Happy Halloween!

We are grateful and lucky to have made it through Hurricane Sandy with no major damage.  Hoping for a quick recovery for everyone in the affected regions.  

I wanted to share a bit of holiday cheer with an old (circa 2010), but favorite photo of some mini-pumpkins I purchased at the Headhouse Square Farmer's Market in Philadelphia.  Wishing you all a safe and happy Halloween.

Snaps: Mohonk Mountain House

In mid-October, I was at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY for my department’s annual retreat.  Mohonk is a truly beautiful place, and the grounds offer some great hiking opportunities.  Below are some favorite iPhone photos from my brief stay at Mohonk.  The first eight images were taken using Instagram.  The last two were taken with the iPhone camera (not using any special camera program).

I hope those of you in the path of Hurricane Sandy are staying safe!

Floral Stylings: Tulips

I spotted these tulips on a recent trip to Whole Foods, and two bouquets made the trip home with me.  I love the pattern on the yellow and pink tulips, and the bright red tulips were too cheerful to pass up.  The first image is taken with my digital SLR camera, and the last three images are via my iPhone.

Dogear Press Projects: Available on Minted!

I am incredibly excited to announce that a Dogear Press design is available for sale on Minted!

For those of you who may not be familiar with Minted, it is an online stationery store that sells the designs of independent graphic designers from all over the world.  Minted holds frequent design contests for a variety of themes (e.g. wedding invitations, holiday cards, calendars, etc.), and the community’s favorite designs (which are determined by voting), and a collection of Editor’s Picks are printed and sold on Minted. 

Needless to say, I was thrilled when my entry for the Happy 2013 (New Year’s photo cards) Challenge was selected as an Editor’s Pick.  It’s an amazing feeling to see a product that I designed available for sale via such an incredible community.

Bottom two images via Minted

You can customize the front with any photo you like (the photo of Stephen and me is from the rooftop of our Philly condo building, taken by Joy Moody).  The design is available in two different color schemes, and also as a flat or folded card.  For the flat cards, I designed the striped backer that is shown above, and I also designed the striped envelope liner that can be used with either card.

Minted has a huge range of really beautiful products, so I encourage you to visit their website and do some exploring!

My New Year’s card is available here, and my Minted designer page (which I hope to fill with future work!) is here.

PS: Click on the Minted badge on the right side of my blog, and take advantage of the 10 percent discount code on my design!

Happy Weekend

I love this dreamy, pre-sunset photo that I took from the Roosevelt Island tram a few days ago.

Wishing you a happy weekend.  We’ll be celebrating the first birthday of our cutie-pie nephew!

Traveled: Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

It’s been awhile since my last post about our Korea/Hong Kong trip this past spring (fingers crossed that I get through all of the images before 2012 ends...).  The photos in this post are from a morning spent walking around a beautiful Buddhist temple in the northeastern region of Busan.  Haedong Yonggunsa Temple is unique for its ocean-side location and 108 steps down to the temple grounds.  I found that being so close to the sea intensified the lonely, yet spiritual atmosphere of this temple.

Friends Who Photograph: Allison's Eye for Color

I’m excited to start the week with the second installment of my “Friends Who Photograph” series.  Just a quick glance at the gorgeous photos in this post tells you that Allison (whom I met through my husband – they are childhood friends) has a beautiful photographic eye.  One of the reasons I am a fan of her photography is that it conveys such atmosphere.  I am struck by the mood created by each image, and it makes me dream a bit about what else was happening in the moment that Allison snapped each photo. You can experience more of her creativity (visual and written) via her lovely blog “You have your blog, we have Aars.”  By the way, that gorgeous Aars family portrait was taken by Allison’s sister; talent definitely runs in this family!

A&A Photography

Dogear Press [DP]: When did you get into photography?

Allison [A]: I took a class in high school, and was hooked. I went on to minor in Photography in college, and it's been a hobby ever since.

[DP]: What is your current camera?

[A]: I use a Cannon EOS Rebel XSi, with a Tamron Di II (18-270mm) lens. I wanted a camera that could follow me on my travels, and also take great interior shots since interior design is also a hobby of mine. I also find that it's perfect for capturing shots of my little munchkin. ;)

[DP]: Something you want us to know about these images?

[A]: I love to travel. These are a few shots from our adventures in Israel, Greece, Turkey, Egypt and the Cayman Islands. I'm kind of a pain to travel with because I am always wandering off, searching for that one lonely and beautiful scene. (Ever been lost in Egypt? It's not fun.) Everyone around me poses with their cameras in front of famous landmarks, and I have to be reminded to snap a single shot of it. But random nooks and crannies? Back alleys and overlooked structures? By George, I've got those...

Thank you, Allison for these beautiful images!

Dogear Press Projects: A First Birthday Invite

When my sister-in-law asked me to design an electronic birthday invitation for her soon-to-be one-year-old baby boy, I jumped at the chance.  Jess is planning an animal-themed birthday party (with some help from her friend Kelly at Studio DIY), and I’m excited to see their party vision brought to life.  Below is the “winning” design (featured at The Eagle’s Nest earlier this week) and another option that I sent over to Jess and her husband Scott.

The giraffe icon (designed by Saman Bemel-Benrud) is from the very cool site The Noun Project.

Snaps: Fall Treats

Well, it’s officially fall in New York City.  We’ve had the first real sweater weather days, and I’m looking forward to digging out my cold weather clothes, cooking some of my favorite fall foods (pumpkin date bread is next...), and drinking plenty of hot beverages.  Below are some recent favorite fall moments.

(1) This chicken recipe is amazing.  Absolutely delicious, and although time consuming not difficult in terms of technique.  I can’t wait to make it again.

(2) This is one of my favorite desserts.  I first made this tart in 2010, and it immediately made it into my fall food repertoire.  The tart is normally served with a maple-cranberry compote.  On this occasion I couldn’t find any cranberries (too early in the season), so I substituted frozen blackberries, which worked quite nicely as well (although the cranberry compote is definitely better).

(3) Anthropologie mug, bodega dahlias, and Whole Foods gourds make for a lovely, mini fall vignette.

Wish List: Gold Rush

Metallics have been on my Pinterest mind.  Here is a round up of some of my favorite gold items.

1. Jonathan Adler brass hippo
2. Sarah Chloe’s delicate Ella Diamond Bangle
3. Love the font and the overall aesthetic of this invitation for Maison Gerard’s re-opening.
4. Saint Laurent (no more YSL!) sequins.

Floral Stylings: Bodega Dahlias

We said good-bye to September with a gorgeous fall day (minus a brief rain storm) in New York City.  My family and I enjoyed a delicious brunch at the Lexington Avenue Fig & Olive, and on our way back to Roosevelt Island I spotted the stunning orange dahlias you see below.  Styling these flowers (partly inspired by this past weekend’s Instagram #stilllife hashtag project) was a lovely way to spend part of a Sunday afternoon.  These images feel like fall to me.