Lately I’ve been day dreaming about lounging with a great book and a yummy cocktail. This summer you’ll find me relaxing in my backyard, but my head will be in the Côte d’Azure.
SOURCES || Rattan Lounge Chair | Paris book | St. Germaine + Hendrick’s Cocktail
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It’s Back To School time, one of my favorite times of year. I have been known to hug the school supply bins at the local office supply store. Really. Even now that I’m well out of school, I get the urge to stock up on interesting books this time of year. Lucky for me (and for you, my sweet reader friends), Chronicle Books is having a friends & family sale right now: 35% off AND free shipping. Excellent! Use the promo code FRIENDS. Sale ends 9/30/11.
Our 6-year-old started first grade yesterday. Nothing makes me feel more like a mom than packing school lunches. Not taking him to the doctor, not shopping for back to school shoes, not reading bedtime stories or running a bath. It’s writing a note on a napkin (complete with hearts and drawings of kitties), slicing apples and spreading peanut butter. Sometimes I use cookie cutters to cut out cute shaped sandwiches, but the ideas in Yum Yum Bento Box bring it to a whole new level. I think it’s a brilliant idea to get kids to eat their lunches. Today my little guy’s lunch box came back with an intact sandwich (cookie and fruit rollup devoured). Maybe if I had decorated it to look like a cute little animal he would have eaten it!
THE SCOOP: Yum Yum Bento Box, from Amazon; Customizable flames lunch box (we have this one– love that the inside of the lid is a chalkboard, so I can write notes!) from Frecklebox; dinosaur cookie cutter from Williams Sonoma.
Hi everyone! John and I love reading, and I’m happy to report that our little one does, too. I made up some reading list worksheets for him to record his reads. After he reads 10 books we treat him to a family trip for some frozen yogurt : ) You can read the full post and download the free worksheet over at Designing Moms.
He loves to read my old Shel Silverstein books. Kindergarteners are not too young to appreciate poetry.
For the past few days I’ve been reading adman (and maybe one day NYC mayor) Donny Deutsch‘s book, “Often Wrong, Never in Doubt.” Not that it’s a surprise (you have seen his fantastic CNBC show, The Big Idea, right?), but the book is stellar. Every chapter I find myself learning something, nodding in agreement, annoying John by reading something aloud. So many things in the book are quotable, but a few I just read are really sticking with me
On putting clients first: “‘What would I do if this was my business?’ How going over to the other side will better your own bottom line.”
And on fear: “You can’t be crippled by the fear of failure; that truly is in the definition of not succeeding. If you do nothing, your failure is guaranteed.”
And one more, because I can’t resist: on women and “The doctrine of female superiority”: “Women are superior beings. It’s that simple. Give me a choice between a woman and a man with the same talents, I’ll take the woman every time.”
On it’s face, this book is about a simple question: “Why not me.” But it’s really about going beyond believing in yourself, and doing something about it. It’s about action. It’s also about the crazy ad world (the behind the scenes insight is entertaining and enlightening, to say the least). It’s about how to be a great boss. How to deal with clients. How to deal, period. It’s about facing fear, not backing down, being bold. Being authentic. Yes, it’s inspiring, but beyod that, it’s motivating. It’s a call to action. Oh yes, and it’s about branding, too. I highly recommend this book to anyone in business, not just creative types.
By the way, sorry, Donny, that your face is covered up by a sticker … silly librarian. What were you thinking?
During the “move” I discovered this gem from my college collection: Ray Gun issue #6:
Cover story is “on the road with Sonic Youth.” It also has a story and photos profiling the up and coming stylists Todd Oldham and Mark Jacobs styling “Trailer Park Chic”; a story by Frank Black (of The Pixies), interviewing The Reverend Horton Heat; and an article by Michael Stipe titled “From Los Angeles to Athens, Georgia” (that story has been ripped out, and, I suspect, was on the wall in my college dorm room … Go Dawgs!). I wonder if all the stores profiled in the story “Record Shopping in the U.S.” are still around. I know Lou’s Records in Encinitas is still here, and I think Waterloo Records in Austin is still around. But my favorite thing in the magazine is an ad for David Carson Design. “Nail it,” his ad says. Love it!
Odd coincidence of note: David Carson lived in Del Mar, California, then moved to Charleston South Carolina; I grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, then moved to Del Mar, California.
The Jonathan Adler book is one I’m itching to read. I really admire how he has taken his passion for his craft and applied it to bulding an entire brand. Another one that has been on my wish list forever is Lulu. I love her use of color and how she integrates fun, play, and her personal life experiences into her art. Note to Santa… Lulu is on sale!
If you have a design lover on your holiday shopping list, any of these books would score well: Adler for the entrepreneur, Lulu for the artist, Domino for the friend who is forever moving her furniture around. Ethan Frome is great for a teenager (it’s FULL of serious angst!); and anything by Cormac McCarthy would be appreciated by someone wishing to get in touch with their an inner-cowboy.
This do-it-yourself art book for kids is near the top of MY list for Santa this year.
There are lots of business books out there … here are three that I recommend:
Craft, Inc., by Meg Mateo Ilasco. This is a great resource for anyone who is thinking about starting a creative business. It has helpful info about how to price your goods, when to exhibit at trade shows, and how to market your business. I wish this book had been around 10 years ago when I started working as a designer!
Mommy Millionaire, by Kim Lavine. For anyone who wants to mass produce a product… learn from Lavine’s mistakes and her successes. Her insight into the trade show world is about as true and honest as it gets. And her behind the scenes peek into QVC/HSN is eye-opening. A couple of things she wrote I did NOT agree with: for instance she said that hiring a professional graphic designer can be a waste of time, and that her little home-spun logo has served her well. I don’t agree at all…I think she needs an updated logo! If your logo is amateurish then buyers’ first impressions of you and your product will likely follow suit. Overall, though, this is one of my favorite books.
Meatball Sundae, by Seth Godin. Godin, who, I think, is the master of common sense & telling it like it is, says that to be successful with “New Marketing” (i.e. social networking, websites, blogs) you must integrate them into a marketing strategy, not just slap them on top! His book “explores the 14 trends that are changing our world and how organizations can either embrace them or be punished by them.”
