pop a tent.

i just came across shelter co., a genius business idea that creates pop-up lodging complete with fully furnished canvas tents (and very nicely, i must say) for parties, events, or any other crazy reason for which you might need a fancy yurt.  i've never been a huge camping person, but if it's done like this then sign me up.  honestly, if there were a way to just buy one of these setups to live in, i would!  and they work in the bay area?  uh oh.  learn more about shelter co. here.

moonrise kingdom.

there are few films i look forward to more than a new release by director wes anderson, and it looks like i have something to get excited about - moonrise kingdom.  if anderson's upcoming film is even half as spectacular as his previous movies then we're all in for a real treat.  a new england summer camp?  check.  1960s setting?  check.  francoise hardy on the soundtrack?  double check.  i'm counting down the days til it comes out in the spring! 

vintage camp invitations!

i am so stoked to finally share some pictures of another project i worked on last month - designing the wedding invitations for my good friends oliver and naya!  of course it doesn't hurt to work on a project for someone you already know, especially when they are planning an epic weekend-long wedding party set at a vintage summer camp, so there was no way this wasn't going to be fun.  naya and i have very similar color inclinations to begin with, a good starting point, but the rest of the inspiration really came from the camp itself - the rustic cabins are tipped in bright teal paint, and the archery targets pop out of the natural setting with their yellow, red and blue concentric circles.  vintage camp ephemera and signage also helped define the mood and typography choices. 

aside from the main invitation, everything was digitally printed, cut, and folded in house by me! the invite was printed on maple veneer by the lovely folks at cards of wood, located in western michigan.  the veneer is flexible, but sturdy enough to survive the journey that invites have to make through the mail, and the wood was a perfect material for the theme. the maple was nice because it had a distinct, noticeable grain that made each piece unique.

my favorite parts to work on were the fold-out map and wedding weekend checklist.  since this is a days-long event with loads of activities sprinkled throughout the gorgeous camp property, i thought it would be most fun to create a map and legend that guests could bring with them on their stay.  the layout was inspired by vintage travel postcards, though i took a more modern approach with the illustration itself.  for those staying at the camp, i created a small checklist with hand-drawn illustrations of the items needed to survive the weekend.  my favorite?  outdoor finery.  my feathery fascinator is lined up and ready to go.

last but not least, the icing on the invitation cake was a custom return address stamp, designed by me and made by los angeles based company paperwink (their made-to-order stamps are great as well!).  so now that the invites are out and there's less than a month to go, all i have left to do is sit back and look forward to the big event!  that, and practice my archery stance.  in heels.