Sycamore Street Press: 02.2010

sound + vision: Letterpress on 1970's Sesame Street

Our press is a lot more basic than the one in this video...we hand crank each and every sheet through. But it gives you a general idea for the process.

And I love the idea of printing a child's drawing. We'll have to give that a try.

via Beast Pieces via Twin Ravens Press

friday favorites: Summer Dreamin'

I could use some warm weather right about now. Here are a few summery links:

+ These new totes from Land's End.

+ Pretty (non-string bikini) swimsuits. Here and here.

+ Wouldn't mind taking a summer trip to a Croatian beach.

+ Or (more likely) to a lake much closer to home.

+ This song and this movie feel just like summer.

I'm attending one of Nicole's classes tomorrow. Hopefully I'll come back with all sorts of new skills. Have a great weekend!

our little life: Baby Sullivan

Sullivan James (Pep) Mills was born last Saturday to our good friends, Kristin and Craig Mills. I'm so happy for them! He's quite the looker, isn't he?

You may already know this, but Kristin is one half of the design team behind our Lark line. And since she's had wee ones on the mind lately, we have some awesome new baby related items in the works. Just you wait...

image credit: Kristin and Craig Mills

the sycamore q + a {no. 54}: Veeda Bybee of White Lotus Cooks

photo by Jonathan Canlas

Veeda Bybee and I met during our freshman year of college when good food consisted of chocolate milk from the vending machine and chicken cordon bleu in the dorm cafeteria. Luckily, we're both eating a bit better than we were then. In fact, Veeda has begun to document her culinary exploits on her blog: White Lotus Cooks. I can't get enough of the delicious photos and well written prose.

photo by Jonathan Canlas

1) How did you become a writer?

I majored in print journalism in college, but I think the writing bug bit way before that. Like, in elementary school when I first laid eyes on the wonderfully ordinary but extremely relatable life of Ramona Quimby. I really appreciate Beverly Cleary's talent for taking the life of an everyday eight-year-old and turning her into a remarkable character. I like writing like that, where the average person shines. Some of my favorite articles I've written are about profiles of normal, non-famous people who are incandescent in spirit.

photo by Jonathan Canlas

2) What's been inspiring you lately?

Lately I've been on a mission to refine my skills in kitchen, so anything that has to do with food writing. I've become quite obsessive with food. I've been binging on cookbooks like it's dessert everyday, all day. I read them in the doctors office, at lunch, while I cook . . . my three-year-old has even asked me to read her one for a bedtime story. I'm currently wrapped up David Chang's Momofuku cookbook, and my girl wanted me to tell her the story about the orange peach and the noodles. (The peach is pictured on the cover.) I had to edit out some of language -- not exactly toddler friendly. But man. Can that guy make a good bowl of ramen.

photo by Jonathan Canlas

3) Tell us about a recent project.

I put together a food blog a few months ago to use as a place to document my journey in the kitchen. A few years ago, I was an okay cook. I had a repertoire of a couple good dishes, but nothing my mom would be proud of. Before she passed away from Ovarian Cancer, she
asked me if I would compile a cookbook of her recipes. She wanted me to gather her various Chinese/Thai/Lao recipes for my sisters and myself, so we could have some way of remembering her food in our homes. At first, not having her a phone call away to ask about how much pork to put in her spring rolls, or how long to steam the sticky rice was difficult. And I wasn't the most confident cook, especially when it came to Asian cuisine. As I've struggled to replicate my mom's food, I've grown a lot and feel like I've found my place. And it's not just with food.

photo by Brendan Bybee

4) Is there anything else we should know about you?

It's not very Asian of me, but I really love to bake. There's something so satisfying about presenting a homemade cake with swirly peaks of chocolate frosting. Ah, sweets. I love to make them, I love to eat them, I love to give them. Chocolate chip cookies are happiness in your mouth. And I like to share happiness.

photo by Brendan Bybee

Thanks Veeda!

