Draplin in KC

November 10, 2017

This Wednesday Draplin made another stop in KC to speak at a Made in the Middle Mini Event! I have heard him speak twice before, once in St. Louis and once at Hallmark, but this time he talked a lot about his book and his cross-country speaking tour. Thanks for another great event Aaron, AIGA KC, and Made in the Middle!

Here are my favorite takeaways:

Don't forget that this can be fun.
Vectors are free and infinite.
"I'm fighting hard to life my life creatively, enjoy work along the way, provide for my loved ones, and be free."
We forget the importance of how to make something using one color effectively.
"I'm trying to materialize a life where I get to make a stamp someday."

Hallmarker Portraits by Ty Hester

October 18, 2017

Today I am sharing a recent portrait I had taken as part of a project by the talented Ty Hester! She choose to take portraits of Hallmarkers (and she painted the backdrop too!) for one of her #My5Days, you can view her full gallery here!

Letters Are Lovely | Hallmarked Portraits by Ty Hester

Halloween Inspiration

October 17, 2017

I've never loved orange so this year I decided to round up some Halloween inspiration that was a bit darker than the traditional orange and black. I love the idea of hosting a Halloween dinner party complete with an elaborate table setting — hopefully this gets you excited for this spooky time of year!

Letters Are Lovely | Halloween Inspiration

TOP — Left | Right
MIDDLE — Left | Right
BOTTOM — Left | Right

Hallmark, CVS, and Stand Up To Cancer

October 9, 2017

Last year my team at Hallmark had the opportunity to design a group of cards for a partnership between Hallmark, CVS, and Stand Up To Cancer. Here are a few of the final designs for this special collection:

Letters Are Lovely | Hallmark, CVS, and Stand Up To Cancer

September Around The Web

September 29, 2017

I still feel like early Fall has the ability to put me in the back-to-school mindset, even though nothing about my work routine changes this time of year. This September was no exception, and I am really proud of myself for creating new personal lettering pieces, seeking out an exciting new opportunity at work, and making lots of time for friends, family and fitting in a quick trip to LA. Because this is Dale's last year of school in St. Louis I am trying especially hard to make the most of each weekend surrounded by our friends and the amazing home we have created in the Central West End. Now for my favorites this month:

Letters Are Lovely | September Around The Web

These stunning floral arrangements by Bespoke Events were by far my most favorite piece of inspiration this month. I discovered them on SF Girl's beautifully redesigned website, and I have to say I would love to attempt adding Pampas Grass Flowers into my own arrangements...
A pair (literally almost any pair) of Loeffler Randall shoes are on my wish list!
Despite the extreme heat we experienced this month, this DIY from Oh Happy Day has me super excited for all the leaves to change.
Saving this reference on Calligraphy on Marble
You've seen it, I've seen it, (and by it I mean the beautiful Bonjour New York mosaic in the new Sézane store in NYC!) Adding it to my New York bucket list.
I just started following Windy Chien on Instagram and also happened across this lovely feature on her work by A Pair & A Spare.
A lovely new card collection featuring many of my talented Hallmark coworkers is out now! It is all based off artist sketchbooks.
Enjoyed browsing Ben Wagner's portfolio, I especially loved this branding for Artist Louise Dean.
I'm all about the idea of metallic gold grout that this Wit & Delight post shared.
And another pasta recipe I know we will make soon!

And there you have it! As I mentioned earlier, this month was definitely one of change and growth. Yet the best moments were still the ones spent going on a best friend trip, celebrating my cousin's wedding, spending a weekend with my Sister-in-Law and her family in St. Louis, and fitting in an Octoberfest celebration plus a few happy hours. This September I'm grateful for all the people in my life who encourage me to work hard, and make the work all worth it. Now I'm officially ready for all the Fall activities this October will bring.