ten things

I liked doing this last week so much I’m doing it again. Creative control is a beautiful thing. This week's top ten finds from around the internet starting…now:

1 | Studio Flats in blush – they’re perfect. And Fall is coming. So I have an excuse.

2 | 99 Problems Tumblr  - so you know how a certain rapper who recently took a hyphen out of his name, leaving me unable to remember how to spell it correctly, has this song about 99 problems? Well the beauty of tumblr is that someone has illustrated them. With a twist. (SO. FUNNY!)

3 | DIY Ruler Table Runner – best DIY I’ve seen all week. How creative (and easy! I’m all about easy). Looks straight out of Crate & Barrel.

4 | Boyfriend Chain Bracelet by Victory – must. have. I’ve been after one of these for a while, and this is by far the cutest and most affordable I’ve laid eyes on.

5 | Tent by The Teepee Guy – I don’t have kids. I will not have kids any time soon. Is it so wrong that I still want a tent to curl up in? (Don’t answer that)

6 | Eucalyptus and Oatmeal Campers Soap – Have you ever heard of Cisthene? Me either, but they have the most beautiful shop and definitely the best packaged soaps (and they’re cheap…win)

7 | Flags at the National Maritime Museum – First, this museum exists. Second, they’ve scanned about a million of these flags. They’ve been serving as inspiration for a web design project I’ve been working on this week. So cool!

8 | Foiled Dot Napkin Set by Anthropologie – This is so self explanatory I’m laughing. There’s metallic gold and pink involved. I’m sold. I could plan a dinner party around these napkins alone.

9 | Embosser by Phil Jones – I want to take the millions of books I’ve collected in my short twenty-one years and stamp all of them with a personalized embosser. How have I never thought of this before? Slash I’m never signing anything again (I’ll be the crazy lady in Target who is asked to sign her receipt and pulls out an embosser instead of a pen).

10 | Waxed Haversack Bag by Southern Field Industries – I’ve never been much of a crossbody person, but this bag might change my mind. And what a cute site, so glad I stumbled across it this week.

Did you come across anything this week you think deserves to be featured? Let me know. See you back here tomorrow!

ten things

As promised, here are some of my favorite finds this week from around the web:

1  //  Scandals of Classic Hollywood  - This site gives you all the dirty details from the lives of cinema classics like Robert Redford, Barbara Stanwyk, and Katharine Hepburn. It’s incredibly fascinating. Read through the archives for juicy stories of fame, gossip, and Ronald Reagan’s pre-Presidential days.

2  //  Rubber Stamps from the Little Cat Design Co. They’re impeccably designed and reasonably priced…asking for anything more is getting greedy!

3  //  Lanvin Flats  - If I was made of money, these would be my first purchase. I love the grosgrain ribbon paired with luscious caramel leather. If only…

4  //  Headband from Twigs & Honey – Okay, this bridal designer has the perfect eye. Go scroll through their site for your fix of lace, pearls, and rhinestones all twirled up into the perfect accessory to compliment your big day (*hint: she can tuck blue in the beading!)

5  //  Munster Rose Flowers – Maybe it’s something about summer, but I have been on a flower kick lately that just isn’t letting up. These beautiful arrangements by Munster Rose are nothing short of amazing. Fuel for the fire, I tell you. Where can I learn to do that?

6  //  Girlfriend Cuff by In God We Trust – as soon as these are restocked, I’m all over this one. I’m all about everyday jewelry, and this goes with 99.9% of my wardrobe (and it’s such a good price!)

7  //  Beach Bag by Rennes – It’s neutral. It’s got a leather strap. It’s linen. I’m sold.

8  //  Mafia Handbook by Scott Schermer – I love it when I find design projects that are a combination of funny, creative, and full of well-designed detail. This employee handbook for a fictional, crime-riddled Malfatore family spans from the 20s till today, and is brilliant. Major props.

9  // Helen’s Tea Party by Found Vintage Rentals  - I grew up with a mother who really hated birthday parties (she’s overwhelmed by the whole craft thing, which is the center of every little girl’s birthday soiree), so I’m fascinated by these intricate parties for kids so young…I’m sure she can’t appreciate half of what her mother did here (but I sure can!)

10  //  Extension Cord by Best Made Company – I love shops that can make everyday things special. Best Made Company has woven this into their company model and makes beautiful things like these woven extension cords. Won’t want to hide these babies behind a couch!

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

color study: navy

Not that I really need much of an excuse to scour the internet for new products featuring my favorite color ever, but I saw this beautiful dress on sale at j. crew factory and figured that was enough.

