With Gratitude...and Leftovers

Photography by Paul Ferney for Oh Happy Day

This is our third Thanksgiving on the other side of the country. 3,000 miles from our families—and Dad's stuffing—we're so grateful to have been adopted by friends and counted as family again this year. With others like us in mind, I calligraphed these leftovers stickers for Jordan at Oh Happy Day—head there for a free printable of the stickers and send kids like us home with some extra turkey...just enough for Friday's sandwiches!

With gratitude and love, Happy Thanksgiving.

A Christmas Collaboration

Photography by Aubrey Trinnaman for Oh Happy Day

I loved working with Jordan Ferney of Oh Happy Day on her seasonal series—she is a maven when it comes to advent calendar cleverness, crafting, and fun. I calligraphed the numbered flags that we then nestled into these mini pines and mounted on small gift boxes to mark the days till the Man in Red's arrival. 

For all the festive photos from the shoot and details about our crafting along with a free download of the F&W calligraphed flags (now you can print 'em and make your own!) head over to Oh Happy Day.

PS Is the little red car not the cutest? Ever?

Return to Sender

F&W stamp style: Sterling

F&W stamp style: Torrie

'Tis the season for gratitude...and custom stamp orders. I've got lots of both!

Monogram It

Instant custom stationery courtesy of a monogram stamp. Coupled with some pretty patterned washi tape, these two calligraphed letters spell fancy.

Baker's Dozen

These tags were completed for a serious baker who tired of her comprehensive sticky note labeling system for her countless flours and sugars. Upon sending me the ingredient list, even she admitted that white whole wheat flour is comically superfluous...and decidedly necessary!

Merry November

F&W stamp style: Cox

It's the first day of November which according to the decked halls of our local Pottery Barn means one thing...retailers have officially kicked off the holiday season. In keeping with the theme, this stamp was ordered to be gifted for Christmas—tucked in a muslin satchel, it will make one sweet stamped stocking stuffer.

Ho ho ho? Nah, too soon. Happy November!

Gone Road Tripping

I recently sent off this open and closed signage for Connecticut's best cupcake shop, Taste & See Gourmet Cupcakes—if you're local, go get a treat (or ten).

Speaking of closed, Flourish & Whim will be quiet for the coming week—we're road tripping to Oregon far from cell phone service and internet, close to mountains and lakes.

Over and out!

Ready for Takeoff

Photographed by Paul Ferney for Oh Happy Day // F&W calligraphy

More crafted costume cuteness and chalkboard calligraphy from my most recent collaboration with Jordan at Oh Happy Day. This little pilot and his private (cardboard) jet are ready for lift off.

Check out the full post with all the pics and how-to details here.

Seasonal Supper

San Francisco and its nuanced seasons have grown on me. I now notice the subtleties in our sweater weather—light cardigan, heavy cardigan, light cardigan + scarf—and count them as my winter, spring, summer and fall. Just because I've grown accustomed to it, doesn't mean I don't miss my New England home and its fall foliage, crisp weather, apple picking...apple eating!

So last night in fall's honor, we threw a festive supper party—what we lack in foliage we make up for in seasonal spirit.

All done up in our pumpkin best we feasted on squash soup, Lucca's fresh pumpkin ravioli and Vermont apples baked into a butterscotch crisp. We prettied up the the place with gourds and flowers, some pumpkins and place cards. Our friend quoted Julia Child saying, "Dining with one's friends and beloved family is certainly one of life's primal and most innocent delights, one that is both soul-satisfying and eternal." Tis true.

Oh Happy...Halloween

Photographed by Aubrey Trinnaman (L) and Paul Ferney (R) for Oh Happy Day // F&W calligraphy

A few more adorable costumes—mini Frida Kahlo, little Andy Warhol and a classic robot—along side some F&W chalkboard calligraphy shots from my time crafting and collaborating with Jordan Ferney on her Homemade Halloween series. 

I mean c'mon with the cuteness, right? And check out this little number we paper-mached and hot glued into a whimsical cloud...

For the full posts and all the pictures head over to Oh Happy Day. 

Put A Sombrero On It

For Nikki's upcoming quinceañera inspired 30th birthday weekend, we nixed Portlandia's put a bird on it in favor of a sombrero. Feliz cumpleaños!

Oh Happy Day

Photographed by Aubrey Trinnaman for Oh Happy Day

Photographed by Paul Ferney for Oh Happy Day // F&W calligraphy

Shortly after moving to San Francisco I began following Jordan Ferney's Oh Happy Day blog and was instantly smitten with her unmatched style, aesthetic and creativity. Just last week I went from long time internet follower to in-person crafter as I joined Jordan's team for a few days of creative collaboration, crafting and photoshoots for her Homemade Halloween series. Such fun! 

