paper pastries

Pin Money Vol. 9

2012-01-27T13:46:00.000-08:00

Another fun item I discovered on my last trip to Kinokuniya were these miniature self inking stamps. There were about 30 different designs, turns out they are for stamping into your planner or on your calendar.

There was also a variety of cases that hold 6 of the stamps perfectly. To motivate me to keep on top of my writing things down in my planner (instead of on random scraps of paper) I picked out a set for myself.

I got the sun for appointments before noon, a dinner stamp to remind me of dates, the others have not yet been assigned. I just thought they were too cute to pass up.

Since I'm a visual person, I think the stamps are helping me remember all the places I have to be.
all photos by margaret haas.
What is Pin money?

Here's to the new year

2012-01-26T15:54:00.000-08:00

2012 is pretty great so far. I sent out some happy new year cards that I got from Rifle Paper Co. Included in the notes to Tony's Parents and brother were some of my instagram pictures from Yosemite.

I've been slowly increasing the amount of mail I send out. It's very satisfying to have a stack of mail to ship out.
all photos by margaret haas

Pin Money Vol. 8

2012-01-25T14:31:00.000-08:00

A bear after my own heart! A whole new batch of Rilakkuma goods had just arrived at Kinokuniya in San Jose. I found a pencil cup, folder, small notepad, some stickers, and mini envelopes.

These small notepads are the perfect size for mailing labels, I just stick them on with some shipping tape.

Mini envelopes are always great to have on hand- for gift cards, tips and notes.

Doese anyone know the story of these three? I think the white bear is a girl, am I right? I can never get a straight answer about these adorable characters.
all photos by margaret haas.

Recent Favorites Pt. 22 (valentines edition)

2012-01-24T10:01:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else have Valentines Day on the brain? It's less than a month away! I've been finding some pretty cute options on pinterest. -I do like wearing pink and red on February 14th I don't care who thinks its cheesy. These ban.do scarf is so pretty.
-Our Valentines making workshop is coming up for pen pal club and I want to share this tutorial of heart and string closures. -If you're planning a Valentines party or having a pink themed party- go all out! -Pretty ribbons and bows are necessary for any Valentine's day present wrapping.

-these pretty gems are hard candies. -More card ideas for the workshop. -pretty red heels for a night out. -A giant heart balloon would be a great surprise.

Photo sources:

Top four) ban.do scarf, heart and string envelopes, go all out, ribbons

Bottom four) candy gems, valentines, bow heels, heart balloon.

Tattly

2012-01-23T16:19:00.000-08:00

I've always been a fan of temporary tattoos but these are the coolest I've ever seen. With artists like Jessica Hisch, Blanca Gomez, Julia Rothman, and Marc Johns contributing designs, it's easy to see why.

These would make pretty cool party favors at any adult or children's party. All photos from tattly.

A blog I love: INtangible

2012-01-20T09:57:00.000-08:00

We all know and love Donovan of Letter Writers Alliance Fame but have you spent some time with her newest venture? The INtangible blog is definitely one of my new favorites.

Donovan sketches anything that comes to mind- incoming mail, birthday presents, vintage advertisements, office supplies, recipes...the list goes on and on. She also includes a little tidbit of information about her drawing. Be careful, if this is your first introduction to it you may lose a few hours catching up all on the posts.

It's a very fun twist on simple day to day photographs.
all photos/sketches from the INtangilbe blog by Donovan Beeson.

Pin Money Vol. 7

2012-01-19T14:46:00.000-08:00

Last week I was in little Tokyo and popped in to this candy shop. I found these little boxes of sweets with the brightest packaging.

I did enjoy the coffee beat variety but even after the candy was finished I held on to this boxes. I think I'll try sending off a letter in them.
all photos by margaret haas

SOPA

2012-01-17T22:00:00.000-08:00

It will be tough, but I won't be blogging, tumbling, tweeting, or instagram-ing January 18th. Freedom of speech should reach every part of our world.
learn more here.

Small Business Meetup No. 1

2012-01-17T10:57:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a relaxing three day weekend. We made a quick trip up north- it's always fun to get out of town for a few days.

I meant to post about this before I left but time just flew by. Last thursday night, Erin rounded up some small business people for a meeting.

In attendance was- Erin, Laura (who also hosted us at her beautiful home) Keiko, Sara, Elinor, David, and myself.

I think it's a very strong group and we all work well with each other. Since it was the first meeting, we introduced ourselves and what we do/make

then briefly discussed our goals. One of my biggest goals for 2012 is getting my studio really organized. As some

of you know my work studio has had a lot of ups and downs. For now, it seems like every issue I once had is some

what under control. Now that I'm able to focus on my actual business, I do notice that it's easy for me to become

un-organized in a matter of a week. My sister has really been helping with keeping track of our paper stock- but I

have no idea of the rest of the inventory. Whenever I'm working on a project, it needs to be out on a work table, and

somehow it migrates to another work space then my whole studio is covered in one project and I can't work on any

thing else. So my goal for January is to at least get a hold of inventory, and make sure everything has a place. I

am in the middle of the biggest wholesale order I've ever had so it is kind of forcing me to stay

organized- it's a good thing! I will be sure to track my progress- it might be a different story in a month!

I've been revisiting some pinterest boards and looking for others that deal with work spaces. Whether it's a desk or a whole room, you won't get far in a mess.

Photo sources:

Top) green cubby, small desk, colored boxes

Middle spools, metal drawers, cabinets

Bottom large desk, sets of drawers, cubby

*sorry if this text formatting is wonky- I've decided to let blogger do whatever it wants instead of trying to mess around with the html. I'm not going to deal with things anymore that make me want to rip my hair out.

A new year, a new planner

2012-01-12T11:03:00.000-08:00

Around Christmas I started looking for a new planner for 2012. I did a search on etsy and came across the shop of Julia Kostreva. I knew this girl! We had met and talked for a while at the Academy of Sciences show in San Francisco, then she recommended me to a bride in Los Angeles. I didn't know she had opened a shop but was pleased at what I found. I picked up two planners, one in cloud and the other in peach. One for me and one for my sister. There is a full calendar in the front plus larger individual date boxes.

For me, the more details the better. I have already booked my January. Now it's time to start thinking about February plans.
Check out Julia's shop and etsy.

Wedding talk No. 2 (engagement party invitations)

2012-01-11T11:17:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday was our engagement party. You would probably not be surprised to learn that I don't care for evites- no matter how casual the party. I had to make actual invitations for this event. As with most things I do, it was a simple, but involved process.

We used an envelope punch and a few sheets of this paper.

Tony punched out the mini envelopes, and pretty soon we had a big stack of them.

They are very simple to fold into envelopes. While Tony was doing that, I wrote out our wording in calligraphy, scanned it, then printed it onto cream cards.

I also wrote out our announcement then scanned and printed those.

I attached the mini envelope to the card then put in the mini note.

The most time consuming part was writing our return address on the back and addressing all of them. A labor of love that was well worth it. We were pleased with how they turned out and got a lot of positive feedback from our friends.

Top photo by Dab, all others by margaret haas.

Recent Favorites Pt. 21

2012-01-10T11:53:00.000-08:00

Surprise, surprise- more wedding stationery! I love to see all the different invitations and ideas people express their excitement for their big day. From the top row-
-This couple got married at the courthouse with their friends and family present. I didn't know you could do that, I thought only a witness was allowed, not the entire wedding reception. Their invitation was informal and fun. Good option if you're not getting married in a church.
-A ring pop never looked so pretty. Fun favor for a bridal shower.
-Printable frames for escort cards, then hand write the names in. Easy way to add color.
From the middle row-
-Polka dots look elegant but still fun in muted colors.
-Colored paper is calling my name, white ink is such a bold statement.
-Graphic, black, and bold! So eye-catching.
From the bottom row
-hand lettered names add a fun feeling to this invitation
-too flowery for Tony but I'm in love with the look of this suite.
-postage stamp inspired!
I'm having way too much fun searching pinterest for wedding related items. It'd be great if I could actually get to work on finding a venue...

