Sometimes things can't happen all at once, you know?

I found these wise words in a recent issue of Inc. magazine (always a good source of inspiration for me). When I get frustrated with the challenges of growing a small business - wanting to grow much faster than I currently am, wishing I had more cash flow to develop all the ideas I've got percolating in my head, working to build relationships with stores - sometimes it's good to just step back, take a breath and recognize how far things have come.

Have the patience to let the seeds take root - and keep preparing! You never know when the next great opportunity will come knocking, so be ready. Know that each tiny step - each tiny seed you plant - is an important one along the long-term path to success, and just keep at it.

Color Inspiration

I have been buried under a pile of work - buried! Finally digging my way out and seeing
some light. I might even have time to cook dinner tonight, yes!

Here are some colorful gems from NY Fashion Week, part of J. Crew's spring 2013 lineup.
Lovely palette! I'm especially into the technicolor floral print on the blouse, above right,
and clutch, below right.

Back to School Sale - 2 more days!!!

Our Back to School sale ends Wednesday!
Use code "BTS2012" to get 20% off our pocket journals, art prints, greeting cards and more...

Summer Smoothie

 


It's been a busy August so far here at Fine Day Press!! Getting ready for our fall calendar orders, plus a few fun and demanding design projects, have kept my hands very full the past few weeks.

Smoothies are super easy to make when you have the ingredients on hand and ready to toss in the blender; this one makes a filling breakfast on a busy day.

We've been buying lots of summer fruits at the farmers market - especially peaches right now, yum. They're all so perfectly ripe that it can be hard to eat them before they go bad - I like to cut them into chunks and spread them out in the freezer in a large ziploc bag. Then you have fruit to use in smoothies all week.

Put in blender:

• half of a banana frozen - cut it into chunks before you freeze it for easier blending
• handful of peaches
• handful of strawberries
• handful of spinach (trust me, you won't even taste it)
• 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt (approximately - I just scoop a hunk in)
• tsp chia seeds
• 1/8 cup rolled oats (adds texture and fiber)
• tbsp of honey or a little less
• plain almond milk (just enough to cover the fruit - you can add a little more as you blend if it's too thick)

Enjoy!

healthy & delicious

(image via Gourmande in the Kitchen)

After a decadent weekend at the beach (hello, ice cream and fried clams! not together
though, ew), I was looking for a delicious and simple summer salad. I love zucchini
and use it all the time in stir frys, etc. I have had a "zucchini carpaccio" dish a few times
at restaurants, and at the time, it seemed to me to fancy to whip up at home. Wrong!

This recipe on Gourmande in the Kitchen is easy and so delicious. I substituted basil for mint.

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...)

this is just to say

This is one of my all-time favorite poems. It comes into my mind often on very hot
days, like the one we had last week in NYC, when I returned home from a day out
in the city's sticky humid heat and savored a refrigerator-cold cherry (and then
several more...). One of summer's blissful pleasures.

(this is just to say by william carlos williams)