Design*Sponge

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living in by Maxwell Tielman 18

Living In: Funny Face

From Anne Hathaway’s Andy in The Devil Wears Prada to America Ferrera’s Ugly Betty, the nerdy-girl-who-works-at-a-magazine archetype is most definitely alive and well in today’s popular culture. Indeed, the image of the scrappy-yet-intelligent ingenue thrust into the snake-pit world of fashion is so common that it almost seems a requirement for today’s romantic comedies. It’s not difficult to imagine why. On one hand, people like feeling above the seemingly trivial world of fashion, something that is facilitated by these characters’ brains-before-beauty mentalities. On the other hand—people also love a good makeover. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that the “Vogue” scene of Devil Wears Prada still gives me goosebumps (werk it, girl!).

Although the brainy-gal-meets-fashion theme has achieved significant omnipresence in recent years, it’s certainly not anything new. In fact, to find the predecessor to The Devil‘s clumsy Andy, one need venture nearly fifty years back—to 1957′s Funny Face, starring Audrey Hepburn. In the film, Hepburn plays Jo Stockton, a mousy philosophy buff who works at a Greenwich Village bookshop. After catching the eye of the Avedon-esque photographer Dick Avery (Fred Astaire), Jo is cast as the new face of Quality Magazine—a role that Jo isn’t quite prepared to play.

The parallels between The Devil Wears Prada and Funny Face are numerous. In addition to culminating in a fateful trip to Paris, both films feature a strikingly similar cast of supporting characters. In Devil, Meryl Streep plays Miranda Priestly, a magazine editor many have likened to the real-life Anna Wintour. Funny Face’s slightly more amiable editrix is Maggie Prescott, modeled loosely on two esteemed Harper’s Bazaar editors: Carmel Snow and Diana Vreeland. Despite these similarities, though, Funny Face is decidedly more optimistic in its tone than the cynical Devil. Instead of harsh critique of the fashion world, one is treated to a jolly feast of music, romance, and C-O-L-O-R. Apart from having one of the most stunning opening credit sequences I’ve ever seen, Funny Face features fabulous set decoration and musical numbers that inspired equally fabulous Gap commercials and remind us to always, always Think Pink! Max

1. Striped Turtleneck Sweater | 2. Two-tone balloons | 3. Rolleiflex Medium Format Camera | 4. Stella McCartney Skinny Pants | 5. Eiffel Tower Collage Print | 6. Reed Krakoff Tri-tone loafers | 7. Nelson Swag Leg Desk

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biz ladies by Stephanie 16

Biz Ladies: How Nice is Too Nice


Today’s Biz Ladies post comes to us from Kim Kuhteubl, an award-winning producer, writer and visibility strategist.  She works with interior designers, makers and hosts in the lifestyle space, building bold brands and creating awesome client, media and licensing opportunities.  Today Kim tackles the sticky topic of being”too nice” and when it can get in the way of running your business effectively and efficiently. Thanks, Kim, for sharing your insight with us! –Stephanie

Read the full post after the jump…
This post is brought to you by MailChimp, an app created to help you design, send, and share email newsletters. Discover their tools for bloggers here.

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biz ladies by Stephanie 49

Biz Ladies Profile: Christine Schmidt of Yellow Owl Workshop


Today’s Biz Ladies Profile comes to us from Christine Schmidt of Yellow Owl Workshop.  After a slew of random gigs and a final job firing, Christine decided to follow her artistic passions rather than apply for another set of endless jobs. Christine launched a print-to-order greeting card business in 2007 and today Yellow Owl Workshop items, including rubber stamps and stamp ink pads, greeting cards and a line of exquisite gold pendants, are found around the US. In this interview, she shares a bit about her journey to becoming a biz lady and the lessons she learned along the way.  Thanks so much for sharing your story with us Christine! –Stephanie

Read the full interview after the jump…

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flowers by SarahB 6

Sound Garden: Chutes Too Narrow


For today’s album cover inspiration, I have selected “Chutes Too Narrow,” by the New Mexico foursome, The Shins. The Shins make “charming guitar pop,” according to one Rolling Stone review, which is sonically right up my alley. They are a quirky and fun band (with a dash of melancholy) and the album cover for Chutes Too Narrow certainly reflects that.  Jesse LeDoux, the artist who created this cover, has worked with many Indie musicians, including Elliot Smith and Death Cab for Cutie.  The cover’s muted pastels with bright pops provide a visually rich palette for the florals.  One of our themes for May is COLOR and the cheery blossoms in this arrangement include a nice range of hues.


For today’s “how-to” I will demonstrate designing a wild, asymmetrical arrangement.  Because the Chutes Too Narrow art is a little off-kilter, it seemed fitting to do flowers without too much structure.  Like with so many creative endeavors, a design that looks carefree and whimsical actually requires a thoughtful, intentional approach. Follow along with me after the jump as I guide you through putting together an arrangement with great texture and movement. -Sarah

All images by Karen Wise.  Karen’s food and art work can be found here.

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city by Stephanie 11

Jackson Hole, WY City Guide


Today’s Jackson Hole City guide comes to us from Meagan Murtagh. Meagan is going on her sixth year in Jackson Hole and currently writes,documents, and photographs about her mountain town lifestyle for the popular local blog, The Egg. Meagan enjoys running, traveling abroad, and sharing beautiful Jackson Hole with the world. Thanks Meagan for taking us on a tour of this beautiful city! –Stephanie

Read the full city guide after the jump…

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past & present by Amy Azzarito 6

Color of the Day: Lead White

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