Photo sources:

Top) hello lucky, MS weddings, brides guide

Middle indigo bunting, love, jenna, love vs design

Bottom satsuki, elum, 100 layer cake

Wedding talk No. 1

2012-01-09T10:51:00.000-08:00

Well there's no avoiding it. Since we are engaged, there is bound to be a few wedding related posts :) First things first, we need to find a venue to get married but I still can't help looking at all the flowers, dresses, and invitations in the mean time. Pinterest is a great resource, I could (and did) lose hours going through wedding boards.
Yes I am going to design my own invitations but I still like to see what's out there I just came across these new invitation designs from Bella Figura. Aren't they gorgeous? I was sure I wanted letterpress but now foil stamped is calling my name. All photos from Bella Figura

Recent Favorites Pt. 20

2012-01-06T15:22:00.000-08:00

It feels like January is flying by! I have to get a hold of it before it slips away. From top left-
Donovan organized her studio and shared photos of it- hopefully it will serve as good inspiration for me.
I'm always drawn to vintage graphics, this one is funny

Raw images by Kate Bingaman-Burt for Real simple. I liked seeing the "before" and "after" in the actual issue.

A craving for oysters is never too far behind.

I just got my photos back from Yosemite, but have not had time to scan them in. I've been missing being in the wilderness so I enjoyed these hiking pictures.

-I don't chew gum but this bubblegum machine is adorable. What a color!

-Great colorful, eye-catching business card

-Since it's been 70+ degrees in LS I could really go for a romp through the mossy forest. Especially with cute hunter boots.

Photo sources:

Top) Donovan's studio, bookmark would be better, drawings for real simple, oysters

Bottom) river, bubblegum machine, anemone business cards, hunter boots

From my flickr favorites

Letter Writing

2012-01-04T22:20:00.000-08:00

A little while back I posted about Victoria's set up at Unique LA, and mentioned in that post that I got something from her that changed the way I send mail. It's called the letter ledger. It is handy way to keep track of what's coming in and going out of your mailbox. It's made my letter writing so much more enjoyable. She has thought of everything! The best feature I think is the box to take quick notes about what I need to address in my return letter so I don't need to keep re-reading the original note. There's even an envelope in the front to store postage.

My mailbox has been filled with notes, postcards, and presents.

I also have a new pen pal all the way in Singapore! I had a lot of writing to do in the new year. I'm so glad I have my handy ledger to keep track of it all.

Two resolutions in one- Write more letters and get more organized :)

all photos by margaret haas, taken with canon rebel.

First of the year

2012-01-03T13:10:00.000-08:00

Happy new year everyone! I have some very exciting news- I bought my first car on New Year's Eve. It's a 2012 Ford Fusion in "steel blue." I have not had a car for about 6 months, and in Los Angeles it's pretty hard to get along without one. I am so happy and can't wait to take it on a road trip. It's got a moon roof and the Sync system and a HUGE trunk. I got financed all by myself so I feel so very "adult" about the whole thing ;) I will share more pictures soon. I also have something else to share-

I started making my own soy candles. You may be wondering- what does one thing have to do with the other? When I was trying to figure out what kind of car payments I could afford, I was assessing my monthly bills. Clearly the credit card bill is a big part of it, and I couldn't believe when I saw all together how much money I was spending a month on candles. It seems absurd- I know. But I just love candles. I have one in the bathroom, I have one in our living room and I have one at my studio. I burn through them pretty quick- and at $20-$40 each- it really adds up. So I googled "how to make soy candles" and found this video. When I brought it up to Tony he did not seem pleased. Starting another diy venture in our tiny apartment didn't seem like the best idea I'll admit, but then I showed up how much money I was spending on candles and he agreed it was worth a shot. He got involved and did some research. There are two different kinds of scents you could use to fragrance your candles- "fragrance oil" which is manufactured, or "essential oils." Essential oils are a bit more pricey but they are natural so we decided to go with that. We got our essential oils from here. For around $100 we had all the supplies we needed to get started. First thing, we got some empty glass Ball Jars (above left) and some wicks. Those silver bars (above right) are to hold the wick in place so it stays centered when pouring in the hot soy wax.

Next we measured out the soy wax (above left) and decided on a scent for our first batch (above right)

After the wax melts, you can then mix in your color and scent. Color isn't necessary but we thought it might be fun, plus easier to tell the scents apart from each other so we got aqua and avocado.

Tony basically took over the whole process so I was able to photograph everything. Here is the candle just after it was poured (above left) and the next day when they hardened (above right)

A couple things- I was so excited to use them I kept touching and moving them around. There are a few cracks in the wax at the top- I blame my impatience. Also, when the candles burn the glass jars get very hot so we have to be careful about that. Other than those two things the candles turned out great and smell really good. We made 13 candles total (16 oz each), with three different scents. I am very pleased! We'll definitely be making more, they are so easy. Just measure, melt, mix, and pour. The hardest part is waiting for them to set overnight.

The gift that keeps on giving

2011-12-30T13:06:00.000-08:00

Tony got me the holga lens and filter case/attachment for my iphone and I am crazy for it. It's so fun! There are 10 different options on the wheel, different color filters, shapes, and screen splits, here are a few of my recent pictures:

Row 1: bando heart headband, pink tulips, closeup of tulip

Row 2: butterfly from bug under glass, candy from china town, an ornament on my tree

Row 3: Nativity scene, my dad, hermes typewriter.

I definitely recommend one. Photojojo has them but they won't be in stock until mid January, I think Tony got mine from here.

Decisions, decisions

2011-12-28T19:07:00.000-08:00

I'm terrible at making decisions, especially when there are so many great choices out there, so I need your help! I'm in the market for a new iphone case and love the variety of options from Society 6. The above are: Camera love by Cassia Beck, Nebula by Thoughtcloud, Bokeh by Riot Jane, and letterpress by typography photography.

Hello!

2011-12-28T07:12:00.000-08:00

Well, don't I feel like a deadbeat. It seems like ages since I last checked in. I don't even really have a good excuse-the holiday rush has died down and I just have been enjoying everyone's company. Christmas eve and Christmas day was spent at our house. It's very nice to cuddle up on the couch with a blanket and have everyone come to you :)

Of course after two days of being in the house we got a bit of cabin fever. On Monday we went down to the Grand Ave MOCA to see the Weegee exhibit. My intro to photography teacher introduced me to Weegee's work but I had never had to chance to see the actual prints- or any of his "hollywood" work. I would definitely recommend seeing the show. I think it's up until February.
I've got one more good friend visiting from out of town, so the party continues for a few more days. Everyone needs a bit of a break every now and then. Happy holidays!
Row 1: The faces of my Christmas ornaments

Row 2: Some more ornaments and my two trees
Row 3: Weegee exhibit at MOCA downtown LA
All photos taken with my iphone 4 then edited with instagram.

Last minute gift wrap ideas

2011-12-23T10:54:00.000-08:00

There's no doubt about it- it's now officially crunch time! If you're like me, you're still waiting for some presents to arrive in the mail so it's a good idea to get your wrapping supplies ready. Here are a few of my favorites I found around pinterest. Above, you can't beat a brown paper package tied up with string- unless you add some vintage postage to it.

