sweet sips

Friday already. Again. It was a rough week — full of impossible deadlines, last minute changes, sleepless nights, and illness. Many thanks to my dear friend Dr. Fhwy for getting me through these last few days. 

I’m taking the afternoon off to go to a Goonie’s themed birthday party (one of our son’s classmates). Then tomorrow it’s back to work (yes, on a Saturday). I’m on antibiotics, so sitting poolside with an adult beverage is out of the question. Instead I’m hoping the fog in my head and the pain in my side/back/body/head will go away so I can focus on catching up on everything I let slide this week: proposals, proofs, and photoshoots. 

//ABOVE our new FLUTTER wedding coaster and straw pennant flags shown in marine blue. Available in stores now.  //Photo: Delphine

big weekend plans

//photo: Erika Firm

We’ve been working so hard getting those new wedding invitation albums finished that we are taking a much needed weekend off from work. We’re going to spend our weekend having fun: building a treehouse, roasting some marshmallows with the neighbors, swimming in the pool, walking on the beach, reading magazines, watching silly family movies, and just hanging out. 

Wishing you a relaxing weekend with your friends and family, too.   xoxo—e.

summer plan: a s'mores party

// photo: Jennifer Dery

We’re planning a little backyard get together this Saturday for the neighborhood kids … just ‘cause. S’mores will be the star ingredient to the shindig. When I told my 7yo he got so excited he started clapping his hands and jumping up and down with pure joy in his eyes.

summer treat: shave ice

//photos: Erika Firm

Why did nobody tell me how amazing Hawaiian shave ice is before? YUMMY. I had a chance to try it for the first time a few weeks ago at the Gravy co-working event Lori hosted at her lovely Paper & Thread studio (photos coming soon of her super adorable workspace). It was about a zillion times yummier than any other shaved ice treat I’ve had before. I am so thankful to the Gravy team for introducing me to Kam Shave Ice. I am planning a trip to Oceanside Pier so I can have more soon. See you there!

bekka's yard sale tomorrow

Hey San Diego peeps! Bekka is getting rid of nearly everything she owns to start fresh in the Big Apple, so if you are in the San Diego area this Saturday August 6 swing by her yard sale. For sale: clothes (sizes small and medium or 4), shoes (women’s 9), kitchen items (dishes, small appliances), decor, ALL of her craft supplies and art supplies, books and much more. There will be a few small furniture pieces as well. If you are interested please email hello [at] mintedcondition [dot] com for the address! Starts Saturday at 8am.

amazing treehouses

photos: TreeHouse Workshop

Photos: Barbara Butler

For Father’s day, my dad got a new chainsaw. Having trimmed all the bushes and trees on the property, he decided to move on to a fun new project: building a treehouse for my son! John and my dad put in the floor over the weekend, built a rope ladder, and the all-imporant dumbwaiter (for loading snacks up to the fort). 

I’m feeling inspired by these beautiful treehouses by TreeHouse Workshop and Barbara Butler. After seeing these, I think we may need to revisit the original blueprint for the treehouse:

Alexander drew a plan for his treehouse. Note the fun slide! 

photo: Erika Firm

summer yard sale at bixby & ball

Bixby & Ball is having a summer yard sale this weekend at their Solana Beach, Ca shop. They’re cleaning house to make room for a bunch of new goodies. See you there!

only in SoCal: dogs and toddlers share the swingset

Yes, this really happened. I really did see a dog swinging on the swingset at the local park (Del Mar, Ca). That’s the pampered pooch’s master pushing him. He said the swing was part of his dog’s daily routine. I kid you not. My cousin (the adorable toddler in the photo) was not the only one confused by this. The doggie did seem amused, I must admit. 

Only in Southern California. 

week in review: march 1 - 25, 2011

It’s been a strange month, hasn’t it? The tragedies in Japan have weighed heavy in my heart. My entire family came down with the flu. For the first time in 11 years of living in Southern California the weather was not predictible (it actually hailed here). Deadlines have been piling up, exciting contracts have been signed, and I decided to travel to the National Stationery Show after all (and am co-hosting a NSS Meetup). Oh, and I started a new blog with fellow North County Graphic Designers (it’s not quite ready for public view yet, but I promise I’ll share soon).

I feel busier than ever (did I mention our studio is hiring design interns??). I’m slightly overwhelmed, but it’s mostly good stuff. I figured it is time for a fresh start, so I redesigned this blog’s logo and updated the layout a bit. What do you think?

Today I’m hoping my flu disappears completely so I can properly enjoy the Y Conference. This weekend I’ll be geeking out with fellow graphic designers and live tweeting from the Y Conference. 

taking a break

photo: Erika Firm

There have been some great things happening at the Delphine studio lately. We signed a new contract, which I can’t wait to tell you all about. We’re working on a few new branding projects, and, of course, making lots & lots of wedding invitations and party favors. (By the way, yellow and turquoise are still leading as far as color trends this year!). We’re also finalists in the LOUIE Awards! Yay! We’re super busy, I have so many deadlines my head is spinning … and I am simply exhausted. On top of it all, the news from Japan is breaking my heart.

I’m taking a little break from the blogosphere so that I can take care of business and myself: head back to the pool/gym/playground/beach/a good book/dinner with friends, and enjoy “real” life for a bit. I’ll catch up with you in about a week or so. 

Meanwhile, we are still acceping applications for interns, so please get in touch if you’d love to work with us. Have a great week, friends!

week in review: february 28 - march 1, 2011

This photo is from last weekend — we woke up to a VERY unusual sight: ice! 

