April Around The Web

I hope you all had a lovely April! This month was much anticipated, and full of surprises and spontaneous decisions. Here are a few of my favorite finds around the web this month:

“Becoming yourself is really hard and confusing, and it’s a process. I was completely the eager beaver in school, I was the girl in the front of the class who was the first person to put her hand up, and it’s often not cool to be the person that puts themself out there, and I’ve often gotten teased mercilessly, but I found that ultimately if you truly pour your heart into what you believe in—even if it makes you vulnerable—amazing things can and will happen. ”
— Emma Watson

Personally this month I was able to spend a weekend in Lawrence with my mom and sister while Dale visited his friend in Boston. I love being back in my college town, and even got to stop in the new Wonder Fair location. I also purchased a painting this month from my mentor, Lisa Rogers, show. I can't wait to get it home! This weekend I will be reunited with my girl friends for a Bachelorette Party, which will be the perfect end to the month. I can't wait for more springtime adventures in May!

April Updates!

April has proven to be a really productive month so far! My husband, Dale, just finished his first board exam for medical school and it has given me some extra time (during his studying) to work on some things I just hadn't gotten around to. First on the list: New business cards! You can see my design below, I ordered through moo.com. I ordered business cards from them when I was graduating and loved the quality, so I am excited to see how these turn out. This time around I went with their Green option, so I am extra curious about the paper stock and printing. 

Letters Are Lovely | Moo Business Cards

I also officially opened my Etsy shop! I have been wanting to create a space to sell some of my favorite Letters Are Lovely prints, and finally settled on Etsy. There is still a lot do do, I only have two pieces listed right now, but I am hoping to get a few more added and then host a giveaway on Instagram! 

Letters Are Lovely | Etsy Print
Letters Are Lovely | Etsy Print

I have been marking down all of my progress on my 101 in 1001 list I made in January. So far I have checked off around 30 items, though I am a little ahead of myself because sometimes I can't help but mark off exciting events when I get them on my calendar. (**Trip to Italy with my Sister Sophie!) One of my other most exciting upcoming events will be attending Go Blog Social: St. Louis in a few weeks! I'm really excited to meet some other bloggers. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Head on over to my new page called "The Latest" for the link to my Etsy Shop and for a quick way to sign up for my mailing list!

Jessica Hische in KC!

I have long admired Jessica Hische's beautiful lettering, and the moment AIGA KC announced she would be speaking I immediately bought a ticket. Here are a few quick takeaways from her talk, I can't wait to read her new book In Progress, which I was lucky enough to get signed! Thanks, AIGA, for bringing such a wonderful speaker to KC. 

Jessica Hische in KC! | Letters Are Lovely
  • Jessica talked about how she was most motivated when she could picture someone using/enjoying the end result of the project. 
  • She has found that it's best to do the heavy lifting of a project through sketching (more work in analog=less work in vector).
  • Her process order includes researching, brainstorming, thumbnail sketches, real sketches, and vector drawing, and she has found that a consistent process matters a lot. 
  • She recommended visiting the Letterform Archive in SF
  • Something I found really relatable was when she talked about how it is necessary to start to vary the skeleton of your letterforms in order to create more unique lettering. I have seen in my own work that I have often changed the "dress" of the lettering, rather that starting with a different and unique skeleton. This is something I hope to continue to develop in my future lettering work. 
  • In her final remarks she listed some practical (life) tips, which included a remark about how designers are like indoor cats. Of course I couldn't resist including that in my notes. But seriously, I truly appreciated her humor and willingness to be open about how she works and also how she interacts with clients. Thanks again, Jessica and AIGA KC!

March Around The Web

I hope you all have had a wonderful March! I couldn't think of a better representation of my favorite things on the internet this past month than Libby VanderPloeg's "Lift Each Other Up" illustration for International Women's Day (which was March 8th). I am very proud to work with and have so many talented & driven women friends who inspire me daily. Take a look at Libby's website to see more of her wonderful illustrations! 

March Around The Web: Libby VanderPloeg | Letters Are Lovely

Other tidbits from this month include:

Personally, my favorite moments from March were spent in Portland with my family, and outside enjoying the warmer Spring weather. I can't wait to see what April will bring!

Mint, Gold, and Neutrals for Spring

I've rounded up a few items on my wish list this Spring. I included a few local KC artists, as well as some other items I would love to purchase. Enjoy!

Letters Are Lovely | Mint, Gold, and Neutrals for Spring

Ring Dish in Mint—Suite One Studio
Open Hearted T-Shirt—Jess Lively for Spirit+Style
Marbled Canvas Cross Body—Maker Goods
60 MM Sequins—Oh Happy Day!
Praise Hands Pin—Pintrill
Celestial Coaster Set—Anthropologie
Create Pillow—Hibrid for 5 Points
Productivity Planner—Intelligent Change