Merry Merry Happy Happy

See you in 09!

Image via Deviant Art

Arm Candy (just in time for Christmas)

Glam Arm Candy, for more images see HERE

Q&A with Kate & Molly

This summer I started an infrequent Q&A post, first with the talented Polaroid artist,Jen Gotch, followed by the now famous Abbey Nova of Abbey Goes Design Scouting.Today, I am delighted to have Kate and Molly Prentiss from the beautiful blog, KISS the PAPER, a paper blog correspondence of two sisters, Molly & Kate. Thank you both for taking part in Sugar Pie's Q&A. 1) Where did you come up with the blog idea of KISS the PAPER?  And Have you always been big letter writers? Well, we actually thought about this a lot. It took us a few months to come up with a format that felt RIGHT. The idea got stared because we wanted to work on a collaborative project and at the time, Molly was still living in Brooklyn. We knew we wanted it to be handmade and personal but also have the ability to work from different places. Kate: I have always been a big letter writer. During my teenage years, my walls were covered with letters that my best friends and I wrote to one another, and I also had pen pals in Iceland. Now we email!

letters from high school

Molly: I have recently acquired 3 pen pals - one in New York, one in Oakland, and one in the Philippines! It has been a really therapeutic and enjoyable experience to write letter to people who I barely know. I love the fact that they are tangible objects that you can save and find again years later, they become works of art in themselves.

 

An old letter, i love the design on the envelope - a piece of art

2. Kate, you have a design company called Kate Prentiss Design, how did you get your start as an art director and running your own business? Well, I went to design school at the California College of the Arts and majored in graphic design. My first job out of school was designing for Wired Magazine. After several design jobs, I decided to start my own business. I feel a lot more connected to the work I do now, probably due to the close connection I have with my clients. 

3) Molly, your personal blog, Blogging Molly features wonderful drawings, in your profile you state, you try and draw everyday. Have you always been interested in Art and what is your preferred medium? I have always been interested and in some way attracted to art and writing, but have just recently made these things a major part in my life. My favorite tool has always been a good black ink pen that can make just the right line, which I use to draw to write. I also love calligraphy pens and Indian ink. There is something about dipping the pen in ink that feels so satisfying.

4) What has been catching your eye lately? We really like how handmade + homegrown things are everywhere right now. Seeing the human element in objects and art warms our heart.

"Art by Mike Perry, creator of the book Handjob, a catalog of type. We love hand drawn letters!" 

"From "Loveless Ramblings and Other Cynical Musings"- an amazing blog! 'Awkward hearts!'

"Photographs by Carmen Winant - dailyafterthought - so beautiful and natural"

4) Where do you get your inspiration? Walking down the street, shops like  atomic garden + august and the curiosity shoppe + nest (all in the Bay Area), fabric stores, websites, blogs, the design in my latte foam, street stencils, independent book shops, Alameda flea market, the CCA fashion studio, branches, flowers, fruit, music and highway 1. 

Highway 1 

Heart Lattes

Street Stencils

6. Beautiful images of how the sisters feel about each other. 

a picture says a thousand words...

I don't know why this photo resonated with me today. But the colors match my mood. 

Image via here

Right Here, Right Now!

One of my dreams is to hire a yacht and sail around some gorgeous islands with some good friends. This one, owned by Fatboy Slim, aka Norman Cook, would do the trick.His vessel is called Barracuda and is based in Sardinia. It was just stylishly made over. Come, take a look. 

All the warm, muted linens are from Designers Guild
Now this is what I am talking about. Bottoms up. 

Cheers & Happy Wednesday xo

via Cool Hunting 

Rock Stars....

Mick and Keith, circa 1970-72...

Just how you would picture & want & expect a couple a rock stars leaving the airport to look. Happy cold Tuesday from New York. xo

How fabulous is this...

Flowers, feathers in the hair, I just love that look. Check out these wonderful photos from Aaron Farley, a good way to start the week. Happy Monday xo

Blog love continues...

I was so flattered to have been on the wonderful Mostly Mod's "7 blogs, I love oh so much". I've been asked to list my 7 blogs. There are so many wonderfully, creative, inspirational blogs out there, I'm hard pressed to chose 7 because if you asked me tomorrow, I'd have a totally different list, but for today, here they are...

Even Cleveland

The Lil Bee

Please Sir

Absolutely Beautiful Things

The City Sage

Nibs

Kiss the Paper

Part of this chain blog love is as follows, the nominated is allowed to put the picture on their blogs, link to the person who awarded you, nominate 7 others and link to the blogs. Leave a message on those people's blogs to make them aware that they've been nominated. 

Some Christmas Cheer from around the world

What I love about these Christmas designs is that they are all DIY. 

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1. This is Glamorous, 2, Style Court 3, Habitually Chic, 4. Absolutely Beautiful Things

A cold winter's eve

There is something about winter that I just love. I even love the coldness of it all, the guilt free evenings in front of the television, the dark afternoons, the first snowfall, getting into a good book, bundling up in big sweaters, I love it - for now. A perfect cold winter's eve might unfold like this...First, build a fire...

Snuggle up with your favorite person in a gorgeous Hudson Bay Blanket Get the backgammon set out.

Get some cookies in the oven.
Pour yourself a nice glass of red...

This week in New York...

This week in New York, make your way to The Jen Bekman Gallery - they are having a draw-a-thon to benefit 826NYC. I thought it was such a great idea. If you can't make it you can follow along on their blog. The gallery is selling the work, right off the walls at recession prices from $50 to $1,000. 

On the Fringe

According to Bill Cunningham at the Times, Fringe is back in full force, on boots and bags. Coincidentally, my sister's handbag company, LAB Creations has some fab fringe bags in this year's collection. Here are a few for your viewing and purchasing pleasure. Happy Monday! 

Fringe clutch bag

The Popular Bali Bag

Gift Guide under $40

I've seen some great gift guides lately, so I compiled a little list of things I've seen on the way to work, on line, in window displays etc...so here I present Sugar Pie's Under $40 recession proof gift guide:

For the legal eagle in your life..
Legal paper weight $22.00 MoMa Store

For the cosmetic junkie...
Par Avion makeup bag $40 Kate Spade

For the architect...

New York in a Bag $15 MoMa Store

For the dancer...
Flash dance style leg warmers $12.50 The Gap

For the hell of it...
Glitter Ball $9 MoMa Store

For your lips, best lip balm ever
Dr. Harris Lip Balm $8.50 Bigelows Chemist

Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec

I bought two boxes of Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec's fabulously cool wall art/screen/just really cool to play with art, called Algues in French. I played around with the plastic tree branch like toys, it was like lego meets high end art..Found them at the wonderful MoMa Design Store.

Take me to the Moon

Gorgeous moon shots..I first saw them on unruly things. I love the brightness of the moon, for some odd reason these images make me nostalgic.