trend watch: flower power

Holy flowers! I'll be honest: I'm not totally sure how I feel about this particular trend, but it's out there with a vengeance. For me, it's a look I'd use with restraint. Maybe a blazer (I do love #6) with a printed tee and denim? What do you think? Are you feeling flowery or avoiding this one altogether?
1. Floral Ankle Peg Skinny Jeans 2. Kimchi Blue Crosshatch Printed Eternity Scarf 3. Garden Print Crop Jacket 4. Viper Flatform High Sandals 5. Natalee Printed Sheath Dress With Belt 6. Becky Jacket

print & pattern: DVF bedding

As lovers of fashion AND pattern designers, it goes without saying that we have been huge fans of Diane von Furstenberg for a long time. Her eye-catching,  bold, colorful prints that were made so famous on her iconic wrap-dresses have been such an inspiration to us – so you can imagine our excitement when DVF entered the world of home accessories! All of these fab prints are duvet covers from her bedding line! Kinda makes you want to spruce up the bedroom, doesn't it?

{And yes, we can only dream that one day we can be sharing our own line of bedding with you all!!)

status update: Ampersand Design Studio

Just in case you missed it, we made a big announcement a few weeks ago that we are taking our designs in the pattern direction and headed to Surtex, a massive surface pattern trade show in NYC this year! (This is how we can get our patterns splashed all over cool products!) We wanted to share the news with all of our blog friends so you guys would help hold us accountable, so, as promised...here is a status update:

Although we have been professionally designing surface pattern basically since we have been out of school, we are feeling like major freshman when it comes to the trade show and representing oursleves. This will be our first year showing and there are so many insanely talented designers that have been doing this show for a long time – we're realizing just how much work and pure learning we have to do to be able to stand out. and it's A LOT. as in.... we are OVERWHELMED!

But, thanks to friendly recommendations (thank you, you know who you are), we found an ebook by Khristian Howell called "Showstopper: Road Map to Rocking Your First Trade Show". Khristian happens to also have a booth at Surtex, so her book is just perfectly tailored to gals just like us. It has a weekly countdown checklist that we have been living by. If any of you out there are headed to a trade show for your first time, this book is a must-read!

So, there is all the administrative prep for the show such as our travel, accommodations, our actual booth display, etc...but then there is also the mountain of actual designs we need to create! We have booked our hotel, and flights--check and check! And, as you can see in our pictures, we're working hard just CREATING– on the computer, off the computer (yes, we're even going old school and breaking out the pencils and paints), and of course, our favorite part – picking colors!! 

We still have our etsy shop to run, graphic design work for clients, and a few surprises to announce soon, so we are juggling lots of things right now which leads to a bit of delirium at times!!!

So, that's where we stand today...we promise to keep you all posted...if you promise to keep us accountable! We wish we could take you all along with us :)

color crush: coral & navy

Coral and navy together are at the top of my list right now!
1. Down by the Sorbet Dress, 2. Arvette Maillot 3. Elina Flat 4. Slipper Chair in Indigo Ikat 5. Faceted Drop Earrings in Navy 6. Bag O' Booty Pouch in coral and navy

spotted: milly for topsiders

We are big fans of this collaboration between Milly and Topsiders. We've gushed over our fondness for Milly's Spring 2012 line as well as their accessories (several of their purses share patterns with the shoes above), so it's no surprise we are smitten with their looks for footwear.

house & home: kelly green

Each year, when I've just about had it with all the winter grays, I am desperate for a burst of intense color and it usually lands somewhere in my home (my wardrobe is already a a full rainbow). Kelly green in interiors is not a new idea, but something about it just feels perfect right now--it can go traditional, modern or even a perfect gender-neutral option for a kid's room! Are any of you already rocking kelly green in your home? We'd love to see!

{Links: from top to bottom: Hollywood bed,  Kelly Wearstler trellis via domino, kitchen, children's room

art & design: art of the beat

So yeah, as pattern designers AND a couple gals who are going to need to start doing some major self promo before our big trade show in May, this is major inspiration!!! This is actually a self promo piece for designer, Kate Thomas. She describes her thought process behind this piece like this: " I love pattern and repetition. It has been a constant theme in my work. So when I needed to create a self-promo to potential employers, I knew that would be my theme. In Art of the Beat I write, 'Patterns are the drum beat. They are the most basic form of order. Boom Boom Dum Clash! But you can’t stop with just a simple beat'. In Art of the Beat, I include a cover letter, brief explanation of the work, and my resume at the back. The only words inside the book are “BOOM BOOM DUM CLASH”. 

