey twist dress; Opaque Tights; Secret Wash point- collar shirt in large gingham; Collier Madame Necklace; Pups Classic Sweater; Lotta Stensson Nairobi printed silk top}

Gastrotypographicalassemblage

{images from The Center for Design Studies}

In the spirit of the holidays--and all the eating that typically goes along with it--I thought I'd share one of my favorite instances of environmental typography.

Lou Dorfsman was the longtime designer for CBS, and in 1966 his piece Gastrotypographicalassemblage (yes, all one word) was completed and installed in the cafeteria of the broadcaster's headquarters.

His sculpture was a giant mural composed of a myriad of three dimensional wooden typography, spelling out the names of all the various foods featured in the cafeteria. It was exhaustive, typographically playful, and formally brilliant all at the same time.

Above you can see Dorfsman's initial sketches, the entirety of the 35-foot wall, as well as a detail shot of the designer with his work.

A Royal Wedding Gown

{Images from Top to Bottom: Vera Wang, Elizabeth Emanuel,  J.Crew, Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, Rachel Roy, Tommy Hilfiger, Valentino, Badgley Mischka, Tory Burch and Christian Lacroix via AOL StyleList.}


Hello and happy Thursday, hope this finds you all well. I’m sort of giddy to share this post with you today because it combines a few of my favorite things; wedding dresses, fashion sketches and royalty! Oh my! These awesome sketches are from some of the world’s top fashion designers and feature designs for Kate Middleton’s royal wedding gown. Which one is your favorite? Mine is by far, the Tory Burch design, second to that, would be either the Vera Wang, or the J.Crew gown. Leave us a comment and let us know! I’m sure Kate would appreciate the input ;}

Veer Fonts

Still looking for a last minute holiday gift for the designer in your life? These two featured fonts from veer caught my eye, and would be more than welcome under my tree!



{L to R: Piel Script by Umbrella Type; Manicotti by Umbrella Type}

Contemporary Rituals

{image courtesy of danwitz.com}

Recently I discovered the incredible paintings of New York artist Dan Witz. Witz, a 30 year member of the street art scene, has been capturing the energy of contemporary gatherings in his series "Mosh Pits (Human & Otherwise)". Besides the obvious technical prowess of Witz's paintings, he captures the primal energy and aesthetic beauty of people locked in celebratory chaos that make you forget that the finely rendered participants are not actually moving on the surface. The Mosh Pit works explore the timeless human urge to create a shared experience where all pulses beat together.

Cool Holiday DIY

{potato stamp: factorydirectcraft.com; paperchain: priscillabeau; magnetic advent calendar: twig and thistle; glass ornament: twig and thistle; paper garland: twig and thistle}

{ok, i fell a little in love with twig and thistle, a great gathering of unique inspiration}

The holidays are an especially fun time to make, bake and spend time with family and friends. I am always on the hunt for simple, fun and cool ideas. The paper chain is a wonderful holiday craft and is fun for small children and adults. I especially love this one shown, as each link is personalized with something to be thankful for. You can easily make a Christmas version of wishes, thoughts, lyrics, poems and of course, the words to The Night Before Christmas. May your month be merry and filled with wonderful moments, of new memories.

Made of Paper

Check out this wonderful little short film featuring paper as the key emotional element. Cute!

Snowflake Season!

{image from NOAA Photo Library}

It's getting to be snowflake season! In the spirit of winter fun I thought I'd share a photographer who fuses art, science, and--indeed--snowflakes.

Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley (1865 - 1931) was a pioneering photographer of snowflakes. Perfecting his own experimental technique, Bentley was able to capture and rapidly photograph individual fleeting flakes.

His photographic legacy leaves a thorough visual archive; his snowflake images act not only as scientific artifacts, but also as wonderful examples of the splendid innate patterns found in nature.

Posters and Passports!

Images via Alexander & Co.

Hello and Happy Thursday folks, I am so excited to share these wonderful posters with you from Alexander & co. Aren’t they just awesome?! I had no idea such a thing existed…but thanks to Amanda, over at Ruffled, these beauties found their way into my blogosphere and into my heart. Alexander & Co. offers a large selection of customizable vintage-inspired designs to choose from, all of which feature beautiful 1930s style illustrations.

Aside from being a great visual to have at your wedding, any of these posters would make for a great keepsake, or even an amazing anniversary gift, don’t you think? They would also make for the perfect complement to any destination themed wedding…and what other way to announce such a wedding, than with a passport save the date, or invitation? I’ve included here some examples that are available on eInvite…so fun!

{Images from L to R:  Saika & Lars Passport Thank You from Marsupial, Saika & Lars Passport Invitation from Marsupial, Passport Save The Date from Checkerboard, and Par Avion Save The Date from Checkerboard. All Images via eInvite}