In case you missed it, here’s what happened on the blog last week:

• A peek at a Delphine wedding invitation in neutral and white colors … haute off the press 

• We welcomed March and announced the next North County Graphic Design meetup

• The Ritz-Carlton hotel has a wedding magazine and Delphine was featured 

• Love the dark and moody deep teal, verdigris and slate color palette from a favorite film

In studio news, Friday we signed a big contract that we’ve been working on for nearly six months. I celebrated with a giant margarita and a much needed night off from work.

Yesterday I had a mini reunion with some of my interns from last fall. I miss you, ladies! Next week I’ll post some new internship opportunities, so stay tuned. I also had a last-minute meeting with a bride, so John and I frantically cleaned up the studio (it was a disaster). The bride was visiting from out of town and had no idea she would be meeting with us, so I was especially thrilled to see that one of our invitations was pasted into her inspiration journal! Of course after these two meetings I was pooped, so I took a dinner break and went out for burgers with my boys. After our little one was tucked in, I went back to work and knocked out a pretty new logo and website design for a friend who is also a client.

The life of a small business owner is never boring or dull, and always always busy. I swear my to do list only expands, never shrinks! Hoping to get some sketching done today. I’ve been up working since 5:30 am and have gotten through about 1/4 of my list so far … I’m off to make a pot of coffee. 

field trip: birch aquarium in la jolla

Our first grader is on “ski week” vacation. Why they don’t call it President’s Day vacation is beyond me. But I digress …

It’s one of the busiest times of the year at the Delphine studio, so we couldn’t take time off for a proper vacation. Nor do we ski. Chilliness and I don’t mix very well. Instead, John and I are taking turns taking half-days off with our little one this week for a “staycation” in San Diego. We’re super lucky to live in a city where other people love to visit — there’s lots to do here. We decided this is the year we’re going to actually take some time out to enjoy our back yard! Hopefully we’ll find time to take some time together as a whole family to enjoy it all together soon.

It’s Museum Month in San Diego, so we went to pick up our half-price museum pass at Macy’s on the way to our first museum trip this week. We were super sad that they are all out of passes! Major bummer. We decided to press on anyway, and visited the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla, California yesterday.

This giant wolf eel looked super grumpy!

This gigantic fish tank is home to some pretty huge fish, including some that seemed larger than my kid! 

The little suckers on the octopus and starfish are really amazing up close. I also like this red and pink color combination. Inspiration strikes me in some of the strangest places!

My favorite tank is the reef tank, because it reminds me of snorkeling with my family in the Florida Keys. 

These sea plants remind me of fern botanical prints. Love the shapes here.

Hard to beat this view! The Birch Aquarium is available to rent out for special occasions like weddings and corporate parties. I’ve been to a few wedding industry events here.

We had a fabulous visit, and Alexander told me “this is one of the best days ever.” Awwwww. Just that made it worth it! 

All photos: Erika Firm

week in review: february 14-18, 2011

In case you missed it, here’s what happened on the blog last week:

• On Valentine’s Day I shared some behind the scenes photos of my Carlsbad wholesale flower market adventure with florist Adrianne Smith

• It’s an awesome time to be a bride! BHLDN launched and Vera Wang released a stunning collection of chic and affordable gowns at David’s Bridal

• I shared a romantic color palette, inspired by the fruit blossoms in our back yard.

• I’m getting caught up on our press clippings: many thanks to Ceremony and Uppercase for including Delphine in recent issues

behind the scenes: carlsbad wholesale flower market with adrianne smith

Last Friday I took the day off to help my friend—and favorite florist—Adrianne Smith, prepare for one of her craziest days of the year: Valentine’s Day. We started off bright and early at the Carlsbad International Floral Trade Center, where Adrianne took me on a quick tour of the facility. It was bustling with energy and excitement, and many of the vendors we chatted with had been awake for more than 24 hours straight getting ready for this busy day.

Adrianne pre-ordered most of her supplies, so they were ready at various vendors’ stalls for us to wheel out to the car when we were finished with our tour.

Guess how many flowers we fit in Adrianne’s car? Well, I don’t know exactly, but I do know that if we had picked up one more bunch I may have had to walk home. I even carried some on my lap and A had some shoved between the seats. When we got back to her studio it took three of us about two hours just to unload the car and process all the stems.

I learned so much about the floral industry hanging out with A. Did you know that “fillers” and greenery can cost as much, if not more, than many flowers? She even taught me a few secrets to making a beautiful (and lasting) arrangement: soak floral foam before you cut it; trim stems on an angle; tulips will continue to grow after they are cut, so cut them shorter than the rest of an arrangement; design from the edges in to the center; texture is the key to an interesting bouquet; add water every day so the foam doesn’t dry out.

Isn’t it amazing how buckets of flowers, big sticks, bits of mossy goodness and bunches of wild greens can be transformed into stunning arrangements like this one? It still seems like magic to me, even after spending a day in the studio and watching the process first hand.

I’m in awe of this lady. Thank you, Adrianne, for letting me peek into your world for a day.

Photos by Erika Firm; Floral designs by Adrianne Smith Floral Design

week in review: february 7 - 11, 2011

In case you missed it, here’s what happened on the blog this week:

• Valentine’s Day is around the corner, so my son and I made some homemade Valentine’s Day cards for the kids in his first grade class

• NCGD (North County Graphic Designers) announced two upcoming events: a coffee meetup next Wed and a movie night later this month

• Valentine’s Day gift ideas for your sweetie

• Invitation color combo trends: Out with purple, and in with blue and yellow

This weekend I helped out my dear friend Adrianne Smith (and favorite florist) as she prepared for one of her biggest days of the year, worked on our website, prepped for some upcoming photo shoots, and visited the Suite Spot in Carlsbad (Reni, Chelsea and Hannah’s shared studio space).