-Typed gift tag- the extra effort is appreciated :) -And for your favorite book worm, why not use some old pages to wrap their gift. There's so many books at yard sales and thrift stores that will never be read- might as well put them to good use. -Sweeten the deal by adding a candy cane or lollipop to the outside of the package. -If you're all about perfection this tutorial for tying a bow is for you.

-Abnormal shaped packages look great in brown paper- no need to find another box to put it in. Fabric is a great alternative to paper- and can be reused. -Try decorative paper (like origami) to add some color under your tree.

-Any plain package can be spruced up with a sticker or label.

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas! Enjoy the time with your friends and family.

Photo sources:

Top) brown paper packages
Middle) typed gift tag, book pages candy topped, tie the perfect bow

Bottom) brown paper and sprigs, fabric wrap, patterned paper, white containers with red labels

Back to Civilization

2011-12-22T10:22:00.000-08:00

Tony and I are back from our trip to Yosemite. It got pretty cold on our last day- around 20 degrees. This is what the car window looked like! Brrr

Now we are home again in sunny, southern California. It's supposed to be in the low 60's for the rest of the week through Christmas. I've got presents to wrap, some last minute orders to ship, and a house to get in order for guests. Laundry might be my demise...

How is it December 22nd already? I know I'm not the only one scrambling around. Good luck getting all the last minute "to dos" done :)

photo taken with my iphone 4

Paper & Type at Unique LA Holiday

2011-12-21T20:11:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I am such a dope! I don't edit my pictures until I need them so these (among others) got lost in my iphoto library. I'll have many more to share soon (NYC, Atlanta, Las Vegas) but for now I need to finish coverage of the holiday craft fairs.

It really is always a treat to see Victoria of Paper and Type. I really enjoyed her setup with these linen covered card shelves and bits of holiday sprigs sprung about :)

This was the first time I saw her collaboration with le petite elefant- a "year of good cheer" calendar. It is the second time this dynamic duo has teamed up to present a calendar and could it be cuter? The answer is no! Genevieve (le petite elefant) came up with adorable watercolors and Victoria (paper & type) handled the lettering and layout. Each watercolor is detachable and you can send it as a postcard or hang it on your wall.

The thing I'm really excited to share. When I saw it on the table I completely forgot to continue snapping shots. I has changed the way I write letters, so thank you Victoria for a) such a great idea and b) perfect execution.

Holiday via instagram

2011-12-19T22:22:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Yosemite! Tony and I took some days off to spend in Yosemite with his family. It is so beautiful. Things have been so crazy since October it really is nice to get away from home. Our days have been filled with waterfalls, walks, hot chocolate, wine, and writing postcards. We're having a great time, we'll be back in LA with my family for Christmas.
Row 1: View of Half Dome, Giant wreath, Christmas tree at The Ahwahnee hotel.
Row 2: Detail of Christmas tree, classic mail box, writing holiday cards
Row 3: partially frozen river, a sunny hike, Yosemite Falls.
All photos taken with my iphone 4 then edited with instagram.

Press (and a new return address stamp)

2011-12-15T09:46:00.000-08:00

Toni Mellott from Traditional Home magazine showcased a few items from their holiday gift guide to feature and this was on national tv. In LA, it was on kcal 9 around 4 yesterday. Crazy right??
Paper Pastries has gone viral. You can click here to watch the segment. It begins around minute 2:05. I am named! Pretty huge.
Anyway, as you guys can imagine it's been nuts with the online orders. There's only been one issue...we all remember the Allie style:

People were crazy for it but also wanted more swirls, taller letters, skinnier letters, fatter letters, letters spaced further apart...it goes on and on. I'm not happy until my customer is happy but most of them just wanted a completely different style than what they had to begin with. It was straying too much from the original style, each one took on a life of it's own. Something had to be done.
A big plus about being in charge is whenever there's an issue it's completely up to me to fix it. The allie style was causing too many problems so I just removed it! It had a good run.
The listing seemed weird to me now that there were only three styles to choose from. Again, totally in my control. Debuting a new return address style:

Yes this is dedicated to Donovan of 16sparrows, in a way you could say she saved my sanity :) Now the listing is complete and the orders keep coming! Here is the updated set:

Pretty good looking if you ask me. Custom return address stamp.

Recent Favorites Pt. 20 {Renegade Craft Fair} and a giveaway

2011-12-15T08:38:00.000-08:00

I zeroed in on this adorable love letter kit at the We Love Citrus table but stuck around for all the darling packaging supplies. Twine, bags, ribbon, bags, and stickers- literally everything you need to make a great package this holiday season.

I'm also very impressed by how many products Ana got on one table! I gushed and gushed over everything and before I left she gave me one of her love letter kits :)

Just what you need to write that overdue love note for Valentines day.

It's way too cute for me to use so I'm going to randomly pick a blog reader to receive it.

All you have to do is a leave a comment on any January post and I'll pick a winner on January 31th.

I hope she doesn't mind me sharing this code from her mailing list:

"To help you out a little bit to shop for those very last gifts during this holiday season we decided to put one last coupon out. Spend $40 or more and receive $10 OFF your order. Enter "SNOWFLAKE" at check out. Offer starts now and ends on Friday 12/16/2011 at midnight (PST).

We love citrus shop and blog.

all photos by Margaret Haas

Recent Favorites Pt. 19 {Renegade Craft Fair}

2011-12-14T11:45:00.000-08:00

Renegade Craft Fair, los angeles was this past weekend. It was fantastic! My team is un-believeable to say the very least. My team consists of- Tony (fiancee) katie (sister) nat (brother in law) and wendy (friend)
There's nothing like a little friendly competition to spark the fire. They love the fight to claim the crown of "No. 1 seller" Still, Nat holds the title.
Sorry I've been absent since Monday- just trying to get all the stamps orders finalized. Now that that's done I can concentrate on getting orders out the door and posting. It doesn't really feel like work when you can listen to The Carpenters as loud as you want ;)
Now, on to the fair-
I got to sit and chat with Erin Dollar, and Keiko of Small Adventure. They have such great items. Erin- original collages, drawing, pillows and cards and Keiko- prints, cards, original paintings, accessories. A wide range of items, each of them unique.

Above, A small selection of Erin's table. Erin and I were in the Art department together in college and though we didn't really know each other I'm glad we can become friends now. She is actually organizing a little crafty women's group so if you're in the LA area and want to take part, send her (or me and i'll forward to her) an email. We plan to meet once a month, the first one will be in January, probably in Silver Lake.

Above, Keiko's table. Those original paintings on wood are adorable right? She also has this re-useable air mail pouch. Too much good stuff!
All photos by margaret haas.

Buy local and handmade

2011-12-09T11:20:00.000-08:00

See you this weekend at Renegade Craft fair, LA. We will be under the big tent near the main aisle. See all vendors in attendance here.
Bundle up- we hear it's going to be cold!

Flash card calendar now in stock

2011-12-08T16:47:00.000-08:00

When I saw Whisker Graphic's Flash card calendar I knew we needed it in the shop and we just got it. It comes with a bulldog clip so you can hang it virtually anywhere. You can find out more info and purchase here.

so adorable :) all photos by whisker graphics.

Bocket store at Unique La

2011-12-08T12:47:00.000-08:00

Tony discovered this shop at Renegade Holiday two years ago so we always check in to see what's new. These are vintage wooden items given new life with hand painted dots.

Mesmerizing aren't they? She just added picture frames! I think Tony needs a bocket frame on his desk, with a picture of me in it.

Check out her etsy shop. She will also be at Renegade LA this weekend.

This is our little bowl that holds our pool keys and bouncy balls.

all photos taken with my canon rebel or iphone 4.

