Velvet Nectar

Gertrude Jekyll

2012-02-18T16:03:00.003-05:00

Flipping through The Garden Book this morning, and was taken aback at the majestic wintery beauty of this image:

The garden designer was Gertrude Jekyll and I'm not able to find a photo credit. The location is Munstead Wood, a renowned garden in England. Such a soothing palette of cool blues & greys.. so dreamy

Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side

2012-02-16T09:36:00.000-05:00

Listening to Lou Reed this chilly New York morning. "Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side," he sings. You know what Lou, I will!

During the summers when I was 15 & 16, I went hiking, rock-climbing, & white water rafting on the Appalachian Trail along the North Carolina/Tennessee border. That experience lit a tiny spark and the dream was born - I would hike the entire trail.

I am setting out in late March on Springer Mountain in Georgia and will hike 2,175 miles to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. I will carry a pack on my back with everything I need to survive, and aim to keep my pack weight under 25 lbs. I will wake with the sun, walk all day, and set up camp again when I'm tired.

Incredible challenges await me, but as I strive to do in all aspects of my life, I will seek to find the joy & beauty (and hopefully some humor) in the situation.

Happy trails!

photos

Barry White & Sunday Afternoons

2012-01-29T15:43:00.001-05:00

Growing up, almost every Sunday began with shouting chaos getting ready for church. My family of six would pile into my mom's minivan, or sometimes we'd take two cars if one group had to go early, or a group was running late. After an hour of calm, holy, Episcopal Eucharist, the chaos started back up as we raced home to tear off our church clothes. We'd gather around the kitchen table for lunch, usually made of random mix-match meals, every condiment on the table, trying to clean out the fridge and eat up any of the week's leftovers. The highlight though, was every Sunday in the late afternoon, my dad would light up the grill & turn on the CD player. Barry White's smooth melodies set the tone as thyme & rosemary chicken sizzled on the grill. Dad would drink a cold Miller Light & I'd pour a myself a glass of raspberry ginger-ale. My siblings, our friends, and our dear yellow lab Obie would walk back & forth from the house to the back deck to join Dad, as he reminded us to close the door, that he couldn't afford to air-condition the entire neighborhood. It was a perfect way to end the weekend, and look forward to the week ahead.

When I listen to Barry White now, as part of my love for the whole genre of Soul & Motown music, his music stands apart, as it is accompanied by such sweet memories of Sunday afternoons.

Valentines!

2012-01-19T14:28:00.000-05:00

So excited to be on the Martha Stewart blog today!! My friend Kristen was so kind to showcase my letterpressed Valentines for sale in my Etsy shop. I'm also happy to be participating in Poppytalk Handmade's "Love Transforms" Valentine & Weddings market this month.

Marigolds

2012-01-10T08:15:00.001-05:00

I'm working on some wedding invitations for a May wedding. Tables will be decorated with vintage glass bottles with single yellow flowers. I found these beautiful antique prints while doing some image research and just had to share:

All found here

2011: What a great year!

2011-12-31T22:41:00.000-05:00

2011 was literally a year filled with dreams coming true for me. I left my career in a corporate office to work for myself. I made lots of work. I spent three months farming in the south of France. I flew to California and put my toes in the Pacific Ocean. I learned so much and made friends at the Ladies of Letterpress Conference in Asheville, NC in August. Most importantly, I'm continually working hard to pursue my dream of running my own letterpress & design company. As I look forward to 2012, it's a joyful thing to remember some of the stepping stones along the way from the past year:

With holiday cards & a craft sale under my belt, I began a line of Valentine's cards and joined Nicolette at her annual Valentine's flower stand:

I started doing custom design & printing for wedding invitations for friends and friends of friends. I discovered that I truly enjoy the collaborative process of working with brides to be to create something we both love.

Iris Café in Brooklyn Heights offered to carry my cards:

I was so excited when Amy Merrick hired me to design her website. We had a wonderful time shooting with photographer Bryan Gardner to turn Amy's concepts to beautiful images. Espresso, scones, flowers, good music, good people... such a fun day!

One of my proudest accomplishments of this year was spending countless hours this summer working on my website: www.maconyork.com! Converting magazine PDF files to web images + shooting all my stationery portfolio was quite an overwhelming task but I'm so glad to have it up. Special thanks to Christy-Claire Katien for helping me with this project.

I finally got around to printing business cards for myself, something a letterpress printer & designer definitely needs:

This summer my parents moved from our home near Savannah, Georgia up to the mountains of Chattanooga, Tennessee. My parents are incredibly supportive of my creative ventures and it was such a treat for me to print these moving cards for them:

As a Christmas & housewarming gift, I made my parents some custom coasters:

I finished the year out with two sets of holiday cards:

Finally, I'm so excited to announce that I'm now a proud owner of a Chandler & Price tabletop letterpress! I found it on eBay from a lovely couple in Louisiana. They shipped it freight and it arrived yesterday along with some extra goodies: furniture, packing paper, two quoins, and a quoin key! Woo hoo!

After spending the last 10 New Year's Eves out and about with friends, I opted for a quiet New Year's Eve this year. I stayed in and hung out with my Dad. We put violet liqueur and fresh lemon juice in our white wine for a fun little New Year's cocktail, had a great pork chop dinner, and listened to Jim Croce - a perfect way to end such a wonderful year.

Cheers to a beautiful next year!

xo Macon

Vintage French Books

2011-12-02T16:47:00.001-05:00

While strolling around Paris, I came across the cutest vintage bookshop. I love the use of color & typography in these old book covers. Sadly, the shop was closed but I was able to take some photos from outside.

Christmas Spirit

2011-11-28T17:48:00.001-05:00

After a three month adventure traveling & farming in the South of France, I returned to the US to spend Thanksgiving with my family.

My parents moved from Savannah to Chattanooga this summer and it has been a wonderful experience exploring the city with my family. Hiking, seeing the muppets movie, enjoying a great time out at Public House, walking the family basset hound, and sharing incredible meals made by my dad have made for a refreshing transition back to America.

I'm headed back to NYC tomorrow and am excited to get into the Christmas spirit. I spent the morning uploading some Christmas classics like Bing Cosby's Merry Christmas.