1. Rebecca Atwood | 2. Jack Rogers | 3. Kendra Scott | 4. J. Crew Factory

5. Marc Jacobs | 6. Kiel James Patrick | 7. Tory Burch

Since I have absolutely nothing new to report due to the fact that my only company right now is my dog, go check out what else is happening on the magic we call the interwebs.

Carly got a makeover…

… & so did Melissa

Emily is featuring an incredible giveaway

Sarah made a beautiful playlist for July

Rachel takes us around her office

and Breanna talks design strategy

Don't forget to download a free summer wallpaper! Share the love.

Happy Wednesday!

sneak peek

Okay, here’s a confession.

So I had these great plans of giving you all some pretty gorgeous freebies today (if I do say so myself) but my alter ego, Policy-Nerd Kate, got the best of me yesterday and I listened to some brilliant people talk about free markets and health policy for four hours and didn’t get around to finishing.

Sorry, not sorry.

But the good news is this: next week you’ll get two freebies. Think desktop wallpapers and labels, think pattern, think color, think picnic, you’re welcome. Contrary to popular belief I have been working on graphic design projects and Adobe and I have been spending some quality time together. After they launch I’ll be sure to share, but in the meantime, enjoy this lil sneak peek and keep checking back.

Also go and check out…

this photographer

this blog

this ongoing giveaway

this bracelet

and this laugh.

Happy Thursday!

Okay, I'm doubly bad. 1) I promised this on Friday. 2) These pins are all from my word board. But I found a lot of great hand lettered images the last few days and they're really inspiring me to go and illustrate my own, which I may or may not upload myself ;)

Also inspiring me is our wonderful new Frank Sinatra CD, and Wild Bluebell from the ever-classy Jo Malone (which I may or may not have waiting for me under the tree!), and the new John Grisham TV show coming out January 8th from NBC! Oh, happy, happy, happy day (it's true, I love him. I'm re-reading The Firm to get ready)!

Have a splendid Monday and go bake some cookies if you haven't already! You only have six days till Christmas!

*PS--Just checked my stats...1200 pageviews? Really? Wow and I haven't even done much. Y'all are too good to me.

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Well, folks, it’s one of those days.

In which I’m completely swamped, not very creative, and more than a little harried. So, lucky you, you get a completely random post of things that are interesting me today! You can officially count yourself among the highly privileged. The only place to go from here is mega privileged, and I don’t know if you’re ready for that yet.

Depends on how I’m feeling tomorrow…

So, without further ado, I give you: Stuff I Like Today. By Kate. (Sorry, not creative today)

Well, there’s this. And we heard about this in chapel and it’s actually really interesting. A little bird tells me I’m getting these for Christmas. And I found a lot of food blogs over break that are (not) helping me get through my Daniel Fast (which is over on Monday!!), but maybe you’ll enjoy them! And look at these patterns from Danielle Kroll. They are fabulous. And very colorful (always a plus). Then, of course, we have this. And this. And I’m listening to them and her and them. Okay, that should get you through.

Have a splendid Wednesday!

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope your weekends were all fantastic.

Mine was filled with work, Lost, parties, family dinner, long talks with friends, and racing thoughts. I’m trying to decide what to do with my summer, especially after today’s chapel.  And given the speed of my racing brain without a decision to make, I haven’t been able to quiet my thoughts in a while. Here’s what I hate: decisions.

In other news, my mother bested me in grammar (no surprise), I rocked a New Testament test, I finally get to go shopping this weekend, I get these killer rings, this hilarious print (maybe I should find something other than grammar to obsess over?), and this beautiful ring, I’m loving the newest Matchbook magazine, this blog, and would like these cupcakes to go and charge it please (Oh, Eloise, you are literally my favorite).

Aaand, since today was Monday dress day, one of my more favorite kinds of days, in honor of dressing up I thought I’d share these awesome shots from Troubador. So lovely, especially the random pine tree chillin by the backdrop. All in the details, right?

Happy Monday, friends!

I’m a sucker for typography, as you may have noticed. I’ve always been such a fan of graphic design, my bookmarks folder is full to the brim with poster design, typography resources, graphic design tutorials, designers—I’m borderline obsessed.

And now, I just learned that my school is offering typography classes starting next semester! I’m absolutely stoked. Our art department isn’t widely known for graphic design, but the department is finally growing. Yes.

So, to celebrate this news, please enjoy this fantastic project I just stumbled upon this week. Branding 10,000 Lakes is just that—they’re literally branding the 10,000 Lakes of Minnesota. And they are beautiful. I’m obsessed! My grandparents live in Minnesota, and I've been to a few of these before. While the lakes themselves might not be the most incredible places on earth, the branding? They might be some of the best I've seen. Go look at them all, they’re worth a second look.