The first post went live today and it's pure floral joy. I was all smiles as I sat in Jordan's studio surrounded by flowers and armed with a hot glue gun crafting this darling costume. A package of glue sticks, bunches upon bunches (upon bunches) of fake flowers and a precious 3 year old later, look at this sweet result. ...and check out the F&W chalkboard calligraphy!

No tricks here, I'd say this flower girl deserves plenty of treats.

For the full post and all the details, head over to Oh Happy Day...and stay tuned for more costume cuteness in the coming weeks.

Happy (Birthday) Weekend

Before skipping town to celebrate a certain special someone's 33rd birthday, I'm busy wrapping up a few projects and sending off some final art... 

Happy Weekend, hoping yours involves cake and party hats too. 

Julie & Julia

I'm currently reading Julia Child's My Life in France, Julia writes of her husband Paul's letter writing:

"Paul took letter writing seriously: he’d set aside time for it, tried to document our day-to-day lives in a journalistic way, and usually wrote three to six pages a week in a beautiful flowing hand with a special fountain pen; often he included little sketches of places we’d visited, or photos..."

I think Paul and I would have gotten on well. I love a handwritten letter...sending, receiving... In the days of email and texting finding something other than a bill or J.Crew catalog in your mailbox is all the more rare and decidedly special. These custom monogram and address stamps were ordered as a gift for a fellow lover of letters, a kindred spirit.

Side note... It's safe to say Julia, her butter and I would have been fast friends too. She comically notes that her letters were "full of spelling mistakes, bad grammar, and exclamation points..." Ha!

F&W stamp style: EK Monogram & Katz Address

Stamp It Out

I'm a fan of stamps. 

Christmas 2010's highlight? The library date stamp—it was number one on my list and Santa came through. Quirky, I know, but there is something about sending a letter with the date imprinted on it that I just love. We used stamps for our wedding as well, adding fast and easy charm to place cards, gift tags, signs... And now, thanks to custom stamps, the possibilities are endless.

I calligraphed, digitized and ordered a few—a 'to:' to add a fast hit of calligraphy to gift tags and envelopes, the F&W logo for obvious reasons, and a 'yo!', well, just because. I'm currently working on a coordinating monogram and return address order that I think is going to be just lovely.

stamped...signed, sealed, delivered.

Let's Toast

5x7 flat invitations // engagement photo by Sarah Shreves // F&W calligraphy and design

Beautiful couple, stunning photo...

I loved working with Mel on her engagement party invitations and am smitten with the final product. The calligraphed banner coupled sweetly with the natural beauty of Mel & Austin and their woodsy surroundings. I love the radiant glow and intimate moment photographer Sarah Shreves captured along with the touches of hand drawn whimsy.

Cheers to Mel & Austin, Happy Engagement!

Hostess Gift 2.0

I've already shared my hostess gift revelation for dinner parties—breakfast bread is the new bottle of red—but what to bring for a whole weekend at a friend's gorgeous getaway? 

Stripey candles!

Candles aren't something you're apt to splurge on, but when they're striped? And over a foot tall? To say nothing of the endless color combinations (fern-peacock, sage-linen, wasabi-mint...) We have a set on our kitchen table and they're pure awesome, you can't help but smile at their cheery disposition. Grinning at inanimate objects? I blame the stripes.

All that to say, the stripe, smile, and splurge factors spell perfect hostess gift in my book.

Ribboned, wrapped and monogrammed, we're ready for a weekend in the mountains. To Tahoe!

For Emma

Cue up Bon Iver's For Emma for sweet baby Emma Rose, born July 25th.

Knit up, pom-pommed and packaged, this tiny hat is en route to Chicago. Word has it that she was born with a head of dark hair, so come winter in the Windy City this ought to keep her head warm and little locks in place.

Welcome to the world, Emma. 

Dinner Party

This dinner party with our newly engaged friends called for a little fancy, so we prettied up our normally verrrry casual Friday Pizza Night tradition with place cards, menus, fizzy cocktails, the works. It was great fun to prepare and even more so to eat, enjoy and toast to our friends and their happily ever after.

The Salted Caramel Bundt recipe came from Chronicle Books' Cake Simple—a whole book of bundts! (This classic scene from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, anyone?)

Heath Ceramics is an eternal favorite for everything simple and beautiful—their commitment to the craft, impeccable use of color, and timeless forms have made them a favorite around the Bay Area and beyond. Heath recently opened an incredible new store in San Francisco's Mission District, so I was more than happy for this excuse to peruse the space and pick up a little gift. 

Three Cheers!

No need for elaborate centerpieces or decorations when the drinks pack this much darling. As party goers mingled with their bottle in hand, these stripey straws and cheery exclamations brightened up more than just the bar. 

I'll drink to that!