I loved the New York Magazine Muppet's Gift Guide and can't wait to see the window displays on 5th ave. I have to admit I've never seen It's a Wonderful Life, so that is a top priority this Christmas. I'm looking forward to being back in Brooklyn roasting vegetables and drinking hot toddy's. I'm especially excited to design, print, and mail my own holiday greeting cards.

Cheers, here's to the holidays!

Ville de Nice

2011-09-22T12:13:00.000-04:00

Bonjour! I am on a train to Aix-en-Provence after four days in Nice, France. My time was brief but rich. Traveling alone has granted me the unexpected luxury of spending minimal amounts of money. I have become less interested in consuming (both food & goods) as in simply experiencing, and this realization delights me greatly.

Every morning I strolled down to the beach with a yoga mat, towel, sunglasses, and a copy of The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. I soaked in the warm sunshine and gazed out into the vibrant, electric azure of the Mediterranean. There is no sand on the beach – only small rocks, weathered to the softness of suede. When I was hot, I took a dip in the clear, light blue water. When I was hungry, I had a refreshing tuna baguette. When the midday sun got too harsh, I wandered into Old Town, where the tall historic buildings shaded the small cobblestone streets and provided relief from the sun. Every afternoon I treated myself to one scoop of lavender ice cream. In the evenings, I made my way back to the beach to watch the day’s palette turn from bright blues to soft pinks, yellows, and peaches.

9/11, ten years later

2011-09-11T16:44:00.000-04:00

Ten years ago today, I was in a painting class as a junior in high school. We turned on the news and watched the smoke billow from the first tower, listening to the news anchors' alarmed confusion about the "accident" that had just occurred. Moments later, still glued to the TV, the second plane crashed live, right before our eyes. I will never forget that moment of horror. Every class was canceled that day as we quietly conversed and watched the news, hungry for information. That evening I went to a friend's house to study for an American History exam. We spoke of the irony of the situation as we went over flash cards for a piece of history that I can't even recall now. Though images and moments from that day will be forever vivid, the outstanding memory is that of coming together in a way that I had not experienced before. A true feeling of pride for the country - all fifty states united, mourning for the tragedy that occurred. My world was instantly expanded beyond my small coastal Georgia town - I now had a heightened interest for and awareness of the country at large, and the parts of the world that had attacked us.

Since that day, I have voted in two elections, graduated from high school and from college, moved to New York City, and worked for several companies - paying state & federal taxes. I am a New Yorker and also, in a way, more of an American citizen, in that I contribute and consume with my own income. I'm in Paris at the moment, which makes this ten year anniversary especially interesting for me because I'm looking at America from a somewhat removed perspective. It's funny though, because this trip abroad leaves me feeling less removed than previous trips across the pond. I have a computer with me and am able to email friends & family, check Facebook, and browse my favorite blogs. Overall, I realize that I am still very connected. Through social media, I am able to check in daily with almost everyone I know - be it childhood friends, family, recent coworkers, or my best buds. It doesn't matter whether they are in New York, California, Amsterdam, or South Korea. We share stories, joys, sorrows, news, and photos. We engage in conversations: expressing sympathy to a friend for a loss of a parent, celebrating a beautiful home cooked meal, laughing together over the "d'oh" moments on the day, and high-fiving each other for accomplishments small and large.

I can't help but wonder if this shared desire for constant connectedness is in any way a response to 9/11 and the increased national unity that followed. While that past ten years have been filled with a generous share of bad news (Katrina & the collapse of the economy are two that come to mind immediately), I can't help but delight in the fact that we can now share the news - good and bad, all together. We remain united - through social media, but more importantly, through our desire to stay connected to each other.

P.S. While we are talking about 9/11, I have to take a moment to wish a very happy birthday to one of my dearest friends, Ashley Norton! While I can't be there to celebrate with her tonight, I can at least share my love on my blog, which I know she will read :)

Bonjour mes amis!

2011-09-08T06:35:00.003-04:00

Greetings from Paris! After a whirlwind of a summer (leaving the magazine world after four years, striking out on my own to support myself through graphic design & letterpress printing), I am in Paris, calm & curious. Ever so lucky, friends of family friends offered to let me stay with them in the suburb of Vanves, which is incredibly charming.

I love the change of pace from New York to the suburbs. I love the beautiful 20 minute walk from the house to the metro station. I love the 20 minute metro ride from Vanves to the center of Paris, the time to quietly observe the Parisians around me, and to eagerly anticipate my day. In the evenings it's nice to sit on the metro after walking all day and reflect, and look forward to dinner with the family.

I am taking this time to just be with myself. My time in New York was almost always given outwards and rarely inwards. Amid the fast pace of the city, my goal-oriented & list-making nature intensified exponentially and I found myself working very hard (which I do enjoy) but without giving myself much time to rest & reflect (which I also enjoy, but rarely make time for).

While I love the city of Paris, what I am most enjoying is the luxury of travel. I've briefly stepped away from my life and have no to-do list or any deadlines to meet. I'm following a walking-tour book of Paris for some general direction, but for the most part I conduct my day based on my own immediate desires. If I want to stop on a bench and just look around for an hour, that is what I do. Or linger over a cafe au lait and a croissant at a cafe and write pages upon pages in my sketchbook. Or walk for hours up and down cobblestone streets admiring the bountiful flowers in the windows, snapping countless photographs.

It is literally a far off dream that has come true, and I am savoring every moment.

BAGGU

2011-08-19T08:36:00.000-04:00

Loving these colors, from BAGGU as on Poppytalk's Pinterest board

Ladies of Letterpress Conference: Social Media

2011-08-18T10:32:00.002-04:00

If you have been following my blog, facebook, or twitter accounts - you are well aware that I attended the first Ladies of Letterpress conference two weekends ago in Asheville, NC.

The organization is relatively new - it was started a couple of years ago by printers Jessica C. White and Kseniya Thomas and now has over 1100 members. The conference took place at the Renaissance Hotel in Asheville for panel discussions & a trade/printer's fair, and also at Asheville Bookworks, a community printshop. Experts demonstrated various techniques related to printmaking.