Veeda's blog: http://www.whitelotuscooks.com/

Among her many professional writing gigs, Veeda has done a feature for Design Mom and a city guide for Design*Sponge. If you have a few minutes, check them out!

looking lovely: Dahlhaus

A beautiful folk inspired vase at Dahlhaus.

looking lovely: Hanging Kitchens

via Marie Claire Maison

This top photo is one of my very favorite kitchen images. The warm wood, the white walls with the bright pops of color, the vintage pieces... But this photo also got me thinking about how much I love the useful practice of hanging pots, pans, utensils, and other commonly used kitchen items out in the open. I decided to go through my stash of images to find more examples of this practical -- and good looking -- storage technique.

(FYI - I started my digital photo collection for personal use. At first, I didn't always note where I found the image. Now that I'd like to start sharing some of them with you, that negligence puts me in a bit of a pickle! I've decided to post some of the uncredited images below anyways, because I'd really like you to see them, but I'd really appreciate it if any of you are able to remind me where they are from. Thanks!)

via Lonny Magazine

(I'm sorry! If you know where I got this image, please let me know.)

Domino magazine via ?

(I'm sorry! If you know where I got this image, please let me know.)

via Living Etc

(I'm sorry! If you know where I got this image, please let me know.)

via Living Etc

via design*sponge

sycamore street press: A Favor + A Raffle

UPDATE: Thanks you so much for everyone who has helped out! I've now closed off the raffle entries. The response has been wonderful. Many more people wrote then I anticipated! But now I ask that no more emails be sent to the Swiss Days committee. I don't want to overwhelm and annoy the committee and have this idea backfire. Once again, we really appreciate your help and support. I'll announce the raffle winner here on Monday.

I have a favor to ask. If you have a few minutes, would you mind writing a little email for us? If you do, you could win some of our letterpress goodies!

The background: Swiss Days is a huge crafts festival held every Labor Day weekend right here in the Heber Valley. It's very competitive to get in, and last year we were rejected. I attended the show anyway, and saw that there weren't any letterpress booths, and not really any paper goods booths except for a few that sold journals and one with wrapping paper. (There's tons of jewelry, sewn goods, and painted wooden signs.) I have since talked to several show regulars, and they are all surprised that the show coordinators aren't letting in any letterpress (and in particular, a local stationer such as ourselves :).

Your assignment (should you choose to accept it): One Swiss Days vendor suggested that I ask friends, family, and customers to email the committee and let them know that they would like to see letterpress paper goods and prints in the show. That way, the committee will realize that there is a demand. So, if you should be so inclined to write a little email to that effect, Kirk and I would be very grateful! You could even mention Sycamore Street Press, and the fact that we are local, handmade, that many of our goods are folk art inspired (which would work well with their "traditional Swiss" theme)...or any other reason you think we should be in the show.

But hurry! They will be judging all the entries this Saturday (Feb. 27th), so the emails need to be sent by Friday, Feb. 26th at the latest. (This is now closed. Please don't send any more emails. Thanks!)

Your reward: Once you've sent the Swiss Days Committee an email, I'll put your name in a raffle. Just email me at eva{at}sycamorestreetpress.com to let me know that you've sent it off. But remember, it has to be by this Friday, Feb. 26th. I'll announce the raffle winner here on my blog next Monday, March 1st.

Thank you so much! I feel a little silly starting a campaign to get into a craft show, but Swiss Days is not just any craft show. My family has been attending for over ten years, and we have a lot of great memories there. Kirk and I have traveled to craft shows all over the country, but have yet to be in the one closest to home!

UPDATE: Thanks you so much for everyone who has helped out! I've now closed off the raffle entries. The response has been wonderful. Many more people wrote then I anticipated! But now I ask that no more emails be sent to the Swiss Days committee. I don't want to overwhelm and annoy the committee and have this idea backfire. Once again, we really appreciate your help and support. I'll announce the raffle winner here on Monday.

on the road: The Dock of the Bay

There's something magical about houseboats. Like the one where Tom Hanks' character lives in Sleepless in Seattle. Or the river barge that blogger/stylist Pia Jane Bijkerk lives on in Amsterdam.

So when I spotted this houseboat community off the coast of Sausalito (while we were on our way to the Heath headquarters), I frantically asked Kirk to pull over so I could snoop around. I remembered that Otis Redding wrote (Sittin'on) the Dock of the Bay while staying on a houseboat in the area, which only added to my extreme excitement and curiosity. (It's one of my all-time favorite songs...which must be the case for about 98% of the US population... right?)

