Every year, LOTUS&ASH concentrates some of its design & paper time on philanthropic efforts. In Holiday Seasons past, a percentage of proceeds from Holiday orders has been donated to a hand-picked Non-Profit. This year, I’ve donated a collection of stationery and gift tags to the Center for Relationship Abuse Awareness for sale at their Christmas Market tomorrow, Dec. 3, at the Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park. If you’re in the Peninsula and still looking for the perfect gift, stop by for small stationery sets. Whimsical gift tags are the best complement for those presents already picked out. If you’re not in the Bay Area, feel free to contact me about any inventory available for purchase.

All proceeds will be donated to the Center for Relationship Abuse Awareness, so spread the good!

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In a similar spirit, this year LOTUS&ASH has dedicated all philanthropic design efforts to help the development of a program and community to empower young women to become leaders. Though MISSCEO is still largely under development, pilot programs have been rolled out across Peninsula, and there is a lot of design goodness happening behind the scenes. Stay tuned for much more to come in 2012.

| MISS CEO LOGO & SPLASH PAGE |

design spotlight: newlywed stationery – caitlin and patrick

There are few better ways to celebrate a marriage than a new stationery set for the couple. (Indeed, I’m a little biased). But, when the opportunity arises, L&A sees it as the chance to create a design that showcases the personality of a couple, as individuals and together.

commissioned by the maids of honors (MoHos) for caitlin and patrick, the newlywed stationery is a set of 5 designs printed in all black on thick, off-white paper that show just how much caitlin and patrick are meant to be (even celebrating their college rivalry)!

her bubbly to his beer

her stanford to his cal

her salty to his sweet

the jackie to his jfk

her pumps to his loafers

. . .

congratulations & happy writing to the newlyweds!

This year, I was fortunate enough to work with appmakers and gluten-free bakers alike, and clients included: Metaneer Labs, tripgram, cyclehouse, Naveen cuisine, The Phenomlist, and AVVA. The one thing all partners had in common? A passion to make people’s lives better, via last-minute weekend getaway, a spin class, or press recognition they may not have otherwise received.

design spotlight: CYCLE HOUSE LA

Developing the  CYCLEHOUSE brand was a dream come true. It combined three of my favorite things: design, spinning, and los angeles. Branding went beyond logo and color palette. It extended to custom decals for spin bikes, wall graphics and invitations for Hollywood Swag bags. Seeing my logo lit up on La Cienega is surreal. Being inside the studio is exhilarating (especially because the spin classes are the best). If you’re in the Los Angeles-area, I highly recommend heading over to La Cienega and Melrose for an hour of great music and endorphins.

An unexpected day-long layover at Toyko’s Narita Airport can be met, head on, in two ways:

1. Frustration. How DARE the weather in Shanghai not cooperate with my travel schedule? Is it really true there isn’t another flight to San Francisco later this evening?
2. Elation. There’s an unexpected chance to experience as much Tokyo as possible in 24 hours.

When met with this situation in August, I spent one hour in frustration.
And then I came to my senses and realized how very attractive option TWO was given that I was in the fine paper capital of the world.

I did what any paperphile with a lust for travel would do and jumped on an express train into the city with a single room booked at the Smile Hotel and no plans beyond that.

In 24 hours, I managed to begin to learn the ins and outs of the beautiful, amazing city that is Tokyo and left with a plan to return in the near future.

lessons learned:

1) It is the most ordered and organized culture on the planet…aided by good design

Walking in Ginza, all you can hear is the quiet whoosh of the cars down the road, soft murmurs from the women walking in and out of stores and the occasional Arigatou-gozaimasu as someone leaves a shop. No honking horns. No shouting. No doors slamming or dogs barking.

It’s the type of culture that makes you think twice about eating in the subway (for the record — it’s rude) and makes you think that you’ll got to hell if you ever cut a line.

All of the order and culture is sustained through good design. Painted lines on the Metro platform indicate where to stand, a simple number system for subway stops gives you a sense of direction and trip duration. There is ledge built into nearly every cashier station, so you have a place for your purse as you pay. The hot towels before every meal. Trays to hand dollar notes and coins, or a credit card back and forth. No spills, guaranteed. Good, methodical design.

2) Prepare yourself to be in Paper Bliss

If you’re a paperphile, you better make sure that you’re hydrated and that your blood sugar is at a stable level before heading out. I set my sights on two places for the day that I was there – Tokyo Hands, the famous DIY emporium, and Ito-Ya, which boasts 9 levels of stationery. Give yourself at least 2 hours to explore either store.

Tokyo Hands is better for delicate, well-designed office products — pens, notebooks, and binders.

Ito-Ya will fulfill all your chiyogami and origami dreams, and more.

Late at night, if you want to still want to be designspired, but the shops have closed, head to TSUTAYA – a 21 hour bookstore in Roppongi Hills where you can browse through an astounding collection of western and japanese design books and magazines. Oh, and the shopping area features the tastiest type and graphic design!

3) Cabs are Expensive

The base fare is 710Yen, roughly 10 dollars. If you can, walk or take the metro. A day pass on the Metro will run you just 710Y, roughly 10 dollars. Bonus: Japanese Fashion Eye Candy.