Ever the nerd, I took lots of notes on the discussions and demonstrations that were particularly relevant to me. I took a few photos, but ended up more frequently opting for pen & paper to scribble comments instead of reaching for my camera.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around social media and I found the "Tweeting in Lead" panel very helpful. I've typed out my notes for anyone who's interested.

Social Media & Letterpress
Nole from Oh So Beautiful Paper graciously shared lots of tip about blogs. She addressed the importance of keeping your own blog with your own work, but also submitting to editorial blogs (like hers, or others).

Blogging for yourself:
- Let your client & potential clients get to know you better: post recent work that displays what kind of work you do. Also post about things that let them know who you are: design influence, color palettes, food, music - but keep it related to your personality & brand. She pointed out that a blog is basically a virtual interview.
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Nole recommends choosing a few key words that describe your brand, or words that people would type in a search engine to find you. These words should be sprinkled throughout your posts and also image names should include there words. Also, for better SEO results, your blog should be apart of your website (ex: website.com/blog)
- Blog on a regular schedule: clients may assume you have switched gears with something else if you haven't blogged for three months or so. Also, its generally better to have consistency in the frequency of your posts.
- Build blogging into your work schedule. If you keep a blog, it should be given its own time slot, just like responding to emails.

Getting featured on editorial blogs:
- PR = free editorial media, Marketing = paid media. With PR, it is a case of quality over quantity. A well done editorial blog post may be more beneficial than a paid small advertisement on a blog.
- Read the submission guidelines & submit a complete package.
- Nole does NOT recommend sending a generic introductory email that says "Hi here's a link to my website" - blog editors don't have time to poke around your site.
- Make sure your work is in the aesthetic of the blog you are submitting to. Find appropriate blogs to match your style.
- Know your goal for submitting. Is it to get more clients? Enhance your SEO? More brand visibility?
- Submit to one blog at a time. Quality over quantity. That said, its ok to give the recipient a deadline for which to respond to you. If you don't hear back, follow up once and then it is fine to move on to the next blog.
- Use their real names (ex. Hi Nole, not Hi Oh So Beautiful Paper). It shows you know the blog and have done a bit of research.
- Never send press releases to blogs. A press release says "Here is some news about me" not "Here is something worth blogging about."

Allison Chapman from Igloo Press gave some social media insight from a printer's perspective. A few points & suggestions that I found helpful:

- Consider having 2 twitter accounts, one for yourself and personal comments, and one for your business and studio updates.
- The number of twitter followers is not important. What matters is how engaged your followers are. Are they making purchases? Coupon codes are helpful for this purpose.
- Use Facebook & Twitter to explain what letterpress is by showing recent projects and works in progress. Give a sense of what your studio feels like - make it a destination.
- Split your facebook posts & tweets between informational, fun, and sales pitches.

Happy tweeting!

Julia Child: My Life in France

2011-08-15T08:15:00.001-04:00

I finished reading Julia Child's My Life in France last week and wow, what an inspiration. I picked it up a few weeks ago, at the same time I was beginning to edit the text for my website. I was a little self conscious about my tone - I'm pretty happy go lucky, and tend to overuse the word "lovely." I wanted to be myself but not be over the top. As I was reading Julia, it dawned on me that she had her own unique, happy voice and I doubt it ever crossed her mind how she came across to others - she was strong in who she was.

In addition, Julia has inspired me in so many ways. Her curiosity to research and experiment - when she wanted to teach Americans how to bake French bread, she didn't just throw together a recipe. She tried every possible flour, yeast, water combination. When she still wasn't yielding the results she wanted, she went to a Parisian baker who gave her some pointers. Months later she figured it out, due to her dedication to her craft.

Another moment that stood out: after her book Mastering the Art of French Cooking was such a success, she dove in to write Volume II and also was just getting the TV program going. She and Paul were super crazed and debated putting off plans to visit friends in Provence. They looked at each other and said nothing is more important than friends; work can wait. As I am busy building my own career, I take this piece of advice to heart.

To me, the book is about a woman filled with love - love for cooking, for learning, for teaching, for working hard, for her husband & friends, and love for her life. Thank you Julia!

Greetings from Asheville, NC

2011-08-05T11:01:00.000-04:00

Down south in the Tennessee & North Carolina Blue Ridge mountains for the weekend. My parents have moved from the charming, historic Savannah up to vibrant and exciting Chattanooga. I've always felt at home in the mountains, and the view during my flight to Chattanooga was just breathtaking. Mom and I took a little road trip up to Knoxville to visit YeeHaw Industries Letterpress Studio (pictures to come) and had a great lunch at the Tomato Head. We are in Asheville for the weekend for the first Ladies of Letterpress Conference. I'm so excited to learn and to meet other ladies in the industry. Mom and I are sitting in my favorite bookstore/coffeeshop, Malaprops, catching up emails, but are about to poke around Asheville before the letterpress festivities start. I likely will be tweeting during the conference so feel free to follow my tweets. Happy weekend!

The Cone Sisters & Henri Matisse

2011-07-25T13:21:00.000-04:00

I went to the Jewish Museum yesterday afternoon and was blown away by the exhibit about the Cone Sisters & their art collection. They were from Baltimore and very revolutionary in their interest in Modern Art. Their brothers were in the textile industry and when their father died, asked them to go to New York City to spend $300 on items to enliven the family home. They spent the money on 5 pieces of new modern art, which began a lifetime of collecting. This thoughtful exhibit showcases their exquisite art collection, but what fascinated me was their friendship with Henri Matisse. Seeing his work in this context really struck a chord with me - the colors seemed louder & purer & more beautiful than ever before.

"Colors have a beauty of their own which must be preserved, as one strives to preserve pure tones in music. It is a question of organization and construction that is sensitive to maintaining this beautiful freshness of color... What counts most with color are relationships... No doubt there are a thousand different ways of working with color. But when one composes with it, like a musician with harmonies, it is simply a question of emphasizing the differences." - Henri Matisse, 1945

Pony Swim by Marissa Textor

2011-07-18T18:12:00.000-04:00

I love this graphite drawing so much: Pony Swim by Marissa Textor.

