heysusy

HAIR DO { nosideup }

MOVE OVER MUSTACHES.
STEP ASIDE, BEARDS.
YOUR DAY HAS COME AND GONE.

There. Now that's out of my system....ahem.

Well, well...what do we have here?  I have to say I'm absolutely keen, keen, keen on these gorgeous, hairy pieces by Oxford-based designer/illustrator Maria Gil Ulldemolins, otherwise known as Nosideup on Etsy.

Seriously, all she has to do is create a few more 'styles' of this Hairy Letterhead, wrap it in a gorgeous, traditional band and beautiful stationers' box, and take it over to Barney's, and she'll be in the paper biz.

Really, there's just something I love about this pen and ink, observational, Serious Comix-meets-Shel-Silversteinesque work, which she puts her own, fun spin on using cropping, white space, a focus on detail, and texture on the page. Absolutely loving the concept of the backs of people's heads being as....ok, even *more* interesting than their fronts.

Enjoy your weekend all. And once again, thanks for putting up with me this week on HeySusy*. I love ya, I do! xx s

Nosideup shop (ps. she's having a sale!) > here
Nosideup blog > here

WELL, HELLO YOURSELF! { fun vintage }

One of the things I really love is when I get a comment here on HS* that leads to a shop or site I've never seen before...So, thank you to Kate, who left a comment yesterday, which linked to her divine little shop on Etsy.

Hello Victory, which opened on Feb 12th, is simply chocked full of delightful goodies and decor items. And,  probably has one of the cutest shop banners I've ever seen. The items featured in the store range from Vintage 1950's illustrated children's book sets, to Atomic Age beverage decanters and folk-art ceramics, with a dash of whimsical ephemera thown in for good measure. It's clear there's a real love for this fun, retro style, and the items are well-photographed and well-described. All in all, a really fun place to visit, and, if the items in shop so far are any indication, there will be plenty more where that came from.

Visit HELLO VICTORY > here
Shop updates blogged > here

FANTASTIC FEETS { frye fest 2009! }

Hi everyone. Sorry, I'm late with today's post and not feeling that fab this morning. I have a cold, and spent most of the night lying on the couch, surrounded by crumpled up tissues and hopped up on TheraFlu.

Anyway, I just thought I would put up some images from the new Frye collection which I have been ogling, stalking, adding to cart, and then removing from cart, knowing they are but a dream. On a completely separate note...really....I just wanted to mention that my birthday is the 18th of August, and I wear an 8.5 or 9 shoe. Oh! And I would happily accept a small, green clutch if the cowboy boots are too too. But I like the boots in CHOCOLATE GOLD. Just so you know. right. ok.

Frye's new bags, boots, moccassins, sandals and shoesies  > here
Fucschia wedges (think these are from '08) > here

VERY AIRY { spring starts early }

Many of you know I love Built By Wendy. One of the highlights in my existence is receiving the notification that a new seasonal collection is up and ready for perusal. While I occasionally wonder if there's something wrong with wearing ruffles at thirty three, somehow, when I look at Wendy's simple, clever clothing, I forget myself and just wish I was walking down the street in all my ruffly, girly glory.

Having received last spring/summer's Lattice Dress from Kurt for my birthday, I can say that these clothes are a JOY to wear. Not only are they worth every penny, but they last, are easy to care for, and fit beautifully, because they are carefully made and designed. The fabrics are well-selected, and keep you nice and climate-controlled. Not to mention, they can be layered and make great transitional garments between seasons.

View what's new for spring > here

PETAL PUSHERS { new patterns at liberty }

Hello kiddos. I am back from Florida, a little more tan, a lot more relaxed, and brimming with insight on Why Retirement Rules. I hope you all had a lovely week in my absence...filled with chewy baguettes, gem-colored jam, and bubbly bottles of S.Pellegrino.

Anyway, just so you know, Liberty has put up some new fabric and pattern designs for spring, and they are quite pretty. Personally I love the complexity of their large prints...can you imagine the repeat on these babies? Double Yikes.  My personal fave is the sketchy flowers...but I'm also Paisley-Prone. I wonder which ones you like the best....I always wonder if there is a commonality....certain favorites rising to the top for certain audiences...

Well, I am off to try and jump back in to the studio...should be interesting. And, to all of you who visited and/or commented last week, thank you so much. I loved hearing from you while I was away.

In other news...I have updated all my blog links on my server, and so I just need to launch that, as promised!

ESSENTIALS { pretty things from APC }

Hi everyone! It's Monday. Whoop-de-doo, right?

I hope you all had wonderful weekends, full of cold root beer, warm flannel shirts, and kites sailing on the breeze.