Recent Favorites Pt. 18 {flickr}

2011-12-07T08:53:00.000-08:00

The cold has officially arrived in Los Angeles. I spend my mornings huddled up in a robe, slippers, and sipping hot tea while I write down orders, email, and blog. It is hard for me to leave the warmth of my apartment for the harsh winds, dirt, and noise of the city. I definitely need some warm winter clothes :) Clearly I could never survive the real winters of the east coast!
now on to a little bit about my recent flickr favorites:
-Just seeing christmas trees makes me happy. Tony and I have been so busy with the holiday craft fairs, traveling, and visiting friends that we have not yet had time to go pick a tree. I am crossing my fingers that it happens this week.
-I have not been in the snow for 5 or 6 years. We are going to Yosemite the week before Christmas and it will most likely be snowing.
-I thought this photo was beautiful and calming. I have never gardened but I do appreciate the hard work that goes into it.

-This scene is perfection. A pot of tea to be enjoyed, instead of rushed like I always drink it during the holidays, sometimes burning my tongue.
-This sweet cupcake looks delicious and how about that mini rainbow? magic!

Clearly I'm obsessed with hot beverages during the cold season. This vintage Lipton's ad is so funny- basically a cup of tea makes everything better.
-Handsome coffee just opened up downtown LA. I really want to try it, hopefully we will get a chance this weekend.

This clean and simple holiday cards are so pretty- and a reminder I've got to send mine out soon.

Photo sources-

From the top) lisa parks, julian bialowas, rooze
brooke schmidt, dream in colour, vintage liptons ad, poketo, snap and tumble

Photo layouts from Pugly Pixel, available here.

Kyyote at Unique la

2011-12-06T23:15:00.000-08:00

What first drew me in to this jewelry display was it's clean look that you could see from across the room. Neat wooden boxes are the perfect showcase for Los Angeles designer, Amanda Loos' line Kyyote. Such fun colors!

Tribal, minimalist, modern, and affordable. Shop Kyyote

all photos taken with my canon rebel.

Paper Pastries at Unique LA

2011-12-05T19:37:00.001-08:00

What a weekend! I have a love hate relationship with holiday shows. They are exhausting and exciting at the same time. There's always a lot of prep involved, no matter how many times we've done it. It also gets a bit old when other vendors come up and say "you look so tired!" like, how about "good to see you" or "what's up?" Yeah, I look tired because I am tired. I wake up early every morning and go to bed late every night. It's holiday season- what are you doing? If you're not tired you're not working hard enough! Haters gonna hate.
We switched it up a bit this show, and didn't use the card shelves. To cover the walls, I got a stencil made from Inscriptu in San Diego. Michael was easy to communicate with and got the stencil to me in days. Incredible customer service! After we had the stencil we found a three foot roll of kraft paper at Utrecht art stores. We got spray paint from Osh and went to work. We thought red and gold were the most "holiday" colors that would show up on the kraft paper. The final touches were these wreaths that made the booth smell great- so very holiday. Wendy, Katie, Nat, and Tony gave up their weekend to help out. It was a relief to get a bit of a break but then I waited until the last hour on Sunday to go around and take pictures.

I was pleased but now that I look at it, the overall display seems a bit flat. Always a work in progress.

Always a good idea to take pictures and reflect. This week we should figure out what we want to change/edit/keep for next weekends fair.

More unique la tomorrow.

Blue Christmas

2011-12-01T10:26:00.000-08:00

This gift guide is dedicated to my sister, whose favorite holiday song is Elvis' blue christmas. We are in the middle of craft fair prep so you won't hear from me again until Monday. Have a great weekend!

Row 1) cutesy bow tie, blue bottles print, vintage sewing machine
Row 2) blue topaz, flat file cabinet, tea pot

Row 3) wrap dress, eames rocker, abby trys again

Photo layouts from Pugly Pixel, available here.

Recent Favorites Pt. 17 {pinterest}

2011-11-30T07:11:00.000-08:00

Tis the season for holiday parties. Besides the normal gatherings I also have friend's engagement parties to go to, in addition to my own engagement party on the 16th! I have been crazy looking for hair, makeup and outfit ideas on pinterest. A girl needs all the help she can get.

-I would like to try a messy bun with a fancy dress. Could it work?

-And a high tight bun with jeans. I'm not sure if I could make this work with my limited hair taming skills but it's so cute it's worth a try.

-I've never worn a full length dress before but something about the color, shape, and easiness makes me want to give it a try.

-This collection of bridesmaids dresses is so pretty, I might have to get one for myself.

As always I'm crazy for manicures. Your nails is the one place you can go as crazy as you like with zero repercussions. Bring on the glitter, color combinations and striking patterns.

I'll be pinning and re-pinning my favorite finds to my newest board.

Photo credits:

Row 1) brunch at saks, the beauty dept
Row 2) top shop work to shop

Row 3) polished love, joanna goddard

Row 4) tulip louise, tracy wang

Photo layouts from Pugly Pixel, available here.

Cyber Monday

2011-11-28T14:23:00.000-08:00

Ah, the holidays. It really is the most wonderful time of the year isn't it? Whether you were working hard in the kitchen, relaxing at home with family or rooting for your favorite team, we hope your thanksgiving was fun and delicious!

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend and are ready to get into full holiday mode over here at Paper Pastries.

If you prefer to shop in person come see us at holiday craft fairs around LA

As it is Cyber monday, we'd like to offer you 20% off your entire purchase in our online shop- for the next 24 hours only! Just enter "stuffed" at checkout.

First up, this weekend December 3 + 4, from 11am-6pm at The California Market Center Cost: $10 at the door or in advance online.

Or the following weekend, December 10 + 11, from 10am – 5pm at Los Angeles State Park. Admittance is free.

Thank you for supporting this handmade and independent business during holiday season and throughout the year!

If you have an independent blog or shop you'd like to promote we are offering affordable ad spaces on the blog starting in December. Check the blog this week for more info or email paperpastries@gmail.com if you're interested.

Ok, it's official

2011-11-24T08:08:00.000-08:00

We're engaged! Tony proposed (and I said yes) this past Sunday. Last night we were able to celebrate with some friends and family at my sister's house. I didn't want to post about it until everyone knew so sorry for the delay ;)

Katie threw together a pretty amazing engagement party in a few days. There were beautiful white bouquets, caviar, silly pictures, lots of cat holding, pink champagne, kissing, and fun.

Tony had my ring custom made. It's a cushion cut diamond in a gold "box" setting. I've never seen anything like it, it's absolutely beautiful. I didn't think I wanted a diamond because I really do love colored stones but this is so perfect. I can't help but admire it every time it catches my eye. Of course we've talked about getting married one day but it always seemed like something so far in the future that I was taken by total surprise when he pulled out this ring. He was actually nervous if you could believe it.

My head has been in the clouds since it happened- I am overjoyed.

Today we are headed up north to spend Thanksgiving with Tony's family, which will soon be mine too.

Enjoy your holiday!

All photos taken with my canon rebel. Sorry they are so yellow I still don't know the right settings for low light. If only I could find that digital camera manual...

Recent Favorites Pt. 16 {flickr}

2011-11-23T08:27:00.000-08:00

Is it just me or does it feel like Fall is flying by? Already thanksgiving?! Well, I'm not complaining, it is my favorite holiday. Food, family, relaxation, shopping- what's not to love? It's also that last bit of calm before the holiday crazies start. Speaking of holiday shopping, we are going to send out our holiday newsletter soon, so if you'd like to receive a special discount code, find out which fairs we're doing, and see what else is new, you can sign up here.

