I’ve been meaning to order a pair of Warby Parker glasses since they came out. Then since they opened a showroom at Shop Good. Then when they debuted their line of sunglasses. You get the picture. So when my two year eye appointment rolled around this month I knew it was really time. Lucky for me, Oklahoma City is one of four locations in the U.S. that have physical showrooms – it’s located inside Shop Good. I swear I’d been in there trying on frames no fewer than three times over the past year. The owners, Justin and Audrey, are sweethearts who I’ve been lucky enough to know for about a year and a half. After about thirty minutes I settled on the Beckett frames and my order was complete in less than five minutes. Monday I got the email saying my glasses had shipped, and yesterday they were waiting on my doorstep when I got home from work. They showed up in the best box with a case lined in electric blue. Oh! And a pair of their glasses went to someone in need when I purchased mine, all for a very affordable $95 total.
Then I immediately took my contacts out and tried them on. After ten hours at the office. Just for you.
PS: This is not a sponsored post, I’m just a big fan of the company and their products.
One thing that tends to end up at the back of the line on Design Crush are my own creations, but that’s something I’m hoping to incorporate more often and more regularly. Not so much designs from my 9-to-5, but the pieces I do on the side.
Starting with this birth announcement for tiny Leo Friedman.
My friend Molly hit me up to create this for her client – Amy – after a failed attempt from another designer. Cause, you know, sometimes that happens. It’s not always a match. From the get-go we were on the same page, minimal and clean. (Her daughter’s announcement was a Picasso-esque sketch of a pregnant belly.) I sent over four options and Amy chose my favorite, this paper plane rendering. Some might argue that all of the grey is too cold for something so happy, but I say if it fits and feels right you go with it. Lucky for me Amy agreed, and I sent this off to the printer last Wednesday!
Three weeks into the Project Runway challenge and I feel like I’m getting the hang of this thing. I feel much more inspired if I sketch out ideas as I’m watching the show, and creating my design on the HP TouchScreen 610 is taking significantly less time. This week the contestants were tasked with creating a garment for a stiltwalker. I know. Not only were they fighting the shear height of the model, but they also had to take into consideration that it’s easy to get tripped up – literally – while walking in too much fabric. (The PR contestants were paired off for this challenge, I’m working solo.) After a brainstorming session everyone was off to Mood with a $500 budget.
Right off the bat I knew that I wanted something with movement and volume. Color blocking also seemed like a great idea. I started off by making a long strapless A-line dress in bright poppy red raw silk. With the dress form considerably more close-fitting than the volume I was about to create, I hoped to lessen the chance of the model falling. Once finished I started attaching tiers of gathered matching red netting from the waist down, then I proceeded to attach neon pink in the opposite direction from the waist up. No need for killer shoes with this outfit, so I finished everything off with a skinny snake belt from the Piperlime wall. Here’s the result:
Full Disclosure: HP provided me with a TouchSmart 610 for use. All content and opinions are mine. I have not been financially compensated by HP or Project Runway.
After watching this week’s episode of Project Runway, I felt much more inspired and confident than the last. I actually started sketching ideas out and making notes while I was watching and tweeting and I think that was the biggest help. I also felt better acquainted with my HP TouchSmart 610, and more of my attention was focused on my design instead of how to create my design.
This week’s challenge started off with a trip to a discount pet supply store. Everyone (including me) immediately thought they were going to be designing for animals. Huh-uh, WRONG. Each designer was given a $300 budget and told to buy pet to supplies to create their garment, muslin was also allowed for the base fabric.
What I Bought:
• 1 leather leash
• 2 dog beds
• 10 lbs. black fish gravel
• 2 lbs. white fish gravel
First, I took the dog beds apart at the seams and created a form-fitting shift from the black fabric backing. The side seams have round edges and three inch slits. Then, creating what might be the heaviest mini-dress in history, I took the black fish gravel and hot glued it to majority of the dress. I made sure to leave a four inch wide panel untouched in the front to attached the white gravel, which I had previously spray painted gold. Then I took my leather leash, painted it gold as well, and created a crisscrossed halter to help hold (the imagined) weight of the dress up.
This week I also ventured into the land of piperlime shoes and accessories that the contestants have access to. I wanted the shoes to be dramatic without taking away from the garment. The jewelry also needed to be fairly simplistic, and I love these pieces.
So there you have it! Did you watch this week? What would you have created?
Full Disclosure: HP provided me with a TouchSmart 610 for use. All content and opinions are mine. I have not been financially compensated by HP or Project Runway.
One of my favorite parts of this community are the relationships that are built not only between bloggers and readers, but with brands. I had a chance to meet up and chat with some of the swell people behind HP just this past January when they showed me their latest line of products at Alt. One of those things was their rad TouchScreen technology that’s featured on the show Project Runway. A few weeks ago HP contacted me to see if I’d be interested in giving their TouchScreen 610 a test-run for a few months by sharing weekly posts created on it, keeping in line with the Project Runway theme for that week. Being not only a design nerd, but a tech geek I was all over it.
