get organized: personal calling cards

letterpress calling cards by delphine

Calling cards are chic. Much better to give someone one of these personalized letterpress calling cards than one of these. Right?

shop we love: dreamy

shopdreamy.com

One of my all time favorite people, Heather, owns one of my all time favorite stores, Dreamy; she is one of my all time favorite clients (I helped design her logo/branding) ... and just yesterday she launched what is sure to be one of my all time favorite online shoppes: www.shopdreamy.com. Way to go, Heather & the Dreamy Teamy!

more biz

photos from DWR

I saw this Nelson Swag Desk at the Design*Sponge/DWR event last night. I love this grown-up's school desk!

Also at the Design*Sponge Biz Ladies Meetup:
Billie and Tootie of Reform School were adorable. They have been friends since High School and seem to really be enjoying their relatively new life as Reform Schoolers (the biz is about 2 years old). Someone asked why they continue having a storefront, if their webshop pulls in more money. It was refreshing to hear them say that it's "not about the money, it's about doing something we love and being fulfilled." I admit that sometimes the business part of running delphine can get me down, and I have to remind myself how fortunate I am to be running a CREATIVE business.

Tanya Aguiniga also spoke, although I had a tough time hearing her because my friend Torri kept cracking jokes in my ear! Tanya just finished working on an installation in the new children's museum in San Diego, which I cannot wait to visit! She has one of the best logos I've seen in a long time.

I also ate lots of cupcakes (thanks Sara!) and truly enjoyed a night off with Torri, who kept me laughing all night long. This morning we're off to show the new Marine Life line of letterpress cards to a few stationery buyers in LA, then we have to head back to San Diego because I am press checking one of my new designs.

the biz

Last night I headed up to LA to the Design*Sponge Biz Ladies Meetup at DWR in Beverly Hills. It was inspiring to see so many design lovers and creative people in one space! Grace was a wonderful and, well, gracious, hostess and speaker.

Grace encouraged everyone to submit their work to magazine editors and bloggers via email. A lot of people ask me how I get press, and the simple truth is that I submit photos and/or samples of my work to magazines. When I was working as a writer and editor, there was nothing I liked more than a beautiful story idea to drop in my lap! Editors are very busy people, and they truly rely on press releases and story ideas and product submissions. I agree with Grace that when mailing a physical press kit they don't have to be super fancy (she said samples often end up in the 'goody room'). I think they should always be a professional, clean, true reflection of your brand. And never send something that you expect to get back!