Now on to the recent favorites. I've been so busy that I haven't been able to catch up looking through my flickr contacts recent uploads but I forced myself to sit down with a cup of coffee this morning to do it. It's never that hard to force yourself to do something you like.

I really enjoy the colors of thread, a very neutral palette, then that pop of orange makes it interesting.

What a fun iphone case. In this month's martha stewart, there is a project on how to make cross stitch portraits, it would be a cool gift idea.

Aren't advent calendars the best? This one is DIY.

It's about that time to sit down and make/write/send holiday cards. My table will look like this soon.

Very modern and amazing looking ornaments.

Again, shocked it's time for new calendars already. At least this one is easy on the eyes.

If you don't have time to make holiday cards, I do love Small Adventure's line and their new cards just came out.

Gathering apples just makes me think it's time for pie.

Literally nothing prettier than bokeh christmas lights.

Photo sources-

Row 1) creature comforts, purl soho, amanda jane jones
Row 2) broken skyline how about orange, k is for calligraphy

Row 3) small adventure, jackie rueda, jackie rueda

Photo layouts from Pugly Pixel, available here.

! ! ! exciting news coming tomorrow ! ! !

If you're not able to check back in, I hope everyone has a fantastic, delicious, indulgent, incredible thanksgiving tomorrow.

Favorite Shop Series Pt. 10

2011-11-21T17:53:00.000-08:00

I just came across the shop of Claudia Varosio, a London based artist who reimagines posters, paper dolls and prints. My favorite series are her movie posters. It makes me wish that these were the posters that we saw at bus stops, on billboards, and in magazines.

All photos from Claudia Varosio.

Photo layouts from Pugly Pixel, available here.

Ban.do holiday

2011-11-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

The holidays are fast approaching and you know what that means- parties! From tree trimmings, to office happy hours, to new year's eve you need something sparkly to celebrate the season. That's where ban.do comes in- everything is so adorable. Enter backandforth for 15% off but hurry- this code expires tomorrow.
All photos from ban.do
Photo layouts from Pugly Pixel, available here.

The happiest place on earth

2011-11-15T21:53:00.000-08:00

Tony got a Disneyland gift card from his company last Christmas. We waited until a day in July to go, but I just got around to scan in the photos. We visited both Disneyland and California adventure. I had not been to Disneyland in about 4 years, it was a lot of fun and a beautiful day in southern California.

All photos taken with my 35mm.

Recent Favorites Pt. 15 {holiday card edition}

2011-11-14T09:16:00.000-08:00

We are back from Atlanta, we had such a great time. Though we were only there 4 days I feel like we got a good sense of the town. We rented a car and saw tons of different neighborhoods. Thanks to recommendations from friends we never had a dull moment and due to the time difference we stayed up well past 3am every night- we thought we were party animals :)

Now that I'm back home it's time to get into the swing of things- Holiday! I've got two holiday craft fairs to prep for, custom proofs to send, and packages to ship. Not to mention holiday cards to send out. I rarely send any PP cards- there are so many great card companies out there, why would you limit yourself? I made a treasury that included some of my recent favorites added on etsy. You can check it out here.

Photo sources-

Row 1) crabapple design, deadweight, paloma's nest
Row 2) dutch door, gingerbread cannibals, erin dollar (fun fact-we went to college together)

Row 3) annoying customer, sycamore street press, hillary bird

Photo layouts from Pugly Pixel, available here.

Gifts from NY

2011-11-09T12:39:00.000-08:00

Whenever I travel I always leave room in my suitcase for gifts. Here are a few things I brought back for my friends, family and myself :)

Penguin book notebooks and a mug from Strand, a "tool box" it's pretty small I'm not sure what tools could fit in here, so maybe its more of a pencil box :)- from kiosk. I also got a cat toy from kiosk that fell apart the second time it was played with- not worth it!

Calendar from the MOMA store, Fawnsberg stationery from greenwich letterpress, gourmet salt from the Filing station in Chelsea Market, Mugs from Fishs Eddy, Tea from Harney & Sons.

Citrine necklace from the brooklyn flea, more mugs from fishs eddy, adorable ribbon from Pink Olive.

Some various glass containers for myself from Fishs eddy. I shipped all of my Fishs eddy purchases home, since they were way too heavy to carry around the city all day. They staff expertly packaged everything so it all arrived in perfect condition.

I can never resist stock pilling stationery from MUJI, and more envelope templates? I have a problem, I'm aware.

Cut from real map envelopes: JAM paper, multi color pens from MUJI, detail of fawnsberg stationery, and stamps from Casey rubber stamps.

Fun origami paper from Pearl River. I feel like I just got settled back into a routine after NY but it's time to pack another bag. Tony had to go to Atlanta for a week so I'm going to meet him there. We won't be back until Monday. Have a great holiday!

Paper Pastries Holiday Press No. 2

2011-11-08T21:54:00.000-08:00

This hit news stands today- the December issue of Traditional Home.

Our hand lettered address stamps are featured predominantly on the first page of the holiday gift guide. It has brought a lot of sales, but also some confusion! I am very grateful for the press and inclusion in this issue. I just have to keep saying this friendly reminder:

Innocent mistake obviously, but still frustrating! Thank you Jessica Hische.

Pin Money Vol. 6

2011-11-07T08:49:00.000-08:00

Jetpens.com is a great resource for a lot of hard to find items- especially distinctive pens like the Kaweco classic fountain pen. My favorite thing about this pen is that there are many different color ink cartridges- 2 blues, purple, black, red, and green. I think every pen comes with a standard blue cartridge. I got a white pen for myself and a midnight blue pen for my sister. I also got us refill green cartridges. The pen is very easy to get working- all you do is unscrew the top from the lower body and insert the ink right above the nib. The only thing I didn't like was the blue pen body had a sticker stuck to it that was impossible to remove cleanly. If you're giving one as a gift I would say to open up the box to remove any stickers and to insert the cartridge so it's ready to go.

Here is my first attempt with the fountain pen. Even on textured paper I found it the ink to write and flow smoothly. A win! Highly recommended- and ever since I got it I have not been able to write with anything else :)

Pop up shop

2011-11-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Currently there is a pop up shop happening at ReForm School featuring yours truly and five other crafters and artists. I haven't had the chance to get over there to photograph the fabulous products but I will soon. In the meantime, one of my favorite LA artists came out with these great, just in time for holiday shopping, personalized gifts:

nude block prints- yowza! I've been a big fan of Jill K. in LA for years but this is my favorite thing she's ever come up with. Since Jill and I are friends, she indulged my curious side and answered a few questions:

1) What inspired you to make nude portraits? Regular portraits are just so "expected." Nudes are a lot more fun!
Actually, I was inspired by our Pop-Up Shop title, "This Time, It's Personal." What's more personal than a nudey pic?

2) Do you blush when you're carving the blocks?

Nah. After years of Life Drawing classes, in Art School, I've seen a lot of birthday suits. Consider me like a doctor.

3) Any special/strange requests (i.e. make my nipples larger) ?

Oh yeah, I'm often asked to be "generous." And to which, I comply (on a realistic or comical level).

4) Any different spins custom portraits in the future?

No new twists planned for future custom portraits, but I'm always open to suggestions!

If nude isn't your thing, she also has tons of great cards and prints.
Custom portraits, cards, and prints may be ordered from ReForm School or online from Jill's etsy shop.
All photos courtesy of Jill K. in LA. Thank you Jill! Keep up the good (or should I say saucy) work.

Favorite Shop Series Pt. 9

2011-11-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

The necklaces from Son of a Sailor had caught my eye. This Austin based shop has a very clean, modern look to their jewelry. I also liked that each piece can be customized different paint choices. I wanted to get coordinating necklaces for me and my sister so I proposed a trade. Luckily, Jessica (one half of Son of a Sailor) happily agreed. I love trading!