Summertime Stationery Special

2011-07-13T12:06:00.000-04:00

Line-dry colors

2011-07-12T10:56:00.000-04:00

When I lived in Cortona, Italy for a fine-art study abroad program in the fall of 2005, we washed all of our clothes in the bathtub by hand, and then walked them outside to the clothesline behind our dorm room. This meant doing your laundry not only depended on when you had the time, but also on the weather. I learned the Italians especially do not believe in driers. Our professor told the story of an Italian friend who came to visit him in the States and how the friend found any branch outside to hang his wet laundry on, because "driers are the devil, don't you know!"

As summer rolls on, I am trying to remember part of my intention for leaving the corporate world. My intention for a calmer, simpler, more beautiful life. I did my laundry this morning at the local laundomat (not quite as convenient as a washer in my house, but better than washing it all in the tub!) but decided that any piece that I really loved, I would take home to line dry. Imagine my delight, as I was hanging, the beautiful palette of blues, grays, greens, and whites.. perfect for summer. I dream of the time and space when I can hang everything outside in my garden to dry, but in the meantime, my bathtub will do, and I will be grateful for the beauty that is there.

Wednesday Breakfast

2011-06-29T13:05:00.000-04:00

Ha may as well keep the breakfast thing going. Its been so fun!

Today's menu: chopped scallions, zucchini, and spinach in a skillet with some olive oil & salt until soft & yummy. I put those in a bowl while I fried 2 small local farm eggs & cut up some small heirloom cherry tomatoes. Greens in the bowl, then the tomatoes, then eggs on top.

Meanwhile I'm waiting for a big fancy paper/envelope delivery. Excited to spend this afternoon letterpressing wedding stationery for a friend in Santa Barbara, and also moving announcements for my parents. Finishing up a website design for a friend, and also for myself. Busy, busy but loving the self-employed life!!

Time for Breakfast

2011-06-28T09:26:00.000-04:00

I'm a morning person by nature. I'm really just not a big sleeper. Though I no longer set a morning alarm for work, I find that I'm still waking up with the sun. The joyous part though, is instead of racing to work, I am really enjoying a leisurely morning before starting my day. Yesterday I made toast with dijon mustard & a fried egg with an iced Americano. Today, a spinach/strawberry/banana smoothie with a cold raw/vegan breakfast salad consisting of heirloom baby tomatoes, thin cucumber slices, avocado, and olive oil with fresh dill.

Looking at inspiring blogs, writing in my own blog, jotting to-do lists for the day... I'm still busy as ever, but now its my own busy, with time for a good breakfast, and I like that.

Sunday Evening

2011-06-19T21:14:00.000-04:00

After a total insane week at work (and another one coming up - albeit my last at MSL!), I also spent all day yesterday & today working on my website, various letterpress design jobs, and trying to get all my files from my MSL computer.

Home now from a yummy sushi dinner & Blue Marble ice-cream. Malbec in hand, feet up, the Discreet Charm of the Borgeiouse on Netflix streaming.. what more could I want?

PS - How awesome would this be for a Halloween costume?!

Willing to be Lucky

2011-06-18T08:16:00.000-04:00

It is with a joyful heart that I announce to you, my dear readers, my big news. I have quit my job from Martha Stewart Living, from the publishing industry, and from the corporate world. I am now officially a starving artist, and nothing could make me happier. I am free.

I moved to New York City in August of 2007 with a simple dream in my heart: to be a graphic designer at Domino Magazine. With some good luck, that dream worked out for me. In my truest heart of hearts, I believe in what E.B. White is quoted to have said some years ago:

Here is New York. It can destroy an individual, or it can fulfill him, depending a good deal on luck. No one should come to New York to live unless he is willing to be lucky.

The combination of great luck and much hard work also landed me incredible jobs at New York Magazine, and most recently as an art director at Martha Stewart Living. I have been SO LUCKY!

I have been blessed with an optimistic outlook on life. Its sometimes borderline comical and almost always cheesy & hopelessly romantic. I credit a lot of my good luck to my optimistic outlook. I also grew up with the understanding that:

For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall, much be required.

(Which, apparently is from the BIBLE, as I just learned from a quick google search - Luke 12:48. I always thought that came from an American President..)

In other words, I've always felt like I owed it to those less fortunate. Those who may have the same drive & vision I do, but not the opportunity to see it to fruition. I am so blessed and therefore, I owe it to myself and to the world to be the best that I can be, and chase my dreams as honestly as I can. If I may be so bold to stand on a soapbox for a second, and declare that so much of my generation strives to get by on as little work as possible meanwhile feeling entitled to countless luxuries, I find it utterly fulfilling and creatively satisfying to truly work as hard as I can creating my own work.

It is with this in mind that I have left the corporate office to pursue my own work and my own direction. Working at these three amazing magazines has taught me so much - both design skills, professional etiquette and how to be successful under pressure. Ha I will stop now before this starts to sound like a cover letter.

Below is my first page I designed at domino, and in a few weeks my website will be up & running & displaying my favorite pieces work I've done in the past several years.

Father's Day Cards

2011-06-06T22:16:00.000-04:00

I made these colorful Father's Day Cards a few weeks back. They are available for sale in my Etsy shop. Show some love for dad - Father's Day is June 19. Still plenty of time to order!

Cool paper idea

2011-06-06T10:02:00.000-04:00

Love this image from American Songwriter Magazine. Such a cool idea to use textured, colored paper to add to the silo'd photograph.

Boycott Urban Outfitters Inc.

2011-05-27T07:26:00.000-04:00

This spring I finally decided to see what the fuss was about and joined Twitter. Its pretty fun - its like facebook but instead of seeing status updates of high school friends sharing with the world their work/gym schedule or a million photos of babies, I read cool bits of news from designers that I admire. I saw this retweeted yesterday but someone that I follow and retweeted as well:

Here is the link: http://imakeshinythings.tumblr.com/post/5855716317/not-cool-urban-outfitters-not-cool

I was upset to see that Urban Outfitters was blatantly ripping off an independent designer. I thought of my shopping cart at anthropologie.com and decided, you know what, I'd rather source only local/vintage goods instead of anything from them. I've always challenged myself to buy used/vintage whenever possible out of the spirit of reuse/recycle and but of course, like many of us, new, shiny (and usually cheaper, made-in-China) things are always a temptation.

