Pop + Shorty

Ideas are the building blocks of ideas.

2011-03-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

Graphic Timeline - 30th Birthday Invitation

2011-03-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

Like what you see? Contact us to create a custom timeline of your life, or as a gift/invitation for someone with lots of interesting events to capture!

Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago This Weekend!

2010-09-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

Tomato Red + Summer Sandels: MARAIS USA

2010-05-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

I am loving these Espadrille Wedge Sandels in Tomato from MARAIS USA. Perfect to pair with a cute summer dress. (Espadrille Wedge Sandels in Tomato - $92)

Spring Sale at Pop + Shorty

2010-05-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

Friend I Flock To Greeting Card - On sale for $0.95!

Party Animal Birthday Greeting Card - On sale for $0.95!

Alphabet Letters Poster - On sale for $7.00

Ed Nacional Steals my Heart

2010-03-02T15:55:00.000-08:00

Man, do I love the work of Ed Nacional. His illustrations are so inspiring and bold. Here is one of my favorite projects from his portfolio, a type specimen book for Bodoni called Thick + Thin. It is made entirely from descenders, ascenders, and other bits + pieces of the typeface. Droolworthy...

Vintage Finds + Blue: The Blue Carrot Shop

2010-03-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

Frigid Fruits Tin - Blue Carrot Shop

New Providence Tray - Blue Carrot Shop

I ran across a lovely little shop today called the Blue Carrot Shop. I am in love with this Frigid Fruits tin. The typography is simply amazing. It's one of a kind too, so better get it while it's hot!

Blog It Forward: Inspiration

2010-03-01T16:00:00.000-08:00

Today is all about what inspires me. I could list a thousand links, write 1,000,000 words, and try to explain everything that inspires me to create, design, and write. Instead, I thought I would post pictures of what inspires my work. (Many thanks to sfgirlbybay for dreaming up the Blog It Forward idea!)

1. The beach, nature, exploring

Santa Monica Pier 2009 - Image credit : Me!

2. Illustration, illustration, illustration

Sanna Annukka - Keane Album

Sanna Annukka - Paulig Coffee Tin

Ed Nacional - "Wearing Whitman's Words: A Typographic Exploration" project

3. My husband

Me + Matthew - Image Credit: Our Labor of Love

Make sure to check out the next inspiration post by Please Obey! Thanks for stopping by.

Stay Up-To-Date With Sweetie Stats!

2010-02-25T20:05:00.000-08:00

Because of these cute little Sweetie Stats books, I now know my husband's dream vacation is a trip to Easter Island, he'd love to have dinner with the entire Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team, and his first kiss was in 6th grade. Makes a wonderful shower gift! (Sweetie Stats available at Chronicle Books)

Royal Suits + Purple : Anthropologie

2010-02-25T08:06:00.000-08:00

Royal swimsuits in all shades of purple

(1. Ebbing Tide Maillot, 2. Spun Strap Bikini, 3. Sulfur Wing Maillot by Anthropologie)

Happy Birthday To You!

2010-02-24T15:56:00.000-08:00

This photo is dedicated to my husband, Matthew, on his birthday.

*Photo credit: Vintage Birthday Parties on Flickr

Cartoon Network Prints That Pop!: Methane Studios

2010-02-24T15:16:00.001-08:00

Powerpuff Girls Design: Methane Studios

For those who know me well, you know I am a huge Cartoon Network junkie, especially for the Powerpuff Girls. My love for Powerpuff Girls began when they aired a short clip of the girls vs. the Amoeba Boys during a Dexter's Laboratory episode in 1998. I was hooked! Soon after, the Powerpuff Girls stole my heart as the saved the world before bedtime. Mostly, I was a fan of Blossom, with her long red hair and super cute red heart bow. So many memories...

These memories of Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup flooded my mind after seeing some of the design work from Atlanta-based design studio, Methane. They've done numerous works for Cartoon Network, including work for the Powerpuff Girls and my other favorite cartoon, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. Craig McCracken, the illustrator behind these shows and Dexter's Laboratory, is a genius. I must admit my love for illustration came from his creations. I still have an entire notebook from high school full of the sketches of the Powerpuff Girls in new ass-kicking poses.

So, with out further ado, here are some of my favorites from Methane Studios, including a couple other non-cartoon related works these guys have created. Thanks for taking me back!

Learning About Prisons is Fun!

