This kaleidoscopic stoop is a favorite with our magpie family. Buttons, beads, sequins, seashells, and all manner or shimmery sparklies cover this Boreum Hill home, and we always stop to check for new additions when we walk past.  I recently learned that the mosaic is more than fun and sparkles, its a beautiful memorial, “a celebration of life, [to] share with… neighbors and people who pass by to cheer them.” After 9/11, Brooklyn artist Susan Gardner began gluing bits of jewelry, mirror, and beads to her outside brownstone walls and has been adding to it ever since. Neighbors and visitors are known to leave broken dishes or jewelry to be added to the mosaic, so if you pass by 108 Wyckoff Street, leave a little something shiny.

We weren’t here on 9/11, 11 years ago. But after living here for seven years, it feels a little like being a younger sibling who cries when their big brother or sister is sad.  To our friends and neighbors for whom this is a difficult day, we love you.

This summer has been hard on Ivy—her best friend moved to Texas. She has been working hard on lots of projects to send that way (most of them oversized and 3-D, so Cam, prepare to fill that ranchhouse with some fancy pieces from a bonified Brooklyn artiste.) This one was nice and envelope sized, and I was so smitten with her colorful typography I scanned and printed a few more out. (I kind of want to gold foil some!) We thought it would be fun to send these to friends while we skipped town ourselves for a few weeks. I had a stack of friendship bracelets I had picked up in Mexico which made the perfect accent.

Ivy is a more of a fine artist and was pretty horrified by the idea of mass producing her art—she wanted to handwrite and customize each card.  After a hearty debate, she acquiesced to custom signatures, and I love the little logo she came up with.  While I was trying to configure some complicated hole punched/sewn-in/looped through approach for attaching the bracelets, Ivy smacked some tape around the back. Simple and perfect.  Oliver woke up just in time to slobber some envelopes closed, so it was a real team effort.  In conclusion, to anyone reading: I’m glad we are friends!

When up-and-coming-singer-songwriter Taylor Olson approached me about designing her album art, I was very interested. Album art! But when I heard her voice, intrigue begat excitement—this girl can sing. We wanted to create something that was evocative of her folksy sound and hint at the lovebird theme without going all Portlandia.

I initially wanted to do a hand drawn version, and had a splendid time stealing my kids’ colored pencils. Ultimately we decided it might be a little too folksy, and went with the bolder vector art. Which do you prefer?

P.S. Check out Taylor’s album on iTunes. Ivy (who has exceptional taste in music, as evidenced by her recent Michael Jackson kick) loves Bird Song—it has been on heavy rotation around these parts.

We took a quick daytrip to Philly last weekend to see Stefan Sagmeister’s The Happy Show, and despite the opening disclaimer—”This exhibition will not make you happier. Low expectations are a good strategy.”— it actually did make me happier, and I just can’t shut up about it.

It’s tempting to write every bit down from my notes, but in the spirit of spoiler-free-proselytizing, let me just tell you there is bike-riding, gum balls, and an amazing array of typography (aka my personal heaven.) But even more than the beautiful visuals, the messages were so inspiring and motivating. Brian loved that unlike many shows I drag him to, the ideas weren’t cryptic or ambiguous undertones, but the main event.

We brought our kids (who actually loved it too) but ultimately took turns so we could take our time reading, interacting, and watching the many videos installed throughout the show.  Ivy lasted a bit longer than Oliver, and was delighted to receive permission to draw with the forbidden Sharpie. (Her symbol of happiness—birthday cake!)

The show closes this weekend in Philadelphia—go east coasters!—but will then move to the  Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles for winter 2013 for you west side friends.  I’m already hatching schemes to go and chase away the NYC winter blues with some LA sunshine and another dose of Sagmeister happiness.

Ely Kim is a creative genius and I have been lucky enough to count him as a best buddy since our freshman year of high school. So when he asked if I wanted to help out on a little project he was doing, I couldn’t say YES fast enough. Queens Country Farm Museum (which is a very charming place to visit, especially with kids—a real live farm in NYC!) was up for a grant from Partners in Presentation, and they requested a video to put out the word. Unfortunately I didn’t post this video in time for you to obey the veggies and vote (sorry!!) but I think its just too cute to not post at all.  It was so renewing to take a day off from the computer, doodle speech bubbles, and giggle with an old friend over talking radishes.