This morning I looked on twitter and saw this post:

http://www.myaimistrue.com/2011/05/urban-outfitters-ripoff-trending-topic/

Pretty incredible! My first thought yesterday was "Man that's such a bummer, but what is she going to do? Sue Urban Outfitters?"How amazing that social media could stir up so much fuss and made Urban Outfitters take the item off their site!! So cool! Go crafters!

Christopher Baker

2011-05-24T14:59:00.000-04:00

Wow, I just want to dive into Christopher Baker's breathtaking, romantic photographs.

Pineapple farm

2011-05-23T13:15:00.000-04:00

Stumbled across this photo today in the January 2007 issue of MSL. Pineapple harvest day in Maui. Shot by John Kernick. Amazing.

Rake Jewelry Display

2011-05-19T17:51:00.000-04:00

Love this jewelry display idea from the Feb/March 2011 issue of ReadyMade. What a delight to see that it was styled by my friend Diana Yen!

Work Spaces

2011-05-19T08:05:00.000-04:00

I was telling my friend Catharine over g-chat how messy my desk space and took a picture with my phone and emailed it to her. (Don't you love technology these days?). But then I thought, you know, there's something beautiful about the messy, current, working state - not as clean & tidy as I'd like, but just as is.

Catharine sent me pics back of her own desk. She's a copy writer at an advertising firm in LA:

Then I had the idea to ask a few more friends to participate.

Meredith works in Brooklyn at an Art Studio Space - she works on the administrative side and also as a painter. She kindly sent me pics of both of her work spaces:

Emily works in Tulum, Mexico as a photo producer & also as head server at a top tourist restaurant.

Sally is in Washington, DC and works for a political strategy, consulting and fundraising firm:

Ashley owns and runs a pearl jewelry business out of Atlanta, GA:

Thanks to my pals for sharing. Possibly more to come!

Summer Veggies

2011-04-18T20:41:00.000-04:00

Flipping through old copies of MSL. Can't wait for summer & grilled farmers market veggies! Photo by Victoria Pearson, MSL June 2004

Day off

2011-04-17T09:57:00.001-04:00

I've been working like a mad women these days on custom design projects - concepting, designing, making preparations to print (ordering film, plate making, etc), and then letterpressing. I love every moment of the process. My biggest challenge these days is remembering that overworking myself leads to fatigue & then bad work. I'm taking my first full day off in several weeks today. Slept in, enjoying coffee on my couch & catching up on looking at blogs, meeting a friend for brunch, going to see the Bill Cunningham documentary, then to my favorite Sunday evening yoga class. Cheers to taking personal time to stay inspired.

Appalachian Trail

2011-04-14T08:46:00.000-04:00

Dreaming of hiking all 2175 miles of this bad boy:

Map from here

Happy 28th Anniversary Mom & Dad!

2011-04-09T15:02:00.002-04:00

Weekend Eats

2011-04-05T08:16:00.000-04:00

Enjoyed brunch with some old, dear friends Sunday morning. I'm usually an eggs-for-brunch kinda girl, but was craving something lighter on Sunday. Delicious home-made granola over greek yogurt with blueberries.

For dinner I made a hearty end-of-winter stew consisting of the veggies I found at the farmers market: potatoes, cabbage, carrots & onion. I loosely based the recipe from a bean-cabbage stew I found on 101 Cookbooks - such a great resource! Also, there's an inspiring story about Heidi (author/photographer of 101 Cookbooks) in the May issue of Whole Living.

Dream Baby Dream

2011-04-03T22:27:00.000-04:00

During my dream day yesterday, I listened to a lot of NPR including LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy talking about & playing some of his favorite songs. It's always so inspiring for me to listen to other creative people talk about what they like, and how they incorporate it into their work. The first song he played was Bruce Springsteen covering a Suicide song. I personally had never heard of Suicide, but I fell in love with Bruce cover. Perhaps because I fell in love with Bruce years ago upon first hearing "Born to Run" as a young teenager, and then two years ago at Bonnaroo, one of the best shows I've seen.

Goodnight & I hope you enjoy this beautiful song:

Dream Day

2011-04-02T15:12:00.000-04:00

today is a beautiful sneak preview of the life I aspire to:

waking up with the sun
lovely morning coffee & breakfast time
sitting at my farm table sketching with a pencil & paper
working on various commissioned design projects
listening to NPR
countless cups of hot tea
headed to an afternoon yoga class

one day this will be everyday!

loving the "Laura" album preview by Diego García
it helps that he's pretty easy on the eyes :)
ha and that my last job & current job are both for girls named Laura

Happy Saturday

2011-04-02T11:54:00.000-04:00

As hectic as my work days are, I love taking my time on Saturday mornings to walk over to my favorite coffee shop, sip an Americano while brainstorming and list-making in my sketchbook, shop around the farmers market, and make a delicious but simple, healthy breakfast.

I've always liked scallions in dishes and wasn't exactly scared of them, but you would never find them in my shopping basket. I recently picked some up and have started finely chopping them up and putting them in my eggs. Similar to an onion but a sweeter, more delicate flavor.

Vintage Summer Vogue Covers

2011-03-29T08:06:00.000-04:00

With the weather channel lately informing me that it "feels like 17º outside" (and its almost April, mind you), I am desperately longing for spring to finally arrive once & for all! Feeling inspired by these vintage summery Vogue covers, scanned from my AIGA book from the 80s.

Typography Architecture

2011-03-28T15:08:00.000-04:00

Love this poster seen on NiceType

Flowers in my hair

2011-03-25T08:32:00.001-04:00

This may be the greatest photo ever. The lovely Joni Mitchell. Longing for summer sundresses, live outdoor music, and flowers in my hair again. Image from here

Meredith Alcarese

2011-03-24T13:27:00.000-04:00

Loving my friend Meredith Alcarese's beautiful paintings. See more & "vote" for her work here

Francesco Simeti

2011-03-23T16:58:00.000-04:00

Have this as my desktop wallpaper at work. Kind of crazy but I love it!

