Clever, quirky, & refreshing design identity for a fictitious suncare product in Queensland, Australia created by 2 students (I say clever because they used a map as a part of their design. Smart people). Isn't their use of typography & color amazing?

Everytime I visit with my aunt & uncle in Salisbury, I try to spend the day downtown Newburyport. I could live here, without a doubt. I was inches close to renting an apartment & moving here, but a few other things took place. Maybe someday!

One fun store to walk into & feel as though you're across the pond in British Land is "Best of British" (I honestly felt like I was walking into my Grandma's closet, more so--she's kept & collected all of the British memorabilia you could imagine, some cheesy (flag with Prince Charles face on it. Gross.) & some really cool things (Princess Diana China Set). You instantly feel prim & proper, & like you're going to have a cup of tea in a bit. The fact that this type of store resides here is just proof enough of the British charm that still influences this New England town from its very beginning in 1635. If you're lucky enough to visit Newburyport, the most quaint New England town next to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, take a stroll into this British filled space.

The only thing I wish this store had was a replica of Princess Kate's blue sapphire engagement ring.

Yes, I'm one of those. 

Love the bold pops of color among these watercolor paintings (some enhanced digitally). 

This is one of the custom maps I was able to illustrate for a friend as a Christmas gift to his wife (one of my best friends). This is just a sample of the many avenues you can take when brainstorming custom map options. You can think beyond the typical vacation experience to an important "timeline" in your life worth documenting. Perhaps you want to document each championship game your husband/boyfriend/girlfriend/wife has ever won; or, illustrate the many types of wine you've tried from traveling in chronological order; or, your top 10 favorite memories from college. The options are endless!

I am so excited that my new set of subway maps are well on their way to completion; almost more excited than when I first opened my Etsy shop! Subway maps are such a fascination to me; they're such a brand to a city, & are such cool, quirky, & dirty thing to experience. I don't feel I've fully experienced a city unless I've ridden on their subway system. Do you feel the same, or do they mostly just gross you out? I get it if they do, but they're still a timeless mode of transportation. 

I'm lucky to have Monday off of work, so I'm using this long weekend to crank these out & hopefully upload them to the shop by next weekend. Here is a sneak peek! The first 5 cities to introduce the Subway Map series (a different version/design of a city's already created subway map) will be Portland, Boston, Chicago, Salt Lake City, & San Fransisco. That's all I'm going to say for now, I will share the finished product very soon! 

What other city's subway maps would you like to see created? Of course NYC, Paris, London, etc., but what about the smaller, less likely cities? We can't leave those out. We all need to feel proud of our cities in every cool way!

Oh, & happy weekend!

Denim labels are excellent sources of design inspiration--from the rustic appeal to the vintage quality to the typography & lettering, there should be a pinterest board of just denim labels. Maybe I'll just create one!

Some other denim labels that have caught my eye are Pilcro & the Letterpress, Levi's, & A&G. What other cool denim labels have grabbed your attention?

From top to bottom: Lucky. Barnaby. Dirty. Sugar Cane. Real McCoy's. Hand-crafted.

Since moving to Philly, I have painfully been craving diner food; eggs, toast, bacon, omelets, sausage gravy & biscuits, & just down-right greasiness. Oh, & did I mention coffee? I could have the most organic, tastey coffee, but it wouldn't compare to my love for diner coffee. It's the best darn coffee I've ever had. I can't explain why, but I could gulp down that stuff like chocolate milk. & then run a marathon. 

So, some of my co-workers mentioned the "Midtown Diner" & my heart swelled with giddiness. It was like a piece of home was then with me. For lunch, we tried the Midtown Diner & it was just as greasy & delicious as I imagined it would be. I was thankful for it. I blessed my meal. It was beautiful. I had my usual family of breakfast items: eggs, toast, sausage links, chocolate milk with diner coffee. The only thing left to ask for was a nap around 2:30pm.

If you crave diner food, & live in Center City Philadelphia, check this place out. It's Greek-inspired, but still very "American-Diner-esque." My only complaint is they did not have sausage gravy & biscuits (it must be a Midwest thing). But, it has diner coffee. 

Note: if a Greek woman is taking care of your bill at the register, be nice to her. Trust me, you don't want to make her mad--learn from my mistake. It's a good thing mustaches are in style, because I will be sporting one next time I go to the Midtown Diner. With dark sunglasses. Yes, it's worth braving again.

May every girl feel like Sabrina in this photo on Valentine's day; loved. Whether by your significant other or family, friends, & God (or if you're lucky, 2 lucky gentlemen as in Sabrina's case. I surely wouldn't mind Bogart or Holden fighting over me!).

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone--hope it's been lovely!

Well I guess I know what's for dinner tonight! Who doesn't love grilled cheese? & who doesn't love maps? I have a USA cookie cutter that I might use to try this at home; I wonder if I could make the cheese melt that perfectly (in the images above, the cheese is actually bees wax, but I'm still up for the challenge). 

If you're interested in reading more about how these were created, visit the source here. Such a neat project!

Photos by Erin Jang of The Indigo Bunting.

Free Valentine's! Who doesn't love those? I found these on Pinterest--they'd be perfect for anyone (guys & ladies), so it's exciting to have this available if you need one!

For me personally, this little valentine caught my eye (& heart) for a couple of reasons (besides the obvious & awesome neon color scheme):

1. For those of you who know my real last name (for those of you who don't, it's "Buck"), you'll notice the first image must mean this Valentine is addressed to me. Pay no mind that it may also mean, "Dear" (as in, "Deer").

I'm just falling in love. "Buck" is actually what most of my friends call me...so, it definitely means, "Buck" to me. For you, it can remain, "De{a}r."

2. There is a Bee on the card (as in "be"). A Bee. I'm convinced this valentine is after my own heart.

Okay, enough about why I love it so. For those of you who've also fallen in love with this quirky & well-designed valentine, click here to download, & here to follow the tutorial on how to make it!

Have a Lovely weekend, everyone.