PS—If this didn’t cheer you up, its physically impossible to not feel happy watching this.

When our friends invited us to join them on their tour of the New Jersey Naval Museum, I confess I tried to get Brian to drop me at Nordstrom instead. (Can you believe we don’t have one here in NYC!?) I’m getting a bit claustrophobic in my old age and generally  prefer a book to a monument.

Lucky for me, I stayed the course and we all boarded the USS LING 297, a WWW II era submarine. It was fascinating! We couldn’t believe the tight quarters—it made NYC apartments seem spacious. According to our guide, sixty men lived submerged at sea for months. (With two toilets!)

I was pleasantly surprised by a) how into the tour both my kids were (a jungle gym in a long, steel, tube!) and b) the sub’s amazing typography.  Patriotic and visual inspiration!

Our guide, (Curtis!) was fantastic, and instructed us to tell our friends that the museum is just a quick zip over to Hackensack, and not only can you host a birthday party on board the Ling, you can even have a sleep over! How about it friends?  I call top-est bunk.

My darling brother Jeffrey (aka Hunkle) came to town for a visit, and with an extra set of stroller-pushing hands on deck we took to the streets of NYC. Sidenote: if while strolling through Central Park you are inclined to take a popcicle break, may I suggest the coconut?  They are both delicious and stain-free.  Sidenote 2: Do any of our New York friends know what happened to the Afrobats? They are our favorite park performers—crack me up every time—but we haven’t been able to spot them lately.  Afrobats, we miss you.

Our wanderings included a quick trip to the Museum of Natural History where the Hall of Minerals and Gems has now trumped Volcanos as Ivy’s reigning favorite.  (“Because they are sparkly and sparkly things are princessy.”)  Visitors: its not advertised very well, but admission to this museum is pay-what-you-wish.  So, if you are only popping in for one or two exhibits (my kids love to visit museums but only for about an hour) you can just pay a few bucks instead of the full admission.  I justify the thinking that we are supporting the museum with lots of shorter visits.

Oliver’s favorite was our fried chicken picnic at The High Line which has new water-play features this year!  Intentional, beautifully designed water puddles. Genius.

While in the neighborhood, we visited the Joseph Nahmad Gallery to see the Roy Nachum show, Open Your Eyes.  I loved it so, so much. My favorite were the Parallel Realities, ”a series of paintings exploring the subtle play of illusion and reality.”  If you look closely you can see how each painting was layered with a poem written in Braille.

Ivy, of course, preferred Sea of Crowns, an installation of a thousand handmade golden crowns, “symbolizing a sea of limitless dreams and aspirations.”  Jeffrey had to pry our fingers off his ankles when he left.  Come back, brother.

Maile and Reed wanted a custom invitation for their Las Vegas (my hometown!) wedding, and having worked with this family before, I jumped at the chance.  They are all so nice and fun to work with! We wanted a hint of vintage “fabulous Las Vegas” without getting too kitschy.  Some deco type and a nod to vintage playing cards seemed just enough.

A cigar band wrap held all the pieces together inside the “peace” gray envelopes.

Three color letterpress on white Crane Lettra paper, done by the fabulous Robert at Tryst Press. Big congrats to Maile and Reed!

It’s been a while since I have had an illustration project, and I am really enjoying it. So much so that I felt the need to report it.

Brian picked up my Mother’s Day card at a vintage shop in our neighborhood. But I liked the bag it came in even better! Look at that on-trend color palette—neon + neutral in the 1950s!

And now, the announcement you have surely been waiting with baited breath for all the weekend long, the winner of the lard bread pretzel giveaway.  Because I found myself being lured by Laura’s beguiling bribe, I decided to bring in a most fair and impartial judge—Brian stuck strictly to the rules and chose the Easter Island factoid.  Congrats Ely, stand by for your prize, and thanks to all who commented—you amused me greatly.  Perhaps we will try again sometime.