I choose the hand-painted locket and the h and-painted triangle. I choose softest pink for the paint color. Aren't they great? I really love my triangle, I got the longest chain they had so it's easy to slip on right over my head. No fiddling with the clasp! Right now I have the triangle and Katie has the locket. It's a tiny little locket so I'm going to try to find a tiny picture to go in it. When we want to switch it up, we'll trade. It's a twist on BFF necklaces.
Top set of photos from Son of a Sailor shop, bottom set taken with my canon rebel.

Package from France and a giveaway

2011-11-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

Sophie who writes Ma petite valisette organized an international paper swap. I just received this fantastic package from my swap partner Fanny, in France.

It came with decorated with beautiful stamps and included:
a French magazine, multi color pen, candy, beautiful G.Lalo stationery, stickers, postcards, and a french 2012 calendar. What luck, I got a great swap partner. I will share what I sent her after she's received it. Don't want to spoil the surprise in case she happens to see my blog.

By the way...Donovan and Kathy are hosting a giveaway of one of my holiday stamp kits on the Letter Writer's Alliance blog today:

There's also a discount code for my shop. It's never too early to start holiday shopping! Head on over to enter.

Paper Pastries Press

2011-11-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

While I was in New York, my parents called to tell me that the Nov/Dec issue of Westways magazine had arrived in the mail. We had been looking forward to this for a while. The managing editor found our booth at July's Renegade craft fair and asked if she could have a sample of our California pencils to include in their holiday gift guide.

Text reads "Between planning festive meals, hanging lights, and negotiating holiday parties, shopping for gifts at this time of year can start to seem like a chore. Who has time to look for something perfect for everyone on their list? We're here to help. On the following pages, you'll find a variety of holiday gift selections for your favorite foodies, car enthusiasts, and world travelers, along with items from the museumgoers and pet lovers in your life. In addition to great online selections, we've selected our favorite Southland store for each category. And if you're more interested in experiences than gifts, we've got them covered, too. Event listings on every page will give you plenty of ideas about things to do- when you're done shopping, of course."
A very comprehensive gift guide and we are honored to be featured on the first page!
It is very exciting to see Paper Pastries in print. This has definitely kick started holiday orders over here at PP world headquarters. The majority of of sales are coming in from southern California. So nice to have local support :) I've also received a lot of acclaim from fellow bloggers, tweeters, and flickr contacts saying they came across the pencils in Westways. Thank you everyone!

This is Halloween

2011-10-31T12:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween :) I'm don't have a costume this year but I still love to see everyone else dressed up. Last year I spent the night at my sister's watching scary movies and handing out candy. This year we're going out in Hollywood to see a sampling of the city's craziest costumes. Have a fun night whatever you do!

My NYC holiday via instagram

2011-10-27T23:16:00.000-07:00

I'm back! What a trip. I can't lie, it feels good to be home but I am already really missing NYC. I had the best time with my girlfriends. I forget how fun it is to be around them and it's sad to think that I only get to see them a few times a year. We had such a great time. The weather was pretty much perfect, it only rained one day. The only bad thing that happened was we tried to go to the tenement museum but all the tours were sold out. So we went around the corner to Baby Cakes bakery and the shop girl was in a bad mood and really rude to my friend. Besides that, we covered a lot of ground, got plenty of presents for friends and family back home, and spent every second with each other which was what the trip was really about.
Remember the guide book I posted about? It was a god send. At one point, none of our phone maps/gps/directions were working so we actually used the map that Nicki made for me. Good to know paper can still get the job done :) Here are just a few shots from my trip.

We stayed in Christine's Greenwich Village apartment and it really made such a difference. It was nice to come back to a cozy place. Plus, it's pretty much the best neighborhood for restaurants and shopping. I really think you see so much more of a city when you stay somewhere other than a hotel.

It's really an amazing city. If I was visiting the US from another country, NYC would be at the top of my list. I hear it's supposed to snow on Saturday. I'm happy we left just in time. No way I can handle real weather.

If you're like me, as soon as you get home from a trip you're already planning the next one. I've got wanderlust for sure.

Next stop- Hotlanta! Tony has to go for work for a few days so I am tagging along then we'll spend four days exploring the city. I've never been so I am very excited.

Any recommendations for Atlanta? I'm completely clueless. I don't know what neighborhoods to check out, what restaurants to go to, or what shops to see.

If only I could get a handmade guidebook to all the cities I visit- I'd have it made ;)

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

All photos taken with my iphone 4 then edited with instagram.

Photo layouts from Pugly Pixel, available here.

Recent Favorites Pt. 14

2011-10-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

Just a few favorites recently found on Pinterest.
-I agree, it is fun to write letters. I've got a few to return, I'm looking forward to it.
-These dreamy colors of the moon phases remind me of that "mood" color changing lipstick I had when I was little.
-Packages from NYC establishments.
-Beautiful typography of shop signs.
-Glitter! always a good idea.
Do you have a pinterest board? If so, leave a comment with your link, I'm always interested in checking out more pinners.

Photo sources-

Row 1) Bob Willoughby, fredrik akum
Row 2) Jens Mortensen

Row 3) shop signs, dizzy nails

Photo layouts from Pugly Pixel, available here.

Photos I sent to Australia

2011-10-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

Remember the photo swap put on by Rhianne, from So easily distracted? I posted the photos I received from my swap partner Jasmine a few weeks ago. Jasmine developed my film, scanned all the photos, and emailed them to me. I'm pleased with how they came out. I took my ultra slim camera everywhere I went.

The swap provided more motivation to take my camera with me everywhere I went in an effort to get a range of places to share. I'm already looking forward to next years swap :)
All photos taken with my ultra slim and 35mm film.
Photo layouts from Pugly Pixel, available here.

Recent Favorites Pt. 13

2011-10-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

A few great images I recently came across on Flickr.

-Taking a half frame traveling is a great idea. I've always wanted to take a toy camera with me on holiday but I always just take my 35mm. Tried and true! I think Tony gets a bit fed up with me when I have 4+ cameras and am always fumbling with them.

-The colored houses on Portobello Road in London are too good to be true. I think I'd like to live in the pink one the best.

-Chocolate dipped brownies ...amazing.
-A visit to the pumpkin patch sounds so fun. I have not been pumpkin picking since I was little.
-Great collection of vintage air mail envelopes. I've been trying to get over my saving (hoarding) of stationery- what good is it in a drawer? I think this collection is too great to risk getting ruined by post and should be framed.
-I've been watching ABC's Pan Am and am hooked on it. This vintage tag is from the same era. I enjoy the show because it depicts the golden age of travel, where you dressed up to take a flight. Hat box, train case, and matching suitcases- what a dream. It's depressing to see people travel in sweatpants. Have they no shame?!

These ail themed stamps are pretty adorable. Not sure what the story is behind that chicken but I like it!

Photo sources-

Group 1) london half frame, portobello road
Group 2) sweetapolita, pumpkin patch, air mail, jfk luggage tag.

Group 3) hand carved stamps

Photo layouts from Pugly Pixel, available here.