I will be taking a little trip this week, down to Florida, to see my parents, who have been staying down there this winter. So, if the posts are not coming fast and furious, it's because I probably won't have much time to be on the internet.

Anyway, I wanted to post this morning about the French clothing label APC, whose overall aesthetic and designs for spring are really refreshing and lovely. Their site is really fun to browse, and also to use as a palette of simple ideas to create fun looks (don't let the weird black and white home page fool you). I also love these beautifully basic votives, I feel like the labels and soft colors help to communicate the idea of a light, pretty fragrance. And how awesome is this simple denim belt? Gah.

So...I'm off to JFK in a little bit...for now, a fond adieu, and I'll pop in later on!

ANOTHER KIND OF WORK { charym }

Hi all! I'm back...no post yesterday because I had a whole bunch of stuff to work through. One of which was to update HeySusy* with a whole bunch of new blog links....which I am still working on. I hope to have that all done next week.

--

Anyway, people often ask me how I began to design paper goods and products, and what my background is. So, I wanted to take a minute to share the other type of work I have been a part of with you, much of which, like the project above, is brand/identity centered.

While I was by no remote means the creative lead on this project, I did have the pleasure of participating in some of the discovery and design process surrounding it, working for Korn Design, and Denise Korn, who is one of my mentors. This particular project, a spiritual, yoga and wellness retreat named Charym, is owned and pioneered by the interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud, and has very recently been completed.

Anyway, this is a great example of the type of work which forms my foundation as a designer...not just designing logos, but developing and expressing a deeper experience by creating a rich, specific vocabulary around an idea. Much of the work which helped me develop professionally was undertaken at Korn Design, as a very young designer-- so, I was really thrilled to be able to work with them again, on a special project like this-- it was a treat.

Above, specifially, are some of the touchpoints which the creative team used to develop the robust look, feel and experience of this location...Bhutanese prayer flags, authentic art, textures and patterns, and the proprietor's trip to Bhutan being at the center of the inspiration. Packaging, interior design, logo development (a sketch is shown here), and an intense discovery phase all contribute to the final product, which is a unique and compelling new presence, and a very differentiated offering in the health and wellness field.

I hope you will take a look a the Charym website. Because what I'm showing here is just a small part of what was achieved. The links below also lead to some of the incredible projects which Denise, Alexandra and their teams have accomplished-- and they are quite inspiring to read more about. Have a wonderful weekend, all! xx s

Links to the talented people involved in development and design:
Korn Design
Champalimaud
Charym

FRENCH KISS { illustrator rené gruau }

Good morning, duckies. I am only going to pop in for a second today, because I have much to do...one of which is tend to poor Kurt, who is home sick today, and another of which is to FINALLY update the links on HS* to include the blogs and websites of some of you...you wonderful readers, commenters and artists...you. I'm chronically late with everything, everything. But if it's on the Big To-Do list in the sky...it gets done eventually. Seriously, it does.

That being said, these illustrations by René Gruau really inspire me. I love their élan. One of the things I find most refreshing about them is that they are made with brush and paint, not with pixels and effects. This French fashion illustrator, who took inspiration from the beautifully wild Parisian scenes of Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and mixed that with his own brand of observant, playful, minimal focus, created quite a unique way to show high fashion, classic style, and a broad spectrum of feminine personality and joie de vivre all at once.

LInks
Best way to find more images by this artiste, imho is by doing this.

 

SUIT MYSELF { crave }

This weekend, on our way to Central Park, Kurt and I walked by a store window where, on display, was a black, vested suit that I can't get out of my mind. I have always wanted a suit, or several suits, and am particularly in love with a couple of varieties, one of which, a 1970's inspired type, is pictured here.

The criteria for my dream suit is that it have a matching vest. It would be worn with either a driving mocassin, a classic canvas sneaker (blue keds?), an ironic loafer or an oxford. Women's Lib. I like it!

Suits, to my surprise, found here.
And really, any of the flat, loafer style shoes right here would do quite nicely.

WHAT DEPRESSION { resilient spirits }

Happy Monday everyone...I hope you all had wonderful weekends, filled with Tea, Biscuits and mismatched cups and saucers.

I liked the German Expressionist, Weimar Republic, Berlin Cabaret feeling of these photos and ensembles. While here in NYC there is much ado about the closing of galleries, the underfunding of cultural institutions, and the quickly cooling climate for the public arts, Looking at these photos reminds me just exactly why artists are so important. They are the resilient ones.

Creativity and Imagination...despite a run in your stockings, a threadbare coat, crow's feet, or chipped nail polish...conquers ALL. ...And don't you forget it!

Photography by Steven Meisel from Vogue 2003
More of this series can be viewed here.