Design*Sponge

Your home for all things Design. Home Tours, DIY Project, City Guides, Shopping Guides, Before & Afters and much more

Stephanie Todaro

Tuesday February 21st, 2012

biz ladies by Stephanie 54

biz ladies: how to be part of the 10 percent

rosie_the_riveter1

Today’s Biz Ladies post comes from illustrator Megan Eckman. Megan runs Studio MME, her illustration business, from her new home in San Jose, California. When she’s not inspiring people to be kids again, she enjoys reading, playing with antique cameras and having adventures. Today she offers some advice on setting yourself apart from the competition…

Read More »

Tuesday February 14th, 2012

biz ladies by Stephanie 20

biz ladies: How to Create a Perfect Social Media Team

rosie_the_riveter1

Today’s Biz Ladies post comes from previous contributor Katrina Padron. She is the creator of Smart-Simple-Social, a weekly newsletter that teaches business owners strategies for creating a community of fans who love what you do and happily share your products and services with their friends. Katrina is also co-creator of The Create + Connect Project, a…

Read More »

city, Texas by Stephanie 45

Denton, TX City Guide

Today’s Denton, TX, City Guide comes from Carli Baylor, a student at the University of North Texas working on her Master’s of Journalism in Strategic Communications. She enjoys dabbling in the arts and entertainment realm of journalism and has done social media, grant writing and public relations work for several independently owned businesses. Today she…

Read More »

Tuesday February 7th, 2012

Tuesday January 31st, 2012

biz ladies by Stephanie 57

biz ladies: hire a designer or DIY your website?

rosie_the_riveter1

Today’s Biz Ladies post comes from Stephanie Peterson, founder of the web design/development company Fairground Media. Stephanie helps small businesses build their online presence through content-based and e-commerce sites. Today she offers some valuable advice for deciding whether to hire a web designer to build your site or to go the DIY route. Thanks, Stephanie, for…

Read More »

Friday January 27th, 2012

Tuesday January 24th, 2012

biz ladies by Stephanie 21

biz ladies: trade shows 101

rosie_the_riveter1

Today’s Biz Ladies post is from Carina Murray of Crow and Canary, the travel-based repping agency that focuses on handmade products, eco-friendly practices and a talented line up of local and national designers. With the New York International Gift Fair coming up at the end of January, Carina thought it was prime time to discuss the…

Read More »

Tuesday January 17th, 2012

biz ladies by Stephanie 68

biz ladies: 5 steps to turn your passion into a paycheck

rosie_the_riveter1

Today’s Biz Ladies post comes from Mariah Danielsen, an award-winning graphic designer and marketer who discovered she could build a business around what she loves: weddings, stationery and DIY projects. She is the owner of Oh, What Love and the co-creator of The Create+Connect Project, a program that helps creative entrepreneurs turn their passion into profit. Today Mariah…

Read More »

Tuesday January 10th, 2012

biz ladies by Stephanie 50

biz ladies: 12 lessons for 2012

rosie_the_riveter1

Today’s Biz Ladies post comes from Andrea Mansfield, a Portland-based business coach. As part of her coaching, Andrea curates a selection of business-related posts on her blog, and today she offers an itemized list of 12 things we can learn in the new year to help grow our businesses. Thanks, Andrea, for such an inspiring…

Read More »

city, guides by Stephanie 47

Northampton, MA City Guide

Photo by Carey Baker Today’s Northampton, MA, city guide comes from designer Mary Wiseman, who moved to Northampton from Beijing, China, five years ago. Living downtown, Mary keeps a sharp eye on this quaint city and its happenings while she develops instructional materials and online courses. Thank you for this wonderful guide through Northampton, Mary! — Stephanie…

Read More »

Tuesday January 3rd, 2012

biz ladies by Stephanie 25

biz ladies: planning a blueprint for the year

rosie_the_riveter1

Today’s Biz Ladies post is from German resident, graphic designer and e.m.papers co-founder, Eleanor. While establishing and managing a downloadable paper company, Eleanor learned how to effectively handle her time and plan for the future. Today she shares some tips for scheduling milestones in the year ahead. Thanks, Eleanor, for this wonderful post! — Stephanie Read…

Read More »

city, guides by Stephanie 37

brighton city guide {update}

brighton city guide {update}

Illustration by Julia Rothman Our Brighton City Guide comes from Michelle Butler, a printmaker and web designer based in Brighton. Her prints are influenced by folk traditions, dark tales, mid-century design and Forteana. Today Michelle shows us around her city’s artistic sites, classic shops and charming cafes. Thanks, Michelle, for this wonderful tour of Brighton! —…

Read More »

Friday December 23rd, 2011

Tuesday December 20th, 2011

city by Stephanie 34

istanbul city guide

Today’s city guide comes from Melinda Mahaffey, a blogger and copy editor at a daily English-language newspaper. Melinda moved to Istanbul six months ago, and her Istanbul-native and graphic-designer boyfriend, Cagatay Icden, helped with these city guide selections. Melinda takes us on a tour through the many historic neighborhoods of this now somewhat metropolitan city….

Read More »

Tuesday December 13th, 2011

biz ladies by Stephanie 54

biz ladies: the value of your work

rosie_the_riveter1

Today’s Biz Ladies post is by Regina Morrison, owner of the small handmade accessories business and blog, Acute Designs. Regina is actively pursuing her life as a handmade business owner in San Diego, where she lives with her husband and two crazy dogs. Today Regina graciously shares some of her insights on properly valuing your…

Read More »

city, guides by Stephanie 27

columbia, SC city guide

sc

Image of the Historic Robert Mills House via Akhenaton06 Today’s Columbia, SC, city guide comes from one of the city’s resident girls about town, Kim Jamieson. After finishing graduate school at the University of South Carolina, Kim landed a position at a Columbia-area PR firm, bought a house and planted roots in the state’s capital…

Read More »

Friday December 9th, 2011

weekly wrap up by Stephanie 4

weekly wrap up + the portland bazaar

Amy, Kate and I are in Portland getting ready for this weekend’s Bazaar, so before I sign off to unload and unfold a million tables and chairs, I wanted to wish you all a wonderful weekend! This weekend’s Bazaar has been such an exciting project to be a part of, and I’m excited that this…

Read More »

Tuesday December 6th, 2011

biz ladies by Stephanie 86

biz ladies: creating fans from scratch

rosie_the_riveter1

Today’s Biz Ladies post is by Katrina Padron, an award-winning director of marketing and a social media consultant. Katrina offers weekly social media strategies through her website, www.katrinapadron.com, and today she shares some of the best practices for creating a fan-base from scratch. Thanks, Katrina, for this helpful advice! — Stephanie Read the full post after the jump . ….

Read More »

Wednesday November 30th, 2011

gift, guides by Stephanie 16

2011 gift guide: pets!

I’m cuckoo for animals (and pet products)! Having rescued my first puppy this year, I have had a blast finding out and learning about new dog products. From beds and collars to toys and home decor, I have come across some incredible animal swag. I wanted to share a few of my fave finds with…

Read More »