TRAVEL: a weekend home

This weekend I am looking forward to some R&R and sleeping in. Traveling and getting down to business on Monday! Enjoy your weekend!

2012: a passionate work culture

I follow Fast Company on Twitter and read the article "8 Rules For Creating a Passionate Work Culture" yesterday. It starts out talking about Ken Thomson, who was at one time the 9th richest man in the world (worth billions), who insisted a can of soup for lunch, department store suits, and his old patched up shoes  suited him just fine. And while Thomson left behind an empire of millions and a collection of fine art, his real legacy was the relationships he built and nurtured. Humbling coming from a man practically made of money. Anyways, the whole thing is about hiring people who feel and are valued, remaining self-aware in a business sense, and acknowledging what is or is not working. My favorite part: "Cultive good people and keep them." Seriously, take the 3 minutes and read it. As for the 8 rules:

1. Hire the right people

2. Communicate 

3. Tend to the weeds

4. Work hard, play hard

5. Be ambitious

6. Celebrate differences

7. Create the space

8. Take the long view

2012: each day too short

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, & all the friends I want to see." - John Burroughs

Feeling so thankful and content this week, even - especially - for the little things.

TRAVEL: memorial day recap

                           

                                               

Spent the weekend with 2 best friends in Delaware. It was one of those weekends that was just good for the soul. I left Minnesota and it was windy and rainy.. only to arrive to sunshine in Philadelphia! Thursday evening consisted of dinner and talking over each other (pretty typical) with lots to catch up on.

Friday was so very cultural with a trip to the Liberty Bell (couldn't quite crop out the khaki-wearing, tennis-shoe-sporting, back-pack-hauling tourists in the back) and also an afternoon at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which I highly recommend. I got to see some of my favorite artists (Rothko, Pollock, Degas, Cezanne.. and the list goes on).

Saturday was all-day adventure of white water rafting in the Lehigh Valley. The day started and ended with a 2+ hour drive - part of the scenery beautiful yet deserted and creepy... like the kind of road that takes you directly to a haunted house. [Anyway]. Rafting was a blast - the 3 of us ended up with a friendly couple from Lancaster and we strained every arm/shoulder/back muscle that we had. The last 1.5 hours were spent in the pouring rain. I'm not talking heavy rain.. I'm talking pouring rain. But what are vacations for if not to make some memories? And we did - it was hilarious.

Sunday was beach day. We headed to Atlantic City to spend the day on the Jersey Shore. [Insert witty comment here.] There was a light breeze and not a cloud in the sky... but now I'm pretty sure my skin could have used some cloud cover and a few more rounds of SPF 30. Relaxing day ending in dinner and LOTS (read bottles) of aloe vera lotion.

Monday came too soon and before I knew it my flight landed and I was driving down 52 and pulling into the driveway. 2 lovely dinner guests and unpacking rounded out the long weekend. Feeling tired and fulfilled heading into this week. Also, you deserve a prize for reading this far! Hope you also enjoyed the holiday weekend.

2012: delawhere?

Flip flops packed and Delaware-bound for the long weekend. I can hardly wait to get there and let the fun begin. Wishing you a very American weekend!

2012: invincible summer

Says it all.

WORK: david schwen

OMG, clever illustrations by David Schwen. LOL. Simple. Big fan. Also, things are busy right now. Well, busier than they usually are. Moving, job searching.. you know, minor things. I'm just trying to justify my lack of blogging recently - hope all is well for you!

2012: wasted worries

"Do you remember the things you were worrying about a year ago? How did they work out? Didn't you waste a lot of fruitless energy on account of most of them? Didn't most of them turn out all right after all?" - Dale Carnegie

Maybe you need this reminder as much as I do today... Keep the faith!

WEAR: sandal season

Soon my feet will be happy when they are wearing one of these lovely pairs... What are your summer sandal go-to's?

2012: spring patterns

Oh my heavens, the weather is going to be nice soon! Spring might finally show up here in Minnesota. I think these vibrant pattern designs by Ashley G's are just the ticket for some spring sunshine.

WORK: linear calendar

Behold: the Linear Calendar by Marke Johnson. Not only do I enjoy the design and functionality of this calendar but I love the idea and reason for this calendar - "...when we reminded ourselves to think of time with a linear instead of a circular metaphor, each day or span of time felt a bit more precious, fleeting, and important to use well." I also realized that this is how I picture time in my head.. when I visualize time and dates, I seem them in a linear context. Another plus? Plenty of room for my scribbles!

HOME: magazine storage

Yikes. I am so very guilty of hoarding magazines... I blink and I have magically accumulated a whole stack. And, for reasons I can't explain, it's so hard to part with those beautiful glossy pages. But with a few of these ideas I might be able to hold on to my favorites for a little longer.

PHOTO: julien denoyer

Loving the dreamy feel of these photos from Julien Denoyer... you can also find other clever items and cool photos on etsy.

WORK: russell + hazel

Don't mind me, I'm just drooling over the beautiful things at Russell + Hazel. This place just goes to show that not all office + organizational supplies are created equal. Recipe books, page flags, binders, pens, pencils, portfolio cases.. so very tasteful and simple but enough detail to set them apart and make them unique.

WORK: laura trevey

Fun "fasion" illustrations/watercolors from Laura Trevey... I think I am especially loving the colors she used... Makes me want spring (and summer!) even more with this cold/rainy weather hanging around.

HOME: clear desk

For whatever reason, I have been dreaming of having a clear, lucite desk for my workspace... which is imaginary at the moment. But I think we can all agree that it's better to be safe than sorry so I need to be ready should the opportunity for a work space + clear desk knock at my door.

PHOTO: jen gotch

Jen Gotch is the queen of polaroid photographs. A few of these shots show her photos being displayed but you can find individual prints on her website. The lighting and the things she photographs are FUN and some are so simple and beautiful.

WORK: paperfasion

These illustrations and prints from Paperfashion are so fun. I love the detailing and vibrant colors.