Heather Ink

Broadcasting LIVE

2008-07-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

Today, I come to you from the comfort of my living room for the first time, ever! My hard work last month paid off. As it turns out the whole goal of making more money was to get to spend it! Welcome home MacBook Pro, you will be well loved.

In the weeds

2008-06-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

In between the working, sleeping and endless jaw gnashing I managed to take some pictures. Not very many but at least there were one or two that I thought decent enough to share. On the plant that gave me two beautiful pink flowers a week ago appeared this white and lavender bloom.

And just for fun, here's a "Behind the Scenes at Heather Ink" photograph for you.

Insanity

2008-06-26T07:16:00.000-07:00

I haven't stopped working in over three weeks, which is great but jeez I'm tired. All the forces of natural graphic design selection have pointed to me and said, "Alleluia! She is the one you need!" I've done work for regular clients, new clients, and rush clients. Just when I don't think it can get any crazier I open my email and BAM a new project DUE RIGHT NOW. I have a huge laundry list of project to finish this morning and more deadlines for the afternoon and some for tomorrow. The dogs are the only thing keeping me sane man!

(AND! My first anniversary is coming up, can anyone toss out a unique gift idea? I believe the theme is paper?)

Tag, I'm it

2008-06-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by the lovely Jamie Christina over at Pretty Ditty. Jamie makes beautiful aprons and lots of other artsy wonders that are always so, well, pretty.

Here's how the tagged thing goes: each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

What was I doing ten years ago?
I was just finishing up my freshman year of college and dating a much older man. I'm still dating him, just now there's a ring I'm supposed to wear.

What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today?
1. Have lunch with Lesley
2. Go to Jazzercise
3. Go to Knit Wits (my favorite stitch 'n bitch!)
4. Attack the dogs with our new Furminator
5. Clean that smelly kitchen and maybe change the sheets

What are five snacks I enjoy?
1. A cup of coffee
2. Dark chocolate
3. Dried cranberries and cashews
4. Tasty Kake Kandy Kakes
5. Crackers

What five things would I do if I were a billionaire?
1. Get coordinating classic and new Mini Coopers
2. Fix my husband's Jaguars (yes, plural)
3. Buy a place on the beach and one in London
4. Fly first class
5. Hook up our parents

What are five place you have lived?
1. Emmaus, PA - where I grew up
2. Bryn Mawr, PA - my first dorm room
3. Philadelphia, PA - my second dorm room
4. Wynnewood, PA - my first tiny (no exaggeration) apartment
5. Oceanside, CA - my first house

What are five jobs have I had?
1. Sneaker sales person
2. Paste-up artist at a local newspaper
3. An intern, shortly after the Monica Lewinsky thing so there were a lot of "jokes" about the interns
4. Graphic designer
5. Yarn store owner

Tag...you're it! Let's learn a little bit about these fabulous bloggers I admire...
@ny Price
Head Knit Wit
Emily
Lesley
NobleKnits

Have fun!

Swearing loudly is greatly frowned upon

2008-06-17T18:10:00.001-07:00

For the month of June I've taken over a marketing job at one of the companies I do graphic design work for. I've worked in an office before but never a quiet office. The last time I sat at a cubicle was at the unusually hip office of IKEA North America more than five years ago. An office where jeans were considered "dressing up" and dancing was not unusual. After that I had a desk in the back of a massive IKEA store, at which I didn't sit much. Because we always had so many reasons to be running around fixing signs every where from the parking lot to the sofa department to the warehouse, a day at my desk was a rare treat. When I left IKEA I had my own store where there was a computer but no chair. Being in a yarn store is nothing like being at a desk, unless you'd like me to go into a lengthy comparison between needy middle-aged women and annoying bosses that are perpetually emailing you with the latest crisis.

I am again working at a desk job, but from home. I've been building my graphic design studio over the course of the last year and aside from the occassional drawing session on the deck I remain at my desk most of the day. A desk job.

Or so I thought.

As it turns out sitting at a desk at a computer hardware company is somewhat uptight, and my unnecessary gesticulating when something is not going as I had planned begins to look a little odd.

Needless to say I took a deep breath when I got home.

What a week!

2008-06-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

Last week was such a whirlwind. I had a rush job for a new client and tons of work for my seasoned clients. I worked all weekend and straight into the week. By the time Wednesday rolled around I felt like I needed to start the day with a mimosa instead of coffee. The highlight of the week came on Thursday when we went to a party at the Playboy Mansion, and I must say, if you ever have the opportunity to go. GO. We had a great time.

We arrived at the party a little early so we could see the property before it got dark. After coming in and having a cocktail we wandered around to the different areas. While Thomas was chatting to his colleagues about work I spotted a white peacock squawking at the guests and went over to take some pictures.

To my amazement there were about a dozen peacocks, white and blue hoping around the grounds between tree branches and buildings. Thomas came over to join me and we ventured down a little jungle path only to find more beautiful birds and tiny monkeys. There was monkey food, grapes and bananas, in buckets by the side of the path. The monkeys scurried over and ever-so-gently reached through the fence to take the grape from your fingers.

