This company is so inspiring to me. It is a husband/wife design team that started in 2000. Veerle Pieters was named one of the 30 Most Influential People in Web Design by webdesigndev.com. I love everything about them from their name to the logo to the website to the projects they’ve done. Their branding is so strong it is incredible – Love It!

I just read a great blog called 50+ tools To Make You a More Efficient & Organized Designer. It names tons of websites, applications, add-ons, etc. that can help you in your design business, many of which we already use and are in fact very helpful.

I found one new source that I think could be very helpful as a reference tool. Designers Toolbox: Design Resources basically lists out all kinds of graphic design standards from typical paper sizes, standard business card size, types of bindings, etc. They also have a web section that describes standard sizes across all platforms. Looks like a pretty handy site to keep in your back pocket.

I saw this new website posted on a blog and it is a pretty cool idea. It is a feedback site for designers (mostly graphic and web design related). You simply create a profile, post your design, and then people comment on it and give you suggestions. As they mentioned on the blog I saw it on, it seems that “real design people” are actually the people using the site which is nice. I thought it would mostly be people totally ripping other people’s designs to shreds, but for the most part, the comments are very mild but helpful. Even if you don’t want to put your own designs out there for criticism, it is neat to see what people like and don’t like on any random design concept.

Pre-made Photoshop brushes make life so much easier. Here are some of my favorite places to download brush packs:

The combination of exploring freelance graphic design and being incredibly slow and bored at work has caused me to want to learn Adobe Illustrator. I found this tutorial blog written by Tony Soh, creator of www.vectordiary.com called Learn Illustrator CS3 in 30 Days. It consists of several exercise that teach you the ins and outs of all of the basic tools and elements of Illustrator. The final challenge is creating a logo which puts most of the skills you learned to the test. I found it to  be exactly what I needed to familiarize myself with the program and it was much faster than trying to just play around with it myself. One of the most helpful tutorials was actually a link to extra help that he had in the Pen Tool tutorial. At the bottom of this blog, there is a link to download the Pen Tool Exercise. You open the file in Illustrator and it shows you exactly where to click and drag to trace the outline of the word VECTOR. After doing it once with the “follow the dots”, I turned the direction layer off and traced it myself. I found this to be so helpful in understanding how to make curved lines. All in all, if you are trying to learn Illustrator, I highly recommend starting here.

Just came across this Seatle company, ThinkNow Design,  in another blog and I am in love! They make all eco-consious jewelry that is absolutely beautiful. Here’s some info on their green practices from their site:

“thinknow products are made from 100% natural materials and water-based adhesives. All wood products are sourced from managed growth forests, and our products are sealed with beeswax and linseed oil. The packaging for the products you receive is recycled-content cardboard durable enough for reuse in storing and displaying all of your favorite pieces.”

Click here to learn more about their commitment to green.

They have several choices of colors & finishes for each style. Here are some of my favorite designs:

My sister first introduced me to LaVanila products at Sephora while shopping one day. It is a line consisting mostly of body products (they also have candles), that are all “100% Healthy” and smell absolutely amazing! Everyone that catches a whif of these scents loves them. There are 5 scents, Pure Vanilla (which is my favorite), Vanilla Grapefruit, Vanilla Coconut, Vanilla Blossom, and Vanilla Lavender. These also make a great gift because like I said, everyone thinks they smell great. And on top of that, they have amazing package design – so elegantly modern – and you can also feel good because they are “all-natural” products (read more about their healthy practices here). So run to Sephora and pick some up for you and a friend!

Dan sent this awesome display of package design (found from TheDieline blog). It was designed by Moscow based designer Arthur Schreiber. I love everything about it from the embossed pattern on the box to the nod to a sword slice incorporated both on the box and in the design of the bottle – so smart. This would definitely catch my eye at the liquor store.

The new Broadmoor Cottages are up and running! We have been working on this project for the last year, and they are stunning. This was a new construction project at the Broadmoor located off the 18th Hole of the golf course. There are 6 buildings, 5 of them contain 8 bedrooms suites and 3 parlor areas, 1 building has 4 bedroom suites and 2 parlors. The buildings are designed so that each party has a multitude of options in how they break up the space to accommodate the appropriate number of guests. The decor fits in with the property’s historic feel, but is much more casual and fresh feeling. They are perfect for any type of large group like a wedding or corporate event but also work for a romantic getaway for two.

Click here to read an article and see some photos. Jump to page 46 for the Cottages.

Click here to see Broadmoor President Steve Bartolin give a walking video tour.

View a slideshow of photos below. All photos taken by McCory James Photography.

So we’ve been looking for a new duvet cover for our bed for a while now. Right now our room is so dark – I really wanted something springy and bright for a change. I just came across this set from West Elm that was on sale and I scooped it up. Will be looking for new window treatments and maybe some new accessories to complete the new look. Before and after pictures soon to come!