A few weeks back, I attended the Golden Gate Park Book Fair with my friends and co-workers, Geoff and Sandy, roaming the aisles in search of long lost treasures and inspiration.

Old paper goods, in general, make me swoon, but there were two things at the end of the day that truly left me awe-struck and longing to be part of the days when hand-crafted type and attention to detail were, as it seems, a given.

Around these parts, people know that I’m crazy for “pretty things,” and these books and their use of gold foil definitely fall into the “pretty things” category for me. They show such gorgeous attention to detail, and maximize the use of the foil to make some really eye-catching covers!

The second thing that I found so inspiring was the attention to detail in the spine designs.

With such a constrained space, sometimes designing spines can be a challenge, but seeing how successful these spines are in commanding your attention reminded me that a well-designed spine is as important as a well-designed cover.

If you are looking for some more inspiration, we are lucky enough to be hosting once again in the lobby of our office, the AIGA’s 50 books, 50 covers exhibition through November 20th.

See related post here.

Kristen Hewitt
Senior Designer

Popularity: 2% [?]

As we head into this holiday weekend of giving thanks, I have inevitably been thinking about all the things that I am thankful for. Some of them are obvious, the love and support of my family and friends, a job that I adore, a new president, to name a few. But, if I start thinking about the small little details and extras that make my day-to-day life special, one of the things that I am truly grateful for are the handmade notes (or, heck, just any handwritten note) that I receive from friends. It’s that ray of sunshine that can brighten the gloomiest of days.

Whether it’s birthday wishes, a thank you, or just simply a note to say hello…knowing that you have friends that care about you enough to take a moment to sit down and send something so personal to you is truly something to be thankful for.

Kristen Hewitt
Senior Designer

Popularity: 4% [?]

As with many designers, one of the most inspiring and influential things to me, are vintage paper goods. One of my most favorite places to go searching for paper (and non-paper) treasures is the Alameda Flea Market. On the first Sunday of every month, I head across the bay in search of inspiration. From pamphlets on the art of gift wrapping to vintage cocktail invitations, they have it all!

They are charming in their simplicity.

They can be over the top and frivolous.

And sometimes just downright hilarious.

And I mustn’t forget the typography, oh what beautiful type!

Kristen Hewitt
Senior Designer

Popularity: 3% [?]

I‘m always so excited when I open my mailbox to find that—amongst all the junk mail and bills—I have received a letter with real handwriting! It’s a small thing, but oh-so-very precious because the sender cared enough to take time out to sit down and write me a letter.

I first had the pleasure of working with calligrapher, Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls, when I was looking to hire a calligrapher for a project. We developed a wonderful working relationship, which has turned into a great friendship and exchange of letters. When I receive a letter in the mail from my friend Maybelle, it’s like Christmas!!! As the lucky recipient, I skip and twirl around in sheer delight.

Her sentiment (always sweet) and style (graceful beyond belief) strikes the perfect note every time. Try as I might, my letters never look quite like hers, and being the stationery-lover that I am, I really, really want them to! And so, this is what inspired us to create The Perfect Note.

Maybelle and I worked collaboratively on the project, creating every last detail together. We tried to pack as much as we could into the kit so that the end-user could create and send little gifts in the mail. It includes glassine and paper envelopes, stamps, stickers, folded and flat notecards, and a booklet that has templates and examples of notes (in Maybelle’s beautiful calligraphic style, of course) to write for almost every occasion.

Whether to say thank you or to simply keep in touch, we hope The Perfect Note will inspire other people to write handwritten letters to loved ones so more days can be brightened by a trip to the mailbox.

Kristen Hewitt
Senior Designer

Popularity: 3% [?]