It was like we were in a hidden jungle forest in the middle of Beverly Hills.

We then went on a tour of the grounds, led by Lauren, where we saw the tennis courts, game house, guest house and the largest redwood grove in Southern California. Toward the end of the tour we ducked out and went and played with this beautiful lady, Nana.

She was so gentle and really had no interest in parting ways with Thomas. She groomed my hair and nibbled on his collar. She was a delight.

Enough for now... more tomorrow!

A weekend at home

2008-06-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

The weather was perfect this weekend, 72 and sunny with a slight breeze. In between working and cooking I tried to get outside as much as I could. I think the pups appreciated it!

I also found this little gem hanging out in one of my potted barrels. I planted them last year but they didn't do anything. I couldn't get them to bloom, I thought I was a calla lily failure, so I ripped them out. Or so I thought. There's about four new plants popping up and I'm so excited. What's better than a pink calla lily?

They're nice, I promise

2008-06-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

I spent some time this evening in the garden with my two best furry friends. Moments before this photo they were playing chase and running huge circles around the yard with a thundering gallop. Henry could, if anyone would let him, run in the same lap until he falls over from exhaustion. This is how he played before we adopted Lola. Henry would run, in the same direction, round and round the couch until Lola entered his life. The first time they set out to play chase Henry leapt off the starting line and around the couch. One lap, Lola chases. Two laps, Lola still chasing. Half way through the third lap, Lola froze (you could almost see her thinking, "Why am I doing this?"), turned around to head him off and SMACK. Henry was so startled, amazed and confused that he ran right into her! His life has never been the same but I don't think he minds.

Lunch Break

2008-06-06T14:21:00.001-07:00

Vintage Madness

2008-06-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

Our get-up for the Great Soul Train Party of 2008. Click here to see some more snaps.

Well, I was going to go to bed

2008-06-03T22:57:00.001-07:00

Behind the Brand: LoooLo Textiles

2008-06-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

Below is a new article I wrote for BeE Woman magazine.

Before the words “organic” and “sustainable” had entered the mainstream, 32-year-old Joanna Notkin wanted to find a way to bring eco-friendly cushions to living rooms around the world. While studying textiles at the Rhode Island School of Design, Notkin noticed that natural fabrics were not really all that natural—but rather, filled with pesticides and toxic chemicals. “Isn’t there a way to design things so that when you’re done with them, they’re not necessarily garbage?” she wondered. Out of her determination to develop a product that could be both natural and 100 percent biodegradable, the idea for Looolo, a sustainable textile company, was born.

With lofty goals and some money she’d saved from a part-time job as an oyster shucker, Notkin started the company in 2004. Having made many of the products by hand, she offered a mere five pillows and two blankets as inventory in her booth at the Toronto Design Show, her first trade show.

As sustainable materials started to catch on with the public, sales began to climb. “It was not easy starting a company with a big agenda,” Notkin recalls. “My ideas limited me as far as materials, color and expense.” She searched every corner of the globe for the best organic yarns, finding sources in Switzerland, Australia and Vermont. Because Looolo’s pillows, blankets and scarves are made from natural materials and zero-impact dyes, they’re 100 percent biodegradable and can be disposed of in a composter. Even the company logo—a looping, interconnected “100%”—reflects the company’s commitment to sustainability. From the design and manufacturing to the products themselves, everything at Looolo Textiles is achieved through a sustainable process.

Determined to continue to help make the earth a better place, Notkin is now looking to expand on her vision. Recently, she received a prestigious business grant for women entrepreneurs from Eileen Fisher; this year, she plans to launch a new line of products designed from an eco-polyester, including accessories such as place mats and small zippered pouches due to hit stores this summer and double her sales revenue.

“As a designer, I was never settled with the fact that all the things I was making were one day going to end up in a landfill,” Notkin recounts. “Ten or more years ago, the seed was planted that I wanted to design something more meaningful.”

Heather Walpole, is a freelance writer based in Oceanside, Calif.

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Click here to view the entire piece.

They don't want to hustle with the weak

2008-05-31T14:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight we are hitting the streets for a Soul Train themed party. Above is a sampling of Thomas' ensemble, below is mine. You may want to dim your monitor before scrolling down to look at my outfit. Imagine the hottest pink, multiply it by 10, then add flowers in hunter orange. It is so bright that if you stare at it for 30 seconds and then look at a blank wall you will see the image of Jesus or your eyes may just fall out of your head. I. AM. SO. EXCITED.

Here and there and everywhere, but really nowhere

2008-05-30T11:09:00.001-07:00

I feel like I've been really busy recently but I don't know what I've been really busy doing. I haven't been taking photos, I haven't been blogging, maybe I've been working? I'm not sure. How does that happen? The days go by, I feel busy and accomplished but none of the things I like to do are done. I did though find these two gems sitting in my iPhoto stash. I took them last week but I think I neglected to go through my photos.