Having been a Mac girl for all but my freshman year of college, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from the new TouchScreen when it showed up. At all. Was it going to be massive and bulky? Have lots of cords and extra stuff that I had no idea what to do with? No and no. In fact, the set up as far as components go really reminds me of my iMac at the office. Monitor and processor happily co-exist as one piece, then there’s a wireless mouse and keyboard. Really easy setup. And get this… the monitor flat-out pivots. It makes working in the drawing program loads easier, and more like drawing on a sketchbook. And I’d be remiss not to mention the incredible 23″ monitor.
First lesson learned, I am no fashion designer. I know what I like when I see it, but I don’t have that sort of design vision. Second lesson, using the TouchSmart is very different from my beloved Adobe Creative Suite programs. You can let your fingers do the work on the screen, but I opted for a stylus (from my ancient Palm Pilot!). It took me awhile to get the hang of things, including what command stands in for Control Z on a PC. After about an hour of messing around, this is what I came up with.
For the first week I thought I’d take things very literally and go right along with the challenge. The contestants were woken up in the middle of the night for this one. I sleep in a white Hanes tee most nights and my queen-sized sheets area always white – I totally lucked out. They have access to fabric dyes, so I “dyed” my sheet poppy red and created a floor length gown out of it with a plunging neckline, pockets, and a bit of bustle in the back. My shirt got dyed a goldenrod yellow and was fashioned into a fitted, bunched belt around the waist. Not the most daring of fashion ideas, but I’m pleased with it for a first go ’round.
What would you have created?
Starting today and carrying on through the next several Mondays, this is what you’ll be seeing here. I’m going to do my best not to stick to one “formatted” technique of my take on the weekly challenge, I really want to mix it up a little and keep things interesting. I’m also really looking forward to flexing my art and design muscles in an entirely different way than I’m used to!
Full Disclosure: HP provided me with a TouchSmart 610 for use. All content and opinions are mine. I have not been financially compensated by HP or Project Runway.
Check it out – today I’m over on Indie Cases with the honor of making their first curated pick! Float On was designed by Joe H. in Brooklyn and is available in limited edition for purchase this week only.
Just before Father’s Day I was asked by a blog that shall remain anonymous to contribute a post about what my father has taught me. Good, bad, everything in between. The blogger failed to post my story and a few others (much to our dismay), but I thought the post might be worth sharing here.
My dad and I have always had a bit of an up and down relationship, but he’s still managed to teach me quite a bit. Some from things he did, some from things he didn’t do. Some from actions speaking louder than words, and some from the opposite. There’s a lot to be said for that point when you realize your parents are people, they have flaws and misgivings and regrets. That point of acceptance changed my life.
Always be yourself, whatever that means to you. Be the girl who gets dropped off at school in the 5th grade on the back of a motorcycle. Don’t be afraid to mix lunch meats on a sandwich. Follow your dreams. Sometimes too far. Learn to make a great breakfast and master the grill. It’s okay to be the quiet one in the background, but speak your mind when it tells you to. Learn to drive a stick shift, preferably from someone with patience. Learn to be patient. Everyone has regrets, turn them into lessons. Age is just a number, it’s how you feel inside that counts. Don’t worry about what other’s think, you’re the one who has to live with you. (How they feel is a different story.) Don’t be afraid to make new memories, just don’t forget the old ones. Do anything for a friend or family member. Spring for the quality alcohol, your hangover will thank you. Be affectionate with your children, even if your parents weren’t with you. Old habits die hard. Fix the wrongs in your life while you still have the luxury of time. It really is the thought that counts.
As of this morning you can find me at one of my new contributor gigs over on Curbly! If you’re not familiar with the site, you really should be. It’s bursting at the seams with rad how-to projects, room inspiration, furniture, and so much more. Not to mention the great writers and community they’ve built up – top notch in my book! I hope you’ll stop by and see what I’m sharing from time to time.
If you follow designcrush on Twitter you may have noticed me freaking out about some great opportunities a few weeks back. Well, here’s the first… starting this month I’ll a featured contributor on Houzz. I’ll be building ideabooks based around a particular theme each time, my focus for June is on cocktail tables. If you ever want to see the latest, you can just click on the widget at the bottom of the sponsors column. Houzz is full of tons of other fantastic ideas and inspiration for you home besides my ramblings, so if you get the chance take a peek and let me know what you think!
Something kind of exciting happened yesterday. You officially became my longest relationship. I started Design Crush June 5, 2007, using this as a space to gather the things that I found inspiring. Never ever imagining that anyone would be interested in what I liked or had to say. And now four years later I’ve gained so much more than put in. Friendships that I’m sure will stand the test of time, collaborations that I never expected, and new opportunities I can’t wait to share. Thank you a million times over for coming along for the ride. xo