2010-02-22T10:03:00.000-08:00

This morning I ran across this informational video on the American Penal system, which was directed and edited by one of my favorite designers, Frank Chimero.

The video was made for Good Magazine, Produced by Lindsay Utz and Animated by Standard Designs.

Frank Chimero Inspirational Design Poster

Always Play Amongst Friends: Friends of Type

2010-02-18T20:47:00.000-08:00

Beautiful type needs to be showcased, especially with this set of four prints designed by four different members from Friends of Type. (Always Play Amongst Friends prints by Friends of Type)

Delightful Illustrations by Blanca Gomez

2010-02-17T14:46:00.001-08:00

I was originally introduced to the work of Madrid-based Blanca Gomez from her cover art for Uppercase Magazine. After researching and exploring her lovely portfolio, "Cosas Minimas" ("Little Things" in Spanish), I fell in I love the simplicity of her design and the color choices she uses in her illustrations. You can snag your own posters of her work at the Poster Caberet or in her Etsy shop.

All illustrations created by Blanca Gomez

Fun, Free, Flatpack Toys: Readymech

2010-02-16T13:51:00.000-08:00

Wondering what these kick-ass creations are? They're Readymechs. Readymechs are free, flatpack toys you can print and build on your own (and they are all free, thanks to design firm Fwis*). Print each PDF template onto a standard 8.5" x 11" page on thick paper, slap on some double-sided tape, and 10-15 minutes you've got your own special paper friend. Our personal favorite is Number 6, above. (Click link to get to the printable PDF: 1. Spywalrus, 2. Brainsucker, 3. Ripsey, 4. Cox, 5. RexBox, 6. Pink, 7. Tentaclopse, 8. Eggertsson, 9. AstroJulie, 10. Dodecaheathen at Readymech)

*Readymechs are courtesy of Fwis, a graphic design firm specializing in fresh, concept-driven graphic design for some of the most savvy and complex organizations in the world.*

Hello Hollywood! + Specialty Cakes by Highland Bakery

2010-02-11T17:05:00.000-08:00

I wanted to do a post today about specialty cakes / grooms' cakes, so I visited the website my favorite bakery here in Atlanta - Highland Bakery. As I searched through their Flickr feed, I found the surprise Hollywood Hills groom's cake from my own wedding back in May 2008! My husband always wanted to go to Hollywood and work as a producer, so this was the perfect cake. I highly recommend Highland Bakery. I told them I wanted the Hollywood sign on a mountain, and they whipped up this pretty puppy. Lovely! (Thanks to Best Man Joseph Remerowski for helping me come up with ideas!)

The cake was delicious and looked so fabulous. The little bushes are made with rice crispy treats, and the inside was layered in yellow cake and chocolate icing (my hubby's favorite). We didn't get to eat it at the wedding, but we did devour it at home afterward. Since I had a broken leg (yes, I had a wedding with a broken leg) we didn't go on a honeymoon, so we spent the next week eating on our Hollywood cake!

This is us (literally) devouring the cake

I plan to do a blog post on our beautiful wedding (cast and all) soon. Our Labor of Love took some amazing photography that deserves to be shown off. For now, I will just post some of my all-time favorite groom + specialty cakes from Highland Bakery. Hope this gives you some inspiration for your own wedding or special event!

"Chanel" Bag cake

Frida Kahlo cake + Groundhog Day cake

Corset cake

Trunk cake

New Addition to the Weekly Reads: Orange You Lucky by Helen Dardik

2010-02-10T07:46:00.000-08:00

We have been huge fans of the illustrations by Helen Dardik for quite awhile. Her patterns are so intricate and fun and colorful. I highly recommend her blog - Orange You Lucky! - if you need a little cheer me up. I've never left her her site without a smile.

Straight Up and Down Is So Yesterday: Vanity Barcodes

2010-02-10T07:30:00.000-08:00

We are loving the concept and design behind these decorative barcodes. Vanity Barcodes really has something going here! Above are some of my personal favorites. I'd love to buy a box of ice cream sandwiches with an ice cream sandwich barcode on it. Wouldn't you?

Meet Floataway Studios : Southern California Photography + Videography in One!