4) Leave your suitcase at the airport

If you’re going to be in Tokyo for 24 hours, don’t lug your big suitcase to the city. Prepare a day pack with a change of clothes and room for your paper goodies.

5) Google Maps on your iPhone with no international plan

If you’re like me, and the sole reason you brave public transportation is because Google Maps tells you where and when to take it, being in a new city without GMaps at your fingertips can be a handicap.

However, if you find internet connection, map out your day on your laptop, take pictures of the directions for all your destinations. Head out with your smartphone. It looks and feels like you have the safety blanket of Google maps… but just make sure your phone is in airplane mode.

6) Most importantly: book all future travel in Asia through Tokyo and pray for missed connections (no, not that kind).

More than anything, being in Tokyo was a tease. I can’t even imagine the food and paper sights that I didn’t have time to experience. The good news? I have four months to plan my next trip out there. Any suggestions?

design spotlight: the wedding invitation suite of tess & kieran

LOTUS&ASH designed and hand-crafted the invitation suite for a beautiful wedding in August. Nothing short of one-of-a-kind would fit this unique couple –  Stanford alums with a passion for good food, good beer, and good fun. (And the primary reason why we all became fast friends)

The event was a four-day weekend in Lake Elkhart, WI, centered around a ceremony and reception at the Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan. The couple exchanged vows on the site of the childhood library of the father-of-the-bride, where he had earned top-notch bookworm bragging rights years before walking his daughter down the aisle.

The places and wedding activities were deep with family history. Capturing this and the excitement and fun of the weekend as well, the invitation suite featured:

A whimsical Save the Date postcard, inspired by a New Yorker cover loved by the couple.

An 8 page Wedding Invitation Booklet

with envelopes  lined with pages from an Antique Mother Goose Book…

The inside cover featured a dedication to family and friends

…page two highlighted the weekend events

and a hand-drawn map of the area followed.

An old school Library card marking the milestones in the couple’s relationships so far served as the perfect reply card:

The cover (complete with gold foil stamp) was printed by Oscar Printing in San Francisco, and each page and envelope was printed by L&A.  250 Booklets were hand-sewn over an entire weekend.

The ceremony and reception were complemented by matching programs and menus.

(photo by anna page photography)

Last but not least, the (paper) love continued on letterpressed stationery, printed on thick Crane Lettra.

The wedding suite was a paper pinnacle for LOTUS&ASH, and one of the first of many to come…

How do I say this… the right way?

It’s – err – been a while. I’m sorry I’ve been out of touch. The past three months have been filled with the demands of the full-time job, travel from coast to coast, and producing amazing paper and design (and not having enough time to post about them).

I know it’s not an excuse. It’s just an explanation.

However, LOTUS&ASH is not one to offer an apology without a resolution. And so, I present to you: A Week of LOTUS&ASH

The week will be jam-packed with the blitzkrieg of blog posts that have been sitting in my drafts folder, so that we can catch up, make amends, and move on.

Highlights include:

• DESIGN SPOTLIGHT: The Garton/O’Connor Wedding Invitation Suite
• Identities upon Identities, dreamed up in collaboration with new partners over the past year
• A sneak peak at the Holiday Line
• 24 Hours in Tokyo for the Paper Lover
• And much, much more…

In the meantime…

For being so patient with me.

Though a Bachelorette Party Weekend in Santa Barbara may seem exciting enough, LOTUS&ASH added to the anticipation with custom survival kits, sent to each guest before the big weekend.

The pool blue mini suitcases arrived in each guest’s mailbox with the essentials for three days at the beautiful Bacara resort.

On tap for Friday night? A reunion for close friends over margaritas… and the potential consequences of such an affair. But Alka Selzer (attached on the back of the card) would be there to save ease the next day…

Saturday was pool day – so SuperGoop Suncreen was a must…

And at night, the girls would convene for a Champagne Toast, written on a custom notecard, for the Bride-to-Be.

Though they had to say goodbye on Sunday, a mini frame lay at the bottom of the mini suitcase, waiting for a photo to remember the weekend by.

And a polite reminder, that of course, their presence was their present.

10 boxes were shipped off across the U.S. from the Palo Alto Post Office (The L&A favorite) and from all accounts, the weekend was a success.

~

Speaking of Suitcases… I’m off to the birthplace of paper — China! — for the week.

(And my suitcase is a little bigger than the ones above…with lots of room for all the paper treasures I hope to find)

But first: a little history:
Ever since I started making stationery, Paper Source has been my go-to for supplies. Back in the days when every piece of personal stationery was embellished by a ribbon, brad, or border card, I went to my neighborhood Paper Source before starting an order to be inspired by their shelves. One of my fondest memories from college was the day when a Paper Source opened across the street from campus in Town and Country village (and saved me from a 30 minute drive to Santana Row). Today, my designs have been simplified, but Paper Source is still my go-to for fine decorative paper, unique gifts, and pointed tip envelopes, the smell of which is intoxicating.

So, even though the original store isn’t unlike any other Paper Source (I wish there were a souvenir t-shirt), I was so excited to visit the place where it all began, and pay my respects.

