After I finished my first wall hanging, I decided that the next one would not be so large and time consuming. I started experimenting with thicker materials and different ways to hang the yarn. Most of what I have seen on Etsy and on blogs show yarn hanging from a dowel, copper pipe, or stick -- but I liked the idea of combining my love for vintage home goods with the yarn. After digging around on Etsy, I found a few vintage double pants hangers! So I played around with creating a layered hanging, with one row of shorter yarn hanging in front of another longer layer behind.

I cut some balsa wood down to the same size as the wooden hanger supports, and I tied the yarn to them. Each balsa and yarn insert was then wedged inside each clip, and nailed firmly together. The hanger was a perfect way to create a wall hanging that felt a little more original than similar decor being sold online!  

After a dramatic transition moving from up North down to the Southeast, so many of the people on my team were amazingly welcoming. For the holidays I wanted to create a handmade gift for all of my direct reports, and show them back some of the love I had felt for my first 7 months working with them! 

As part of their weekly responsibilities, they style and outfit forms in new apparel almost daily. We rely on our t-pins, but they are always a pain (literally) to carry around. So, I designed custom name badges for the merchandisers that would also hold their t-pins (and look a little more stylish!). The first image below is how many merchandisers used to carry around their pins, and the last photos are the 2 options I made as gifts: 5 badges in genuine leather and 3 in faux leather for my vegans! 

MATERIALS:  plastic badge protectors (aka the old UO badge sleeves)  //  genuine and faux leather samples  //  waxed thread for leather  //  x-acto knife and tons of extra blades!  //  leather awl tool  // waxed thread for leather  //  bookbinding awl  //  hammer

When I hit the ground in full creative mode last fall (and I finally locked myself into making progress on my SquareSpace account), I realized that the logo I had originally designed for my 'brand' didn't feel at all like my identity.  I wanted the logo to represent what I do, and less represent a mark about my name. The first slide in the images features some of my original trial designs, and the hanger/speed square design in my website banner is the final logo!

A short back story: I had originally imagined this final logo design as a tattoo! Let me explain ... when I first started working for UO some of the really seasoned visual team legends (aka the "cool kids") had this group tattoo of a screw and a t-pin, representing their common merchandising and display identity. I thought it was the coolest. I so badly wanted that same tattoo, BUT it was a moment in time, a signature for a certain "band of brothers." Later on in my career I thought about what the current version of that tattoo would be, and for me, it was a hanger and a triangle speed square. Voila!

I got completely carried away with the size of this project -- doing my first wall hanging with a 4ft long dowel was a little aggressive, and the longest string hangs nearly 5ft long! BUT, I love the oversized scale, and it completely filled up an empty wall in my house. DIY projects that have steps that must be monotonously repeated are sometimes my favorite, they really are kind of therapeutic ... 

MATERIALS:  4ft wooden dowel  //  various yarns  //  drill  //  leather cord  //  metal needlework hoop

Pulaski Lake, Wisconsin -- my most favorite place to enjoy the Summer sun. My grandparents own 2 cottages on the lake and I have visited almost every summer since I was born. The skies tell a different story every day; each sunrise and sunset brings a new mood. This is this summer's best ...

"A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature.

It is earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature."  

- Henry David Thoreau

In May 2014 I accepted an exciting new position with my company, yay! However, it required me to relocate to Raleigh, NC -- yikes! While I was excited for the culture change, my roots had been planted in the Northeast for years, as were my friends! And so, the month of June became my tour of goodbyes.

While I like to refrain from filling my blog with too many personal photos, I couldn't resist dedicating this one post to all my friends who made a point to spend time with me in June before I moved. From the goodbye parties, dinners at my favorite restaurants, sweet indulgences, gracious gifts and group tattoos ... I felt the love.

Thanks, friends! I miss you already xo 

(you know who you are! Andrew, Heather, Nika, Alyssa, Joe, Kassie, Kim, Megan, Dan, Sam, Danny, Nic, Alex, and Sierra) 

(all throwback posts feature projects I did years ago, but have stuck with me as favorites)

r e a l   t a l k ... this was the most effort I ever put into submitting an application and portfolio for a job. But, I was applying for my dream job working for David Stark Design and I needed to impress them. Let's rewind to Summer 2011 and the time I built a box to mail my portfolio and resume to Brooklyn for their open position. 

the good news: the lead designer called me when they received my application/box and I got an interview

the bad news: I didn't take my fun application box back home with me after the interview (they even offered!)

the worse news: I didn't get the job and was basically devastated 

In hindsight, I can imagine how young I must have appeared interviewing in such an established, renowned design agency. AND, I'm sure some of my youth translated into a desperation to work for their company (which isn't always cute). However, I was still so proud of myself for putting all of my energy behind my application and interview preparation for the few weeks leading up to the studio visit. I knew it was a big deal to even get that callback. 

APPLICATION BOX MATERIALS:  1/2" plywood  //  door hinges  //  tape measure "pull"  //  hand bound portfolio book (museum board cover and digitally printed pages assembled accordion style)  

(and David Stark, I'd move back to NYC in a minute to work for you if you're ever interested in talking again!)

In February (2014) Andrew and I hosted a Valentine's Party for friends in our little Jersey City apartment. I truly believe one of the best loves that should be celebrated is the one among friends! I designed the invitations (which were snail mailed old timey!), crafted the decorations and made small snacks like drunken chocolate-covered cherries. Glasses overflowed with wine and we played games throughout the night. It turned out to be one of the best parties we've hosted!

For Christmas I personalized wood-handled pokers for my brother's family to use around their new fire pit (which he built!) ... perfect for roasting marshmallows. I used wood-buring tools to spell the names of his family on the handles, and I sewed a carrying case for them to easily carry the tools to the campfire. The pokers easily roll up inside the case and a leather tie keeps the roll tight for easy storage.

MATERIALS:  plain wood-handled skewers or pokers (bought these on Amazon)  //  wood burning tool and letters  //  plaid fabric  //  sewing machine  //  leather rope or tie

My beautiful sister-in-law Abbi entrusted me to make the flower crown for her big day. I concentrated the bulk of the flowers to one side of the arrangement, using only small greenery around the front near her face. This beauty has insanely amazing hair, the kind of enviable locks that would overshadow any wedding hair piece. I felt very grateful to have the special honors, and we were both really happy with how the flowers came together with her dress and hairstyle.

MATERIALS:  florist wire, flower tape, fresh flowers and greenery (Abbi chose peonies, white button daisies, yellow billy balls, alstroemeria, baby's breath, and yellow wildflowers) 

In October 2013 my brother Mark got married to his love, Abbi. It was easily one of the happiest days of my life. The celebration was held on Abbi's father's horse ranch in rural Georgia. The decorations were gorgeous ... and a real labor of love. Abbi and Mark had an incredible vision for their special day, and with the help of the family and their friends, managed to DIY their ideas into an unbelievably enchanted evening. Of course I'm partial, but I think it was one of the most beautiful and original events I've ever attended!

In September 2013 my beautiful mother turned 60! Together with my brothers and my dad, we hosted a super surprise party for her. It was my first time making tissue tassels, and while they are time consuming to make, they are a really festive way to decorate a large space.

MATERIALS:  various tissue paper, X-Acto, braided rope, and tons of spare time!