In the 70's, a feud broke out between Sausalito's scrappy houseboat owners and the local real estate developers. It's been called the Houseboat Wars, and there's even a documentary about it.

Dwell Magazine featured a beautiful floating house on Lake Huron not too long ago (pictured above). The cheerful image below is from a ReadyMade article written by young guy who said he made the best/worst decision of his life when he bought and renovated a Sausalito houseboat.

What do you think? Would you ever want to live on the water?

looking lovely: Hollis Brown Thornton

I am severely tempted to purchase both of these prints by Hollis Brown Thornton and hang them them up right next to my desk where I could look at them all day long. Something about the colors, the grouping, the nostalgia for my 80's childhood...

Images via 20x200.

friday favorites: Ceramics

We visited the Heath Ceramics headquarters in December. They've been in the same location in Sausalito, CA for over 50 years. Look at the vintage gorgeousness of their entrance! I'd love to have a whole wall covered with their tiles (like this), but I'm happy to settle for the little robin's egg blue mug and bowl we found in the "seconds" section of their shop.

Other current ceramic favorites:

+ Folklore and fun petit dejeuner/breakfast set by Ninainvorm

+ Apricot Belly Chickadee cup by Ashes and Milk

+ Gold lip dish by Up In the Air Somewhere

+ Rose Garland bowl by Karin Eriksson (via fine little day, I think?)

+ 1970's Meakin Studio soup bowl at The Bucket Tree (via Poppytalk)

style snapshot: Tory Burch Fall 2010

I'm loving the new boots and graphic prints at Tory Burch...especially in that top outfit.

Images by Marcia Madeira / FirstView.com via Style.com.

the sycamore q + a {no. 53}: Suzie McKig and Serge Vigeant of Twig & Fig in Berkeley

I'm happy to be back with another shop owner Sycamore Q+A*! Not only do Twig & Fig co-owners -- Suzie McKig and Serge Vigeant -- run this beautiful boutique, they also have a letterpress paper goods company under the same name. Through very thoughtful design, they've managed to fit a retail shop, printshop, design studio, and the necessary storage into their charming Berkeley, CA location. When Kirk and I stopped by for an impromptu visit last December, we were surprised and delighted that both Suzie and Serge were happy to chat with us and give us a tour. Serge even gave us loads of helpful printing tips! We were blown away by their graciousness.

(* The Sycamore Q+A is a weekly series of little interviews with artists that I started in July 2008. As of January 2010, I've also begun to include independent shop owners. Click here to see more.)

1) How did you become a shop owner?

Serge and I were starting our line of custom invitations back in 2003, and knew that soon we'd need to move our business out of our house. It was a toss up between having a design/print studio in an industrial area or going for a retail shop in one of the cute, unique neighborhoods in Berkeley. After combing through all the pros and cons we knew that hands down we wanted to have a little paperie. We got so excited thinking about how we'd fill it with all our favorite fellow indy stationery designers and bring in really unique gift items, too. Our shop is just 3 blocks away from our house, so it turned out to be the best decision we made. We can contribute to making our local neighborhood a more fun place and were able to get rid of our commute all at the same time. It makes life so simple in fact that we just sold our car last year!

2) Tell us about one of your favorite items for sale at Twig & Fig.

That's a tough one! We love so many things in the shop. I'd say the O-Check Designs stationery pieces from Korea is pretty rad, as are our vintage British Telecom phones, in all their wacky 2 tone colors.

3) What's the best part about your job?

Showing off all the wonderful work of indy designers/printers.

4) Is there anything else we would like to know about you and/or your shop?

It's the best feeling ever when you hear a dozen times every day from new/regular customers "this is the cutest shop--I just love everything in here!!", or: "I just love coming in your shop--everything is so beautiful and I haven't seen most of these things anywhere else!" It makes it all worth it knowing people really appreciate our little shop--and that we're doing what we can to contribute to keep indy businesses thriving, and to be a valued part of our local community.

Thanks Suzie and Serge!

If you're in the SF Bay area, head on over to their shop:
Twig & Fig / 2110 Vine Street / Berkeley, CA 94709 / ph: 510.848.5599

I also recommend you visit their website and see their beautiful stationery: http://www.twigandfig.com/