Montauk-bound

I'm taking the day off tomorrow to head out to one of my favorite places, Montauk!
If you've never been there, it's a special place definitely worth the effort it takes
to get all the way to the very tippy top end of Long Island (3+ hours from NYC).

We go once a year with a big group of friends and it's always beyond fun. This year
will be a little different because my husband is bringing along his new friend -
a surfboard! He's excited to test it out, while I will lounge on shore with a stack of
magazines. Unless it's really hot out, I can't get more than my big toe into the
ice-cold Montauk waters. And with temps forecasted in the upper 70s this weekend,
it's not looking like a super sweaty weekend. We'll see!

For more pics, check out my Montauk Pinboard.
Bon week-end amis!

I am obsessed with these whisks by product design gurus Ding3000
for Normann Copenhagen that I first saw in House Beautiful:

One of my least favorite kitchen tasks is cleaning egg goo (or a thick
roux, etc..) off all those curvy, intertwine-y parts on a traditional whisk.
This design totally eliminates that problem, AND when they're not
in use, you can make them nice and skinny. Space savers are always
appreciated in NYC apartments. Now, the only problem is that the
great color combinations make it hard to decide which one to buy!!
I'm definitely leaning towards lavender or mint.

You can buy one right here at Gretel Home!

Men's Custom Stationery

I have another custom project to share with you! This one was especially fun to work on. My client, Tina, wanted to create a custom personalized stationery set as a surprise anniversary gift for her husband, featuring his prominent beard as a motif along with his initials.

I created a personal logo using these elements with the beard icon in a curry/gold color; we added this same accent color as a border on the notecard.  The charcoal and gold striped custom envelope liner adds a sophisticated touch to balance out the whimsy.

Thanks to Nole for sharing this project on Oh So Beautiful Paper last week!

New Luxe Pattern Collection is up...

Introducing our new Luxe Pattern Collection!

Glam gold foil meets punchy patterns and modern color, all on eco-friendly recycled materials printed locally. The gold foil adds a special touch for an extra-nice birthday or thank you greeting. The coasters and notebooks make great gifts - but you may be tempted to keep them all for yourself!

Right now, you can get 20% off your order in our etsy shop - simply click "Apply shop coupon code" before checkout and enter code “LUXEPATTERN” in the coupon code field. Sale ends July 18th.

Edge Painting

I'm into edge painting right now - it's a fun way to add a really special touch
to your custom invitation or business card, especially with all the neon colors
that are so hot at the moment! It also works well in subtler colors (like the
light celadon above) or in metallics, yum.

If you do decide to use this technique, I recommend using a super duper thick
cover stock, otherwise the effect can get a little lost. You can combine with
letterpress or flat printing.

Image below from Bella Figura; above, wedding invitations seen on
Oh So Beautiful Paper.

Lauren & Kaivon's tropical tote

I created this custom tote bag for Lauren and Kaivon's super-romantic wedding
on the stunning tropical island of Turks & Caicos. Each guest received a tote,
filled with all sorts of island-related goodies from the couple. So fun, and such
a great memento of their special wedding weekend!

(Contact me for more info on creating a custom tote for your wedding...)