So now I'm off for a haircut and to get Thomas' watch fixed. (Well, not fixed, but get a link removed from the band. A few weeks ago I took it to the jeweler to have it made a little bigger and I thought adding two links would be better than just one. It's not.)

When size matters...

2008-05-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

I think I nearly peed my pants when I saw this remote control on a recent shopping excursion. It was a foot tall.

Smile! It's an alpaca sale!

2008-05-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

Head over to NobleKnits and enter to win two free skeins of Misti Alpaca yarn. All you have to do is answer seven questions correctly and you'll be entered in the drawing. Plus! Just for entering you get 25% off your purchase of any alpaca yarn from NobleKnits.com.

Click here and good luck!

Always looking for fun

2008-05-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

Should I see the doctor?

2008-05-21T16:48:00.000-07:00

I don't know if it's because I've been exercising or just because I'm slightly deranged but I've been having one of the oddest food cravings possible. I've been going to Jazzercise consistently for eight weeks now and I feel a lot better, I'm not tired and I don't have a muffin top anymore. But I have not changed anything in my diet. I still eat whatever I want. I went through a brief cheeseburger and french fry craving and if the mood suits, I drink a martini or a beer. So I really can't understand this new craving. Thomas does not like it, not one bit. I keep serving it to him, meal after meal. Today when I heaped it on his lunch of flat bread and bleu cheese, he made a point to come over and stare at it. "What is this stuff?" That stuff? It's LETTUCE. I can't get enough of it. The cool, crunchy bitterness of fresh lettuce is so appealing recently. What does that mean? Chocolate cravings mean low iron, but what could a lettuce craving mean? Hopefully it means something other than severe instability.

Pasta Tapenade

2008-05-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

Today my lack of groceries had me digging through the cupboards to find something remotely satisfying for lunch. Here's what I put together.

Pasta Tapenade
Serves two

1/2 jar Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper & Artichoke Tapenade
3 Tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
black pepper to taste
8 oz dried shell pasta

Cook pasta following package directions.

In a medium bowl while the pasta cooks combine tapenade, 2 Tbsp cheese, curry powder, cayenne powder and black pepper. When al dente, drain pasta and add to bowl. Mix throughly and dish onto plates. Sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese even over each serving. Enjoy!

Magic Mint

2008-05-17T17:37:00.000-07:00

About a week and a half ago we were riding in the car on our way to Los Angeles, the radio was tuned to its usual NPR. Thomas was driving so my thoughts were drifting back and forth from radio to imagination as I watched the Orange County scenery coast by. A report came on talking about teens who use a native Mexican plant as a hallucinogenic. I perked up a little when I heard the plant name, Salvia. "We have that," I say quietly.

Thomas jerks his head toward me with such force the rest of his body and the car follow in turn. "We do?," he asks nearly veering off the freeway.

Sadly, honey, it's not the right variety. It flowers.

A nerd at heart

2008-05-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

Even though we have the world's largest television and full surround sound, I think I might want to go to the theater to watch the new X-Files movie. It doesn't come out until July 25 but I am already excited! As an added bonus the movie poster is really nice.

His competitive edge comes from his Gran

2008-05-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

Me: I talked to our friends and they're coming over.

Thomas: When?

Me: Tonight, so you can play Wii.

Thomas: I'm sick of the Wii.

Me: Um, it's a little to soon for you to be saying that with how much time and money we put toward getting the Wii.

Thomas: No, no. I'm tired of it, but that doesn't mean you have to stop playing it. It's really aimed at the casual gamer you know.

Me: I hate to tell you, but you've become a casual gamer.

Thomas: DO NOT INSULT ME!

I was eating toast

2008-05-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

Design of the Day

2008-05-12T14:34:00.000-07:00

Orla Kiely Favorites

This orange bag used to walk into my yarn store every other week or so. I was normally very skilled at remembering customers' names but for the poor woman attached to this purse, I only knew her as "That PURSE." The color is amazing bright orange, and each time the purse would come in I would immediately approach its human talk to her about it. Jennifer (I later learned after she switched handbags) opened my eyes to the wonderful and brightly patterned world of Orla Kiely accessories. Kiely has since grown in popularity, expanding her product line into clothing and luggage and by opening a flagship store in Covent Garden, that I must visit on our trip to London this summer!

orlakiely.com

Design of the Day

2008-05-09T15:33:00.000-07:00

Oakley Sunglasses

I hadn't seen the value to a good pair of sunglasses until I moved to Southern California. For the first few years, I had a string of cheap conquests from Target, but the sun in California is about one million times the strength it is in Pennsylvania, and I'm not exaggerating. One day after squinting my entire drive down the Coast Highway I decided I would splurge for a good pair of glasses and went on the hunt. I went in one surf shop and tried on one pair. This is them. I love them. They are my life. Thomas should give me a Mother's Day gift because of the way I baby these things.