{We found these awesome images and Kate's explanation here.}

picture perfect: jacinta moore

Isn't the work of Jacinta Moore stunning?!? Jacinta is a freelance photographer from Melboure, Australia. She has a blog packed full of her beautiful photos and also sells several of them as prints in her Etsy shop.

happy valentine's day

Happy Valentine's Day to you! Aren't these art blocks by John W. Golden fun? OK, we know Valentine's Day is not everyone's favorite holiday and although we love candy hearts and the like, we totally get it. So, maybe it's good to look at the day a little differently. I like the idea of using the day as an excuse to reach out to someone who could use a few kind words or a pick-me-up. Maybe it's an elderly neighbor or a friend. It seems like there isn't anyone who couldn't use a little extra love today. xoxo!

keep it simple: xo love letters

 

Sometimes things just need to be kept simple! XO and LOVE by etsy shop Twisted Twig!

One day and counting until Valentine's Day. Le'ts all make a point to show our loved ones, including family and friends, how much we love them this year, deal?

trend watch: agate

Aren't these beautiful? We just love the idea of incorporating natural elements inspired by or by using actual agate! The brilliant colors and natural patterning are just mesmerizing!

I'm starting to wonder what ever happened to my rock collection I had as a kid!? Hmmm....my mom will most definitely be getting a call later today. I'm positive I had about 10 purple geodes that would make perfect bookends. 

-morgan

{Links: 1. Whorled Felt Rug, 2. Blue Agate Shield cuff , 3. Kelly Wearstler 20" Agate fabric by the yard (blue with lavendar) , 4. Agate Bookends, image via )

loving: alice and olivia

So loving Alice and Olivia right now. Love the clothes, love the photo styling and love the colors. That photo in the upper right seems like a vintage magazine cover. Ahhhh.

on my mind: valentine's day

So, I have a thing for red and white year-round so for Valentine's Day, red is on my mind, as usual. But this time, I threw in a wee bit of minty blue for good measure.
Let's hope Valentine's Day brings some sun so these Sophia Sunglasses would be appropriate. Then, how about this sweet Cerise Stamped dress?! Could anything be more fitting? And, to get me in the mood, Shakespeare's Love Sonnets which I am totally judging by its cover. This Scout bag would be the ultimate Valentine's gift for me (hint, hint to the hubby—ha!) and these Mint Tea Mini Hearts say love in a subtle way.

handmade: s'mores kit

How darling is this handmade S'mores Kit idea we found over on Nice Package blog!? We stumbled upon this while looking for handmade Valentine's Day gift ideas...but the real bonus out of this was discovering the Nice Package blog! It's a project from Ez Pudewa (creator and editor of design & inspiration blog Creature Comforts) and Marichelle Burdman (creator and former editor of Heart Handmade, the home of independent design). In their own words: "Our dream for Nice Package was born out of our shared obsession for incorporating creativity in the everyday and the belief that it doesn't have to take a lot (money, time, or effort) to infuse gifts and lifestyle elements with meaninful touches of beauty.". What's not to like about that? Go check them out....and if you need anyone to test this S'mores gfit idea on....we are here for you :)

color crush: fuschia & gold

We're trying a new thing with our "Color Crush" series where we selectively just pick two colors to pair together each time, joined by an ampersand, of course! So today is Fuschia & Gold! What do you think? We thought it was only appropriate for the upcoming holiday (hint, hint....Valentine's Day is now just 8 days away!)
{Links: darling stationery from 1. Sugar Paper, 2. Savon de Marseille hand soap in Wild Rose, 3. Thonet Chair in hot pink, 4. Striking Gold Dress, 5. DwellStudio gold triangles drinking glasses, 6. "Skirt the Rules" blackberry pouch by Kate Spade

Back to school: AIGA KC Portfolio Workshop

We are so excited to return to Lawrence, Kansas tomorrow to speak to a group of junior and senior design students at the AIGA KC Portfolio Workshop. We've been asked to talk about blogging and networking and our journey in design thus far. This has, of course, sent us on a trip down memory lane to our early days in design at KU. We can't wait to share some insights with students whose shoes we were in not so long ago. (Ok, so if we're being honest, it was awhile ago now, but you get the idea). Any thoughts on what we should share? What do you wish you'd known when you were in college, or if you're in college now, what do you think would be helpful to learn from someone a few years ahead of you?

photo from flickr (isn't our campus pretty?!)

loving: gretel home

I just stumbled onto Gretel Home by accident when I spotted this pretty tray on a page in Elle Decor. I went in search of the tray and was delighted to find this online shop brimming with lovely finds, many of which I'd never seen. There is so much more good stuff worth including here, but I forced myself to edit. So, you'd better go check it out for yourself.

on my mind: valentine's day

 

I am in serious denial that it is already February, (really...where does the time go?), but I am accepting it and that only means one thing....the countdown to Valentine's Day is on! Whether you love it or hate it, it's just a couple of weeks away, so I'm here to sway you towards the "loving it" side! I gathered just a couple of things that caught my eye...and I might just have to do a follow-up because I have lots more to share...but for now: 

1. How great is this Jonathan Adler Charade Heart Vase? love it. no pun intended. 

2. This Heart Hook Pillow is not just for the Valentine's Day! 

3. I couldn't help but add one of our very own Ampersand Prints in here. Besides shameless self-promo, I truly think it would be such a perfect gift for (or from) your sweetheart (we have other options than neon pink) !