Off to NYC

2011-10-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year! I've expressed my love for Fall many times and in many ways but I just had to say it once more. What better time of year to head to the east coast? My girlfriends from college are meeting up in New York for a week filled with walks through fallen leaves, late night talks, coffee drinking and most definitely shopping. Christine, of The Postage Service, is renting out her Greenwich Village studio to me and my friend. Christine and I will have one day to hang out with each other but then she is going on vacation. It is Lindsay's first trip to New York so I think it will be extra special that we get to stay in a real New York apartment in my favorite neighborhood!
Recently, I received an email from Nicki, who had just discovered my blog. She said we had so many things in common and wanted to thank me for pointing her in the direction of Kinokuniya bookstores. I asked which location she visited and found out she lives in NYC. I mentioned I was going on a trip there soon and she asked if I would like any suggestions of places to visit. From a real New Yorker? Absolutely! What came next I couldn't even believe.
Nicki sent me this beautiful package, with a guidebook she put together for me complete with an embroidered cover. What did I do to deserve such a thing?

It's pretty much the best thing I've ever received in the mail. The guide book is divided up into neighborhoods and has a little bit of history, description, and must see suggestions if I only have time for a few stops in each place. Super helpful (closed on sunday/monday and hard to find, but just go up to 2nd floor) and each suggestion is numbered, with a coordinating map so it's easy to find!

I just have a look of awe on my face every time I look through it. So thoughtful! Nicki and I are going to meet up one day while I'm in town and I'm very much looking forward to meeting my new friend!

I have a few posts scheduled while I'm gone. Have a wonderful week everyone!

Photo layouts from Pugly Pixel, available here.

Instagram swap

2011-10-14T11:46:00.000-07:00

I've kind of been a bit crazy for Katrina this week, but who can blame me? She and I just traded some of our iphone photos and this is what she sent me. I really enjoy the look of her shots and I just read in her post about our swap, that you can now purchase any of her iphone prints! That girl is full of great ideas.

Instagram has taken over my life :) I want to fill my walls with all of my friends instagram shots.
p.s. I'm pretty excited to see what the new iphone 4s camera can do. Tony is getting it and I'm very jealous.
Have a photo filled weekend!

Custom Stationery

2011-10-12T21:56:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky to have a life filled with fabulous women, who in turn, introduce me to other fabulous women :) My good friend Amy, hired me to create custom stationery for her good friend Jaimi, founder of Fiore Beauty. After taking a look through Jaimi's site, and blog, I knew we would have to come up with something young, fresh, and fun.
Though all the feedback and decisions were made over email, I feel like I know this girl. I hope I get to meet her soon.
As an added bonus, I love Fiore's Beauty blog. The best tips & tricks, serious product reviews, and the latest beauty finds- for all budgets. I'm addicted!

Recent Favorites Pt. 12

2011-10-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

There's just something about Autumn that makes it feel like more of a new beginning to me than Spring. Fall is absolutely my favorite time of year. The temperature drops and the days get shorter. It doesn't hurt that any and everything is pumpkin flavored, and therefore, delicious. It's been too long since I've shared some of my recent favorites from Flickr. Here's just a few notes about them, photo sources are listed at the bottom of this post.

-This illustrated top five list caught my eye because it showcases all of my favorite things about this time of year. Wouldn't this be a great print?

-The blue of this door is so pretty and I love the mail slot that invites letters in.

-Do I need a reason to favorite this beauty?

-A sampling of the Pacific Northwest's Flora and Fauna.

-Yoko from Homako recently went traveling through Europe and found some gorgeous vintage display items for her craft fair booth. I'm looking forward to seeing them in action.

-These handmade envelopes are so eye catching, I think I need to hunt for some of that wrapping paper.

-I'm intrigued by this giant book- about the weather?

-A beautiful capture of a yellow rose, it almost looks like a painting.

Very much looking forward to the online shop of Wanderlust.

-Though I'm so happy that Fall is here, Kate's photos make me miss the sweet berries of summer.
-I would be happy working 12 hours at my desk if I had these blooms to keep me company :)

Photo sources-

Group 1) Fall, letters, Picasso the cat, pacific northwest.
Group 2) Homako, blue letters, giant book, lemon yellow.

Group 3) Wanderlust shop

Group 4) That Kate, lobster and swan.

A blog I love: The Well Appointed Desk

2011-10-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

If you love handwriting, letter writing, writing utensils, organized work spaces and vintage office finds, you too will love The Well Appointed Desk. I am not exaggerating when I say that I read this blog "cover to cover," as soon as I discovered it. Every new page of posts I came across, I saw more and more that I liked. To say that Ana and I would get along would be an understatement :) The girl has got great taste!
This is just an a sampling of some of the fun stuff I found on her blog.
(by the way these are all photos borrowed from her posts)

Besides finding the latest and greatest in office supply, she also has book reviews. I really enjoy coming across a blog that is so centered and specific- it's refreshing!

If this doesn't motivate me to get my writing desk in order, I don't know what will.
All photos from posts on the Well Appointed Desk.
Photo layouts from Pugly Pixel, available here.

My Weekend

2011-10-10T10:33:00.000-07:00

This weekend was extremely productive! Katie and Tony helped me reshoot all of our holiday items, including the halloween cards, then Katie and Nat wrote product descriptions and added them to our shop.

What do you think of the gold background? I had mixed feelings about it but I was convinced otherwise.

Our holiday stamp kit is back in stock as well- choose from either happy holidays, or merry christmas. Each comes with an archival, fast drying red ink pad and 10 gift tags.

I am loving these photo layouts. I think they make the photos look so clean and organized. I treated myself to this amazing deal from pugly pixel- the blog bling kit. It is filled with so many photo templates, textures, patterns, and other fun stuff that I actually had a hard time organizing all the downloaded files on my desktop! Expect to see a lot more use of it here- I definitely recommend it :)

You can find the products showcased here for sale in our shop.

San Diego

2011-10-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

In the pile of travel items my dad got from a neighbor I found "This Week in New Orleans." Ever since then, I have been keeping an eye out for these pamphlets from other cities. I was excited to come across one from San Diego. I actually found this at the Lodekka bus in Portland, Oregon. I stuck it in a pocket of my suitcase and just recently found it. I find it very interesting to see prices, places of interests, and the ads in these old brochures.

I just scanned a few pages here but I'll add full size photos of them to my flickr account. I've got one more free weekend before I leave town again so I'm going to make the most out of this one. Here's to having a productive weekend!

Vintage Paper Fair No. 3

2011-10-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

I found these great postcards- they sure don't make them like they used to. Though each table is full of very clearly marked you could still spend hours looking through them until you find "the one." Oh the patience these vendors have with me! Another thing I love about the vendors is that they aren't bothered by bartering. Since they didn't slave over making or finding these, they are more lax about the whole pricing issue. I like to make my case that I'll buy more if I get a deal. Who can refuse? Case in point- the "jumbo" Hollywood postcard was marked as $6- I got it for $2! I'd like to thank my mother for the gift of haggling ;)

A favorite find from the last fair are small photograph collections as souvenirs from a place. I found this Hawaii set for a friend's birthday.

There are some pretty amazing shots in here. Makes me want to visit Hawaii again soon!

I've never been to the Great Smoky Mountains but this group of photographs makes me interested. The whole packet could have been mailed for a mere 3 cents.

A baby bear in the parking lot? Mama can't be far behind- I'd bail!

Majestic views, gushing rivers, and serene watefalls. Anyone been to the GSM recently? Is it still this magical?

I'm going to cut out these garden photos to decorate envelopes and packages. I loathe spiral bound books but the pictures were pretty so I got it.

I've got one more post of a vintage paper find to share then I'm done for a while. I'm sorry my posts have been all over the place. I used to spend a lot of time to plan them out for the week and now I just write about whatever comes to mind. For example, I still have not posted about my southwest trip, or my birthday trip, or Disneyland. Sometimes I forget what I have to blog about until I look through my photos. There's so many! I will get organized this weekend- I promise :)

Lomo LC-A+

2011-10-04T22:38:00.000-07:00

I had been dying to try out the Lomo LC-A+ camera for a while- I'd heard great things about it. I randomly emailed the gallery store in West Hollywood and asked if there was going to be a workshop anytime soon. Not only was there a workshop being offered in the next week, it was being held at space 15 twenty (way closer to my house) and it was free- usually they cost $10. So Dab, from the ever fabulous Old Brand New, and I, jetted over to Hollywood for the night.