Francesco Simeti, Plastic Eden, wallpaper, height 3 m, 2008
Via Moon River

Vegetable Garden Primer for MSL

2011-03-21T16:56:00.000-04:00

A story I art directed & designed for the March issue of Martha Stewart Living:

Happy Spring

2011-03-18T10:43:00.000-04:00

Took some new spring cards to Iris Cafe this morning. Loving the absence of snow & seeing new life budding all around me.

Goodbye winter!

Hannah McVicar

2011-03-12T09:28:00.000-05:00

One of the best perks of working at a magazine is the FREE TABLE. My apartment is filled with free gems from they hay days domino magazine. Many of the gifts under the York family Christmas tree are magazine freebies. I think its possible that my mom loves the free table more than I do.

Yesterday at Martha, I picked up Jekka's Herb Cookbook and can't wait to try all her delicious recipes.

I was also delighted by the the beautiful illustrations by Hannah McVicar. How darling are these prints from her website:

The Armory Show, NYC

2011-03-06T17:49:00.000-05:00

Had a wonderful time at the Armory Show yesterday. Here are some of my favorite pieces, inspiring to me right now and also the general atmosphere of the show. I did my best to photograph the name of each artist after each piece but decided not to painstakingly type it all out. Please email me if you'd like to know about a particular piece. Enjoy!

California dreaming on such a winter's day

2011-03-06T17:37:00.000-05:00

Lovely time in California last weekend. Good quality time with old friends, delicious meals, wine tasting, beach walking (put my toes in the Pacific for the first time!), vintage store shopping, cappuccino drinking, art viewing, girl talking... overall just delighting in the beauty & sunshine. Hope to go back soon & frequently!

Home

2011-02-19T20:26:00.000-05:00

While life in Brooklyn is going so well these days in terms of my creative endeavors, I've been missing my sweet Georgia home a lot lately.. Grateful for these Polaroids I took back in 2005:

highway 144

driving from Augusta to Richmond Hill, New Years day

I think this is looking up at the sky, on the causeway headed to Mill Hill

one of the squares downtown Savannah

somewhere on the southside Savannah

Broughton Street, downtown Savannah

the marsh in my neighborhood

another shot of the marsh & causeway

a third shot in the same location, one of my favorites

Sister Corita Kent

2011-02-16T21:31:00.000-05:00

As an East coast girl through & through, I have to admit I have never seen the Pacific, never been to sunny California... Lucky for me, my parents gave me the best birthday gift ever - plane tickets to Los Angeles. One of my dearest friends moved out there in January and I'm flying in on Thurs, Feb 24th to celebrate her birthday. I'm so excited to see her and get away from the bitter NYC winter. I'm even more excited to explore California for the first time. One item on the agenda is to visit the Sister Corita Kent Art Center. That's right, the silkscreening nun.

I think I first learned of Sister Corita through Todd St. John back when I worked in his studio. He had one of her books, and the coolest print I've ever seen. I taped lots of her work to my walls when I lived in the teeniest apartment in the East Village. As I'm designing more and more of my own work, outside of the editorial world, I look to her even more for typogrpahy & composition inspiration.

All images found on a good ole google image search

Happy Valentines again

2011-02-14T16:44:00.000-05:00

One of my pages from the feb issue of MSL:

New Valentine's Cards

2011-02-14T10:24:00.002-05:00

Valentine & Flower Stand

2011-02-14T10:11:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I teamed up with an old friend from domino, Nicolette who now does floral design and co-teaches Little Flower School. We set up shop in Williamsburg and I sold my Valentine stationery & she made bouquets. We were lucky to have such nice weather, considering it was the middle of February in NYC!

Valentine & Flower stand tomorrow

2011-02-12T11:52:00.001-05:00

happy early valentines day! i'll be selling valentines tomorrow in williamsburg with my friend nicolette who will be selling flowers. come say hello!

the thing perhaps is to eat flowers and not to be afraid

2011-02-03T18:40:00.001-05:00

Since I can remember, a beautiful silkscreen print hung at the top of the third story staircase at my grandparents home in Jacksonville, FL. When they passed away, I asked to take the print, and it now hangs in my bedroom, right next to my bed so it is the first thing I see every morning. I recently googled the artist name at the bottom of the print, and only found a site of a production company that worked on a documentary about her work on the MARTA in Atlanta, GA. I left a message on the "contact us" part and was delighted when the artist herself emailed me back! I'm still hoping to see more work of this amazing artist, Barbara Brozik.

The quote comes from a beautiful poem by e.e. cummings, copied & pasted from here:

voices to voices, lip to lip
i swear(to noone everyone) constitutes
undying; or whatever this and that petal confutes...
to exist being a peculiar form of sleep

what's beyond logic happens beneath will;
nor can these moments be translated: i say
that even after April
by God there is no excuse for May

-bring forth your flowers and machinery: sculpture and prose
flowers guess and miss
machinery is the more accurate, yes
it delivers the goods,Heaven knows

(yet are we mindful, though not as yet awake,
of ourselves which shout and cling, being
for a little while and which easily break
in spite of the best overseeing)

i mean that the blond abscence of any program
except last and always and first to live
makes unimportant what i and you believe;
not for philosophy does this rose give a damn...

bring on your fireworks,which are a mixed
splendor of piston and of pistil; very well
provided an instant may be fixed
so that it will not rub, like any other pastel.

(While you and i have lips and voices which
are for kissing and to sing with
who cares if some oneyed son for a bitch
invents an instrument to measure Spring with?

each dream nascitur, is not made...)
why then to Hell with that: the other; this,
since the thing perhaps is
to eat flower and not to be afraid.

Happy Birthday to me!

2011-01-31T10:34:00.000-05:00

Etsy shop

2011-01-23T18:48:00.001-05:00

My Etsy shop is now all updated with the latest & the greatest. Shop away!

Stationery debut at Iris Cafe

2011-01-23T17:52:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to let y'all know that Iris Cafe, my favorite coffeeshop in NYC now carries my stationery. Also exciting is that it sits on the shelf with Mast Brother's Chocolate & Stumptown Coffee.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

2011-01-21T17:33:00.000-05:00

Lovely poster with hand drawn type by libre_versalita, seen at Poppytalk

Roberta Flack, Quiet Fire

2011-01-20T21:44:00.000-05:00

Can we all just take a moment of silence and acknowledge how amazing this album cover is on so many levels?