4. And of course, I can hardly picture Valentine's Day without thinking of the adorable Shop Ban.do! Their famous accessories couldn't be more perfect for this holiday. Shown here: heart shoe clips.

bon appétit: red velvet cheesecake brownies

Can you believe it's February?! It doesn't seem possible, but we figured we'd get in the spirit and start thinking about Valentine's treats. These little cuties from the novice chef seem like a good place to start, don't you think?

print & pattern: Moroccan inspiration

oh yes, we kind of feel like we NEED both of these little numbers...although, we have to let you know right off the bat, the prices are not the most friendly. So for now, we can dream....we spotted these Sass & Bide shorts on pinterest last night and had already been dreaming of this gorgeous Agadir Twists Rug. We're thinking we might need to be sent to Morocco to get inspired for some future surface patterns, right? These are just perfection!

art & design: danielle kroll

Danielle Kroll's blog series where she paints what she wore is not exactly a new find (she's been doing it since 2010), but I always love seeing her newest outfits because I think her illustration style is so fun. It makes me want to paint a little something every day.

SURTEX!

In the spirit of our previous post about sharing and building more of a community here, we're excited (and terrified at the same time) to announce that we've decided to get a booth at Surtex!!! It's been a goal of ours for as long as we can remember to show our work there. For those not familiar, Surtex is a surface pattern design tradeshow where artists (and in some cases, agents) show collections of pattern designs (like ours above) in the hopes that they are selected for use on products like bedding, paper products, tabletop items (and so on). The show is in mid-May in NYC and runs at the same time, and in the same building as, the New York Stationery Show. We'll just come right out and admit that we have a LONG way to go to get ready for the show and, to that end, we are kind of freaking out! The to-do lists are endless and the months are quickly flying by. We don't exactly know how we're going to get it all done along with the blog, the shop, our client work and trying to have some tiny shred of a personal life on the side, but somehow we are just crazy enough to believe we can make it happen!

Unfortunately, we can't really share all of our actual patterns for the show before we present them, but we still thought it would be great to share our experience of getting ready. We also like that creating this post officially holds us accountable to get 'er done (that and the hefty deposit we put down. eeks!) 

Have any of you shown at Surtex? Or is anyone else showing there for the first time? We would love to hear about your experience, if so. We'd also glady accept any general tips for staying sane in the midst of a giant project! Or a giant margarita! HA! Thanks for listening and we'll keep you posted on our progress!

on the lookout: laura parke: a girl who makes

We have been so excited to share "A Girl Who Makes" because that girl just happens to be one of our dearest friends ... who also just happens to be insanely talented! It seems as if Laura has been "making things" since she was born. Or, at least since we've known her! Really! She used to always be making things in the kitchen. Cupcakes were being cranked out by the dozen on a daily basis. But the constant drive to make things extends way beyond the kitchen doors. She's a designer and a DIYer. She has never met a craft project she doesn't like. Give her a pair of scissors and a glue gun and you never know what she is going to come up with. Basically she does it all!

(The images above are the invitations, programs and door decorations from her very own wedding!)

And these are just a few examples of the many projects she's been playing with lately! Check out her new blog for some step-by-step tutorials so that you can follow along with her in making things like the pocketed placemat below!

And, of course, we had to include one of our favorite creations of Laura's: this light-up ampersand! Laura and her husband had this on display at their wedding reception. How perfect, right?

So follow along with Laura on her blog, A Girl Who Makes, or contact her if you're interested in having her make something special just for you. She likes to make neat things for nice people.

Pssst...this is also a little hint of some of the good collaborations to come on Ampersand here in the  very near future!!

trend watch: a fresh take on rainbow

Well, we think we've made it pretty clear that we're not afraid of color around here, so we sure are loving the influx of beautiful and sophisticated rainbows in fashion and home decor lately!

(Links: 1. Jimmy Choo Pearl Striped-Wedge Laced Sandal, 2. Alice + Olivia Shannon Printed Long Skirt, 3. refinished and reupholstered vintage chair: Jerry chair from the Divine Chair, 4. Small Leather Triangle Necklace from Leif Shop)

spotted: quill and fox cards

We just stumbled onto these pretty cards by Quill and Fox on Etsy. What a sweet illustration style and there are even some Valentines in the mix. We love finding Etsy shops we haven't seen before.