The workshop started with a presentation/chat about lomography's history and how the lc-a+ came about. Afterwards we got together for some group shots. Then we walked around the neighborhood as a group for about 30-40 minutes. We got to use the camera and a roll of slide film, plus there was a bartender and a dj. Pretty fun for what could have been a typical Thursday night!

Dab and I shared a camera and shot one roll of film. These two (above and below) where the only shots of mine that I liked.
Pros:
-it uses 35mm film
-easy to double expose a shot
-and it's very light weight.
Con: It costs $250. This con outweighs all the pros in my mind. I don't think the camera is worth the money. For that price, I do expect a camera to have a manual focus. If you like the grain and look of these pictures, I have to say it's not because of the camera. We used slide film that Dab cross processed. The same effect could be had with cameras that cost six times less- such as the wide angle slim.

I do appreciate being able to try out the camera before buying. That would make me have confidence in Lomography as a brand, if I didn't already.

Dab took this picture of me with his iphone and instagram. The camera is very cute but...

the lubitel just jumped to the top of my wish list. Check out Dab's pictures and review here.
photo sources: top two from lomo
2 of dab by me, taken with the lomo lc-a+
photo of me shot by dab's iphone/instagram
lubitel camera from lomoshop.

My weekend via instagram

2011-10-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

This was unlike any other trip to Las Vegas that I've ever taken. Katie, Nat, Tony and I left in the afternoon on Friday. The reason for our trip was so Nat and Tony could see the LA Kings play in the frozen fury game. The highlight our this visit was the Neon boneyard. It's like an outdoor museum, the tours are guided by volunteers, and it was around 100 degrees that day. We got a history lesson on Vegas, and the most famous signs around. I did take my 35 mm but ran out of film so I pulled out my phone to finish off the tour.

We had dinner at the Aria then walked around the new center. The architecture is very modern and drastically different from the rest of Las Vegas. In each center planter was a variety of giant gourds and other fall harvest produce.

I love pumpkins!

Some of the Las Vegas wildlife.

Sunday afternoon we made our way home and stopped for lunch at the Mad Greek.

All photos taken with my iphone 4 and edited with the instagram app.

Vintage Paper Fair No. 2

2011-10-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

My favorite finds from this fair are these first issue postage stamps and matching envelopes. Lots of vendors have similar items but this one vendor only sold these, and I didn't see them at any other stall. There were literally thousands, I walked away with a few. The US used to make such amazing postage. They are little works of art. I'm hoping to find more at the next fair.

For information on upcoming fairs, check out their website.

Vintage Paper Fair No. 1

2011-09-29T09:27:00.000-07:00

You can only think about attending one of these fairs if you have hours on end to browse. There are aisles and aisles of bins, baskets, and piles of paper ephemera. Usually, we have to take a break in the middle to rest our eyes- there's just so much to see.
One of my favorite finds is this wallpaper catalog. I didn't see a date on it but look at those prices. .40 cents per roll! What a deal.

These are just from one company, I'd be interested in seeing more.

I like the floral prints the best. I've always thought about decorating with wallpaper but it's such a commitment. I think once we have a house I will do it. I see so many great prints these days. In the meantime I'm going to scan these patterns then and print them out to make envelopes.

Mint Condition

2011-09-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

There's a phenomenon happening here (and maybe all over the world) that I like to call "Craig's Law." It happens only when you're broke, but you browse Craig's List anyway, you know, just to see what's out there. You come across something so beautiful, so rare, and so exciting that you'd be a fool to pass it up. Only adding to the allure are the phrases that pop up in the search:
"Can't miss" "Must Have" "The typewriter of your dreams" All true! So, so true.

Case in point is this Hermes 3000 green typewriter. This beauty is all mine!
I've been trying to go about my day but I keep looking to the table, just to make sure it's still there. What a temptress.

Vintage Magazines

2011-09-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

My dad has these LIFe, U.S. News, and LOOK magazines from the early 1960's. Since I already know the history that the main articles talk about, I was more interested in looking at all the ads. Here's a mix of my favorite finds from each magazine.

Do you ever feel like you were you born in the wrong era?

Photo layouts from Pugly Pixel.

My weekend via instagram

2011-09-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

I had such a great weekend. Last week I decided that weekends would go back to serving their original purpose- fun and relaxation. I used to spend a lot of weekends running around like crazy, long hours and late nights in the studio and I would wake up Monday morning more exhausted. So now I spend a few extra hours each day during the week so I don't have to take any time out of my weekend.

In the studio on Friday-My envelope shaped business card holder from Victoria of Paper & Type. I think it really brings that je ne sais quois to my shipping table.

Typing international shipping labels on my teal smith corona.

Working on stamping a personalized notebook.

Saturday- time for more birthday fun! Tony and a bunch of our closest friends met in the early afternoon at the Redondo Beach Pier for seafood.

The crabs were gigantic and delicious.

The glass pitchers kept the beer refreshingly cold.

I got many compliments on my Homako necklace.

Between two tables, we ate about 60 oysters.

This guy was the star of table #2.

Came with the purchase of a lobster!

After we ate, we ventured down the pier to the 360 degree bar. My friend Mollye, who grew up in Redondo Beach recommended we come here. It was the perfect place for the "after party."

We even got to keep these great souvenir glasses!

The stairs leading up to the 360 degree bar were so pretty.

For Saturday night dinner we went to A frame in Culver City.

Look what it said on the menu- we had no idea! How funny.

Sunday: my sister had a hell of a time getting to me. The streets were closed for the LA triathalon. Finally we met up, got out of the madness and headed to Proof Bakery in Atwater Village. This plum tart was just the right amount of sweet.

Then we spent the majority of the afternoon at the vintage paper fair. I will share more of what I found soon.
Sunday night we went to eat at our friends house in Hollywood and had some pre show cocktails. Then we all walked to the Hollywood Bowl. All in all, a fantastic weekend. Bad news is- I've got a lot of laundry to do!

One of each, please

2011-09-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

Cassia Beck has such a style that many have tried to mimic. I've always admired her photographs and now you can decorate your whole life with her beautiful images.

Most all of these are available in framed prints, stretched prints, iphone covers, ipod cases, or laptop covers. How will you choose just one? of each? ;)
Shop all of these at her Society 6 shop.
All photos from Cassia Beck.
Photo layouts from Pugly Pixel.

As a side note, today is Tony's birthday! The big 2-8. I am excited to primp and prep and take my beau out to celebrate. Friday night the real festivities will begin.

My holiday in instagram pictures

2011-09-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

I came back from Northern California yesterday. I really like how brits call vacations "holidays." It sounds a lot more fun. So from now on, I'll never go on boring vacations again, only fabulous holidays. These pictures were taken with my phone, then edited with instagram. If you follow me @paperpastries you've seen them, but for those of you who don't: my (ice truck killer) inspired manicure.

Breakfast in the garden.

Sun bath.

Antique fair No. 1

Antique fair No. 2

Porch sitting.

A walk through the woods.

Ferrell's donuts.

Baytree bookstore.

Record playing.

Japanese store shopping No. 1

Japanese store shopping No. 2

Letter writing.

Backyard sitting.

and garden wandering, parts 1-7.

the end :)

Which iphone case should I get?
	cameras
	nebula
	bokeh
	letterpress