2010-02-09T20:00:00.000-08:00

Today's post is all about people who love what they do helping people in love and me loving it all! I had the opportunity to work on a small design project with Mary Frances and have fallen in love with her brand and her work. Mary and her husband, Scott, recently merged studios (he being a videographer and her being a photographer) into one company - Floataway Studios. Below is a Q + A with Mary on how Floataway started, what they love most about their work, and what they like to do (when they are not creating beautiful art) in sunny California.

Who? Mary and Scott Chrisman of Floataway Studios (offering both photography and videography for people in love!)

How did you get started in photography and cinematography?

Scott went to Fullsail University and studied film in Orlando, Florida. I was studying psychology at a local community college with dreams of being a child therapist but it just wasn't cutting it. I feared too many emotions and attachments would come out of the career. I met Scott at a pizza restaurant I worked at. He was one of my customers. The first time we spoke he pushed me to pursue what I truly love and that is photography. Long story short, two months later I was accepted into a very prestigious photography school - The Hallmark Institute of Photography - and was planning to attend the next year. While attending the photography program, I fell in love with the new age style of wedding and lifestyle photography and knew exactly what I wanted to do upon graduation. I started Mart Frances Photography in January 2009 which has brought us to Floataway Studios this year.

How did Floataway start?

We moved out to Los Angeles in July 2008 for the beach, mountains and Scott’s film career. Scott fell in love with the journalistic and artistic approach to videography that he creates doing behind the scenes videos for Forever 21, Heritage, etc. which is why we combined our two studios into Floataway to offer both photo and video to our couples. We just knew that his style of shooting video combined with my style of photography complimented each other really well and would be a great combination under one name!

What kind of services do you offer?

Photography + videography for weddings and engagements.

How do you approach your work?

We like to focus on the honest love between the couple. Capturing that certain look that the two love birds share and that laughter that occurs from one of their inside jokes makes our heart beat faster. We will often pose the couple, working with the environment and whatever else is visually appealing and then just wait for that moment where she lays her head down on his shoulder..he kisses her forehead...they crack up laughing.

What is best thing about what you do?

We leave every photoshoot and wedding thinking "Wow, we are so lucky!" Being surrounded by love as a career and given permission to capture it and create art that the couple will look at forever is so rewarding. We work with people and we are constantly learning about how to live life to the fullest through them. When we receive thank you e-mails, texts, phone calls, cards from our couples and they haven't even seen their pictures or video yet..that just means alot to us!

What is your favorite kind of wedding?

The kind that just oooozes creativity. When we meet with couples and they begin telling us about their day we get so sincerely excited for them. Weddings are beautiful events and, while they can be quite stressful, they can be so much more fun when you personalize it and it reflects you and your partner.

What do you do for fun? (when you are not creating beautiful art!)

Movies...and lots of them. We love to craft. Scott is a great modpodger and it is a form of meditation for him. I (Mary) love to knit and create personalized greeting cards for friends. We eat lots of frozen yogurt (mmm!) We love being outdoors and can often find us on our beach cruiser, long board, doing yoga or hiking up Topanga Canyon. We have the best dog in the world named Rilo that we rescued and thank our lucky stars every day that he chose us. We love to travel and we dream of exploring this beautiful world we live in and visiting third world countries to help out as much as we can.

(See Scott's videography work on their kick-ass website)

Big Bold Bows + Yellow: I Love Ban.do

2010-02-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Gorgeous! As you might know, I am a huge fan of hair pieces: bows, roses, fascinators, headbands, and all in between. I Love Ban.do is like a dream world to me! I would love to add these yellow beauties to my collection, and I wanted to share them with you.

(1. i (a vintage item that might not last long!), 2. She Loves The Ritz by I Love Ban.do)

Web Design + Vintage Finds : Backseat Vintage

2010-02-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

We were originally drawn to the simplistic + elegant layout of this site, then realized Backseat Vintage sells really beautiful and inexpensive vintage goodies. Double whammy! (Check out Backseat Vintage here)

The Geek Love Returns: New Cards Back In Stock

2010-02-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

They're baaaaaack! Yes, we've fully restocked the shop with the above favorite greeting cards.

Find them here: YOU ARE THE CSS TO MY HTML + WITH YOU, LIFE IS IN ALL CAPS

Ferocious Flats in Black + Gold: J. Crew

2010-02-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

We love these. (Christiane Calf Hair Ballet Flats by J. Crew)

Geeky Dreamboats

2010-02-06T09:52:00.000-08:00

I wonder if any of these guys even know basic HTML? (Geeky Dreamboats book at Modcloth)