Just Kids by Patti Smith

2011-01-20T00:06:00.001-05:00

I've never given much thought to Patti Smith. As an Art Major, I appreciated Robert Mapplethorpe for his beautiful silver gelatin prints of the human & floral forms, but knew nothing about his personal life. I received Just Kids as a Christmas gift and have started reading it. Its painfully beautiful & nostalgic. I had no idea how great a poetic writer Smith is. I'm savoring every detail of their story as young aspiring artists in Brooklyn.. totally recommend it

All images via google

True Grit

2011-01-14T08:01:00.000-05:00

Seeing this bad boy of a film tonight!

Inspiration board

2011-01-13T11:52:00.000-05:00

I love putting up pictures at my workspace to keep me inspired. Here's what I'm looking at these days:

Tim Walker

2011-01-12T18:36:00.000-05:00

I'm dying for the Tim Walker book, Pictures. He evokes such a fantastical, fairy land feel.. I want to dive right in!

More photos, all from google..

Printmaking Book

2011-01-12T08:21:00.000-05:00

Happy Early Birthday to Me! Just ordered this book from Amazon! Really excited to try out some new printmaking techniques for my stationery. I'm also PUMPED to be signing up for a printmaking course at School of Visual Arts this spring that will go over six different techniques.

Amy Jean Porter

2011-01-11T22:33:00.000-05:00

Love this beautiful print by Amy Jean Porter

Inspiration: Elizabeth Demos

2011-01-10T21:34:00.000-05:00

Over my holiday break I had the opportunity to sit down with former shop owner & stylist Elizabeth Demos. She was so kind as to give me several great pieces of advice in regards to my dreams & career. And of course her work is gorgeous, as you can tell in this photo from her site:

New York Times Magazine

2011-01-10T13:46:00.000-05:00

As a type nerd, I'm loving the typography solution for the New York Times Magazine's 10th Year in Ideas

Stationery Update

2011-01-09T21:33:00.000-05:00

Oh hello - some of you may know I've been working on a line of letterpress stationery since last fall. I had a great success with my holiday cards at the Martha Stewart Craft fair back in early December. A good friend requested some New Year's cards - I designed two options, and I also just made some Valentine's Day cards on Saturday. Hopefully more Valentine's cards to come this weekend or next!

Setting type at the letterpress is still a new & time-consuming process for me, but there is something so refreshing by placing each letter by hand. I work as a designer/art director so a huge portion of my week is spent at a keyboard with a mouse in hand, trying a billion designs and clicking "command z" every 2 seconds. With hand-set type, you have to be very intentional & deliberate with your type decisions. Its a good balance for me to go back and forth between the two styles of working.

Also of note, I've created a Facebook fan page should you wish to "like" me there.

Some recent work:

Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid

2011-01-09T20:56:00.000-05:00

When AFI put out their list of the top 100 films OF ALL TIME in 1997, a childhood friend and I vowed to watch them all that year. 14 years later, I'm still making my way through the list (36 down..). Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid was on "watch instant" on Netflix recently and I was so amazed at the beauty & goofy humor of the film. Killer cast: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Katharine Ross.

California Flowering Trees

2011-01-04T20:28:00.001-05:00

Love this poster by Claire Nereim

Jenny Bowers

2011-01-04T20:19:00.000-05:00

Totally digging Jenny Bowers' whimsical illustrations.

Hand Drawn Type

2010-12-08T20:19:00.000-05:00

Loving this hand-drawn typographic poster I came across on ffffound the other week

Stationary Debut

2010-12-03T00:54:00.001-05:00

Woo hoo! Stationary is all set for the Martha Stewart Living Craft fair this Saturday 12/4, come say hello!

Craft Fair Saturday

2010-11-30T08:01:00.001-05:00

Well, its finally almost here. The Martha Stewart Living Employee Craft Fair is this Saturday Dec 4, 12-6pm.

As the new year rang in 2010 from crappy 2009, and with a benchmark birthday (25!) I decided this would be a big year for me. I aspired to start a company.

I took calligraphy courses, letterpress workshops, DIY silkscreen class..

all the while gathering inspiration & working hard at my day job (which I love now by the way!). This fall I have spent several Saturdays at the letterpress studio, working on a stationary line that I will debut this weekend.

I have 750 various Christmas cards, an assortment of colored envelopes, a stamp with my logo & website on the way, and a dad who is helping me finally get www.maconyork.com up and going.

While I have a long way to go, it feels really good to be making it happen, to put in the work and be pleased with the product.

Inspiration from Ira Glass

2010-10-30T09:32:00.002-04:00

Metallic Leaf Dessert Plates

2010-10-30T08:39:00.000-04:00

How lovely are these dessert plates from West Elm?

Vintage Halloween Imagery

2010-10-28T19:28:00.000-04:00

Worked on an exciting Halloween photoshoot last weekend. To prepare I did some visual research and fell in love with the vintage imagery from this cute book from Taschen, Halloween: Vintage Holiday Graphics.

Chiquita Banana

2010-10-24T19:40:00.000-04:00

My original halloween costume idea was to be the Chiquita Banana girl. I did some online research and found this delightful old commercial:

Moksha Scarf

2010-10-15T16:40:00.000-04:00

I love my scarf so much I scanned it. Made by Moksha, purchased at Anthropologie (a few years ago).

Fall Colors

2010-10-10T15:38:00.000-04:00

My darling sister has lent me her Nikon D-80 again.. I'm in love. Strolled through the East Village yesterday, beautiful fall colors.

Flower Man

2010-09-22T07:25:00.000-04:00

I want this job!

From my favorite french blog, Le Divan Fumoir Bohémien

DIY Beauty Products

2010-09-18T11:19:00.000-04:00

As conscious as I try to be about eating local & organic foods, I was delighted when my friend Hilary told me about the book & blog, "No More Dirty Looks." It addresses the cosmetic industry in the US and the dangers of chemicals in our products. I haven't picked up the book yet, but have added their blog to my reader. I love the illustrations by Brianna Harden for the post about making your own products from scratch.