In an old, three story building that looks like something out of a story book, the original Paper Source has three rooms filled with paper treats.

For anyone embarking on any personal paper project, I highly recommend making a visit to your local store, or shopping online.

~

But, it wasn’t all about Paper Source. The journey to Chicago was not without a weekend’s worth of design and paper delights:

Terminal 2 is my new favorite place in San Francisco. Can I go there even if I’m not flying? From now on, I’m going to fly Virgin just so I can enjoy Acme Bread and Cowgirl Creamery (purchased in T2), and go-go inflight WiFi on my flight.

~

Once we touched down in Chicago, there was plenty of Frank Gehry to delight in…

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And an architectural pilgrimage to the Farnsworth house, just an hour outside the city and a pristine example of the International Modernist style by Mies van der Rohe.

Being inside the home is inspiring, as it seems to float in the landscape.

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And a visit to nearby lumenhaus, a completely self-sustaining house designed and built by a team at Virginia Tech, inspired by van der Rohe’s design. I call this the Prius of houses, and I was in awe of its efficiency and beauty.

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I survived the heat and humidity at Pitchfork Music Festival…which was a designer’s treat with its tasty use of Neutra and Memphis and hosting of a Flatstock screenprinting show.

And once the sun set, my appreciation for Toro y Moi and  Cut Copy grew after seeing them live. TV on the Radio was a sweet lullaby at the end of the long, hot day. Check out their best:

Toro y Moi  – New Beat

Cut Copy – So Haunted

TV on the Radio – Province

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The trip ended with a preview of Next Door, State Farm’s sub-brand, designed by my favorite designer. Intended as a financial resource center / workspace / cafe for twenty somethings, the space is San Francisco coffee shop meets Stanford D.School.  It sits in between an Urban Outfitters and Trader Joe’s on Diversey. It’s awesome, and if you’re in Chicago, I highly encourage a visit once it opens in August. Love that blue and red.

~

Last but not least, no post would be complete without some L&A paper. A new addition to the L&A stationery line-up, I designed a record/camera/bicycle stationery multipack as a thank you present for our gracious host.

Whew! It was a whirlwind trip… but I wouldn’t have had it any other way in the windy city.

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Next Stop? Shanghai.

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The Fillmore Jazz Fest was the perfect way to spend a lazy summer day.

Jello fruit made by Anne were perfect for the 80 degree weather…

and tanning, reading, and postcard-writing in the park.

~

Of course, no weekend would be complete without paper

like new stationery, the perfect gift for a one-year anniversary…

paired with a greeting card: one year down, 99 to go.

and some of my favorite designs from my paper crush Hello Lucky!, my beau, and the Coit Tower gift shop circa 1950.

i hope you all had a safe, sunny, and perfectly summer 4th of july.

( great poster by DOWLING| DUNCAN )

One look outside the window at the foggy San Francisco skyline, and you know… Summer is here. The city is notorious for its June gloom and gray Julys, so what better way to hold out for the September sun than by spending the weekend exploring someplace else?

Good thing, because L&A has been in a travel mood with plans for impending summer trips, and a range of custom designed maps.

| ELKHART LAKE . designed 06. 2011 |

| DOWNTOWN LA . designed 06.2011 |

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Where will you find yourself this summer?

My plans span across the country…

If you have any additions to the itinerary, I always appreciate recommendations for good food, good design, and delicious paper.

Of course, my heart will always be in San Francisco, and I’ll be sure to share the sights of my summer travels on weekends spent back in the fog.

For now, here are some L&A travel tips:

SNACK TRIP TIPS

If you’re like me, travel makes you hungry, and you don’t want to ruin your explore-a-new-city-appetite with a Cinnabon at the airport.

And, if you’re like me and opt for the flight deal (which will take you to airports in the middle of nowhere where Cinnabon isn’t even an option), you must pack snacks.

Snack Hint #1:  Pre-trip Tupperware

The night before your trip, cut up firm tofu into 1/4″ pieces and pan fry them in coconut oil  and ponzu sauce. At the same time, cook some quinoa. Let cool and store in the fridge. In the morning, combine the quinoa, tofu, and the leafy green of your choice (I chose arugula), and slice up a lime. When you’re ready to eat, squeeze the lime across the contents of your tupperware. (HINT: Use disposable tupperware (like a leftover plastic container from Whole Foods, so you can throw it away at the airport).

Snack Hint #2: Cereal

I love cereal, but I hate dry cereal. To solve this at the airport, I bring a bag of dry cereal, and hit up the closest starbucks for a cup of soymilk. Then, as I wait for my flight, I can enjoy my perfectly slightly soggy, slightly crunchy cereal. (And make all the other passengers jealous).

FUN TRIP TIPS

I find the best way to spend travel time is by doing that craft you’ve been meaning to do (but never get to). Bag of tangled necklaces? Take it on your next flight for landing and take off when you can’t have any electronics on. My favorite crafts (are still) the Klutz Craft Kits.

(yes, I do still own this book)

Bonus for driving trips! You can bring scissors.

That’s all for now.

HAPPY SUMMER & HAPPY TRAVELS.