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 this very helpful post! — Stephanie
Read the full post after the jump . . .
Today’s Indianapolis City Guide Update comes from Leslie Bailey, a freelance writer for Indianapolis Monthly, regular contributor to the Indianapolis Star and author of the blog Lesalina.com. She lives in downtown Indianapolis with her two cats and subscribes to a preposterous number of magazines. Today she has graciously updated the Indianapolis guide (just in time for the 2012 Super Bowl) to share the wonderful new things going on in this Midwest city. Thanks, Leslie, for this great update! — Stephanie
*Photo above via Veer
Read the full guide after the jump . . .
Yesterday Amy and I hoofed it around the island of Manhattan looking for the perfect fabric for our new office couch. We’ve been wanting to do some partial re-upholstery, so we took the swatch from our couch’s current upholstery and visited Joe’s, Just Scandinavian, Mood and the rather overwhelming D&D building. We narrowed it down to two choices (I’ll share those and the final results when the project is finished) but I wanted to share some of our favorites from the day’s hunting.
*Image above: Griffith by Thom Felicia ($44.99/yd). We got awfully close to putting a seagull on it. I actually still love this fabric and want it on something.
I haven’t hunted for fabrics in a long time (I forgot what a zoo Mood is, it’s like Project Runway 24/7) and ended up feeling pretty worn out by the D&D building at the end. The last thing I want to do is run a credit check in order to get swatches, so I think I’ll stick to online hunting to narrow my options for now. And, speaking of online hunting, we found a great online resource for fabrics that I previously thought were D&D building only. Inside Fabric carries almost all of the lines we saw at the D&D building and helps you cut out the step of feeling like you’re not fancy enough to walk inside their showrooms. The more I thought about our experience in that building the angrier I got. Not a single person asked us if we needed help in at least 30 minutes of browsing and frankly, if I’m going to spend a large amount of money on fabric and not get any help, I’d rather do it online from the comfort of my sofa. So, if you like any of the fabric shown above, you can pick them up here at Inside Fabric. Some days I really, really love the internet. xo, grace
Image above: Dandelion by Groundworks ($133/yrd). The red/cream colorway is really beautiful.
Swash Stripe by Mulberry ($95.20/yrd). This one is far more loose and watercolor-style in person (Better image here).
Sea Urchin by Kelly Wearstler ($105/yd). Oh man, this one is so pretty in person.
“Patter” by Seacloth ($67.20/yd) looks far more gentle and watercolor-y in person.
The first time I visited SCAD in Savannah I got to visit a class making books by hand. I’d never stopped to think about how much goes into handmade books and those students’ efforts were a real eye-opener. These beautiful handmade books, agendas and diaries are by artist Serena Olivieri. She just started designing and while she doesn’t have a web shop yet, I thought her work was too beautiful to resist posting. Based in Madrid, Serena works with clients and friends to create custom paper designs that relate to their personal styles or occupations. I’m partial to the pieces with cut or shaped edges, but there are several pieces to look at so I definitely recommend clicking over to her Tumblr site to see what she’s up to. Thanks to Serena for sending this over! xo, grace
*To place an order with Serena just email her here…
More images of Serena’s work continue after the jump…
Valentine’s Day is slowly creeping up on us and I love seeing all the creative ways that artists address the need for clever gifts. These personalized monogram prints from JHill Design are a great way to give your special someone (or another couple) a thoughtful gift. Each 8×10 print (available framed or unframed) comes with each of the couple’s home states (or favorite states if sports/schools are a preference) filled in with one of Jen’s 75 pattern designs. The states are combined with a custom line of text, a special date or the couple’s monogram. This would be such a great idea for the upcoming holiday, a housewarming gift, weddings or engagements. If you’re on the hunt for a gift idea, click here to check out JHill Design’s custom prints and order online. xo, grace
I used to be a total Valentine’s Day sourpuss, but recently I’ve come around. Don’t get me wrong — I still find it totally appropriate to shun candlelit dinners and chocolate roses in exchange for hanging out with friends, watching bad movies and head-banging to old tunes from junior high. In fact, it is this interpretation of Valentine’s Day that converted me: simply using the day to celebrate love and its myriad forms. The day’s not just for romance, although that side of it is lovely. Friends, family, pets — show the love all around, that’s my motto. It’s in the spirit of all inclusiveness that I’ve rounded up some of my favorite gifts, gadgets and silly gizmos for all your valentines on MyLifeScoop this week. Nothing too extravagant, just a few items of beauty and purpose to show your loved ones that they’re on your mind. Click here for the full post. Enjoy! — Kate