Marc Jacobs & the Sartorialist

2010-09-14T08:24:00.000-04:00

Love the colors for Spring 2011! Marc Jacobs, shot by the Sartorialist

Kate Spade Playlist

2010-09-10T10:10:00.000-04:00

My roommate Melissa is an avid Kate Spade fan and sent me the link to this great mix to download. But even more so, I love the "twirl" typography on the site. So pretty!

Hideminy

2010-09-10T08:44:00.000-04:00

Just saw these lovely porcelain lace cups & heart doily plates on Poppytalk. So darling!

Marian Bantjes

2010-09-03T20:25:00.000-04:00

Amazing TED talk featuring Marian Bantjes. My dad sent this link to me a few weeks ago, and I finally watched it last night. Its interesting because it reminds me of my experience in college as an Art Major, I started out reaching for lofty ideas to express ("experience," "memory") and my work lacked any personal depth, and it also lacked the good grades I wanted to earn. I eventually found my voice and created work that I was passionate about, proud of, and made an A+.

Lately I've been feeling like I'm back in that same spot, working for big lofty ideas (that I do love & believe in) but without any personal depth. Slowly but surely, I'm working towards my own company, my own personal satisfaction of creating a product, both for my audience (y'all!) and equally for myself.

I'm nervous and excited about my first session at the The Arm Letterpress Studio tomorrow. I have paper, ink, and 3 hours booked to get started with some stationary & posters. I have some loose ideas for direction, but am giving myself the freedom to make mistakes to learn from, and to have some happy accidents along the way as well.

Listening to Marian Bantjes was exactly what I needed to hear, to remind me of the importance of making personal work to put out in the world. She makes the point that all ideas feed off others, and you can find inspiration everywhere, and you never know what your work may inspire in others. I won't give it all away, but hopefully this sincere post will convince you to spend the 16 minutes to watch :)

Anthropologie Catalog

2010-09-02T19:14:00.000-04:00

While most of the clothes in the Anthroplogie catalog no longer inspire me the way they used to, I'm loving these 2 images from the recent issue. I can't wait to one day have a house with walls full of wooden bookshelves, and also a claw-foot bathtub with succulents surrounding me as a bathe.. also loving that colorful flower painting!

Late Summer Mornings

2010-09-01T08:52:00.000-04:00

I've been loving the morning time lately. My job is very demanding, and I've found when I give myself even 20 minutes in the morning to make iced coffee & breakfast, and actually sit down to enjoy it, that my whole day is much better. I had a small party a few weeks back and turned my dining table to face the window, and have kept it that way for the time being. There is something calming about starting my day looking out the window, and at all my beautiful farmer's market flowers and plants.

Rockaway Taco & other Brooklyn delights

2010-08-30T21:14:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was one of the best summer Sundays yet. Began the day with a bike ride to the Carroll Gardens Farmer's Market. I'm planning to make a traditional Native American "three sisters" soup tomorrow night with my friend Ashley so I wanted to get all the ingredients as fresh & local as possible. In addition to the soup ingredients, I returned home with farm fresh free range eggs & milk - perfect for a Sunday omelette & iced coffee!

My darling roommate and I ventured out on the A train all the way to Rockaway Beach, which is waaaaay nicer than Coney, and equally easy to get to. An added bonus is that the subway travels over the water so you can admire the view the last part of the way. The weather was perfect. We swam in the ocean and relished the warm sunshine as summer comes to an end. Perhaps the best part of the adventure though, was Rockaway Taco. (The Vinne Van Go-Gos or Shenanigans of Rockaway, if those references mean anything to you). Best fish tacos & watermelon juice of my life. It was also amazing to see containers everywhere growing fresh tomatoes, chilis, and herbs - hanging on the side of the building from gallon jugs, or up on the roof!

We reluctantly returned, and not wanting the day to end, I took my bike for a sunset spin around Prospect Park, where it smells as sweet as the south if you can trick your brain into thinking you are not in NYC.

Basically, I fell in love with Brooklyn all over again.

flowers in my hair

2010-08-22T14:48:00.000-04:00

a perfect lazy sunday. laying on the couch, looking out the windows watching & listening to the rain. had a small gathering of friends over last evening, a garden party of sorts. i made a floral headband, which is something i'd admired since i was young - christmas kirsten and then later when jenny married forrest. also, when i was younger and more free spirited (translation: irresponsible) i would lose things frequently and my dad would fuss, "macon, i'm tired of the flowers in your hair routine." haha well here i am, finally with my own flower headband. i hope its the first of many.

New Logo!

2010-08-18T08:28:00.000-04:00

I realized a lot of my friends look at my blog via google reader, which is a handy tool if you (like me) look at a billion blogs, and if you go a few days w/o checking it racks up well over 1000+ unread posts. In which case you just make yourself a cute little cup of coffee on a Saturday morning and lazily but efficiently scroll through them all.

Anyway, for those who use google reader, this post is for you! I finally got around to creating a logo. I'm hoping to launch a stationary company over the next few months and was working on a logo for my own name:

And decided to apply the same style to my blog:

Natalie Baxter

2010-08-15T20:18:00.000-04:00

My friend Natalie is so incredibly creative & talented. She's living out west and created this beautiful series of photos of her friends midair. There is something so joyful and satisfying seeing them all as a series.

Joetta Maue

2010-08-15T11:53:00.000-04:00

Love this beautiful embroidery by artist Joetta Maue.

Osborn Shoes

2010-08-12T08:22:00.001-04:00

How awesome are these embroidered shoes? Osborn Shoes in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Mary Woodin

2010-08-10T08:51:00.000-04:00

Love these sweet veggie watercolors by Mary Woodin

Persimmons

2010-07-14T22:22:00.000-04:00

Art directing a photoshoot about Persimmons on Friday, which is exciting because before now, I never considered the Persimmon. And who knew wikipedia could be the source of something so lovely? You know I love a good vintage botanical print:

Empty Bottle Inspiration

2010-06-25T08:13:00.000-04:00

The past few months I've found myself collecting clear bottles, not sure what for, I just find them beautiful. I saw these 2 images on other blogs this morning, love the ideas of covering a table with them and filling with the same white flower for a party, or putting in front of a big mirror.

Photographer, Tom Mannion via Oh Joy!:

And these from Sarah Klassen/Haute Design