Weirrrd day.

Roommate passed out, went to the hospital, and came back all in one day. Dropped one huge class and added a smaller one. Good encounter, better reaction. Moms and groceries. First student government meeting. Printer breakdown. Cereal?

Sorry, that was pretty much entirely for my own benefit. I don’t want to leave you hanging, though, so here are some links purely for your own benefit:

1) My favorite cookies from our caf (which was just ranked #1 in the country)

2) My city + typography? Yes please.

3) Oh. My. Gosh. Brilliant! Might have to feature these in a post.

4) The Art of the Menu? Oh, yes.

5) I have to have something about typography.

6) Fun with glitter.

7) My favorite colors on one of my favorite blogs.

8) Lovely lady, indeed.

9) And, picture cred, check out Penfield USA’s fall/winter lookbook. Yes.

Here’s what I hate: stupid cliches. Today, it's namely the "on this day in history nothing happened" type deal. I mean come on.

So while it's true that nothing really happened today (I literally didn’t change out of my pajamas), on this day in history, things happened.

Like:

Genghis Khan dies, 1227

Roanoke Colony deserted, 1590

Woman suffrage amendment ratified, 1920

James Meredith, the first African American to attend college, graduates from Ole Miss, 1963

Director Roman Polanski born, 1933

Lolita is published, 1958

Even though I was confined to my room packing all day, I can rest assured that in some other space/time continuum, people are gagging over the the scandalous escapades of Humbert Humbert for the first time.

(Oh, and Bagatelles and Co.? Very, very cool. I will take five in various sizes and hues, charge it please (Yes, I do like to channel Eloise from time to time. Gotta love pop culture.))

Here’s to tomorrow being more exciting! Ciao.

We were big on nursery rhymes in our family during the 90’s when my sisters and I were little. I still get the most random lines from Mother Goose and the Children’s Book of Virtues stuck in my head all the time (and do you have any idea how annoying it is to have “Wee Willie Winkie Runs Through the Town” or “Little Boy Blue” running through your head as you’re trying to make your way as a mature adult? [Sidebar: obviously, I cannot be considered mature, quite yet. It’s in my five year plan.]). Today, for some reason, “What Are Little Boys Made Of?” has been stuck in my head, only “little boys” has been replaced with “Wednesdays” (also obviously, my mind works in ways that are less than normal. Speaking of which, I always was jealous that the boys got to be made of snails and puppy dog tails when girls were made of spice and nice? Hello? Boring. I’ll take the dirt any day).

So what is my Wednesday made of? Well.

Scaring cleaning ladies, blanching peaches, feeding peanuts to dogs, looking at pictures of beaches.

Making dinner for my family, breaking Target baskets with hand weights, watching Chuck on repeat, and making a dessert that (for some reason) my sister hates.

That’s what Wednesdays are made of.

Also included in my Wednesdays is ogling the beautiful set design of Hans Blomquist. When I get my own house someday, every room will aim to be as cool as these.

And, just in case you couldn’t get enough nursery rhymes for one day, I’ll leave you with another of my favorites from The Children’s Book of Virtues:

There was a girl who had a curl

Right in the middle of her forehead.

When she was good, she was very good,

But when she was bad, she was horrid.

Basically, my life. Except my hair is straight. And never hangs in the middle of my forehead. Nuance.

Happy Wednesday!

thursday, thy name is random

I apologize in advance for the randomness of this post. Maybe all the links will compensate for lack of structure*?

THURSDAY GOODNESS.

1) Drinking inordinate amounts of hot chocolate at the office

2) Cleaning my desk space in anticipation for MY LAST DAY OF WORK

3) Having our first family dinner together since May (everyone is finally home!) and enjoying some typical dinner conversation:

D (referring to a risqué hick carving he and mom saw in Wisconsin): You don’t know that they were naked.

Me: Yeah, you don’t even know they were carved.

D: You’re right! The tree could have grown like that!

4) Drooling (literally. It’s disgusting.) over the fantastic work in letters of Jon Contino and learning that my school is going to be offering typography classes next semester (I don’t know how to contain my excitement about this one! How could life possibly get better after taking typography??)

5) I’ll tell you how. A catalog came to my house today and gave me a snapshot into my future that might just be the pinnacle of all things great. Someday, in the far future, when I have a baby, he will be dressed in this costume on Halloween. And my life will finally reach its greatness apex. Come to mama.

And because this post has been random enough already, I might as well throw in a few random links. On random words, because we need to be consistent here. Go to town.

*Who am I kidding? They’re adding to the mania. I’ll be better tomorrow.